“Grab a plate from the cabinet next to the fridge and silverware from the drawer below it. Do you want coffee or orange juice?”
“Coffee would be great.”
“Sugar and cream?”
“Black please.”
He grabbed the plate and silverware, and then sat. The kitchen wasn’t big, but there was room enough for a small round kitchen table and four chairs. Cozy. He watched as Callie placed a plate in front of him. Her own scent was fresh and sweet. The most enticing scent he had ever come across. He wanted to spread her across the table and nibble every inch of her.
Viper cleared his throat. “This looks wonderful.”
Pink tinged her cheeks. It made her look innocent and sweet. “Thanks. I’m actually a good cook. My aunt taught me, and she was amazing. I just don’t have anyone to cook for. She placed a bowl overflowing with biscuits in the middle of the table before she took a seat.
“Well, I appreciate it.”
“I owe you a meal after last night.”
“You owe me nothing. Anyone would have done the same to help you.”
“Maybe.”
“The sheriff seemed concerned over you.”
“Marvin? He was good friends with my uncle. My uncle asked him to look out for me when he was gone.”
“What about the younger male? He seemed eager to take care of you.”
Callie snorted, her coffee coming out of her nose. She reached for a napkin. “Deputy Jerk face JJ Dawson? The only thing he’s concerned about it is getting drunk and passing out.”
“So you haven’t dated him?”
“I don’t know if you know about JJ and Valorie’s past. But I can safely tell you I have never dated JJ and I never will.”
“He’s interested in you. I can tell in the way he watches you all the time.”
“The only thing he is interested in is getting back at Valorie for dumping his ass.”
“If he’s not a good person, why does the sheriff keep him on as deputy?”
“Good question. Marv has his limits and is getting fed up with giving JJ second chances. I think he feels sorry for him, but he can only overlook so many times. JJ didn’t start out as an ass. When he first became deputy, he was honest and hardworking. Over time, he became bored with his position. If you haven’t noticed, Dragoon is nothing like the big cities. Not a lot of excitement around here. Anyway, JJ started drinking. That’s when things went sour between him and Valorie. When she broke it off with him, his drinking increased and so did his inappropriate behavior.”
“If he was one of the ranch hands on King R Ranch, we would have made him pack up his bags and leave immediately.”
“I remember when he was good at his job. I miss that about him. Maybe he needs tough love or one of those scare-you-straight tactics.”
He felt jealous over her history with another male. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”
“Me either.”
“I noticed the sheet and pillow on the couch.” He noticed dark circles under her eyes.
She took a sip of her coffee. “I couldn’t sleep in my bed and tried to lie on the couch. I might have gotten two hours of sleep. The library opens at nine-thirty this morning, but I’m thinking of keeping it closed today so the security company will come in and fix everything.”
“That’s a good idea. When they are done, maybe you can lie down and take a nap.”
“Truth is I don’t think I can sleep on that mattress after…”
“I’ll call the ranch to see if there is a spare mattress. It’s a queen, right?”
“Yes, but you don’t have to do that. I already owe you for the security setup and the locks.”
“You owe us nothing. Consider it donations to the library.”
“I should fix a big dinner for the entire ranch. I make a mean lasagna.”
“I love lasagna, but you don’t have to do that.”
“Consider it my donation to the ranch,” she told him with a wink.
She smiled, and he couldn’t help but return it. When had he smiled this much? Probably not since he was a young dragonlet and he and mother were out having fun in the sun. Wow, he hadn’t thought of his mother in centuries. Listening to Callie, seeing her smile and hearing her sweet laughter made him ache for those simpler times. Just him and his mother against the world. He always had a hard time looking back on his past because he only remembered his brute of a father. But now, he could remember the good times with his mother. Callie did this for him without even knowing it.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked him, taking a bite of a biscuit.
“Your smile and laughter remind me of my mother.”
“Oh, I would love to meet her.”
“She died many years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out and placing a hand on top of his.
That simple touch meant to offer sympathy and comfort ignited a spark, a sizzle that raked from her hand to his, through his entire body. She must have felt it too because she looked surprised and jerked her hand away. His dragon was now fully alert.
“Mate, claim mate now!” his dragon demanded.
Not now, it’s too soon. He stood, needing to put space between them. “Do you need help to clean? I’d like to get some locks up.”
She looked a little disappointed. “I can clean up. I thought the security would bring their own locks.”
“These are some locks they will be using. Since I helped them install the ones at the ranch, I thought I would get a start on it so they would not have to be here interrupting your day for a long period.”
“That’s thoughtful. Thank you. What do you need me to do?
