Henry’s head jerked to his wife. “You’ve already met?”
Arissa’s attention hadn’t left Catherine, so she saw the slight color rise on her cheeks, as if she was embarrassed. She should be.
“Yes, at the garden center,” Catherine said, then added, “It’s nice seeing you.”
“Where did you move from?” Henry asked.
“Charleston,” Arissa replied. “Where I grew up, and returned to after school.”
Henry seemed to pale slightly, but it was Catherine’s reaction that pulled Arissa’s attention. It wasn’t embarrassment now, but some other emotion Arissa couldn’t discern that swept the older woman’s face. “You grew up in Charleston? How old are you?”
“Old enough,” Hya muttered from behind Arissa, humor in her tone.
“You can say that again,” Maureen purred.
“Catherine.” It was all her husband said, but the censure in his voice was unmistakable.
“Sorry, that was rude,” Catherine apologized, as she fidgeted with an unused fork.
Maureen stepped forward. “Lovely seeing you both, but I’m parched.” She reached for Arissa’s hand and pulled her away. When they were out of earshot, Maureen muttered, “Nice people, but a little overprotective if you ask me. Especially considering who their son is. He doesn’t need their protection or meddling.”
Arissa couldn’t agree more. Jo reached the bar first. Moe greeted her. “Looking good, Sweetheart.”
“Like you looking, Moe,” Jo replied easily then turned her attention to Arissa. “You trust me?”
Arissa hardly knew the woman, but she answered honestly. “Yes.”
Jo looked back at Moe. “Two redheaded sluts, one Patrón straight up, a vodka on the rocks and the bottle for Hya.”
“You got it,” Moe replied.
The bottle for Hya…Arissa didn’t question it, though, because despite how much Hya had drunk during pregame, she seemed completely unaffected. Jo pulled her from that thought when she added, “Redheaded sluts are delicious. Just drink it slowly or you’ll be on the bar dancing.”
“And she’s talking from personal experience,” Maureen chimed in.
Jo roared. “Sure am. Sheriff wasn’t too happy, but I had the time of my life.”
Jo settled on her stool. “Catherine is a good woman, but as you just discovered, she’s very nosy. She’s the head of the welcoming committee, so it’s a hazard of the job.” Jo leaned closer and dropped her voice. “But between you and me, even if she wasn’t, she’d twenty question any new female in town. She’s very protective of Hank.”
Moe dropped glasses on the bar when a male voice called from behind them, “So many beauties and so little time. Who wants to ride the Elmer train first?” He and Sal appeared, beers in hand, grinning suggestively until they saw Hyacinth. Their smiles turned to frowns.
“I got something you can ride,” Hyacinth said, flicking her cane. “I can make it hurt real good.”
“I hear Bob calling us,” Sal said, the two of them hurrying away.
Their departure caused another laugh from Hya. “I love fucking with them.” It was because she was watching their retreat that she saw when the door opened and the sheriff entered. “Now that’s a man I’d like to ride,” she said. “He can tie me up and tie me down.”
Arissa followed her stare, her heart jumped into her throat. God, he looked good. Remembering his mouth on hers, how every kiss was better than the last, it took everything she had not to jump off her stool and run to him. Instead, she looked her fill; dragged her gaze over every inch of his body. He was dressed in jeans that were so faded they were almost white, a stone-washed blue tee with a beer logo stretched across his chest, all tied together with a pair of Nike running sneakers. She waited, drew her lower lip between her teeth, willing him to look her way, wanting that dark stare on her so she could once again teeter on the edge of arousal.
“I want one,” Millie said, her words slurring slightly because she’d drank most of the vodka she’d brought to the house, but that didn’t keep her from swallowing down the vodka Moe had set down on the bar.
“Tell me about it,” Maureen purred, running her tongue along the edge of her glass of Patrón. “Are you immune, Jo, working with him every day?” Maureen asked but noticed her friend was looking at the sheriff too.
“No, and damn I love my job.”
“I might kill you and take your job,” Hya threatened.
“Why? Ain’t me that makes the sheriff all hot and bothered,” Jo replied.
As if he heard them, Hank looked over. His focus went right to Arissa. She felt his stare, her body tingled. Her thoughts drifted to his taste on her tongue, and how good his body felt against hers, and how she wanted his body over hers, under hers and inside hers. She licked her lips at the thought. His focus moved to her mouth, as he bit his lower lip. Her clit pulsed.
“Holy shit, you weren’t kidding,” Hya said. “Moe, you got a fire extinguisher back there? Because I think it’s going to get really fucking hot in here, real quick.”
Arissa wasn’t listening to the Belles, the sheriff held her complete attention. Someone called him, pulling his focus from her. She watched him, the almost smile that was somehow even more knee weakening than if he were to actually smile. He knew everyone, walking through the place like he owned it and in a sense he did. This was his town and his people.
Arissa waited for the sheriff’s attention to drift her way again. She gave in to the fantasy of him moving through the crowd right to her. The smile was unconsciously done, imagining those long legs eating the distance between them, him slipping between her and Jo, her legs opening, him moving in, framing her face, his head descending…
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jo’s question ripped Arissa from the moment.
“What?”
“You’re all flush.” Jo’s eyes narrowed knowingly. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. She was thinking about all that muscled man between her legs,” Hya hooted.
Arissa choked on her drink. Hya slapped her on the back a few times.
“Hyacinth!” Millie admonished.
“I’m
