all night? The way I feel, I couldn’t take on a baby.”
She looked at him with disgust. “The way you were swinging at my deputies, I was afraid you’d take out the whole squad. I guess anyone who could tame the famous Sodbuster could handle just about anyone.”
He managed a weak grin. It was slowly coming back to him. “Oh, yeah. Sodbuster. Got my eight seconds in this time.”
“And a whole lot more, as I understand.”
He slid a glance at her. “Don’t tell me you were there.”
“Didn’t have to be. While you were trying to beat them up, my deputies were singing your praises. Half of them were there for the rodeo finals last night. Saw your eight-second ride on Sodbuster.”
His chuckle was a little rusty. “Are you impressed?”
She managed to unlock him with as little contact as possible, an amazing feat, then stood back, a good three feet away.
“Disgusted would be more like it. It takes a lot more than that to impress me. I’d think a big rodeo star like you would want to set a better example for others.”
“Example, huh?” Kyle stood slowly, taking inventory of his aching body. “If I promise to behave can you dig me up some aspirin?”
“I’ll have my deputy find some for you. Follow me.”
She turned and headed out of the cell, expecting Kyle to follow her. He scrambled off the bunk and caught up to her as quickly as he could. He started to reach for her arm before he remembered what she’d said about touching her.”Uh, ma’am? Excuse me, Sheriff?”
“Just follow me,” she snapped over her shoulder. “We’ll take care of business and you’ll be on your way.”
Kyle’s head throbbed with every thud of his boots on the concrete floor. He wondered if he closed his eyes and then opened them again real slow, he’d find himself in his room at the hotel, with the gorgeous buckle bunny who’d been hanging on him the night before, and all this would be just a nightmare.
The sheriff turned a sharp corner, her ass wiggling provocatively—more tempting because he was sure the wiggle was not deliberate—and he found himself in a small room with a table and three chairs. A man who looked to be somewhere in his sixties sat on one side of the table. The sheriff closed the door and leaned against it, folding her arms across her tempting breasts.
“Sit down, Mr. Mitchell,” she said. “This won’t take five minutes. Judge Harley will take care of things, you can pay your fine and be out of my sight.”
His stomach clenched, a combination of the aftereffects of the night before and the prospect of what dire things a judge might decide. “Did you say judge?” He looked from one to the other. “What do I need a judge for?”
“I think we’ll get through this if you just do what the sheriff says,” Judge Harley pointed out.
Kyle wondered if he’d fallen into an alternate universe. He lowered his aching body into one of the chairs.
“Your name Kyle Mitchell?” the man asked.
“Uh, I’d say you already know that,” Kyle said.
“Just getting it down for the record. All right, then. Kyle Mitchell, you have been found guilty of being drunk and disorderly and causing damage to property. Fifty dollars for the fine and two hundred for repairs.” He smacked a gavel on the table. “Dismissed. He’s all yours, Jessie.”
She unfolded her arms and opened the door. “Not mine, Sam. I’ll be happy to see the last of him.”
“Wait a minute.” Kyle was trying to make sense of what was happening. “Wait just a damn minute. Drunk? Disorderly? Damage? What the hell is going on here? I don’t even know what happened.”
“Your friend’s waiting outside for you,” the feisty blonde told him. “He can explain everything. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Friend? What friend? Who had come to fetch him? And where the hell was he, anyway?
He followed the sheriff through a door into what looked like the main room of the sheriff’s office. A dispatcher sat at a
She looked at him with disgust. “The way you were swinging at my deputies, I was afraid you’d take out the whole squad. I guess anyone who could tame the famous Sodbuster could handle just about anyone.”
He managed a weak grin. It was slowly coming back to him. “Oh, yeah. Sodbuster. Got my eight seconds in this time.”
“And a whole lot more, as I understand.”
He slid a glance at her. “Don’t tell me you were there.”
“Didn’t have to be. While you were trying to beat them up, my deputies were singing your praises. Half of them were there for the rodeo finals last night. Saw your eight-second ride on Sodbuster.”
His chuckle was a little rusty. “Are you impressed?”
She managed to unlock him with as little contact as possible, an amazing feat, then stood back, a good three feet away.
“Disgusted would be more like it. It takes a lot more than that to impress me. I’d think a big rodeo star like you would want to set a better example for others.”
“Example, huh?” Kyle stood slowly, taking inventory of his aching body. “If I promise to behave can you dig me up some aspirin?”
“I’ll have my deputy find some for you. Follow me.”
She turned and headed out of the cell, expecting Kyle to follow her. He scrambled off the bunk and caught up to her as quickly as he could. He started to reach for her arm before he remembered what she’d said about touching her.”Uh, ma’am? Excuse me, Sheriff?”
“Just follow me,” she snapped over her shoulder. “We’ll take care of business and you’ll be on your way.”
Kyle’s head throbbed with every thud of his boots on the concrete floor. He wondered if he closed his eyes and then opened them again real slow, he’d find himself in his room at the hotel, with the gorgeous buckle bunny who’d been hanging on him the night before, and all this would be just a nightmare.
The sheriff turned a sharp corner, her ass wiggling provocatively—more tempting because he was sure the wiggle was not deliberate—and he found himself in a small room with a table and three chairs. A man who looked to be somewhere in his sixties sat on one side of the table. The sheriff closed the door and leaned against it, folding her arms across her tempting breasts.
“Sit down, Mr. Mitchell,” she said. “This won’t take five minutes. Judge Harley will take care of things, you can pay your fine and be out of my sight.”
His stomach clenched, a combination of the aftereffects of the night before and the prospect of what dire things a judge might decide. “Did you say judge?” He looked from one to the other. “What do I need a judge for?”
“I think we’ll get through this if you just do what the sheriff says,” Judge Harley pointed out.
Kyle wondered if he’d fallen into an alternate universe. He lowered his aching body into one of the chairs.
“Your name Kyle Mitchell?” the man asked.
“Uh, I’d say you already know that,” Kyle said.
“Just getting it down for the record. All right, then. Kyle Mitchell, you have been found guilty of being drunk and disorderly and causing damage to property. Fifty dollars for the fine and two hundred for repairs.” He smacked a gavel on the table. “Dismissed. He’s all yours, Jessie.”
She unfolded her arms and opened the door. “Not mine, Sam. I’ll be happy to see the last of him.”
“Wait a minute.” Kyle was trying to make sense of what was happening. “Wait just a damn minute. Drunk? Disorderly? Damage? What the hell is going on here? I don’t even know what happened.”
“Your friend’s waiting outside for you,” the feisty blonde told him. “He can explain everything. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Friend? What friend? Who had come to fetch him? And where the hell was he, anyway?
He followed the sheriff through a door into what looked like the main room of the sheriff’s office. A dispatcher sat at a
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