to shut out the tender emotions trying to break free from her heart. “I won’t marry you.” She hissed, “I won’t. ”
“I didn’t ask.”
Shocked, she whipped open her eyes and gaped at him.
He winked at her.
“You’re a skunk, Trey Scott.”
“Make no mistake, Miss Taylor. I’ll ask.” Masculine triumph narrowed his eyes. “When I’m ready.”
With that pithy remark, he placed his hat on his head, turned and sauntered down the steps, never once looking back at her.
Although Katherine would have liked nothing more than to follow after the beast and kick him in the shins, a part of her was thrilled at the way he’d once again caught her off guard with his outrageous conceit.
And that frightened her far more than his touch.
Chapter Nine
T rey met up again with Sheriff Lassiter exactly one hour after leaving Katherine on the Charity House porch. The traffic was dying down on the street, but Trey hardly noticed. A stream of tobacco juice arced through the air and landed inches from Trey’s feet.
“Nice shot, Sheriff.”
Lassiter ignored him.
Dropping into the empty chair that Molly had occupied earlier, Trey tried to focus his thoughts on anything other than the stubborn schoolteacher who made his blood boil with irritation.
With a shake of his head, he banished the disturbing woman from his thoughts and turned his attention to Denver’s notorious sheriff. Lassiter had pulled the wide hat brim over his weather-beaten face, the relaxed posture making him appear asleep.
Trey propped his feet against the rail in a gesture identical to the sheriff’s and inhaled the sharp, spicy fragrance of a coming rain. “Surveying your domain, Lassiter?”
With two fingers, the sheriff pushed his hat back, leaned forward and spat another rivulet of tobacco juice to the ground. “You get Molly home safe?”
“Yeah, she’s back at the orphanage, probably causing trouble already.” His tone reflected all the admiration he felt for the little girl, and all the frustration he felt toward the older sister.
“No doubt.” After a moment of shuffling around in his chair, the sheriff leveled a measuring look at Trey. “So what did our little Molly want from you that couldn’t wait until later?”
Trey lifted his gaze to the heavens. As the warmth of the day skidded behind threatening rain clouds, his mood turned the same dreary gray as the sky. “She just wanted to talk.”
He didn’t feel the need to add the particulars of their disturbing conversation, or to reveal the resulting clash he’d had with Katherine.
Lassiter dropped his feet to the ground, then leaned forward. “She came all that way, by herself, just to talk?”
“That’s what I said.”
Rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger, the sheriff slid a shrewd look at Trey from below his hat. “Molly’s a pretty little thing. Already a charmer.”
Why deny the truth? “I’d say.”
Lassiter shifted the wad of tobacco around in his mouth. “She’s a lot like her sister. Don’t you think?”
Trey knew where the sheriff was heading, knew he should put a stop to it, but he didn’t have the strength to fend off the attack. “A lot.”
Even as he spoke the admission, Trey accepted the complexity of the task that lay before him. Katherine Taylorwas proving far more difficult than he’d expected. All he wanted was to secure her good reputation and protect Charity House from a potential scandal.
Or so he told himself.
But, even now, as frustrated as he was with Katherine, he could feel the pull of attraction between them growing stronger by the day. He was drawn to the way she made him feel less anger. His need to strike out dimmed when he was around her. But Trey knew the feeling was only temporary. The hate was still in him, bubbling just under the surface, festering and spreading like a cancer. Driving him to hunt down Ike Hayes and make him pay.
“Do you want to talk about the big sister?”
“No.”
Trey didn’t
“I didn’t ask.”
Shocked, she whipped open her eyes and gaped at him.
He winked at her.
“You’re a skunk, Trey Scott.”
“Make no mistake, Miss Taylor. I’ll ask.” Masculine triumph narrowed his eyes. “When I’m ready.”
With that pithy remark, he placed his hat on his head, turned and sauntered down the steps, never once looking back at her.
Although Katherine would have liked nothing more than to follow after the beast and kick him in the shins, a part of her was thrilled at the way he’d once again caught her off guard with his outrageous conceit.
And that frightened her far more than his touch.
Chapter Nine
T rey met up again with Sheriff Lassiter exactly one hour after leaving Katherine on the Charity House porch. The traffic was dying down on the street, but Trey hardly noticed. A stream of tobacco juice arced through the air and landed inches from Trey’s feet.
“Nice shot, Sheriff.”
Lassiter ignored him.
Dropping into the empty chair that Molly had occupied earlier, Trey tried to focus his thoughts on anything other than the stubborn schoolteacher who made his blood boil with irritation.
With a shake of his head, he banished the disturbing woman from his thoughts and turned his attention to Denver’s notorious sheriff. Lassiter had pulled the wide hat brim over his weather-beaten face, the relaxed posture making him appear asleep.
Trey propped his feet against the rail in a gesture identical to the sheriff’s and inhaled the sharp, spicy fragrance of a coming rain. “Surveying your domain, Lassiter?”
With two fingers, the sheriff pushed his hat back, leaned forward and spat another rivulet of tobacco juice to the ground. “You get Molly home safe?”
“Yeah, she’s back at the orphanage, probably causing trouble already.” His tone reflected all the admiration he felt for the little girl, and all the frustration he felt toward the older sister.
“No doubt.” After a moment of shuffling around in his chair, the sheriff leveled a measuring look at Trey. “So what did our little Molly want from you that couldn’t wait until later?”
Trey lifted his gaze to the heavens. As the warmth of the day skidded behind threatening rain clouds, his mood turned the same dreary gray as the sky. “She just wanted to talk.”
He didn’t feel the need to add the particulars of their disturbing conversation, or to reveal the resulting clash he’d had with Katherine.
Lassiter dropped his feet to the ground, then leaned forward. “She came all that way, by herself, just to talk?”
“That’s what I said.”
Rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger, the sheriff slid a shrewd look at Trey from below his hat. “Molly’s a pretty little thing. Already a charmer.”
Why deny the truth? “I’d say.”
Lassiter shifted the wad of tobacco around in his mouth. “She’s a lot like her sister. Don’t you think?”
Trey knew where the sheriff was heading, knew he should put a stop to it, but he didn’t have the strength to fend off the attack. “A lot.”
Even as he spoke the admission, Trey accepted the complexity of the task that lay before him. Katherine Taylorwas proving far more difficult than he’d expected. All he wanted was to secure her good reputation and protect Charity House from a potential scandal.
Or so he told himself.
But, even now, as frustrated as he was with Katherine, he could feel the pull of attraction between them growing stronger by the day. He was drawn to the way she made him feel less anger. His need to strike out dimmed when he was around her. But Trey knew the feeling was only temporary. The hate was still in him, bubbling just under the surface, festering and spreading like a cancer. Driving him to hunt down Ike Hayes and make him pay.
“Do you want to talk about the big sister?”
“No.”
Trey didn’t
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