It Had to Be Love (An It Had to Be Novel) (6 page)

She wasn’t falling for that one. No matter how cute the man was. “Mine isn’t all that great.”

Tara glanced out the window, away from his penetrating gaze, and took in the fantastic view of the lake. The story of her life was more like one of the psychological thrillers he had on his bookshelves. “Gloria said you did all of this yourself?”

“Yeah. Want a tour?”

When she turned to look at him again, he wasn’t studying her like a science experiment anymore. If she didn’t know better she’d think he might be interested in her. She should leave, but she really was impressed with the house. “Okay.”

Tara followed behind as Ryan pointed out all the renovations he’d done to his gorgeous home. It was no cabin as the outside suggested, but a beautiful, light-filled, elegant home.

They passed by the dining room, which held a lovely wooden table that could’ve used some pretty flowers in the center. The large kitchen had been remodeled with stainless steel appliances that rivaled the ones her parents’ chefs used. The gleaming granite countertops offset the same beautiful cherry wood he’d used in the living room.

When she turned to tell him how impressed she was, he was just a few steps behind her. He walked quietly for a guy who must’ve weighed as much as an NFL player.

She backed up to put a little distance between them until her lower back hit the kitchen island. “Your home is stunning, Ryan. I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.” He held out his palm. “Can I see your right hand, please?”

“I’m fine. Are you hungry?”

Ryan took a small step closer and her blood pressure spiked. But then he stopped, with his hand still held out, waiting for her to comply.

He wasn’t taking no for an answer, apparently.

She slowly moved closer and laid her hand in his big, rough one.
“It’s nothing compared to your nose. I’m still just sick about that.”

When his thumb slowly, and ever so gently, swept across her bruised palm, it sent a sensual shiver up her spine. Not so different from how her stomach reacted when he smiled at her. Why did she have to be so attracted to someone she needed to avoid? Had he noticed her mixed reaction to him?

His slowly growing mischievous grin answered that question. Now she was back to being mortified again.

He stared into her eyes as his thumb continued to caress her palm. “How about I promise to stop sneaking up on you, and you promise you’ll refrain from beating me up?” His grin turned into a wide smile and her traitorous lips couldn’t help but follow suit.

She nodded as she gazed into his eyes that shone with amusement. Her sensible side told her to leave and never look back, but his touch felt really . . . nice. “Deal—”

The screen door banged and a little voice called out, “Uncle Ryan?”

Ryan gave Tara’s hand a gentle squeeze before he released it. He spun around and caught Meg’s daughter, who had launched herself at him. “Hey there.”

Blonde, adorable Haley patted his chest. “You don’t have your police shirt on. So no candy for me?”

Meg walked in carrying a bag slung over her wrist and a big pot in her hands. “It’s too close to dinnertime for a Life Saver anyway, Haley.” Meg put the pot on Ryan’s eight-burner stove and tossed the grocery bag on the counter by the built-in double fridge. “Hey, Tara.”

“Hi, Meg.” So Ryan kept candy for Haley in his uniform pocket? How adorable was that? “Do you need a hand?”

“Nope, I got it. Just going to put some stuff in the fridge while I finish getting dinner ready. Josh and Eric will be here in a minute. You should stay.”

Eric was Tara’s puppy walker, and a sweet kid Meg and Josh were adopting. Eric had saved the puppies and their mother from starvation on the boys’ ranch where he’d been living before Josh brought him and the dogs to live in Anderson Butte. Eric loved the dogs but couldn’t keep them all, so she’d happily taken Sherlock.

She loved Eric and would have liked to stay because of him. But Josh was a former FBI agent who probably sensed she was lying too. She’d better go.

While Meg’s back was turned, Ryan opened a cookie jar on the counter and pulled out a pack of cherry Life Savers, then slipped one to Haley. When she squealed, he tapped his finger against his lips, then put her down. Haley grinned as she ran toward the couch and the television’s remote.

With her back still to them, Meg called out, “You’re supposed to be an adult and setting a good example for your niece. Not sneaking her candy behind my back. You’re paying Tara’s dental bill if Haley gets a cavity!”

Ryan’s answer was a smug smirk.

Sounded like they’d had that discussion a time or two before.

Tara walked to the living room and grabbed her purse. Then she picked up her to-go meal, leaving Ryan’s boxes behind. “Bye, Haley.”

Haley sent her a sweet grin and a wave before her attention went straight back to some Disney princess on the screen. Haley was almost three and about the cutest little girl Tara had ever known.

A pang shot straight to her heart. Spencer had stolen that from her too. The ability to ever have a little Haley of her own.

Ryan appeared by her side. “You’re not staying?”

“I’d better get home and feed my puppy. But thanks.”

He walked beside her toward the door. Beating her to the screen, he pushed it open. “Thank you for the dinner. And the pie.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweats and asked, “Sure you don’t want to stay?”

Did he really want her to stay? No, he was just being polite. Or looking for another opportunity to snoop. “Thanks, but no. I hope you feel better soon, Mr. Nosy.”

As she started down the steps he said softly, “Hope your hand feels better too, Bruce Lee.”

She chuckled as she headed up the hill to her house. She could feel him watching her. Just before she turned the corner she glanced over her shoulder.

He sent her another smile she felt in her gut, then lifted a hand.

She returned the gesture and then stared down at her bruised palm.

Could she be with a man like Ryan and still keep her secret? Being tall herself, men with Ryan’s build had always been her type—before.

What was she thinking? She’d just broken his nose. She’d be the last person
Ryan would ever want to be with. Besides, any man who turned down easy one-night stands and took the time to make his house that beautiful was probably the type who wanted a wife and kids to fill it. Something she could never be again or give him.

She should just stick to spending her free time with Sherlock and forget how nice Ryan’s touch had felt.

As she unlocked her door and typed in the code to her security system, her cell rang. She dug it out of her purse and checked the screen. She didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

Soft breathing sounded in her ear, so she said, “Hello?” again.

Then the line went dead.

Her heart lurched. It couldn’t be happening again. But Spencer was a genius computer hacker. If he’d gotten access to . . .

No. Just a wrong number. That’s all. And all her bills had her parents’ house address just in case. But there were always cell phone GPS locations.

She was being paranoid, that’s all.

But getting a new number in the morning, just to be safe, couldn’t hurt.

R
yan waited fifteen minutes by the boat ramp for Tara to show up for her morning run before he gave up. She must’ve decided to skip it.

He set up his favorite playlist on the phone strapped to his arm and took off down the paved path. He hadn’t lasted a full song before the pain in his face became too much, forcing him to stop. Each pounding step sent a jarring punch to his nose that wasn’t worth it. The knockout pills from the day before were out of the question, so he’d only taken some aspirin earlier. Maybe he’d be able to take a longer run tomorrow to make up for it.

Walking toward home to grab some breakfast before work, he remembered he was out of oatmeal, so he changed direction and headed for the store.

Once inside, he slipped around the hardware section to the food aisles and spotted a familiar blonde head of hair. Tara stood in the rear at the phone kiosk chatting with Fred, the short, chubby owner who always played Santa at the town Christmas party. Besides having the right physique, Fred sported a long white beard that bobbed as he spoke to Tara while pointing to a cell phone in her hand. When Fred glanced Ryan’s way, the owner lifted his chin in greeting, so Ryan walked toward the rear of the store. A few yards away from them, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Sheriff Anderson asking permission to approach Dr. Carter.”

Tara swiveled her head over her shoulder and sent him an eye roll. “Very funny, Ryan. Permission denied.”

He stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t counted on her saying that.

She spun around and smiled. “I was just kidding.”

“Oh.” He joined them as Fred handed Tara—all dressed up and looking nice for work—an instruction manual.

Fred chuckled. “Can’t blame you for that after yesterday, Ryan. The lady packs a mean punch, eh?” Then he said to Tara, “I got you all fixed up with your new number, and I transferred all your contacts. But I noticed your boyfriend’s cell number wasn’t in there, so I added it for you.”

Was Fred talking about Ben?

Tara frowned. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Fred pointed at Ryan. “What do you call this guy? Word’s all over town the two of you are the new hot item. Gloria said you shared dinner with him two nights in a row.” Fred sent her a wink. “Tough to keep secrets around here, Tara.” He chuckled and walked away.

As much as Ryan wouldn’t mind dating Tara, she probably didn’t feel the same. “Gloria means well, but she has a big mouth.”

Tara huffed out a breath while tucking her new phone inside her purse. “He’s the third person today who’s mentioned it. The more I protest, the more they think it’s true. Gotta go. Have a nice day.”

As she walked toward the door, he fell in step beside her. Why was she getting a new number? “Changing your number to avoid your new boyfriend’s calls?”

Not missing a beat, she said, “Yeah, you’ve become entirely too needy lately. I think we should break up. Maybe at the diner tonight, so Gloria can see it happen live.”

Ryan pushed the door open for her and waited while she passed by him. “What if I don’t want to break up?”

“What?” Tara stopped in the doorway.

He smiled at the confusion on her face. “Kidding. I know it’s Ben you have your sights on.”

Tara shook her head and walked toward her office. “Ben’s a nice guy and all, but he’s really not my type. Besides, I’ve decided I’d rather focus on getting my practice up and going before I start dating again.”

So she wasn’t interested in his brother after all?

Sweet!

But that didn’t mean Ben wasn’t still interested in
her
.

Dammit.

She never answered the question about the phone number, though. “So who are you trying to avoid?”

Tara’s eyes shifted away from his as she picked up her pace. “Since when have you become interested in idle small talk, Mr. Chatty?”

Since he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery known as Tara. “Maybe you’re easier to talk to than most?”

Her forehead crinkled as her eyes cut back to his. “Is that a pickup line, Sheriff?”

“Don’t need one. You’re already my girlfriend. Just ask anyone in town.”

Her eyes lit with amusement and she grinned. Tara’s smile packed as big a punch as the one she’d dealt him yesterday.

“You were saying?” When he quirked a brow, silently waiting for her answer, she let out a long sigh.

“I got a new number because of all the charities and their telemarketers. You try to be nice and give, and then they turn into piranhas.”

Her answer seemed to roll off her tongue as if practiced. His gut begged to differ.

Tara stopped walking and fished through her suitcase-sized purse. She had a can of pepper spray strapped inside.

Once she found her keys she said, “Unless you’d like to come in and let me clean your teeth, because you’re way overdue for that, I’ll see you around.”

“Negative.” He pulled his phone from the strap on his arm. “But I should get your new number.”

Her hand stopped midway to the lock and her eyes lined up with his. “Why?”

“In case someone has a dental emergency.” Or, so he could track her phone in the future in case it became necessary.

Tara turned the lock and said, “Do you promise to call less often than you have been?”

Teasing him again. He liked that about her. “I’ll try.” He made a crisscross against his chest. “Scout’s honor.”

“Fine.” She recited the number.

Zeke, the town handyman, showed up. He had to be close to seventy, and was so tall and thin it made Ryan want to buy him a meal every time he saw him.

Zeke nodded. “Morning, you two. Figured I’d try to get that chair fixed before you open for business, Tara.” He turned to Ryan. “So it’s true, huh? You’ve finally given up that silly ‘no dating in town’ rule of yours?”

Ryan opened his mouth to say something, but Zeke had already slipped inside.

Tara laughed. “Seriously, if this ‘you and me’ thing gets any worse, we really might have to come up with a public breakup plan. Bye.”

He waited for the glass door to swing closed before he hit the number he’d just added to his phone.

She glanced at her cell, then spun around and blinked at him through the glass door as she lifted the phone next to her ear. “This is your idea of calling me less?”

“Unlike you and your many phone rules, you can call
me
anytime. Especially if you feel unsafe. Day or night, Tara.” He hit “End” and walked away before she could respond.

That ought to give her something to think about. And he’d just proved he could carry on a conversation when he made the effort. Maybe he’d try doing that more often. Especially with Tara.

Smiling, he headed back to the store to pick up his oatmeal.

Tara stared at the phone in her hand, debating which she was more annoyed with. That he’d just hung up on her and walked away, or that he seemed to be snooping into her personal business.

She hated getting hung up on. It was a serious pet peeve. But it’d be worse if he suspected her lies.

And he’d definitely been flirting with her.

Hadn’t he?

Oddly, she’d kind of liked it. He was funny when he put his mind to it. And Missy was right, he really was damn
hot
.

She slipped behind her desk and fired up her computer while Zeke banged on something in the other room. Maybe she should just buy new exam chairs rather than having to call Zeke once a week. She could just dip into her trust fund. There was more money in there than she could ever spend.

But if she bought new chairs she’d miss her weekly gossip sessions with him. Zeke was always happy to give her the scoop about all the residents of Anderson Butte. Maybe she’d ask him about what made Ryan tick. The sheriff was quiet, but not all the time. And when the man smiled it lit up his whole handsome face—not to mention what it did to her insides.

While she waited for her scheduling program to load, she scribbled a reminder on a sticky note to call her mother later. Her mom would still be sleeping and a voice mail about a cell number change would set off all kinds of alarms.

Thankfully she’d had her excuse for getting a new number all planned out for her parents before Ryan asked her about it. But he didn’t seem to buy it.

What was she thinking? She needed to push aside all thoughts about how hot Ryan was and avoid him.

The bell over the front door jingled, signaling Missy’s arrival. Tara glanced at the clock on her wall and smiled. Missy was early for once. Maybe her always-five-minutes-late assistant was finally coming around.

Missy burst through Tara’s office door in a blur of bright colors she’d soon hide behind a white lab coat. “I came in early to hear all the deets on you and Ryan!”

Tara’s hopes of future punctuality from Missy quickly fizzled. “Nothing’s going on with me and Ryan.”

Missy flopped into the guest chair across the desk. “Gloria said he ate with you on Tuesday night and then you brought him dinner last night.” She crossed her arms and huffed out a breath like a petulant child.

Tara withheld the urge to scream. Gloria must’ve called a town meeting and announced the news of Tara Carter’s eating habits to the whole world. “First off, you asked me to return his sunglasses because you didn’t want to see him. Remember? And then I told you yesterday how bad I felt about breaking his nose, so I picked up dinner for him while I ordered mine. I dropped his off on my way home. I didn’t stay and eat with him.” The way he’d held her hand and smiled at her might have convinced her to stay if Meg hadn’t shown up, but that was beside the point, so she kept that little fact to herself.

“Oh.” Missy blinked at the new information. “So, it’s just wishful thinking on Gloria’s part?”

Tara shrugged. “I guess. Now let’s forget all this and get ready. We have a packed schedule today, many of them Grants you’re going to be extra nice to. Remember?”

“Okay.” Missy slowly rose from the chair. “I guess I really couldn’t blame you if the Ryan thing were true. He’s so good-looking, even
if he can’t hold a decent conversation. Figures it’d take a woman like you to finally turn his head.”

Tara rose and slipped into her lab coat. “Woman like me?”

“Perfect
and
pretty.” Missy rolled her eyes and then headed for the exam rooms, so Tara followed behind. “Most women would instantly hate you for it, except you make it awful hard because you’re nice. I
t stings a little about Ryan eating dinner with you, though. As many times as I’ve offered, he’s never done that with me.” Missy picked up a tray and began her prep.

“I’m far from perfect, and have more flaws than you know, Missy.” Tara frowned as she helped prepare the room, searching for something
to make Missy feel better. “Ryan stayed and had drinks with you at Brewster’s the other night. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true I guess.” Missy’s lips curved into a slow, cute smile. “So let’s get those damn Grants in and out of here this morning as quickly as we can. Then we can have a nice afternoon.”

Tara closed her eyes and sighed. It could be a very long day.

Ryan thought he’d actually make it through his first whole day without a trespassing call since the note had been unearthed, but at four forty-five his radio squawked, summoning him down the street. He locked up his office and headed out.