Shadow Ridge (5 page)

“Wow,” she looked at him, her lips swollen from their kiss and her cheeks flaming red from the passion they had just shared. “You are such a good kisser, Miles.”

He winked at her. “I think you had a lot to do with that, beautiful.” He helped steady her as she stepped away from her car and unlocked the door again. He opened the door for her and saw to her getting inside the car. “Be careful driving home. Call me to let me know you made it.”

She chuckled. “I’ll be home before you. How about if you call me to let me know you made it
.”

That wasn’t a question it was a request. Well this vixen surely did like to take control. He would hav
e to admit he liked her more for that.

He agreed to her request and took a step back to close her door. He watched as she drove away and then he went to his own truck
he got in and headed for home. “Best night of your life, Miles.” He would say it was definitely better than the night he won millions in a Vegas poker tournament. It was better because of her.

Chapter Three

“A
re you crazy!?” Kelly, in all her vocal rage, still hung the crystal dove ornament on the tree she had been decorating apparently since before the sun came up.

“No. I’m not crazy. He’s a nice guy.”

“You can’t go stay with him not even for one night. He could be a serial killer.”

Bethany laughed. “He’s a cop—the sheriff, Kel. He’s not going to kill me. I’ll be fine.”

Kelly huffed. “That’s what they all say.” Kelly shoved one hand across her forehead trying to knock fallen side swept bangs out of her face. Her red defiant hair fell right back into place. “Don’t you watch any of those crime shows? I’m not talking the fiction shows. I’m talking the real life ones.”

“No, Kelly. I don’t have time to watch television.” She didn’t even have cable in her house. Thankfully Donavan, her nephew, didn’t like to watch television either. When he wasn’t out playing with the new horse with the handler, Steven
McKay, he was riding his bike. When he wasn’t riding his bike he was climbing trees that had her mother screaming at him to come down from there. And when he wasn’t doing that he had his nose in a science book. The kid was very much interested in all things science and could devour any book that gave him a factual account of things she didn’t understand but found intriguing whenever he would sit down and talk about what he learned for the day. She would admit the family dinners were one of the best things about being back.

She had talked to her
direct boss, Kyle Winters, to see if he could find her somebody in the science field who she could maybe let Donavan talk with and Kyle had arranged for Donavan to spend the summer at a science camp. Donavan was so excited when she told him that she didn’t think he would even be able to finish his dinner. He was literally jumping up and down in the kitchen. Her mother seemed to think that was a good and bad idea. “It’s good because he’ll learn something and use his summer wisely,” she had said. “It’s bad because I’ll be alone.”

She would be alone because Bethany would be working promotions on the movie that should be releasing by next fall. Donovan would only be gone a month and then he would be back, but her mother was lonely. “Steven’s here,” she had said. Her mother had snorted as she watched Donovan run out the room to grab a notepad. He said he needed to write down all the questions he wanted answered.

“He likes you, Mom.”

Her moth
er had given her the sullen “I’ll never marry again,” look. Bethany figured she would. She had seen how her mom was with Steven. Those looks she gave him as they sat on the porch and Steven worked with his shirt sleeves rolled up had told her that her mother had a thing for him even if she didn’t want to admit it yet.

“Seriously, what if he kills you? You could like die. Then you’d be sorry.”

Bethany fell on the floor laughing so hard she toppled over on her back, clutching her stomach.

“I’m serious!”

Bethany tried to sober, but it wasn’t easy. “I can’t be sorry if I’m dead.”

Kelly glared at her. “
I don’t like this guy.”

“You don’t know this guy.” Bethany shook her head. “Anyway, I have to go. I should have been working, but I have spent most of
my time sitting here listening to you complain about Miles. I’m going now.”

“Bethy.”

“Bethany,” she said with a short hint of anger in her tone.

“Sorry. Just…be careful okay. Give me the number to where you’ll be staying and when you’ll be back and if anything happens to you I’ll call the FBI.”

Bethany started laughing again. “Oh dear, you are crazy. Bye, crazy lady.” She shook her head. She hadn’t felt unsafe accepting Miles’ invitation, but maybe Kelly had a point. Maybe it was too soon to be staying at his place for Christmas. She wasn’t sure, but she would see how the next couple weeks went before she started making plans to change her mind. She had three weeks, but the planner side of her didn’t like to wait until the last moment. If she felt uncomfortable—even a small hint of uncomfortable—she would cancel.

She did manage to get a couple hours of work in before getting another shower and pulling on some casual clothes. Jeans that hugged her soft curves, a fitted knitted sweater because it was cool but not cold, and a pair of knee high low heeled boots that she loved to wear as
her standard walking around town boots in L.A. She pushed her hair up in a classy up-do that wasn’t too formal but wasn’t messy casual either and she hit the road. When she pulled up outside the station she parked two cars back from a Deputy car and walked down to Miles’ location. She felt a little nervous about walking into the station just to meet her day-date, but he hadn’t come out and she wasn’t sure if she should have called him to let him know she was outside or just go in and let him know.

The thought that she could have called didn’t occur to her until she opened the door. Leaving now to make the call would make her look stupid seeing as though the front receptionist and the deputy at the back corner desk had both turned their attention to her.

“May I help you?” The silver haired woman with the lines etched around her eyes and in her face looked at her as if she were a foreigner from another country invading their space. Her scrutinizing eyes didn’t make Bethany nervous. Instead, she put her work persona back on and remembered that she had gone into the trenches in a male dominated field and came out the victor in more battles than one.

“I’m Bethany Tillman. I’m here to see Miles
Vanderbilt.”

“Oh,” the woman’s mouth twisted to the left as if she was upset that she was there. Or more like she seemed upset that she was there for Miles. The woman looked too old for him, but that didn’t mean anything. She had seen many of old women go after younger men. Miles was thirty-nine so she would suppose he wasn’t super young, but he wasn’t old either. At least she didn’t think he was as old as the
woman at the desk. Then again, the woman could have just spent one too many days in the sun. For all she knew the aged look could have been sun induced and not age induced.

She watched the woman pick up the phone and hit a rectangular gray button. Silence dominated the room until she spoke. “There is a Bethany Tillman here to see you.”

Bethany thought she might have to wait a while and if she did she would prefer to wait outside where the air might be cool but it still felt warmer than in here given the hostility rolling off the woman. Then again, she was a shark in business and she would not let anybody send her running—not ever.

“Bethany,” Miles took steady strides toward her and when he reached her he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I was tied up in paperwork. I should have met you at your car.”

Was he ashamed of her? No, that couldn’t have been right since he was the one who pursued her in the first place.

“Let me introduce you to everybody. Over there is Kevin Banks. He’s one of the deputies here—a good one.” He smiled and Kevin extended a warm hello to which Bethany returned with a smile on her face.

“And this over here is Hillary Smith-Dyson-Grant.” He chuckled. “She breaks hearts.”

Hillary
laughed. It was the first hint of friendliness Bethany had seen from the woman since she walked in. “Hello,” she nodded with the most cordial smile she could provide.”

“I break more than hearts,” the woman glared at her. “Don’t hurt him. He’s a good man.”

“Hill,” he shook his head. “Be nice.”

“It’s okay, Miles. My friend Kel seems to think you’
re going to kill me and find an untraceable way to dispose of my body.”

“What? She knows I’m the sheriff right?”

Bethany nodded. “She trusts cops even less.” She nodded. “Just so you know if you even think you can kill me and get away with it she has the FBI on speed dial.”

“He would never do anything like that.”
Hillary seemed indignant to her now.

Bethany shrugged. “And I would never intentionally break his heart. But until our respective friends get to know the other half of Bethany plus Miles then I think everybody will be suspicious. Just so you know,” she smiled once again. “I rather like this guy.”

Hillary looked her over, smiled and nodded more cordially this time. “Sorry about that. I just feel the need to keep him safe.”

Bethany smiled, nodded and took the steps forward to extend her hand and shake Hillary’s hand. “The fact that he has good people looking out for him just reassures me he’s the good guy I already think he is.”
Hillary gave her a warmer smile before releasing her hand.

“Okay, I’m
on call if you need me call. If you don’t need me, as in you can handle it yourself, don’t call me. I’m trying to convince this woman not to change her mind about spending Christmas with me so don’t make it harder for me.” He chuckled.

“Christmas at your house?”

“Yes. Where else would I have her, Hillary?” His words “have her,” made her mind go some place completely different. Why did this man make her want to think naughty thoughts and do very naughty things?

“Well you know…your house is…well…”

Bethany laughed. “I’m sure it’s fine. I don’t care how small it is, I’m sure it’s great.” Hillary raised a questioning eyebrow at Miles.

“What?” Bethany looked between them.

“We haven’t discussed that yet, Hill.”

“I see.”

“What? It can’t be that bad,” she looked at him. “Miles, I slept in a car once upon a time. Unless you’re taking up residence in a bear cave it can’t be that bad.” She looked at the expression on Hillary’s face and then at Miles. Could it be that bad? “Oh my God. If you’re in a bear cave then you’re on your own. I don’t do bears—not since that time on the set of Bear Haven where the trainer lost control,” she shivered. “Ooh, never again.”

“You worked that?”
Hillary looked at her.

“What happened with Bear Haven?” Miles looked between the two of them as if they shared a secret he wanted to know more about.

“I saw it in the papers. That bear was supposed to be friendly but it nearly killed that stunt woman. It nearly ripped off her arm and clawed her to death.”

“Why were you working something like that?” Miles looked near outrage.
His protective side was surging to the top once again.

“I was on the set because our diva leading lady was throwing a hissy fit.”

“Delany Vankamp,” Hillary nodded. “That woman is just trash.”

“I’ll refrain from speaking on that. My job would not survive such honestly open discussions.” She grinned and she could tell Hillary knew she agreed with her. Delany was a witch and a whore. She slept her way to the top and stomped on anybody who got in her way. “Anyway, I don’t know what went wrong but that bear just freaked. I mean I’ve never seen an animal
filming go that wrong. Greg was on the set that day. You met him,” she looked at Miles and nodded before turning her attention back to Hillary. “He grabbed me and pulled me into the closest trailer. We had to run to it, but he got me in before that bear could reach us. Once it was done with the stunt woman it started looking for its next victim and we were closest I guess.”

Miles growled fier
cely. She would think maybe he thought her job was all smiles and sunshine outside of handling people, but he would be wrong. She worked a lot more than what most people thought. She pretty much did the job of ten people in the field, plus she was personal psychologist when the emotional load hit the fan and they needed to keep actors from tanking a movie with their larger than life antics.

“Anyway, the sheriff on the set took the kill shot.” She shook her head and sighed. “The stunt woman, Jessica Dillard, she’s still recovering from her injuries but at least she survived. At least I guess that’s a good thing. Last I heard she’s angry with the world and hates everybody. She won’t leave her house. She won’t answer the phone.” Bethany shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. And I hope I never see anything like that again.” She shivered again at the memory of what she saw and what had almost happened to her. If it weren’t for Greg she would probably be dead right now.

Miles wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close as if he were going to protect her from the ghost of her memory. He couldn’t, but she would admit having his arm wrapped around her really did feel some kind of wonderful.

Miles showed her around town, down to the beach where they walked down by the water for a little while and then back up to the lookout point that had the perfect view of the ocean and a gorgeous white and red lighthouse. The rocky waters below enthralled her. This was near perfect.

“How secluded is it up here?” She looked over to Miles sitting there with his sexy dark blue jeans and a button down shirt on. He wasn’t wearing any kind of uniform like the deputy had worn, but she had seen him with his cuffs and gun secured to his body. Even now, with his gun secured elsewhere, he still looked every bit the lawman.

“Usually enough to enjoy the view, but some nights…well, you know, teens, couples and frisky adults come up here and get frisky.” He laughed. “And sometimes a visitor or two call us and we have to come break it up.”

“Why”

“Honey, it’s illegal to have sex in public.”