Underestimated (9 page)

I almost asked why she left and then remembered

that I didn’t care.

“Please come here. I don’t want to be alone with

him.”

“Fine, I will be there in a little bit, but I don’t

understand you. Let me get Dawson Bade alone.”

“Well, I will gladly go to the back so that you can

do that.”

“Yeah right, I have asked that man out three times

now. My ego won’t take any more than that.”

I was dreading the day ahead with Dawson. I

didn’t mind Lauren and was glad that she was coming, but

I really, really, really didn’t want Dawson to be there.

Lauren showed up first, and Dawson was only ten

minutes behind her. Lauren and I were talking about how

handsome he was, or she was anyway. I was trying my

best not to notice. That worked until he showed up in jeans

and a nice fitting t-shirt.

Oh, my God. Stop it, Riley.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun we

had. We all worked and talked. I was relieved that I didn’t

have to answer any personal questions. I didn’t really

have anything to talk about, but commented on the things

that Dawson and Lauren talked about. We managed to get

all of the walls washed down and after Lauren, and I

moved all of the things from the shelves we all turned

them. After three tries, I had them the way that I wanted

them. I was proud of myself. I had a really hard time,

telling them that I didn’t like it the way we moved it the

first time, and the second time was even worse. Thank

God Dawson picked up on it.

“You don’t like it, do you?” he asked, looking at

me staring at the shelves.

I looked over to him, and our eyes did that

uncomfortable locking thing again.

“Not really,” I smiled and turned my eyes quickly

back to the shelves.

We worked until after four and stopped when our

pizza arrived. We all sat at the same table, and I looked

around at our work. I couldn’t believe we got as much

done as we had. I just wished we would have gotten the

wood floors cleaned. After moving the shelves, you could

really see a difference in the two toned wooden floor. The

walls were spectacular, and I was going to talk to Lauren

about her friend in the construction business about having

the ceilings painted. The register by the door was a lot

nicer too. You could actually engage in conversation with

the customers, rather than being in the back of the store.

I hope Starlight isn’t mad about changing

everything.

“Earth to Riley,” Dawson said snapping his

fingers.

“What? Sorry. I was just thinking about what to do

next.”

“I’m leaving,” Lauren abruptly said, afraid that I

was going to start another project at that time.

“I didn’t mean now,” I said, giving her a look of,

don’t leave me alone with him.

It didn’t work.

“I will see you at home. I need a shower,” and she

was out the door. I knew she was leaving me on purpose

and wanted me to be alone with Dawson.

“You should probably leave and get some sleep

too,” I said to Dawson, standing up to clean up our paper

plates.

“Yeah, you wore me out today too. I should sleep

like a baby.”

The mention of sleep made me apprehensive about

going to bed. I wasn’t sleeping much lately, and I hated

waking and remembering my nightmares.

“You can go. I’m not far behind you. Thanks for

your help today. I greatly appreciate it.”

Dawson stood and sucked the noisy soda through

the ice of his cup. “Don’t mention it. It was fun. I would

love to see the look on Starlight’s face when she walks in

this door.”

“I just hope she’s not mad. I mean she did tell me

to do whatever I wanted, but I’m not sure meant remodel

the whole place,” I smiled.

“She will love it. I’ll see you later.”

Please stop smiling at me like that.

“Okay. Thanks again for your help.”

I didn’t leave and worked until after nine. I was

hoping that getting myself good and exhausted would cause

me to fall into a deep sleep and not be tormented by my

dreams.

It worked, and I slept sounder and healthier than I

had since I had left Drew.

I felt rehabilitated and improved as I unlocked the

back door to the store on Monday morning. The three

locals showed up just as the last pot of coffee had run

through. All three of the older men made a big deal about

how clean the place was. I felt very comfortable with them

for the first time, and had no problem talking and laughing

with the men as they drank their morning coffees.

I was rearranging some clothes on the rack toward

the back of the store when I heard the one man that they

called Tom.

“Good morning, Sheriff. What brings you out and

about on a Monday?” he asked, knowing that he was

usually only there on Saturday mornings.

“Morning, Tom, Jake, Luke. Just thought I would

stop in and see what all the talk about the new look was

all about.”

I smiled, amused that he didn’t mention doing half

the work.

I was looking right at him still carrying the smile

when he looked around, looking for me, I was sure.

He smiled when he saw me. “Morning, Riley.”

“Good morning, Sheriff,” I said and nervously

moved my eyes away from his.

That wasn’t the only day that Dawson showed up.

He was there every morning after that. I tried not to let

things be awkward between us. I also made little

comments about not being interested in romance or dating,

hoping that he got the hint.

My week was going well. I had managed to get the

entire front of the store reorganized and looking like a new

place. I worked late into the night, mostly because it did

wear me out and I slept better.

My next project was the office, and I had to keep

telling myself that the store was just as bad, and the

outcome was well worth the work. I was going to start on

it as soon as I had locked up on Friday. I was on the phone

with Starlight wanting to know how things were going

when Dawson walked in.

What the hell is he doing here?

He only smiled and took the last little bit of coffee

from the pot.

I finished up my conversation with Starlight after

telling her that things were going great and not to worry

and have a good time.

I started rinsing the pots and cleaning up when

Levi walked in, as well.

“Hello,” I said, surprised that he was there. I had

only seen him in there once since I had started.

“Hey, Riley. How are you?”

“Good, Levi, and you?” I asked as I continued to

clean up.

Levi and Dawson exchanged greetings, and Levi

turned his attention back to me.

“Ms. Riley, would you like to accompany me to

dinner tonight?” he asked, and my mouth dropped.

No, I wouldn’t.

“Thanks for the offer, Levi, but I am not leaving

here for a while. I need to get some things done in the

office, and I can’t really do it until I close the store.”

“How about I bring us food here?”

Now what the hell do I say? Just be blunt and tell

him Ry.

“Levi, I appreciate the offer, but I’m really not

interested. Okay?” I asked, hoping he understood that I

wasn’t going to date him.

“Okay, but just so you know, I don’t give up

easily.”

Great.

“I’ll see you around.” He nodded to the sheriff and

was gone.

“Turning down Levi Straits uh?” Dawson said

with some sort of stupid sexy grin that made me crazy.

“Yes. I guess so.”

“Why?”

None of your business.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Not interested in men,” I

said matter-of-fact.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Were you

married before moving here?”

“Yes,” I said with only that and continued to clean

up the coffee bar.

“How long?”

I looked at him, hoping that he could read my face

and take the hint that I didn’t want to talk about my past

with him. “Six years,” I replied.

“Was it ruthless or mutual?”

Okay, now I am getting a little annoyed.

“Mutual,” I lied. “What are you doing here?” I

bluntly asked.

He snickered. “I was going to ask you out to

dinner, but now I am afraid to.”

“I would say no anyway.”

“I didn’t ask you out on a date. Just because you

are not the same sex as me, doesn’t mean that we can’t be

friends, does it?”

“We are friends, but I still don’t think dinner is a

good idea.”

“Why? You do eat, don’t you?”

I snickered that time. “Yeah. I eat, but I wasn’t

lying about tackling the office tonight.”

“How about you give the makeover a break and go

out to eat with me. Not on a date, just as friends. You’ve

been in here from daylight to dark all week. Take a

break.”

Say no Riley, say no.

“Fine, I need to go home and shower.”

“Me too, you didn’t think that I was going to take

you out in this, did you?” he asked, looking down at his

uniform.

“You’re not taking me out. We are going to get

food, something we both need.”

He laughed. “I’ll pick you up at your house in an

hour.”

My house!?!

“Okay, see ya in a little while.”

I groaned as soon as he was out the door. Why

can’t I just learn to say no? Why was that such a challenge

for me?

Because you were never allowed to say no, that’s

why, but you can now you coward.

Chapter 4

Dawson picked me up in his pickup truck. He got

out and opened the door for me. I was chastising myself as

soon as I saw him in his jeans, button up shirt and brown

leather loafers. I reprimanded myself again when I

breathed in his cologne.

“You look very nice,” he commented, and I gave

him a look.

“This is not a date remember?” I said but was

smiling on the inside.

He playfully put his hands in the air and laughed.

“I am sorry, but it’s really hard not to notice how nice

your ass looks in those jeans.”

How many shades of red are there?

“You are definitely not allowed to say stuff like

that.”

He laughed and closed my door.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Put your seatbelt on, we’re going into Marshall

and eat ribs at ‘Hogly Wogley’s.”

“I was going to put my seatbelt on, sheriff,” I said,

and he laughed.

We were talking about the coffee shop while we

drove through the little town. When we passed the bar that

Lauren had taken me to, Dawson pulled into the parking

lot. I wondered what he was doing, and then I saw what he

was doing.

“Stay in the truck,” he said and got out.

I rolled down the window so I could listen. He

grabbed a guy off of another guy who was punching him in

the face. He jerked him to his feet and stood between the

two men.

“What the hell are you doing, Mike?” he asked,

holding him by the chest.

“He started it. Tell him to keep his mouth shut

about shit he doesn’t know anything about,” the guy yelled,

angrily, pointing his finger at his opponent.

“Tim, what’s this all about?” he said turning to the

other guy.

“Dude, I didn’t mean to piss you off. I didn’t know

Chuck was your boss.”

Dawson facilitated the conversation and in no time

had the two men calmed down.

“Are we done here?” he asked them. They both

said yes.

“Good, shake hands and go drink a beer. No

drinking and driving,” he warned and left with the two

guys walking back inside as friends.

I looked up to the crowd that had gathered out front

and saw Levi staring right at me.

Oh, how nice.

He gave me a nod, and I did the same.

“Sorry about that,” Dawson said as we backed up.

“It’s okay, but you just got me in trouble. Levi was

there.”

“And you care?”

“No, not necessarily, but I did blow him off,

remember?”

“Trust me, Riley, Levi Straits is not going home

alone tonight.”

Well, I’m glad I did shoot him down then.

We ate the best and messiest ribs I had ever tasted

in my life. There was nothing elegant about them at all. I