A Cowboy To Keep. Karen Rock

a sloppy housekeeper?”

      “No...”

      “Food for thought.”

      “Corn bread,” she blurted, not sure if she was doing the right thing, but suddenly needing to speak when the source of the cherry scent came back to her. “It’s Smiley’s favorite.”

      Jack nodded slowly and a smile lightened his eyes to dark amber with gold flecks. “I appreciate that.”

      “And her hair.” Was she really saying this about her friend?

      “Go on.”

      “It smelled like one of his cigars.” Her chest burned at her admission...but she couldn’t hold it back. There had to be reasonable explanations for this...

      But another part of her worried. Was there a chance that she’d befriended the kind of people she’d come all this way to avoid...the sort of friends that brought out her old trouble-making self, the person she no longer was...or wanted to be?

      “Can we get inside Tanya’s cabin?”

      “This doesn’t feel right.”

      “Her employee agreement gives—”

      “Consent to search,” she finished for him.

      “And my search warrant request is just waiting on official approval.”

      “Larry and Diane won’t want a fuss made,” she protested, feeling defensive of her friends. “I’ll think of something when I drop by to see her later.”

      Jack nodded slowly, then chucked her under her chin. “Thanks, partner.”

      “I’m not your partner,” she called to him as he doubled back and headed for the trail behind Tanya’s house.

      He turned and the gleam of amusement in his eyes got her heart thumping. “Right. Thanks, boss.” After a long look he turned and disappeared into the forest.

      She stared after him far too long, then let out a breath.

      Honestly.

      Mooning after a cowboy who was all kinds of wrong for her...and dangerous. Had she learned nothing from her mistakes?