The Cowboy Lassoes a Bride by Kate Pearce (free ebook reader txt) 📕

her across the water and straight into the sheriff ’s office with her friends tagging along behind.

He’d taken her cell phone, so she couldn’t contact HW and tell him where she was. Not that it was a problem. She was fairly certain that this being Morgantown, her beloved would be brought up to speed quite rapidly.

Finally, it got quiet, and the room stopped swirling around. Nate came back to take a look at her.

She opened one eye as he handed her a bottle of water and sat on the edge of her bunk. “What did you do to make them go away?”

“Well, I offered to put them all in here with you, and that seemed to do the trick.” He fought a smile. “You have a very loyal bunch of friends there.”

“I know.” Sam sighed and sat up. “Thanks for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.” This time his smile was more obvious. “First drunk who’s ever said thank you, rather than taking a slug at me, or vomiting all over my uniform.”

Sam made a face as she sipped her water. “I couldn’t get down. My boots were soaked, and I wasn’t able to get any grip.”

“Which is why you don’t climb up statues,” Nate said. He stood up. “I think I hear your rescue party.”

“My what?” Sam said, but he was already on the move, locking the cell door behind him, which he hadn’t done before. “Wait—what are you doing?”

She heard a familiar voice and lay back down on the bench, pulling the towel she’d used to dry off over her head. The door was unlocked; she heard the sound of booted and spurred feet on the concrete floor, and then silence.

Eventually, Sam couldn’t stand it anymore, and lowered the towel to see HW looming over her.

“Eew . . . You smell like spirits.” Sam wrinkled her nose.

“So do you,” HW pointed out. “But I’m not the one in jail for being loud and obnoxious, and fondling public property.”

Sam slowly sat up and waited for her head to stop spinning. “Did you bring a lawyer?”

“For what?”

“To get me out of here.”

HW stared at her, shook his head, and held out his hand. “Come on.”

She allowed him to help her to her feet and clutched his muscled arm for support. “I can just go?”

“Yeah, I’m breaking you out. I tied Nate up in the front office.”

“Really?” Sam looked worshipfully up at him.

“Wow, you really are drunk, aren’t you?” HW chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Billy the Kid. I’m taking you home.”

* * *

HW paused long enough to thank Nate for not pressing charges, and then walked Sam down the street toward her apartment. He’d spoken to Cam and Nancy, and sent everyone home, assuring them that he’d take care of Sam, and absolving them of any blame. Sam was uncharacteristically quiet on the way back, which was a first, and made the laughter bubbling up inside him even harder to hold back.

In the apartment, Cam’s door was discreetly shut, and everything was quiet. He helped Sam out of her clothes and maneuvered her into the shower, getting totally drenched when she refused to let go of him. After toweling her dry, he found her a fresh T-shirt and settled her into bed.

She looked up at him, her green eyes soft and luminous in the lamplight.

“I love you, HW.”

He smoothed her dark hair out of her eyes. “I know.”

“I really, really do.” She squeezed his fingers. “When I’m with you, everything is better. I’m not scared, or lonely, or afraid of going to sleep because I know you will keep me safe from the nightmares.”

“Yeah?” He swallowed hard at the trust in her voice. He knew all about her nightmares, which always involved a version of the ambush that had almost killed her and ended her military career. “I’ll always do that for you.”

“Because even though you are totally hot on the outside, you are also a really nice person on the inside.” Sam nodded. “And if anyone says any different, you just send them my way, and I’ll sort them out, okay?”

“I will, my fierce little warrior.” He kissed her nose. He’d never seen her with a buzz on before. It was quite entertaining.

“I mean it, HW. I’m not putting up with it.”

“And I respect that about you,” HW reassured her. “But right now, I want you to go to sleep.”

“You won’t go away?” Sam opened her eyes again.

“No, I’ll stay right here.” HW reassured her with another kiss. “I just need to let Chase know what’s happening and get out of these wet clothes.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Why are you wet? Did you fall into a pond as well?”

“Something like that.” He stood up. “Now, just stay put, and I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”

“Okay, I love you.”

He left the bedroom door slightly ajar as he took a quick shower and hung his damp clothes over the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen to dry out. Luckily, he kept a few clothes in the apartment so was able to don boxers and a T-shirt of his Sam had somehow acquired. He also liberated a bucket from the closet and set it next to Sam’s side of the bed—just in case.

As soon as he slid between the sheets, she scooted over and put one hand on his chest. Her bent knee rested on his hip. She smelled like a tequila factory, but he wasn’t going to let it bother him. She was his woman, and he was grateful for every contrary, beautiful inch of her.

HW gathered her close, and she murmured his name, her fingernails scratching down over his chest toward his abs.

“We could have sex?” Sam suddenly said, making HW jump.

“No thanks. Remember our promise?” HW said hastily.

“Oh, yes, right.” She lapsed back into apparent unconsciousness. HW settled down again, watching her like a cat with a mouse until she started snoring.

She might think that he’d saved her, but the feeling was mutual.