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  He must have felt the same awareness, because his hand stilled and he tensed. Robin pulled away at the same time as he cleared his throat and focused on the seemingly fascinating architectural details of the porch posts.

  “I’m sorry for acting like such a…wuss,” she said softly.

  His smile appeared a bit strained as he looked back at her. He was embarrassed, she realized. Of her actions or his body’s reaction?

  “A wuss?” he asked. “You were afraid.”

  “Of raccoons.”

  His smile faded. “And you were upset.”

  She hugged her arms. Sooner or later, she was going to have to explore her feelings about the marriage that didn’t go off without a hitch, but not now. Not yet. “Whatever. You showed me there’s nothing to be afraid of.” If she didn’t count her response to the handsome police chief.

  “I didn’t say that. There’s plenty to be cautious of out here. A lot of animals can be dangerous if they’re hungry enough. But we hardly ever get a case of rabies.”

  She rubbed her arms against a sudden chill at the thought of salivating, fanged beasts. “I’ve never lived in the country before.”

  He glanced quickly at his watch, letting out a long sigh. His expression told her he was battling some inner struggle. He was probably weighing common courtesy against correct procedure, counting the moments until he could escape from the crazy city woman.

  “Parker to Dispatch,” he said into the device pinned near his shoulder. His wide, strong shoulders. “Ten forty-two.”

  The dispatcher replied, but Robin couldn’t hear what they said. She was just about to ask what the code meant when Chief Parker spoke.

  “You’re cold,” he observed almost casually. “Would you like to go inside, Miss Cummings?”

  “Well…”

  “I’d be glad to give you a rundown on what you’re likely to see out here. Kind of a Country Primer,” he added with a reluctant smile that was way too sexy for a late-night official visit.

  She hoped his observation about her being cold was based on her rubbing her arms and not the fact her thin robe was revealing more than she’d like him to see. The idea of his noticing her breasts caused a reaction that she hid by folding her arms across her chest. The friction was almost painful.

  When she spoke, her voice sounded husky. Breathy. Sexy. Not at all like an interior decorator standing on a front porch in the middle of the night, wearing no makeup—and not much else, for that matter. “I don’t want to keep you from your other duties.”

  “You’re not. I’m off duty now. And like I said, it’s usually real quiet around here. This is the most excitement—”

  His sudden pause was followed by what Robin strongly suspected was a blush from the local law enforcement officer, although she couldn’t tell, since his back was to the porch light. The thought that she’d been the cause of so much “excitement” made her smile—to herself. No sense making him any more embarrassed than he already was.

  On the other hand, she couldn’t let him go so quickly. Not when the air was practically sparking with something very foreign and enticing. Maybe she was just relieved that there hadn’t been a real threat to her security tonight. Maybe she wanted to focus on something besides her former fiancé and irate parents. Whatever the reason, she’d like the police chief’s company for a while longer.

  “I’ll take you up on your offer. Why don’t I fix us some coffee?”

  He seemed genuinely surprised by her response. “You don’t have to do that. You’ve had a scare.”

  “Which I’m now over, thanks to you.” She reached for the storm door. “Please, come in for coffee and tell me all about these wild predators. I’d like to know how to tell a deranged killer from a hungry raccoon.”

  He smiled in an endearing, aw-shucks-ma’am manner that made her want to hug him tightly and tell him he was way too good to be true. Way too good-looking, too.

  “If you’re sure it’s no trouble.”

  “I’d appreciate the company. Something tells me I won’t be able to get to sleep anytime soon.”

  Especially if I keep thinking about Police Chief Ethan Parker, Robin silently added as she walked barefoot down the hallway to the “mother-in-law’s room” she’d claimed as hers while staying at the Franklin house. Many of her clients in the suburbs had these bed and bath combinations separated from the other bedrooms. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

  She needed something more substantial to wear. There was no way she’d be able to continue a conversation—even one based on the flora and fauna of the Texas Hill Country—in this robe. Not when the chief looked so darn good in his crisp uniform and sexy, reluctant smile.

  Robin paused, her smile fading as she pulled a T-shirt on over a sports bra and donned a pair of running shorts. She hadn’t looked at the chief’s hands. She hadn’t noticed if he was wearing a wedding band. He might be married. There might be a Mrs. Parker waiting for her husband to come home.

  He didn’t seem in any hurry to get home to the missus. When Robin strolled into the kitchen a few minutes later, he was making coffee as if he owned the place. The distinctive aroma filled the room as the sputtering, hissing water filtered through the grounds.

  “Find everything you need?” she asked, making more noise than necessary as she removed two mugs from the cabinet. Favorite mugs she’d placed there just hours before, as she’d unpacked the necessities she’d brought with her from her Houston condo.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I found some decaf. I didn’t think you needed caffeine after what you’ve been through tonight.”

  “Decaf’s fine. But like I said earlier, I don’t want to keep you. Your…family might be expecting you home.”

  He turned his head to the side and smiled in a knowing way. “Is that the polite way to ask if I’m married?”

  Robin stood straight, surprised she was so transparent. She really was rusty at this man-woman thing. Dating one man for two years would do that to a person. “I—”

  “That’s okay. You probably should have questions. Believe me, I don’t usually…Well, let’s just say that I haven’t needed to comfort an upset woman in a long, long time.”

  “Is that your way of saying that you were just doing your job?” She placed the mugs on the counter next to the coffeemaker, then rested her hands on her hips. For some reason she didn’t want to explore, she felt extraordinarily irritated by his remark.

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” He rotated his neck, then ran a hand through his short, dark brown hair. His sheepish smile was totally different from the falsely charming one he’d given her on the porch, when he’d tried to convince her that strange noises in the night were nothing to worry about. “Look, I’ve never hugged a 9-1-1 caller before.”

  “Oh.” She let her hands fall to her sides and concentrated on not smiling with feminine confidence. Perhaps she was still giddy with relief, but her reaction to Chief Parker was as out of character for her as he claimed his earlier behavior was for him. In a tiny corner of her mind, she knew being attracted to a man so quickly after her botched near-wedding was not smart, but for the moment she chose to ignore the warning.

  Chapter Two

  “I’m flattered I was your first 9-1-1 hug, then,” she replied as casually as possible. “And to put my thinly veiled question another way, I hope your wife doesn’t mind that you go around comforting hysterical women in the middle of the night.”

  Parker laughed. “I don’t have a wife. Never have had one, although I have been close a time or two.”

  “Really? There’s a story there, I’m sure, but I’m not bold enough to ask.”

  “Good, because I wouldn’t answer. At least, not over a first cup of coffee when we’re supposed to be talking about getting you acclimated to country living.”

  “Oh, yes. I almost forgot.” She probably shouldn’t have admitted that, she realized as she turned around and poured the coffee. Pasting a confident smile on her
face, she walked the few steps to the table and placed the cup before him. “Cream or sugar?”

  “No, thank you. I’ve learned to drink it black.”

  “You obviously have a tougher stomach than I do,” she said as she helped herself to sweetener and powdered creamer. Thank goodness she’d remembered to pack the basics, since the grocery in Ranger Springs had closed before she’d had a chance to go shopping.

  “It’s a prerequisite for law enforcement work.”

  “I thought the dietary requirements included the ability to consume endless doughnuts.” She took a sip of coffee, hoping he didn’t take offense over her attempt at cop humor.

  “Enough with the clichés,” he said with a short chuckle. “We have to stay a bit more healthy than a steady diet of doughnuts would allow.”

  And he certainly did look healthy…and fit. She squirmed a bit in her seat, deciding she’d better change the subject quickly. “So, what animals should I expect?”

  He gave her a speculative look, but didn’t pursue the personal remarks. Leaning back in his chair, he took a tentative sip of the hot coffee. “The common ones are squirrels, raccoons, opossums, rabbits and deer. You’ll probably have some foxes and coyotes visit, too, but you may never see them. They’re pretty shy of humans. We’ve even had some cougars sighted, so be careful if you’re out at night.”

  “Cougars?” She barely suppressed a shudder. “I didn’t realize I was that far out in the wild.”

  “Actually, we keep intruding into their territory. San Antonio has spread pretty far north, and Austin is spreading south and west. We’ve built new roads and vacation homes through the Hill Country. The animals migrate where they can find food, which is often around humans.”

  “I’ll make sure they’re not finding it at my back door.”

  “That’s the best thing you can do. Of course, the deer will eat anything in the yard—grass, trees, shrubs, flowers. It’s hard to discourage them. The feed store has a few solutions, but a hungry deer is more persistent than anything I’ve seen so far.”

  “I didn’t know house-sitting was going to be so challenging,” she said, shaking her head.

  “You’ll get used to it.” He looked at her over the rim of his mug, his expression unreadable. The unspoken part of his remark echoed between them—if you’re going to be here that long.

  She didn’t know the answer to that question.

  “I’ll try my best, especially the part about staying away from the meat-eaters.”

  Parker leaned forward. “Don’t make the mistake of treating any of the wild animals like house pets. Opossums have more teeth than any mammal in North America, and even a squirrel can seriously injure you by biting your finger instead of whatever you’re trying to feed it. What appears cute and cuddly can quickly become dangerous.”

  She wondered if his warning applied to off-duty police chiefs. “Don’t worry. I’ll limit my feeding to putting out seed for some nice, safe birds.”

  “You’d be better off not putting anything out at all.”

  “I like birds. I never get to feed them from my condo balcony.”

  “Then you’ll also get squirrels and the rest. They like seed, too.”

  “You’re not exactly a walking, talking advertisement for rural life, you know,” she complained halfheartedly, unable to suppress a smile.

  Parker chuckled. “No, I suppose I’m not. As a police officer, I tend to focus on prevention. If I can’t prevent, I apprehend.”

  “And answer calls from hysterical women with a raccoon problem.”

  “That,” he said, placing his empty mug on the table, “was a very rare event. I doubt I’ll need to modify my job description, unless you’re planning on calling in regularly.”

  She traced a cross over her heart. “I promise I’ll look for four-legged visitors first.”

  He looked at her speculatively. “Will you?”

  “Of course.”

  His expression grew more serious, more inquisitive, reminding Robin that he was, as a law enforcement officer, a trained interrogator. “You were pretty upset—maybe not a hundred percent from the raccoons.”

  She shrugged, not wanting to discuss the subject. She wasn’t sure why she’d brought it up. “New-house jitters. A change in life-style. I’m fine now.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but, thankfully, didn’t argue. Instead, he pushed back his chair and rose, towering over her until she was forced to stand, or get a crick in her neck.

  “I’d better let you get some sleep. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. And I really enjoyed the coffee, and the conversation.”

  “I’ll have the next patrol officer drive by a few times tonight, just to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I’m sure that’s unnecessary.”

  “I’ll sleep better knowing you’re okay.”

  “I…I suppose that’s a good idea.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by angry raccoons.”

  “Or held hostage by hungry deer,” he teased.

  “No.” Her smile faded as the joking ended. She felt the tension building now just as surely as she’d smelled coffee brewing earlier.

  “Well, then, thank you for the coffee,” he said.

  He seemed to take up way too much space in the kitchen. His blue eyes, as warm and dark as the coffee he’d brewed, looked at her in a very un-policeman-like manner.

  “You’re welcome,” she answered, her voice an octave lower than when she’d stood on her front porch in her sleep shirt and robe. “Thanks for fixing it.” Darn it, she’d already thanked him for that once. Did he think she was babbling? Well, perhaps she was.

  “No problem.”

  The silence stretched on for just a moment too long. A breathless, quiet moment that made her forget about everything but the man standing before her. But then he shifted his weight, his hand automatically resting on a holster that held a large and dangerous-looking pistol, and she remembered that he was a law enforcement officer, and that she was a new resident who’d called in with an emergency.

  Perhaps he was just being friendly. Maybe she was imagining this tension between them. Or you could just be mentally exhausted and rambling, she told herself as she gripped the back of her chair.

  “Thank you for coming out, Chief Parker.”

  “You’re welcome. And the name’s Ethan.”

  “Ethan.” A strong name. A simple, basic name—one without nicknames and unusual spellings.

  He smiled at her again, then picked up his flashlight and walked toward the front door. She followed behind, a sense of déjà vu reminding her she’d walked guys to the door before. Dates…and one nice, safe fiancé. Not police chiefs she barely knew.

  “By the way,” he said, pausing as he pushed open the front door, “I did come out because you called. That was duty. I stayed because I wanted to. Sitting down and sharing a cup of coffee had nothing to do with my professional responsibilities.”

  She looked up at his well-defined features and Mel-Gibson-blue eyes. Her heart beat so fast, she wondered if he could see the blood rushing through her veins. “Thank you for telling me.”

  “I just wanted you to understand the difference. I don’t come on to women I meet in the line of duty.”

  “No hugging?” she whispered.

  “No.” His eyes focused solely on her lips. She couldn’t help herself; she licked away the dryness in a nervous gesture.

  “No kissing, either.” He leaned forward ever so slightly. The night noises sounded overly loud, drowning out her heartbeat as she lost herself in his eyes. But then he blinked, startling both himself and her. He jerked upright, the moment gone as quickly as a cricket’s chirp.

  He started to say something, just as the dispatcher’s voice came over the communication unit. “Dispatch to Parker. What’s your 40?”

  He punched a small button. “Leaving the Franklin house right now.”

  “You had a call. Someone checking up on you.”
Even a couple of feet away from the communication device, Robin heard the humor in the dispatcher’s voice.

  Ethan smiled. “Tell her I’m on my way.”

  Her? He’d said he didn’t have a wife. Then who was checking up on him this late at night?

  Robin frowned, envisioning an impatient girlfriend waiting for the police chief, but apparently he didn’t pick up on her…unease. She refused to call the feeling anything else.

  He seemed in a sudden hurry to be anywhere but her front porch. “I’ll see you soon,” he said, backing through the doorway. “Keep yourself safe.”

  “I will.” She tried not to frown.

  “Good night, Robin.”

  “Good night.”

  She reached for the storm door, securing it as he strode toward the patrol car. Then she folded her arms and leaned against the door facing, her jumbled impressions of the last call colliding with images of Ethan, the man, and Chief Parker, the protector. And all of it churned by exhaustion that left her longing for a thick, soft mattress and twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  A few seconds later, he started the engine of the patrol car, then turned on his headlights. As she slowly closed the heavy wood door, he pulled out of the driveway onto the county road, scattering a few errant leaves and some small puffs of dirt on his way back to town.

  Leaving her with more questions than answers.

  THE NEXT MORNING, Ethan headed to the Four Square Café for his lunch break. He needed a simple answer: who was Robin Cummings? Why did a born-and-bred city girl move to a small town, even temporarily? His instincts told him she was the type of person who was close to her family. Who had friends who’d comfort her during an obviously trying time. She’d said her wedding was to be an expensive one, which meant money. So if she needed to get away, why had she chosen Ranger Springs, of all places?

  As he pushed open the country-style door, the jingling bell announced his arrival. The smells of chicken-fried steak, French fries and sizzling bacon drifted through the high service window at the back of the restaurant. Conversations, which had been humming along as he’d entered, subsided, replaced by the clink of knives and forks placed on Texas Places of Interest paper place mats. Heads turned in his direction.