The Reluctant Hero by Lorraine Heath

Author:Lorraine Heath
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

“ ‘Sadly, his aim failed to equal his courage.’ One of your more memorable lines,” John told Andrea. “Although I was saddened that the poor man was done in by the outlaws.”

Matt sat behind his desk, watching with disgust as John poured on the charm and Andrea—Andi—lap-ped it up.

“I can’t believe that you’d remember the exact words,” she said. “I’m not sure the sheriff has even read one of my stories.”

“I’m not even sure he can read,” John said with a chuckle.

“I can read,” Matt muttered.

She looked at him now, a pinch of strawberry jam nestled at the corner of her mouth. His gut clenched with the thought of what it might be like to taste the jam and her mouth at the same time, just dip his tongue into that corner and . . .

“Have you ever read any of my novels?” she asked.

He wanted to lie, wanted her sparkling gaze directed at him instead of John, but his friend was a more likely hero. After all, he saved lives; he didn’t take them. “Not that I can recall.”

He dunked the biscuit into the bowl of gravy that Mrs. Winters had sent over with John. She prepared them a breakfast every morning, and John always brought it over. Matt felt a bit spiteful for having hoped that sitting here doing nothing, offering his poor excuse for a breakfast, would have sent Andrea on her way.

And when had he started to think of her as Andrea? Maybe as she’d watched him shave, the intimacy of it making him long for a woman who was there every morning as he prepared for the day. But a woman in his life would no doubt mean him being peppered with more questions than a writer might ask him.

Not that Andrea had asked him a lot of questions, but she’d sure taken a lot of danged notes.

“. . . sheriff going on three years now,” John said.

Matt snapped to attention, realizing he’d been focused on Andrea rather than the conversation going on around him.

“That’s not long considering the reputation he’s acquired,” she said. “Do you know where he lived before—”

“It’s not important,” Matt snapped. He glared at John. “Think you could content yourself with telling her your history instead of mine?”

“I was telling her my history. She asked how long I’d known you. Although I’ll admit that my history isn’t nearly as interesting.” He leaned toward Andrea. “Quite honestly, I don’t know his history. People come to Gallant to start over. Most leave their past at the edge of town.”

“Did you?” she asked quietly.

John shifted his gaze over to Matt, who took satisfaction in the look of discomfort on the man’s face. “Not so interesting when the questions are about your past, is it?”

John cleared his throat. “No, reckon it’s not.” He clapped his hands together. “So, are you going to give Andrea a tour of a day in the life of a lawman?”

Matt set his empty plate into the wicker basket, leaned back in his chair, and folded his hands behind his head.

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