He let out a laugh, but then it trailed off. “Look, I don’t know your story, and I don’t need to know it in order for you to work here. Markus is a good man. I don’t see him much, but I know he’s always been honorable and hard working.”
“Yes he is,” she whispered. Markus had been a good friend to her when she’d least deserved it.
“I’m not one to keep up on Hollywood gossip, so I’m not exactly sure what happened in your situation. But the way I see it, it’s none of my business. Markus said you needed a job and somewhere to lie low, and I had both of those things to offer, so here we are. You’re helping me by taking some of the workload off, and maybe I’m helping you by giving you what you need.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Mac. I promise I’ll do a good job. All I want is the chance to rest. Just for a minute. A chance to catch my breath. Then eventually, I’ll be moving on.” She would have to. She wouldn’t be safe here forever.
“Believe it or not, I said something very similar when I wandered into this town more than fifty years ago. Different time, different set of troubles, but I recognize that look in your eyes because I’ve seen it before when I looked in the mirror. I never planned on staying here, yet here I am. Better be careful that doesn’t happen to you too. Oak Creek has a way of growing on people.”
She hoisted up the tray of clean dishes and walked toward the door to the dining room. “I’m fairly certain that’s never going to happen. Not that Sheriff Zimmerman would allow it anyway.”
“Gavin is also a good man. He tends to take things a little too seriously—even his temporary job as sheriff. He’s a protector, will fight tooth and nail against any potential threat to what he cares about, including this town.”
Lexi walked out to put the dishes away without saying anything. That was exactly what she was afraid of.
5
“So that jacket does exist. Gray with cream collar and cuffs. I’d wondered if you’d made that up, too, after I’d spent twenty minutes inside the bar looking for it last week.”
Two nights later, Lexi wasn’t surprised to hear Gavin’s voice as she came around the corner of the Eagle’s Nest from the back door after her shift. He was waiting for her in the parking lot, leaning against his black SUV, long legs stretched out in front of him.
The only thing that surprised her was that he’d waited two more days for this showdown rather than having it out with her the first night.
Which was fortunate, considering her body had well and truly crashed after that night. She’d made it home, vomited everywhere, then fallen into one of her insomnia comas, sleeping for thirteen hours straight.
Everything about her insomnia was brutal on her body, but the hours right before the crash were the worst. At least she wasn’t at that low place now.
Maybe tonight she was more equipped to handle him.
He folded his arms over his impressive chest and stared her down with those deep brown eyes. God, he was so alpha male and sexy.
Maybe she wasn’t any more equipped to handle him tonight.
She cleared her throat so she could talk. “Yep, this jacket does, in fact, exist.”
He didn’t move or say anything, so she studied him. Still as mouthwatering as he’d been in that bar. Strong jaw. Wide shoulders. An aura of confidence so strong it was almost palpable. It had been there in the bar and was here now too.
But he wasn’t giving off the protective vibes he had been last week. Now he was polite, but guarded. Not going to let her fool him twice.
“What are you doing here, Lexi Johnson?”
She’d been expecting that question from the moment she’d seen him two days ago. Had known it would be coming. So she wasn’t flippant—didn’t blow him off with some sarcastic answer. “I’m working. I needed a job.”
“And Oak Creek, barely on the map, was the only place you could find to do that?”
She shrugged. “Mac needed someone to help run the place, and I didn’t want to be in a city anymore.”
She waited for him to press. He was right. There was no logical reason for her to come to Oak Creek for a waitressing job, even if she didn’t want to be in a city. Jobs like these were everywhere in every town.
But he didn’t press. He just stood there, studying her in that calm, thorough way of his. Steady. She barely resisted the urge to squirm. She needed to see this out, or he was never going to leave her alone.
“You’re quite the actress, you know.”
She froze. Everything inside turned brittle, like a flick of a finger would shatter her into pieces. Had he figured out who she was? Did he suspect but wasn’t sure?
She was careful to keep her face completely neutral. “So I’ve been told.”
“Told by other people you stole from or folks in general?”
He didn’t know. Thank God.
“Look.” She took a step forward, knowing closer wasn’t the safest place to be. She wished she’d driven here so she could get into her car and avoid talking to him altogether, but her apartment was only a few blocks away, so it had seemed pointless. “I’m sorry about last week. I had a flat tire, and I didn’t have enough money to fix it and get gas for the rest of the way here. I’ll pay you back.”
He shook his head and pushed off from his car. “It’s not about the money. Hell, I would’ve given you the money if you’d let me know you needed it, even though you were a stranger. Why didn’t you call Mac and have him come get you?”
Because she’d never met Mac, but she couldn’t tell Gavin that. “I don’t have a phone.”
He cocked his head sideways. “You don’t have a phone?”
Shit. She was making it worse. Who didn’t have a phone nowadays? Was she supposed to tell him that she’d deliberately run over hers with her car because she’d been convinced that’s how a stalker kept finding her? That he was tracing her phone in some way?
That was going to lead to more questions.
She swallowed. “I thought I would wait until I got settled here and get one.”
“I see.”
He didn’t see. Not at all. But that was for the best.
He was still standing there studying her, as if he could will her to tell him all her secrets.
Sorry, handsome. My secrets are my own.
“Are you going to arrest me, Sheriff?” she finally asked. “I sort of assumed you would’ve already done that if you were going to. Unless you like prolonging my agony—keeping me on edge.”
He took another step closer. She should back away, but she didn’t want to. He didn’t scare her—she knew down to her bones Gavin Zimmerman wouldn’t do her any bodily harm.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a danger to her. To her peace of mind.
She still didn’t back away.
“Do you intend to steal anything else?” he finally asked in that deep, husky voice that did things to her she didn’t want to acknowledge.
“No.”
“Then, no, I’m not going to arrest you.” He didn’t sound entirely thrilled with the statement.
“Then I’m going to go home.” Now she backed away. She needed some distance from him before she did something stupid, like close the space between them and kiss him.