Sunrise Crossing by Jodi Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

up her satchel. They walked back to the headquarters in matching strides.
    â€œI’d like to offer to buy you lunch, but I’m afraid you’d think I meant it as a date.” Fifth fought the urge to step out of range as he asked.
    â€œI’m starving. I might go if we both understand it’s only a thank-you lunch.” She pointed to where the sheriff’s cruiser had been parked. It was missing, along with Staten’s huge black Dodge. “Looks like everyone left us.”
    â€œThere is a big meeting in town. Didn’t they tell you? We may have wind turbines coming in across this part of Texas. Some say it’ll double the size of the town. If I know the people of Crossroads, they’ll talk it to death before deciding.”
    She nodded. “Quinn mentioned it. I’m staying over for a few days, so she said we’ll have lots of time to catch up. I grew up around here, but my parents moved to Granbury when I started college.”
    Opening the car door, he added to the offer. “If you have lunch, I promise to bring you back to Kirkland’s place. I’m guessing you don’t have a car and you won’t want to wait in town for the meeting to end.”
    Madison hesitated. “You’re right, but I don’t know about a lunch date. Small town. Crowd in town, half of which will know me. All probably know you. They’ll have us engaged before we order dessert.”
    â€œWell, then, we might as well do it right here. How about in the back of my cruiser or on the grass? We could skip lunch or dating or marriage. Let’s just...”
    â€œStop it. I get the point.”
    He laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re shy?”
    â€œNo, I just don’t like crowds.”
    He understood. They would stick out by about a head. “I know just the place that will be perfect for lunch, or whatever you have in mind. Trust me.”
    She looked like she was about to say “not a chance,” but instead she folded into his cruiser without a word.
    He lifted a brow. That was easy.
    The conversation was stilted all the way back to town. When he pulled through the Dairy Queen and ordered, she relaxed a little. Five minutes later, when he parked in the empty museum parking lot, she smiled.
    â€œI remember this place. There’s a seating area overlooking the canyon.”
    â€œOur table is waiting. No crowds. Only the wind and ants.”
    She laughed as he handed her two root-beer floats while he got the burgers and they headed toward the picnic area.
    Within a few minutes, they were talking like old friends. She told him stories of being in the air force after college, and he told her about wild car chases and arrests that he’d only heard about.
    They figured out that they graduated from high school the same year, but she seemed to have had hundreds more adventures than he had. She’d traveled the world and been in combat once when she’d flown a rescue mission. He’d traveled Texas and had pulled his service weapon once in two years.
    Both shared stories of being the tallest in every class picture and the problems they both had dating.
    In the end, when he drove her back to the Kirkland Ranch, Fifth felt like he’d made a friend.
    Maybe they’d work together again sometime. Maybe she’d call him the next time she visited her relatives, but he saw no sparks between them when she said goodbye.
    As always, he was in the friend category.
    The only problem was, this time he wasn’t sure he wanted to be.

CHAPTER NINE
    Crossroads
    R ABBIT DIDN ’ T COME back for two nights, but Yancy went to his barn and worked late. He’d planned the stairs to be his next project, but found himself looking for excuses not to work on it. Finally, on the third night, as he cut the wood for the rails for the staircase, his mind drifted repeatedly to how she’d felt in his arms.
    She was small, but after holding her, he had no