Uninhibited in Apple Trail, Arkansas - Volume 2 by Keri Ford Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ll wing whatever else comes through.”
    “No. There is no winging of things in this office.” Mary Sue’s impeccably straight back straightened as the woman composed herself against Tiffany’s smile.
    Mike resisted the chuckle and pushed off the wall. “It’s fine, Mary Sue. Go on and have lunch. I’ll be here. I think we can handle whatever happens for the next hour.”
    Mary Sue glanced from him to the NINC dispatch machine. “Right here?”
    “In that chair as soon as you leave it. I swear it’ll be warm when you get back.”
    “Very well.”
    He held out his hand and helped her to stand. Her belly had begun poking out probably since month two. Though she had another four months to go, she was looking ready to pop. “I’ll walk you out.”
    “No, no.” She patted his arm. “I’ve got it. Something might come up here.”
    He smiled and let her walk away. When he turned back, Tiffany was grinning. “That was nice of you.”
    She shrugged. “I've kind of gotten to where I like her. And she should have lunch with her husband. It’s not like things are hopping at the speed of light on this machine.”
    He sat in the chair as promised and picked up a pen to keep his hands busy. Anything to avoid touching her at all costs in this office and bonus if it kept him from thinking about her. Which was impossible, because even when she wasn’t in the room, or hell, the building, he still couldn’t get her off his mind. Especially not since last night.
    Not that anything happened. He held her. He laughed with her. He walked her to her truck. And then waved as she drove down his driveway and away from him. The moment he’d walked back inside, he leaned against a wall and dropped to his ass on the floor.
    On the floor of his entryway he’d sat, hating his job for the first time in his life. Something had changed in those couple hours last night. He no longer just craved Tiffany McBride, he respected her.
    In just a couple of days, her secrets were peeled back from him and she became the woman he’d always wanted. No, she’d always been that woman, he’d just finally been able to see her. And now arranging this lunch date for Mary Sue. A simple gesture hinting at a big heart underneath and he wanted to see more. He wanted to see all of her, now. “What am I in for tonight?”
    A frown crossed her face for mere seconds. “I’m not sure. Supper would be nice. What can you cook for me?”
    He colored on the corner of a piece of paper, trying to keep himself busy. “What do you want?”
    “Surprise me and make it good.”
    He chuckled. Hell no. “Lucky for me, we’re still eight-to-five here and I’m in charge, so spit out what you want to eat.”
    Her nose curled up. “That was dirty playing. See if I give you any ideas again.”
    He laughed, wanting more of this, more of last night. It was a night you expected to have someday . Lazy evening with a movie. That someday was here and he didn’t want it going away again. Tiffany had her past issues, sure. They were still a problem.
    But if he was seeing her true insides this fast when he’d been doing everything he could to look away, then everyone else would too. He would just bet Mary Sue, who was well respected along with her family in this town, would see beyond the façade of Tiffany McBride this town had come to know and that would only help. Give it a month of Tiffany not haggling for money and everyone would be talking about the beautiful giving woman she was.
    Instead of Tiffany dragging his name down as he first imagined, he would bring hers up. “Fair is fair. I won’t tell you what’s on board for Saturday then.”
    “The weekend?”
    He stopped with the pen. “Yeah.”
    “I didn’t know our arrangement included the weekend.”
    He shuffled. Hell, he hadn’t thought about it. It was just another day and things needed done. “Doesn’t have to. We weren’t specific, if you have other plans.”
    “No. That’s fine, I just didn’t