Read Online A Lawman in Her Stocking by Kathie DeNosky - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathie DeNosky
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the hair on the back of Dylan’s neck crawl and reminded him of the way a rattlesnake looked just before it strikes.
“You two seem to be mighty friendly,” Myron said, giving him a smile that caused Dylan to grindhis back teeth. “That might be a good way to find out what we need to know.”
“You can forget that angle, Myron.” Dylan narrowed his eyes to let the man know he meant business. “We both happened to be at Luke’s and shared a dance. Nothing more. Besides, Brenna has nothing to do with the B.S. Club or any of their hare-brained schemes.”
Long after the mayor left his office, Dylan stared off into space. He didn’t like that Myron or anyone else would even suggest that he see Brenna in order to gain information about the B.S. Club. Dylan had something similar happen to him a few years back and he knew exactly how it felt to be used to further someone’s cause.
Thinking back on that time, he still couldn’t believe what a fool he’d been. He’d fallen hook, line and sinker for the beautiful young woman who had breezed into Tranquillity on the pretense of buying property to open a bed-and-breakfast. But he’d found out the hard way she was only using his attraction to her in order to gain information she needed about the town for a much bigger venture.
He’d quickly learned how much he meant to her when she showed up at a town council meeting and revealed that she’d been collecting facts and figures for a development deal that would have turned Tranquillity into a resort for the rich to “get back to nature.” She’d thrown out statistics and talked about how the town should capitalize on its location at the base of the Davis Mountains. She’d pressed the councilmen to pass zoning laws requiring the shop owners along Main Street to upgrade their businesses or closetheir doors. And had she been successful, the cost of living in Tranquillity would have skyrocketed, making it impossible for the longtime residents to afford to stay there.
But the worst of it had been when she indicated that Dylan supported the changes and the new resort her development firm intended to build at the edge of town. She’d even gone so far as to pull out a nice, fat check for his part in the research and feasibility study, and tried to give it to him in front of Myron and the rest of the council. That’s when all hell broke loose.
The council rejected her proposal outright and she’d left town without a backward glance. But the damage had been done. Dylan’s reputation with the people of Tranquillity, not to mention his ego, had taken a hell of a beating that night. And for the first time in his life, his integrity had been thrown into question.
It had taken him months to regain the town’s trust and respect, and there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he’d ever treat anyone to that brand of humiliation or betray their trust in such a callous manner. And especially not Brenna.
Dylan shook his head. It was a moot point anyway. She wasn’t a member of the B.S. Club and had no knowledge of what the old hens were up to.
He reached inside his desk drawer to pull out the list of supplies for Brenna’s class. He’d follow orders and go through the motions of learning to paint. If he overheard the women talking about the project, he’d tell Myron. And if he didn’t, the mayor would just have to gain the information he wanted elsewhere.
But either way, Dylan had every intention of distancing himself from the whole situation as soon as possible.
Dylan entered Brenna’s craft store about fifteen minutes before closing and stopped dead in his tracks. Several things about her seemed to register with him all at once. She’d changed from the Oriental costume she’d worn that morning into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, forest-green T-shirt. She’d taken off the Japanese-styled, black wig and her long copper hair hung in a single braid down the middle of her back. But most of all, he
“You two seem to be mighty friendly,” Myron said, giving him a smile that caused Dylan to grindhis back teeth. “That might be a good way to find out what we need to know.”
“You can forget that angle, Myron.” Dylan narrowed his eyes to let the man know he meant business. “We both happened to be at Luke’s and shared a dance. Nothing more. Besides, Brenna has nothing to do with the B.S. Club or any of their hare-brained schemes.”
Long after the mayor left his office, Dylan stared off into space. He didn’t like that Myron or anyone else would even suggest that he see Brenna in order to gain information about the B.S. Club. Dylan had something similar happen to him a few years back and he knew exactly how it felt to be used to further someone’s cause.
Thinking back on that time, he still couldn’t believe what a fool he’d been. He’d fallen hook, line and sinker for the beautiful young woman who had breezed into Tranquillity on the pretense of buying property to open a bed-and-breakfast. But he’d found out the hard way she was only using his attraction to her in order to gain information she needed about the town for a much bigger venture.
He’d quickly learned how much he meant to her when she showed up at a town council meeting and revealed that she’d been collecting facts and figures for a development deal that would have turned Tranquillity into a resort for the rich to “get back to nature.” She’d thrown out statistics and talked about how the town should capitalize on its location at the base of the Davis Mountains. She’d pressed the councilmen to pass zoning laws requiring the shop owners along Main Street to upgrade their businesses or closetheir doors. And had she been successful, the cost of living in Tranquillity would have skyrocketed, making it impossible for the longtime residents to afford to stay there.
But the worst of it had been when she indicated that Dylan supported the changes and the new resort her development firm intended to build at the edge of town. She’d even gone so far as to pull out a nice, fat check for his part in the research and feasibility study, and tried to give it to him in front of Myron and the rest of the council. That’s when all hell broke loose.
The council rejected her proposal outright and she’d left town without a backward glance. But the damage had been done. Dylan’s reputation with the people of Tranquillity, not to mention his ego, had taken a hell of a beating that night. And for the first time in his life, his integrity had been thrown into question.
It had taken him months to regain the town’s trust and respect, and there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he’d ever treat anyone to that brand of humiliation or betray their trust in such a callous manner. And especially not Brenna.
Dylan shook his head. It was a moot point anyway. She wasn’t a member of the B.S. Club and had no knowledge of what the old hens were up to.
He reached inside his desk drawer to pull out the list of supplies for Brenna’s class. He’d follow orders and go through the motions of learning to paint. If he overheard the women talking about the project, he’d tell Myron. And if he didn’t, the mayor would just have to gain the information he wanted elsewhere.
But either way, Dylan had every intention of distancing himself from the whole situation as soon as possible.
Dylan entered Brenna’s craft store about fifteen minutes before closing and stopped dead in his tracks. Several things about her seemed to register with him all at once. She’d changed from the Oriental costume she’d worn that morning into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, forest-green T-shirt. She’d taken off the Japanese-styled, black wig and her long copper hair hung in a single braid down the middle of her back. But most of all, he