Safe In The Lawman's Arms

His dark eyes swept over her, his emotions hidden behind that mask of his. Then he shook his head. “No. Legally, you don’t need to disclose that information.”

She tried to suppress the sigh of relief. “But you’re still probably annoyed.”

He nodded slowly, and for a brief moment disappointment cracked through his professional demeanor.

“I like honesty.” His expression froze her in place for what felt like an eternal moment.

Honesty. His words stung more than any firing would have. She’d always considered herself an honest person. She believed in honesty, too, but when things got complicated, she also had a real appreciation for privacy. She’d never imagined herself pregnant and alone. She’d always wanted to be married first. Maybe even own a home. But here she was, on the cusp of single parenthood. Did he have any idea how terrifying that was?

“Let’s get some ice cream,” he said after a moment and pulled open the door and held it for her, a bell tinkling overhead. The gesture was sweetly old-fashioned.

“Come on, sweetie,” she said softly, taking Katy’s hand in hers. “We need ice cream.”

Her stomach rumbled. She needed more than comfort; she was hungry. As she approached the door to the shop, held open by the broad-shouldered sheriff, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing would ever be the same again.

She could finally admit it. She was officially eating—and working—for two.

Chapter Four (#ulink_f3068fd6-cd6f-5638-a862-62b1ef4dbee5)

Pregnant.

Mike eyed Malory cautiously as she stepped through into the air-conditioned ice-cream shop. Her lightly scented perfume lingered. He could see it now: the way her body swelled at her waistline, the way she moved with careful, certain steps. He was a sheriff. He was supposed to see the details, and this one had swept right by him with embarrassing ease.

The only excuse he could offer up to his tattered ego was that he’d been too focused on the rest of her. They were swimming farther and farther away from the Mrs.-Doubtfire-and-Mary-Poppins hybrid he’d been hoping for.

Katy clung to Malory’s hand, dancing along happily, her tantrum already forgotten. Mike stepped inside after them and caught himself short of putting a hand on Malory’s back to guide her forward. He shoved his hand in his pocket instead.

What was with him? He felt a sudden protective surge, but she was his employee, nothing more. And she’d preferred to keep this information to herself, so she obviously wasn’t looked for a big, strong man to take care of her.

“Look, Mike—” Malory tipped her face up to meet his gaze, worry swimming in her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “What kind of ice cream do you want?”

She blinked, then dropped her gaze to Katy. They conversed softly, and then Malory answered, “I’d like vanilla, and Katy wants the blue one. What is that, bubble gum?”

Mike scanned the tubs of ice cream through the glass guard.

“How’s it going, Mike?” Trent, the store owner, asked. He was a portly man, bald on top and gray on the sides. He wore a white apron over a Beatles T-shirt. Trent’s ice cream came from milk from his own dairy farm. It was a creamy delicacy that drew people from miles around, and he’d named the shop after his favorite dairy cow.

“Not too bad. Just taking these ladies out for a treat.”

Mike caught the twitch in Trent’s eyebrow as his gaze flickered toward Malory and back again.

“Ah.” Trent shot Mike an approving grin. “And what’ll it be?”

“Three cones—vanilla, chocolate and whatever the blue one is. Maybe make the blue one a kiddie cone.”

“Blue raspberry.”

“Sound good, Katy?” Mike asked, looking down. “The blue one is raspberry. Is that what you want?”

“Blue!” Katy declared.

“Blue it is.”

Katy squirmed away, and Malory followed, leaving Mike with Trent. He could see them in the wide mirror behind the counter, getting settled at a table by a window. Trent looked after Malory with an admiring smile.

“Girlfriend?” he asked, lowering his voice.

“No, she’s the new nanny.” Mike shook his head. “So don’t start any rumors, my friend.”

“Me?” Trent chuckled. “Well, if you want a little advice—”

“I don’t.” Mike gave Trent a dominant expression that told the other man to back down. “But thanks.”

Trent shrugged and grabbed a cone and a scoop. “Suit yourself, Mike, but if I were ten years younger and single...” He sank the scoop into the velvety surface of the vanilla ice cream. “Actually, strike that. If I were single, period, I’d ask her out myself.”

“I wouldn’t say that in front of Rita,” Mike teased, and Trent’s rosy complexion blanched ever so slightly as he scooped.

“Never. She’d kill me.” He passed the cone over the glass guard.

Mike chuckled and turned to beckon Malory over. “This is yours.”

Katy came running over, and Trent prepared the blue raspberry cone. Malory smiled as she accepted the cone from Mike’s hand. Her cool fingers brushed his ever so slightly and she tossed him a smile of thanks before taking her first bite. He watched for her reaction and he was rewarded with an eye roll of ecstasy.

“Oh, wow,” she murmured. “This is good.”

“Trent makes the best,” Mike agreed, and he wasn’t quite able to dampen the swell of pride to have been able to provide it.

“And this is for you,” Mike said, accepting the next cone from Trent and handing it down to Katy. Katy’s eyes widened in delight, and she took the treat in both hands, then waggled her tongue into the top of it.

“Let’s go sit,” Malory said softly, leading Katy away again toward the table.

Trent offered Mike his cone, and Mike pulled a bill out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter.

“That little girl is quite the heart stealer,” Trent said as he took the bill and made change.

Mike’s gaze moved toward Katy, whose mouth was already covered with blue ice cream. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, she’s a cutie.”

“Your life will never be the same,” Trent said wistfully. “I remember when my eldest was born—”

“No, no.” Mike cleared his throat and accepted the change the older man held out. “This is short-term.”

“Oh?” Trent’s brows raised, but he shrugged and let the topic drop. “Fair enough. Good seeing you, Mike.”

“Tell Rita I say hi.”