his hat in his hands. “Don’t let the laid-back trappings of our little cow-town community scare you off, boy. If you’ve a mind to join the family hereabouts, we’d fit you right in. Could get that city-slicker veneer washed offa you before you can say ‘Alamo.’ What do you think, Maddie?”
She turned appraising eyes on her older brother. “I’d love for Gray to move out here. He’d look mighty handsome in boots and a Stetson.”
“See, son? Family ties trump city life and a hotshot career any day.”
“It’s tempting, but I have commitments elsewhere.”
George squinted and gave him a knowing nod. “Shoulda figured as much. Strapping young man like you must have a special lady.”
Gray’s memory flashed to Elise Lopez and at once Maddie slipped to his side and hooked her arm through his, her eyes narrowing.
“A special lady, is it, big bro?” Her tone echoed with mock accusation. “I think we need to have ourselves a private chat.”
“Sorry for blowing the whistle on you and running, son.” The sheriff’s eyes twinkled as he set his hat on his shiny pate and turned away. “But I have to make my rounds. Stopped in to check on my granny. She broke her leg chasing a calf out of the kitchen yesterday.”
Calf? Or had the man said cat? Baffled, Gray fixed his gaze on the lawman striding away, but he sensed Maddie’s eyes boring into him.
“So, Gray, let’s hear it. All of it.”
He turned to her. “All of what?”
“About that special lady.”
He adjusted the sling and secured the Bible under his arm. He didn’t want to explain Elise Lopez. What could he say? That she was one of the most intriguing women he’d met in a good long while—and she wouldn’t give him the time of day? “Sorry to disappoint you, Mad, but there’s been no lady in my life since Jenna showed me the door. The commitment I was referring to is my career.”
“When George made that little lady assumption, you got one of those deer-in-the-headlights looks in your eyes. The kind you had as a kid when you were hiding something and Dad called your bluff.”
“Contrary to your belief, the world has more than its fair share of women who aren’t keen on getting involved with a cop.”
“Jenna didn’t have the sense of a goose.”
Or maybe she was one wise woman?
Regardless, he suspected Elise Lopez had plenty of common sense on her side—and she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Despite the fact that for some inexplicable reason he’d left his business card with her, he wasn’t accustomed to pursuing women who didn’t show obvious interest.
Maybe it was his pride, but he didn’t intend to start now.
Chapter Four
“Mom!” Cory yelled from the living room Sunday evening. “It’s Officer Wallace. And look what he brought me.”
Cory’s cop was back?
A knot twisted in Elise’s stomach as she hurried from the bedroom, wishing she had time to slip bare feet into shoes and change out of her sweat suit. As she approached the door open to the hallway, Cory’s grin widened under the brim of a Western straw hat—and beyond him she glimpsed Grayson Wallace standing respectfully off to one side, head bowed as if analyzing the worn carpet.
“Isn’t this awesome? Wait until I show Kyle. Can I, Mom?”
“It’s a school night.”
“I know, but please?” His eyes begged. “I’ll hurry.”
While it wasn’t long before bedtime, Kyle was Billie Jean’s seventh-grader in the apartment below—and she’d rather not talk to Officer Wallace in Cory’s presence. Apparently the lawman hadn’t gotten the message that only her son welcomed police officers with open arms. “Okay. But I expect you back here in ten minutes.”
“Yee haw!” Cory dashed out the door, high-fiving the cop as he went by. “This is way cool. I can be a sheriff. Or a Texas Ranger.”
Turning toward Cory’s cop, she caught his look of dismay. Had he actually believed the hat would distract her son from all things police related?
She stepped into the hallway, pulling the door partially closed behind her. She’d planned to straighten the apartment once Cory had gone to sleep, but Mr. Wallace didn’t need a glimpse of her chaotic, real-life world. “Nice try with the hat, but you didn’t need to do that.”
He smiled uncertainly, as if not sure of the reception his unannounced call would elicit. “I know I didn’t. But I figured it might get his mind off cops and onto cowboys. From the sound of that departing comment, though, I struck out.”
Was that the true reason he’d stopped by? Or did he have something else on his mind? “I’m not sure aspiring to a career in rodeo would be much safer than law enforcement.”
“But what are the chances he’ll make it to bull and bronc riding?” His eyes twinkled. “A lot of the pros started out on goats and calves before they were out of diapers. I don’t see a whole lot of opportunity for that around here.”
“True. But I’m sorry after all your effort he’s not cooperating. Thanks for going out of your way to try.”
“Easy enough to do. I was in the western part of the state over the weekend—I have family out that way—and saw the hat in a truck stop. I thought to myself, ‘Self, you know a boy who would look mighty fine in a hat like that.’ ”
His grin urged her heart into a full gallop.
“Western Texas? You’re not from Fort Worth?”
“Actually I am, but I recently discovered a branch of the family I previously didn’t know existed. Cattle ranchers.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “So you’re taking up riding and roping and making yourself at home with shirttail kin?”
He tilted his head and squinted one eye. “A tad closer than shirttail. A twin brother and a second little sister.”
She stared. “You have a twin that you didn’t know about?”
“Long story.” He grimaced as if wishing he hadn’t mentioned it, then a purposeful gleam sparked in his eyes. “But I didn’t stop by to regale you with the particulars of my family tree or just to drop off the hat.”
Uh-oh. Here it comes.
Why couldn’t men leave her in peace? She wasn’t in the market for another man. And certainly not this one. Yes, even with the sturdy sling supporting his arm, he looked like any woman’s dream standing there fit and trim in pressed khaki trousers, his wide shoulders filling out a burgundy golf shirt. But she was all too aware how innocent dreams revolving around a cop could morph into nightmares.
“Mr. Wallace—”
“Grayson.” Determination etched his features. “On Friday Cory’s teacher asked if I’d consider talking to you about mentoring Cory. I’ve considered it, and I’m here to discuss it.”
He was, was he? She folded her arms. Out of the blue this stranger wanted to spend time with her son? Become his role model? Was he out of his mind? Does he think I’m out of mine? Since Duke’s passing, she’d had men come up with doozies of excuses to worm their way into her life, but this got top honors for originality.
“You know,” the officer prodded when she didn’t immediately respond, “I could give him some man time.”
With a cop? What was Cory’s teacher thinking? That could exacerbate her son’s fixation.
“I’m sorry, but—”
He