"We need to go inside," she whispered, tearing her eyes away from his too-knowing gaze. Rationally, she knew that he couldn't read her mind, but irrationally, she wasn't going to risk it.
Mike knew that she'd once again shut down on him. He didn't understand why or how, but he was determined to figure her out.
He sighed and kissed the top of her head, unknowingly leaving a burning sensation there where he'd kissed her. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he moved towards the entrance to the church. "I'm relenting for now, but only because Ms. Beasley deserves a good funeral. She used to make the best gingersnaps in town."
Halley had to agree. There hadn't been a single time when the woman hadn't had warm cookies ready for whatever event was happening. It was the main reason Halley had attended Sunday school her third grade year. Ms. Beasley had been the Sunday school teacher and she'd always started off the class with warm cookies and a prayer. It had been awesome!
An hour later, Ms. Beasley was laid to rest and Halley hated the emotional dampness that stung her eyes. A white handkerchief came into her view and she looked up to find Mike holding it out to her. She accepted the material with a sad smile and took a deep breath as she gently wiped the tears of sadness away.
When it was all over, there was a huge reception. Everyone in town had been here for this service. Fleur, Kelsie, and Mackenna, her sister and sisters-in-law, appeared by her side and Halley smiled with relief since that meant that Mike couldn't put his arm around her. She felt like she was about to jump out of her skin with the need to jump the man's bones.
"What's up with you and our handsome sheriff?" Fleur asked slyly, nudging Halley with her shoulder.
Kelsie laughed, rubbing her pregnant belly. "Yeah, looked like you guys were pretty cozy earlier."
Halley groaned. So much for a reprieve.
Trying to brush off anything someone might have seen, she shrugged as if Mike touching her was just a friendly gesture. "He's just being nice," she replied, sipping her weak tea and trying hard not to look for the man in question. She wasn't exactly sure where he was, but she knew that looking towards him would be bad. Her eyes were only skimming over the crowd so that she would know where he was, so she could look away. Yep, that was all she was trying to do.
"He's over by the bar grabbing a couple of beers," Mackenna observed dryly, reading Halley's mind.
Halley's eyes shot to her sister-in-law. "I wasn't looking for him," she said defensively, but the assertion sounded weak, even to her own ears. Was she that obvious? What a horrible thought!
Fleur laughed, a sweet, dainty sound that perfectly matched her sister. "Yeah, but you wanted to."
Halley shook her head, trying to believe her next words. "I didn't."
"You do," they all three said at the same time.
Halley bristled because she couldn't completely deny their charge, nor was she going to 'fess up to it either. "Don't you ladies need to find your men to moon over?"
The three ladies automatically looked for their husbands, all of whom were with Mike. "We know where our guys are. And eventually, you'll develop a sixth sense as to where your man is as well," Fleur explained, putting an arm around her sister's shoulders.
"It comes with the territory," Kelsie agreed, nodding her head as she sipped lemonade and ate a mediocre gingersnap. Someone had made them to honor the deceased woman, but the fudge on the end of the reception table was looking more enticing than the cookie.
Halley was oblivious to her sister-in-law's cookie crisis. She was too horrified by her sister and sisters-in-law discovering how she truly felt about the obnoxious sheriff. Not that she had strong feelings for him. But there was just … something … about the man that her body … liked. Needed.
No! Not needed, just … wanted, she asserted mentally.
"Mike isn't my man!" she claimed with as much confidence as she could muster, smiling so that the large men surrounding the bar wouldn't know that they were being talked about.
At that same moment, Mike took a long swig of his beer, his green eyes slashing towards her with a knowing look. Darn it, Mike knew! He spotted her with almost no effort, their eyes clashing and that silly, girlish tightening in her stomach happened once again. Instantly, she felt her face heat up and she tried to look away. She couldn't. She was trapped. When his eyes moved lower, she felt her body tingle, her nipples harden, and she was completely, painfully aware of Mike's visual caress.