It Had to Be Him(66)

“Sex for a pizza delivery. Works every time.” Josh rolled out of bed and scooped up his jeans.

“Yep. A total win-win. I’ve trained you well.”

She laughed at the befuddled look on his face as he tried to work out who had just achieved the upper hand on that one.





Almost the whole town stood behind Zeke’s garage to watch Meg’s car get blown to bits. Josh smiled at the turnout, hoping it’d give people a chance to see he wasn’t the villain he’d been made out to be.

The volunteer fire department moved into position, ready for the drill, while the whole police force helped corral the people behind the barriers Josh had set up. Because most of the police were also volunteer firefighters, that made a total of six guys.

He’d give the people a good show, but he’d made sure the explosion would be controlled and burn out quickly. He’d just finished removing the last tire when he glanced up and caught Meg’s brother Ryan watching closely, with a suspicious gleam in his eyes. Ryan would get proof his sharp instincts were right soon enough.

Meg strolled up with Haley on her hip. “Hey.”

“Hey, back. How are my two favorite girls?”

“Good.” Meg shot him a smile that smoldered with heat. They’d been enjoying making up for lost time in bed the last couple of days. “But I guess this is goodbye to my poor old car. May she rest in peace.” She gave him a quick hug.

In front of the townspeople. More progress.

And it spoke volumes that Meg would allow him to take Haley to the ranch later, albeit reluctantly. When they got back, she was even going to let him babysit while Meg went to her girls’ thing.

He’d made a point of giving Meg a break every day and taking Haley on little outings, getting ice cream at the diner, going to the toy store, or just playing in the park, but he hadn’t had her alone more than a few hours at a time.

He loved spending time with Haley and listening to the funny things that came out of her mouth. Especially stories about Meg that he’d teased her about later. Apparently no family secrets were safe with a two-and-a-half-year-old around.

He’d told Meg he could handle the longer day, but he hoped to God he’d know what to do with a little girl for that many hours straight.

“Hi, Daddy.” Haley reached her arms out for him to take her.

As Meg handed Haley over, she asked, “So what’s with the little slips of paper in the sack going around?”

“Ever heard of Zozobra?”

Meg nodded. “The fifty-foot-tall ugly puppet guy they burn to the ground every year in Santa Fe. You calling my car ugly?”

“Absolutely. But Zozobra embodies gloom. So anyone with worries can write them down and we’ll put them all inside the car, like they do the puppet. By destroying their worries in the flames, people can feel free to move on. Might even help someone forget the past and give a guy another chance. Wanna try it?” He handed her the piece of paper and pen in his pocket he’d put there just for her.

“Thank you, Mr. Subtle.” She sent him a smirk. “But I suppose it couldn’t hurt. Turn around, I need your back to write on.”

When he turned, he spotted Meg’s grandma making her way toward them. She carried a rifle over one shoulder and a cane in her other hand, looking like a fierce Annie Oakley with a limp.

Haley waved. “Hi, Grandma!”

The woman actually smiled. And she still had all her teeth. He’d never seen anything but a scowl before.

“Hello, sweet girl.”

She could be nice? He’d always assumed mean was just her nature. She must really hate him. “Hi, Mrs. Anderson. How are you today?”

She cocked a brow. “Old. Tired. But still one of the best shots in these parts. I come to prove it to you, so you’d know I’m serious about shooting you again if you mess up, boy.” Before he could respond she asked, “So what’ve we got here? How’s it all going to work?”

Meg popped her head from around his back. “Hi, Grandma. We should probably save you for last, or this show’s going to be over before it starts.”

Ryan joined them too. “Yeah. At that distance, not many are going to be able to make that shot, Granger. I’m not even sure my men could hit that small target you got marked there.”

Josh nodded. “Didn’t want to take the chance on anyone getting hurt by being too close. I’ll go last if I have to. I can make the shot, and I guarantee it’ll be worth the show.”

Grandma grunted. “Cocky, aren’t ya?”

“Nope. Just a really good shot.”

Ryan asked, “Yeah, about safety. How much gas is in that tank, Granger?”