Christmas with the Sheriff (The Fiore Family Book 3) Read online

  “No problem. Are you okay, Miss Fiore?”

  “Yeah, my friend wanted me to check out the owner of the hardware store.” I wink, as if he understands my meaning, which clearly from the look on his face, he’s clueless.

  “Check out?”

  I swipe my hand and say, “Never mind—forget I said anything. It’s just silly.”

  “Okay.” He shrugs his shoulders and walks away to a running vehicle. Entering the store, I smell the sawdust and metal in the air, reminding me of a construction site. It’s strange, because I’ve only been on a couple in my life. “How can I help you, miss?” At the counter stands a seventy-year-old man.

  “Do you have shovels?”

  “Yes,” he says, pointing to a bunch of them directly beside me. I roll my eyes for sounding like an idiot. I have one in my trunk because you never know when you’ll get snowed in during the winter.

  “Um…thanks.” I grab one, pay for it, and leave. The sun has already set; even if it’s early, it feels like the middle of the night. I hate the dark and being alone, but I remember that I’m in Snowfall, so I should be fine.

  As I drop it off at my vehicle, I shoot Mal a text. Hardware store man is like seventy. Sorry.

  Shit. There goes my dream. *sighs*

  Better luck in the next town.

  One day. Smooches.

  Giggling to myself, I tuck my phone back in my pocket and then make my way to the grocery store. Surprisingly, it’s not that small. It’s not massive either, but it’s bigger than the mom-and-pop shop I pictured in my head.

  Grabbing a shopping cart, I figure that I’ll need stuff for tonight and tomorrow. With the weather and the holiday, I’m not sure I’ll be able to have anything to eat. My room has a microwave and a small refrigerator. I hit the fresh fruit section where the sign reads “locally grown.” I snag an apple, some grapes, and a pint of strawberries. A clerk stacking the bananas smiles at me, so I return his polite gesture with my own.

  I love fruit, but I don’t have a place to store it and since I won’t be here long, I don’t take much. Next, I walk down to the bakery section. It’s the holiday, and I’m all alone so I should just grab a single serving, but my eyes linger on the Eli’s Cheesecake, and well, I can’t help setting it in my cart.

  At least it’s freezing out so my car can act as a fridge, or at least that’s the lie I plan to use to justify it—although I’m not sure to who. Anyway, I continue my perusal through the store when I see the sugar cookies in the cooler. I hate them, but below is a can of whipped cream. “What can I get to go with this?” I ask myself, and then I see it like a golden beacon: the last container of eggnog.

  Chapter Two

  Mark

  I close my eyes, rubbing my temples. Shift’s done, so now I’m off to enjoy a delicious Christmas Eve dinner with my family. My sister and her husband along with their three kids are having their usual gathering. My parents will be there as well. It’s going to be a great night, especially when I get my hands on some eggnog. It’s my favorite, and we never go without it.

  “Have a Merry Christmas, Sheriff,” Bethany, my dispatcher, says. She’s working until six because she’s young. We have little to no crime in our small town, so after that, any calls will be forwarded directly to my work cell phone. We have two deputies and myself, but nothing ever happens here, so we’re not too bothered by no one around to man the calls in the actual station.

  “Same to you, Bethany.” I wave to her before walking out.

  I hop in my SUV and ride down to my sister’s place. As soon as I pull up to the house, my brother-in-law, Derek, comes out, shrugging his coat onto his shoulders. His eyes widen when he sees me. “Shit.”

  “What’s up?” I ask, hoping nothing’s wrong.

  “They forgot your eggnog.”

  “What?” I bark out like the worn-out, grumpy man that I am. That’s definitely not right.

  “Yes. Jenny didn’t find it at the store, so she was going to go to the other one in the next town but got distracted, and then the snowstorm came, bringing in a last-minute arrival at the inn.” I’m not mad at my sister. She’s insanely busy, running her inn and raising three small children. I should have picked it up last week when I went grocery shopping, but I forgot and I don’t have kids to distract me.

  “It’s fine. I’ll be back. I’m heading to the general store. Maybe they got some more in since she went.”

  “Okay, brother. I’m sorry.” We shake hands. “I’ll tell your sister so she doesn’t freak out.”

  “Sure—don’t have her freaking out for nothing. It’s cool. I won’t be long.” I rush back to my vehicle and turn out of their driveway. They live fifteen minutes from the store, so hopefully I’ll get there and back before the weather doubles down. I have snow tires and chains if necessary, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend my evening on the road.

  Luckily our town is so small that most people can walk to their homes if needed, and in twenty minutes, all the stores will close early for the holiday. Everything stays open only until six on Christmas Eve, and everything except the gas station is closed tomorrow.

  I pull into the lot where there are a few residents making their last-minute purchases and loading their vehicles. Some wave and say a quick greeting before hurrying. It’s not the time to dawdle as the holiday is in full swing. I spot the elderly Mr. Cain putting his groceries in the trunk. “Hello, Mr. Cain. How are you?”

  “Good, Mark. Did you see there’s a pretty little thing that came into Hank’s Hardware store? She was alone, and no ring on her finger. I’ve never seen her before. Maybe you can finally get a wife.”

  “Thanks, sir, but she’s probably just passing through town.” He’s almost eighty and stops by to help his grandson Hank who took over the place when the man got a little too old to do the daily chores.

  Hank had been living a quiet life away from this town, but no one knew what he did while he was gone. He came back, looking buff and hardened. He doesn’t speak much. Never really did, but maybe he’ll be interested in the new girl. “Why didn’t you introduce her to Hank?”

  “I would have, but the boy grumbles and grunts. She’s too pretty, too city for a bear.” Too city? I’ve heard that one before, and I’ll pass. Nothing good about a city girl in these parts because they ain’t staying. “Maybe she’ll stay for the festival. She’s a real looker with a beautiful smile.”

  “Understood, sir. Let me get that for you.” I grab his cart so he doesn’t have to walk it back. “Have a Merry Christmas.”

  “You, too. Don’t forget to look your best tomorrow.”

  “What are you doing, Pops?” Hank approaches with his coat open and a grimace on his face. “I told you that I would do the shopping as soon as I closed up the shop.”

  “I’m not that old, boy. I can still manage to get by.” Hank barely contains his frustration. He’s worried the old man won’t make it long. For whatever he was up to, he loves his grandfather.

  “Well, let me drive you home.” They live in the family home just outside of our downtown area. Most of the families live just outside of town because our town is small.

  “You need to find a girl. The both of you do.” He points his finger at both of us.

  “One day,” we both grunt because I’m a grumpy bear as well.

  I shake my head and laugh. “Have a great holiday. I have to hurry before my sister sends out a search party. See you tomorrow.” I wave them away and keep moving.

  “That’s a good woman. You missed out on her, Hank.” I turn just in time to see Hank roll his eyes and then help his grandfather into the car. I shake my head again and take the cart inside. I only need one thing, and I’m hoping they have it.

  Making a beeline to the dairy section, I catch sight of the seasonal cooler and a petite redhead, smiling and putting a can of Reddi-Wip into her cart. I get closer and see the last eggnog, but I also get this unfamiliar pain in my chest as my heart slams against my ribcage. Her eyes dart up
as if she senses me approaching, and those pretty blues land on me. Fuck…all thoughts of coming in for one thing change. All of a sudden, I’ve found something I truly need.

  “Hello…” I say, forgetting how to speak.

  “Hello,” she replies with a blush on her delicate, pale cheeks. My fingers ache with the need to brush her rosy apples, wondering how truly soft they are.

  “Are you here with someone?” I ask, wanting to know if I have to find a place to hide a body because a primal urge to eliminate all competition fills my bones.

  “Maybe. Why do you want to know?” Her brow arches and then she looks me up and down, and not in a flirtatious way but in a cautious way.

  “Because I want to find out if I have to deal with an angry boyfriend. I’m Mark, by the way.”

  “Mia.” She doesn’t answer my question. Instead, she turns back to the cooler with the last eggnog.

  “Um, that’s mine,” I insist as she wraps her perfectly manicured hand around the container of eggnog. “I might consider sharing it with you, if you’re alone.”

  “Actually, this one is mine; as you can see, I got it first. Maybe you can ask the manager if there’s more,” she sasses with a smirk.

  “I don’t think so, gorgeous.” I shake my head and smirk. I always get what I want, but never have I wanted someone like her. I don’t even need the eggnog anymore. It’s little Miss Mia that I need and will have.

  “Well, I do. Excuse me.” She puts it in her cart and walks away from me. I came for one thing and I’m not leaving without it, even if I have to take matters into my own hands. I follow two steps behind her as she heads to the register. I wait, letting her put all her things on the conveyor belt, but it won’t matter because she’s not paying for them.

  “Hello, Mark,” Susie, the cashier, says with a little more flirting in her voice than normal, giving Mia a side-eye. We’re nearly the same age, and I never speak to her unless necessary.

  “Hello, Susie.” As soon as she reads Mia the total, I slip my card into the reader, paying for her groceries.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Mia hisses, glaring at me.

  “Paying for the groceries. It’s the least I can do,” I answer with as much sugar in my tone as I can muster.

  “Trying to make me jealous?” Susie asks, rudely interrupting a conversation she wasn’t invited into. “I wouldn’t worry—she’ll flee just like Nicki did. City girls can’t deal with small-town men.”

  Hell, no. I want to say something and put Susie in her place, but my sweet red asks, “Are you two…” I can’t believe that bitch went there. I could ring her damn neck, but instead, I finish the transaction and shake my head with a seriously hard negative.

  “Mark?” Mia calls out softly. I give my attention to my future wife. With a wicked grin on her face, she smirks at Susie and then turns back to me. Mia grasps my face and brushing her soft, sexy lips against mine. Growling, I grip her head on both sides and deepen the kiss, unable to control the violent desire to make her mine right on the belt. She pulls back and stares in shock.

  “No, darling. I’m all yours.” Both women are staring at me looking dumbfounded, but I snatch up the receipt and begin pushing her cart to the door. My girl might have kissed me to piss off Susie and to shut her up, but she wasn’t expecting to like it so much, and frankly, neither was I.

  “Hey, what are you doing? Those are mine,” she cries, coming up behind me and attempting to stop the cart, but my body is too wide and her legs are way shorter than mine.

  She fucked up with that kiss. I could have let her walk away with her number only, but now that’s not good enough. “Technically, they’re mine. I paid for them.”

  “That’s total bullshit. Give me my cart or I’ll call the police.” She keeps pace with me, even though I can see she’s struggling with my long stride, so I slow down a bit.

  “Go ahead and try, beautiful.” She digs into her pocket and pulls out her phone. Before she can call, I bend and grab her at the knees, flipping her over my shoulder. “Put me down, you brute.” She bangs on my back, so I pretend to loosen my grip which freaks her out, causing her to hold on.

  “Nope. See, we want the same thing, so there’s only one option and that’s to share it. Since I have to be somewhere, and I’m guessing since I’ve never seen you in town, you must be the last-minute guest staying at the inn that I heard about. You don’t have anywhere to be tonight except with me.”

  “What? I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m taking my groceries and going to my room,” she says, pressing a fruitless issue because I’m not letting her little ass get away from me, especially not to spend the holiday alone.

  “So cute.” I click the button to unlock the doors, and then I use one hand to load the back seat. Carrying my last-minute item, I bring the cart back to the corral before marching her to the passenger side of the SUV. Setting her inside, she attempts to hit me, but I grip her wrists easily.

  “Sweetheart, you’re so lucky that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you because you aren’t any match for a man wanting to lay his hands on you. I’ll need to teach you some safety moves.”

  “Fuck off. Let me go.”

  “No. We’re going to have a nice family dinner, and you’re going to call the sheriff on me.” I brush her cheek, giving her a wink.

  “Damn right. I am calling.” She brings out her phone as I close the door, locking it before walking around the front so that she can see me.

  “Snowfall Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Stone speaking.”

  She gasps on the other end.

  Chapter Three

  Mia

  You have to be fucking kidding me. I’ve been kidnapped by the sheriff himself. The bossy, handsome eggnog thief just up and paid for my groceries to claim them as his and then did the same with me. I should be fighting my way out of the vehicle since mine is only down the block, but I don’t. Ending the pointless call, I scowl at the bastard.

  “What are you going to do to me?” I question the second he jumps inside the vehicle with a grin on his handsome face.

  “Depends on what you want me to do to you. I’m thinking that I’ll introduce you to my family, and then we’ll have a delicious dinner that my sister has prepared while we share this eggnog. Maybe if you’re a good girl, I’ll have your pussy for dessert.” I should be repulsed, angry, and yet, I want to climb across the center console and grind on his thick thighs. How is it that he’s so sexy? I stare at the six-foot-five, dark-haired, strong man who acts like this is natural.

  “Do you abduct young women all the time?” I question, since he has no qualms about picking me up like another grocery item in the store.

  “Nope. Never, but I can’t let you slip away when I’ve finally found what I’m looking for.” My pussy throbs painfully at the sincerity in his voice. “Sit back and behave. I’m Mark, by the way.”

  “Yeah. You told me, and your girlfriend repeated.”

  “She’s not my girl. You are.”

  “I’m not, but does she know you’re not with her? She appeared awfully put out with you.”

  “Our relationship shouldn’t bother her, since I’ve never given her the time of day. Besides, she has a boyfriend, and even if she didn’t, I’m not interested. If I was, I sure as fuck wouldn’t have picked you up from the store.”

  “Picked me up? You acted like I was on your grocery list.”

  “You weren’t, until I saw you. You know how it is—you go into a store needing only one thing and come out with more than you planned.” He smiles and shrugs, driving away from the store like everything is fine. I want to scream that it isn’t, but I can’t find the words. All I can think about is that I kissed him first.

  “Yeah, but not usually another person.”

  “Why are you here on Christmas Eve alone?” he growls out.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I didn’t think it was safe for me to drive in this weather.” My phone rings, stopping my tirade or any resp
onse from him. I pull it out of my coat pocket and notice that it’s Franco. A wicked idea comes to mind, and I tilt it enough so he sees that it’s a guy on the line.

  I answer it, wanting to test the gruff, dirty-mouthed sheriff who doesn’t mind breaking the law. “Hey, Franco. What’s going on?”

  “Where the fuck are you? Fabio told me you weren’t coming,” he growls in his typical fashion. My cousin is so bossy and grumpy. You’d think getting married would have softened him up a bit, but it hasn’t, unless it’s his wife. She calms and soothes the grumpy beast.

  “Yeah, well, I’m currently in a small town called Snowfall.”

  “Are you coming home tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I’ll drive there tomorrow.”

  “You should be here, sweetie.”

  Franco’s loud enough for Mark to hear, and he snatches my phone. “Sorry, but she’s with her fiancé, so she won’t be going anywhere for a long time and definitely not to another man.” He growls as he hangs up.

  “Do you have a death wish?” I chuckle, taking my phone from the handsome man. Wow, did I get what I asked for. He’s everything masculine that I’ve been craving, and my pulse is wild with need.

  “You think I’m afraid of some ex-boyfriend?”

  “Ex-boyfriend?”

  “Yes, because as far as I’m concerned, it’s over between you two.” I giggle harder. Oh my goodness. Ask and you shall receive. “You think I’m kidding. You kissed me in the middle of the store. I’m pretty sure he’d consider it cheating.” Wow, my body loves every ounce of that hostility vibrating off him. He’s staking his claim…but I suppose I staked mine first. I’m not sure what came over me in the store except that bitch’s look of undisguised lust for my man. Yes, he’s mine. Or at least he’s acting like it.

  “Well, Franco sure wouldn’t…”

  “The hell he wouldn’t. No man in his right mind would let you go around kissing other men.”