The Bachelor Project

“That’s right. But you probably knew that before you went out to the house, didn’t you?”

Ethan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Your aunt. That’s how I met Robin.”

“My aunt knows Miss Cummings?”

“You didn’t know? Well, yes. At least, she knows Robin Cummings’s great-aunt. They’re old friends.”

“Really,” Ethan said, his mind spinning with questions. Why hadn’t Aunt Bess mentioned her friend’s great-niece? Why had she arranged for Robin to move to Ranger Springs without letting him know?

“I hope I didn’t say anything wrong,” Gina Mae said, a frown creasing her smooth forehead. “Your aunt didn’t say any of this was a secret.”

“No, I’m sure it’s not. She probably just forgot to mention the connection.”

“Probably.”

Ethan stared at the faux marble Formica, wondering if Aunt Bess’s forgetfulness was deliberate or accidental. Maybe he should take off his police “hat” and start thinking like a nephew. Aunt Bess wasn’t getting any younger. Not only did she keep house for him, but she prepared several hearty meals a week. He’d told her time and again that she didn’t need to work so hard, that he could afford to hire help, but she’d insisted she enjoyed taking care of him and the house. She’d said she liked staying active and useful, especially since her husband’s death four years ago.

“Chief Parker?”

He mentally shook himself out of his musings. “Sorry, Gina Mae. I was just thinking about Aunt Bess.” He eased out of the booth, then retrieved his hat. “I hope I didn’t disturb your lunch.”

“No, not at all. You tell Bess hello for me, you hear?”

“I’ll do that. Have a good day.”

He walked out of the restaurant, ignoring more speculative looks that the townspeople might give him. He was sure Thelma and Joyce would find a reason to stop by Gina Mae’s booth after they finished their lunch, and that the men would try their best to overhear the conversation.

Okay by him. He hadn’t said anything that any of them could turn into gossip. After all, he hadn’t mentioned that he’d held Robin Cummings in his arms last night. Or stared at her bare legs and firmly rounded breasts. Or sat up late sipping coffee while they discussed wildlife.

Not his “wild life.” By anyone’s standards, his life-style was as tame as that of a baby animal at a petting zoo—without the petting. Again, that dreaded word—boring—insinuated itself into his mind. He pushed the thought aside.

Ethan jammed his hat on his head and walked back to his office at the municipal building. He could certainly recognize a mystery when presented with the evidence. And his own aunt held the clue.

AS ROBIN PULLED into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant on the outskirts of Ranger Springs, she was driving one of the only sporty coupes in an asphalt sea where pickup trucks and aging sedans rested like modest boats moored in a marina. Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted a police car in the first row, but she told herself that didn’t mean Ethan Parker was inside. One of his officers was probably taking a supper break.

While she waited in line, Robin looked around the seating area. Since she didn’t know anyone else in town yet, she searched for someone in a law enforcement uniform. Just out of curiosity, she told herself. She didn’t really expect to find the police chief having supper. But her eyes settled on the dark hair of a man with wide shoulders and perfect posture. His back was to her, and he was seated, not with a gorgeous girlfriend, but with an elderly lady who reminded her of her own great-aunt Sylvia.

“Miss? May I take your order?”

Now she jerked her attention back to the counter, where a perky blonde in bright polyester waited.

She placed her order, her glance returning to the man she thought might be Ethan Parker. He was dressed in street clothes, so she couldn’t tell without getting a glimpse of his profile.

Suddenly, the older lady caught her gaze, giving her a friendly little smile. Embarrassed, Robin smiled back automatically, then turned her attention to the plastic tray that awaited her burger and shake. She really shouldn’t ogle the locals. The man probably wasn’t Ethan Parker, anyway.

Except, how many guys in Ranger Springs could look anywhere near as good as the compassionate police chief?

A sense of traveling back in time rippled through her as she took her tray and proceeded back to the molded vinyl seats and booths. She half expected Crissy Caldwell, her best friend from high school, to scoot up beside her and ask if she’d seen that really gorgeous new hunk in chemistry class. Only this time, Robin was the “new kid in school,” and she was bound and determined not to blush when she deliberately walked by the broad-shouldered man with his white-haired companion.

Again, the older lady smiled at her. Robin slowed to get a good look at the man sitting across from the friendly woman.

“Are you, by any chance, Sylvia Murphy’s great-niece?” the lady asked.

Robin stopped abruptly. “Yes, I am. Robin Cummings.” Awareness hit, and Robin smiled with sincerity. “Don’t tell me you’re Bess Delgado!”

“Yes!” The older woman looked delighted. “I thought that was you from Sylvia’s description. She hasn’t sent a picture since you were a young teenager.”

“I suppose I have changed in fifteen years.” Robin laughed, her attention suddenly focused on the man trying to maneuver out of the booth to stand. “Please, don’t get up,” she said as her eyes traveled up the length of his jeans-clad legs, subtly plaid shirt and broad shoulders. Up to his handsome face and intense blue eyes.

She tried to keep the surprise out of her expression, but her voice sounded breathless when she said, “Police Chief Parker!”

“Hello, Miss Cummings,” he greeted her. Polite, but warm, she thought. Or maybe the warmth was coming from her. She felt her heart rate increase as the blood raced through her. Definitely high school days. She hadn’t felt this kind of excitement since the boy she’d had a crush on for years had asked her to Homecoming. She certainly hadn’t felt it for her fiancé.

Chapter Three

“Join us,” Bess requested in a tone of voice reserved for gracious-but-demanding older ladies. “I know you’ve met my nephew. Ethan was just scolding me for not telling him you’d moved to town.”

Robin placed her tray on the table, wondering on which side she should sit. Bess didn’t move, so Robin looked at Ethan. His broad shoulders took up most of the molded vinyl seat. With a slight smile, he politely slid over to make room.

“Really?” she answered. Why in the world would he expect his aunt to tell him about her?

“Now, Aunt Bess, I didn’t scold you. I was just surprised that you arranged for Miss Cummings to move to town, since you hadn’t mentioned your involvement.”

“Well, I can’t remember everything, can I?” she answered with a laugh. “I’m just glad there was a place available when Sylvia called. I knew our little town was just what you needed to…well, you know.”

“Um, yes.” Robin took a deep breath. A stab of guilt over her actions spoiled her appetite. Could she ever really live down walking out on her fiancé? She wasn’t sure, but she certainly didn’t want to discuss her personal life in this crowded restaurant. She smiled in her most convincing manner. “I’m sure I’ll be very happy here for a while.”

“Of course you will,” Bess said.

Of course I will. She just needed a little time. A little distraction. And at the moment, she couldn’t think of anything more distracting than the man sitting beside her. The man who’d held her in his arms last night.

Bess Delgado must be the woman who had called Ethan’s dispatcher to check up on him last night, Robin realized. The woman she’d thought was a girlfriend…or more. The thought of the sexy chief of police living with his doting aunt brought a secret smile to Robin’s face.

“My great-aunt Sylvia is going strong. She’s busy with the charity flower show right now.”

“Sylvia always did have a green thumb,” Bess said with a fond smile. “We met at the Tyler Rose Festival, back in the early fifties. We’ve been friends ever since, finding we had far more in common than our love of growing things.”

“Go ahead and eat your meal,” Ethan offered. “We promise not to keep you from your burger.”

Robin nodded, then automatically took a bite despite her waning appetite. Not filet mignon, but tasty. She refused to think about how many calories she was consuming, even though she no longer had to fit into a creamy-white designer wedding gown—with dozens of seed pearls and yards of lace, she reminded herself with a pang of longing. Not that she’d wanted to go through with the ceremony. But that dress had been her dream wedding gown, and she regretted having to store it for sometime in the future—sometime that might never come.

She felt self-conscious after a minute or so. Ethan and Bess had finished their meals and were taking sips of their beverages just to have something to do, Robin suspected. She placed her burger down and dabbed her mouth with the napkin. “I broke down the boxes and took the trash to the nearest Dumpster,” she told Ethan. “Maybe the raccoons will leave me alone tonight.”

“Oh, they’ll probably come around looking for a meal, but if they don’t find anything, they shouldn’t make any racket.”

“I wouldn’t want to call 9-1-1 again,” she teased, hoping to lighten her mood. “I’ll get a reputation as a crazy city woman.”