He couldn’t forget his rules, not to mention his goals. He was passing through this town, biding his time until he could claim his ninety-seven million. No woman was worth forgetting that, not even one as intriguing as Gracie. He didn’t do relationships. Ever. And she was a happily ever after kind of woman.

One who sure knew how to kiss. And she felt damn good in his arms. He smiled as he remembered how she’d rubbed against him. If they’d been anywhere but his office…

“Stop right there,” he told himself. He and Gracie weren’t an option. She was the kind of trouble he didn’t need.

He turned his attention back to the reports and forced himself to concentrate. Thirty minutes later, he finished with his notes. His phone buzzed.

“Sheriff Kendrick here to see you,” Diane said. “Shall I send him in?”

“Sure.”

Riley rose and walked around his desk. He hadn’t seen much of Mac since he, Riley, had moved back to Los Lobos. His one-time friend had dropped by to warn him not to make trouble, but since then they hadn’t crossed paths more than a couple of times.

Mac Kendrick walked into the office. He stood a couple of inches taller, wore a sheriff’s uniform and a gun. He was married, happily, Riley had heard. But in his mind, Mac would always be his best friend, the guy he’d gotten in trouble with, had chased girls with and had generally had a hell of a good time with until the night Mac had stolen the judge’s Caddy and taken it on a joyride, only to get caught and hauled into jail.

Mac had never talked about what had happened, but he’d changed then. He’d stopped messing around and had gone into the military. Riley had not only lost his best friend, he’d lost the other half of his family.

“Is this an official visit?” Riley asked as Mac closed the door behind him.

“No.” Mac glanced around the office. “Nice. Never thought I’d see you working behind a desk.”

“Me, either. But it’s not so bad.” He motioned to the two sofas in the corner of the room. “Have a seat.”

Riley waited until Mac had settled before sitting in the wing chair opposite. “What brings you here? Do you need a donation for the sheriff’s retirement fund?”

Mac grinned. “I wouldn’t say no to that, but it’s not why I came to see you.” His steady gaze settled on Riley. “I hear the election is going well.”

“My campaign manager tells me we’re up in the polls.”

“Wilma, the woman who pretty much runs my department, says you’re going to win. She knows that sort of thing.”

“I appreciate the tip and I hope Wilma won’t be insulted if I keep on polling.”

Mac grinned. “I won’t tell her.”

“Good.”

“I’m surprised you’re interested in running for mayor.”

Riley made a mental note to thank Jill Strathern-Kendrick, his attorney, the next time he saw her. Not only had she kept the terms of the will secret from Gracie, her best friend, she kept them from her husband-Sheriff Mac Kendrick.

“I never did like Yardley,” Riley said.

“You’re not alone in that. Maybe change would be a good thing.” Mac glanced around the office. “I thought you’d be moving on for sure, but you’re making your life here.”

“Trying.” Riley didn’t mention that as soon as the election was over, he would be gone.

Mac turned his attention back to him. “It’s been a long time,” he said. “I always felt bad about how things ended.”

Riley touched the faint scar on his upper lip. The one Mac had given him when they’d fought about Mac suddenly wanting to walk the straight and narrow.

“Me, too.” Riley shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”

“Yeah. You want to get a beer sometime?”

The question surprised Riley. He hesitated. Mac wasn’t going to like his plans for the town. But until then…“Sure. You know where I live.”

Mac grinned. “I cruise by on a regular basis to make sure you’re not making trouble.”

“Good to know I’m being protected by Los Lobos’s finest.” Riley looked at his friend. “I’m glad you came by.”

“Me, too. Let’s set up something soon.”

“COME WITH ME,” Alexis said, her voice low.

“No.” Gracie grabbed her headset and clicked it into her cell phone so she could keep working on her gum paste leaves. She quickly drew in the veins and point on the tiny leaf, then draped it over a cornstarch-dusted former to dry in a curved shape.

“Please. Just go with me. That’s all I’m asking. Do you want me to beg?”

Gracie heard the tears in her sister’s voice and tried to stay strong, but it was tough. She wasn’t cut out to say no to people, especially not to someone who was family. Even if the relationship seemed to only run one way.

“I want you to leave me out of this,” Gracie said, although she could feel herself weakening.

“I swear there’s something going on. I know I’ve been crazy before, accusing Zeke of things and I’m running low on credits with you. I’m the boy who cried wolf, but I swear there’s a wolf in my house now.”

Gracie couldn’t help smiling. “If I remember my preschool reading, I believe the wolf was in with the sheep.”

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

She did. Her humor faded. “Alexis, you put me in a really bad position. Mom is convinced I’m turning back into stalker girl. My picture’s on the front page of the newspaper and the legend of the ‘Gracie Chronicles’ is alive and well.”

“I know. I’m so, so sorry. Please. Just come with me. You don’t have to say anything. Just hover in the background and give me moral support. If he’s really not there, I’ll need your emotional support.”

Gracie shook her head and stabbed the leaf she’d been forming. She knew she was going to regret this, but she couldn’t seem to say the N word again. “Fine. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

“THE NUMBERS aren’t just good,” Zeke said with a grin. “They’re amazing. If the election were held tomorrow, I doubt Yardley’s own mother would vote for him.”

Riley reached for his beer. “What happened?”

“Near as I can tell…Gracie. Your numbers shot up after that picture of the two of you in the paper. Along with the old articles about her crush and what she did to get her man.”

Riley shook his head. The world was a twisted place. “So they love me now because of Gracie.”

“They love you because Gracie loves you. Or she did. Everyone enjoys a good romance. Los Lobos wants yours with Gracie to work out.”

“There is no romance.”

Zeke raised his eyebrows. “You might want to get to work on that.”

Riley looked at his campaign manager. “Let’s make this really clear. I’m not faking a relationship with Gracie for the sake of votes.”

“But…”

Riley kept his gaze steady. Eventually Zeke turned away.

“But if you were seen together, around town, that would be okay.”

Riley swallowed the rest of his beer. Talk about a strange situation. He’d gone slowly, doing his best to win over the good citizens of Los Lobos. He’d let them get used to him being around. He’d bought candy for Little League, sponsored the new jerseys, supported the local high school football team and the girl’s basketball team. He’d sent the church band to some damn parade in Italy, and he’d done it all with a smile. Now they wanted him to have a relationship with Gracie to prove himself.

Why did the idea bother him? Spending time with her wasn’t a hardship. He liked her and he wanted her in his bed. He should be grateful his plan was coming together and he would soon be in possession of his uncle’s bank and the ninety-seven million dollars.

“We’re going to have to start prepping for the debate soon,” Zeke said. “How’s next week?”

“Fine. Have we decided on a format?”

Zeke snorted. “I don’t think the evening is going to be that formal, but I’ll ask.”

“Are you sure helping me won’t interfere with your secret life?”

“I told you. I’m not having an affair.”

“As long as Alexis believes that,” Riley said, just as the doorbell rang.

He placed his beer on the coffee table in front of his chair, then stood and walked into the foyer. Zeke followed. When he opened the front door, he stared at the two women standing there. One made him want to grin. The other made him want to reach for one of Gracie’s antacids.

“It’s for you,” he told Zeke.

“I’M SORRY,” Gracie said for possibly the forty-seventh time in less than two minutes.

“It’s fine,” Riley told her and meant it.

“It’s not fine. It’s terrible. I need to leave you in peace.”

He and Gracie stood together at the far end of the foyer while Zeke and Alexis had a heated, although whispered, conversation.

“I didn’t want to come,” she told him. “Basically she guilted me into it. I’m a complete wiener dog who can be guilted into anything.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” He could imagine her giving in to a request from a friend or a family member, even when it wasn’t in her best interest.

“He said he was going to be here tonight and she wanted to be sure.”

“I gathered that.”

Gracie stared at the black-and-white tiles. “Did I say I was sorry?”

“You did and you can stop now. None of this is your fault.”

“I know, but I still feel bad. I was really trying to stay out of your way. If you’ll notice, you haven’t seen me in two days. I figured that would be best for both of us.”

He’d noticed. What he wouldn’t admit to anyone and barely wanted to believe himself was that he’d missed her.

“You still getting flack about the newspaper picture?” he asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“What?” She looked at him, then away. “No. I’ve been avoiding all contact with my family. Pretty much with everyone. I thought this would be a good time to lay low. Then Alexis came looking for me.”