Collision Course

Chapter 8

Casey pulled the bill of her baseball cap a little lower to shield her eyes from the bright morning sun. Six o'clock was early for her to be at the gun range but with Vicki off today, Casey would be needed for the breakfast rush at the Half 'n Half. Five minutes after the eight o'clock opening, the place would be jammed, and she wouldn't get a break until midafternoon. She supposed she could have skipped her trip to the range today but somehow disturbing her routine made her uncomfortable. Some days she thought only the routine kept her going.

"You're a real early bird today," a husky male voice said behind her.

Startled, she almost dropped her gun. She whirled to see Ben Russell walking toward her from his pickup truck, carrying a black satchel.

"Glad to see my newest deputy is working on her shooting skills."

"My god, don't sneak up on me like that." She blew out a breath. "If I'd already loaded my weapon I might have shot you by mistake."

"You'd never shoot by mistake, Casey." He grinned. "You're too well trained."

She shrugged. "Accidents happen. So what are you doing out here at the crack of dawn? Don't you have sheriff things to do?"

He laughed at her and unzipped his bag. "This is one of my 'sheriff' things. Keeping up my marksmanship and proficiency.

"Oh, right," she mocked. "Because we have so many dangerous criminals in Alvarado County."

"Of course, darlin'. Why do you think I put you on my volunteer list? Figured knowing a badass like you walked around with a badge would be enough to make them give up or leave. And for sure scare the teenagers to death."

"Ha ha." Casey glanced at his face and saw a familiar glint in his eyes. She was sure if she lowered her gaze, she'd see his c**k straining the fabric of his pants. Uh oh. Their meeting the day before had been a good one, and she thought she'd taken care of any misunderstandings at the time. But today he seemed to forget the ground rules she'd politely laid down.

Damn! She didn't want to screw up the job, even as a volunteer, or put herself at odds with Ben in a town as small as Connelly. She might want to get laid but she didn't want the complications it would bring. No, thank you. Been there, got the bruises to prove it. She supposed she'd have to play it by ear and be extra careful she didn't send him the wrong signals.

She wished he hadn't shown up today. Not that he didn't make for decent company. But she felt most comfortable by herself. Somehow her four years in the sandbox had left her disconnected from everything familiar. Oh, she put on a good show for her folks, knowing how much they worried about her. And she'd become a master of social niceties during the hours she worked at the Half 'n Half.

But, alone, she could decompress. And the gun range gave her an excellent opportunity to work off the anger still simmering beneath the surface. Anger at many things. At people. At Paul Marsden and Aaron Smart. Having Ben here was a distraction she didn't need. She hoped she'd squashed any ideas of a personal relationship the day before and he'd just decided he needed some extra practice

Picking up her Glock, she locked the clip in place and racked the slide. "Better get your ear muffs on. I'm about to pepper my target up there."

"Have at it."

She usually shot in groups of three, changing her stance and angle for direction. But now she unloaded all thirteen bullets in rapid succession, burning a large circle in the silhouette's head. She picked up the H&K, clip already in place, and did the same thing to the groin area.

"Whew!" Ben whistled softly between his teeth. "Somebody definitely got on your bad side. Remind me not to piss you off."

She smiled at him as she walked back to fill both clips. "I find what I'm doing here to be a great stress reliever."

"No shit."

"Why don't you go ahead and shoot while I take a break and reload?"

"Sure." His grin was slow and lazy and any other woman would have found it sexy. "Hope I don't embarrass myself after the show you put on."

"My folks tell me you were a sniper in the Marines. I'd bet your skills far outweigh mine." She tilted her head. "When did you get out?"

His face sobered. "Three years ago. Two tours in Iraq were plenty for me."

The same pain darkened his eyes that she knew others saw in hers. The war in the sandbox left its scars on everyone.

"So what brought you here? We're sure not the hot spot of the world."

"Which is what appeals to me. The county commission was advertising for candidates and it seemed made to order. Quiet. Not so much going on. Nice people." He grinned again. "For the most part."

"Why don't I shut up and let you shoot." She nodded at him. "Let's see what you've got."

For the next hour they alternated, almost as if they were competing with each other. By the time they finished, the paper targets were shredded and they were both dripping sweat. They policed their brass casings and packed up in a companionable silence. But when she got to her truck, Ben touched her arm.

"Think you might join me for dinner one night? Compare war stories?"

Casey tensed. "I don't-"

"I know, I know." He held up a hand. "No mixing business and pleasure. I got the message loud and clear." He winked. "Despite the fact I might have different ideas about it."

"Ben..." she began.

"Joking, Casey. A friendly meal is all I have in mind. Right there at the Half 'n Half. How much trouble can we get into with your folks giving me the eagle eye?"

She couldn't argue with his reasoning. They'd be in a restaurant surrounded by people. Anyway, she hadn't had anyone to discuss her experiences in the Middle East with. Maybe listening to someone else's take, his experiences, would help her deal with her own. Put things in a better perspective.

At his wry comment, she had to laugh. "I guess it's okay. As long as we both know the boundaries and keep them in place."

"Yes, ma'am." He winked again. "No problem on my end. Just two friends getting together to talk about stuff no one else understands."

Maybe it would be okay, after all, but she'd still keep her guard in place. "All right, then. Maybe later in the week?"

"I'll count on it." He touched the brim of his cap and headed for his SUV.

Casey watched him go with a wistful feeling.

Why can't I get interested in a decent guy? My life would be so much better.

But she was still too locked up inside herself even to consider it.

More's the pity.

At least she had found a place to put some of her skills to use. She sighed and headed home to shower and change. Sometimes life just sucked.