Free Cowboy Cool: Book 5 (Cowboy Justice Association) by Olivia Jaymes Page B

Reed wasn’t that lucky.
    No, he’d have to do this the old-fashioned way. But one thing was now clear. His gut had been right. This stalker was someone who knew Kaylee.
    Maybe it was the man who delivered her paper or the person who bagged her groceries. Or perhaps the guy who changed the oil in her car. Whoever it was, Reed guessed it was someone who appeared harmless. They might even blend into their surroundings. They were good at getting people to trust them.
    *   *   *   *
    Kaylee fidgeted in the kitchen chair and pushed the French toast around her plate. Last night Reed had given her laptop back after disclosing that the emails she’d received had been sent from the library. His theory that the person threatening her was someone she knew appeared to be plausible. She couldn’t imagine who would want to do this and that bugged the hell out of her. Was she so trusting and gullible that she believed everyone to be good and nice?
    “It may not be any of your friends.”
    Reed had finished his breakfast and was rinsing the plate in the sink. They’d only been living together for two days but she’d already found out he was very tidy and low maintenance.
    “You think it is.” She pushed the plate away in defeat, her appetite nonexistent. Reed sat back down and lifted her fork, cutting a small piece of toast before spearing it.
    “No, I said that I thought it was someone you have contact with. You can be around people and not be friends with them. It may be someone you see every now and then but somehow in their mind they’ve twisted it into some sort of relationship.” He lifted the fork to her lips. “You need to eat or you’ll make yourself sick. You picked at dinner last night too.”
    “I don’t think I need to worry about starving for a while.” Kaylee patted her generous hips but Reed didn’t laugh. Instead he scowled, his soft hazel eyes turning an icy green.
    “There’s nothing wrong with how you look, woman. Now eat your breakfast,” he growled. His expression said he was completely serious and she opened her mouth and took the toast from the fork.
    “Better.” He held up the utensil so it was dangling from his fingers. “Now I want you to eat at least half of it. Damn if it isn’t the best French toast I’ve ever had.”
    She chewed and swallowed, barely tasting the food before taking the fork from his hand. “You’re bossy,” she stated.
    “I am. You’ll learn to deal with me, I would imagine. My advice is to just do what I tell you to. It’ll make your life easier.”
    Laughter bubbled up at his pronouncement. “I’m sure it would make your life easier but I’m not so sure about mine. You’re lucky I like you, Reed Mitchell. I could make your life difficult if I chose to.”
    “I’m sure you could.” He pushed his chair back and stood with a stretch. “I’m going to take a shower and then head for the library. I’m hoping they have surveillance cameras. We know the exact date and time the emails were sent.”
    “Won’t the police be doing the very same thing?” she asked. She couldn’t help but admire how good he looked in the morning even before his shower. His hair was slightly tousled and his chin had a dark shadow of whiskers that she yearned to rub against her palm.
    “The police have dozens of cases and I only have this one so we won’t be waiting for them. If they’re anything like my town they’re underfunded and understaffed. They work hard and they do the very best they can but we can give them a hand here.”
    “Then I’m going with you.” Reed opened his mouth to object but she waved away whatever he was going to say. “You won’t win this one so save your breath. I know the librarians and that might make things easier.”
    “Fine.” He pointed to her plate. “Eat your breakfast and then you can go.”
    “I’ll eat my breakfast but not because you told me to.” She sounded like a stubborn toddler, but he was so incredibly high-handed