Free Defiant by Bobbi Smith Page A

asked Rachel as they stopped at one of the game booths. She’d noticed how her friend had been searching the crowd ever since they’d arrived.
    “Oh, nobody.”
    “I know you better than that. Who are you hoping to see?”
    Rachel knew there was no way she could keep anything from her best friend. Michelle knew her too well. “I was looking for Kane McCullough. Ihaven’t seen him since I went to San Ramon with Eve, and I thought he might be here today. Have you talked to him at the hotel lately?”
    Michelle hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she had to tell the truth. “No. In fact, he checked out a few days ago and left town.”
    “He did?” Rachel was surprised at how disappointed she was to learn that Kane was gone. “I guess he really was just passing through.”
    “There’s still Pete,” Michelle encouraged, knowing the sheriff was interested in her friend. “And—speak of the devil, he’s coming our way right now.”
    “Afternoon, ladies.” Pete smiled at both of them, but it was clear his interest was in Rachel alone. “How are you doing, Rachel?” he asked solicitously.
    “I’m fine,” she said a bit stiffly. A part of her wanted to ask him if he’d heard anything more about the gunmen who’d gotten away or if he’d learned the identity of the man who’d been shot, but she didn’t want to bring up an uncomfortable subject. She just wanted to relax and enjoy herself today.
    “Are you having a good time?” Pete asked.
    “Oh, yes. The Festival is always fun,” Michelle replied.
    “What about you, Rachel?” Pete asked. His gaze was warm upon her.
    “Of course,” she said, managing a smile.
    “You ladies will be at the dance tonight, won’t you?”
    “We’re looking forward to it,” Rachel told him.
    “I’m counting on having a dance with each one of you,” he told them.
    “We’ll be watching for you,” they promised.
    “I’ll see you later,” Pete said, casting a lingering look back at Rachel as he walked away.
    “He is so sweet on you, Rachel,” Michelle sighed.
    “Pete’s nice enough,” she hedged.
    “ ‘Nice enough’? You think he’s just ‘nice’?”
    “Yes. Why? Do you like him?” Rachel turned the tables on her friend who, she knew, was trying to play Cupid.
    “Pete’s all right.” Michelle told her.
    Rachel was intrigued by her evasive answer. She’d thought she knew her friend through and through, but now she was discovering Michelle was hiding something from her. “I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.”
    “Well . . .” Michelle looked around to make sure no one was near enough to overhear their conversation. “There’s someone I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to dance with tonight.
    “Who is it?”
    “It’s Nick—Nick Evans,” Michelle sighed dreamily.
    “Really?” Rachel was surprised. Nick was Pete’s new deputy. He was very handsome and had a reputation around town as being quite a ladies’ man.
    “He is so cute,” Michelle gushed.
    Nick had been in town for several years. He’d worked at the stable as a horse trainer for a while, then took the job as deputy sheriff a few months before, when longtime deputy Ben Taggart quit. No one had ever heard why Ben had moved on. Everyone thought he’d been happy as deputy, but one day he’d just up and left. Nick was doing a good job in his place, so nobody seemed to miss the older man too much.
    “Nick will ask you to dance tonight. You just wait and see.” Rachel sounded positive, wanting to encourage her friend. If she couldn’t be with Kane, she wanted Michelle to be happy with the deputy.
    “But so many other girls in town are after him, too,” Michelle said.
    “They may be, but you’re the one who’s going to get him,” Rachel told her confidently.
    “Do you really think so?” Michelle looked brighter at the thought.
    “Of course. You’re pretty and smart, and your father owns the only hotel in town, so you’re rich. That’s a great