Free Frisco Joe's Fiancee by Tina Leonard Page B

the first time you’ve been able to sleep all night? And that she usually cried no matter what you did for her?”
    “Yes, but she can’t sleep on your comfy chest every night, Frisco.” Annabelle lowered her gaze, thinking that comfy chests were hard to come by and Frisco’s was a great place for any woman to lie. Steadfastly, she went on with her points. “I can’t run away from Tom.”
    “Does he care where you are?”
    “Thank you for pointing that out, but no, he doesn’t. My point was that I am running away from him, and I can’t, because he is Emmie’s father, and so she is always going to remind me of him. Leaving town isn’t going to solve that.”
    He took a deep breath. “Are you still in love with him?”
    She shook her head. “I got over that a long time ago. But Frisco, it doesn’t change the facts of my life.”
    He drummed his fingers on the table, which fascinated Emmie because she stopped sucking long enough to glance his way before resuming.
    “Let me take you back,” he said gruffly. “A taxi is going to be expensive as hell.”
    She smiled. “It’s all right. Thanks.” Frisco was so handsome, and he seemed determined to look out for her. She’d be blind not to recognize why the Lonely Hearts women had returned for her last night: They knew that she, of all of them, had the most vulnerable heart. They’d been determined that she would not be left in a place where so many temptations roamed. So they’d come back for her.
    She really didn’t want everyone to have to keep looking out for her. A broken heart didn’t make her unaware; in fact, it made her stronger in some ways. “Thanks all the same, Frisco. But I’ve got to do this on my own.”
    The front door burst open, and though she’d expected to see more brothers pile in for breakfast, Mimi and what looked to be the county sheriff strolled in.
    “Hey, Mimi,” Frisco said. “Sheriff Cannady.”
    “Hi.” Mimi barely glanced at Frisco, Annabelle noticed. She indicated the sheriff standing next to her. “Dad says they just closed the roads out of Union Junction on all sides for today. The entire day, at least.”
    Annabelle sat up straight, her heart pounding.
    “What’s up, Sheriff?” Frisco went to shake his hand.
    The sheriff nodded at Delilah and Jerry. “Thisconstant deluge washed out the old pipes coming down from the dam. They burst in the night, flooding highways and roads. In fact, they flooded Union Junction square. There’s not a store in the town that’s dry.”
    Delilah gasped. “Is anyone hurt?”
    “No, but there’s a lot of damage. I don’t think the feed store or the general store’s gonna see their floors for a while. I’m afraid of more ruptures if we have another hard freeze tonight.”
    Frisco was already shrugging into a jacket. “I’ll go into town and see what I can do.”
    The sheriff nodded. “Be honest with you, Frisco, Mimi told me you had guests at the ranch. I was hoping maybe you could haul the ladies—forgive me, ma’am, for asking this while you’re on your vacation, but since you can’t leave town, I’m going to beg for your help on this matter—into town so they can help with the clean-up. It’s going to take probably two days to sweep out all that damn water.”
    “I’ve got plenty of hands to bring with me,” Delilah said. “Let me feed this crew right quick, and we’ll hop in the trucks.”
    “No need,” Jerry said. “I can haul all the women into town in my rig. That way we can load into the trailer anything you need hauled out, like trash and ruined flooring. And the men can get themselves and their trucks wherever they’re most needed.”
    “I was hoping you’d say that.” He shook Jerry’s hand gratefully. “Then I’ll take the Jefferson brothers out to the dam with me and see if we can lay enough bags and such to keep the water back if it comes up tonight.”
    “And I can haul bags for them to lay down.” Jerry tossed the peppers into the