Free Bones Of Contention: The McKinnon Legends - The American Men Book 3 by Ranay James

time to stop at the post office to pick up her mail, but she realized it would have to wait until later. Checking her watch she had exactly forty-five minutes to feed the dog, shower, change, and then get to the restaurant. She was cutting it close.
    Turning onto her street she could not miss Josh casually leaning up against the hood of his truck. He was not happy. His expression was dark.
    “I see you listen to me about as well as my daughter,” he said flatly while pushing off the grill of his truck.
    She did not reply, taking out the bag of groceries from her back seat and then shutting the door with her hip. “How did you find my house?”
    He was not about to tell her that he or one of his deputies had been watching her all week as a precaution. “I have connections.”
    Jamie just stared at him in wonder.
    “Did you bully Leslie?” she asked shaming him.
    “Not exactly.” He scuffled his feet with his hands in his pockets. “I looked you up in the faculty directory on your desk." He had, the first day he was in her office. "It showed a post office box."
    “Josh, she is just a kid. You were wrong.”
    “Maybe.”
    She cocked her head sideways with a look that told him she did not believe him.
    “All right, ok. So, I may have come on a bit strong with her, but I have every right, Doc.” Josh was convinced, and she was not going to change his mind. “I am an officer sworn by the State of Texas. I swore by the oath of office making my job to protect and to serve. I’m a peace officer, Doc, not a diplomat.”
    “You have no jurisdiction in Lubbock.” She was not sure if she was flattered or angry. Maybe, she was a little of both.
    “I’m not trying to arrest you, so screw jurisdiction. Can’t you see? I’m trying to protect you.” He could feel the muscles in his jaw tighten. At the rate she was pushing him, he could well turn her over his shoulder and drag her off just to make a point. So much for gentlemanly ways, he admitted. His mother would be appalled. He was appalled.
    “I do not need protection. I also do not have time for this, Josh. I’m late enough as it is.”
    “Jamie, please, will you just listen to me?” he softened taking the bags from her. “Your car showing up like this stinks to me. It is just too coincidental, and if you weren’t being so headstrong about all this you would see it, too.”
    She already did.
    “I know it does,” she agreed. “Why do you think I called you?” she said looking at her watch.
    “We know nothing about the man who brought your car back. He could be anyone.”
    “He is not just anyone, Sheriff. He is a real estate broker in Florida.”
    “Are you going some place? You keep looking at your watch,” he asked feeling uncomfortable with her obvious plans.
    “Yes. I have a date with Trey, and I’m going to be very late at this rate.”
    “A date with Trey?” He calmed his breathing. To push her would gain him nothing. “Fair enough. However, you are not going anywhere without an escort, and I need to know where you are going in advance so I can secure the area beforehand.”
    He knew he was being pushy and he could not have cared less. He needed to take things under his control and having her out in an unsecured area without the benefit of a bodyguard was potentially suicide.
    He watched her stop in mid-motion of slipping the key into the deadbolt lock. Slowly, she looked up at him.
    Uh’oh, he thought. He had just stepped into a minefield.
    “An escort? You mean as in a bodyguard?”
    So, she thought, he does not want me going out alone and unguarded. She guessed the fact she had lived her whole life alone had slipped past him somewhere along the road. She was used to dealing with crises by herself. Therefore, this was no different. It was not the first time her life had been threatened. However, in all fairness to Josh, he did not know that to be the case.
    She informed him in no uncertain terms she could go to dinner with anyone of her