Heart So Sweet: Book 3 in the Great Plains Romance Series by Corrissa James Page B

off again–”
    “Actually, Ms. James, I need to talk to Lucas, not your brother.”
    Miranda scoffed. “Good luck talking to that one.”
    Tate noticed a slight flush appear in her cheeks, which he found curious. “Well, like I said. I’ll stop by later, but I’d appreciate it if you ladies didn’t mention that I was here.”
    “Oh, is that how you do business now?”
    “Miranda!” Trish shook her head at her sister-in-law. “Not that it matters, but I do believe that the sheriff is here on personal business.”
    The women shared a knowing look, then Miranda silently mouthed the word “oh” while raising her eyebrows.
    Trish flashed a smile at Tate. “We won’t say a word, sheriff.”
    “Thank you.” He headed down the porch steps.
    “Although you’ll have a better chance catching up to Lucas on Friday night. At the street dance.”
    Tate turned to look back at Trish.
    “My husband promised they’d be back by then.”
    Tate was frowning once again. “Back?”
    “Yes. They just left for Rapid City to get a new group of horses for the ranch.” Trish paused, giving Miranda a side-long glance. “I could get the name of the hotel they’re staying at if you’d like to drive up and see him before then.”
    Tate hesitated. The idea of confronting Lucas in a completely neutral place was appealing, and it was something Lucas would never expect so far from home. But Rapid City was nearly four hundred miles west of Harrington, and if Lucas didn’t react well to the news that Tate was seeing Annie...well, Tate didn’t want to think about that outcome.
    “Tell you what, sheriff. I’ll sweeten the pot.” Miranda stood and set her mug on the table before walking down the steps to join him. “How about I fly you up to Rapid City?”
    “Fly?”
    “Yup, fly.”
    Trish giggled from the porch. “You’ll have to excuse her, sheriff. She finally got her pilot’s license, but no one wants to go for a ride with her.”
    “It’s probably better that I wait for them to return.” The thought of spending a few hours confined to a small area with Miranda James wasn’t exactly his idea of a relaxing time. He didn’t think it would put him in the right frame of mind for confronting Lucas.
    “Suit yourself.” Miranda whipped out a business card. “But if you change your mind, I can be ready to go with an hour’s notice.”
    He thanked the women, then climbed back in his SUV, wondering how talking to Lucas had become so complicated.
    For the rest of the day, his thoughts kept circling back to Lucas and how confronting him at a neutral place, where he couldn’t walk away so easily, might be the best approach. Plus, Dalton James would be there, and if anyone stood a chance of being able to break up a fight between Tate and Lucas, it was Dalton. The deciding factor was when he realized that Andrew Clark’s thirty days of lockup ended on Friday. He could take on Andrew and he might be able to convince Lucas, but the two of them together would be impossible. Just before dinner time, he pulled out Miranda’s business card and made the call.

Chapter Seventeen
     
    On Wednesday morning, while Tate was speaking to Trish and Miranda James, Susannah was having her own early morning meeting in the lane leading to her family’s farm. Like her, Jonathan was also returning from a night spent away, which made for an awkward moment.
    She stood in the lane, her arms crossed. “Do I even want to know?”
    Jonathan smiled. “Only if you want to share your own.”
    She blanched in the early morning light.
    “Jeez, Suz, is it that bad?”
    “What? No.” She tried to laugh lightheartedly, but it came out sounding like a sick cat.
    Jonathan moved closer, frowning. “Fess up. Who is it?”
    “Fine, but if I tell you, you can’t say a word to anyone until I figure everything out.”
    “Okay.”
    “Promise.”
    He held up both hands. “I promise, I promise.”
    She scowled, wondering if she should say anything at all. But