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Mercy planted her hands on her hips. “Well, what other skills do you have that might be of use?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I’ve got one skill, and unless you want me to shoot the goat, I don’t think that skill is going to help much.”
Mercy pinned him with her harshest glare. “You will not shoot my goat.”
His lips twitched. “Then feed me, woman. I get cranky when I’m hungry.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Then you must be damn near starving most of your life.”
He barked out a laugh that made most of the people in the yard turn to stare at him. Mercy just shook her head and pushed him toward the table where Martha had started setting up goodies. “Go see Martha. She’ll feed you.”
He caught her around the waist before she could escape. “And where are you going?”
She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m going to go rescue Mr. Sunshine before Lucille eats his jacket.”
Gray glanced over to where Jason was engaged in a wicked episode of tug-of-war with the goat and his suit jacket and chuckled. Then he sighed. “All right. I’ll…help,” he said, forcing the word from his mouth. He’d had grand plans of lazing about in bed all day with his new wife, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe if he helped, they could get this whole event over with quicker and he could shoo everyone away all the faster.
“Thank you,” Mercy said, rising on her toes to kiss him.
Hmm. Perhaps there was an upside to this whole helping thing.
He kissed her again. “Is there anything else you need me to do?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
“Maybe…keep an eye out for Josiah or his men.”
The mention of Josiah killed the good mood that had been brewing. “Does he usually attend this…apple picking day?”
Mercy shook her head. “He never has before. Occasionally some of the women from his property will come. For the most part, though, he stays away. But…”
He nodded. “But he’s not acting as he usually does.”
“Exactly.”
Gray took a deep breath. “You go do what you need to do. I’ll watch for Josiah.”
Her whole body relaxed, like he’d taken a literal weight off her shoulders. “Thank you, Gray.” This time she quickly kissed his cheek and spun away before he could draw her back in. She gave him a cheeky smile and wave as she hurried off.
For probably the millionth time, he wondered how he’d gotten into this mess. Well, no help for it now. He was neck deep. So, he’d better do what he’d been brought here for and watch for Josiah.
After he got some food first. He hated killin’ on an empty stomach.
Chapter Fifteen
Mercy placed a plate of brown scrambled eggs and several lumps of meat that Gray assumed were sausage in front of him with a sigh. It’d been only a day since the apple picking—and Martha’s cooking—and Gray almost wanted to suggest they do it all again just so they could have another decent meal.
“They’re a little better than yesterday,” she insisted.
She’d said the same thing every day since he’d arrived. He’d never been able to ascertain an improvement, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. He shrugged and shoved a forkful in his mouth. “It’s okay,” he said after he swallowed. “I’m actually starting to like them this way.”
Or maybe his taste buds had just given up and died. Either way, the taste was growing on him. Or at least not turning his stomach.
She shook her head, but the small smile on her lips sent a happy little buzz through him that both confused and exasperated him. His state of being was being entirely too mixed up with Mercy and her reactions.
She fixed herself a plate and sat beside him, and they ate in comfortable silence. He’d never considered himself the domestic type, and he certainly never fathomed that he would be a husband settled down with a wife and property. Plus the weight of the sheriff’s badge on his chest hung heavily. He had most certainly never consideredthatdevelopment, either. But for some reason it didn’t bother him as much as it should. Oh, he’d still rather pin the badge on Frank the town drunk than wear it himself. But now that he’d given his word to take the job…he didn’t hate it as much as he’d anticipated he would.
Maybe it wasn’t just the burned eggs he was getting used to…
After breakfast, he settled into his rocking chair on the porch and took a deep breath. Josiah and his men hadn’t been seen or heard from since just before their wedding two days ago.
