Buried

04: A new town

"Now, who put a wall in the middle of the driveway?" she asked while trying to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" a masculine voice asked.

Bailey lifted a hand to shield the setting sun from her eyes. "No, I am not okay! What's the big idea, standing in the middle of the driveway? People are walking here."

"To be fair, you're not in the driveway," the man said.

Bailey stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth, making a popping noise of dissatisfaction.

"Bailey, be polite!" Gale scolded before she could even respond to the guy's asinine response.

Bailey's mouth slammed shut. She heard the muffled sound of footsteps coming her way, but she refused to stand up. Not until this person offered a helping hand.

"Are you gonna help me up or just stand there like a--"

Gale gasped. "Don't you finish that sentence young lady! Get yourself up!"

Bailey heaved a sigh, before sweeping her feet under her to stand and when she got a clear view of her assailant she nearly swallowed her tongue. The man-wall was a drop-dead gorgeous man in uniform. Black longish hair, piercing baby blues, full lips curled in amusement as those panty-dropping eyes settled on her face.

"It's a cop!" She cried out in dismay, trying to ignore the heated flush she knew was spreading across her cheeks.

Matt, who'd finally come over to see what was going on, took that moment to exact his revenge. "Bails is going to the slammer! She hit a cop."

"I did not. Am not!" The words flowed out, on instinct at Matt's response. Feeling utterly childish with each word she let slip, her face was now on fire. It seemed being around Matt always brought out the juvenile in her. Or maybe it had something to do with the way the cop raised his eyebrow at her and settled his hands against his holster. If ever she wanted to act like an adult it was at that moment.

"How old are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Bailey.

"Eighteen." She startled herself with how quick her thinking was. "You know how little brothers are. He just brings out my inner child!"

Gale scoffed. "What? Oh, bologna! She is sixteen! Please, children."

Bailey growled, knowing she couldn't say it out loud, but her mother just c**k-blocked her hard. She scowled her anger instead.

The cop laughed heartily before grinning down at her. "I bet you have your hands full with this one," he said to Gale.

Gale batted her hair out of her face and chuckled. "You have no idea."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be in the middle of your driveway," he said, his teasing voice making her stomach flutter.

Dropping her gaze to the ground, she cleared her throat. "Oh, well-"

"And I'm not just a cop, I'm the Sheriff," he added.

Straightening her wild hair, she offered a timid smile, before scratching the side of her neck nervously. "Hey, your name isn't Jed is it?"

He chuckled. "I'm not Leatherface."

"Do you know anyone named Jed?"

With an amused grin, he continued to look at her as he shook his head.

"Bailey!" Gale's scolding tone caused her cheeks to flush red.

"Cool, he's got a gun!" Matt interrupted his hand pointing to the shiny black piece. When he'd gotten so close to the man Bailey couldn't recall, but he was close enough to touch that deadly weapon and Gale was about to have a coronary.

"Mathew, stop!" Gale's ultimate 'don't mess with me now' voice echoed. "If you touch that weapon so help me—"

"It's not loaded," the Sheriff said.

Gale wavered for a second under his hot stare, but Bailey supposed even something as delicious as this police officer couldn't keep her from getting her baby away from that weapon. "Matthew, come over here this instant."

"So, how does that work? I mean not having a loaded gun. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?" Bailey asked.

He shrugged casually, letting loose another prize-winning grin that weakened her knees. "We're a small town, it's mainly for show. I don't need deadly weapons. I am a deadly weapon. I'm a black belt."

"I love karate! I could do it all day!"

Matt sputtered and Bailey reached over to pinch him so he'd get the hint to shut up, but he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. "Yeah, right! She's the laziest person in the world. I've tried to get her to join a class and her excuse is—"

"Okay! He gets the point, jerk face!"

His grin turned into a very self-satisfied chuckle that Bailey knew was her doing. "Sheriff Lambert of Haven, I've come to welcome you to town."

Bailey stretched out her hand and managed to not make a fool of herself as she shook it. Her knees were just begging for it though. They felt like jelly when his large hand encased hers. If he didn't let her hand go she would pretend to faint and he would catch her and then... he let go of her hand.

Darn. Bailey cleared her throat and hastily shoved her hands into her jean pockets, bowing her head.

Gale, pushing Matt slightly behind her, smiled and came forward to shake his hand as well. "How nice."

Bailey glanced down at his hands. "Large hands," she mumbled, remembering something Amanda had said about men with large hands.

"Sorry?"

"Oh, um, nothing," Bailey said, but when she glanced up at her mother's red face she knew at least someone had heard her comment. "Where's the pie?"

Gale blinked at the puzzled Sheriff Lambert before dropping her eyes to her daughter. "I beg your pardon?"

Realizing the ridiculousness of the question, she gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I just thought since you're welcoming us to town and all, you'd have... I don't know... an apple pie or something?"

Oh God, please stop now! Bailey's thoughts screamed. It wasn't like she'd ever moved before though. Movies were her only reference and they'd always offered pie. He let out a beautiful booming laugh that startled a scream out of Bailey.

Have mercy. This guy should be a model, not a Sheriff. He was wasting his life, Bailey thought and licked her lips as she watched the column of his throat vibrate.

Matt guffawed and pointed. "There is something very wrong with my sister. Bailey's a dork."

Bailey snarled and muttered under her breath. "Dork number two."

She couldn't believe she'd stooped to his level again.

Matt shook his head disapprovingly at her. "Lame."

"I'll bring you an apple pie next time. Though I warn you, my baking isn't the greatest." Sheriff Lambert grinned down at her.

Bailey bit her lip to keep her mouth from smiling too wide. "Fantastic, extra apples please and maybe you could mention something to Mrs. Stone about a peach cobbler, but my favorite pie is black raspberry. Spread the word, we'll take all the stuff we can get."

Would it never end? Where was a wall when she needed it? Maybe banging her head against it would save her sanity.

He chuckled and nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Bailey! What's gotten into you?"

There was no face-saving at this point, so Bailey shrugged and continued. "Mom, let's be honest here, you couldn't bake if your life depended on it. Amanda's been away at college and I haven't had a homemade pie since. We'll find someone here who knows a thing or two about baking. Plus if it brings Sheriff Lambert back over then--" Bailey's eyes widened as she looked over at him. "I mean, um," she ended.

"Lame," Matt said again.

Gale flushed and gave a tight-lipped smile before turning back to the man in front of her. "May I ask what your first name is?"

He examined Bailey for another minute, folding his arms across his chest, knowingly, before turning his attention to Gale. "It's Wes, Wes Lambert."

Gale placed a hand on her chest. "I'm Gale. This is my second eldest Bailey and my youngest Matt. My oldest daughter is away at college."

He nodded, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"We should get back to unloading the car."

He looked startled for a moment and then glanced towards the red car in the driveway. "Can I help with anything?"

"Carry my bags to my room," Bailey let slip.

"Bailey Anne! Honestly, I'm so sorry about her Wes, she's not usually like this. I swear."

"It's okay. It's not the first time. Sometimes it's uncomfortable, other times it's cute," he said, winking at Bailey. "Let's not shift to uncomfortable though, please?"

Bailey nodded with a frown.

"Now that you mention it," Gale gave him a sheepish look, "could you get our electricity turned on? We're early."

Bailey scowled at that realization and glanced up at the Sheriff that just went from hella-hot to hella-creepy. "Yeah, we are early. How'd you know we'd be here?"

He smirked down at her. "It just so happens I'm working. Luckily, I came along this patrol when I did. It's too cold to not have electricity. I will get your lights on in record time. Let me make a few calls and we'll get it done."

Making the 'calls' turned out to be one call that lasted all of two minutes. Two minutes of which Bailey eyeballed him and decided the dark stubble that dusted his jaw was her favorite.

"Gawd, he is sexy," Bailey whispered to her mother.

Gale's eyes widened and she stared down at her. "Where is this boldness coming from? I kind of like it. I'd like it more if you aimed it at a man your age."

Bailey shrugged. "I want to move up in the world."

"Let's do it legally, okay?"

"You're no fun."

Gale nodded. "When it comes to this topic I will never be 'fun.' Not with my baby girl!"

Bailey c****d her head and clucked her tongue, letting her mother know Sherriff Lambert was coming back.

"They have some wiring work to do, so they have to send someone out, but it'll be done before it gets any darker. I need to finish patrolling the area if you don't need any more help that is?"

"No, thank you very much." Gale smiled, tucking a stray piece of her brown hair behind her ear.

"It was nice meeting you."

Bailey raised a hand forcing him to shake hers again, "It was very nice to meet you too."

When he jerked his hand away, the frightened look he gave Bailey let her know she'd crossed into the 'uncomfortable' zone. As he started to walk away he seemed to pause and turn back around. "Bailey," he called.

Bailey raised an eyebrow, feeling her face heat at being caught watching him leave. "Yes?"

He gave her a half-smile and winked. "Welcome to Haven."