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"Caitlyn"

"Rogue," she injected softly She was getting tired of rerimaced "Even I know Sheriff Mayes’s reputation ouy and you know it He’s going to break your heart"

Rogue pushed her hands into her back pockets and gave hi herself to keep her ht with her brother It had been too long since she had seen him She’d let him bitch a little, then maybe take him down to the bar and let him have a drink or two Maybe a beer would chill hi tohis voice

"Should I be?" Rogue arched her brows as she pulled her hands frorab her aparto down to the bar I need to check a few things out and you need a beer"

"I don’t need a daaze hardened as he stared back at her "I’ll help you pack instead"

Her lips quirked "You can come downstairs for a beer, or you can find yourself a hotel roo we’ll do"

His lips thinned "You have a spare bedroom here; why should I have to find a hotel room?"

"Because you aren’t staying here," she informed him as she moved for the door

"Because your sheriff stays here?" he forced out between clenched teeth

"Pretty ly "I prefer not to havewith h his hair Anger littered in his eyes as she strolled past hi the door, she stared back at hiht with you, and you don’t want to push it Let’s go downstairs and have a beer and chill out You can go back home tomorrow and tell Daddy I’o on about your business"

"You think all it takes is telling Dad that you’re being stubborn, don’t you, Rogue?"

"That’s all it took before" She irl, John I really can make these decisions all bybefore she started down the stairs

Music drifted up the stairs, clashing and wild as a popular classic rock tune thundered out onto the dance floor and beyond

"You like to think you’re a big girl," he snorted behind her "A half-pint wishing is rinned at the co, that was one of her father’s ways of telling her she was too ss she norht she had been involved in, or when she went nose to nose with Jonesy over soh the door that led to the rin tilt her lips It was going to be hard at first to step away froo The bar had been her rebellion, and she had done a darown up a bit over the years though The bar wasn’t as i Either way, she knew her ti counter, she drew her brother a draft beer before pulling a chilled bottle of her favorite brand froaze went over the bartenders’ activity, fronore her, to Kent as he filled orders quickly and efficiently

"You know, you should rinned at her brother’s look of horror

"Just think, you could escape that stuffy lifestyle you’ve adopted for yourself and have some real fun I’d even let you take over the bar"

She leaned a hip against the counter as she stared out over the dance floor before swinging her gaze back to her brother

"You’re joking" He grilared at her

"Not in the least," she assured hi with Janey, John I want to spend more time at the restaurant rather than here

You’d do well here"

Coht He’d been discontent for years at her father’s law firm Where her sister seemed to fit in fine, John and her father clashed constantly

"You’ve lost your h she weren’t worth listening to any longer

Rogue grinned; she knew her brother, and he wasn’t as disinterested as he wanted to pretend His body was tense, a froas brewing at his forehead--proof that he was at least considering her suggestion

Shaking her head at hi of the bottle and ulars, chatted with visitors, and picked out tourists froh on their way to other locations She laughed andAnd through it all she kept her eye on the door, watching for one figure, one ue"

She turned at the pat on her shoulder

"Gene, how are you doing?" She shot the deputy a quick s yet?" he asked as he looked around the bar, his ruddy face creasing into a frown