Targeting the Teacher

Part 5

Chapter 5

Amy smiled at the man standing on her porch as his eyes ran up her body.  Fighting the urge to shift on her feet, she brought one hand up and covered her mouth as a fake yawn escaped it.  The action brought the man’s eyes to her face, and Amy faltered.  Did she honestly want him to look right into her eyes as she lied to him?  He didn’t look like a bad man, but that could have been because of the nice Marshal badge he had flashed her as soon as she opened the door.  Overall, if this was the big bad man following the half-naked guy in her living room, she wasn’t too worried.  The Marshal’s smile was warm, and his body language wasn’t even slightly intimidating. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she moved her hand from her mouth to smooth her messy hair.  “I just woke up.”

His eyes lingered towards the edge of her shirt, which was still pulled up to show her stomach.  With a flush that was more real than fake, she tugged the shirt down to cover herself.  Amusement crinkled the corner of the man’s eyes as he looked back at her face.  “Which would explain why it took you so long to get to the door.”

A small smile flew onto her face, but not an overly bright one.  There had been plenty of times she had to lie to her brothers to be able to do anything fun in her life, and she wasn’t beyond using those tactics on a Marshal if it was needed.  Leaning against the doorframe, she glanced up at him through her eyelashes.  “I had a late night.”  Glancing away, she let a small bit of the sadness she felt slip onto her face.  “I forgot how lonely it gets up here, but I needed to get away.”  Shrugging, she looked back at him, noticing that his eyes were solely on her face.  “I guess it’s hard to sleep with the silence when you’re so used to the town noises.”

His arm went out, settling onto the wood above her head.  Leaning towards her a little, he sent her what appeared to be a friendly smile.  “I know what you mean.  When I first started work, it took me a while to get used to the different noises.  After traveling a lot, I got used to it though.”

“Oh,” she mumbled with a little bit of fake disappointment in her voice.  “So you don’t live around here?”

Something flashed in his eyes, and if she wasn’t mistaken, that something looked a lot like interest.  “Actually, I do live nearby, only about an hour away.”

She dropped her eyebrows down and pursed her lips as if she were thinking.  “But you travel a lot?  Tell me, are you working now or are you on vacation?”

A sigh escaped his mouth, and just as she wanted, he dropped his arm from above her and straightened slightly.  Still, he did not move an inch away from her, didn’t glance away from her face as he reached into his pocket.  “Unfortunately work,” he said as he handed her a picture.  “Have you seen this man?”

Amy scanned the photo.  If she shaved the man in the photo’s face and took off that outrageous headband, it was her guy.  She shook her head.  “No.”  With a worried expression on her face, one that wasn’t faked at all, she frowned.  “Is he dangerous?”

The Marshal took the photo back, slipping it into his pocket with a serious expression on his face.  “No.  He’s just wanted for questioning, but if he’s found by the wrong people, he may be in danger.”  His hand reached into his other pocket, producing a small business card.  Holding it out for her to take, he smiled.  “If you see him, or if you hear that he’s nearby, just give me a call.”

“Will do,” she replied, stepping further into her cabin.

He turned, and Amy let out a relieved breath as he began walking away.  Her hand curled tightly around the door as she began easing it closed.  “Hey!” he called out, making her freeze.  Her eyes went towards the half-naked man standing on the other side of the door, but when he shook his head at her, Amy looked back towards the Marshal.