Breaking Through to Sue (4th in Breaking Series)

Chapter Two

"A lady such as yourself shouldn't be pounding nails." he said as he held open the door for her to walk out. He breathed in her sweet scent as she walked by and nearly tripped over his own feet as he tried to follow after her.

"You sound like my brothers." she scolded. "I enjoy it."

"Perhaps we could eat together another time then, Miss Atkinson. I would truly like to get to know you better." Susie smiled again and nodded.

"Yes, I would like that." she said and then she left him standing there and started toward the jail. She let out a sigh of irritation after she was out of his earshot.

Justin Vicks seemed like a nice enough man but it seemed like every time she turned around he was there and Susie just didn't understand why. Sally seemed to think the man was interested in her but Susie had her doubts. After all the man had never said or done anything to truly show his interest. Today was the closest he had come when he had told her that he wanted to know her better.

Maybe he did like her…. Maybe he was simply too shy and was taking his time about it. She was used to men like Brody and Thomas. Men who had simply grabbed their women and taken what they wanted, leaving no doubts as to how they felt. Men who had guns and knew how to use them. Men who could live in a saddle and under the stars just as easy as they could in a house under a roof.

She secretly wanted a man like that though she would never admit that to anyone. She could imagine how Sally would laugh. Sally seemed convinced that she needed a safe and boring man. A man like Justin. Cookie however, said she was going to get a rough and rowdy man… A man that would keep her on her toes. There was no way she'd ever really have a man like that though. A man like that would never waste his time on a woman like her. She had pale skin, dark freckles, and dull blond hair that hung straight down her back. She lacked the attractive figure that her sister had. Sally filled out her clothes in all the right places and Susie just filled hers out in all the places. Still it was fun to imagine….

She was smiling as she walked into the jail with Brody's lunch. He wasn't in the main office and she wondered where he could be.

"Brody?" she called out.

"I'm back here." Brody's voice came from behind the thick wooden door that led to the cells. The door was ajar and Susie really didn't think about what she was doing as she opened the door the rest of the way and walked in.

"What are you doing?" Brody demanded of her as she walked over to him.

"Bringing you lunch." she replied but her attention was not on her brother. Instead her eyes were stuck on the man that was currently hanging upside down from the ceiling. He had his legs thrown over the ceiling beam and his arms were crossed over his chest as he looked at her.

He had dark hair that was almost black and was sticking straight up, or she supposed it was actually down, and his golden brown eyes seemed to be staring straight through her.

Ryder had never seen anything so beautiful as the creature that had just walked into the jail. Had he died sometime in the night because he was sure she was angel. His normally quick witted and charming brain seemed to shut down at the sight of her. That long honey colored hair, pale skin and those pretty freckles….

"Hi…." he mumbled. Susie had never seen a man hang upside down like that before. She bent down and tilted her head so that she was more on his level and she smiled.

"Hello." Brody scowled and stepped in between the two of them but it was too late.. That smile was all it took to completely snare Ryder, and do away with his motor skills, as he lost his concentration and went crashing to the floor.