The Rancher's Unexpected Twins--A Clean Romance

by Trish Milburn

  “I think we still have a few in us,” Dean said, suddenly taking Sunny in his arms, dipping her backward and giving her a quick peck on the lips.

  Sunny wasn’t easily embarrassed, but blood ran to her cheeks. Dean winked at her before righting her on both her feet.

  “Whew, I think I need a fan,” Trudy said, drawing a few chuckles from the people seated near her.

  Sunny spotted her dad sitting with friends in lawn chairs across the park, a huge grin on his face. He was probably telling his friends for the eight hundredth time that her and Dean being together was all his doing, that he thought he might have a second career as a matchmaker.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” announced Brent Foley, the radio DJ they’d brought in to emcee the festivities, “it’s time to reveal the winners of both the pet parade and the Jade Valley Murder Mystery.”

  An adorable golden retriever named Bella won the pet parade, much to her elementary-age owner’s squealing delight.

  “We don’t even have to do a drawing among all the right answers in the mystery game because only one person guessed the identity of the culprit correctly. And that nefarious merchant is...Alma Graves.”

  “Ha! I knew it!” Trudy said so loudly that the twins startled and several locals who were familiar with the ladies’ feud started laughing.

  As the afternoon waned into evening, musicians filled the stage and couples gathered in front to dance the night away.

  “So, Mrs. Wheeler, care to take a spin around the dance floor with this cowboy?”

  “I think we can make that happen, Mr. Wheeler.”

  They left the twins with all three of their doting grandparents and joined all the other locals and visitors enjoying the cool fall evening filled with lively tunes. Dean pulled her close, and that familiar little thrill went through her again. She hoped that never changed.

  “I’m proud of you,” he said as they began to dance. “The festival is a rousing success, and I’ve seen a lot of happiness and hope on people’s faces today.”

  “I’m glad it’s gone well. And speaking of pride, that goes for you too.”

  After they’d gotten back from their belated honeymoon in Ireland, construction had started on the first cabin along the river with plans to add a second and a greenhouse the following spring. With her connections, both cabins were already booked solid until next Thanksgiving.

  “We make a pretty good team.”

  “That we do.”

  Whether it was business, parenthood or being in love, she doubted they could be any better suited.

  “I love you,” she said.

  He smiled. “That came out of nowhere.”

  “You make me want to say it all the time.”

  “I’m not averse to that.” He pulled her closer. “Because I love you too, more every day even though that shouldn’t be possible.”

  “Imagine how much we’ll love each other when we’re old, gray and wrinkled like a Shar-Pei.”

  “You’ll be the most beautiful grandma the state of Wyoming has ever seen.”

  “And I’ll have to beat the other grannies away from you with a big stick.”

  Dean laughed and guided her head to rest against his chest. As they danced, she listened to his heartbeat and couldn’t stop smiling. Loving someone with your entire heart and having that love returned really was the best thing ever.

  * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Falling for the Lawman by Claire McEwen.

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  Falling for the Lawman

  by Claire McEwen

  CHAPTER ONE

  Adam Sears shoved his chair away from his desk, wincing as one of the ancient wheels screeched in protest. He stood up, relishing the faint breeze from the fan turning slowly back and forth on the battered metal file cabinet. The Shelter Creek sheriff’s office was a small satellite to the main office in Santa Rosa. Adam had worked here for over ten years, but the old clapboard building still felt like a temporary setup. There was barely any heating in winter, and definitely no AC in summer.

  Plucking at his shirt, Adam tried to pull the thick fabric of his uniform away from his damp back. Tomorrow was supposed to be even hotter. Where was the fog that usually rolled in from the ocean and cooled things off during summer nights?

  He reached for the diet cola on his desk and took a sip as he glared down at the email on his computer screen. The message thanked him for his application, and informed him that his kids were on the waiting list for the final session of summer day camp at the community center. A waiting list? Shelter Creek was a small town. How could there be a waiting list for a summer program?

  If he’d known the last session would fill up so quickly, he’d have registered the kids weeks ago. But it was just one thing on a long list of things he still didn’t know about managing his kids on his own.

  He set his drink down and tried to think. What would he do with Jack and Penny for the next two weeks if they couldn’t go to day camp? He could ask his sister, Sara, to watch them, but she was pretty busy these days. She’d been running the family cattle ranch ever since their parents retired to their little cabin on the Oregon coast. He could ask his younger brother, Wyatt. No, bad idea. Wyatt was so irresponsible, he’d probably have the kids driving the tractor or swinging from the barn rafters if he were in charge. And Adam’s older brother, Ryan, was still on the road, living out of his truck chasing glory in the rodeo arena.

  A tap at the door had Adam slamming his laptop shut like he’d been viewing something illicit. He had a pile of paperwork he should have been working on. “Come in,” he called, trying to sound casual.

  Josie pushed the door open and stepped inside. “The captain wants you in his office.”

  “Sure, Josie, thanks.” Adam waited for Josie to leave so he could follow her out the door.

  But the receptionist stayed where she was, twisting her hands together in front of her, her shoulder-length brown hair waving slightly in the fan’s breeze. “How are you doing, Adam? Everything okay?”

  He had come to hate that question. Was everything okay? No. Was there anything he could do to change that? No, again. “We’re hanging in there. The kids are enjoying the first session of day camp.”

  “Oh good. Let me know if you’d like me to take them at any time on a weekend. Brendan loves playing with Jack and I’m happy to have Penny, too. It would be fun to have a little girl around to spoil.”

  As always, when someone tried to help, Adam’s mouth developed a paralysis that made speech almost impossible. People assumed he was grief-stricken that his wife had walked out on them, but he was too overwhelmed to be sad. Too angry to be heartbroken. Tanya leaving had hurt like heck, but he was a grown man, he could handle it. What grieved him, what almost broke him, was that she’d practically abandoned their kids. She’d crushed their hearts, and she seemed to have no understanding of the hurt she’d caused.

  Adam forced his jaw to move and fortunately, the rest of his voice followed. “That’s kind of you, Josie. I may take you up on that offer.”

  “Are you sure there isn’t anything you need?”

  Adam thought about the email he’d just received. “You don’t happen to know anyone who works at the community center camp, do you? I forgot to register the kids for the final session.”

  “Ah.” Josie’s smile was full of sympathy. “A common mistake. You’ve got to get in there the moment they open registration or you’re out of luck. The last session always fills faster than the others, because a lot of families are back from vacation and getting ready for school to start.”

  “I didn’
t realize.”

  “That’s a shame. Brendan’s going. He’d be so happy to have Jack there.” Josie looked thoughtful. “I have a hair appointment this afternoon. I’ll ask my stylist what you should do.”

  Had he heard her right? “Your hairstylist?”

  “Monique. Over at Monique’s Miracles. She has the scoop on everything that goes on in Shelter Creek. She’ll know if there are any strings we can pull to get your kids in.”

  The load of worries Adam carried felt just a little lighter. He was acquainted with Monique. If she wanted something done, she found a way. “I’d really appreciate that. If I can’t get them in, I’ll have to figure out some last-minute childcare.”

  “If it comes to that, I know a few ladies around town who would be happy to babysit.”

  “Sears!” The frustration in Captain Dean Carson’s voice carried easily from his office down the hall. “You gonna make me wait all day?”

  Josie grinned. “Guess you’d better get going, before he blows a fuse.”

  “Thanks for helping me out.” Adam followed her out of his office.

  “Of course.” Josie stopped next to her desk and turned to face him. “You and the kids have been through a rough year.”

  “Yup.” It had been eleven months and four days, but it sure felt like a year or two since he’d found Tanya’s goodbye note on the dining room table.

  Josie’s bright smile was probably meant to be reassuring. “Hey, it can only get better from here, right?”

  Adam wasn’t used to talking about his personal life, let alone having it be brought up at work, or when he was out doing errands, or at kids’ birthday parties. Everyone in town wanted to offer their advice and support. It was kindly meant, but sometimes he thought he might suffocate under all that concern. “That’s what I’m hoping.”

  “Sergeant Sears!” There was a definite edge to Dean’s voice now.

  Adam glanced down the pale green, chipped linoleum hallway. “I’d better get in there.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow if I can find a way to get the kids into camp.”

  “I’d really appreciate that.” Pulling in a deep breath, Adam forced himself to let his childcare worries go for now. His shift wasn’t over for another half hour. He was at work and he’d better start acting like it. He walked down the hall and tapped on his boss’s half-closed door.

  “Sears. Finally.” Dean yanked the door open. “Come on in.”

  Dean Carson was in his midthirties, just a couple years older than Adam. They’d worked together for over a decade, but only Dean had moved up the ranks to Captain. Adam preferred to work with people, not paper.

  He followed his boss into the office. A woman was seated on one of the blue plastic chairs that Dean kept for visitors. Her straight black hair was long in front, flopping over her forehead like a horse’s forelock. It was cut really short in the back, giving her an edgy look. She stood up and fixed Adam with a cool, assessing gaze.

  He nodded in response. “Hello.”

  She didn’t return his greeting. Instead, she looked at Dean as if he’d offered her a moldy sandwich. “Is this him?”

  Dean seemed oblivious to her dismay. “Sergeant Adam Sears, meet Officer Gracie Long. She’s with the State Department of Wildlife. Pull up a seat, Adam. I’ve got to talk to you about her work.”

  Gracie wasn’t dressed in the usual khaki uniform of a wildlife officer. She wore faded jeans and a T-shirt that matched her striking, light blue eyes. She plunked back down in her chair and crossed one long leg over the other, the toe of her scuffed brown cowboy boot tapping the air.

  “Okay.” Adam took a seat in the other plastic chair and turned slightly toward her. “Good to meet you.” She nodded in response and Adam looked at his boss for guidance.

  Dean had remained standing. He leaned against the front of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Gracie is pursuing a possible poaching case in the area.”

  “I’m required to notify you all that I’m working around here,” Gracie added.

  “There’s a little more to it than that.” Dean tilted his head toward Gracie. “Why don’t you give him the background?”

  The blue of Gracie’s eyes just visible under the long thick bangs that had fallen over her forehead. She reminded Adam of a wild animal peeking through a thicket. “You probably know that black bears have been showing up in the northern part of the California Coast Range. They’re moving south from Oregon, looking for new habitat as their numbers grow.” She paused, as if waiting for confirmation.

  Adam nodded. “We’ve had a few bear sightings around here in the last couple years.”

  “And when you get bears in the neighborhood, you also get bear poachers.” She fixed him with a stern look. “Do you know anything about bear poaching, Sergeant Sears?”

  Her condescending tone was a little annoying, but years of working in law enforcement had taught Adam not to show his feelings. “I know it happens.”

  “It’s a brutal crime. Poachers kill bears, chop off their paws, cut out their gallbladder and leave the carcass to rot. Those few parts they take can be sold on the black market for a whole lot of money.”

  Adam could do without the images she’d just put in his head. “That’s pretty disturbing.”

  “Gracie thinks we have poachers around here,” Dean said. “A mutilated bear was found by the side of the highway, about five miles north of here.”

  “Was it a roadkill?” Adam glanced at Gracie. “Maybe someone just took advantage of an opportunity.”

  “Maybe. Though that’s illegal, too,” Gracie said. “I suspect it might be the same people I’ve been trying to catch farther north in Mendocino County. I haven’t had any leads on them for a couple weeks, so I figured I’d better check this out.” She shrugged. “Whoever they are, I’ll track them down.”

  “Okay, good to know.” Adam glanced hopefully at Dean. Now that this introduction had been made, maybe he could get back to his office and finish a little more paperwork before the end of his shift.

  Dean gave a slight shake of his head, indicating that Adam should stay. “Gracie needs a partner while she’s here.”

  “I usually work alone.” Gracie sat up straighter. “I don’t need a partner, just someone I can call on for backup, if it comes to that.”

  “How are you going to call for backup if you’re out in the middle of nowhere chasing a poacher?” Dean looked more irritated than Adam had seen him in a long time. Maybe they’d already been arguing about this before he showed up.

  “I’ve worked out in the backcountry on my own for years.”

  “And your supervisor told me that you were working alone when you ended up in the hospital.” Dean’s voice sounded a little gruff. “From what he told me, you’re lucky to be alive.”

  Adam studied Gracie, trying to process Dean’s words. What had happened that had landed her in the hospital?

  Gracie’s sharp cheekbones flushed a deep rosy pink and she stood up so fast her chair slid a few feet back. “That was one incident out of many successful arrests.”

  Dean held up his hands in a don’t-shoot-me posture. “That may be true, but you’ve got your supervisor pretty spooked. He asked me to assign someone to work with you in our district, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

  Adam knew that resolute tone well, and it seemed like Gracie recognized it, too, because she didn’t answer. But from the way she’d pressed her lips closed, it was clear she was holding back some choice words. What a prickly attitude. Pity the poor fool who had to work with her.

  Then Dean’s words sank in and landed hard. “You’re assigning...me?”

  “I figured you could use a change of pace.” Dean gave Adam an apologetic shrug that didn’t help one bit. “Plus, you’re my most experienced investigator. I need you on this job.”

  “Full
-time?” He glanced over at Gracie, unable to hide his dismay.

  “Full time whenever Gracie is working in the area.”

  Great. Adam had too much on his plate right now as it was. He didn’t need any more stress, and this woman was a whole lot of stress poured into jeans and a T-shirt. “I don’t get it,” he said. “How can it take all day, every day, to deal with a couple of hunters taking bears without a license?”

  “Apparently they’re not easy to catch,” Dean said, glancing at Gracie, who had sat back down and was jiggling her foot again. “You’ll probably spend some time looking for them out in the backcountry. Gracie has her horse with her and you’re the mounted patrol sergeant most familiar with the area.”

  Adam was starting to feel a little desperate. “What about my shifts? My paperwork?”

  “Deputy Turner can take a few of your shifts. So can Deputy Leary. I’ll help them with the paperwork.”

  Worry crept in. This smacked of a demotion. But it couldn’t be. No matter what Adam had dealt with in the past year, he’d shown up here and done his job as carefully as ever. He studied Dean’s face, trying to read the expression there.

  “He obviously doesn’t want to do it,” Gracie interjected. “How about this? I’ll check in with him by phone once a day. If I’m headed anywhere remote, he can come along.” She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and they jangled in her restless fingers.

  “You and Adam will be on this case together. End of story.” Dean reached for the phone on his desk and held it out to her. “You want to call your supervisor and complain to him? Go for it. I’m just doing what he’s asked me to do.”

  Gracie’s pale skin went a little whiter. “Fine.” She shot Adam a glance armed with resentment, then shrugged. “Guess we’re working together.”

  Copyright © 2021 by Claire Haiken

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