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by Kris Bryant

  Linda reached out and cupped Natalie’s chin. “You do look tired.”

  Natalie brushed her mom’s hand away. “Thanks, Mom.” She smacked her cheeks with the tips of her fingers to get more color into them.

  “Sheriff? Should we open up?” Faith shouted.

  “Why doesn’t she use the intercom thingy?” Linda whispered.

  “I can’t even begin to explain her.” Natalie grabbed a few bags of treats and met Faith by the front door. “Okay. What’s the plan?”

  “Let’s get out there and show the town we’re cool. At least the kids.”

  Natalie scowled at the cool morning. The sun was out, but still low, and it would be a few hours before their side of the street would feel its warmth. She set out paper cups while Linda brought out the Bunn carafe. David ran an extension cord from the front office out to the trailer. She wasted no time pouring herself a cup of coffee to warm her. She actually wanted to go home, slip into bed, and sleep for another four hours. She smiled when she remembered waking up to Ghost Dog next to her.

  “People are starting to trickle in,” Linda said.

  “It’ll take time for people to get past the Bradfords’ trailer. This year they have baby lambs and probably tons of yummy stuff to eat.” She looked at her mom. “But nothing nearly as good as ours. And who wants goat cheese this early in the morning when we have pastries and delicious baked goods?”

  “Nice save, kiddo. Okay. I’m going to go walk around. You stay here and be charming, like always.”

  “Send people our way. Tell them we have cake and breads.” It wasn’t a competition really, but the winner always had bragging rights. And very few people wanted to hang out with local law enforcement, so all visitors were overly welcomed. Normally, Natalie would settle in and wait the day out shaking hands and smiling at people she pissed off or made happy at some point during the year. She spent most of the time talking to the elderly, who either wanted to complain about neighbors or tell them what the town used to be like when it had only about five hundred residents. To them, Spruce Mountain was a hopping town. They were always the first to oppose any upgrades or resist change of any kind.

  “Sheriff, you have a visitor. Or two.”

  Natalie was in the closet gathering chairs to place in front of the trailer for people who wanted to sit and talk. “I’ll be right there.” Why did it always start so early? She carried four chairs out and almost dropped them when she saw her guests. Her heart turned into mush at seeing Sarah and her miniature, Harley, standing at the trailer looking over the selection of baked goods. Since her hands were full, she couldn’t do a quick primp.

  “Hi there.” Sarah’s smile made her knees weak.

  “Good morning.” Natalie placed the chairs against the trailer, adjusted her hat, and knelt. “You must be Harley.” She offered her hand and melted a little more when Harley shook it.

  “Hi, Sheriff.”

  Natalie tipped her hat at Harley and stood to face Sarah. “Good morning to you.” Sarah looked refreshed and beautiful. It was hard not to reach out and pull her close, but they were in public, and she was meeting Harley for the first time. “Harley is adorable.”

  “She couldn’t wait to get down here. I thought we’d stop here first because I got an inside tip about baby lambs, and I have a feeling it’s going to take a while before we circle back around, but I wanted to say good morning to you. How did you sleep?”

  Natalie couldn’t take her eyes off Sarah. She removed her hat and smoothed down her hair. “Well, I slept about four hours and woke up to a smelly dog right next to me.”

  “Sounds somewhat perfect,” Sarah said.

  “Not as good as it could have been.” Natalie winked and turned to Harley. “Would you like some hot cocoa?”

  Harley looked at Sarah. “Can I have some, Mom?”

  “Might as well. I’m pretty sure this whole weekend is going to be a sugar rush with the festival today and Halloween tomorrow,” Sarah said.

  “Oh, what are you going to be for Halloween?” Natalie couldn’t believe how much Harley and Sarah looked alike. Same brown eyes, same hair, same crooked smile, same single dimple that showed up only on the left cheek.

  “I’m going to be Captain Marvel.”

  Natalie widened her eyes dramatically. “I love Captain Marvel. She’s my hero. That’s part of the reason why I’m sheriff.”

  “Do you know her?” Harley’s innocent question made Natalie laugh.

  “No, but I used to read comic books, and she was always my favorite character.”

  “You are a comic buff?” Sarah tilted her head.

  “Ever since I could read. My collection is astounding.” Two things had saved Natalie from being a total outcast in school. Sports and comics. The jocks left her alone because she helped the school win championships, and the alternative kids who dressed in black and lived on sarcasm and nicotine appreciated her dedication to something cool. Sarah had probably forgotten that she collected comics. Natalie wasn’t on Sarah’s radar as much as Sarah was on hers. That was then, but this was now.

  “Maybe you could show me your collection some time,” Sarah said.

  “How about tonight? After the festival winds down?” Natalie tried to act nonchalant and hoped Sarah couldn’t tell how fast her heart was beating or see the sweat that always gathered at the back of her neck. She rested her hip against the trailer, trying to look cooler than she felt.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Me, too.” Harley smiled and looked at them.

  Sarah was quick to answer while Natalie stammered and stuttered. “No, baby. Adults only. Besides, you and Aunt Judy are making apples tonight for trick-or-treat.” She turned to Natalie and fake-swiped her brow. “How caramel apples can be handed out in today’s world blows my mind.”

  She didn’t say yes. Natalie arched her brow and waited for an answer. She got a quick nod. “Welcome to small-town America. Plus, they will be at the Veterans’ Lodge, so not really randomly handed out.”

  “Good point. But there’s still good old-fashioned knocking on doors and asking for candy, right? That hasn’t changed, I hope.”

  “We still have that. Tomorrow will be a busy night, but not out of control, I hope,” Natalie said. Halloween was normally quiet, with only a few harmless pranks. She patrolled the neighborhoods to crack down on any shenanigans. A part of her liked watching teenagers stress when she stopped them. “What’s in the bag? Where are you all going? Don’t you think you should be home? It’s getting late out.” Her favorite was always, “Don’t let me find you still out on the streets when I circle back around.”

  “Well then, let’s hope tonight is calmer for you.”

  “Or not.” Where she got that kind of boldness from, she didn’t know, but she was going with it because she could see the effect it had on Sarah. She liked how Sarah fiddled with the strap on her purse and had a hard time making eye contact.

  “Or not.”

  Natalie cleared her throat. “Eight?”

  “See you then.”

  “Sheriff?”

  Natalie turned to Faith after she was done watching Sarah leave. “Yes?”

  “Your smile is blinding. You might want to save some of that for the rest of the town, or else it’s going to be a long day for you.”

  * * *

  “Hey there, buddy. Did you miss me? Huh? Did you miss me?”

  Natalie greeted him with all the warmth that the golden greeted her with. She clipped on his leash and let him outside to do his business. The sun took the bite out of the low temperature, but it was obvious that winter wasn’t too far away. She fixed him lunch and brushed his fur again now that it was completely dry. “Because you smell good now, I won’t be upset if you accidentally crawl into my bed and snuggle with me. But maybe not tonight, okay?” Not that she was banking on having sex with Sarah tonight, but there was a high probability of some heavy making out. “Look. I have a date later, and I might need the space.”

>   With the golden clean and gorgeous, Natalie snapped a few pictures of him to put on the website and send out to nearby counties. Now that she had him, it was time to buckle down and find his home.

  “Okay. I have to get back to the festival. You be a very good boy, and I’ll bring you home a cookie from Nana.” Natalie gave him one last pat on his head and locked the door on her way out. She wasn’t taking any chances. That dog was as slippery as an eel. She still had no idea how he’d got into her shed.

  “What have I missed?” Natalie asked. She walked up to the trailer and did a quick inventory of what was left of the food and candy. “I was gone less than twenty minutes. How is everything almost gone?”

  Faith looked away and rearranged the leftover mismatched napkins. “Everyone got hungry because it’s lunchtime.”

  Natalie sighed. “Why don’t you go walk around and grab some lunch? I’ve got the trailer.”

  “I can’t wait to see the lambs. Ever since you told me, I’ve been itching to get my hands on them.” Faith zipped up her coat and left Natalie alone with a half a bag of candy and nothing but crumbs from her mother’s treats.

  “I think we’re about done.”

  Natalie stood when Sarah and Harley returned. “Did you see the lambs?”

  “Oh, my gosh. They were so cute, and I got to feed them with a bottle.” Harley’s smile lit up her face, and the little dimple popped out.

  Natalie took off her hat and, without even thinking, put it on Harley’s tiny head. She giggled when it swallowed half her face. “It’s a little big for you.”

  “Do you have a car with sirens and lights?”

  “I do. It’s parked out back.”

  “Can I see it? You should bring it here so that all the kids can climb in it and turn on the lights.”

  Natalie stood there stunned. This six-year-old child had a brilliant idea. Why hadn’t they thought about that before? “You know what? That’s a great idea. If you and your mom stand guard over the trailer, I’ll go get the car right now.”

  “Go ahead. We’ve got this,” Sarah said.

  Natalie grabbed her keys and cut through the office to get to the parking lot. All these years she could have had bragging rights. Who didn’t love to flip the lights on or talk on the radio? She asked the ladies at Creative Crafts to move the barricade so she could get the squad car next to the trailer. She opened the door and crooked her finger at Harley. “Great idea. Want to have a seat and play with the equipment?” Natalie locked up the guns every night, so nothing was in the car that Harley or any other kid could get hurt with. She switched on the radio and turned it to channel two. She showed Harley how to grab the speaker, press the button, and call her. “I’m going to walk across the street. You just hold down the button and talk.”

  Harley nodded seriously. She waited until Natalie crossed the street before lifting the handset. “Sheriff. Hi. I can see you.”

  Natalie spoke slowly into the walkie. “What are your coordinates, Deputy?”

  “What?” That question was followed by giggles.

  “What was your favorite thing in the festival?” Natalie asked.

  “The lambs!” Harley forgot to hit the button, but Natalie could hear her joyful shout.

  “Don’t tell anyone, but it’s my favorite thing, too.” Natalie returned to the car when other kids showed interest and started gathering around. She crawled in on the passenger side and showed them how to turn on the lights and flip on the sirens, but did only one tiny burst because she didn’t want to scare the animals. They all took turns talking on the loudspeaker until their parents pulled them away. “Harley, that was a great idea. Thank you.”

  “Thank you for humoring her,” Sarah said. Her appreciative smile melted Natalie more. If she wasn’t careful, by the end of the day, she would be a puddle of emotional goo.

  “Can you take me for a ride?” Harley asked.

  “No, baby. Sheriff Natalie is working. Maybe some other time.”

  Natalie squatted. “How about I pick you up for school on Monday morning, and we’ll turn on the flashing lights and get you there in style?”

  Harley’s eyes widened. “That would be awesome.”

  “I mean if it’s okay with your mom.” Natalie thought she might have overstepped her boundaries, but Sarah’s face lit up almost as much as Harley’s.

  “That’s okay with me. That just means you have to be up and ready early.”

  “I will. I promise.” Harley crossed her heart with sincerity.

  “Let’s go. Say good-bye. It’s time for a nap for both of us.” Sarah took Harley’s hand and gently pulled her away from Natalie.

  “Text me later and let me know if you can get away?” Natalie tried hard to keep the desperation out of her voice.

  “Check your phone, Sheriff.”

  Natalie pulled it out and smiled.

  Chapter Ten

  Sarah was spending too much time getting ready. Natalie texted that she would pick her up at eight because they had eight-fifteen dinner reservations. Even though it was chilly, she decided on a wool skirt, black sweater, and black knee boots. The outfit was probably too chic for Spruce Mountain, but she missed dressing up and looking good. When was the last time she was on a date?

  “Mom, you look so pretty.”

  Harley stood in the doorway. Sarah noticed her Disney-themed nightgown was getting a bit too small. She reached down and picked her up. “Thank you, baby. You know you’re getting too big for me to pick you up, and that makes me sad.”

  “Why does that make you sad?”

  “Because that means my baby is growing up.” Sarah kissed her cheek and put her down. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Aunt Judy?” She knew Harley was going to have a hard time going to sleep tonight with all the sugar she’d consumed at the festival and making the caramel apples tonight.

  “She told me to tell you the sheriff is here.”

  “Natalie’s here?” Sarah looked at herself one last time in the mirror. She’d straightened her hair and pulled it back in a single clip, creating a classic yet sophisticated look. “I’d better go. Lead the way.” Sarah followed Harley up the stairs and grabbed the railing when she saw Natalie talking with Aunt Judy in the foyer. She was so beautiful, so commanding, so tall. Her blond hair was curled and hung loosely around her shoulders. She was wearing all black, including ankle boots that added to her height. Sarah licked her lips, remembering the last time they were alone and the powerful kiss they’d shared. “Hi.” When Natalie looked up at her, she saw raw hunger in her eyes that was quickly covered when Aunt Judy cleared her throat.

  “You two better get going. Saturday night in Spruce is hopping. Come on, Harley. You are needed in the kitchen. We have to wrap the apples before bed,” Judy said. She put her hands on Harley’s tiny shoulders and marched her into the kitchen. “Have a nice time, ladies. I won’t wait up.”

  Sarah chuckled nervously and made herself look at Natalie. “You look really nice. I’ve always loved the color of your hair.”

  Natalie smiled and blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. I always hated it growing up. People teased me.”

  “They were stupid. Every single one of them,” Sarah said. She opened the door and followed Natalie out to her Jeep, pausing when Natalie opened the door for her.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Sarah turned to Natalie, who was so close she felt her body heat. She wanted to wrap her arms around Natalie’s waist and walk into her warmth. She smelled like lavender and firewood. She must have started a fire when she got home after the festival. The scent was faint, but it made Sarah smile. She loved that smell. “I can’t climb into your Jeep.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My skirt is…restrictive.” Sarah was embarrassed because she’d purposely worn a skirt that hugged her hips and her thighs so Natalie would notice. But the skirt landed past her knees, so stepping up into the Jeep wasn’t an option. She hadn’t thought things through when she de
cided to go for the sexy look.

  “Shit. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Let’s take my car. It’s a boring sedan, but at least I can get in it. Will you drive though? I don’t know where we’re going,” Sarah said.

  “Remind me to buy a new car tomorrow. A four-door.”

  Sarah smiled at Natalie when she handed her the car fob. “Or I could just never wear this skirt again.”

  “That’s a negative. I want you to wear that skirt every day, even when it’s summer.”

  “Wool in summer would be torture.”

  “Okay. I’ll make an exception.”

  Sarah turned her head and squelched the need to shiver from the look that Natalie gave her. It was the kind of look she read about in romance novels and saw in movies, but never in real life. If she were bolder and more experienced, she would speak up and tell Natalie to skip dinner and take her straight to her house so they could pick up where they’d left off last night.

  “And just like that, we’re here.” Natalie put the car in park and pointed to the quaint little restaurant sandwiched between an antique shop and a shoe-repair store.

  “I’ve driven by several times and never even saw it before now,” Sarah said. She opened the car door and waited for Natalie to climb out from behind the wheel.

  “I haven’t been here in a while, but it’s a town favorite. The seafood is always a safe bet, but you can’t screw up a steak either,” Natalie said.

  The host sat them by a wide window. Their view was the full moon shining down on the mountain. Sarah leaned forward, wineglass in hand, and offered a toast. “Here’s to a new beginning in an old place.”

  Natalie lifted her glass and clinked it gently against Sarah’s. “Here’s to coming home again.”

  * * *

  Natalie stood in front of the door when she unlocked it. “Just in case Ghost Dog tries to escape.”

  Sarah watched how happy Natalie looked as she greeted the sweet dog. He was so gentle with her, but she saw that he was still somewhat skittish. “Well, it looks like he’s found a nice home here. Have you thought about keeping him?” She let him smell her hand before she petted the top of his head.