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by Kris Bryant

  Henry wagged his tail and barked at the sudden attention. Harley tried to give him a drink of her cider, but Sarah quickly grabbed the glass so it didn’t break or spill. “Let’s get Henry his own drink.”

  Aunt Judy quickly returned with a bowl of water and put it on the floor in front of him. “Okay. How about we say the dinner prayer and eat all this food?” They held hands while Bob said their family Thanksgiving prayer.

  Sarah looked around the table at all the happy faces. She really did have so much to be thankful for. She had her daughter back after the worst fear a parent could ever experience. She had a fresh start on life, a new girlfriend, and a career that was just beginning. Her heart was full.

  * * *

  “I’m going to drive Mom home, and then I’ll come back, okay?” Natalie kissed Sarah’s temple.

  “Natalie, don’t leave yet,” Harley said. She was on the floor in front of the television curled up with Henry.

  “Baby, I’m just going to run my mom home, but I’ll be back. Will you watch Henry for me?”

  Sarah melted at how wonderful Natalie was with her daughter. Not everyone wanted an instant family. Dating a single mom wasn’t for everyone, but Natalie jumped right in without overstepping. She’d never thought she would find somebody so quickly because she wasn’t looking.

  “I’ll be back in ten minutes.” Natalie kissed her and left with Linda.

  “She’s pretty wonderful, you know?” Aunt Judy handed her a cup of cider when the door closed.

  “I’m lucky, without a doubt,” Sarah said.

  “I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Mom, how late can I stay up tonight?” Harley asked.

  It was already after eight, and Sarah knew she wanted to see Natalie before she went to bed. “Nine, but no arguing then, okay?” She watched Harley high-five Uncle Bob and drop back into her spot next to Henry. To kill time before Natalie returned, Sarah finished wiping down the kitchen. She finished her cider and rinsed out the cup right as Natalie returned, ten minutes later, as promised. Harley jumped up to greet her and hugged her like she’d been gone for hours. She pulled Natalie over to the couch and sat next to her, her tiny body brimming with energy.

  “Sit here with us, Mommy.”

  Sarah sat on the other side of Harley and held her hand. Warmth spread from within at the look Natalie gave her. It was a look of love, and she welcomed it. She hadn’t felt this way ever. For the first time, this was a real family. Her real family. Natalie, Harley, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Judy made her feel complete. As much as she had fought it in the beginning and thought Spruce Mountain was just a blip on the GPS, a tiny dot on the map where she would reset their lives and move on, looking around at these wonderful people, Sarah knew what Spruce Mountain really was to her. It was home.

  Epilogue

  “Don’t let Henry get too close. I don’t want him stepping on any nails.”

  Natalie looked at the new addition being built on her house, on their house, and smiled. It was coming along nicely. The original structure was twelve hundred square feet, but they were adding an additional six hundred so that Harley could have a bigger bedroom and Sarah would have a large office with a separate entrance for her customers. Her client list was growing, but true to her word, she kept her job at the library so she could take Harley to and from school.

  “I won’t let him. He’s being good,” Harley said.

  Henry looked up at her and woofed. Natalie trusted him one hundred percent. He was where he wanted to be, where he deserved to be, with the people he loved and who loved him just as much.

  “Are you being a good boy, Henry?”

  Another woof and a tail wag. Natalie certainly didn’t want another trip to the vet for a nail or splinter in his paw. Their last visit had been awkward enough, with her present girlfriend and her ex-girlfriend in the same room. The mood was professional enough, and Sarah and Dr. Wallace seemed to communicate just fine, but Natalie’s anxiety level was through the roof.

  “Natalie, when will they have the walls up?” Harley asked.

  “By this weekend. When we get back from our trip, we can pick out paint colors. Have you decided what color you want?”

  Harley put her finger on her lips and looked up and away, as if contemplating a life-changing decision. If paint was the hardest decision she would have to make, then she and Sarah were doing something right. “I like pink. Or maybe purple. Can I have both?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Natalie looked at her watch. “Are you ready for camp?”

  “Aw, Natalie. Do I have to go?”

  It broke her heart to not give Harley everything she wanted, but she couldn’t take her to work, and they had already signed her up for dance camp this week. Summer break had just started in Spruce Mountain, and Harley didn’t want to attend summer school. They had worked out a morning schedule with Judy, Bob, and Linda, but getting through the first week was going to be hard. Harley didn’t like ballet, but it was the only thing available. Sarah would pick her up after work every day, and then on Friday, they were off to spend a few days at Disneyland. “I know you don’t want to, but at least by the end of the week, we’ll have a lot of fun.”

  “I’ve been thinking. We should stay home so Henry won’t be alone.”

  “Henry will be with Linda until Sunday, and then Aunt Judy will have him until Monday night, when we get home.” They had originally planned to spend a full week at the theme park, but they’d had to cut it short because Harley refused to be away from Henry for more than four days. That was their compromise. Truth be told, Natalie didn’t want to be gone for that long either, but she could tell Sarah needed to be around people. New people, not just the same ones who recycled through her day.

  Harley walked through the unfinished part of the addition and reached for Natalie’s hand. “Okay. But ballet is stupid. Can Henry go to camp with me?”

  Natalie looked at Henry. “I don’t think he wants to dance, but he would probably love to go in to work with me.” When Sarah and Harley had first moved in, Henry would spend the mornings at the station. Natalie would drop him off at the house later in the afternoon so he would be at home when the girls arrived. “Deputy Dog has been missed.”

  Harley laughed with that sweet, innocent giggle that made Natalie melt. “Deputy Dog. That’s funny.”

  “I won’t make him wear his badge though. It’s summer and it’s too hot,” Natalie said. Another laugh. “Let’s go. Henry can ride in the back with you.” She grabbed the tiny backpack full of whatever seven-year-olds needed and put it in the back seat with Harley. “You ready, big guy?” Henry kissed her hand. She stroked his muzzle before gently closing the door.

  “Natalie, do we have time for ice cream?”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie, but no. Plus, you don’t want to dance with a belly full of ice cream, do you?”

  “Yes.”

  Natalie smiled. This kid was something else. “We’ll have some after dinner.” Big sigh. She parked near the dance studio and rolled the windows down. After helping Harley out, she turned to Henry. “You’re in charge.” Tail wag.

  “Are you sure we can’t do something else?” Harley grabbed her hand and walked slowly toward the door, her backpack dragging on the sidewalk.

  Natalie took the backpack and opened the door for Harley. “Look. Isn’t that your friend Rory?”

  “Rory! Hi!”

  Harley let go of Natalie’s hand and ran over to her friend. She smiled as they hugged and laughed. Suddenly ballet wasn’t going to be as bad as they both thought. After watching the children play and realizing Harley was going to make it through the afternoon just fine, she waved bye to them and headed out to the car. According to her watch, she still had a few minutes left on her lunch hour. “Okay, Henry. Move over. We have time to go say hi to Sarah.” She turned the car around and pointed it toward the library.

  Mary Cooper always lit up when Natalie popped in. Natalie suspected she was a lesbian but was very quiet about
it. If she had a lover, the town never knew. Faith made sure to keep the department informed of all the gossip. As much as Natalie rolled her eyes at it, secretly she appreciated it. Mary’s name never came up.

  “Hello, Sheriff. And Deputy Dog.” Mary closed the book she was reading and gave Natalie her full attention.

  “Hi, Mary. I’m looking for Sarah. Is she around? She forgot her purse this morning.”

  It had been a surprise to both of them when Natalie asked Sarah and Harley to move in, and an even bigger surprise when Sarah accepted. It was getting too hard to be apart every day and every night, and in a moment of frustration and extreme emotional stress, Natalie had asked Sarah and Harley to move in with her. It was three o’clock Christmas morning, and Sarah was putting on her boots to leave Natalie’s to be home in time for Harley. Natalie had hated that she was missing Harley’s big morning, with the magic of Christmas and Santa fading away the older she got. Sarah stood and faced Natalie.

  “What did you just say?”

  This was the first time they had produced heat between them that wasn’t passion. “I know it sounds crazy, but damn it, I love you. And I love Harley. Henry and I hate that you and I have to sneak around all the time. I hate that you are looking for a place to live when Henry and I know you belong here with us.” She threw the covers back and stood, hands on her hips, ignoring that she was naked.

  “First of all, did you just add Henry into the mix because he’s adorable and you wanted to sweeten the deal?”

  “Are you calling my wonderfully creative suggestion a ‘deal’?” Natalie wasn’t sure if she was angry or on the verge of laughing, standing there naked while Sarah was fully dressed. Everything hinged on the next few seconds—her happiness, her future, her heart. Why had she done it? Maybe Sarah didn’t want to or maybe she wasn’t ready. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, the first night they all got together at Tanner’s, Sarah had said she never wanted to marry again, not that Natalie was asking. And not that she wasn’t thinking about it, because she would marry Sarah in a heartbeat.

  Feeling vulnerable, Natalie slipped into the hideous pink robe Sarah had been wearing and started listing all the reasons why it was a great idea. “I hate saying good-bye at night. I hate missing out on all of Harley’s big events. I hate it when you leave the bed at three in the morning like we’re doing something wrong. Harley accepts me. She’s seen us kiss and hold one another. Why can’t we just all be together?”

  “Nat, you know I just signed the paperwork to rent the Thompsons’ house.”

  Natalie moved closer to Sarah. “So, that’s not a no.” She put her arm around Sarah’s waist and, with her free hand, smoothed down the deep crease between her eyebrows that showed up whenever Sarah was deep in thought. “And you signed month-to-month. So, tomorrow we’ll call Peggy and say thanks, but no thanks.”

  “And they’re dropping off the Pod with all our stuff next week.”

  Natalie smoothed down another crease on Sarah’s forehead with the pad of her thumb.

  “We can reroute them to this address. The house is only five minutes away.”

  Sarah threw up her hands. “How is every single thing only five minutes away?”

  Natalie shrugged. “Small-town life.” She pulled Sarah closer and kissed her.“Baby, just say yes. Just move in here. It’s going to work out. We’re perfect together. All four of us.” She held her breath when Sarah put her head on Natalie’s shoulder. Natalie knew it was a lot for Sarah to think about.

  “Everything is happening so fast. I just got here less than three months ago. What are people going to think?”

  “They are going to think ‘oh, what a perfect couple’ and ‘it’s about time that sheriff found somebody perfect for her.’ Nobody is going to say anything negative about you,” Natalie said.

  “What about Dr. Wallace?”

  Natalie rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re talking about her right now. Of all things.”

  “I can’t believe you hate pink, because you look beautiful in it,” Sarah said.

  “Only eight-year-olds wear pink. But if you move in, I’ll wear pink whenever you want.”

  “Well, how can I say no?”

  Natalie squeezed Sarah until she grunted. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Natalie smiled at the memory. That had been their only fight in six months. Their life together was too good to be true. Harley had accepted her immediately, and they had slipped into their new lives as if they’d always been together as a family.

  “Hi, babe. What are you doing here? Is Harley at ballet?” Sarah kissed Natalie first, then Henry.

  “I had to drag her kicking and screaming. It was terrible.” At Sarah’s horrified look, Natalie assured her everything was fine, and Harley was perfectly happy since Rory was there. “The big guy and I had a few minutes, so I thought we’d stop by and just say hi and drop this off.” Natalie slid Sarah’s purse to her on the counter.

  “Thank you. And? Did she try to talk you out of it?”

  Natalie had heard their argument this morning before Sarah left for work. Harley never threw tantrums but had tried really hard to plead her case. Natalie would have caved and taken Harley to the station armed with iPad, Nintendo Switch, and coloring books. Instead, she’d wisely kept out of it, kissed them both quickly, and left earlier than she wanted. “She suggested ice cream, which I wavered on, but I decided to take her to camp since she was expected. With Rory there, I don’t think there will be a problem getting her to dance any more this week.”

  “Thank God for best friends,” Sarah said.

  “It’s only a matter of time before play dates start.” Natalie was looking forward to having more kids at the house. Henry would love it. “Rory’s a great kid. He can visit any time.”

  “Agreed. Now go do sheriff stuff, and I’m going to count the hours until I can go pick up the kiddo. No, I’m not stressing. Not at all.”

  Natalie kissed her again. “She’s not going anywhere ever again. Not until college. Can we home-school college?”

  “I don’t think so. Let’s get through the high school years first. We might want her to go far away for college,” Sarah said.

  Natalie’s radio clicked to life. “Your new cadets are waiting at the station, Sheriff.” Faith’s loud message made them both smile.

  “10-4. I’ll be right there.” She kissed Sarah, and she and Henry walked out of the library, but not before stopping for several patrons who wanted to pet him. He was the perfect ambassador and greeter for a sleepy town like Spruce Mountain. He was already a hero, so people went out of their way to say hello. He wasn’t as skittish as he was when he first got to town. Natalie always smiled at how he lit up at the attention.

  When Natalie arrived with lights on and a few short bursts of the siren, approximately fifteen kids standing in a line outside of the station cheered. She had to admit, it made her heart swell.

  “Welcome to the sheriff’s department,” Natalie said. She shook Principal Mickey’s hand and waved at the kids, who gleefully waved back. It melted Natalie’s heart to see how excited they were to learn something new. She and Mickey had come up with an afternoon program at the station on Mondays for summer school kids to learn about law enforcement. Harley’s suggestion last fall about kids climbing into the patrol car gave Natalie an idea. She came up with a four-week program where she, Joshua, and David would take five kids each and discuss the importance of whatever subject they specialized in and, every week, rotate. It was a good way to get the kids excited about officers and not fear them. The final Monday, before the July 4th weekend, they would all earn honorary deputy badges.

  “Who wants to learn about being a deputy?” Natalie asked. Several hands were raised. She cheered with them and issued the badges inside.

  Faith greeted them with cold lemonade and had them sit in the conference room, where Natalie would kick off the program with a quick chat about what it was like for her as a sheriff
of Spruce Mountain.

  “I grew up in Spruce Mountain, and I know a lot of your parents. We went to school together. Principal Mickey and I knew each other pretty well.” She left out the part about him being a bully and doing shitty things to her and half of their parents. “I went away to college to study the law and was a police officer in Denver, Colorado. Who knows where Denver is?” Several kids raised their hands. “I came back and was a deputy here like Deputy David and Deputy Joshua and worked my way up to be sheriff.”

  “What does a sheriff do?”

  “I make sure people follow the laws, and if they don’t, I remind them.”

  “Do you arrest a lot of people?”

  “I don’t. Most people in town follow the rules. If you follow the rules, you don’t get into trouble. Like at school. You don’t want to have to go see Principal Mickey if you are in trouble. He’s like the sheriff at school.”

  Natalie spoke to them until they divided up into groups. Joshua explained the equipment each deputy wore. Then he explained how the sheriff’s department was a safe space and they could always ask for help at the station or if they saw any of them out on patrol. David showed them the radios, the community website, and the cameras around town. Natalie had her group in the patrol cars and the sheriff’s van. Their department wasn’t big, but they provided a lot of good information, and getting the kids on the right side of the law early was a great idea. She knew the power she wielded just because she made it a point to know most of the people in town. People were less likely to act up if they had a personal connection with an officer.