by Holly Rayner
It’s the only way I can win Delaney’s heart, he thought. Until then, if she wants to be with Jake, that has to be okay with me.
He used his booted foot to put more pressure on the gas pedal until he was going five miles over the speed limit.
Might as well hurry up and get this over with, he thought.
Chapter 19
Delaney
Delaney sat forward and gripped the steering wheel. It was dark outside, given the fact that it was almost two in the morning, and her headlights were covered with dirt and dust, thanks to the back-road driving that she’d done that day.
The layer of grime dimmed her lights, but she didn’t want to pull over and stop to clean them. Sean’s truck was just two small dots of iridescent red ahead of her. If she lost sight of his brake lights, she might lose sight of the truck altogether.
What in the world is he doing out here so late at night, anyway? she thought.
He looked so upset when he saw me arrive at the end of the driveway.
Does he think I was up there paying Jake a social call—this late at night? Sean must think I ran right back to Jake.
Her cheeks flushed red with upset as she recalled her visit to Jake’s ranch. She’d pulled up and sprinted toward his barn, with her white duffle bag of emergency medical supplies slung over one arm. She’d arrived breathless, only to find Jake standing by a perfectly healthy stallion.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she’d exclaimed breathlessly. “Here I am, thinking that your stallion is fighting for its life, and he’s perfectly fine?” She’d glared at Jake.
“Whew—if looks could kill, then he wouldn’t be fine at all,” Jake had said with a smirk.
“It’s you that my look is directed at, Jake,” she’d seethed through clenched teeth. “Did you seriously fake the whole thing just to get me out here?”
“He really was panting,” Jake said. “Must’ve bounced back.”
“I doubt that,” Delaney had told him, narrowing her eyes even more. “I’m out of here. I cannot believe you dragged me out of bed for this.”
She’d turned on her heel and headed for the barn door. Once outside, the fresh night air had cooled her burning cheeks just slightly, but she’d still felt hot with upset. She’d shaken her head as she’d reached the truck.
“I can’t believe him,” she had muttered as she’d yanked open the truck door. She’d thrown the bag of medical supplies in.
Behind her, she’d heard Jake calling out. “Delaney, wait! Don’t hurry out of here. We’ve got to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she’d said.
“Come on, now, Del… you wouldn’t have driven all the way out here unless on some level you wanted to talk to me,” he’d said.
She remembered seeing him approach, his shadowy form just barely visible under the partly cloudy night skies.
“I came out here because you made me believe that your horse needed help,” Delaney had spit out. “And now that I know that was a lie, I’m leaving.”
“Don’t go,” he’d pleaded. “Let’s just talk. Come into the house. I’ll get you a beer… It’s a long drive home and it’s late, so why don’t you just—”
“Exactly,” she’d said, cutting him off. “I have a long drive ahead, and it’s late, so I’ve got to hit the road. Bye Jake.”
With that, she had gotten into her truck and headed down the driveway.
At the end of the road, she’d seen a truck parked. At first, she hadn’t paid much attention to it, but then, she’d recognized the shape. It was Sean’s truck. She’d looked closer at the driver. She’d seen Sean’s face, cast in shadow but lit just well enough by the glow of her headlights so that she could tell how hurt he felt.
Sean thinks I was up there with Jake, Delaney had thought. Does Sean think I want to be with Jake?
That couldn’t be more wrong.
I don’t want to be with Jake.
I want to be with Sean.
The glowing red brake lights ahead were getting smaller. Sean was driving fast.
Delaney focused on her pursuit. She was intent on not losing sight of Sean’s truck.
I have to explain, she thought. I have to tell him that I was only at Jake’s ranch to see his horse.
Nothing more.
I have to tell Sean that I only have feelings for one man—him.
She thought of her phone, lying on the console next to her. When she reached a long, straight section of road, she pulled off onto the shoulder and dialed Sean’s number. She bit her lip as it rang several times.
“Come on, answer,” she whispered.
He did not.
She left a voicemail.
“Sean, it’s Delaney. We need to talk. I know you’re probably upset about seeing me leaving Jake’s house, but it’s not what it looks like. I wasn’t there to see Jake. I was there to see his horse. I—”
Her brow tightened. She felt her eyes tear up. “I just want to talk to you, Sean. I don’t like this—I feel like we’re in a fight or something, but you’re the one that I want. Only you. We can get through whatever this is… okay? Just call me back.”
She hung up and wiped her eyes.
Then, she pulled out onto the road again. She stepped on the gas, and within a few miles, she caught sight of Sean’s truck again. He pulled to a stop at an intersection, put on his right blinker, and then turned.
Right… thought Delaney with confusion. That doesn’t make sense. Why would he go right? To get home to his ranch, he’d have to jump on Route 112, and that’s to the left.
The only thing to the right is that little town of Jenkinsville. What could he want there? None of the stores will be open at this hour, not even the gas stations. Only thing open is probably the police station.
Her stomach felt suddenly queasy. Her eyes opened wide. She reached the intersection and turned right in pursuit of Sean. She saw his truck up ahead.
If I remember correctly, thought Delaney, the station isn’t that far off… maybe another mile or two.
Sure enough, she spotted Sean pull off into a small lot just beside a two-story brick building.
That’s the police station, she thought. What in the world is he thinking?
Is he going to turn himself in?
She sped up and then pulled into the lot. She pushed her door open and jumped out. She could see Sean, taking the steps up to the front doors of the station two by two.
“Sean!” she called out. “Sean, wait! Don’t do this—please!”
Her heart felt tight in her chest. It ached with a need for Sean that she could barely comprehend.
He turned and looked over his shoulder.
“I’m doing this for us,” he said. “It’s the only way, Delaney.” He placed his hand on the door. “I can’t try to convince you that I’m more worthy of your love than Jake, until I face up to my past.”
“Sean, you don’t understand,” she said. “The reason I was up at Jake’s house was—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself,” Sean said.
He started opening the door.
“No!” she cried out. “Don’t do this, Sean!”
She wanted to tell him exactly why she was at Jake’s, but it was too late. He disappeared through the front door to the station.
She watched the door close. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart felt as though a hand was gripping it and squeezing.
“No,” she said again, but this time, it was quieter.
Sean wasn’t there to hear her. He was already inside. The only sound was the buzzing of the light that hung above the door. In the near-silence, she let out a sob. She couldn’t stand the thought of Sean going to jail.
I’ve been so happy these past few weeks, she realized. Because of Sean. Because of how I feel about him.
I love him.
And now, I’m going to lose him.
She looked up at the front door.
Maybe there’s still time, she thought. Maybe I can still co
nvince him not to do this.
She hurried up the front steps, taking them two at a time. When she stepped through the door, she saw a small waiting room with six pale gray chairs in it. A table stuffed with brochures lined one wall. The lighting was bright but flickery, thanks to a dying fluorescent bulb overhead.
There was a door straight ahead, which seemed to lead into the interior of the station. To her right, she saw a window, with another brightly lit office behind it. A woman in a police uniform sat behind the window. A small television next to her played some kind of show. Delaney could hear two characters on the screen talking in muffled voices.
Sean was nowhere in sight.
Delaney approached the window.
“Excuse me, did a man just come through here?” Delaney asked.
The woman turned down the volume of her television and then eyed Delaney suspiciously.
“Yes,” she said. “Are you with him?”
Delaney hesitated. “I… um… I’d really like to talk to him. Where is he?”
“He’s in the back. He requested to talk to an officer.”
Delaney turned and looked at the door. Sean was beyond that door, perhaps starting his confession at that very moment.
The woman officer behind the glass spoke up. “Why don’t you have a seat and wait for him?”
Delaney shook her head. “I really need to talk to him myself. Directly. Could I go see him?”
The woman shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But if you need to file a complaint or do something of that nature, I’d be happy to help.”
Delaney bit her lip. She could see that the woman was just doing her job.
How am I going to get past her? she wondered. I have to try to stop Sean before he confesses.
She glanced at the woman and noted that she wore a sparkly diamond engagement ring.
“Look,” Delaney said. Her eyes moved to the officer’s name tag. “Officer Bryant,” she said. “I just have to tell that man that I love him. That’s all. It won’t take long. Then he can go ahead and talk to the officer. Please… just allow me to go back there and say those three words to him.”
“Just ‘I love you’?” the officer asked. She raised her brows. “You love that man?”
Delaney didn’t hesitate. She nodded.
“Very much,” she said. She felt this ring true in every cell of her body.
I love Sean, she realized. He’s the one I want to be with—forever. I have to tell him that.
She held her breath and waited to see how the woman officer would react. At first, her plump face was frozen as she eyed Delaney skeptically. But then, it softened.
“Aw, heck,” she said. “I’m a sucker for love. And this beats the soaps I’ve been watching for the past five hours straight. It’s been a slow night…”
She snapped off the television. “Who am I kidding?” she said as she stood. “Pretty much every night around here is slow.”
She disappeared through a back door in her little office, and then Delaney heard the door that led into the interior of the station open up. Officer Bryant was standing in the doorway. She waved Delaney forward.
“Come on back,” she said. “They’re in interview room two. I’ll show you the way.”
As they walked down the narrow hallway, Delaney felt her heart pounding. Would she reach Sean in time?
The officer stopped in front of a closed door. She knocked twice and then opened it up slightly.
“Officer Lancet?” she said as she poked her head through. “I have a woman here with some words she wants to say.”
She opened the door fully, and Delaney stepped into the room.
Officer Bryant stepped in, too. Apparently, she wanted a front-row seat to the drama that was about to unfold.
“Sean…” Delaney said.
She searched Sean’s eyes. How much had he already told the officer?
Before she could say any more, the male officer sitting across the table from Sean spoke.
“Not so fast,” he said. He pushed an old-fashioned recorder forward on the table. “Sean here was just about to make a statement, on record. Go ahead, Sean.”
“Sean… don’t!” Delaney said.
Officer Lancet held up a hand to silence her. Before she could protest again, Sean started speaking.
“My name is Derek Bradshaw,” he said in a loud, clear voice. “Eight years ago, I was involved in an armed robbery on the San Antonio Network Bank.”
Delaney felt tears fall over her lower lids and travel down her cheeks. She didn’t bother wiping them away. Sean was confessing. He was going to go to jail; she was sure of that. How long would he be behind bars? Even just one day felt like too much.
She cried as Sean continued to speak into the recorder.
Chapter 20
Delaney
After Sean completed his confession, the room fell silent except for Delaney’s soft sobs. Delaney felt as though the air had been pulled out of her lungs. Her legs wobbled beneath her.
Sean’s going to go to jail, she thought. Right now? Will they lock him up tonight? How does this work?
The officer cleared his throat.
“Well, Sean…” he said. He looked down at some papers in front of him, where he’d been jotting down notes. “Or should I call you Derek?” he asked, looking up.
Sean frowned. “Sean is fine,” he said. “I’ve been going by Sean Macintyre for quite a while now. It feels more like my true name than Derek does.”
“Sean Macintyre. It sounds familiar,” the officer said. “Have you been wanted by the law for crimes you’ve committed as Sean Macintyre?”
Sean shook his head.
“No, sir,” he said. “Been busy livin’ the straight and narrow life. I left all the criminal stuff behind and never looked back—until now, that is.”
He glanced up in Delaney’s direction as he added, “It was time to do a little bit of cleaning out the closet, if you know what I mean. I’m trying to get my ducks in a row so that I can move forward with my life.”
The officer nodded. “Huh. It’s just that I’ve heard the name Sean Macintyre before.”
“I own a ranch,” Sean offered.
The officer shook his head. “That’s not it…”
Officer Bryant spoke up. “Sean Macintyre… That was the name on the check we received last year, when we were asking for help to pay for a few new patrol cars.” She looked at Sean with raised brows. “You were our biggest donor!”
Officer Lancet nodded. “That’s right. That’s why I recognize the name.”
He looked down at his notes again and furrowed his brow.
“This bank robbery was eight years ago, and the others you mentioned even further back. Let me make a few calls… Hold on one moment.”
He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and stood up.
As the officer dialed and paced around the room, waiting for someone to pick up, Delaney stopped crying and bit her thumbnail. She’d given up nail-biting when she was just a teenager, but due to the stress of the situation, the habit was back.
“Chief… sorry to wake you,” Officer Lancet said into his phone. “I have a guy here who was involved in the Network Bank robbery… That’s right… no… Derek Bradshaw… Mmhm… Oh, they were? I didn’t realize… yes…. yes… Okay, Chief, got it. You too, Chief.”
He hung up and looked at Sean.
“You’re in luck, my friend,” he said. “Police Chief Roberts just confirmed what I suspected. Under federal law, the statute of limitations for armed robbery of a bank is five years. You can’t be tried for that crime, Sean. Here in Texas, we sometimes push that limit to six or seven years.” He placed his phone down on the table. “Either way we look at it—on a federal or state level—you’re a free man.”
Delaney gasped. She felt a sense of lightness replace the heavy sorrow that had been building up inside of her ever since she and Sean had talked, out in his fields.
“So, that’s it?” she said aloud. She
was in shock. “Jake’s threats about going to the police—they were just empty threats? Sean won’t go to jail for those robberies?”
The officer looked at her. “No, ma’am,” he said. He chuckled. “And to be honest, that’s probably a good thing. We don’t like to put our biggest supporters behind bars. Sean—thanks for the donations you’ve made to us over the years.”
Delaney felt tears well up in her eyes again, but this time, they were not tears of sorrow. She felt relieved. More than that, she felt happy. She reached her hands up and covered her mouth. Her hands were trembling slightly. She’d been prepared to see Sean handcuffed, right before her very eyes. Instead, the officer was smiling and thanking Sean.
She looked at Sean. Though her vision was a bit blurred, thanks to her tears, she could see that Sean was just as shocked as she was.
He was frozen in his seat. His chest rose and fell as he breathed in and out. It was clear to Delaney that he was struggling to process the new information.
She watched him look across the table at the officer.
“You mean—I can’t be prosecuted for the crimes I committed in the past?” he said in a stunned voice.
Officer Lancet nodded his head. “That’s how the law works,” he said. “You said yourself you were pretty low on the totem pole in your criminal crew. You stated you weren’t violent towards another; you never committed murder or bodily harm. You were involved in a robbery, and that was it. So—you’re in the clear.”
Sean stood. “In the clear…” he repeated slowly. He turned to look at Delaney. He raised his brows. “I’m in the clear!” he said again.
She lowered her trembling hands and allowed herself to smile. She locked her gaze with Sean’s. It was suddenly clear to her how much his past had been weighing on him. Hearing that he was absolved of his crimes seemed to take a burden from his shoulders. His spine was straight, his shoulders less tense.
He stepped toward her. Then, he stopped. He searched her eyes, and she could tell that he was still confused about her presence at Jake’s ranch.
The female officer at Delaney’s side, Officer Bryant, cleared her throat.