The Lawman's Rebel Bride

by Amanda Renee

  “Really?” He stopped midsip. “They haven’t been around the ranch in a few years. I’ll buy some moose deterrent in town later. Are you two all right?”

  “We’re fine.” Belle checked the time on her phone. “Remember back in high school when that bull moose attacked the principal’s car in the middle of the day?”

  “I forgot about that. Poor creature thought he’d found the love of his life.” Harlan laughed. “And we had to stay inside until the police came and chased him away. Good times.”

  Belle almost snorted her coffee. “Yes, they were.” Once again she found herself easily laughing with Harlan. A part of her wanted to warn her inner self to be careful. It would be far too easy to fall for him only to end up heartbroken. They had both agreed the marriage was temporary and it needed to stay that way. Belle finally had a chance at fulfilling her dream and she wouldn’t allow her feelings for Harlan to confuse the issue. The last thing she needed or wanted was for a romantic relationship—however brief—to destroy his promise to donate his land to the rescue. The animals needed her more than she needed him.

  “Hey, since I’m probably closer during the day, do you want me to swing by and feed Samson later?”

  “Harlan Slade!” Belle closed the stall door and joined him in the stable corridor. “You won’t stop home during the day so your daughter can have a dog, but you’ll do it for my lamb?”

  Harlan grimaced. “True. Ivy would never let me live it down.”

  “Hang your head in shame,” Belle teased. “It’s no secret I believe in the adopt, don’t shop mentality, but I know of a litter of blue heelers, and every puppy deserves a good home.”

  “I can’t believe you remembered.”

  “You talked about it for a year straight. Said once we got married you’d get one and name him Elvis.” Belle wondered why Harlan hadn’t gone through with his plan after marrying Molly. “Surprise! We’re married.”

  “Who has the litter?” Harlan rubbed his jawline, causing Belle to wonder if his face was still as soft as it used to be right after he shaved.

  “One of Lydia’s clients. If you’re interested, I’ll call him. I have to stop in here during the day anyway, so I can help out with puppy training. And once I’m next door, it won’t be any hardship to check in on him while you’re at work.” The words sounded more real each time she said them aloud. She never would have thought she’d live on the ranch they picked out together.

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “Not for you—for both of you. Last night when I was reading to Ivy, she told me how much she wants a dog. The companionship is good for an only child.”

  Harlan nodded. “Okay, yeah, make the call and let me know how much.”

  “Will do.” Belle planned to give the puppy to Harlan and Ivy in exchange for allowing her to stay on the ranch. Once Ivy had the puppy in her hands, then she’d tell him it was a gift. He wouldn’t be able to argue with her then.

  She realized it was dangerous to be making so many long-term plans with the man she’d only started talking to again a few days ago, but it felt right. If she maintained an emotional distance, everything would work out fine.

  * * *

  “IVY, MEET ELVIS. He’s all yours.” Belle held out a blue-and-gray-speckled puppy with tan markings to Ivy. “He’s a blue heeler, also known as an Australian cattle dog.”

  “Really?” Ivy looked from Belle to Harlan before taking the dog. “We can keep him, Daddy?”

  “Yes, sweetheart. He’s ours.”

  “Thank you.” Ivy hugged the dog close to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thank you, so much.”

  The look on his daughter’s face took his breath away. She was a happy child, but not necessarily an expressive one. She’d learned to compartmentalize her feelings at an early age. At least, that’s what the therapist had told him. Today was different. Just as it had been after Ivy fed Lillie for the first time. He hated to admit it, but Belle brought out the best in his daughter. Not that there was anything wrong with that, except it put his emotions on the line even more than they already were.

  Harlan sat down next to Ivy on the living room floor. “Honey, if you cry, you’ll get your dog all wet.” But Elvis had already licked her tears dry. “He’s perfect.” He turned to Belle. “Thank you for getting him. How much do I owe you?” He began to pull out his wallet before Belle stilled his hand.

  “You don’t.” She knelt beside him. “And please don’t sneak the money to me by hiding it somewhere in my things. This is my gift. I need to do this.”

  Belle didn’t have a dollar to spare, let alone the hundreds the puppy must have cost her. While he was grateful for the gift, he didn’t want her going into debt because of his daughter.

  “This will be hard to beat at Christmas.” Harlan wondered if Belle would still be living on the ranch when the holidays rolled around. While the stables were heated, the upstairs apartment never got above sixty degrees in the winter because the sun wasn’t strong enough to heat the building that time of year. He’d insist on her moving into the house once the first snow fell. The idea of spending Christmas with Belle excited him more than he thought possible. He wasn’t sure who would be more delighted. Him or his daughter.

  “I suggest you start talking to Santa’s elves now.”

  “What will you ask Santa for this year?” Harlan teased.

  “Peace for my grandmother.” Belle scooted back to rest against the front of the couch. “In whatever form that may come. I don’t even know if she’ll still be around at Christmas.”

  “Did you see her today?” Harlan joined her, giving Ivy more room to roll around on the floor with Elvis.

  “Twice. She’s always good in the morning. She recognized me and still remembered our wedding. She even asked about you. When I went to see her this afternoon, she was confused and didn’t know where she was. Most of the time she thinks she’s in the hospital for various reasons. You saw it. Earlier this week she believed she was there for her hip. When she gets like that, it usually means another chunk of her memory is disappearing. Tomorrow she may drift further back in time. I’m scared at her rate of regression this month.”

  “I’ll stop in and visit with her tomorrow during lunch.” Harlan wrapped his arm around Belle’s shoulder and pulled her close. He didn’t care if it wasn’t part of their arrangement or worry he might push her away. Right now they were a family—however unconventional—and she deserved comfort from a friend.

  She didn’t resist. Instead, she laid her head on his shoulder and they watched Ivy play. Until the puppy bounded for Belle’s bare, painted toes and took a tiny nip.

  “Hey, those are mine.” Belle tucked her legs, shifting her body closer to Harlan’s. The puppy barked and attempted to squeeze between her and the couch. “I’m not candy.” Belle laughed and screeched as she tried to climb over Harlan’s lap before landing in the middle of it when Elvis nipped at her behind. Harlan wrapped his arms around her tight as she scooped up the puppy, flipped him on his back across her legs and tickled his chubby belly. The house filled with laughter for the first time in eight years. And it was the best sound he’d ever heard.

  * * *

  ALMOST A WEEK and a half had passed since their wedding day. Despite only seeing each other for an hour or two in the evenings, if they were lucky, the three of them had managed to eat dinner every night together. Belle and Harlan had developed a comfortable little routine, filling in for the other when work called them away. He and Ivy now spoke fluent baby animal. Earlier tonight, Lydia had brought Belle out on an emergency call shortly after they’d finished eating. Then one of the deputies had phoned in sick and he needed to cover half of the shift.

  Harlan drove away from Dylan’s house after dropping off Ivy and her puppy. He hated being on patrol. It took him all over the county and too far
away from Ivy. Although, he never had to worry when she was with his brother. Dylan doted on her as if she were his own. His brother’s ex-wife took off with his two stepkids after he’d partnered with their uncle Jax on the Silver Bells Ranch almost five years ago. She wanted no part of ranch life and Dylan couldn’t convince her otherwise. He had loved those kids more than life itself and had been devastated after they left. During that time, Ivy became a real comfort to him.

  Harlan just wished he and his brother had more to talk about than Ivy. Dylan had accused Harlan of siding with Ryder after their father’s death. Considering Ryder pled guilty and the case never went to trial, there were no sides to take. But Dylan hadn’t seen it that way and in some respects, he’d been right.

  Having been the first to arrive on the scene that night, Harlan had a gut instinct something was off. He knew Ryder. And he knew what Ryder was like when he was drunk. And that night, Ryder hadn’t been drunk enough to accidentally kill their father. But that’s what he had confessed in his statement. None of that mattered anymore. It was in the past and he wanted to move forward for his and his daughter’s sake. He’d give just about anything to see his family together again.

  His cell phone rang. A photo of Belle in her wedding dress, courtesy of his uncle Jax, lit the screen. “Hello. Heading home?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Harlan steered his police cruiser onto the shoulder and turned on the lights for safety. Two words in and he already didn’t like the sound of Belle’s voice. “What happened?”

  “Do you know where the Huffington cattle ranch is?”

  “Mmm-hmm. I do.” Harlan’s jaw pulsated. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing.” A muffled sound came from the phone. Harlan only made out his own name. “You said to call before I broke any laws. Lydia and I both need you. We were on an emergency call when we saw a yearling with what appeared to be a broken leg. When we got closer, Lydia realized the leg is almost severed below the carpal joint. The wound is fresh. He must have caught it on something. The animal needs to be either put down humanely or brought in for surgery. Lydia’s already contacted a large-animal vet in Kalispell and they will take him. But the owner won’t release him to us. We need your help. This bull is suffering.”

  Harlan rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand. “I’m on patrol on the other side of the county. I’ll call it in and see if someone closer can get over there.”

  “Whoa, wait a minute.” Belle’s voice pitched. “If someone can get here? There’s no if, Harlan. The law states failure to provide medical care to a severely injured animal comes under animal cruelty.”

  “Poor choice of words on my part. Yes, it is considered alleged animal cruelty. I will get someone over there and I’ll try to get there, too. Promise me you won’t do anything.”

  “Just hurry, Harlan.” Belle’s voice sounded defeated as she hung up the phone.

  “Shit.” Harlan smacked the steering wheel. He made a U-turn and drove toward the Huffington ranch before something bad happened.

  * * *

  “YOU CAN’T KEEP me here against my will.” Belle held her hands in the air. She had no idea if someone had a gun aimed at her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She felt like a deer in the headlights. And that’s exactly what she was. Caught in the headlights by high-powered floodlights mounted on top of the many trucks that now surrounded her within the confines of the Huffington cattle ranch. She only hoped she’d provided enough of a diversion for Lydia and her husband to get away unnoticed. “This is kidnapping.”

  “You’re trespassing,” a voice said from the darkness. “The sheriff’s department is on the way.”

  Oh, Lord. She tried to imagine how Harlan would react when he heard the news. In all fairness, she’d called him, but after four hours they had to intervene before the young bull died.

  “Good, I’m glad the sheriff is coming. Then he can arrest you for animal cruelty. If you had allowed us to treat the bull, we would have been on our way.” Belle’s legs shook, betraying the calm demeanor she attempted to convey. “And don’t even think about destroying that animal before they get here. I took photos and video and already uploaded it to the cloud, so don’t get any bright ideas about taking my phone either.”

  “Our herd is none of your business,” another voice said.

  That did it. “The hell it’s not.” Belle lowered her arms and stormed toward the voice. No one would bully her into kowtowing to a bunch of wannabe renegades. She followed the sound of the man’s laughter until she broke through the floodlight line and finally got a good look at his face. He stood on the bed of a pickup, all big and bad. Okay, so he did appear somewhat menacing up there. “Just because this is private property doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. There are laws and you’re breaking them.”

  “So are you.” The man jumped over the side of the truck’s bed and landed inches in front of her. The smell of chewing tobacco and sweat offended her nostrils.

  “Personal space.” Belle thrust her arms forward. “You don’t intimidate me. I’m protecting that bull’s well-being. You’re just cruel. You won’t do a damn thing because you don’t want to lose the money from one head of cattle. That’s pathetic. Do you even own this place or are you just the hired muscle?”

  “Belle, enough!” Harlan’s voice boomed. “Sheriff’s department. Turn off all those floodlights and cut the engines on the trucks. Now!”

  “Someone mind telling me what is going on here?” Sheriff Parker demanded.

  Before Belle could answer, Harlan gripped her arm and led her away from the circle of the vehicles. “I told you to wait.”

  “I waited four hours.” Belle pulled from his grasp. “No one came.”

  “I had to respond to an accident along the way. I have a job to do.”

  “And so do I.” How dare he think his job was more important than hers? She deserved just as much respect. “You could have called and told me, but you didn’t. You said someone would come out, and they didn’t. I promised to call you first. I did everything you asked. It accomplished nothing.”

  Harlan tilted his hat back, his expression softening slightly. “Tell me what happened.”

  Belle explained her and Lydia’s plan to take the bull when they found him standing alone in the pastures. At least the Huffington ranch raised grass-fed cattle and wasn’t a jam-packed feedlot. Lydia had remained with the bull while Calvin attempted to reason with the ranch’s owner. In the meantime, Belle had driven back to the ranch, borrowed Harlan’s trailer and returned. That’s when she spotted the ranch trucks barreling toward Lydia. Belle drove straight into the foray, giving her friends a chance to escape.

  “Where is the bull now?”

  “That’s a good question. I warned them that nothing better happen to that animal. I have video.”

  “Show it to me, please.”

  Belle handed Harlan her phone. “Look here, the lower half of that front leg is barely attached.” She looked up and saw concern and disgust in Harlan’s eyes. The urgency had finally registered. “He left a blood trail before—I’m sure we can find it again, provided a wolf or a coyote hasn’t gotten to him already.”

  “Show me where you last saw him.” Harlan sent the video to his phone before handing it back to her.

  Within twenty minutes, they located the injured bull. Harlan didn’t say a word at the sight of the animal. He pressed a button on the side of his police radio hand mic attached to the front of his shirt. “Officer 19, I found the injured bull. He’s in need of immediate medical attention. Requesting authorization to contact Dr. Lydia Presley.”

  “Ten-four,” Sheriff Parker responded.

  “Sheriff, you need to come see this.”

  After Lydia and Calvin returned with her truck and trailer, they loaded the bull for the short ride to the large-animal hospital
in Kalispell. They promised to call her once they knew more. Belle checked her phone. She’d started the stopwatch when she first called Harlan. Almost seven hours later and the bull was getting the care it needed. Hopefully they weren’t too late. It never should have gone on this long. Belle debated whether she would bother calling Harlan in the future. They had lost so much time.

  “Harlan, I think you need to come up here,” Bryan called him on the radio.

  His jaw tensed as they walked toward Belle’s pickup. There was his horse trailer hooked to the back of it. “You planned on stealing a bull with my trailer?” Harlan spun to face her. “I work for the sheriff’s department! How do you think this reflects back on me when one of my vehicles is involved in a theft?”

  “Your ranch was closer than Lydia’s and we didn’t have time.”

  “Yet here we are, hours later, and Lydia just left with the bull.”

  “I made a judgment call. You told me you probably would have done the same thing.”

  “After I notified the station. I should arrest you and let you spend the night in jail just on principle.”

  Belle didn’t appreciate getting chewed out in front of half the police department and the men who had tried to intimidate her hours earlier. How could someone be compassionate and understanding one minute and a total jerk the next?

  “You need to worry about arresting them, not me.”

  “And they will be. Maybe I’ll put you in the adjoining cell.” The vein on the side of his forehead twitched and Belle sensed his annoyance was real.

  “It can’t be worse than leaving me at the altar.” Belle fumed. “Besides, I have animals to take care of at home.”

  “Ivy and I will take care of them. I’m sure Lydia will explain exactly what we need to do.” Harlan removed the cuffs from his belt. “Belle Barnes—correction, Slade—you’re under arrest for the theft of my trailer. You have the right to remain—”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” The cold steel encircled her wrists. “And it’s still Barnes. I didn’t take your last name.”