by Lena Hart
“Try not to get yourself pulled over.” With the tip of his baseball cap, he turned and left.
“Gee, thanks,” Mya muttered after him.
It took her only a half-hour after that to pile her suitcases into the car, check out of her motel room, and get on the freeway. She was finally heading home…
To Guy.
A nervous laugh burst out of her. Not many would have traded the exciting life of living in Europe for a small mountain town like Cedar Bend, but she had.
Cedar Bend was her home. She realized that now. And she missed it—missed the way it smelled after the rain, missed the way the flowers bloomed over the boardwalk of Promise Lane. She missed the quiet sounds, the warm people.
She missed Guy.
Behind the wheel of her black and red Wrangler, Mya sped down the highway, eager to get back home to her old friends and fam—
Her hands involuntarily tightened around the steering wheel. No, she didn’t have any family at Cedar Bend. Not really. Unless she counted Guy. He was her family now.
He had always been.
Two years of running away with her heart locked in a box hadn’t helped her any. Nothing or no one had been able to replace what she’d lost…or what she had left behind.
Her mother’s invitation to spend some time with her and her new family had seemed to Mya like a good idea at the time. But the longer she’d stayed, the more Mya realized she had only been running away from her pain. Leaving the country hadn’t eased the heartache of losing her dad. It had only made things worse, because she had lost Guy too.
No, I haven’t.
She couldn’t accept that. It may have taken her two years to understand what she had given up, but now that she did, she wanted to make things right. She wanted her man back.
But does he still want me?
Mya ignored the aggravating question that had plagued her since she had decided to leave her mother’s home in London and return to her old life in Virginia. Yet the closer she got to Cedar Bend, the more incessant the question became.
She sighed. Guy had loved her once, and as much as she believed nothing could come between them, she couldn’t be sure if he would be happy to see her. He had spent the past two years refusing to speak to her, despite her many attempts, and the sting of his rebuff was searing.
Walking out on him that night hadn’t been the right move. She knew that now. He was as proud as he was loving. But she knew him. And she knew, no matter what, he wouldn’t break their promise to each other.
He just wouldn’t.
Mya pushed the disheartening thoughts aside. The welcome sign into Cedar Bend came into view ahead. Her heart began to beat in a quick tempo of excitement and anticipation. It wouldn’t be long now before she saw him again. Face to face.
She debated whether she should go straight to her father’s home or just head over to Guy’s place. Would he even be home? It was late in the afternoon. He could still be at the station.
It was probably best she freshen up first, anyway. Maybe change into something nice before she saw him. It also wouldn’t hurt for her to do something with her unruly curls…
Completely absorbed in her thoughts, Mya didn’t realize how fast she was going until it was too late. Red and blue lights flashed behind her just before the sirens sounded.
She groaned. “Oh, come on.”
Following procedure, she reduced her speed and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. She rolled down the window and waited as the officer approached her car.
“Ma’am, do you know why I stopped you?”
Mya studied the officer’s face, which was partly shielded by his wide-brim hat, hoping it would be someone she recognized—or someone who recognized her. But there was nothing familiar about this officer. Her father had been sheriff of Cedar Bend for as long as she could remember, and she was pretty familiar with many of the men on the force. Though, since she’d been gone for two years, she couldn’t make that claim anymore.
“I know I may have been going a little fast, Officer…” She glanced at his name badge. Deputy-Officer Michael Justice. Really? She almost chuckled at the appropriateness of his name.
“Ma’am, you were going eighty-five in a forty-five.”
Mya bit her lower lip. She had never gotten a citation before, but from the no-nonsense look of the officer, there was a slim chance she would be getting out of this ticket. It didn’t hurt to try though…
“Sorry, officer. I didn’t realize I was going so fast. If you could just let me off with a warning, I’ll be sure to watch my speed next time.”
The deputy cocked a brow, clearly unmoved by her apology. “I’m going to need to see your license and registration.”
She rummaged in her large tote, grateful her mustard-yellow wallet wasn’t buried in the bottom of the bag. She managed to force a smile to her lips when she handed him the card.
“I just bought this car not too long ago, and I don’t have the registration yet.”
The deputy peered down at her license and inspected it with such scrutiny, she cringed again. She could imagine what he might be thinking looking down at the three-year-old picture. Her cheeks had been rounder from a bad allergy season, and that year she had decided to chop off her hair to the root, getting rid of the damaged ends caused by her hair relaxer. Needless to say, it hadn’t been her best picture moment. Her face, however, had since slimmed down, and her thick, curly hair now hung around her neck.
“You’re a resident of Cedar Bend?”
Mya nodded, relieved her home address was recognizable to him. She caught his curious glance at the piles of luggage stuffed in her back seat.
“I’ve been travelling and just got back into town today,” she explained.
“When did you purchase the vehicle?”
“This morning.”
“Then I’ll need to see the title.”
Mya fished through her purse for the papers, not quite sure why her heart was racing. It beat against her chest so loudly, she wouldn’t be surprised if the deputy could hear it.
This is just a routine stop.
She wouldn’t let news of the recent tension between the police and community turn her into a nervous wreck. News of the violence around the country while she’d been overseas had been disheartening to hear, but her father had been sheriff of this town. He had trained many of Cedar Bend’s officers. If he had trusted them, then so would she.
Mya handed the deputy the paperwork and watched as he carefully examined it.
“I paid cash for it.”
She didn’t know what purpose that useless information served, but she could only hope the officer wouldn’t ask her about the temporary tags attached to the back of the car.
“Wait right here.”
Her grip tightened on the wheel. Great. From her rearview mirror, she watched as Officer Justice got back into his cruiser. Several long minutes passed before the officer returned to the side of her vehicle. From his stern expression, she could tell there was trouble.
“Ms. Daniels, I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle.”
Her heart sank. “May I ask why?”
“Those tags aren’t registered to this vehicle, and they’re also expired. There’s no record of this vehicle so I’m going to have to impound it.”
“What?”
“I’m sure we can get this all straightened out down at the station, but I’m going to need you to step calmly out of the car.”
“Am I being arrested?”
“No, not yet.”
Not yet?
The words hadn’t fully processed as she reluctantly opened the door and stepped out into the cool February weather. A faint buzzing began ringing in her ears and she shivered, not sure if it was from anxiety or the gust of wind that blew over her.
This could not be happening. Not now.
Her first day back home should be spent reuniting with her old friends, not at the police station where her father’s men would watch
and wonder—where Guy would wonder…
At the thought of him, hope coursed through her.
“Officer, please. This is all a big mistake. Just let me call Guy Lawson and he’ll straighten this all out.”
The officer paused. “Sheriff Lawson?”
So he really was the town’s new sheriff?
Gloria had mentioned it before during one of their calls, but Mya tried to avoid any discussions about Guy. The less they spoke about him, the less homesick Mya felt at the end of their talks.
“Yes, he knows me. He’s—” She stopped before she said too much. That was one card she wasn’t going to play. Only they knew what they were to each other. “Please, just call him. I didn’t steal this car. I’m not a thief! He can tell you that.”
“I didn’t say you were, Ms. Daniels. But right now, I need to take you down to the station. You can speak to the sheriff then and get this all straightened out.”
Mya slowly shook her head. To have Guy and everyone at the station see her returning to town like some criminal was humiliating. “You need to call him now. He won’t be happy with you detaining me like this.”
Officer Justice hesitated for a moment, eyeing her warily. Mya took advantage of his apparent indecision.
“Please.” Desperation made her words come out more forcefully than she intended. “Just call him.”
“Don’t leave this spot,” he ordered then headed back to his cruiser.
Mya leaned against the old—possibly stolen—car and released a long sigh of relief. She knew she was taking a gamble. After two years, she couldn’t be sure how Guy would react to finding out that she was back in Cedar Bend. But there was one thing she was certain about—Guy would save her.
He always had.
Two
If he didn’t love his job, he would have walked out of the pretentious mayor’s office right then.
But Guy Lawson did love his job.
He loved his town and he cared about the men who worked to serve and protect it alongside him. It would have been the ultimate insult to walk away from it now. That, he couldn’t do. Not when the man Guy so respected had worked his ass off to create a unit the good people of Cedar Bend could trust.
Summoning all the patience he had cultivated over the years as an officer of the law, Guy sat across the mayor and listened as the pompous man proceeded to leverage his promotion for a political endorsement.
“Now Guy, you know how much I appreciate your hard work these past couple of years, but it’s an election year and every decision I make will be scrutinized and judged.”
“I don’t believe appointing me sheriff will affect your campaign, Warren. Last I checked, there haven’t been any complaints about me or my men.”
“You are sheriff, Guy.”
“I’m interim sheriff, which basically makes me a placeholder until someone else is put into the position. And the way I see it, I’ve more than proved myself.”
“You’re absolutely right. In proving yourself, I mean. I’m not taking that away from you, but you have to understand there are budget restraints.”
Bullshit.
Guy, however, clenched his jaw to keep the curse from spewing out. “I’m already doing the work without the pay, Warren. We’ve already lost a few good men because of the cuts. What more do you want?”
Mayor Warren Powers sat back in his leather executive chair and regarded Guy with sharp brown eyes that revealed little of his thoughts.
“Guy, I’m well aware of your value to this town. The people here love you and you’ve done a great job heading up the department. In fact, I know that making your position as sheriff permanent could only help my campaign. But I hope you can appreciate the awkward position that places me in.”
“What are you saying?”
“Well, if I appointed you sheriff now, then it would look as if I’m offering favors for an endorsement. But if you were to announce who you are lending your support toward before, well then…that would change things.”
Guy tensed. In other words, Powers wanted his endorsement. Obviously, the good mayor wouldn’t come right out and say it, but Guy knew when he was being played. He also knew he had substantial influence in the town.
If he lent his support to Warren Powers, Guy would be securing his own promotion while helping the current mayor rise back up in the polls. Maybe even win a third term in office, which was not something many people of Cedar Bend were inclined to see happen.
Guy couldn’t blame them. They were frustrated by the mayor’s lack of action on issues impacting the community and angry at the man’s autocratic stance on unpopular policies.
“I understand this is an awkward time for you, what with Benson running against me, but I trust you’ll put your friendship aside and consider your career. I could certainly use your support for this run.”
There it was. Nothing like a good old-fashioned, underhanded threat to piss him off.
Guy could put up with a lot from the mayor. Hell, he’d already suffered enough of the man’s bullshit these past two years. But he wouldn’t tolerate anyone, not even his “boss,” manipulating him.
“Are you threatening my job?” Under Guy’s steady gaze, the mayor shifted in his seat.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Warren scoffed, then released a nervous chuckle. “You need to lighten up, son. You take things too seriously. I only meant you shouldn’t let old friendships get in the way of you making new partnerships.”
“I don’t.”
“I’m glad to hear that. This election is gearing up to be an intense one. Together, however, I think we will make a great team. I believe, with you in my corner, we can win this thing.”
Guy doubted both of those assumptions. Right now, Warren Powers was far below where he needed to be in the polls. It would probably take more than an endorsement to change that.
Between Warren Powers and his good friend Eric Benson, Guy couldn’t say for certain just yet who the right man for the position was. But if he had to choose based on track record, he wouldn’t cast his vote for Warren. The man was a glutton for power with little regard to the citizens of Cedar Bend. Maybe the town could use a fresh mind like Eric’s in office. He was smart, sharp, and more vested in their small town in a way that Powers wasn’t.
And what Warren lacked in integrity, Eric had in abundance.
“Look, Warren, I haven’t made a decision on a candidate as of yet. Right now, my main concern is boosting morale at the station and getting more officers back in the unit.”
Besides, Guy cared too much about the people at Cedar Bend not to take their issues into account. He wouldn’t trade in their trust in him for a promotion, no matter how much he wanted it.
The mayor was silent for a moment then nodded. “I absolutely agree. We need to build back confidence and prove to the people of Cedar Bend that we are working for them.”
“Can we discuss a new budget for the department, then? We have an immediate need for another full-time deputy.”
The mayor rose from his seat. “In due time, Sheriff Lawson, in due time. For now, let’s just work on strengthening our partnership.”
Guy ground his teeth together and pushed himself to his feet. Just more stalling and game-playing, he was sure, but that didn’t stop him from taking the mayor’s outstretched hand. Guy would play his game and keep him guessing, until he could get his department fully staffed again.
“By the way, Guy, will you be free next weekend?”
Guy stopped at the door. “I’m not sure yet. Why?”
“I’m having a dinner party next Friday night, a formal engagement, and I would love for you to be there.”
At his unexpected invitation, Guy could only stare blankly at the mayor. In the two years he’d been in this position, the mayor had never invited him over to his home, or any formal function that would require a suit jacket.
“Think about it,” Warren added when Guy didn’t immediately respond. “It would be good for you to personally
meet and network with other members of the council.” He paused then added, “Sophie will also be in attendance and could certainly use an escort.”
At the mention of the man’s youngest daughter, Guy stifled a groan. He didn’t understand the mayor’s recent fixation with trying to set the two of them up, but his matchmaking endeavors were now becoming downright blatant. Guy was certain this was just another of the mayor’s conniving moves to wrangle a statement of support from him.
Evidently, Powers couldn’t see that the chances of him lending his support were swiftly spiraling down to nothing.
“I’ll think about it.”
With those noncommittal words, Guy left the mayor’s office and made his way out of the small council building, relieved to finally be out of there.
What a waste of an afternoon.
He hated this part of his job—the dance he had to do with those who sat in office just to get things accomplished in his department. When it came to politics, Guy paid attention to all facets, including the candidate’s actions, not just what they had to say on certain policies. He evaluated them based on how their views would impact their small town and the nearly four thousand people who called it home. Whoever Guy decided to rally behind had to share that same interest.
Guy climbed into his service vehicle, the word Sheriff printed boldly on its side. There was an immense sense of pride and honor that came with the position—along with a shitload of work.
Part of him sometimes wished he hadn’t taken the damn position. Then he wouldn’t be forced to put up with Warren Powers or have spent the past two years being strung along by the man.
Then again, Guy couldn’t let the position fall into the wrong hands. His mentor, Marvin Daniels, had worked too hard to build a police department their town could be proud of—that he could be proud to work for—and Guy would honor his memory by making sure he kept it intact.
He pulled into the streets, his thoughts filling with memories of the man who had been more of a father to him than his own absent one. He missed Marvin every day and wished things could have been different. Then maybe things between him and Mya would have ended differently…