Byron crossed his arms over his thin chest and rocked back on the heels of his cowboy boots. “Takes balls of steel to go up against Del. She can be vicious when she sets her sights on something.”
I narrowed my eyes and shot the other man a cold look. “You know what she’s up to?”
The other man chuckled and shook his head slowly. “No clue. But she’s always up to something, and she never leaves anything to chance. You think I want to be the sheriff?” He lifted his eyebrows and snorted. “I only agreed to run against you because she backed me into a corner over a few finer details on the divorce. I never wanted to separate, and when we did, the damn woman cleaned me out. She was happy to leave me without a dime to my name. She dangled the sheriff job in front of me like a carrot on a stick. She made it seem like I couldn’t say no.” He stopped rocking and put his hands on his hips, looking up to meet my gaze with a serious one of his own. “She made it seem like she might consider taking me back if I managed to beat you, but seeing how desperate she is to get you out of office, I’m starting to think there’s more at play here.”
Maybe he wasn’t as dumb as I always believed. He seemed to know there was a lot of ugly under the beautiful exterior Delaney presented to the rest of the world.
I cocked my head slightly and asked, “Do you think you’d make a good sheriff? Do you think you’re qualified to deal with everything from homicide to chasing down escaped livestock? If I lose the position, for whatever reason, I at least want to see it go to someone who has the best interests of the town in mind.”
Byron considered me thoughtfully for a minute, tilting his head as he studied me. “Why do you care about this town? I was here when you were growing up. I know for a fact you don’t owe anyone in these parts anything. Seems like a waste for you to want to save them from themselves when they were ready to throw you to the wolves.”
Again, I was taken aback by his rather keen observation. I lifted my chin defiantly and responded with the only reason that really mattered.
“When you decide to go into law enforcement, or the military, you’re making the choice to protect and serve everyone. It doesn’t matter what they look like, what their beliefs are, who they take to bed at night, or how they may have treated someone in the past. You’re there for anyone and everyone who might need you. You’re there to follow the law, which should be fair for everyone. When I look at you, I don’t see you as someone who didn’t do anything when we were kids and I was being bullied ruthlessly. Just like I didn’t see Sutton Warner as the only friend I had had in the world back then, when all the evidence pointed to him and I had to arrest him. Following the law is easy enough, dealing with people who choose not to can be challenging. I like knowing I’m making a difference, even if the work might not be appreciated.”
That was something Abe taught me. He often reminded me when I was tired, hungry, and homesick, that while people back home might not know the sacrifices the rest of my fellow soldiers and I were making for them, they got to sleep through the night unworried and safe because of the choices we made. Coming to peace with being a silent, invisible guardian angel had taken a long time, but now I fit comfortably in the role.
Byron reached out and clapped me on the shoulder once again. “Honestly, it sounds like it sucks. We both know you’re the one who should be sheriff. I don’t know what game Delaney is playing, but I feel like she may finally lose this one.”
He could say that, but he didn’t know the tricks Delaney had up her sleeve.
Our conversation was interrupted when someone tapped on a microphone; the crowd went silent as the mayor stepped up to speak first. He was dressed in a suit and had a very plastic smile plastered on his face. I wanted to put him in a chokehold and demand he learn how to be a better person so his kid had a chance at being a decent human being. Instead, all I could do was glare as the man stood in front of almost the entire town and gloated.
“Thank you all for coming tonight on such short notice. Since Sheridan is a tight, close-knit community of hard-working people who are actively involved in city government, I felt it was very important to call this town hall before the upcoming elections.” He turned his head to look at me, and I rolled my eyes in response.
A moment later, all attention was pulled away from him as the doors at the back of the room crashed opened, revealing all of the Warners, and I mean all of them. I hadn’t seen Sutton Warner since the fateful night I was forced to arrest him, but here he was along with his stunningly beautiful wife. All the brothers and their respective spouses looked ready for war, and so did Wyatt. I suddenly found myself breathing a whole lot easier now that Wyatt was in the same room. He gave me a little wink and a slight nod of encouragement that caused me to smile. It might be wishful thinking, but I now felt that everything would work out in the end, regardless of what happened tonight.
The mayor cleared his throat in annoyance, knowing good and well more attention was on the Warners’ dramatic entrance than on him.
“As you know, I, as your mayor, previously endorsed Rodie Collins for the position of sheriff when we were both seeking reelection. He’s held the office for several years now. I was excited to move forward with Rodie as sheriff for many more years to come, until recently when there were some troubling events here at the high school that Sheriff Collins handled questionably. I know many of you in this room are parents. And I know the rest of you are probably curious as to why my team and I suddenly switched our support to Byron Hall, who may seem less qualified for the position. I’m here tonight to explain my office’s decision in full, and hope you take the information and make an informed decision when it comes time to vote.”
The murmurs turned into a quiet roar, and I felt every eye in the gymnasium turn to look at me. Unspoken questions came from each and every face that was staring me down.
“What’s going on at the school? Why haven’t parents been notified? Does this have to do with the update to the tolerance policies?” A woman in the front row fired questions off one after another at the mayor.
He tugged on the knot of his tie. “Well, we obviously can’t give the names of the children involved since they are minors.”
“Bet it has to do with your kid. He’s a little shit.” This murmur was louder than the others and came from a middle-aged man at the back of the room. A rumbling chuckle moved through the crowd at the statement, making the mayor shift nervously.
“We aren’t here because of how the children have behaved. We’re here because of how the sheriff behaved. He’s an adult. A public servant, just as I am. We are held to a different standard, and Sheriff Collins’ actions as of late have been of some concern.”
“What’s he been doing?” This came from an older woman toward the front. I recognized her because I often stopped to help her scrape her windows in the winter and make sure her driveway was never blocked by the snowplows. “I see him every single day coming and going. Seems the same as always to me.”
“Well….” The mayor led in, setting himself up for the big reveal.
Only, he didn’t get the chance to drop his bomb, and I could see the frustration clearly on his face. He flushed a very bright red and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when Cyrus Warner’s deep voice came from the very back of the room.
“Why don’t you let the sheriff explain what’s been going on, since he’s the reason you felt the need to sound the alarm? Rodie’s always been reliable and done his job to the best of his ability. Seems a little off that all of a sudden there’s a problem, and an unqualified candidate on the ballot now has your endorsement.”
Because he was Cy, and because the townspeople believed him, there was a lot of demand from the audience for me to speak first. Wyatt gave me a grin and another wink, letting me know my fate was now in my own hands.
“Well, I really think you should hear what I have to say before giving Sheriff Collins the microphone.” The mayor still blustered and tried to sound important, but it was clear the crow
d was not in his favor. He sat behind a desk all day pushing paper. I was on the street and out in the field. These people knew what I did with my time and my position, so by default, I was the more reliable of the two of us.
I returned Wyatt’s wink and made my way to the microphone. The mayor turned even redder and became more flustered when I was met with a round of applause. When he’d started the meeting, it had been nothing but silence. The situation would’ve been painfully awkward if it hadn’t been so hilarious.
I allowed myself a small laugh as my gaze wandered over the crowd. Most of the faces were familiar, and I was surprised to see they were all watching me with expressions of curiosity and kindness. There wasn’t a judgmental or angry face in the room, at least not yet.
“Hello, everyone. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to show up tonight. I know I usually don’t stand up and speak at these things, but tonight I feel as if I don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean you don’t have a choice? What in the world is going on, Sheriff?” The question came from a young father, one whom I’d helped after he’d had a car accident and was seriously injured on one of the remote ranch roads leading in and out of town.
I sighed and reached up to take off my hat. “Well, you see, the mayor and some of his staff have recently started to have a problem with me, not because of the job I’m doing for the town, but because of the man I am. The mayor didn’t like the way I handled a situation between several students at the high school, and he took the initiative to have me investigated by an outside source. My service record is spotless, so he and his assistant resorted to digging into my private life to try and find something that would force me out of my job.”
Uneasiness and discomfort made the entire crowd shift. I kept my gaze locked on Wyatt’s blue eyes in the back of the room, because I knew the expression in them wouldn’t change one bit after I said what I had to say.
“The mayor’s assistant, Delaney Hall, has been aggressively pursuing me for several months. I politely and professionally turned her down repeatedly. I warned her that her actions bordered on sexual harassment, but she refused to take no for an answer.”
“Men can’t be sexually harassed. What kind of nonsense are you talking about, Sheriff?” The comment came from an older woman, one who looked very annoyed at being present for the town hall. “Delaney Hall is stunning and quite a catch. You should’ve been flattered by the attention.”
My skin crawled at the response. It was what I expected to hear if I complained, but it was still disappointing and took some of the wind out of my sails. Especially when I saw the very practiced and insincere look that crossed Delaney’s face at the outburst. She wasn’t outright gloating, but close to it. I knew I needed to focus the attention back on the issue and not on whether or not Delaney Hall was a great catch for anyone.
“Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment, and it doesn’t matter how the aggressor looks. If the attention is unwanted and they persist, that is harassment, plain and simple. I was threatened and pressured, but I came to realize it was my fault for keeping something that is such a huge part of my life a secret that could be used against me.” I let my gaze drift over the shocked faces in the room, all of them clearly dying to know what my secret was. I took a breath and plunged on. “I grew up here, as most of you know.” I looked down briefly and tried to keep the bitter memories at bay. “It wasn’t easy, which I think is true for a lot of us in this room. This landscape can be harsh.” So could the people. “I never planned on coming back after I left the service, but fate had other plans. I started to think I was meant to be here in Sheridan all along, but the last few weeks have made me question my belief. I realized I was looking for something, had been seeking it out, but I would never find it pretending to be someone I’m not.”
“What are you talking about? Is this like that twin thing that happened over at the motel a few months back?” I smiled softly at the same older woman who said I seemed normal and wondered what I could possibly be up to.
“No. This is about me being honest with myself, and the rest of you. It has nothing to do with my ability to do my job. It has absolutely no impact on any of you in this room. It isn’t for the mayor or his staff to dig into. No one should have to stand in front of a crowd of people and have to declare something so personal, something so private. I’m here, about to bare my soul to you fine folks because I either tell you on my own terms, or let people with a wicked and dishonest agenda try and pull the wool over your eyes.”
A few people climbed to their feet demanding answers. I saw a few bored yawns in the mix. But the majority just watched me with curious anticipation. Once again, my gaze locked on Wyatt’s. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. I exhaled long and slow before tapping my hat nervously against the outside of my thigh.
“I’m gay.”
The silence which immediately fell over the crowd was deafening. I gulped nervously and pressed on.
“I’m not interested in Delaney Hall. I’m already involved with someone. Not the person the mayor and his assistant are going to try and convince you I’m involved with, regardless of the so-called evidence they have to back up their claims. I’ve never done anything I’m ashamed of in my career, as both a soldier and the sheriff of this town. I hate that I feel the need to defend myself this way, but I am left little choice. If who I choose to spend my time with off the clock is going to affect the way you vote, there is nothing I can do about it. Your choices won’t affect how I go about making sure everyone in this town is protected.”
This time there was no round of applause, just lots of stunned silence. I fought back a cringe as a few folks coughed uncomfortably and tried to ignore a couple of the disgusted looks thrown my way. However, no one got up and left the room, which I was going to take as a win. Stepping away from the microphone, I put my hat back on my head and bowed my head ever so slightly.
As I stepped back to the side of the area where the mayor and Byron were waiting, I noticed that Wyatt was purposefully making his way through the crowd. Initially, I thought he was coming toward me to offer support so we could make a stand together, but as he reached me, he bypassed me altogether. Wyatt marched right up to the mayor who was waiting anxiously to take the microphone back from one of his aides, trying to regain control of the suddenly wild room. Wyatt put a hand on the mayor’s chest and lowered his head, speaking in a tone so low I couldn’t overhear anything he was saying, but the look on the mayor’s face was alarmed. This definitely had my interest piqued.
“I have something to say.”
My head whipped around as Byron Hall’s voice abruptly filled the gym. I’d been so focused on Wyatt, I missed the other man moving forward.
“When I agreed to run against Rodie, I didn’t have all the facts. My ex-wife made it sound like a good idea, and repeatedly told me Rodie wasn’t following through on his job commitments. I never wanted to be the sheriff. I’m a businessman and a rancher. I know livestock better than I know the law. I allowed the mayor to convince me that running for sheriff make sense, when it absolutely doesn’t. There isn’t a better person for the job than Rodie Collins. I’m officially dropping out of the running, so if you aren’t going to vote for him because of who he loves, it won’t matter. All he needs is one vote to win when running unopposed, and he has mine, hands down.”
I felt my mouth gape open in shock as I stared at the other man. Byron nodded slightly, and tilted his head toward the stirring crowd.
“He has my vote, as well.” Cy’s deep booming voice echoed through the room.
“Mine, too.” Leo’s chipper voice soon followed, along with a little finger wave as she stood up on her tippy toes to be seen through the crowd.
“Mine, as well.” I was shocked when Lane took a step forward, soon followed by Brynn and Ten, who echoed his sentiment.
My gaze found my former best friend’s and I watched as Sutton lifted a blond brow. “I don’t live here any longe
r, but if I did, I’d vote for him. Rodie is the most honest, trustworthy person I’ve ever met, and he genuinely cares about each and every single person in this room. Don’t be stupid and start looking at him any differently than you always have. He’s the exact same person as he was before the mayor dragged us into his bedroom.”
I exhaled so hard I was sure it could be heard at the back of the room. I felt my eyes go wide as other people in the crowd suddenly started getting to their feet and declaring I still had their vote and would until it was my choice to leave the office.
Of course, not everyone was so supportive. I heard several whispered homophobic slurs, and both the dad I helped in the accident and the older rancher who spoke first got up to leave without looking back, but the majority didn’t seem to care one way or the other about my announcement. It was so much more than I could ask for. It was a startling relief and so unexpected, I felt my knees start to wobble.
Luckily, Wyatt reappeared at my side, sliding an arm around my waist, and put his palm on my lower back to keep me upright. The remaining crowd murmured like the last piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. Without thinking about it too much, I leaned into him, hoping we both wouldn’t end up in a tangle of limbs on the ground since he wasn’t holding his cane.
“Went better than expected.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice.
“It isn’t over yet. They still have those pictures.” Which meant they could drag Cam into this whole mess as a patsy for revenge any time they wanted.
Wyatt’s fingers tapped my back and a crooked grin crossed his handsome face. “Don’t worry about that anymore. Take this win, and decide what you want to do next.”
There was something in his tone that sent chills up my spine. I pulled away slightly and gave him a hard look from under the brim of my hat. “What are you up to, pretty boy?”
Chuckling under his breath, he reached up and tapped my chin with his forefinger. “Now would be the time for you to call me ‘Special Agent’ instead.” He stepped back and wiggled his eyebrows. “It’s time to celebrate. I’ll tell you what I dug up later.”
Detour (The Getaway Series Book 5) Page 17