by Rose Haven
He spent the next few years working the ranch and frequenting the local bar, Buck’s. After breaking up more than a few a few fights and setting a few too many drunken ex-boyfriends straight, he was asked to run for Sherriff. And so just two months shy of his twenty-eighth birthday, Evan Cole was elected Sherriff of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. After the first year of running both the small police force and the large ranch, he decided to leave the day-to-day of the ranch to Colby, his trusted manager and he focused on the policing.
Evan looked up from the budget report and rolled his shoulders. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to refocus but the words on the page kept blurring together. With a heavy sigh, he tossed the report onto his desk and looked out the window of his office. From where he was he could see most of the main strip. The barber shop, the small clothing boutique, the hardware store and Minnie’s Diner stretched out in a row in front of him. He watched the people of Pawhuska wander from one place to the next, never in any particular hurry, and realized that he was truly happy here. He was about to stand up and see what his deputies were up to in the outer office when a woman walking down the street caught his eye.
Sally
Casey took her two small bags up the back stairs to the small apartment above Buck’s bar.
Sally, your name is Sally now, she mentally scolded herself. She was going to have to stop thinking of herself as Casey if she was going to pull this new identity off. From now on she was going to start thinking as Sally, acting as Sally, being Sally. She unlocked the door and stepped into the small space. Buck was right, there wasn’t much to it. The kitchenette had an island counter, the fridge, oven and toaster Buck had promised. She peaked into a cupboard and saw a small stack of dishes, a few cups and a frying pan. A look in the drawer under the counter offered a set of silverware. Against the opposite wall, under a window sat a small wooden table with two mismatched chairs. The rest of the main area opened to a small living room with a couch and a rocking chair. She walked down a short hallway where she found a small but clean bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom had a bed and a dresser which was slightly dusty and lace curtains that looked as if they may have at one time been white.
Home sweet home, Sally thought as she dropped the two bags with all of her earthly possessions onto the bed. She sat down and surveyed her new home. It was a far cry from the luxury she’d enjoyed the past few years but she felt calm here. Almost at peace. The feeling was foreign to her and she didn’t quite know what to make of it. Her life had been anything but peaceful from the time her parent’s had died. Sally decided not to dwell on her thoughts and set about making a list of things she would need for her new life.
She walked the short distance into town, grateful that everything was so close at hand since she didn’t yet have a car. Her first stop was the small clothing store where she purchased some jeans, t shirts, tennis shoes and that pair of cowboy boots she had thought about when she’d first walked into Buck’s. Next she went to the used book store and found a few interesting looking volumes to purchase. She figured she’d need something to occupy her mind until she could get a small TV. From the book store, Sally walked a short block to the grocery store, buying a few staples she’d need in the kitchen plus some basic cleaning supplies.
When her arms were laden with all of her purchases, Sally began the short walk back to the apartment.
“Can I help you with some of that ma’am,” a voice drawled from behind her.
Sally turned to see a very tall, very handsome man standing behind her with a friendly smile on his lips and his hands on his hips. She looked him over quickly and her heart settled down some as her eyes caught on the silver star clipped to his belt.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just saw you with all these bags and thought I’d help. Sherriff Evan Cole,” he said, tipping the brim of his hat toward her.
“Sally Andrews,” she replied. “Thanks for the offer but really, I’ve got it.”
“You’re new here, yes? Living over at Buck’s?”
Sally panicked slightly. How did he know about her already? She’d only been in town a total of six hours.
Evan saw her hesitation to answer and noticed the way her eyes darted everywhere but at him. He realized he’d spooked this mysterious stranger. He flashed her a reassuring smile and tried again.
“My sister is the real estate agent here in town. When someone new moves in she always lets me know. Plus being Sherriff, I like to know who I’m lookin’ after,” he said warmly.
Sally felt her muscles loosen and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Oh, well, yes. Yes, I’m living above Buck’s. Just got in town today,” she answered.
“Well welcome to Pawhuska,” Evan said, sweeping a long arm out behind him. “I’m sure you’ll love it here.”
“Thank you,” Sally said honestly. “It seems like a lovely place from what I’ve seen so far. And the people have all been very friendly.”
“Yes, we do pride ourselves on that,” Evan stated. “Are you sure I can’t help you get these bags back to your place?”
“No, thank you Sherriff but really, I do have it,” Sally was suddenly eager to be on her way, for some reason not wanting this man to be in her home. She felt a strange pull toward him and it set off warning bells in her head. She quickly thanked him again and headed back to the apartment, feeling Evan’s eyes on her as she hurried away.
Evan
Evan finished his stroll of the town with a stop in at Minnie’s for a slice of her apple pie.
“Hey there Evan,” Minnie greeted him warmly.
“Minnie,” he acknowledged. “What’s the word on the streets,” he asked with a smile, knowing Minnie was as big of a gossip as his sister Dotty, the real estate agent. If there was anything worth knowing in this town, one of them would know it.
“Oh not much,” Minnie stated sweetly. “Saw you chattin’ up the new girl a while ago,” she said, batting her eyelashes innocently.
Thankfully a few tellers from the bank walked in and took seats at the counter so Minnie couldn’t grill him any further. She was a sweet woman in her sixties with two grown and gone boys of her own. She was as proud of her match-making skills as she was of her apple pie and considered Evan her only failure. She’d tried over the years to fix him up with one girl or another but for whatever reason, Evan was never interested much in settling down. Not that he was a playboy either but none of these girls seemed to hold his interest for long. Truth was, if Evan looked deep enough inside himself, he’d have to admit that he was afraid. Afraid of a love that would destroy him by loss, like his mother’s death had done to his father. Fortunately, he usually kept himself too busy to look that deeply.
Evan finished his pie and dropped a few bills on the table. He waved to Minnie as he headed out the door and made the short walk back to his office. He went to his desk and fired up his computer, pulling up the search engine and typing in a name: Sally Andrews. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head all day. He had immediately felt the need to protect her. But from what? Maybe it was time to find out.
Sally
Sally woke in a cold sweat and sat bolt upright in bed. She slowed her breathing and strained to listen for any sounds of someone in the apartment. Hearing nothing, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and tiptoed down the short hallway to the living room. Everything was as she left it, door locked and dead-bolted, kitchen chair shoved up under the handle. Looking at the clock on the wall she saw that it was nearly five a.m. She went into the kitchen and turned on the lights, getting out a few slices of bread and making a mental note to buy herself a coffee pot. Sally had woken nearly every night she’d been in her new place sure that someone was there after her. Not someone, Joey. She knew that she was being ridiculous, that he was behind bars 700 miles away with zero idea where she was. Still, when she closed her eyes and drifted off her subconscious took over and tortured her with vivid dreams of his revenge. She shoo
k off the chill and dropped the bread into the toaster.
Today was Saturday. She’d been in Oklahoma for almost a week. Yesterday she’d started her job downstairs in the bar and it had gone well. Her waitressing skills had come back rather quickly and since most everyone in town drank beer, whiskey or scotch, the bartending portion was rather easy. Buck had liked her and told her she could stay on and work as many hours as she liked. She was scheduled to work again tonight.
In the week since she’d been in town, Sally had wandered the streets, acquainting herself with the shops. She’d stopped in Minnie’s diner for lunch and walked through the antique shop that stood kattercorner. She knew she was the object of much curiosity and sometimes wished that the Marshal’s Service had placed her in a bigger city where it was easier to get lost. She mostly kept to herself but made polite conversation when addressed. If this was where she was going to spend God-knows-how-long here, she might as well make the best of it. She’d met a cashier at the grocery store they called Crazy Candy, with wild red hair and lipstick to match and struck up a sort of friendship with the slightly older woman. Sally was starting to settle in to her life here.
She’d seen the Sherriff a few times around town and but tried to avoid him when possible. There was something about him that set her nerves buzzing when she was around him and so when she saw him coming she tended to turn the other way. She was not ready to admit to herself or anyone else what it was that Evan Cole made her feel.
Evan
Evan’s week was winding down. Thankfully it had been a slow one, with just the usual drunk and disorderly’s and a handful of neighbor disputes over who’s dog was crapping on who’s lawn. One of his deputies, Steve, poked his head into Evan’s office.
“We’re all heading up to Buck’s for a few drinks after the shift if you want to come with,” he offered.
“Yeah, you guys go ahead, I just have a few things left to finish up here and I’ll meet you down there,” Evan answered.
Evan looked down at the folder on his desk and leafed through it one more time, as though he hadn’t done it a hundred times already. The folder contained everything there was to know about one Sally Andrews. And it wasn’t much. Some people might call him obsessed. That’s why those people didn’t have any clue that he’d been looking into her.
According to his search, she was nearly twenty-four, originally from Indianapolis (though her slight accent suggested otherwise), and had no living family. Other than a list of a few past employers and a high school diploma there wasn’t much else. Most people in town had already formed their own opinions of the quiet newcomer; his sister Dotty’s being the most entertaining to him. According to Dotty, Sally was an assassin. Probably Russian. Dotty needed to stop reading so many Tom Clancy novels.
Evan wasn’t sure what to think. Maybe it was just as simple as Sally had suggested one day to Candy which he’d overheard. She’d just had enough of the city and wanted some small town fresh air. He had a suspicion there was much more to it. Like an abusive husband. The thought of that made his gut clench involuntarily and he was left again to wonder why he reacted so strongly to this woman he barely knew.
He heard his deputies leave and the two guys who would field the calls overnight wandered in. Evan stood and stretched his long legs, grabbing his Stetson and plunking it down on his head. Maybe he would get drunk tonight. Maybe that would wash the mystery of Sally Andrews out of his head for a bit.
Sally
Sally looked up from the glass-washing station as she heard the door open. Four Sherriff’s Deputies still in uniform wandered in and took a corner table near the back of the bar, glancing curiously at her as they passed. She wiped her hands dry on her jeans and walked over to the table to take their orders.
“Good evening gentlemen,” she said, placing napkins in front of them.
“Oh I wouldn’t go so far as to call them ‘gentlemen’,” said a deep voice from behind her.
Startled, Sally spun around and nearly smacked into the wall of chest that belonged to Sherriff Cole. She stumbled backward slightly and he grabbed her by the elbow to steady her on her feet.
“Sorry, about that ma’am,” he drawled, taking her in with stormy grey eyes. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“Oh, um, that, that’s ok,” she stammered. “You just startled me is all.”
Sally recovered her wits enough to realize he was still lightly holding her elbow and wriggled from his grasp.
“What can I get you all?” she tried again turning back to the table as the Sherriff took his seat with the others.
Sally took their orders and scrambled back behind the bar to calm her nerves and get their drinks. As she poured their beers she observed the five men at the table in the nearly-empty bar. They seemed to genuinely like one another as they laughed and slapped each other on the back. They were all of varying builds and heights, mostly in fine physical shape, but none of them compared to their boss. Evan Cole was tall, about six feet four she guessed, with wide shoulders, a narrow waist and a backside that filled out his Levis rather impressively. Under his trademark Stetson his black hair just brushed the collar of his shirt; a shirt that held onto that massive chest for dear life.
Candy was sitting at the bar watching Sally with a twinkle in her mischievous green eyes and cleared her throat, “careful there girly, you’re about to drool on your shoes,” she said with a wink and a crooked grin.
Sally felt her cheeks turn a shade just lighter than Candy’s hair, realizing she’d been caught staring and lowered her eyes to the floor.
“Hey, nothing wrong with admirin’ a mighty nice view there darlin’,” Candy said. “Just appreciatin’ what the good Lord put in front of ya. But that one there, he’s a mystery,” she said pointing the lengthy ash of her cigarette Evan’s way. “No woman, no kids, lives all alone on that big ranch his daddy left him,” she tsk tsk’d. “A mystery for sure,” she said finishing her drink.
Sally arranged the beers on the tray and carried them over to the table where the men sat. She put the drinks down in front of them, trying not to fidget as she felt Evan’s gaze rest on her. She straightened and brushed a stray lock of her curly blonde hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she’d had since childhood, and tried to avoid the Sherriff’s eyes. Although she wore a plain black t-shirt and jeans, under his gaze she felt completely exposed and it unnerved her. She smiled absently at the group of men and hurried back to the bar keeping herself busy doing odds and ends and trying not to think about the way his big hand had curled around her elbow. Damnit this man made her sweat.
Evan
Evan sat back in his chair, only half listening to his deputies’ conversation. He raised his beer to his lips and looked over the rim of the glass to where Sally stood trying her best to fade into the background behind the bar. She was stand-offish. Nice enough but you got the sense she didn’t really want to be noticed.
Good luck with that, he thought to himself. He had noticed Sally Andrews about five minutes after she’d arrived in his town. As the Sherriff, he made it his business to know who was living under his protection. He’d been sitting in his office going over a budget report when he first noticed her walking down the street. She was petite, maybe five feet five, with curly blonde hair and warm brown eyes which she usually kept downcast. She had a nice enough figure with slightly rounded hips and an ample bosom but it was the way she carried herself that struck a nerve in him. She had the look of a cat on a hot tin roof, always ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
Evan watched Sally make polite small talk with the few customers at the bar and saw her blush at a comment from crazy Candy. He’d noticed her eyes flicker briefly in his direction before returning to the floor, where she looked most of the time. He thought back to how she had jumped when he’d come up behind her, how she’d stiffened at his touch when he grabbed her elbow to steady her. The more Evan observed her, the more interested he became. Why did a city girl come alone to Oklahoma?
Was she running from something? Someone? Again, the thought of that sucked the wind right out of him. This girl was going to bring a world of trouble down on him, he could feel it. And he knew at that moment, watching her over the rim of his glass, that there was nothing he could do to stop it. He decided to wait until the end of her shift and see if he could talk to her again. His deputies called it a night and Evan waved them off, standing up and walking to the bar where he sat down and ordered another beer.
“So how are you liking it here so far,” he asked.
Sally walked over to him and placed his drink in front of him.
“It’s nice,” she said, “I’m finding my way around.”
She had a nice smile, Evan noticed. They made small talk in between her looking after the few other customers and noticed that she seemed to finally relax a bit talking to him. Once or twice, she even laughed, a light musical sound that he wanted to hear again and again. When her shift ended, he offered to stay and wait while she closed up and to make sure she made it upstairs safely. He could sense that she wanted to say no, that she almost did say no, but in the end she acquiesced.
Sally finished her closing duties and locked up the bar before heading around the side of the building to the stairway that led to her apartment.
“I’ll have to talk to Buck about putting a light up on this side,” Evan said. “You shouldn’t be walking up here in the dark.”
“You mean to tell me your town isn’t a haven of safety,” she asked him and it took him only a brief moment to realize she was teasing him.