Her Colorado Sheriff

by Patricia Thayer

  Shelby smiled. “I look forward to eating some. Just holler if you need anything.”

  Back in the family room, everyone was gathered around Laurel. She was telling stories from her childhood.

  “I used to follow after Trent whenever I could find a way,” Laurel said. “I remember a time when I saw you riding with Lisa...what’s her name?”

  Trent groaned. “Oh, God, please save me.” He gave his wife a pleading look. “I was only about fifteen.”

  Laurel brought the attention back to her. “Well, I caught up to them at the creek.” She winked at Trent. “Let’s just say I learned more about the facts of life seeing those two than I did from any of the animals on the ranch.”

  The room broke up into laughter, then Cullen said, “He was kind of like that when he came to Denver. I think the girl’s name was Allie...” He looked at Trent, who turned to his wife.

  “I swear they’re making this up.”

  Brooke shrugged. “I guess I’m going to have to work harder at making you forget all these other women.”

  Trent winked at his wife and pulled her close.

  Cullen watched the interaction with the families. He hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time. If ever. He looked at Shelby’s smiling face. Damn, she was pretty, and those big blue eyes were killing him. He was glad she was having a good time and making friends here. He couldn’t deny any longer that he cared for her. That still was a problem because in about a month, he’d be out of a job. And since there weren’t any law enforcement positions here, he’d have to go somewhere else for work. No good, if he wanted to start something up with the pretty chef. Hell, he was well beyond the starting point.

  “Hey, Cullen,” Kase called as he got up. “You want a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  Laurel drew his attention. “I hear from Addy you had a great afternoon. Thanks for including her.”

  Cullen shrugged. “The kids enjoyed it.”

  “I hear that Jeanie Phelps brought Luke today.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I only wish I could have rigged something so Luke could ride, too.”

  Laurel looked at him, and her pretty green eyes widened with interest. “I think I know where I can get one of those saddles. The Bradley Ranch. Joe Bradley had a stroke and lost the use of his left side, but he refused to give up riding and got a therapy saddle. I bet Alice still has it around. I’ll call her in the morning.”

  “Whoa, slow down.” Cullen raised a hand. “We can’t just put a disabled child on a horse.”

  Laurel frowned. “Well, we can check with Jeanie and see if Luke can handle a ride. Of course you’ll need a gentle horse. Sassy would work perfectly. She’s the smallest we have and has the best temperament.”

  “We still have to be able to safely get the child on and off the horse,” Cullen argued. What was he thinking? He was the sheriff, not a riding instructor.

  Rory walked over and joined in. “Remember, Laurel, when you were too small to get on a horse by yourself, we built you a platform. It wouldn’t be that difficult to make one again, just a little wider to handle a wheelchair.”

  Before Cullen knew what was happening, Trent and Rory had set up a time to bring some lumber by to help construct the ramp. “Go on without me. I’ll just figure out how to protect the town in between riding lessons,” Cullen said jokingly.

  Trent winked at him. “Hey, you can handle it.”

  Cullen looked at Shelby. He wasn’t sure how she felt about all this, either. It would be a commitment just to have kids over to the ranch. He was reminded of the times he’d spent at the local boys club in Denver. Working with those kids had been a special time for him, then he went undercover and he had to give it up. Seemed he’d given up a lot of his personal life for his career. And then his fellow officers turned their backs on him.

  He got up, walked into the empty kitchen and took a beer out of the refrigerator. After a long pull, he leaned against the counter.

  Shelby showed up in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”

  He shrugged. “A few afternoons of riding seems to have morphed into something a lot bigger. But I did hate the fact that Luke couldn’t go riding today. Did you see the kid’s face?”

  “Yes, but he was happy for his brother. Could you even get him on a horse?”

  “That’s something we have to okay with Jeanie first.”

  Shelby crossed the room and took out a bottle of water for herself. “I feel as if Ryan and I are disturbing your sanctuary as it is. Now we’ve brought in more people.”

  “If I didn’t want you there, I’d let you know.”

  She turned toward him. “But you never planned on renting the cottage to us.”

  “No, I’d probably be living in the cottage instead of the big house.”

  Her azure eyes rounded. “Oh, Cullen, I didn’t realize. We should leave. I mean, now that I’m employed—”

  “No, Shelby, you can’t leave.” He took hold of her hand. “I like having you there—I mean the both of you.” Her hand was soft, her fingers long and slender. He didn’t want to let go.

  She smiled. “I like living in the country again.” She looked down at their linked hands, but didn’t pull away. “It’s good for Ryan, too.”

  “Then you should stay as long as you want.”

  Her gaze locked on his. “I want...to stay.”

  Finally the sound of voices drew them apart, and Brooke and Diane came into the kitchen and began to dish out the chili. Damn, if Shelby didn’t make him forget where he was.

  * * *

  IT WAS NEARLY ten o’clock when Cullen drove Shelby and Ryan home. Home. She liked the sound of that. So much she wanted to think of the ranch as her home. She laid her head back on the seat and thought about the fun they’d had at the Rawlinses’ ranch. How the family opened their home and allowed her and Ryan to share a part of their world.

  “Tired?” Cullen asked.

  “A little, but it was a great day, and evening.” She glanced into the back at the sleeping child. “Thank you for helping make today so special for Ryan.”

  “Not a problem. I only saddled a few horses.”

  “I’m not going to argue the point, but you made three kids pretty happy.”

  Cullen pulled into the drive between the two houses and parked the truck. He shut off the engine, but didn’t get out. “What about you? Are you happy?”

  She stole a glance at him in the dark cab. “Yes. These past few weeks have been incredible. Moving here, finding a job and a school for Ryan. It’s important to me that he get settled in and be comfortable here.”

  “I’m glad you’re settling in, too.” He reached for her hand to bring her across the seat.

  She was settling in more than she should be, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She wanted to stay here and build a life.

  When Cullen reached for her hand and tugged to bring her across the bench seat, she didn’t resist. “The one problem is, you’re distracting me, Miss Shelby.” She felt his breath across her check, and her heart began racing. She should push him away, but she couldn’t. She wanted this too much.

  Cullen’s hands reached behind her neck, tipped her head back, then his mouth closed over hers. She moaned as his lips caressed hers. She wanted to savor the feeling, the taste of the man’s hunger. Her arms moved around his shoulders and she shifted closer, closer to his heat, to his strength. As his mouth caressed hers, his hand went to the front of her shirt and touched her breasts through her sweater. She arched her back, pressing against his palm, and released a groan. He broke off the kiss and shifted his lips to her ear. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you, from kissing you,” he whispered. “And I want to do more.”

  “I want that, too.”

  He smiled against her mouth. “And there does
n’t seem to be anything we can do about it right now.”

  She released a breath of frustration, and he kissed the end of her nose.

  “I better get you and Ryan inside.”

  He flipped a switch to keep the interior light off when he got out of the truck. Shelby blew out a breath and climbed out the passenger side. With Cullen carrying Ryan, they made their way up the path to the door. That was when she noticed the porch light was off, then she saw that the door was ajar.

  This time her heart raced for a completely different reason. “Something’s wrong,” she said, thinking of the worst-case scenario. Gil Bryant.

  “Did you forget to close the door?”

  In the silence, he could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Come with me,” Cullen said under his breath, and Ryan stirred in his arms. He transferred the boy to his shoulder, then grabbed for Shelby. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Shelby followed Cullen’s quick steps to the main house. On the porch, she took Ryan as Cullen pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. Inside, he didn’t turn on any lights. He just went to the hall closet and took out a gun. “Don’t let anyone in.”

  He took off, and Shelby wanted to call him back. She didn’t want him hurt because of her. She held on tight to Ryan. Her nightmare had come true. Gil had found her.

  Chapter Ten

  Gun drawn, Cullen worked to control his breathing as he slowly pushed open the cottage door. He wasn’t sure if anyone was still there, but he was going to be prepared to handle any threat to Shelby and Ryan.

  Only the outside light illuminated his way through the living room. So far, nothing looked to have been disturbed. He continued his journey.

  He glanced into the kitchen and saw two cupboard doors askew. Suspicious. He doubted Shelby left her kitchen any way but immaculate.

  He stepped over a tiny metal car on the floor and made his way down the hall. After checking the empty bedrooms and bath, he concluded there wasn’t anyone in the house. He holstered his firearm and turned on the overhead light. He tried to stay professional, but it was difficult. Just about everything from his training told him someone had been here. Since Shelby’s sister’s murder was unsolved, there could be someone after her, too.

  He looked around, but nothing seemed to be damaged. He couldn’t even call it in. There was no sign of a forced break-in, but he knew in his gut someone had been in this house. And he was going to find out who that was.

  Careful not to touch anything, he left and walked back to his house. Inside, the kitchen was empty, and when he went into the dark family room, the kitchen light showed Ryan asleep on the sofa and Shelby standing by the fireplace.

  He motioned her into the kitchen. She looked frightened, but he ignored it as she walked past him.

  He blew out a breath. “I think it’s time you tell me what the hell is going on.”

  She nodded as her trembling hand brushed her hair back.

  “Two questions. Who’s after you? Does this have anything to do with your sister’s murder?”

  He could see the fear in her wide eyes. “I don’t have any proof, but yes, I believe it’s the man who killed Georgia.”

  Cullen tried to remain calm, but how could he when a possible murderer was threatening her? “Who would that be?”

  “Detective Gil Bryant, Dawkins Meadow Police Department.”

  Cullen didn’t quite know what to say. He directed her to the table. “Sit down and start at the beginning.”

  She took a seat. “Two years ago, my sister, Georgia, began dating Gil Bryant. He was the first man she’d dated since her husband, Josh Hughes, died overseas.

  “At first she liked Gil, but when she discovered he was following her everywhere, and questioning her about her friends, she broke off the relationship. But he refused to let her go. He had her watched all the time, and even became abusive.”

  He tensed. “Did she call the police?”

  Shelby nodded. “Yeah, she did, but his fellow officers took his side. So it ended up being her word against his. Since she was afraid of losing her teaching job, she didn’t press the issue.” She looked at Cullen. “I wasn’t there to witness any of this. At the time, I was working a few hours away in Louisville.”

  Shelby wiped away a tear that escaped down her cheek, unable to tell if Cullen believed her. “Georgia and I had lost track of each other for years. After Grandma died, they separated us when we got put into foster care. We’d only found each other last year. When I learned about her trouble with Gil, I tried to help her. I wanted to bring her and Ryan to Louisville, but Gil had a long reach.

  “Georgia discovered that he and his cop friends had been watching the house. That was when she learned about his drug connections. She didn’t want me to know too much, but from what I gathered, Gil and another police officer were taking money and it involved drugs.” She shook her head. “I don’t know much more. Like I said, Georgia didn’t want me involved in the mess.”

  Cullen sat there a minute, then asked, “Did she say anything about having some incriminating evidence?”

  “No. And that’s what I told Gil when he asked me.”

  Cullen frowned. “When did you talk to him?”

  “At the funeral, Gil approached me and said that Georgia had something of his and he wanted it back.”

  She blew out a breath. “All I knew was that Georgia wanted Ryan away from that man. She’d wanted to make a new life here in Hidden Springs. I was going with them. The plan that day was for me to pick Ryan up at school, and we had a meeting place in a strip mall. She’d leave her car there in the parking lot, and we’d make our escape in my compact. When she didn’t show, I knew something was wrong. I took Ryan to the babysitter and drove by her house.”

  Shelby shivered, recalling the scene. With Cullen’s nod, she continued on. “There were police cars everywhere. They said she’d been shot and killed due to a break-in. Of course, Ryan and I stayed in town long enough to bury her. The funeral costs took a lot of the money that we were going to use to relocate. After the service, Gil came to me and said Georgia had something that was his, and he wanted it back. I knew I had to keep Ryan safe. Since the Donaldson cook’s job was still available—” she looked Cullen in the eyes “—or I thought it was, I stuck to the plan and came here. I hoped that Gil would leave us alone.”

  Cullen paused, trying to piece together her story. “Did the police ever find any connection to the killer and your sister?”

  She shook her head. “You can look at the police report. If you already have, maybe that alerted Gil on where to find us.”

  Cullen folded his arms over his chest. “I ran a check on you. I looked up the investigation on your sister, but I didn’t contact Dawkins Meadow police.” Why did he feel guilty then? Maybe Bryant got a hold of her sister’s phone and checked the numbers.

  “I guess it doesn’t make any difference now.” Shelby sighed. “He’s found us.”

  “You don’t know that. There’s nothing in the cottage that shows evidence of a break-in.”

  She gave him a stern look. “I don’t leave my doors open.”

  He knew that. Someone had been inside the house, but he wasn’t going to frighten her.

  She looked at Cullen. “The cottage is a mess, isn’t it? Did he damage the structure?”

  “There isn’t any damage. Besides, I couldn’t care less about the property,” Cullen said and reached for her hand. “It’s you and Ryan that are important.”

  “Thank you, but we can take care of ourselves.”

  She swallowed hard, unable to look him in the eyes. She’d been on her own a long time. “If you’ll give me a few hours, we can be packed and move out.” God, she didn’t want to leave. “I’ll pay you until the end of the month.”

  With a curse, he st
ood and paced the length of the kitchen, then came back to her. “You’re not going anywhere, Shelby. If there is a rogue cop looking for you, you’ll be safer here. So get any idea out of your head about leaving.”

  Shelby looked at him. She couldn’t let her guard down even when he was offering to help her. It was hard for her to trust. The one person she’d loved and trusted had been taken from her. She couldn’t endanger anyone else. “But he could hurt your family.”

  “Not if we stop him first.”

  “But he’s a cop.”

  Cullen couldn’t understand why she felt that made a difference. His protective instinct kicked in, and he knew he had to protect Shelby and Ryan. “That doesn’t automatically make him innocent.” He had his own experience with a crooked partner. “In my opinion he’s guilty because he put his hands on your sister. He’s an abuser. That alone should make him the first suspect in her death. Did they give you any idea who they thought would come in and shoot Georgia?”

  She shrugged. “They said she probably surprised a robber.”

  Yeah, that was a typical answer. “Who’s heading the investigation?”

  “I talked to a Captain Kershaw.”

  He was going to make a few calls himself in the morning. “Look, we’re all exhausted. Why don’t I take Ryan upstairs to bed?”

  She looked surprised. “You want us to stay here?”

  He nodded. “You’re not going to be left alone until I make sure it’s safe. I’ll check out the cottage in the daylight and install security.”

  He reached for her, and when she didn’t resist, he drew her against him. “You and Ryan need to be here, Shelby,” he whispered. “I won’t let anything happen to either of you.” He closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her in his arms.

  Damn, if he hadn’t just made a commitment.

  * * *

  TWO HOURS LATER, Shelby stood outside the same bedroom that Ryan had slept in that first night they arrived here. The bed was still made up. After Cullen had carried her nephew upstairs, she’d removed his shoes and jeans, then slipped him under the covers with only a few grumbles. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched Ryan’s even breathing. He’d been so happy these past few weeks. Now she might have to upset that calm again.