How could she tell him that they might have to leave here and find another place to live? Even though Cullen offered them a safe haven, she was so afraid that he’d get hurt in the cross fire.
With a soft kiss on the boy’s head, she left the room and walked across the hall to the other bedroom.
She knew she shouldn’t have gotten so comfortable in this town. Everything was too perfect. And from past experiences, she had trouble trusting that feeling. After kicking off her shoes, she lay down on the comforter, hoping that she would be able to get a little sleep. But how could she?
The sound of the back door opening and closing alerted her someone was in the house. She went out into the hall and was relieved to see Cullen coming up the stairs.
She relaxed, but he saw her fear.
He wrapped her in his arms. “You’re safe here, Shelby.”
She couldn’t let Cullen be responsible for them. She stepped back. It was her job. She’d promised Georgia. “Did you find anything more at the cottage?”
“No.” He handed her a bag. “I gathered some clothes and things for tonight.”
She smiled. “You brought his tablet?”
He nodded and Shelby fought to keep from breaking down at his thoughtfulness.
Cullen walked into her bedroom, then closed the door so they wouldn’t disturb Ryan. He sat her down on the bed. “It’s going to be okay, Shelby. We’ll figure this out.”
“Georgia thought she could handle him, and it got her killed. Both Ryan’s parents are gone now. I’m all he has left. If Gil gets to me, he will be left with no one.”
Cullen walked across the room. He wished he could take away her fears. “That’s not going to happen. You’re going to be around for a long time to raise that little boy. You’re going to stay in town and build up your business.” He found he didn’t want her to disappear from his life, either.
She raised her head. “How can you promise that?”
Time to step up to the plate, Brannigan. “For one thing, I’ve had a few years’ experience with scum like Bryant. Secondly, there must be something pretty important for him to come all this way. We just need to find it.” He paused a moment, then asked, “Your sister didn’t talk about a key or a diary with information?”
Shelby shook her head. “She never mentioned anything. I think she was trying to protect us.”
Cullen knew a lot of abuse victims kept things to themselves. He was going to do his own investigation on Detective Gil Bryant first thing tomorrow. “Let’s not think about this any more tonight. Try to get some sleep.” He started for the door.
She stopped him. “Cullen, I hate to ask, but would you have a T-shirt?” She held up the bag. “You brought me some clothes, but nothing to sleep in.”
The thought of her wearing nothing but a thin shirt caused him to swallow. “Sure.”
She followed him down the hall to the master bedroom. He hadn’t done anything to this room besides moving in his clothes. He turned on the overhead light, showing off the huge four-poster bed and handmade quilt pushed to the end, exposing the crumpled sheets. “Sorry, I’m not the best housekeeper.”
“I could help you with that if you like.”
He paused at the dresser. “You don’t need to clean my house, Shelby. You already hold down a full-time job and have Ryan to care for.” He dug through his drawer and pulled out a black T-shirt and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” Their eyes met and she didn’t move.
Cullen was slowly losing his resolve to maintain his distance. He wanted nothing more than to keep her here with him. If she were right beside him, then he’d know she was safe. “I think you best go to bed. Because in about ten seconds, I’m not going to let you leave here, and you won’t be needing that shirt.”
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING came with bright sunlight coming through the window. Shelby had managed to get up on time. She’d gotten herself up and ready for work, but when she went to get Ryan he was gone.
She panicked until she hurried downstairs and heard laughter coming from the kitchen. That was where she found Ryan with Cullen.
Her nephew saw her first. “Aunt Shellie, you got up. Cullen is taking me to school in his truck.”
She noticed that the child had on a clean shirt. “Oh, really? That will be fun.” She looked at Cullen and lowered her voice. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. But since you take him in so early, and I don’t have to be at the office until eight, it’s just easier for all of us.”
He looked at Ryan. “Hey, kid, you better go upstairs and brush your teeth. I put a new toothbrush in the bathroom.”
“Okay.” The boy jumped down and took off upstairs.
Cullen walked to the coffeemaker and poured her a cup, then handed it to her. “I was up feeding the horses, and when I got back I heard Ryan stirring.” He shrugged. “Seemed foolish to bother you when he only wanted to eat some cereal.”
“Well, thank you,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’re doing for us.”
He offered her a small smile. “Like I said, our motto is Protect and Serve.”
She nodded. “I’ll go and check on Ryan to make sure he’s ready for school.” She paused. “You sure you don’t mind taking him?”
“Not at all. In fact, I want to check the security policy at the school.” When he saw her panic, he said, “It’s just a precaution, Shelby.”
She heard Ryan coming down the stairs. “Aunt Shellie.” He rushed into the kitchen. “Can I take my picture book to school?”
Georgia had told her that Ryan had trouble getting obsessed with certain things. His picture book was one of them. Yet, those pictures had been a source of comfort over the tragedy of losing his mother. Thank God, the book hadn’t been in the cottage last night. “Just for today.”
The boy rewarded her with a smile, then retrieved the small album off the table. “Ready, Cullen?”
Shelby wasn’t sure what today would bring, but she knew she wasn’t alone. Sheriff Cullen was there to help her. For the first time since Georgia’s death, she felt she wasn’t alone.
Chapter Eleven
Cullen walked into the sheriff’s office right before eight that morning. The day shift had just come on duty, and Connie was at her desk, going over the previous night’s calls. She looked up and smiled.
“Good morning, Cullen.”
He smiled back. She never called him Sheriff. He knew her loyalty was with her brother, Ted. “Good morning, Connie.” He stopped in front of the high counter. “Quiet night?”
She nodded. “Yes. Just a few routine traffic stops.”
“That’s the way I like it.” He took the printout from her and went into his office. After closing the glass-paneled door for some privacy, he sat down at his desk.
The place really wasn’t his, but he’d cleared out some of Ted’s things just to have more room. This community loved Ted Carson, as they should. He’d done an excellent job for a lot of years. Cullen appreciated that kind of dedication.
His attention turned to Shelby and what she’d told him. If someone was following her, he needed to find out who.
He picked up the phone and dialed the Dawkins Meadow Police Department. When the dispatcher answered, the man asked, “How may I direct your call?”
“Captain Kershaw, please. Sheriff Cullen Brannigan. I’m calling from Hidden Springs, Colorado.”
Even before he’d decided to make the call, he had done some checking on the small Kentucky town. He’d been up most of the night reading about Georgia Hughes’s murder.
“This is Captain Kershaw. What can I do for you, Sheriff?”
“I’m calling about the investigation of Georgia Hughes’s murder. I was wondering if you have any leads
, or have made any arrests.”
There was a long pause, then the captain said, “May I ask why you want to know?”
He might as well lay it out there, praying he wasn’t putting his trust in the wrong man. “We have two new residents here, Shelby Townsend and her nephew, Ryan Hughes. They’d appreciate some closure on Georgia.”
“I can’t divulge anything about an ongoing investigation. All I can tell you is that we’re checking all avenues.”
Cullen couldn’t let it go. “What about Gil Bryant? For a time, he was involved with Mrs. Hughes. From what I heard from her sister, Miss Townsend, Bryant had been threatening her. All three had planned to leave town the night Georgia was killed. Seems to me that would put the man at the top of the suspect list.”
“Like I said, this is an ongoing investigation.” There was a long pause, then the captain said, “Tell Miss Townsend that we’re doing everything possible to bring her sister’s killer to justice.”
“So you are getting close?”
“Believe me, Sheriff, I want to bring this murder to justice more than you know.”
Cullen hoped he wasn’t just getting lip service. “Good, then you won’t mind me checking back in with you.”
* * *
LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, Shelby watched out the window as Cullen took Ryan out to the barn to feed the horses. She decided that to thank Cullen for his kindness, she would cook him supper. Besides, the busywork helped distract her. So she worked at putting together ingredients for her homemade lasagna.
Once she placed the pan into the oven, she set the timer. She looked around Cullen’s large kitchen, and ideas flooded her head. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all this space to work? There were plenty of cabinets for dishes and spices. Okay, maybe the tiled counters needed to be replaced, and maybe a stainless steel island for added room to roll out pie dough.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? This was Cullen’s home. She wasn’t even sure if she could stay in this town, and let alone in this beautiful house.
Staying in the cottage was close enough to the man. And she needed to move back there and fast. She’d intruded on Cullen’s life long enough. Her thoughts went to Gil Bryant. Was she being paranoid? Maybe she had forgotten to close the front door yesterday. They had been in a hurry to get over to Kase and Laurel’s house.
At the window she looked out to see that Cullen had placed Ryan on Sassy’s bare back and was walking her back to the barn. She smiled, watching the other horses follow the leader. He had a way with animals. She looked at the smiling Ryan. And kids, too.
More and more this man was working his way into her heart, and that scared her. She didn’t trust easily, ever since her grandmother’s death, then losing Georgia. It was hard to risk her heart again. She thought back to last night. How Cullen had protected her, made her feel safe. A warm tingling swirled low in her stomach.
Whoa. Not good. She didn’t want to fall hard for the sheriff, and have him go back to Denver. She still couldn’t help but wonder why he’d left the police department. He had to be good at his job, or he wouldn’t have been hired for the sheriff position here.
She shook her head. She didn’t need Cullen Brannigan. He’d distracted her too much as it was. She had to keep her focus on her future. Hidden Springs held great possibilities for her. She had a chance to buy into a catering business. Make her own hours so she could be with Ryan, and more important, make a home for both of them.
Suddenly her phone chimed, letting her know she was getting a text. She tensed. Very few people knew her new number. She picked up her phone and looked at the message. It was a picture. Slowly a smile began to spread across her face as she examined the photo of the two brand-new babies. One swaddled in a blue blanket and the other in pink.
“Well, doesn’t that beat all. A boy and a girl.”
She texted back. Congrats, Mom and Dad. They’re precious. She blinked back the tears in her eyes. How wonderful it would be to have a baby. Not now, of course. She had a sweet little boy already, but someday...
She decided to go outside and share the news. Once out the back door, she headed for the corral, where she found the twosome.
Ryan waved. “Aunt Shellie, I’m riding Cloud.”
“You sure are, sweetie.”
She turned her attention to Cullen. “I just received this message.” She handed him the phone.
He frowned and looked at the text, then a big smile appeared across his face. Her heart did a flip.
“Cute.” He showed the picture to Ryan and explained, “Those are Addy’s new brother and sister.”
“Two of them?”
They all laughed, then Ryan sobered and said, “I want a brother, too.”
Cullen shot a glance at Shelby.
What was she supposed to say to that? But before she had the chance, Ryan said, “I can’t ’cause I don’t have a mom and dad.” He lowered his head.
Cullen reached up and pulled him down off the horse into his arms. “Hey, don’t be sad. You have your Aunt Shellie. And you know she loves you as much as your mom and dad.”
The boy nodded, then slowly his face brightened. “And someday she will have a baby, too.”
“That could happen.” Cullen stole a glance at her. His heated gaze locked on hers. She felt such a jolt through her body she had to look away.
“But for now, buddy, you’re her little boy.”
Cullen went on to say, “And what a lucky kid. You get to eat all her delicious cakes and cookies.”
Ryan rewarded him with a smile. “Yeah, I do.”
Cullen winked at Shelby, then set the boy down. “Now, why don’t you run up to the house and wash up?”
Ryan went to his aunt and hugged her. “I love you, Aunt Shellie.”
She hugged him back, fighting tears. “I love you, too, Ryan.”
He released her. “Can I play with my tablet?”
“Yes, until I get there.”
When the child ran toward the back door, Shelby turned back to Cullen. “Thank you. I never heard him say anything like that before.”
Cullen shrugged. He probably should have stayed out of her personal life, but since that first night he hadn’t been able to manage to do that. “Kids are bound to have questions. Both Ryan’s parents are gone. He wants a family like everyone else.” He smiled, remembering his own childhood. “When Leslie married Dad and moved in, I was older than Ryan at ten years old, but I wondered if there would be more kids, too.”
“Should I worry about this?”
Cullen shrugged. “Ryan just wants what Addy has. Right now that’s a horse, and siblings. He gets to ride a horse, and he has love and stability.”
“The love part is easy, but stability, I’m not sure.”
“And you’re doing a terrific job with him.”
“Thank you. Loving Ryan is easy.”
He looked into her eyes. Damn, if she didn’t get him all stirred up. “I’m only speaking the truth.”
The word truth caused Cullen to pause and recall his earlier conversation with the police captain. He quickly decided to hold off until there was more information. Besides, he liked seeing her carefree mood.
Shelby pointed toward the house. “I put lasagna in the oven. It should be ready in an hour or so.” She hesitated, then said, “Thank you for letting us stay last night. I’ll get Ryan and head back to the cottage.”
When she turned to leave, he couldn’t help but stop her when he captured her by the arm. “No, you can’t leave. I can’t possibly eat all that lasagna by myself. You and Ryan need to help me.”
She looked up at him with those incredible blue eyes. “I shouldn’t. We intruded so much already.”
He took a step closer. “Have you heard me complain?”
She smiled. “No,
but...”
He leaned down, closer to her so he could inhale her clean, lemony scent. “What do I need to do to convince you to stay?”
She looked him in the eyes. “Oh, Cullen. You don’t need to convince me. You’ve been so generous...letting us intrude in your home.”
He didn’t feel he was the one who was generous. He’d been living in the big house, alone. She and Ryan breathed life back into the faded walls. “You’re not intruding. You cooked the meal, so please stay and have supper with me?”
* * *
AFTER SUPPER, CULLEN played a video game with Ryan on his large television. That was until he discovered the boy had crashed. He wanted to carry the child upstairs and put him to bed where he knew if there was a bad guy, he could protect them. Of course, Aunt Shellie wouldn’t put up with him taking away her independence.
Cullen glanced down at the boy sagged against his side, sound asleep. He shut off the game, and got up slowly so as not to disturb him, then laid Ryan down on the sofa. He covered him with a blanket and went in search of Shelby in the kitchen.
He stopped in the doorway and watched her washing up the last of the dishes. He couldn’t help but appreciate the woman’s nice curves, her small waist, her round, firm bottom and long legs. Yet, he found being with Shelby was more than just a carnal response. He just plain liked spending time with her. But for how much longer would she be around if there was a crazed cop scaring her out of town? If only for her protection, he needed to convince her to stay.
“You don’t have to wash those,” he told her.
Shelby gasped and turned around. “If you keep sneaking up on me, I’ll quit and leave the dirty pots and pans.”
“Then do it.” He went to her and took her hand. “Come with me. We need to talk.”
“What about Ryan?”
“At the moment, he’s asleep. So that gives us a chance to discuss a few things.”
After proof that her nephew was asleep, she let him lead her into an office under the stairs. The wood paneling was dark and a little dingy, and so were the cream-colored walls. There was a big oak desk against one wall. He’d brought a few of his things in here, including a fax machine and his laptop computer.
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