Sheriff

by Laura Scott

  Apparently the kisses and the emotional closeness they’d shared over the past few days didn’t mean as much to her as they had to him.

  A band of disappointment tightened around his chest, making it difficult to breathe. There had to be a way to convince her to stay. To give them a second chance. To allow him to prove that he’d changed.

  But, had he?

  The bitter taste of regret made it impossible to swallow. He told himself that of course he’d changed. He’d investigated his former friend and once he’d had the proof he’d needed, arrested him.

  But then the memory of Lilly’s pendant flashed in front of his eyes. Admitting he’d made a mistake didn’t exactly change what had happened between him and Julianne six years ago.

  Telling himself that everything that had taken place was part of God’s plan helped keep him grounded, but the guilt refused to leave, clinging to his back like a giant blood-sucking leech.

  He couldn’t shake the notion of how badly he’d failed Julianne and Lilly all those years ago.

  And how Lilly must have suffered as a result.

  What if Otwell had set his sights on Julianne? His stomach twisted painfully. He knew better than to play the what-if game, so he did his best to shove the tumultuous thoughts from his mind.

  Julianne pulled into the parking lot of the Sunflower Motel, parking in front of the room he shared with Clark. The window was dark. She stared at it with a frown.

  “I thought he’d still be up since it’s not that late, but maybe it’s better to call him, first.” She pulled out her phone.

  He nodded, but his mind was still trying to grapple with the best way to approach the topic uppermost in his mind. Julianne’s feelings toward him.

  Would an apology help? Certainly couldn’t hurt.

  “Clark?” Julianne had the phone on speaker, so he could hear their conversation. “Sheriff Kenner and I are outside the motel. We didn’t want to alarm you by barging in.”

  “Uh, okay.” Clark’s voice was muffled, groggy with sleep. “Do you need me to let you in?”

  Julianne glanced over. “I have a key,” he said. Pain shot up his arm as he reached into his back pocket. He ignored it.

  The fire smoldering in the center of his chest surrounding his heart was much worse.

  Five minutes later, the three of them along with Thunder were crowded in the motel room. Brody quickly filled the veterinary assistant in on everything that had transpired.

  “The danger is over?” Clark’s voice was full of hope. “I can go home?”

  Brody glanced helplessly at Julianne, who winced. “Your home was damaged by the fire, Clark.”

  Clark’s face fell. “Oh yeah. I forgot I don’t have a home anymore.”

  Brody couldn’t stand it. “Listen, buddy, you can bunk at my place with me for as long as you need.”

  “Really?” Clark asked. “But what about Banjo?”

  “Your dog is more than welcome to stay, too,” he assured the veterinary assistant. “You both can live with me until the fire department has finished gathering the evidence of the fire and your insurance company has finished rebuilding.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff,” Clark said with a relieved smile.

  “Evidence!” Julianne sucked in a quick breath. “I can’t believe we didn’t think of this before. How much of the evidence from the clinic and other crime scenes was collected by Meyer?”

  A grim feeling settled over Brody. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “The FBI team collected most of it, but Rick Meyer and Dan Hanson worked the prison break. Since Meyer was working with Hanson, he may not have risked tampering with anything out of fear his partner might notice.”

  “But he may have,” she pressed.

  “Yeah.” The thought of Nate getting away with any portion of the crimes he’d committed while being on the run caused his gut to twist painfully. And what about the evidence surrounding the dead woman’s body they’d uncovered? He desperately needed to know if she was actually Lilly.

  He automatically reached for his phone, forgetting the fact that he’d trashed it. “I need to call Hanson, see if he can verify the evidence hasn’t been tainted.”

  “Here.” Julianne handed over her phone. He took it and quickly called the dispatcher, who connected him to his most senior deputy.

  “How much damage has Meyer done to our case?” he asked in a blunt tone.

  “I’m trying to analyze the impact of that myself,” Hanson said. “I was the one who took most of the evidence we collected into custody, and a large portion was collected by the feds. We also sent most if not all of what we found to Quantico. But if you’re asking me if Meyer had the opportunity to contaminate some of the evidence? Yeah, he did.”

  A spotted haze of fury momentarily blinded him. “I need you to go through the evidence logs and verify what we still have and identify anything that might be missing.”

  “Will do,” Hanson said. “Anything else?”

  He rubbed his temple. “Has Nate Otwell’s lawyer showed up yet?”

  “No. Haven’t heard from the guy.”

  “Okay, call this number or the Sunflower Motel if Otwell’s lawyer calls to arrange a meeting. I want to be there, to make sure everything goes smoothly,” Brody said. “I’ll get a replacement phone tomorrow.” He paused, then added, “I need your help on this thing, Hanson. We need to make sure both Otwell and Meyer stay in our custody. No screwups.”

  “The word about Meyer has already gotten out,” Hanson assured him. “No one likes being associated with a dirty cop. Trust me, there isn’t a deputy on our staff that is willing to let either one of these guys out of sight.”

  The tension eased, and as he ended the call it occurred to Brody that if Hanson could check his attitude at the door, he’d make a good sheriff.

  Wait a minute, what was he saying? He didn’t plan on leaving his job or his home in Clover County. He had a life here. A community he cared about. Yet the thought of losing Julianne made him realize he’d leave it all at the drop of a hat.

  If she asked him to.

  * * *

  Julianne took Thunder and slipped through the connecting door to her room. Brody had suggested they grab some sleep before checking out in the morning.

  Considering he was sharing a room with Clark, she decided it would be better to talk to Brody after they’d tied up the loose ends on their case. She hoped that rescuing a puppy might convince Brody to consider partnering with a K-9 cop.

  Would she ever actually leave the FBI in order to join forces with Brody here in Clover? Not an easy decision considering how much she loved her job. Besides, abandoning Max West and the rest of her team in the middle of a case wasn’t happening. No way would she let them down.

  But maybe once they’d found Jake Morrow and hopefully arrested the mafia second-in-command, Angus Dupree, she could give her notice.

  She’d move back to Clover, Texas, if it meant being with Brody. She’d left him once before and couldn’t bear the thought of doing that again.

  But first they needed to talk. To see if he was as willing as she was to try again.

  Despite her tumultuous thoughts, she managed to sleep. When she awoke bright rays of sunshine filled the gap between the heavy curtains.

  Thunder lifted his head, then laid it back down as she rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. After using the facilities, she took Thunder outside to care for his needs.

  The bright Texas sky radiated warmth. Living in Montana for the past couple of years, she’d forgotten how hot it was in the south. The Big Thicket region was wooded, but a good portion of the Lone Star State stretched flat for miles and miles.

  She had to admit, she’d gotten used to the mountain view outside her window back home.

  Enough, she told herself st
ernly. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. She wasn’t sure how Brody felt about their rekindled relationship. Or even if they had a rekindled relationship.

  Was it possible they could put the past to rest once and for all? She was willing to try if he was.

  “Good morning.” Brody’s deep drawl interrupted her thoughts.

  She looked up to find him standing outside the motel door, watching her and Thunder. The danger was over, but Brody’s stance was protective, and the way he continued sweeping his electric-blue gaze over the area spoke of an ingrained habit for a cop on duty. “Morning,” she responded.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but Clark appeared behind him. “Julianne, I hear you’re looking to rescue a puppy.”

  “Good morning, Clark. Yes, it’s a bit of tradition within our team to look for puppies when we’re on assignment to adopt and train them as the next generation of K-9 cops. Do you know where the closest shelter is?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. It’s only a few miles past our clinic—Dr. Grover provides free medical services to the animals at the Clover County Rescue Shelter.”

  “Great! That sounds perfect.” She smiled at Brody, but he didn’t look nearly as enthusiastic. “Do you think we can stop over there yet this morning?”

  “Yeah, but first I need to stop in at headquarters, to check in on Otwell. Then we have a couple errands to run, but once that’s finished, we can head over to the shelter.”

  “Sounds good.”

  The ride back to the sheriff’s department didn’t take long. Hanson was sleeping at his desk, and Brody gave him a nudge. “Go home, Dan. You need some shut-eye.”

  Hanson blinked and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

  “What’s the word on Meyer?” Brody asked as the deputy sluggishly rose to his feet.

  “He’s out of surgery. Should be released in a couple of days. I have two deputies guarding his room at all times.”

  “Good, thanks.” Brody motioned him toward the door. “Take off, I’ll see you later.”

  Hanson nodded and shuffled away, yawning widely.

  Julianne followed Brody over to where the two jail cells were located. Otwell was safely behind bars, stretched out on the bunk, with his hands behind his head as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Julianne averted her gaze, not willing to think about what he may have done to Lilly.

  “Sheriff?” Corrine Haley called out. “Mr. Otwell’s lawyer just called, asking to see his client.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll stick around while he’s here.” Brody glanced at Julianne. “Would you be willing to take Clark to the store and then drop him off at my place?”

  “Sure, but what about your replacement phone?” she asked.

  “I’ll have to get it later.”

  “Why don’t you let me and Thunder stay here to watch over Nate and his lawyer?” she asked. “Would be easier all the way around.”

  Brody hesitated, and she could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Despite telling her she made a great partner, it was clear he still didn’t see her as a capable federal agent.

  And in that moment, her hopes of staying here in Clover and taking over Meyer’s job as a deputy shriveled up and died.

  How could she work for a man who didn’t believe she was an expert in her field? “Forget it,” she said, abruptly turning away. “I’ll give Max a call to come and pick me up. Maybe I’ll see you later. Thunder, heel. Stay,” she commanded, drawing her partner to her side.

  “I wish I could train Banjo to be a K-9 cop,” Clark said with admiration.

  She smiled at the veterinary assistant. “K-9 training starts early in a dog’s life, but there are plenty of basic commands you can teach Banjo.”

  “Julianne, wait,” Brody said, halting her progress.

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Yes?”

  “If you’ll stay here, I’ll run errands. I should be able to meet you back here in an hour or so.”

  A flicker of hope glowed in her heart. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Come on, Clark. Let’s get out of here.”

  Julianne returned to the desk Hanson had vacated, as Corrine stared after Brody thoughtfully. “This has been a difficult week for him,” Corrine said.

  “I know.” Julianne scratched Thunder behind the ears, realizing Corrine didn’t know the half of it.

  Nate’s lawyer called, claiming something came up that required him to reschedule their meeting, which was fine with Julianne. True to his word, Brody returned in just under an hour. One of his deputies arrived shortly thereafter, taking over the task of watching over Nate.

  “Ready to go to the shelter?” Brody asked.

  “Of course.” Julianne and Thunder followed him out into the hot Texas sun.

  Now that they were finally alone, she tried to think of a way to broach the subject of their tenuous relationship.

  “Tell me about the team’s promise to rescue puppies,” Brody said, breaking into her thoughts. “Do you look for pure breeds? After all, Thunder’s a purebred English foxhound, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, but we’re open to either a purebred or mix. There are plenty of studies that have shown that with the right training, even mixed-breed dogs can become great K-9 officers. Of course, not every one of them makes it—some just don’t have the right temperament. But we’re doing this as a way to honor our missing agent, Jake Morrow. We also need to keep working on the next generation of K-9 officers.”

  Brody nodded thoughtfully. He turned the SUV into the parking lot of a large building boasting the sign Clover County Rescue Shelter.

  She put Thunder on leash and took him along inside. The owner greeted them with a broad smile.

  “I’m Angie Patton. Dr. Grover told me to expect you,” she said, shaking their hands. “Oh, and what a beautiful dog!”

  “Thunder, heel,” Julianne said and her partner instantly dropped his hindquarters onto the floor, sitting straight and tall.

  “Impressive,” Angie said in awe. “I haven’t worked with many well-trained dogs.”

  “Thank you,” Julianne said. “I’m looking for a puppy to train as a possible K-9 officer. Will you show me what you have?”

  “Certainly, right this way.” Angie led them down a hallway of metal cages holding a variety of animals, most of them older than what she was looking for, yet heartbreaking just the same.

  “I’m not sure how you work here without taking every one of these animals home with you,” Julianne said softly.

  Angie’s smile was sad. “It’s hard, but we’re pretty good at finding homes for our rescues. Here are the two young pups I just received a few days ago.”

  “Oh.” Julianne drew in an excited breath at the sight of the two rather mangy-looking puppies cuddled together in the corner of the cage. “They’re adorable!”

  “They look a little pathetic to me,” Brody said, his gruff tone full of uncertainty. “Do you have any idea what breed they are?”

  Angie shrugged. “They’re brothers and according to Dr. Grover, they’re mostly German shepherd, with a little boxer thrown in. We call the gray/tan one Cooper and the brown-and-black one Hawk.”

  “Can I see them?” Julianne asked.

  “Of course. I guess I don’t have to worry about your dog acting out,” she said, opening the door.

  The two pups managed to disentangle themselves from each other long enough to scamper over to greet her. They both instantly crawled up onto her lap, their little tongues attempting to lick her face.

  “They are so precious,” she cooed, looking from one to the other. Cooper and Hawk were wiggling with joy as she stroked their baby-soft fur. She noticed Thunder was still sitting in place, but he was craning his neck toward the pups, his nose drawn to their scent. “T
hunder, come.”

  Her partner didn’t need to be asked twice. He instantly came over, sniffing each dog, his tail wagging in greeting. Cooper and Hawk let out high-pitched yips of excitement, crawling over her in order to get closer to Thunder.

  Cooper was so excited he slid from her lap, tumbling onto the concrete floor. Brody quickly bent down to scoop the little guy into his hands.

  “Hey, are you okay, little buddy?” he asked.

  Julianne’s heart melted as she watched Brody with Cooper. “You’re good with dogs,” she said with warm approval. “Have you thought about a K-9 partner?”

  Brody’s blue eyes met hers. “Yes, now that I’ve had an opportunity to work with you and Thunder. You’ve made me realize how much I’ve missed over the past few years, Julianne.” He hesitated, then continued, “I know it’s mostly my own fault, but I’d like a second chance. With you.”

  Her heart soared with hope. “Not all your fault,” she corrected. “I should have been more patient. And I’d like the chance to move forward from here, too.”

  Cooper chose that moment to slather doggie kisses all over Brody’s face, making him laugh.

  Hawk whimpered at being separated from his brother and the thought of splitting these guys up was too much to bear.

  “How about we adopt both of them?” Brody suggested.

  The flicker of hope blossomed into a roaring campfire. “I’d like that, too,” she managed.

  Still cradling the pup against his chest, Brody knelt beside her. “I’d like to apologize, for not believing in you all those years ago.”

  Tears burned her eyes, and she attempted to blink them back. “I told you, Brody, there’s no need to apologize. I’ve been telling you all along, this is part of God’s plan.”

  “I’m trying to believe that,” he said, his blue eyes boring into hers. “Letting go of the guilt isn’t easy, but I’ll keep trying.”

  She smiled. “And I’ll keep praying. For us.”

  “Thank you.” Brody leaned forward and crushed her mouth with a quick, hard kiss. Cooper and Hawk began yipping again, climbing over each other to lick them in the face.