All for You

by Andrew Grey

  Willy seemed to be waiting for him and followed him outside. “Umm…. Reggie?” Willy said, and Reggie stopped, taking a step back to where Willy stood next to the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot, nervous energy washing off him. “Do you maybe want to go somewhere?”

  Reggie closed his eyes for a second, thinking back to when he’d been that young—scared, horny, and inexperienced. There had been times when he’d thought he’d die if he didn’t get laid. When he opened them again, Willy raised his gaze, eyes a swirl of desire and nerves. The guy was as cute as a button, and it would be so easy to tell Vick to go on. He could take Willy to a hotel room and see what he had under those ill-fitting clothes. He could easily imagine a lithe, tight body, smooth and sleek, pretty. He needed to stop those thoughts or he was going to be showing Willy just what he was asking for, as his pants drew tighter.

  “I’d love to,” Reggie said, and Willy smiled. “But is that what you really want? This is your first time, right?”

  Willy bit his lower lip and nodded. “I mean, I… once.” He made a gesture with his hand.

  “You don’t want your first time to be with someone you just met a few hours ago at a bar, and it certainly shouldn’t take place in a cheap hotel.” Reggie wished someone had talked to him this way when he was young and stupid. “Go out, find some friends, and meet some people. Date, get to know guys, and then decide who you want to be your first. Someone who will take the time to make sure it’s as special and caring as it can possibly be. You only get one first time, so don’t waste it with a guy who’s had too much to drink or someone you hardly know.” He patted Willy’s shoulder. “I know you may think I’m being preachy and stuff, but I speak from experience. You’ve taken a huge step out of the closet and toward finding out who you are. Now find someone who can help you take the next step on that journey… and help make it happy. Someone you care about and who cares about you. Okay?”

  Reggie wouldn’t have been surprised if Willy had told him to fuck off. Yeah, he’d probably come across as self-righteous as hell, but his mouth had lost some of its censorship ability.

  Willy kicked at the ground, slightly slouched, refusing to look up. “Okay, I guess. But there is no one….” He seemed so lost.

  “There will be. Don’t make the same mistakes I did and rush into it. I got hurt pretty bad.” Why Reggie was going into this with someone he barely knew was more than he could understand. The guys knew the truth about what had happened to him and that was all. Not even his parents knew all the details. “Not that I would hurt you, but you don’t know me at all. You deserve more than that.” With what he hoped was an encouraging smile, Reggie turned away and headed to Vick’s car. The other two were in the back seat, so he folded his large frame into the front of the small car, buckled up, and closed his eyes.

  “Struck out?” Casey teased.

  “No. He wanted to. But… I backed away.”

  Casey groaned and Bobby snickered. Vick was the only one who said nothing, backing out of the space and getting on the road to the freeway.

  “Why not? You would have been good to him. Right?”

  “Of course I would have,” Reggie growled. “But he was so scared, and this was his first time venturing out anywhere. I told him to wait and make his first time special with someone he cared about.” He turned to the back seat, where the other two sat, looking at each other. “Do you remember your first time?” he asked both of them. “Was it special or something fumbling and ridiculous?” He already knew the answer because they’d shared their first-time stories years ago.

  “But you would have made it special for him, and now some other guy is going to come along and probably be a dick to him, big-time,” Bobby piped up.

  “Shut up,” Vick said. “You’re being an ass, and Reggie was being nice and did the right thing. Half the people in that bar kept looking at that kid like he was a piece of meat.” Vick patted Reggie’s leg gently. “I’m proud of you. Yeah, you could have gotten laid, but you took the gentlemanly way and not only helped the kid, but maybe gave him something to think about. That was pretty cool.”

  “Yeah. Reggie was nice. The perfect hero. So as a reward, he’s going home with his right hand instead of that tight, hot little body that could be wrapped around him like a pretzel right about now. Oww!” Casey groused when Bobby smacked him on the shoulder. “What are you hitting me for?”

  “You’re being an ass,” Bobby told him. “Now stop it.” He patted Reggie’s shoulder. “You’re right. You were nice to him. It would have been nice to have had someone older to help us when we were trying to figure shit out. Because, man, did we manage to fuck things up bad so many times. It’s a miracle we didn’t all die of broken hearts and end up with permanent appointments at the clap clinic.”

  Yeah, Reggie knew he’d done the right thing, but still, Casey was right, and it bugged him that his mind flashed images of just what he might have missed.

  Chapter 2

  “I DIDN’T see you in church yesterday,” Sam Glade said as Reggie passed his desk to get to his office.

  “I was out of town.” Besides, Reggie hadn’t set foot inside a church in at least a decade and he had no intention of starting now.

  “Reverend Gabriel was asking where you were,” Sam pressed, and Reggie held his breath. Sam always smelled a little like booze, and it made Reggie wary. He’d never seen him drink on the job and didn’t smell it on his breath this time, but it was always there, lurking around the edges of Reggie’s senses, like it came through his pores. “I told him you probably needed to be welcomed to the community.” Sam rolled his chair the short distance to Reggie’s open office door. “He said he’d stop by to see you.”

  Just what he needed—ministers coming into the station to try to save his eternal soul. “Please give him a message and tell him that he needn’t bother. I am fine as I am and have plenty of work that will keep me very busy going forward.” Reggie stepped behind his desk and sat, meeting Sam’s gaze. “Don’t you have work to do?” he asked pointedly.

  “Nothing more important than God’s work,” Sam countered.

  Reggie stood and walked over to him, glaring. The entire department was lax and did as little as possible. He had to put his foot down. “The people of Sierra Pines pay us to keep them safe. This is a place of business, and ours is law enforcement. Period. If you don’t have anything to do, I will find something for you.” He leaned closer. “And if you would really rather minister to my soul than work, then I suggest you head on to divinity school, and I will bring in a deputy who’s interested in doing his job.”

  “Sheriff… I—”

  “I suggest you hop to it, now!” he growled, and Sam went back to his desk. “And smarten up that uniform before you leave.” Reggie was quickly coming to the conclusion that one of the deputies was going to need to be fired just to get the message across that he meant business, and he had two prime candidates. “Marie,” he called, motioning from across the room to the department admin.

  She hurried over, and they went into his office.

  “I need you to do a few things for me. Please look up the department dress code, as well as standards of dress for the state, and make sure each deputy gets a copy, today. I will be enforcing those standards starting tomorrow.” His department was not going to continue to look like a ragtag bunch of country hicks playing police officers.

  “Yes, Sheriff,” she said with the start of a smile.

  “Also, all officers and department personnel will undergo regular drug screenings.” Reggie had been up all night and found the state allowed him to do that. “They will happen when I see fit, and they will be a surprise. One failure is grounds for termination.” That should put the fear of God into at least one of his men.

  Marie made notes. “Is there anything else?”

  “Please put in there that if anyone has any questions, they can see me directly.” He smiled because he wasn’t angry at her. Marie was a good admin, efficient, and
did her job well.

  “I surely will, and I should be able to have the memos for your review before lunch.”

  “Perfect. Thank you. Are there any calls?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good, and send Jasper in when he arrives.” God, Reggie hoped he could train him properly and turn him into a good deputy who could be trusted. Jasper wanted to learn. He simply hadn’t been given much training and usually spent his days on one side of the main road in or out of town, watching for speeders. He deserved more than that.

  “You got it,” Marie said happily and left the office.

  Reggie sat back down, opened his email, and went through each item to clear them before heading into the other reports and paperwork that came with the job. He had found it a mess and had to initiate proper procedures and filing processes. Marie, thankfully, had gotten right on it. Things would get better… he just needed to make sure they did.

  Jasper knocked on his door an hour later, and Reggie asked him to sit down. He’d had a minor complaint that had been called in, and he reviewed it with Jasper before sending him out to handle it.

  “You mean, it’s not traffic?”

  “That’s right. Go on and see what’s happening. Call in if you need any help or backup. Don’t hesitate. There’s no shame in it.”

  Jasper practically raced out of the station, and Reggie went back to work until another knock broke his concentration. The door opened, and a man dressed mostly in black with a white collar stepped into the office.

  “Sheriff Barnett?” he said, and Reggie stood. “Reverend Gabriel Thomas.”

  “It’s good to meet you.” Reggie shook his hand and decided to play dumb. “What can I help you with? Has there been some trouble at the church?”

  “No.” Reverend Gabriel seemed surprised. “I noticed you weren’t in church on Sunday and….”

  Reggie decided the honest approach was best. “I don’t attend church. I haven’t in a number of years.”

  “That’s a real shame. May I ask why?” The reverend sat easily in the chair. He was in his early or mid fifties, if Reggie were to guess, his black hair going gray at the temples.

  “I don’t think so,” Reggie said. He didn’t want his reasons out for public consumption, and he didn’t fully trust the reverend.

  The reverend straightened himself in the chair. “This is a very Christian community and almost everyone attends church regularly, including the mayor and the members of the town council.” He leaned forward, his expression changing very little. “I think it’s always best if our community leaders set a good example for everyone. We must think of the children and the kind of image we are setting.”

  Reggie put his hands together on top of his desk. “I believe you’re right. We should think of the example we set. And I always think it’s good if people are given the right to choose what they want to do with their own time. Freedom is a wondrous virtue.” He got up and turned to the flag that stood in the corner of the office. “Making sure that the laws of our community are enforced and that everyone is safe is setting an excellent example, don’t you think?” Reggie stepped around the desk and leaned against it, folding his arms over his chest. He could be damned intimidating when he wanted to be, and now was one of those times.

  “Like I said, the mayor and town council all attend church regularly.” There was a threat in Reverend Gabriel’s demeanor.

  “Good for them. Keep the city leaders on the straight and narrow.” Reggie smiled and leaned a little closer as the reverend swallowed.

  “So, I can count on you to join them?”

  Reggie thought about it. “As I said, I have my reasons and will most likely decline your offer. But I wish you well, and please do let me know if you have any troubles that require my assistance. My deputies and I will respond as quickly as we can, and I will, of course, consult you if I come across anything of a more spiritual nature.” Reggie opened the office door. “It was very good to meet you and I appreciate you coming by.”

  Reverend Gabriel didn’t seem to quite understand what had happened. He stood and stepped outside the office. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider? Won’t it be much easier to conduct business with the town leaders if you see them in a more informal setting on common ground?”

  “We’ll see. Since the previous law enforcement of this town was deemed inadequate and ineffective by the state, all of that budgeted money was withdrawn. This department doesn’t report to the city council or the mayor. I was appointed by the California Department of Justice. And I will see plenty of the mayor and the council members as part of my routine business. They don’t need me butting into their church time.” Reggie was pretty proud of himself. He had actually gotten through the meeting without using the phrase “no way in hell.” He’d had more than enough of organized religion to last two lifetimes. But it didn’t hurt to be nice. “Please feel free to let me know if there is anything I can help with.”

  The reverend stood straight and met Reggie’s gaze. “And you feel free to do the same. My office and church are always open.”

  “That’s great to know.” Reggie waited while the reverend looked to his left, and a man who had been sitting on one of the benches joined him.

  Willy. It was Willy from the bar. Reggie was opening his mouth to say something when the reverend turned back to him.

  “Sheriff, this is my son, William.”

  Willy looked even more scared than he had sitting at that table between the two rats. He was pale, his eyes downcast and his right hand shaking a little. Jesus, he was Reverend Gabriel’s son. Reggie was willing to bet that the reverend was not one of those new age, more enlightened men of the cloth. Somehow he didn’t think Reverend Gabriel had any sort of live-and-let-live attitude about gay people.

  “It’s good to meet you.” Reggie extended his hand, and Willy blinked, seeming to realize that his life wasn’t going to come to an end.

  “You too, sir.” They shook hands.

  “What do you do?” Reggie asked.

  Reverend Gabriel cleared his throat. “William will be following in my footsteps. He and I have spoken at length regarding his future, and we have come to an understanding.”

  William didn’t argue, but he didn’t agree either.

  “Have a good day, Sheriff.” Father and son left the station, and Reggie turned to the others, who were all watching him with wide eyes.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked the room, and they all immediately returned to their work, so Reggie went back to his office. A throat clearing nervously drew his gaze up from his desk. “Yes, Marie?”

  “Umm.” She now had that scared rabbit look. “I have the memos done.” She handed them to him and looked outside the room. “You… I…. Well… I’m going to miss you.”

  Reggie narrowed his eyes. “Where am I going?”

  “He… the reverend… well, he pretty much decides what happens here. People listen to him, and so do the town leaders. They’ll fire you if he says so.” She quivered like a leaf. “And you were doing such good things here already.”

  “Don’t worry, Marie. Nothing of the kind is going to happen. First thing, I’m very good at what I do and will build a competent and well-run sheriff department if I have to do it from the ground up. And second, I have a sister who is married to the governor’s son. I can get a message to Sacramento that will be listened to within the capitol faster than the reverend can pass out communion wafers. That’s part of the reason I’m here.” Reggie leaned back in the chair. “I never use that connection unless I have to, which is part of the reason it’s very effective when I do. So don’t worry.” He looked over the memos, approved them, and handed them back. “Please get them to everyone today. Thank you.”

  One thing was for certain—no one was going to get away with bullying him.

  “I will, and there’s a call that just came in.” She handed him the details, and he got up and left the office, heading out to the scene of an apparent motorcycle race.<
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  THE ROAR of engines reached his ears before he crested the hill. Two bikes raced toward him, taking up both lanes. He flipped on his lights and the bikes skidded to a stop, turned, and drove off the other way.

  “Jasper,” he called in. “Where are you?”

  “On my way to the station. On Sierra Drive.”

  “Two bikes are heading your way. Block the road. I’m coming from town. They are not to get away, and have your weapon at the ready. Do not shoot unless you are in danger, but be prepared.” Reggie pressed the accelerator to the floor, cresting another hill as the cyclists realized their escape route was cut off. Reggie coasted to a stop and got out of the car.

  Jasper stood behind his door, his gun brandished. “Get down on the ground, now!”

  Reggie was so proud of him.

  “Do you know who I am?” one of the men asked as he got off the bike and lay down on the pavement. “Who we are?”

  “Yes, I do. You’re the assholes tearing up the streets and endangering everyone you come upon. Now, stay there.” Reggie had no idea what they were up to, and he zip-tied their hands behind their backs, then asked for names.

  Jasper cleared his throat. “That’s Clay and Jamie Fullerton.”

  “As in Mayor Fullerton?” Reggie asked with a bit of a grin.

  Jasper nodded, clearly upset.

  “See. Now you’ll see,” the one said.

  “How old are you boys?” Reggie asked, kneeling down next to the bigger of the two. The boy quieted, and Reggie grabbed the restraint, pulling his arms taut. He wasn’t going to hurt him, but a little fright might do him some good.

  “I’m eighteen and he’s seventeen,” Jamie answered.

  “Good boy. Now, here’s what is going to happen. Deputy Jasper is going to read you both your rights and you two are going to be loaded into the squad car. You’ll be placed in a cell back at the station, and then Deputy Jasper is going to take your statements and process both of you for reckless endangerment. Then tomorrow—yes, you will spend the night in jail—you will go before a judge and we’ll see what he thinks.”