The Sheriff of Sage Bend

by Brenda Mott

  As she walked down the ruby-colored carpet between the rows of worn pews, she felt right at home. Above her, a skylight of stained glass made the cloud-darkened day seem a little brighter. A brass cross hung on the far wall above the pulpit, and three sets of windows on either side lined the walls, letting in what little light there was. Outside, Miranda heard the rumble of thunder. She went to the small offerings box at the rear of the church and stuffed a handful of bills into it. Then she sat in the back.

  “Sorry, God,” she said out loud. “I haven’t meant to stay away so long.” She knelt in the pew, and gave a prayer of thanks for Shannon’s safe return. Then she simply sat and absorbed the silence.

  In her memory, she could see the flowers decorating every aisle; see Lucas’s best friends, Jake and Corky, standing at the front with Pastor Hill. It had been a small ceremony. At least, they’d intended for it to be small.

  Miranda got up from the pew and walked to the aisle, looking straight ahead. She remembered the puzzlement she’d felt when she’d entered the church and realized that Lucas wasn’t there. Somehow, the eighty-five-year-old woman who’d played the organ hadn’t realized it, and she’d struck up “Here Comes the Bride.”

  Confused, Miranda had started her walk down the aisle. But only her friends and the pastor had stood there, waiting to meet her. Where was Lucas?

  Miranda closed her eyes, breathing in the clean, somehow holy scent of the church. The smells of worn, well-used hymn books and lemon furniture polish drifted over her.

  “I wanted to kick his butt back then,” Tori said from behind her, “and I’ll do it today if that man has done something to hurt you again.”

  Miranda opened her eyes and turned. Her friend stood there with an armload of buckets, rags and cleaning products.

  “Tori, what are you doing here?” Miranda nodded at the mop and buckets. “You’re cleaning?”

  “Yep. Thought I’d get a jump on my community service.” She rolled her eyes. “Lily Tate normally does it, but she’s out sick, so I promised Pastor Hill I’d take over for her this week. Aunt Fae and Aunt Mae rearranged my schedule so it would work out.” She dropped her load where the carpet met hardwood flooring. “The bathrooms in the basement are the toughest, especially the men’s room.” She wrinkled her nose. “You’d think good Christians would know how to aim, but I guess they’re all just cowboys underneath.”

  Miranda couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Tori sat on the edge of a pew. “Now tell me what you’re doing in here. Tormenting yourself?”

  Miranda shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s because Lucas and I are back together—at least I’m pretty sure we are.”

  Tori raised her brows. “Pretty sure? Either you are or you aren’t.”

  “Okay, we are. Only I’m not certain what his intentions are, and I was stupid not to ask.” She smacked her hand against her thigh. “I just leaped before I looked, and now I don’t know what to do.”

  “You slept with him,” Tori said accusingly. “Miranda, how could you?” Then she quirked her mouth. “Actually, how could you not? He’s mighty yummy.” Then she clamped one hand to her mouth and looked apologetically up at the cross. “Sorry.”

  Miranda laughed. “Yeah, he’s yummy all right.” She looked around. “I feel sort of weird talking about this here.”

  “What was I thinking?” Tori glanced at her watch. “Meet me at the diner at eleven and we’ll have an early lunch. You can tell me all about it then.”

  “Okay,” Miranda said. “But only if we take our orders to go. I’m not about to let Fae and Mae overhear.”

  “Takeout it is.”

  But once she was out at her truck, Miranda wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about what had happened between her and Lucas at all. She must be out of her mind to risk another broken heart. But it was too late to do anything about it.

  She drove to the feed store and bought a hundred pounds of grain and fifty pounds of dog food. The rain had let up, but the truck bed was soaked, so she loaded them into the cab and took off. As she drove past the sheriff’s office, she saw Lucas’s Blazer and pulled into the parking lot on impulse. Taking a deep breath, Miranda went inside.

  He sat behind his desk, frowning at some paperwork. But when he saw her, his eyes lit up, and Miranda realized how much she loved him.

  “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing out on a soggy morning like this?”

  “I needed feed,” she said, shutting his office door behind her. She sat in the chair on the other side of his desk. “And I needed to talk to you. I didn’t realize it until I drove past the church.”

  Lucas immediately became serious. “The church?”

  “Yep. I hadn’t been in it since…well, since our wedding that never happened. Lucas, I’ve got to know, are we back together? Are we dating? Or are we just having sex? I’m so confused.”

  “Miranda, I hardly think this is the best place to discuss this.” He kept his voice low. “Can it wait?”

  She huffed out a breath, feeling stupid. “Of course. I’m sorry. I guess it was being in the church that made me fly over here like this.”

  “Don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m the one who owes you a never-ending apology, and I fully intend to make up for the way I’ve hurt you, if it takes me the rest of my life.” He gave her that crooked grin. “Now go on and float home in this rain. I’ll come by when I get done with my paperwork.”

  “Okay.” She floated home, all right, but not from the rain. She floated on the love she had for Lucas. Surely she couldn’t be wrong about him this time. She saw it in his eyes, the way he felt about her: he did love her. And then something occurred to Miranda.

  Lucas had loved her before. Just not enough to marry her. What if he felt the same way now?

  She couldn’t take it.

  She busied herself with things that needed doing on the ranch, not letting the weather stop her. She wore her slicker and her cowboy hat, and worked on odds and ends she’d been meaning to get around to, like fixing the loose hinge on the barn door.

  Belatedly, Miranda remembered she was supposed to meet Tori at the diner—just as Lucas pulled into the driveway. She watched him walk toward the house. He was so sexy.

  “Over here,” she called from the barn. Then she laughed as he took a pack of hot dogs from a plastic sack and fed a couple to Tuck and Smudge, who’d run over to bark at his truck the minute he’d pulled in.

  “Hi.” He grinned as he came into the barn. “I think they’re starting to like me.”

  “I think they like the hot dogs,” Miranda said. “If you really want them to like you, you’ll have to find one of those hot dog suits and dress up in it. You know, like that guy in the TV commercial.”

  “I don’t know about that. Then they might really go after me.” Lucas set the bag on a shelf in the aisle, and pressed Miranda up against the wall. Bracing his hands on either side of her, he leaned forward and kissed her. “I wanted to do that so badly when you came into my office,” he said. “You look cute with wet hair.”

  She laughed. “I wanted you to do that.” She closed her eyes. “Kiss me again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He kissed her until Miranda knew they were about to end up right back where they had Saturday night.

  She put one hand against his chest and gave Lucas a gentle push. “Hang on a minute, cowboy. We’ve got some talking to do.”

  “Talking?” He pretended to sulk. “I’d rather show you how much I love you than tell you.”

  “That’s just it,” Miranda said. “How much do you love me, Lucas?”

  He took a deep breath. “Enough to ask you to marry me.” He took hold of her hands and pressed them together in his. “Miranda, please trust me. Please give me another chance. Do you remember that I told you I’d never again make you a promise I wouldn’t keep?”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, I’m promising you now. If you walk down the aisle, I’ll be there.”
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  “Is that an official proposal?” Her heart raced, and her palms felt damp. She was still so afraid.

  “You’d better believe it.” He dropped to one knee. “Miranda, will you marry me? Will you spend the rest of your life as my wife? I promise I won’t let you down this time. I love you. I was a stupid kid all those years ago.” He kissed her hand, then stood and gathered her into his arms. “Say yes,” he growled.

  “I’ll marry you, Lucas,” she said softly, “but I won’t walk down the aisle.”

  He looked taken aback. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t go to the church again.” The thought made her queasy. “There are too many bad memories there.”

  “Of course you can’t,” he said, kissing her softly. “I would never ask you to do that, Miranda. We’ll figure out something else. I just need to know that you’ll be my wife, and let me love you forever.”

  “I will.”

  He smiled and nuzzled her neck. “We’ve got a lot of making up to do.”

  She didn’t make it to her lunch date with Tori.

  LUCAS LAY BESIDE MIRANDA in her bedroom, watching her sleep. The clouds outside made it seem as if it were much later than twelve-thirty. She was finally going to be his wife. He had to think of something special for their wedding. A ceremony she’d never forget.

  Hell. He was a cowboy. This wasn’t exactly his area of expertise. Would Paige want to help him? Would she consider him good enough for her daughter, considering the past? There was only one way to find out.

  Lucas got dressed, scrawled a note to Miranda and propped it on the pillow before heading outside. For once, Tuck and Smudge left him alone.

  Well, hell. If the dogs had accepted him, everyone else ought to.

  He pulled up at the Rocking W and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothin’.”

  He found Paige in the barn, trimming the hooves of a big red dun. She glanced up, surprised. “Sheriff. What are you doing here? Nothing’s wrong, is it?”

  “No, ma’am. For once, I think everything is A-OK.” He took a deep breath. “I know I’m not your favorite person in the world, but I love your daughter.”

  “Well,” she said, setting the gelding’s hoof down, “you’re not telling me anything I didn’t already know.” She straightened, one hand on her hip. “Lucas, you took a bullet for her. I guess I can’t ask for much more than that.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. But I thought you should know, I’ve asked Miranda to marry me.”

  “You gonna show up this time?” She softened the words with a smile.

  “You’d better believe it.”

  “All right then. So, when’s the wedding?”

  “We haven’t gotten quite that far,” he said. “Miranda doesn’t want to get married at the church.”

  “I suppose not. You looking for a place to hold the wedding?”

  “Yeah.” He gave the red dun a pat. “I’m not so good at this sort of thing. Can you help me out?”

  “I reckon I can.” She bent over the animal’s hoof once more, then pointed the heavy metal file at him. “But if you don’t show up, Lucas Blaylock, there won’t be a single rock in this county you can hide under.”

  His lips twitched. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And stop that damn ma’am stuff, like I told you before.”

  “Sure enough—Mom.”

  Paige peered at him from beneath the brim of her cowboy hat. “Now that’s pushing it.”

  MIRANDA STOPPED BY THE Rocking W after her evening chores to visit with Shannon. The two dogs barked at her as she went in the house, then wagged their tails. Miranda petted them, happy to see the pups were already acting their part.

  Shannon was in the kitchen, fixing supper.

  “I told her to rest some more,” Paige grumbled, “but she won’t listen.”

  “Are you kidding?” Shannon grinned. “I’m so happy to be home, back to normal, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing right now.” She chopped celery and glanced over her shoulder. “I hear there’s a wedding in the making.”

  Miranda’s jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me Fae and Mae are psychic now, too.”

  Paige laughed. “Lucas came by to see me this afternoon.”

  “He did?”

  “Looks like he’s going to go through with it this time,” Shannon said. “If not, Mom’s already threatened him.”

  “He’d better,” Miranda exclaimed. “What did he want, Mom?”

  “A place to hold the ceremony. I thought about having it right here at the ranch, but Fae and Mae have the most beautiful garden in their backyard…I know you’ve seen it. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

  “Oh, that would be perfect.” Miranda sighed. “Is this really finally happening?”

  “I’d say it is,” Paige said. “Come here. I’ve got something for you.”

  Miranda followed her down the hall to her bedroom. Her mother’s eyes danced. “I saved this, even though I wasn’t sure I could ever look at it again.” From the back of the closet, she pulled out a garment bag. “I didn’t give it to you the first time around, because I was still too angry with your father to want you to have it.”

  She unzipped the bag and pulled out a lace-trimmed, satin wedding gown. The old-fashioned bodice was gathered, and a row of buttons ran from the neck to the waist. The sleeves were long and lacy, puffed at the shoulders just enough to be pretty, not tacky. The gown looked as though it could’ve come from the 1800s.

  “It ought to fit you,” Paige said. “I was about your size back then.”

  “Oh, Mom, it’s gorgeous.” Miranda ran her hand over the full skirt. “Why didn’t you ever show this to me or Shannon?”

  “Bad memories, I guess. But I think it’s time we made some good ones.” Paige sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what made your daddy run scared.”

  Miranda lifted a shoulder. “Probably the same thing that made Lucas run. He was young.”

  “Maybe so. But the difference is, Lucas grew up.”

  “It took him long enough.”

  Paige chuckled. “That’s a fact. But I think he truly has grown up, Miranda. I think you’ve got yourself a winner there, honey. One well worth waiting for.”

  Miranda smiled. “I think so, too, Mom.” She leaned over and hugged her. “I love the dress. I’d be proud to wear it.”

  “Then it’s yours. But you have to pass it down to Shannon, if she ever decides to get married.”

  “I will.” Miranda walked over to the doorway and called, “Hey, Shannon, come here. Mom has something to show you.”

  “I THINK THE ARCHWAY should go over there,” Fae said, pointing.

  “No, honey.” Mae took her by the shoulders and turned her. “Over there.” She gestured with one bejeweled hand. “It would be perfect over there, by the pond.”

  “Not if there are mosquitoes out!”

  “Well, we’ll just get some of those whatchamacallit candles.”

  “Citronella,” Tori interjected helpfully.

  Miranda’s head spun. They’d been planning the August wedding—put together in a hurry because she and Lucas hadn’t wanted to wait any longer—for the past few weeks. The local printer had done a rush order on invitations, and the florist where Lily Tate worked part-time had provided the white roses to decorate the archway, as well as the chairs they’d borrowed from the high school.

  White roses, lace and all the beautiful flowers in Fae and Mae’s garden. Who could ask for anything more?

  Miranda stepped back and took it all in. The ceremony was going to be breathtaking. She’d even managed to talk Mac, Frank and Garrett into wearing suits for the day. They’d conceded only because she’d told them they could still wear their cowboy hats and boots.

  Her mother had surprised her by whipping out an old sewing machine from her basement, and between her, Fae and Mae, they’d put together two bridesmaid dresses, and one for the matron of honor, matching the 1800s theme of Miranda’s wedding gown.
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br />   The dresses were a rich teal-blue for the bridesmaids, with a lighter sky-blue for the matron of honor. Miranda had agonized over choosing between Tori and Shannon for that position, until Fae had made a good suggestion.

  “Ask your momma,” she said. “She’s suffered so much heartbreak in her life, honey. She deserves all the happiness God can throw her way. I know she’d be honored.”

  And Paige was. She’d burst into tears, and Miranda hadn’t taken but a moment to decide she liked this new, emotional side of her mother.

  Lucas had stepped back and let the women have at it. Beyond a fitting of his Western-cut tux, he wanted nothing more to do with the wedding arrangements. All he cared about was watching Miranda walk down that garden path to stand beside him, and he’d told her as much. She didn’t really mind. Standing beside him was all she’d ever wanted.

  “No mosquitoes,” Miranda said. “Sorry, Mae. Fae wins this one.” The twins had waged a friendly battle throughout the entire planning of the wedding, right down to the flavor of cake and the color of the roses.

  But one thing the sisters agreed on—they couldn’t be happier for Miranda, and they continually punctuated this fact by sniffling and dabbing at their eyes with tissues. Ever the drama queens.

  “This is going to be so lovely,” Mae said, conceding to Miranda on the placement of the archway. “Tori, when are you going to pick out a cowboy and get married?”

  “Not anytime soon, thank you very much,” her niece said, with a wink to Miranda. “Although I am bringing Jack McQuaid as my date.” She lowered her voice so only Miranda could hear. “I think I’ll get him drunk and take advantage of him.”

  Miranda laughed. Since half the town was invited to the wedding, the reception would be held at the Silver Spur.

  “Works for me,” Tori said. “I practically live there, anyway.”

  Fae and Mae were supplying all the food, which would be spread out buffet-style on tables covered with red-checkered clothes, with old-fashioned lanterns lighting each end. As a final touch, the local band, Wild Country, was going to play for them.