Rodeo Sheriff

by Mary Sullivan

  “I was asleep upstairs on the sofa.” Cole needed that to be clear so he wouldn’t smear Honey’s reputation. A thought occurred to him. “The kids are upstairs alone. If they wake up with neither of us there, they’ll be frightened.”

  “I’ll call Nadine,” Honey said. “She’s only five minutes away. She’ll sit with them.”

  Honey moved to get down off the bar. Cole lifted her down. She clutched the phone in a grip that turned her knuckles white.

  Minutes later, Nadine slipped in through the front door. Cole explained why they needed her. After a hug and kiss for Honey, Nadine scooted upstairs.

  Chris took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. Notepad in one hand and a pen in the other, he approached Honey but kept a respectful distance when he noticed her shaking.

  “Who is he?” the deputy asked Honey.

  “I don’t know. I never saw him before he came into the bar tonight. He said he was passing through.”

  “You want to tell me what happened before Cole got on the scene?”

  Cole raised his hand. “She shouldn’t be questioned until we get her attacker out of here.”

  “Now!” Honey said. “I’m telling it now.” Her teeth chattered.

  Cole glanced at Chris who shrugged a little helplessly.

  “Okay. Do it now,” Cole said. “In that case, I need to leave so you can question her privately. After that, I’ll give my statement separately away from Honey.”

  Chris nodded. “Way it should be.”

  But when Cole turned to leave, Honey grasped his arm, frantic. “Don’t leave. Stay with me.”

  “Not the way it’s done,” Chris said, looking as lost as Cole felt. “But...”

  Cole nodded. “Let’s do what’s best for Honey.”

  They looked at her and she picked up her story.

  “I told everyone I was closing. They filed through the front door. I locked it. I hadn’t seen this guy for a good forty minutes. I thought he’d already left. Then Chet called from the back that he was heading home. I locked the back door behind him and then returned to the front.”

  Honey sounded unemotional, but a fine tremor disrupted her voice.

  Cole took her hand in his, squeezed and held on.

  “A second later he came out of the back hallway,” she continued. “My guess is he’d been hiding in the washroom waiting for the place to close. I told him he had to leave. He said—”

  She shuddered.

  To hell with rules and best practices. Cole lifted her into his arms and sat on a chair with her on his lap. Snagging Chris’s jacket, he wrapped it around her, holding her close to still her shivers.

  Now that the worst was over, Cole felt cold, too, starting in his head where the worst of his rage transmuted into fear of what might have happened to Honey. He held onto her as tightly as she would allow.

  Honey didn’t resist. She leaned against him.

  Chris crouched in front of her. “What did he say?”

  “He said he wasn’t leaving until he got what he wanted.”

  “And what did you understand that to mean?”

  “Sex, even if I wasn’t willing.”

  “How do you know even if you weren’t willing?”

  She sat forward. “I know, okay?”

  “Easy, Honey. I believe you, but I need to write down everything he actually said and did.”

  Cole urged her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I said no.”

  “You definitely said no. Actually said it.”

  “Yes. Point-blank.”

  Chris nodded. “Good, Honey. That’s real good.”

  “What happened next?” Cole asked.

  “I could see where it was heading, so I ran behind the bar to text Cole. I didn’t even get the word finished. I don’t know how Cole knew what I meant.”

  “I figured it out.”

  “Why didn’t you phone him?” Chris asked.

  Honey stared, stricken. “I don’t know.” Her eyes welled with tears.

  “Easy,” Chris said. “Our actions don’t always make sense in the heat of the moment.”

  She nodded and sniffed.

  “What happened next?” Chris pressed.

  “He grabbed me, threw me against the wall and started molesting me.”

  “Okay. Anything else you want to add?”

  “He kept trying to make passes at me all night. I resisted every single one. I did not tease him.”

  “Of course not, Honey. You never do.”

  “Are you mocking me, Chris?”

  He drew back, shocked. “God, no. Why would you think that?”

  “I’m sorry!” She reached out a hand to him. “Chris, I’m sorry. I’m so rattled. I’m sensitive, I guess. I’ve always been able to handle the men in the bar. I thought I was strong, but I couldn’t fight him off.”

  “Look at the size of him, Honey. You weren’t going to win with him.”

  Honey started to tremble again, and Cole prodded Chris with his bare toes. “You’re scaring her.”

  “I can’t say anything right tonight,” Chris grumbled.

  “I’m on edge, too,” Cole said. “Sorry.”

  Chris held up both hands. “This was a rough incident.”

  “Wha’ happened?” The man on the floor stirred.

  Chris stood up to give the man an eyeful of his uniform.

  “What’s going on?” the stranger asked. “I can’t move my hands.”

  “You’re handcuffed and under arrest for attempted sexual assault.”

  “Assault! Who’d I assault? Not that bartender. If she said so, she’s lying.”

  “I saw you, bud,” Cole said. “I saw her trying to push you away. I heard her say no. You didn’t stop. That’s sexual assault.”

  “Stupid bitch.”

  Cole jumped up from the chair, dropping Honey to her feet.

  Chris stood in front of him like an immovable wall and caught Cole’s fist in his. “You won’t do this, Cole. I won’t let you throw away your career on this piece of useless crap.”

  God, where Honey was concerned Cole had no control over his emotions. He never reacted this way to crime in town. He kept his feelings under control and kept a cool head. Thank God for Chris tonight.

  Honey reached for Cole’s face and nudged it down, forcing him to meet her eye. “Don’t. Please. Don’t get into trouble over this.”

  He relented and eased back.

  A hard banging at the door startled them.

  “That was fast,” Chris said. He opened the door for the paramedics. “Check this guy out,” he directed. “Let me know if he’s well enough to spend the night in jail or if he needs a hospital visit.”

  They rolled in a gurney and checked out the prisoner. “You said he lost consciousness? Twice? He probably has a concussion. Who hit him? You, Mortimer?”

  “Nah. Sheriff Payette.”

  The medic shot him an assessing look. “No wonder he’s got a concussion.”

  “For God’s sake, get him out of here,” Cole said. “I don’t care where you take him. Just get him out of Honey’s bar.”

  They heaved him onto the gurney with Chris’s help and rolled him out.

  “I’ll take my jacket now and follow the ambulance.”

  Honey handed him his coat. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Deputy Mortimer.”

  “My pleasure, Honey. I’m glad Cole was here to save you from serious harm.”

  “Me, too,” Honey breathed.

  The door closed behind him, and they were left in blessed silence.

  Cole locked the door, sat Honey back down and went to the bar. He returned with two shot glasses of brandy.

  “Drink,” he ordered.

  He thre
w his own back. It burned all the way down. Just what he needed.

  Honey sipped hers. When she finished, she handed him her glass. He left them both on the bar, returned and picked her up to carry upstairs.

  “I can walk!”

  “Hush. Let me take care of you. Just for a minute.”

  She snuggled against him, out of character for her. Cole liked holding her.

  In her bedroom, he laid her on the lace comforter, amid her mass of pillows.

  No children in her bed tonight. Without Honey at home to crawl into bed with, they’d fallen asleep in the other bedroom.

  “Get dressed for bed. I’ll tell Nadine she can leave and lock up behind her.”

  In the living room, Nadine sat on the only armchair not being used for the cave. She jumped to her feet.

  “Is Honey okay?”

  “She’s badly shaken.”

  “Was she—” Nadine couldn’t say that one thing that Cole imagined every woman feared.

  “No. I got down there in time.”

  “How did you know?”

  He picked up his cell phone from the coffee table and showed her Honey’s message.

  “That was enough?” Nadine looked skeptical.

  “It took me a minute, but I figured Honey wouldn’t text hello at two in the morning.”

  “No. I guess not.” Nadine pushed messy red hair away from her face.

  He walked her downstairs. After letting Nadine out and watching her walk down the block and enter her apartment above the newspaper office, Cole locked the door. Back upstairs, he checked on the children and sighed on finding them both sound asleep. Thank God they hadn’t seen or heard any of that ugliness.

  Hovering in the hallway outside their doorway, he hesitated. He wanted to see Honey. He had to make sure she was okay.

  The door to her bedroom stood ajar. She wouldn’t have left it open if she were undressed. Right?

  Quietly, he approached and nudged it open.

  She lay on her back with the covers drawn up under her armpits, staring at the ceiling. About to turn away, he took a second look. Her fists clenched the comforter.

  He stepped closer. Silent tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

  “Aw, Honey. I’m sorry.” He sat on the edge of the mattress to pull her into his arms. “Don’t cry. God, don’t cry.”

  Her arms wrapped around him. She cried quietly for a while. When she stopped, she whispered, “Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

  “It’s this whole situation. If not for the children being here, I would have been downstairs at the bar protecting you until closing time.”

  “Is that why you come on the weekends? To protect me?”

  “Yeah,” he breathed. He wrapped one lock of hair around his finger. It turned out to be every bit as soft as he’d imagined. “I know you’re strong. I know you value independence. But... I worry...”

  She touched his chest with fingers that lightly caressed his skin, and he was lost.

  “I can’t lose you. I care about you. I can’t lose another woman I lo—”

  Her tears started in earnest, wet and hot on Cole’s shoulder.

  “What’s wrong? Is it delayed shock? Are you hurt?”

  “No,” she wailed and tried to hide her face against his chest.

  He held her until she cried herself out, angry and frustrated that he couldn’t do more.

  She wouldn’t look at him. She wouldn’t let him ease her face away from his chest.

  Cursing, he said, “Don’t hide, Honey. Please. Talk to me.”

  “God, Cole.” She sniffed and pulled herself together. “I heard what you almost said.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Stop, okay?” She put her fingers against his lips. “It’s time we started being honest with each other.”

  How could he be honest? How could he lay himself bare? What was the point of honesty when nothing could ever come of it?

  Sometimes she controlled too much. Sometimes she was too free-spirited. Most of the time she was wonderful. But Cole wasn’t. He didn’t know how to accept Honey as a harmonious whole.

  The arrival of his parents in town had brought up all the old neuroses. He couldn’t trust his instincts. What if he became involved with Honey and found out he was every bit as screwed up as he’d been with his parents? Or with Shiloh?

  He’d never had a healthy relationship in his life.

  The only one that had come close to healthy was with Sandy, but part of that was from having shared an unhealthy childhood.

  He didn’t know how to do healthy.

  He kissed Honey with every bit of emotion he had then left her bed abruptly to finish his night alone on the sofa.

  * * *

  HONEY STOOD IN the shower. Water poured over her shoulders and back, as hot as she could take it. If she soaked long enough, maybe she could wash away the feeling of that animal’s hands on her last night.

  “Honey?” Cole knocked on the door. “That shower’s been running a long time. You okay?”

  “Yes.” Her voice came out ragged. She cleared her throat. “I’m okay.”

  She sensed him hovering on the other side of the door.

  “Cole, I’m fine, really.”

  Finally, he said, “I’ll make you breakfast.”

  “I’ll be out soon.”

  She pulled herself together, dressed and ate the breakfast Cole made for her.

  Disoriented, she didn’t feel like herself. For the first time in...ever...she wanted to get out of this building.

  They took the children to the house.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this after last night?”

  “Yes, I am. Honest.” She might have had one of her worst experiences in her bar, but no way was Honey letting this affect the children.

  She pretended everything was okay for them.

  While Cole and his friends retrieved his belongings from his dingy apartment, Honey entertained the children.

  When they moved his furniture in, it barely filled one room.

  Then they left to get Lester’s furniture.

  There was still so much more Cole needed to get, so much he still had to do to turn this place into a home.

  Just as Honey had that thought, an army of women showed up in a half dozen cars.

  She didn’t know who had organized it, but no one had told her. She guessed it was because they knew she would be watching the children while Cole moved furniture.

  They were all over him and he laughed and talked and shared jokes.

  They hung curtains and brought pretty cushions for his old leather sofa. They set his table with place mats and napkins.

  They brought food and drinks.

  Throughout, Cole basked in their affection.

  Only Honey felt left out.

  She knew what she would face at home that evening—emptiness and loss.

  Before Cole had brought her two children to love, she’d been happy.

  Her life had been full. Or so she’d thought.

  In his bedroom, she stared at his oversize, masculine bed.

  She thought of him sitting on her bed last night and holding her while she cried. They should have done more. They should have given in to temptation and given each other if not love then at least comfort.

  Before Cole, she’d never realized how perfectly she’d designed her lacy nest for lovemaking.

  All of this time, she’d thought her goal had been to create her own little cave, like the one the children had created, for sleep. For rest. For recuperation.

  But no. She had designed it, she realized now, to cradle her and her lover in the act of lovemaking. Cole, being Cole, would never make love to Honey.

  She didn’t know why that hurt when she’d never thought
of him romantically before...and when she feared becoming involved with lawmen.

  Good for him, that he had that much self-discipline, but he’d left her in need—and she didn’t know how to fill it.

  Her cell rang, and she answered.

  “Honey, I just heard. Are you okay?” Violet, with her characteristic blunt nature, peppered Honey with all kinds of questions.

  “Vy, slow down. Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t sound quite yourself.”

  “I’m not, but I will be okay.”

  “You will be, because all of your friends are going to make sure of it. The guys have agreed to babysit this evening and we’re taking you out.”

  “No. I don’t think I can face a restaurant or a party. I can’t go out.”

  “I don’t mean that. We’re having a picnic. We’re going down to the lake just like we did all last summer.”

  A picnic down by the lake with her friends. The temptation was great.

  She knew what it meant...a couple of bottles of wine, great food al fresco and a dip in the water. It had been so hot lately. The water must be warm for swimming by now.

  Her friends would soothe her and ease her mind after last night’s ordeal. How like them to rally around her. A woman couldn’t ask for better friends.

  Plus, it would get her out for the evening so she wouldn’t have to face her apartment alone. Had it only been one week since the children had arrived? How had she become attached so quickly?

  “Yes,” she said. “I would like that a lot, Vy. What should I bring?”

  “Nothing. We’ve got it all handled. Just show up at our favorite spot at seven. Okay?”

  “You got it.”

  Honey stayed long enough to see how the house looked after the additional furniture from Lester Voile’s place came. She commandeered Zach Brandt to watch the children then left.

  Too many people. Too much activity. Too much camaraderie.

  Plus, she just couldn’t say goodbye to the children.

  She’d never been a coward. She was today.

  Maybe it was last night’s shock that had left her vulnerable, maybe it was having the children and then losing them, or maybe it was the desire for Cole that she found harder and harder to resist.

  Back in her apartment, she crawled into bed to sleep away some of the day.

  * * *