“I kept saying he was innocent, but most of you wouldn’t listen.” She fought off the sting in her eyes. “I’m just as guilty as the rest of you. I didn’t listen when my husband said I was in danger and that Bart had something to do with it.”
She swallowed, tears welling in her eyes at how she must’ve made Mitchell feel just as alone as everyone else had. Like the entire world was against him. He’d put everything on the line to protect her and the boys, and she’d repaid him by dismissing his concerns. She’d even called him an alpha ass.
Maybe an alpha ass—the very thing she’d been avoiding since her first marriage ended—was exactly what she needed. Exactly what she wanted.
Mitchell. He was what she wanted and needed, and she’d move heaven and earth to show him.
“I’m ashamed of myself. I’m ashamed of this town, because we’re better than that. Or we should be. Mitchell is one of ours, and he should’ve been treated like it. If we can’t all start treating him the way he deserves, then I don’t think I belong here either.”
She had a choice to make, and she was choosing Mitchell. Anyone who didn’t like it could bite her.
Murmurs floated through the room.
Now all she had to do was go find her husband and ask him once and for all if he wanted to be with her for real. No more faux marriage. No more great sex without a long-term commitment to make it work. She was in it forever, and she wanted to know if he was too, even if that meant spending their forever somewhere other than Red River.
Because her home was with Mitchell, and she wanted his home to be with her. Not a town that didn’t see him for the wonderful man that he was.
She swung around to go find him.
And bumped right into a hard wall of muscled stealth.
“Ooff!” She tried to step back, but Mitchell’s arms circled around her waist and hauled her against him.
“You going somewhere?” His tone was soft. Sentimental. Sexy.
A fire started down below. The good kind that simmered through her veins and set her girl parts to a flaming heat.
“Funny.” She tilted her head back to look into his smoldering eyes. “I was going to find you so I could ask you the same thing. I talked to your boss.”
“So did I. He just called me and filled me in on his conversation with you.” His eyes searched hers. “I told him Afghanistan wasn’t on my list of most desirable places to work.” His fingers caressed the small of her back. “So, I was thinking about settling down. Becoming domesticated. Maybe getting a wife, and a dog, and a couple of kids. Know anyone who might be interested?”
“The only person I know who might be remotely interested wants someone she can depend on. Someone who will always be there for her.” The color of his dark eyes grew even more intense, filling with emotions that made her heart expand and fill too. “You were going to leave me.”
His breaths were fast and hard like he’d run all the way to Joe’s. “I was.” His honesty and his regret showed in the tightness of his jaw. “But then I remembered something important you said.”
“What would that be?” Hopefully not the alpha ass part.
“You said you loved me.”
“I did say that. I do love you.”
“I love you too, babe.” He glanced over her shoulder, looking around the silenced room. “I don’t know if that’s good for you and the boys or not.” He ran his hand up her back.
The love in his words and in his expression stole the air from the room.
“Life doesn’t have to be perfect,” she whispered, because it was hard to speak. “We want to be with you, no matter where that takes us.” She swallowed. “Even if we can’t stay here in Red River.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to sign up with an online dating service to find a wife?” he teased. “Because Minx could probably help me out with that if I can fix your old phone. She already tried to sign us up a few weeks ago.”
“That little hussy can stay broken, because you’re taken,” Lorenda teased.
He brushed Lorenda’s hair back over her shoulder with a tender touch. “I don’t know what I’ll do for a job. We’ll have to discuss our options, but I want you to be part of that decision. No more making decisions about our future without your input, I promise.”
Two scratchy female throats cleared somewhere behind her.
“Ouch!” Joe said as Clydelle poked him in the leg with her cane. Francine raised her ginormous purse like she was threatening him. “Okay, okay.” He lumbered toward them, mumbling something about two old hens. “Mitchell, I don’t know about everybody in Red River, but I know some of us feel real bad about everything.” He turned back to look at Clydelle and Francine. They gave him a go on motion. “And well, we were thinking that the sheriff sure could use some help.” Joe gave Mitchell a sincere look. “There’s no one better qualified than you.”
Some applause and a lot of “amens” rounded the room.
For the first time that Lorenda could remember, Mitchell looked choked up in a good way. He glanced around the room. “Only if people in Red River want me as their deputy. I won’t take the job if all I’m going to get is resistance from the people I’m supposed to serve. I had enough of that in the military.” His gaze found hers again. “And only if my wife agrees, after we’ve have a chance to talk about it.”
She kissed him then. Soft and sweet. When she broke the kiss, he pulled her into his neck. She nuzzled the ropey muscles, and he placed a kiss at her temple.
“I think this is where I’m supposed to ask the woman I love if she’ll marry me, but we’re already married,” he whispered so no one else could hear. “So instead I’ll ask you to make it forever.”
“Forever is a long time,” she whispered back, and he tensed. “So let’s go home and get started on it.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brandenburg Park had transformed into a magical fairy-tale setting by Saturday night. Twinkling white lights draped the gazebo and most of the trees. All of Lorenda’s music students had returned to the program and filled their seats to participate in the concert, and Andrea was ready to perform her flute solo.
Every seat in the audience was full, with the overflow crowd spreading blankets on the grass to listen to the kids.
Daniel Summerall sat front and center, a leggy blonde on his arm.
Lorenda scanned the crowd. Her pulse revved when her gaze landed on Red River’s sexy new deputy standing at the back of the park, holding up a large tree. He still wore Levi’s and combat boots, but his trademark black T-shirt had been replaced by an official department-issue deputy shirt. His badge was anchored to his belt, and his holstered Glock made him look even more badass.
Lorenda’s mouth watered, and she licked her lips.
One side of his mouth curved into a naughty, knowing smile, like he could read her thoughts all the way from the back of the park.
Lorenda turned to the kids and had them tune their instruments to the oboe player.
The crowd quieted, and as if the heavens had opened up, the kids played to perfection. Okay, so not really to perfection, but it was like angels singing to Lorenda’s trained ears. Because they were kids, learning the joy of music. Learning the skill of playing music, which would challenge their brainpower and open up a whole new world to them.
When the concert was over, Lorenda had the kids take a bow and then directed the audience to enjoy refreshments served by her best friends.
As she walked off the gazebo steps, Daniel captured her arm. “Great job, Lorenda. You’ve got my support.” He looked around the park. “I’ve rarely seen this much community interest. If you can pull something like this off so well, then I’m in.”
“Thank you, Daniel.” She shook his hand, and he went back to his bombshell date.
Lorenda went to find her husband.
She scanned the row of trees that lined the back of the park where he’d been standing, but he was gone. She kept walking, looking, searching. Until strong
arms reached from behind a large oak and snatched her up, hauling her behind it into the shadows.
“Hi.” Mitchell covered her mouth with his.
“Hello, Deputy,” she whispered between his soft, sweet kisses.
“You did great.” He nuzzled her neck. “I’m so proud of you.”
“The kids did great, not me.” Her breathing picked up speed as his hot mouth got familiar with her neck. “And their parents deserve credit for letting them come back to rehearsals. Daniel Summerall is going to endorse the program.”
“I knew you could do it.” His eyes anchored to her mouth, and he dipped his head to pull her bottom lip between his teeth for a nip.
Her hands slid around his waist and landed on his cuffs.
A shiver of anticipation raced through her.
“If I ever commit a crime, promise you’ll be the one to arrest me, Deputy. Cuffs and all.”
He moaned so deeply against her ear she was afraid someone might’ve heard. “I promise.”
“I hope you know you’re really rocking that uniform.” She speared her fingers into the back of his hair and pulled his mouth to hers.
After a long, deep, sensual kiss that blew Lorenda’s mind, he pulled away. “I’m on duty. I don’t want to let the folks of Red River down my first day on the job. Not after they had an emergency city council meeting yesterday and all but forced the uniform into my hands.” He threaded his fingers with hers and pulled her from behind the tree and toward the crowd.
Her mom and dad walked over with the boys.
“There you are, sweetheart.” Lorenda’s dad gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“It was spectacular!” Her mom beamed.
Jaycee and Trevor surrounded Mitchell, staring at his badge and gun.
Lorenda’s heart stuttered.
Mitchell must’ve read her thoughts. “I have a concealed carry permit. That’s the only reason the sheriff’s department allowed me to carry one right away, and it will stay locked up in a safe when I’m not wearing it.” He turned his attention to the kids. “You hear me, boys?”
They nodded, still staring at the badge.
“I want to be a deputy like you and Grandpa,” Trevor said.
“Me too,” said Jaycee. “Except I want to be the sheriff.”
“We can talk about that when you’re adults. Until then, I have something for both of you.” Mitchell pulled two sets of dog tags from his pocket and draped one around each of the kids’ necks. “One tag on each chain is mine, and the other is your dad’s.”
The kids’ eyes rounded in awe as they studied them.
Lorenda’s throat closed.
The boys ran off to show their friends.
The look of pure love and probably a lot of lust must’ve shown on her face because her parents started to fidget. Lorenda didn’t stop staring at her sexy, strong husband, and her parents finally wandered away quietly.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” He smoothed the back of one finger down her cheek. “I don’t ever want them to forget their dad.”
She swallowed. “And thank you for inspiring me.”
His brows drew together.
“I registered for spring semester. It’ll be a long drive back and forth to the university, but I think I can work my classes out so I only have to go in three days a week. They offer some online classes too.”
He brushed his lips across hers. “A little driving doesn’t seem like a lot since we’ve got forever.” His lips covered hers, and she melted into his kiss, his body, his arms. “When you get home from classes every day,” he whispered against her mouth, “I’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”
She smiled up at him and felt it to her soul. “I’m counting on it.”
Acknowledgments
I owe a huge shout-out to Stan and Karen Sluder. Thanks for the guinea pig story. As always, I have to thank my BFF, Kim R., for all the years of friendship and laughter. Life wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if I hadn’t met you. Thank you to my editors, Maria Gomez of Montlake Romance and Melody Guy. The entire Montlake team rocks. Hard. Thank you to my agent, Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. A huge thank you to my critique partner, Shelly Chalmers, who makes my books so, so, so much better. Thank you to the town of Red River for being my muse and my favorite weekend getaway. And thank you to Fritz Davis for being a real-life character.
About the Author
Photo © 2014 Frank Frost Photography
Shelly Alexander is the author of It’s In His Smile, It’s In His Heart, and It’s In His Touch, earlier titles in the Red River Valley series. A 2014 RWA Golden Heart finalist, she grew up traveling the world, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and worked in the business world for twenty-five years. With four older brothers, she watched every Star Trek episode ever made, joined the softball team instead of ballet class, and played with G.I. Joes while the Barbie Corvette stayed tucked in her closet. When she had three sons of her own, she decided to escape her male-dominated world by reading romance novels and has been hooked ever since. Now, she spends her days writing steamy contemporary romances and tending to a miniature schnauzer named Omer, a tiny toy poodle named Mozart, and a pet boa named Zeus.
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