“Don’t you even dare talking about kid madness,” Suzy said, walking out of the kitchen with her own toddler on her hip. Her husband, James, was inside the house with their five-year-old. “We might only have two little ones, but don’t let that fool you. We have a teenager and a college graduate.”
Billy laughed. “But don’t you have that live-in nanny?”
Suzy rolled her eyes but smiled. “If you’re talking about Jensen, I wouldn’t call him particularly helpful with this one.” She motioned to her daughter. “Anytime there’s a dirty diaper, he starts gagging. You’d think it wouldn’t bother him as much considering he’s had a drunk man vomit on him while he was running the bar.”
“Oh, are we talking about kid war stories?”
Everyone turned to see Cassie and Henry coming up the stairs. Henry was wearing one of their twins across his chest while holding their toddler son Colby’s hand. Cassie had the other twin in her arms. “Because we’re late to my own birthday party because this one—” she pointed to Colby “—decided to put a popcorn kernel up his nose. We were two steps from going to the ER before he blew it out himself.”
Henry shook his head.
“I’m not too ashamed to say I was more freaked out than she was,” he said. “I mean one second it was there and then the next it was gone.”
Everyone laughed and the next hour was spent talking, mingling, and swapping old and new stories. It wasn’t until after the cake was served and they had all moved out to the seating area around the fire pit in the backyard that Dane felt it.
Really felt it.
Lucky.
Sitting there with the love of his life, the two pieces of his heart, and the closest friends he’d ever had, he just felt plain ol’ lucky. He wasn’t the only one. Looking across the fire, he caught Billy’s eye. The sheriff took off his cowboy hat, smiled and stood. He used the hat to get everyone’s attention.
“I know all of us here aren’t for speeches, but sitting around and seeing us all has me feeling...well, emotional. And no, before you say anything, it has nothing to do with what I’ve been drinking.”
The group laughed. Billy continued. “It’s just that we’ve all come so far—together—that I can’t help saying a few things.” His smile grew. Dane leaned in.
“I remember when I started at the sheriff’s department,” he said. “I was young. I was determined. And I was as stubborn as a mule. I thought Sheriff Rockwell was too uptight, the break room was too depressing, and a certain partner of mine was too cocky.” He sent a wink Suzy’s way. She snorted. “I thought a lot of things in the beginning, but one thing I never thought was that the department would ever be more than a job. Certainly not become a family.”
Billy took a second to look around. Dane didn’t need to see their faces to know everyone was in agreement.
“But that’s exactly what happened. Through thick and thin—a little too thin sometimes, if you ask me—we’ve stuck by each other, braved all the storms together, and done it while staying true to what we believe in. This county, the people who live within it, and the good fight for justice. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for being exactly who you are. And to show how thankful I am, I’m going to embarrass each of you by singling you out.” Everyone laughed. Billy turned to Suzy.
“Suzanne Simmons-Callahan,” he continued. “When we first started at the department together, you once told me two things. One, don’t ever for a second treat you any differently just because you were my best friend. Two, don’t ever for a second treat you any differently because you were a woman. I think it’s safe to say that none of us here has ever treated you any differently because of either. You have worked hard and true to be one of the best I’ve ever known in law enforcement all on your own. Nothing and no one has ever stopped you and we’ve been damn lucky to have you. To Suzy!”
Everyone raised their drinks and cheered. Suzy wiped under her eye. James gave her a big kiss. Billy turned to Caleb next.
Caleb groaned. “Oh boy, this is going to be brutal.”
Billy laughed. “Caleb Foster, I remember your first week on the job. You complained more about the heat and humidity than anyone I’d met. It got to the point where I was worried you’d quit just to escape it all.”
Caleb nodded. They all remembered that.
“And honestly, I wasn’t too keen on you staying in the beginning. But then you proved everyone wrong. You stepped up in the best way possible and never stopped trying to fight the good fight. Once again, I think I speak for all of us when I say how glad we are that you decided to stay and I can’t wait to see what you’ll continue to do. To Caleb!”
They all raised their glasses and took a drink. Billy homed in on Matt. “Now to our other favorite detective, Matt Walker.” Billy took a second to snort. “We’ve been through a lot. In fact, I think you’ve been through a lot with everyone here. Sure, it’s your job, but I think it’s safe to say helping your friends and this county is something you’d do even if you weren’t paid to do it. From dropping everything to help those who need it, your time as deputy and detective has benefited us all in more ways than we can count. To Matt!”
Matt, closest to Billy, stood and clapped the sheriff on the back. They clinked their bottles together.
“And to the birthday girl and her husband,” he continued. “Cassie Ward, we have said from the moment you started at the department that you were the heart of us all. Always a ray of sunshine despite times when work took us into darkness. You never once stopped trying to make us happy, even when it was at your own expense. I don’t know where we’d be without you and I don’t ever want to find out. To Cassie!”
They all cheered louder this time. Some of the children squealed and cried. Billy ruffled the hair of his son before looking at Henry.
“And then there’s this guy.” Everyone laughed. “Henry, you’re just about the most impressive person I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside. Stubborn but in a good way. Clever but humble about it. However, I think the most impressive part is how, without a doubt, you’re the only person we have ever thought was good enough for Cassie. You make her happy, which makes us happy.”
He lowered his voice. “And believe me, we were waiting for her to give us a reason to tear into you.”
Henry let out a hoot of laughter. Billy was joking, but was it a joke if it was also true?
“Thanks for being the solid, hardworking guy you are. To Henry!”
Dane raised his glass but skipped taking a drink. Billy’s eyes were on him now. Rachel squeezed his hand.
“Dane Jones,” he started. He was grinning. “In times of crisis you have told me that I keep this department together, but I just don’t think that’s true. There was a time in your life when you could have quit, left the department behind, and no one would have blamed you for it. But you didn’t. You stayed and kept going, and I don’t think you realize how much you’ve helped us all because of it. Late nights, long weekends, holidays... If there was one thing we could always count on, it was you being there. Even when we didn’t realize it. You’re the glue, buddy. Always have been, always will be. To Dane!”
Rachel yelled along with the people around him. Dane felt his chest tighten. But in the best way possible. He cleared his throat and stood.
“And now let’s talk about the sheriff,” he said, grinning at Billy. A second later he sobered. He wanted to make sure his friend saw that he was being sincere. “If Cassie’s the heart and I’m the glue, then I don’t think I’m being too dramatic when I say that Billy Reed is the soul of not only the department, but Riker County as a whole.” A wave of nods spread through the group. “I’d like to think I love this place, but I don’t think any of us has a love that compares to yours. You have never hesitated to help any and all of the people who are in our jurisdiction and you’ve never hesitated to help us, either, for that matter. You take
pride in our home and it has showed through every good thing you’ve done for the department. In turn, you make us proud just to be your friend, never mind your colleague. We’re the ones who are lucky to have you. Riker County sure is.” Dane raised his glass. “To Billy!”
They all cheered. Billy’s eyes were glassy, but no one called him on it. Instead they quieted as Billy stood one last time.
“I look around this group tonight, and as I said, I don’t see friends or colleagues, I see family,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot and we’ll probably be through a lot more. But no matter what lies ahead, I can say without an ounce of hesitation, we will always make it through as long as we have each other. So here’s to us and here’s to our home.” Billy raised his bottle. “To Riker County!”
This time everyone stood.
“To Riker County!”
* * * * *
Look for more books from
Tyler Anne Snell
coming soon.
And don’t miss the previous titles in
The Protectors of Riker County miniseries:
Small-Town Face-Off
The Deputy’s Witness
Forgotten Pieces
Loving Baby
The Deputy’s Baby
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Hard Rustler
by B.J. Daniels
Chapter One
As her sports car topped the rise, Annabelle Clementine looked out at the rugged country spread before her and felt her heart drop. She’d never thought she’d see so many miles of wild winter Montana landscape ever again. At least, she’d hoped not.
How could she have forgotten the remoteness? The vastness? The isolation? There wasn’t a town in sight. Or a ranch house. Or another living soul.
She glanced down at her gas gauge. It hovered at empty. She’d tried to get gas at the last station, but her credit card wouldn’t work and she’d gone through almost all of her cash. She’d put in what fuel she could with the change she was able scrape up, but it had barely moved the gauge. If she ran out of gas before she reached Whitehorse...well, it would just be her luck, wouldn’t it?
She let the expensive silver sports car coast down the mountain toward the deep gorge of the Missouri River, thankful that most of the snow was high in the mountains and not on the highway. She didn’t know what she would have done if the roads had been icy since she hadn’t seen a snow tire since she’d left Montana.
The motor coughed. She looked down at the gauge. The engine had to be running on fumes. What was she going to do? It was still miles to Whitehorse. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to cry. Yes, things were bad. Really bad. But—
She was almost to the river bottom when she saw it. At a wide spot where the river wound on its way through Montana east to the Mississippi, a pickup and horse trailer were pulled off to the side of the highway. Her pulse jumped at just the thought of another human being—let alone the possibility of getting some fuel. If she could just get to Whitehorse...
But as she descended the mountain, she didn’t see anyone around the pickup or horse trailer. What if the rig had been left beside the road and the driver was nowhere to be found? Maybe there would be a gas can in the back of the pickup or—Have you stooped so low that now you would steal gas?
Fortunately, she wasn’t forced to answer that. She spotted a cowboy standing on the far side of the truck. Her instant of relief was quickly doused as she looked around and realized how alone the two of them were, out here in the middle of nowhere.
Don’t be silly. What are the chances the cowboy is a serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, ax murderer...? The motor sputtered as if taking its last gasp as she slowed. It wasn’t as if she had a choice. She hadn’t seen another car for over an hour. For miles she’d driven through open country dotted occasionally with cows but no people. And she knew there was nothing but rugged country the rest of the way north to Whitehorse.
If there had been any other way to get where she was headed, she would have taken it. But her options had been limited for some time now.
And today, it seemed, her options had come down to this cowboy and possible serial killer rapist kidnapper ax murderer.
She let the car glide into the spot next to where the cowboy had pulled off the highway. I’ll just bum a little fuel and be on my way. Nothing to worry about. Just the thought made her laugh. Her life was one big worry right now, she fretted, as she took in the rangy-looking cowboy standing by his truck.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” She groaned. Taking risks is what got you into this mess. Like she had to be reminded.
The engine let out a final cough and died. Committed now, she had no choice as she braked next to the horse trailer. Turning off the key in the ignition, she checked her makeup and hair in the mirror. You’re Annabelle Clementine. You can do this. The woman who stared back at her from the mirror looked skeptical at best.
Bucking up her courage, she stepped out of the car, careful not to let her last pair of expensive heels get muddy. “Excuse me?” she called, determined also not to get too far away from her open car door. “I’m afraid I have a small problem and really could use some help.”
She was ready to make a hasty retreat back into the car, if need be. Not that she would be going far if things went south. But at least she could lock herself in. She instantly regretted the fact that she’d bought a canvas-topped convertible, which had been perfect in Southern California.
The cowboy had his back to her and hadn’t looked up from where he’d been digging around in the back of his pickup bed.
“Excuse me?” she tried again. He had to have heard her. But so far, he hadn’t acknowledged her presence in any way.
Forced to move away from the car, she took in the cowboy as she approached and wasn’t impressed with what she saw. But then again, she’d grown up with cowboys so she’d never understood the fascination. Admittedly, this one was tall, broad shouldered, slim hipped, long legged and not bad from the backside.
Unfortunately, everything else about him looked worn and dirty, from his jeans, boots and canvas jacket to the Stetson on the too-long dark hair curling at the nape of his red neck.
At her approach, he gave her a quick glance over his shoulder. She could see little of his face. He wore mirrored sunglasses against the winter
glare, his hat pulled low. Under the dark shadow of his Stetson, she glimpsed several week’s growth of beard, making him look even more craggy and unkempt. No designer stubble on this cowboy.
Either he’d been on the range for days or this was as good as it got with him.
You’re not marrying him. You’re just bumming fuel. “Hello?” she said louder and with more attitude as he went back to what he was doing.
“There a problem?” he drawled in a low, lazy tone as he finally finished and turned, seemingly reluctantly, to give her his attention. She saw that he’d been feeding his dog in the back of the pickup. The dog—little more than a puppy—was a furry mutt with one blue eye and one brown one circled by a patch of black. He didn’t look much better than his owner.
She shifted her gaze back to the cowboy who was looking at her car as if he’d never seen one like it before. Probably doesn’t get off the ranch much.
He slowly slid his gaze back to her with a nonchalance that made her grind her teeth.
“Yes, there is a problem.” She’d thought she’d already told him that.
He lifted the brim of his hat, dropped his sunglasses down to look over them for a moment. She caught a glimpse of brown eyes as he surveyed her, making her feel nearly naked under the black cashmere sweater and slacks she was wearing, before he lifted his sunglasses again.
“I’m afraid I forgot to buy gas at the last station,” she said, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible—even if it did make her look like a fool. She had worse problems. “I was wondering if you might have some gas that I could borrow? Just enough to get me into town?”
“Borrow?” He chuckled at that. “And town being?”
She hated to even admit where she was headed. “Whitehorse.”
“That’s another hour up the road.”
As if she didn’t know that. “My car used more gas than I thought it would.” She gave a nervous laugh, hating that she had to resort to acting as if she didn’t have a brain. Back when she was making money, fuel was never an issue. She hadn’t realized how much a lot of things cost—until she couldn’t pay for them anymore.
The Negotiation Page 18