Short-Order Sheriff (River's End Ranch Book 1)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “No one is going to turn you into a Bob-lover on my watch! A Shane-lover is more what we’re looking for in this town!”

  “I’m not promising to be a Shane-lover either. Right now, I’m promising to be a spicy food-lover and a Bigfoot-lover. Nothing else!”

  “Fine. I’m going to wear you down, though.” As they watched the opening for Lazy Love, he said softly, “And if it gets too intense with Bob the cook, just remember, there’s a Shane that’s always willing to get you away from that nonsense?”

  Kelsi looked at him, seeing that he was watching her and not the opening credits. “Oh yeah? How?”

  “I’ll marry you myself.”

  Kelsi jerked her eyes back to the television, not sure how to respond to that. It had taken almost two years of dating Donn before she’d realized she had no desire to ever marry him. The first time he’d asked her out, she’d been sure he was the man of her dreams, but he wasn’t. He was nothing of the sort.

  How could she know that her feelings for Shane wouldn’t go the same route, and soon she’d think of him the same way she’d thought of Donn? Donn had ended up being no more than a fashion accessory at the end of their relationship. If she’d married him, she’d have tied herself forever to a man who bored her to tears.

  Shane couldn’t help wondering exactly what was rushing through Kelsi’s mind. It was obvious her thoughts were on something other than the show they were watching. He wished he could get inside her head so he could know, but he didn’t ask. He knew she probably wouldn’t have answered him anyway.

  Chapter Four

  Shane sensed something had gone horribly wrong after the phone call with Kelsi’s mother on Tuesday, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He saw her every day for lunch, but she claimed to be too tired to see him in the evenings. He knew she wasn’t used to working all day and spending the evening out, so he believed her, but still worried something wasn’t quite right.

  He couldn’t put his finger on it, but she was treating him a little differently as well. She seemed distant and wasn't trying to get as close as she did the first couple of nights. When he got to the café early on Saturday morning to work, they were the first people there. “Are we still going hiking this afternoon?”

  She nodded. “I packed two backpacks for us, and there’s a four-wheeler parked behind the café. I’m ready to leave as soon as we finish up here this afternoon.” She moved toward the counter where she was filling up the boxes of sugar they put on the tables.

  “Are you upset with me about something?” he asked, watching her reaction carefully.

  “Upset with you?” Her brows drew together in a frown. “Why would I be upset with you?” He hadn’t done anything to upset her.

  Shane shrugged. “You seem to be keeping me at a distance, and you weren’t at first.”

  Kelsi sighed. “It was something my mom said to me. She told me I’d be sick of you within a few weeks and ready to move on to Bobby. I don’t think I will, but she’s right that I got sick of Donn rather quickly.” She shrugged. “I don’t want to mess up our relationship, but I’m worried.” She’d never known a man to hold her interest for long.

  “And you think the closer we get, the quicker you’ll get sick of me and be ready to move on?”

  “I hope not! But it is kind of my history.”

  Shane took her hand and walked to a booth with her. They had a half hour before opening, so they could take ten minutes to talk. When he slid into the same side with her, she gave him a startled look. He’d never done that before.

  “What attracted you to Donn?” he asked.

  “I’m really not sure. My friends all talked about how cute he was, and I guess I thought he was cute too. He was the most popular boy in school, and having him ask me out was kind of flattering.” She shrugged. She’d never really considered why she’d gone out with Donn, but she didn’t remember ever being attracted to him. Not the way she was to Shane.

  “Did his kisses ever make your toes curl?”

  Kelsi laughed softly. “I don’t recall ever having that particular reaction to his kisses.” Only one man’s kisses had ever affected her so strongly, and he was sitting beside her. Of course, maybe she just hadn’t kissed enough men. She’d dated a couple of guys in high school, and then she’d had a long relationship with Donn.

  “And my kisses? What do my kisses make you feel?”

  She blushed. “I don’t know…I…”

  “How ‘bout I remind you?” he asked. They hadn’t kissed since their date on Monday night, because she’d seemed so awkward around him all of a sudden. There was a special vibrancy to Kelsi that had been missing, and he needed it to come back to her. Cupping her face in both hands, he leaned down, gently brushing his lips across hers.

  Kelsi sighed softly, her arms wrapping around his neck as she leaned in closer for a deeper kiss. “You make my toes curl,” she finally whispered.

  “Then don’t you think it’s worth it to see where our relationship goes? It sounds to me like we already have more going for us than you and Donn The Dipstick ever had.”

  “How many derogatory D-words are people going to come up with for Donn?”

  “No idea. They keep coming to me like magic sprinkles from the sky!” He stroked one thumb across her lips. “Do you feel better?”

  She nodded. “I think so. I just worry, and I don’t ever want to disappoint you.” He was too special for her to mess with. Besides, who needed the law in town angry with them?

  He pressed one more kiss to her lips. “You never could. Just keep being you, Kelsi.”

  He slid out of the booth and walked into the kitchen to heat up the grill and get everything organized for the morning.

  Kelsi watched him go, thinking about what a good man he was. He put up with so much from everyone in town—including her.

  Saturdays were the biggest days in the café, and she rushed in and out of the kitchen all morning, passing Liz and Joni repeatedly. When the rush was finally over, and the café was closed, Shane made them all lunch.

  Kelsi and Shane sat together in one booth, and Liz and Joni sat in the other. The two girls had a tight-knit relationship that Kelsi always wished she had with other girls. She was close to her sister and to their cousin, Jess, who had been raised with them, but she didn’t have a lot of other female friends. Spending all her time working after school in high school and college did that to a woman. Whenever she saw Liz and Joni together, she felt like she was missing out on something.

  Shane watched as she picked at the chicken casserole he’d made. “Is something wrong with the food?”

  “Not spicy enough. Getting seasoning.” She jumped up and ran to the kitchen, coming back with some Cajun seasoning that she applied liberally to her meal.

  “That spicy enough now?” he asked, frowning at all the extra seasoning. No one had ever said he didn’t use enough seasoning before.

  She took a bite of the casserole. “I think so. Want to try?”

  “I guess.” He took a bite of her food and almost choked, reaching for his water glass to ease the burning in his mouth. “I don’t know that we’re ever going to be able to cook for each other.”

  “Don’t worry. I carry a small can of this in my purse. I’ll be fine.” She tended to add it to just about everything, something Grandma Kelsey had taught her as well. She missed her grandmother every day.

  He applied himself to his bacon cheeseburger. “I don’t know where your taste buds got broken, but it’s a sad thing. Do you always have to have that much spice to enjoy food?”

  “Mostly. I mean, I eat food with less spice, but not happily.” She looked up as the door to the café opened and her brother Wyatt walked in. “Hey, Wyatt.”

  “Do you have any carrots leftover?” her brother asked. Wyatt was a man of few words, so Kelsi was always pleased when he sought her out for any reason.

  “I think so.” She looked at Shane. “Carrots?” He’d know better than she would.

  Sh
ane nodded. “In the bottom vegetable drawer on the left.”

  “Do you need me to get them for you?” Kelsi offered, knowing her brother didn’t often go into the café’s kitchen.

  Wyatt shook his head. “I got it.” His eyes landed on Shane. “Heard you two were dating.” That’s all he said before he wandered off, not mentioning how he felt about them dating at all. It was almost refreshing to not have someone share their opinion with them.

  Shane watched him go. “I don’t think he’s ever said that much to me all at once before.”

  “He must need the carrots for treats for the horses. I know a couple of them prefer carrots to anything else.” Wyatt was all about his equine friends, often leading guests of the ranch on overnight trail rides.

  Her brother came back from the kitchen, holding up a bag of carrots before leaving. Kelsi watched him go, wondering what went on in his head. Even as kids, he was the brother least likely to tease her or talk to her about anything.

  Kelsi finished her casserole and pushed it away. “I’m stuffed.”

  “Me too. Let’s get the dishes in the dishwasher and head out.” He looked at the two waitresses at the other table, who appeared to be finished, but engrossed in conversation. “You ladies done eating?”

  Liz nodded. “Yeah, we’ll get out of here.” She smiled at Joni, heading toward the door. “I have so much I want to get done today.”

  Joni shrugged. “You always do.”

  Kelsi slid out of the booth and gathered some of the dishes, Shane right behind her with the rest of them.

  Ten minutes later, she locked up the café, grabbed the backpacks out from under the counter, went out to the four-wheeler, and put on a pink helmet. Shane was pleased to see there was a black helmet for him, but he frowned when she got on the front of the four-wheeler.

  “I’m driving,” he said quietly.

  She shook her head. “Nope. I know where I want to go, and I love driving these things. Hang on, Sheriff. You’re in for a ride.” She wasn’t going to back down and let him drive. It was her quest for Bigfoot, and she was going to drive her favorite of the ranch’s toys. Well, the four-wheelers and the snowmobiles were both her favorites. She could happily spend all her time outdoors.

  She started the four-wheeler, and the look she gave him made it clear that she was going with or without him, so if he wanted to accompany her, he’d better climb on.

  Shane sighed but climbed on, his arms going around her waist. As soon as he was seated, she took off, going along the side of the driveway that led through the property to the main ranch house. They drove past the spa, the main house, and the parking lot before crossing the bridge that would take them to the other side of the river and the mountains.

  She drove along the river for a bit before stopping at a wide spot along the bank. “This is where we need to start looking again,” she told him. “I keep finding berry bushes that the Bigfoot have been eating along here.”

  He sighed. “How do you know it’s Bigfoot and not deer?”

  “I just know.” She climbed off the four-wheeler, pocketing the key. She was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, along with a light spring jacket. “Come on! I bet we see one today! I brought my camera!” She was excited to share this part of her life with him—a part no one else had ever willingly wanted to share.

  “Of course, you did!” he said. He’d said he’d hunt for Bigfoot with her, and whether it had been a sincere offer on his part or not, he was going to keep up his end of the bargain. “What made you decide Bigfoot lived in the mountains here?”

  She shrugged. “I guess it’s something I’ve always known. Every time I saw one of those ‘Search for Bigfoot’ shows, I knew this is where they’d be found.” She gave him a radiant smile. “Thanks for believing in me.”

  He reached over to grasp her hand. “Let’s find Bigfoot.” He didn’t believe in her as much as he believed she shouldn’t be in the wilderness by herself, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. No, he would happily join her quest, because it meant time together to get to know one another.

  As they traipsed through the brush, she showed him little things that she was sure meant Bigfoot was close. A half-eaten berry bush, a trail, and even a large footprint. The footprint astounded him, because the snow had only been melted for a few days. Why would there already be a bare footprint on the still rather cold ground? It really could be a Bigfoot, but she didn’t seem overly excited by it.

  When she didn’t take a picture of the footprint, instead moving on, he questioned her. “No picture of the footprint?” She’d taken snaps of the berries and the trail, which he was sure had been made by rabbits.

  She shook her head. “My brothers, Will and Wesley, made a huge mold when we were teenagers. When they know I’m going to come out here searching, one of them will sneak out first and use the mold to make it look like the creatures are close. They’ve been doing it for years. When they’re with me, I act all excited, so they’ll keep wasting their time, but I’m on to them.”

  Shane shook his head. “How can you keep letting them think they're getting you that way? Doesn’t that make you crazy?”

  “Because I know I’m getting them too. It keeps me going on sleepless nights.” Kelsi led the way through the underbrush up the side of the mountain. He knew this wasn’t one of the mountains they used for skiing or it wouldn’t be quite so overgrown. He knew the Westons had two mountains that they had ski hills set up on though.

  When he noticed she was out of breath, he said he needed a break, and they sat down on a couple of rocks to drink the water she’d packed into their backpacks. As he dug through the things she’d brought, he realized she really was an Idaho girl, born and bred. She had everything they could possibly need for any eventuality from frostbite to sunburn. No one ever knew what the weather was going to be, so preparing for everything was always the best course of action.

  “How much higher will we go?” he asked, barely able to see the four-wheeler off in the distance.

  She shrugged. “What time is it?”

  “It’s after five. If we don’t head back, we’re going to get caught out after dark.” He was disappointed to have to end their time together, but he really didn’t want to get caught out after dark. It wasn’t safe. Apparently, there were Bigfoot around.

  She sighed. “I hate going back without finding Bigfoot.”

  “We’ll try again.”

  “You mean it?” she asked, having expected him to come with her once and be done. Donn had never been willing to come with her, and her siblings made fun of her the whole time.

  “Absolutely. Whether we find Bigfoot or not, I enjoy spending time with you. I think you’re pretty special, you know.”

  Kelsi smiled, moving over to join him on his rock. “I think you’re special too. Thank you so much for not laughing and for coming up here with me. I enjoy it out here so much, Bigfoot notwithstanding.”

  “Do you use Bigfoot as an excuse to get out and see nature?” he asked, suddenly feeling like he understood what she was up to.

  She shook her head adamantly. “No, but I love being out here. Bigfoot is my primary concern though. I’m going to find him, and when I do, my brothers will have to eat a whole lot of crow…why, I’ll even bake it into a pie for them.”

  “A pie with jalapenos?”

  “What else would you put in crow pie?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder for just a moment. “We need to come on a day when we’re both off the entire day, so we’ll have more time to find one.”

  “Whenever you want,” he answered. Truthfully, he enjoyed hiking as much as she did. If she wanted to call it Bigfoot hunting, he wouldn’t complain too much.

  Together they made their way down the mountain and back to the four-wheeler. “Can I drive you into town for dinner tonight?”

  She nodded slowly, getting on the front of the four-wheeler. “As long as we don’t go anywhere fancy. I don’t feel like changing.”

  “I hop
e you don’t ever change,” he said into her ear after putting his helmet on. He looked down at the river which was raging below them. “Look at how full the river is.”

  She nodded. “Lots of snowfall this year. So as the snow is melting, the mountain streams are filling and they’re all dumping into the river. The lake is crazy high, right about now.” The lake she mentioned was on her family’s property as well. The ranch got its name from the river emptying into the lake, making it the end of the river.

  “Do you ever go out on the river?” he asked.

  She nodded. “And on the lake. It’s Will’s favorite thing, of course, and he’s the brother I’m closest to, so we do stuff like that together sometimes.”

  “I’d love to go with you.”

  She smiled over her shoulder at him as she started the four-wheeler, taking the same route back as she’d taken to get there, because there was only one bridge over the river. You could go all the way south of the lake, but that seemed to take too long in Kelsi’s estimation.

  Once they’d reached the shed where the four-wheelers were kept, she climbed off and tucked her helmet under her arm. “This one is mine, but I borrowed yours.”

  “Leave it on the four-wheeler?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Someone will be by to put it up in a little while.” They were a good ten-minute walk from the house and five minutes from the café. “Why don’t we go get my truck from the ranch house, and I’ll drive us this evening?”

  “That works.” He held her hand as they made the walk back to the ranch house. “I don’t think I ever realized just how much property your family owns. I mean, I’ve seen it on a map, but being out there and driving around is different.”

  “Yeah. It’s a massive property.” And she loved every little piece of it. It was home in a way nothing else ever could be.

  Once they reached the ranch house, he stopped. “Do you want to leave right away? Or go in for a bit?”