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

by Kirsten Osbourne

  He frowned. “I guess I could leave it ‘til tomorrow, but we only have one day off together before going back to work.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” She jerked her thumb toward the street.

  What he saw was something beyond anything he’d dreamed of. All of her brothers, her sister, and her cousin were there, already dressed in casual clothes. One after the other, they carried boxes and armfuls of clothes into the house.

  Twenty minutes later, there were many thank-yous and hugs as everyone left as quickly as they’d come.

  “That was unexpected…” he said, looking at her.

  “Now you know why I want twelve kids. Free labor at its finest!”

  He took her hand and led her to the door, scooping her into his arms and carrying her over the threshold, before setting her on her feet in the living room. “I still can’t believe you wore red cowboy boots with your wedding dress!” He shook his head. “When you pulled up your skirt for that line dance, I almost fell over!”

  “I told you I was going to. They look good, don’t they?” She looked down at one of her boots before looking at him with a grin. “I may be strange, but I’ve always been this way. You chose me!”

  He nodded, pulling her to him for a kiss. “And I’d do it again every day for the rest of my life.”

  She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. She wished she could say the same. She wanted to tell him she loved him, because he deserved the words, but he didn’t deserve to be lied to. No, she’d wait until she was ready.

  When Kelsi got to work early Saturday morning, she popped her head into the kitchen, expecting to see her sister getting ready to start her day. Instead, she saw Dani standing with a man she’d never seen before. He was handsome, but there was something that just seemed...off.

  “Hi, I’m Kelsi,” she said.

  The man turned to her and grinned, and then she knew.

  “Bobby Blakely.” In her newly-wedded bliss—and being married to Shane could only be described as bliss—she’d forgotten all about Bobby coming. It should have been more awkward, but she didn’t mind. A romance between the two of them could only have happened in her mother’s mind.

  He shook his head. “Just Bob now. I outgrew Bobby in the sixth grade.”

  “Welcome home,” Kelsi said softly, refusing to be impolite, even though she wanted to yell at him to get out of her café.

  “Thanks. And thanks for getting married before I got here. Do you realize your mother came to see me every day for a week, telling me that I needed to marry you, and only you? She told me Dani is all wrong for me, but you would be my perfect wife.” He shuddered. “I was afraid she was saying all the same things to you!”

  “She was, until I told her Monday morning that I’d gotten married.”

  “You married the sheriff, right?” Bob grinned, waiting for her nod before continuing. “Do you have any idea how relieved that makes me? Even if I was madly in love with you, I’m not stupid enough to take on a man who carries a gun for his job!”

  “Glad to hear it!” Kelsi couldn’t believe how relieved she felt. “I’m glad you’re going to be cooking for us. Mom says you’re amazing!” He wasn’t going to be terrible to work with after all. She wanted to spread her arms and spin in circles she was so excited.

  He nodded. “I am. Do you have a problem if I play with the daily specials? Change things up a bit?”

  Kelsi shrugged. “I’m perfectly content with that. Just don’t go too wild. Maybe make sure there’s always one day per week where you fix one of Grandma Kelsey’s special recipes.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Welcome to the team. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.” Kelsi shifted her attention to her twin. “What are you still doing here? Go back to your ordering and other boring paperwork. You’re not needed!”

  Dani flashed a rare grin. “I’m out of here. See you for supper tomorrow night. Whose turn is it anyway?”

  “Will's.” When it was Will’s turn, the same thing always happened. He went into town and bought pizzas for everyone.

  “Pizza? Tell him I don’t want one of your nasty everything pizzas. Something normal for me!”

  Kelsi made a face. “You tell him! He’s your brother too!”

  “Yeah, but I just now got a reprieve and don’t have to talk to anyone until dinner tomorrow night. I’ll be in my own private version of paradise!”

  “And you’ve helped me a lot. So yeah, I’ll call him. Whatever.” Kelsi walked into the dining area and sat down, quickly tapping her brother’s number. “Will, Dani says only normal pizza for her.”

  Will groaned. “Is it my turn again?”

  “Every seventh week, Will. Mark it on your calendar.” She hung up before he could complain more, taking a few moments for herself to sit with her thoughts. She wasn’t nearly as disgusted with Bob as she’d expected to be. She had seen no turtles, lizards, or snakes on his person, and she’d looked! Maybe he’d grown up just like the rest of them. Wouldn’t that be something after all the worrying she’d done?

  When Shane came in for lunch at eleven, she sat down across from him as always, putting her feet on his lap for him to rub.

  He didn't need to ask what she wanted, immediately sliding her shoes off and massaging her feet, knowing they stayed sore with the hours she worked. “How’s it going today?”

  “Really good! Bob is here, so Dani’s finally off in her little hole of an office, and she’s content. He’s not nearly as bad as I remembered, so I’m happy too.”

  “Attractive?”

  Kelsi shrugged. “How am I supposed to know?”

  “You don’t know when a man is attractive?” Shane raised an eyebrow at her.

  “I only have eyes for my new husband. He’s the sheriff around here, you know!”

  Shane grinned. “Whether you mean it or not, you sure do know all the right words to say.”

  Kelsi laughed. “Well, you did promise to take me on a Bigfoot excursion later.” No one in her life had ever been willing to hunt Bigfoot with her as often as Shane has. It made her happy.

  “Get a lunch to take with us.”

  She nodded. “I’ll pop into the kitchen and ask Bob for one. He’s going to start doing boxed lunches for anyone who wants them on Monday. Fifteen bucks for a lunch for two, including two bottles of water. Not a bad deal if you don’t want to do for yourself.” She sighed. “What you’re doing to my feet is positively wicked! Would you stay all day so I can take periodic breaks?”

  He laughed. “I have a lot to do today.”

  “Like what?”

  “Someone needs to grocery shop. I figured once I had a wife, she’d do that kind of thing, but no! She works six days a week.” He frowned at her.

  “Well, that’s a sexist attitude!” She grinned. “Now that I have a real cook, I could probably cut down to five and spend my weekends grocery shopping with you!”

  Shane nodded. “I would love that! And then I can put every jalapeno pepper you try to buy back into the produce section where it belongs.”

  She hopped up and leaned down to kiss his cheek, sliding her feet back into her shoes. “What do you want for lunch? Today’s soup is gumbo and the special is blackened chicken.”

  “It’s Saturday! What about the steak?”

  “New cook. What will you have?”

  He grumbled, “You’re going to have to start bringing me a menu. I’ll take the gumbo and the blackened chicken, but if it’s not good, you’ll have to bring me something else.”

  “It’s good!” Kelsi spun around to go put his order in.

  Bob looked over at Kelsi as she gave Shane's order. “You look like you were just energized.”

  “My husband is here and he gave me a foot massage. Seeing him helps, and the foot massage puts me in a blissful place.”

  “Works for me.” He quickly put a piece of chicken, already seasoned, into the oven. “I have to meet this fabulous sheriff of yours.”

&n
bsp; “Oh, sure! Come on!”

  Kelsi led Bob out to meet Shane. “Bob, this is my husband, Shane. Shane, this is Bob, of the reptile reputation.”

  Bob groaned loudly. “I thought you’d forgotten about the reptiles!”

  “Never! I will forgive you for the reptiles though, if you do a good job.”

  Looking back and forth between them, Shane saw what her mother had seen. They would have made a good couple. They had similar high-energy, peppy personalities.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Bob.” His hand reached for Kelsi’s to stake his claim. He wondered how long he’d feel insecure when he saw her with another man.

  Bob nodded. “Nice to meet you as well. Her mother…”

  Shane grinned at that. “I know. She was hearing it too. Welcome to Riston.” He was glad the other man made it obvious he had no interest at all.

  “I feel like I’m home again.” Bob put his hand on her arm. “Back to the kitchen with me. I’ll have the gumbo ready in a minute.”

  “Why am I jealous of a man whose arrival you’ve been dreading for weeks?”

  She leaned down and kissed him, pulling away when the door opened and a large party of guests of the ranch came in.

  “No idea, but you have nothing to be jealous about. I’m going home with you.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Back to work with me. I’ll see you around three. I’ve arranged for a four-wheeler.”

  “Just one?” he asked, surprised she didn’t want to race again—and cheat.

  She shrugged. “I kind of like your arms around me while I drive it.”

  He chuckled softly. “That works for me. It does make it so much nicer…”

  As she served the guests, her mind was still on Shane. He was uncertain of her for one reason and one reason only. She hadn’t told him she loved him yet. She sighed. She'd felt nothing for the other guys she'd dated, but was what she felt for Shane love? How did a person know they were in love? Maybe it was time for another visit to Jaclyn. Lately, the older woman seemed to have all the answers.

  After work on Monday, Kelsi decided to go see her fairy-loving friend instead of hurrying straight home. It was her turn to cook supper, and she was thrilled to have a husband who agreed they should take turns, but she’d started a spicy chili in the crockpot before leaving for work that morning.

  As she ambled across the expanse of land toward Jaclyn’s, she smiled at the flowers that were starting to bloom all around her. It was hard to believe she’d started dating Shane just three weeks ago, when there was still snow on the ground, and now they were married and the world was starting to look like spring. April was one of her favorite months of the year, because of the change in the weather, and now her anniversary would help her remember to celebrate it by smelling every flower along the way.

  The last of the ice had melted from the lake when they’d gone down to sit by it and talk the previous evening. Soon it would be time for the tourists to start pouring in. They had a steady stream all year, of course, but the summer was their busiest time. The ranch had so much to offer from trail rides, the RV park, a nine-hole golf course, to a tent campground and even river rafting. The old West town they’d built was also a big draw, providing first aid, an ice cream shop, and even a general store. She couldn’t wait to go rafting herself as soon as it was warm enough. It was one of her favorite things to do, probably because her favorite brother was head of it all.

  Will was in charge of all aquatics on the ranch, and he was fabulous with guests. Kelsi just wished he was better at managing employees. He was often taken advantage of, because he was just so affable. He managed not only the river and lake activities, but also the pool. Maybe he was spread too thin and needed an assistant? She had no answers, and she was glad she didn’t need them. She’d rather leave management of everything to Wade, who handled it so much better than she ever could.

  She navigated through the garden creatures at Jaclyn’s and knocked on the door. When Jaclyn opened the door, Kelsi smiled. “I need to talk.”

  “The tea and snickerdoodles are waiting. Come in! Come in!” Jaclyn’s eyes lit up when she saw her, every time she saw her. Kelsi needed to make more of an effort to see the older woman, reminding her that she wasn’t forgotten and still loved by many.

  “You knew I was coming.” It wasn’t a question. Jaclyn always seemed to know when Kelsi would be visiting.

  “The fairies don’t like me to be surprised after what happened to poor George…” Jaclyn invited her inside by opening the door wider.

  Kelsi could see the tea tray was already on the table, one cup full of milk and the other filled with tea. She walked in and took a seat on the couch, reaching for her milk and cookies. She ate a whole cookie in silence, not sure how to bring up her problem.

  “Just spit it out. I don’t have time to sit here all day waiting for you to figure out what you want to say.” Jaclyn took a sip of tea while she waited, impatiently as usual.

  “Well…” Kelsi took a deep breath and another sip of her milk. “How do you know when you love someone?” She felt stupid asking, but at least she was asking Jaclyn and not Will or Dani. They’d have both laughed hysterically like she’d lost a little piece of her mind—okay, another huge chunk of her mind. Whatever.

  Jaclyn smiled. “It’s different for everyone. Tell me this, though. Close your eyes, and picture yourself in ten years. Is he there?”

  Kelsi nodded. “Of course!” Where else would he be? He was Shane.

  “Twenty years?”

  “Yes, and adult children, and that’s downright scary!” She shuddered at the thought of making it through the teen years, immediately wondering if she should re-think the number of children she wanted.

  “Now, open your eyes for a moment.” After Kelsi had complied, Jaclyn asked, “Is there anyone else you would rather be there than him?”

  Kelsi shook her head. “No. Not at all.”

  “Close your eyes again, and let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, about fifty years ago, there was a young woman who thought she had the whole world at her feet. There was a young man she wasn’t quite sure she loved, but she cared for him a great deal, and she sometimes went out with other men as well. One day, her young man—a police officer—stopped by her house on his way to work. He told her he loved her and he wanted her to be his wife.”

  “Okay…” Kelsi wasn’t sure where the story was going, but she was already enthralled. She could see the comparison to her own life.

  “She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She liked her carefree lifestyle, but she cared a great deal for the young man as well. She promised him she’d give him an answer before the end of the day.” Jaclyn took a deep breath. “He said he’d come by as soon as he finished work for the day, because he needed her answer. She went about her daily business as a wealthy young lady. She spent the day shopping with some of her friends. She made sure she was home at five, though, because she knew that would be about the right time for her young man to come. She still wasn’t sure if she loved him, and she didn’t know what she’d say.”

  Kelsi smiled, picturing the scene. “Did she say yes?”

  “She never had the chance. You see, that young man, who had been in love with her for three years, who had asked her to marry him more than once, and always received the answer, ‘not yet,’ died in the line of duty that day. When she got the news, that’s when she knew. She’d always been able to picture her life with him, but when asked to picture her life without him, she dropped to her knees with grief. She couldn’t imagine growing old without him at her side. She couldn’t imagine ever smiling again if he wasn’t with her. And then she knew she loved him. Then, when it was too late to tell him. When it was too late to have his children.”

  Kelsi felt tears stream down her cheeks. “I don’t like this story.”

  “Picture your life without him, Kelsi. Can you do that?” Jaclyn asked softly.

  Kelsi opened her eyes, shaking her head. “No, I can’t. I don’t w
ant to have a life without him!” The very idea hurt her. No, she needed Shane beside her every day for the rest of her life.

  “Then you have your answer.”

  Kelsi reached out a hand and squeezed the older woman’s. “What was the girl’s name?”

  “Jaclyn. And she still thinks of her young police officer every day.” Jaclyn’s eyes focused on the table between them, and Kelsi saw something that she knew had never been there before. It was a picture of a handsome young police officer with a smiling girl clinging to his arm.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Jaclyn nodded. “Me too. Not that he died, because I believe that was out of my control. I’m sorry I never told him I loved him. That I didn’t have those children to raise after he was gone.” She shrugged. “My heart was buried with him.”

  Kelsi grabbed a tissue to blow her nose and wipe away the tears. “Thank you for your story. What was his name?”

  “It was Barry.” Jaclyn smiled. “His sister’s name was Kelsey. She helped me through it.”

  “You would have been my aunt!” Kelsi had no idea her grandmother had lost a brother who was a police officer. She wondered why it had never come up in their long talks together.

  “I feel like I am anyway. Don’t you?”

  Chapter Ten

  Kelsi could think of nothing but the talk she’d had with Jaclyn for the rest of the afternoon. She did some laundry and finished cooking supper, her heart broken for the older woman. No wonder she talked to fairies. She hoped one of them had her Barry’s voice.

  She had the table set and dinner ready to be served at five, knowing Shane would be home just a few minutes later. She put candles in the middle of the table, ready to have a nice romantic evening with the man she loved. She even had a movie picked out that didn’t involve blood and guts. She’d gone with an old superman movie instead, knowing he’d rather not see peoples’ brains gush out their ears, no matter how much she liked it.

  She was curled on the couch, reading one of her favorite books, her mind half on the book and half on what she was going to say to Shane when he came home, when her phone rang.