Reunited with the Sheriff

by Belle Calhoune

  Reckless. Unfeeling. Cruel. Disloyal.

  He knew now that those things he’d thought about her weren’t true. Cassidy had been little more than a teenager at the time of the accident. At eighteen years old she’d been scared and traumatized and vilified by the community she adored. Sheriff Keegan had even issued a warrant for her arrest. Who wouldn’t have run away from all that? Who wouldn’t have wanted to make a fresh start in a town where their name wasn’t mud?

  It was clear to him what was happening. There was no point in fighting it. He could feel the cloud lifting over his heart. For so long he hadn’t even been able to think about Cassidy without bitterness welling up inside of him. Now, she was all he could think about. Dream about. And he was finding it very difficult to imagine West Falls without her, although he knew it was only a matter of time before he’d have to say goodbye.

  * * *

  Cassidy spent most of the morning at Main Street Church with her father. After Tate headed to the Sheriff’s Office, her father led her down the hall to his private office and shut the door. He ushered her to a chair then leaned against the back of his desk with his legs crossed. He steepled his hands in front of him, a thoughtful expression etched on his face.

  “Before we get started on new business, I think we have some unfinished business to settle.”

  “Unfinished business?” Cassidy frowned. She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

  Her father raised an eyebrow. “Your mother told me you think I’m ashamed of you.”

  The accusation was thrown out there like a stick of dynamite. Although she’d felt that way for years now and she’d said as much to her mother, she hadn’t expected to be hashing out the issue with her father. The topic had been avoided like a live grenade for all these years—she didn’t know how to tackle it. All she had were her truths.

  “That’s what it seems like,” she admitted in a quiet voice.

  He reached out to her, patting her hand in a comforting gesture. “That’s not possible. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. And you’ve always made me proud.”

  “Until the accident,” she said bluntly.

  “The accident—” He let out a deep sigh. “It was a low point in all our lives. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in what happened that night, mainly because you had no business driving your friends around as a newly licensed driver. What I’ve learned most from that time is that we’re all human, we all stumble.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes and she let out a shaky laugh. “All this time I thought you were ashamed of me.”

  He gazed into her eyes and what she saw there was regret. “I haven’t communicated with you very well since the accident, but I suppose I’ve been dealing with my own shame.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “What do you have to be ashamed about?”

  “Cass, you’re not a parent, but trust me, when the time comes you’ll do anything to protect your child. Coming up with the plan to send you to Phoenix was born out of fear. It had nothing to do with shame or disappointment. It had to do with protecting my only child.” Tears misted in his eyes. “On a daily basis I tell my parishioners to face things in their life head on, but when it mattered most I did the very opposite.” Her father hung his head. “If it hadn’t been for me, you and Tate would be settled down into a nice life right about now.”

  Her father’s words stunned her. All this time he’d been beating himself up about the decisions he’d made on her behalf, ones that had been motivated by love. Much like herself, he’d been mired in guilt.

  “You can’t blame yourself for choices I made, especially about Tate. I wanted to leave. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I felt relieved when I got to Phoenix. I was so afraid in the days after the accident. Leaving West Falls allowed me to have a fresh start.”

  “And now? Are you at peace, Cass?”

  “Not completely,” she acknowledged. “To borrow your expression, I still have some unfinished business with Tate. And I want to show the people here in town that I’ve done my best to make amends. Maybe then I’ll be at peace.”

  He reached out and touched her cheek. “I’m here if you want to tell me about it. I’m a pretty good listener. And so is God. Don’t forget to lean on him in times of trouble. He’s always there for us.”

  “I know. I’ve said so many prayers I think God might be sick of me.”

  He smiled down at her, his gaze filled with compassion. “He’ll never get tired of hearing from you.” Like she’d done so many times since she was a child, she threw herself against his chest and found herself surrounded by his strong, loving arms. For a few moments her father gently rocked her in his arms, providing a safe harbor amidst all the uncertainty.

  After their heart-to-heart, they got straight down to business. They talked with the insurance company by phone, met with a contractor and made dozens of phone calls to spread the word about the gathering. The contracting company was owned by Jim Tuggles, her high school classmate. Jim put in a reasonable bid and vowed to get the new roof put up in record time. They spoke by phone with a steeplejack—a craftsman who repaired steeples—and made an appointment for him to come see the steeple and give them a quote for its repair. Based on his comments, they soon realized that the restoration of the steeple was not a quick fix. It might take years and a great deal of money to restore it to its former glory.

  By the time lunch rolled around, they’d both earned a little reprieve. They’d been working nonstop all morning. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind for Cassidy and it was all beginning to catch up with her.

  “Daddy, would you mind if I went out for a bit? I think I might call Regina and see if she can meet me for lunch.” She and Regina were way overdue for a get-together. Regina was also on her list of people she wanted to volunteer to help with the gathering. With her professional contacts and client base, Regina could really help get the word out about restoring the church.

  He smiled down at her. “Of course I don’t mind. There’s nothing that would make me happier than if you and Regina became close again.” He glanced at his watch. “Matter of fact, I think I’ll scoot over to the house and have lunch with your mother.”

  Within five minutes she’d made plans to meet her cousin for lunch at the Falls diner.

  Twenty minutes later when she entered the diner she was greeted once again by Robin. This time the waitress greeted her like an old friend.

  “Cassidy, welcome back,” she said with a huge smile. “Booth or table?”

  “Hi, Robin. I’m actually meeting my cousin—”

  “Yeah, she’s here already. She’s sitting right over there.” Robin jerked her thumb in Regina’s direction. Cassidy’s gaze shifted toward the back of the diner. Regina was seated at a booth—the same one by the jukebox where the four roses had always held court. Seeing her cousin sitting there was like taking a step back into the past. Memories as sweet as a light summer rain washed over her, making her feel like a teenager again. It put an extra spring in her step.

  As she sat down at the booth, Robin placed two menus on the table, popping her gum as she recited the lunch specials and took their order. A few minutes later she returned, bringing with her two tall glasses of lemonade.

  As Robin headed back to the kitchen, Regina said, “God bless Doc for giving his granddaughter a job at his diner. She’s something else.”

  Cassidy nearly sputtered on her lemonade. “Granddaughter? She’s Doc’s granddaughter?”

  “She sure is. Robin and her mom moved here about six or seven years ago after her parents got divorced. She’s a nice girl, but quite the firecracker. Keeps Doc on his toes.”

  Regina stopped talking long enough to take a sip of her lemonade. After one sip she puckered her lips before dumping two packets of sugar into the glass. She swirled the contents around wit
h a spoon then took another sip. She let out a satisfied sigh.

  “I’m so glad you called me for lunch, Cass, although I’m a bit surprised.” Regina bit down on her lip. “I haven’t exactly rolled out the red carpet for you since you’ve been back.”

  “It’s okay. We’ve always had an up and down relationship,” Cassidy said. “When we were growing up we were more like sisters than cousins, including the whole sibling rivalry thing. But ever since I left we haven’t had much to do with one another.”

  A look of sadness passed over Regina’s face. “Cass, I don’t think you realize how much things changed when you left. I lost you, Holly and Jenna all at once.”

  She furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about?”

  “You were the center of the friendship. When you left it all fell apart. Within a few months the three of us weren’t even speaking.”

  Cassidy’s mouth swung open. This whole time she’d assumed that the three other roses had continued their friendship without her. It was shocking to find out that it had all collapsed in the aftermath of the accident. She reached out and clasped hands with Regina. Compassion rose up within her for her cousin.

  “I’m so sorry. That must have been hard for you to lose all of us at once.”

  Regina shrugged. “I guess you went through the same thing, huh?”

  “Pretty much. But I’ve learned a lot about loss over the years. It’s something all of us go through at one point or another. I just came from the church, and the congregation is devastated about the loss of the roof. Somehow I can’t help but think that there are other communities that lost lives in this storm. There’s no loss greater than that.” Cassidy knew she’d be adding those lost souls to her prayers tonight.

  “How is Uncle Harlan handling this crisis? I’m sorry that I won’t be able to swing by and see him until this afternoon.”

  “He’s doing as well as can be expected. First and foremost, he’s holding up the entire congregation. He’s dried more tears this morning than he’s probably done in twenty-five years. He’s like the Rock of Gibraltar, which makes me worry about him.” At times like this Cassidy often wondered who her father turned to when everything around him seemed to be falling down. She smiled, knowing with a deep certainty what her father would say in response to that question. He’d quote Isaiah, as he always did, saying “The Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Regina said. “He’s always been the one to lift everyone else up even when his own soul is weighed down.”

  Out of nowhere a petite blond woman showed up at their booth, both hands planted on curvy hips, a warm smile enhancing her delicate features.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Regina, but I just wanted to stop by and say hello to Cassidy!” The woman’s bubbly voice was loud enough to turn heads at neighboring tables.

  Cassidy discreetly gave her the once-over, from the top of her newly dyed hair to the soles of her high heeled feet. She looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place her in any memory, either from childhood or adolescence. With her long blond hair, almond-shaped eyes and trendy outfit, she was attractive in a very polished way. Despite the niggling feeling that she knew her, the woman’s identity eluded Cassidy.

  Before she could say a word, Regina stood up from the table, rising to her full height of five feet ten inches. She enveloped the woman in a tight hug.

  “Goodness. I haven’t seen you in ages, Kit,” Regina gushed. “Where have you been hiding?”

  Kit made a face. “Might as well have been under a rock. I’ve been up to my elbows in legal briefs. For once I actually had more clients than I had time to represent.”

  Kit. Kit Saunders? No, it couldn’t be! Cassidy vaguely remembered her from high school. She’d been very overweight, always dressed head to toe in black and tended to be a recluse. The glamorous woman standing before her bore no resemblance to that frumpy girl. Her transformation was staggering.

  Kit glanced over at Cassidy, a pretty smile lighting up her face. “It’s nice to see you back in West Falls.”

  Cassidy returned the smile. Something eased inside her chest. It felt so nice to be treated like an old friend. “Thanks, Kit. It’s nice to see you again, too.”

  “How long are you staying in town?”

  “Until the end of the summer. Then I’m headed back to Phoenix.”

  Saying it out loud gave her a reality check. Even though West Falls was feeling more like home each and every day, it hadn’t been her home for a very long time. Soon she’d be returning to Phoenix and the life she’d so carefully built for herself.

  “Well, please tell your folks I said hello,” Kit said in a chirpy voice. “Enjoy your summer.”

  After Kit left their booth and headed to the exit, Cassidy shot Regina a look of disbelief.

  “I’m not trying to be rude, but wasn’t she two hundred pounds or so?” The memory of a heavy-set, sullen Kit popped into her head.

  Regina nodded her head. “Yeah. Incredible, isn’t it? She went on some weight loss program and lost sixty pounds.”

  “She looks great,” Cassidy acknowledged. “Wow. I would never have recognized her.”

  “She and Tate dated for two years,” Regina said matter-of-factly.

  Cassidy felt as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest. Two years? Tate had dated that sweet, gorgeous woman for two years? She could feel her face dropping, but despite her best efforts she couldn’t hide her dismay. It wasn’t as if she’d expected Tate to never date again, but hearing that he’d been in a long-term relationship with Kit was like pouring acid in a wound.

  “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?” Regina asked, her brown eyes nearly bulging out of her head.

  “Two years is a long time.” Cassidy’s mind began to swirl with random images. Tate horseback riding on his ranch with Kit and spending lazy afternoons at the swimming hole with her. Tate placing soft, tender kisses at the nape of Kit’s neck. She closed her eyes tightly, willing the painful images to disappear.

  “Cassidy, you and Tate have been over for a long time.” Regina looked at her curiously. “Unless...are you and Tate back together?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are you still in love with him?”

  “No, we’re not back together, Regina. We’ve been spending time together here and there—”

  “And? Get to the good stuff!” Regina was leaning forward in the booth, her eyes wide with excitement. “C’mon, Cassidy.” She let out a tortured groan. “I have no love life of my own. Please let me live vicariously through you, if only for a few minutes.”

  “And nothing. We’ve reestablished our friendship. He’s been really kind to me, considering everything that’s happened in the past.”

  Regina’s jaw dropped. “Friendship? After everything the two of you shared you expect me to believe that you’re just friends?”

  Cassidy sighed, knowing Regina might never understand where she was coming from. Her relationship with Tate was filled with complexities. “Before I came back to West Falls he was nothing more than a memory, something I tried to stuff down because it hurt too much to face it. Sometimes I thought about the past and about being engaged to him, but I never really thought about him. It made it easier to leave it all behind.” She let out a soft chuckle. “I’d forgotten how wonderful he is, Regina. He makes me laugh. And he’s so generous. Even though he’s still hurt about my ending our engagement, he still shows me kindness. Isn’t that what a friend would do?” Cassidy bowed her head as sadness threatened to overwhelm her. “But he doesn’t trust me yet, maybe he never will. I burned a lot of bridges with him when I left town.”

  “Bridges can be rebuilt, Cass. You just have to put in the hard work and be patient.”

  “Maggie made it clear that she doesn’t want me in the picture. She can barely stand to l
ook at me. How can I rebuild my friendship with Tate when Maggie is dead set against it?”

  Her feelings for Tate were leading her in a direction much stronger than friendship, but she wasn’t ready to share that with Regina. She was heading into scary territory with Tate, and she knew that with one false move she might fall headlong over the edge. Falling might feel nice, but landing with a thud would hurt.

  “Cassidy, please don’t take this the wrong way, but...it sounds like if you’re not careful, you’re going to fall right back in love again with Tate.” Regina’s voice was laced with sincerity. Her eyes showed compassion and a genuine love for her cousin that Cassidy hadn’t seen in years. Clearly she was looking out for her best interests.

  She truly appreciated the fact that Regina cared enough about her to caution her. But she knew deep down in her soul that Regina’s warning had come far too late. She was already falling head over heels in love with her ex-fiancé.

  Chapter Nine

  Horseshoe Bend Ranch had been transformed into a vibrant upbeat venue. Twinkling lights had been placed at the entrance to the ranch, providing a festive vibe. Red lanterns lit the road toward the main house. Tables had been set up all around the perimeter of the house, with a stage and a dance floor in the center. Teenaged volunteers, decked out in jeans and white shirts, were making the rounds with mouthwatering appetizers and sparkling cider.

  Tate’s parents were both dressed in their finest Western gear. Getting his father to attend the event had taken a lot of persuasion, but with Holly’s help, he’d gotten the job done. His mother on the other hand had become excited once she saw her daughter’s enthusiasm. She’d taken great pains to select the perfect outfit even though the event had been billed as come as you are. She’d taken Holly on an overnight shopping trip to Amarillo. They’d come back to the ranch the next day loaded down with shopping bags from cowboy boot shops and designer outlets. Tate couldn’t remember the last time they’d shared such a bonding experience.