Falling for the Sheriff

by Tanya Michaels

  Yeah, but who was to say those drunks weren’t armed? And being sheriff was a complex, county position. Cupid’s Bow was his home base, but his job took him into other communities. Still, she appreciated that Cole was trying to make her feel better.

  She smiled weakly. “You forgot candy bar theft.”

  “Yeah, we’re definitely cracking down on that. There’s talk of putting together a task force,” he teased.

  She laughed, starting to feel like herself again. “The community pool is a weird place for emotional confessions. But you’re...easy to talk to.”

  “It’s not me, it’s the badge. Most people are trained from a young age that they can trust law enforcement, depend on us in a crisis.”

  “I don’t know about that. Besides, you aren’t wearing your badge.” She was suddenly reminded of how little either of them wore. The concrete step put them in close proximity; his bare arm rested ever so slightly against hers. Their legs were stretched out together, hers looking uncharacteristically delicate next to his darker skin and taut calves. If she tilted her head just a few inches to her left, it would be on his shoulder.

  Her heartbeat accelerated again, but this time, it wasn’t the irrational panic that had pounded through her when she saw his scar. Her body was reacting in a number of tiny ways, all of which felt confusing and wrong after discussing Damon’s death.

  She shot to her feet. “I’m keeping you from your girls.”

  “Kate, it’s okay.”

  “I know Mandy’s itching to try the high dive with you. Why don’t you take her, and I’ll keep working with Alyssa on her swimming?” she offered. “I was a pretty timid kid myself. Maybe I can get through to her.”

  At the moment, Kate felt a strong kinship with the little girl. Because if there was anything Kate understood with perfect clarity, it was the terror of suddenly finding yourself in over your head.

  Chapter Five

  In the end, Kate didn’t think she could take the credit for drawing Alyssa out of her shell and helping her enjoy the water. Luke was a natural with the little girl, alternately goading her like a resolute personal trainer and making her giggle. After she’d had sufficient practice floating on her back, Luke coaxed her to jump in from the side of the pool. At first, he’d stayed in the water to catch her. As she gained confidence, the two of them began jumping in together. Alyssa, merrily oblivious to the physics of water displacement, seemed determined to eventually make the bigger splash.

  She jumped into the air, tucked her knees against her chest and yelled, “Cannibal!”

  Kate did a double take, then looked to her son for confirmation. “Did she say—”

  “You just now noticed? It was so funny the first time I didn’t correct her.” Then he launched himself into the air. “Cannibal!”

  If Kate hadn’t noticed the mispronunciation sooner, it was because she’d been lost in melancholy what-ifs. Since she and Damon had both been only children, it had seemed natural for them to raise just one kid. Being a policeman was a noble calling, but it sure wasn’t a fast track to riches. Ditto teaching at a public school. They’d thought that by having a single child, they’d be better able to afford luxuries like memorable family vacations. They’d talked about seeing Europe one day. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. There had been so many things they’d planned to do “someday.”

  Now, watching Luke with Alyssa, she realized her son might have made an excellent big brother. Though he’d never specifically voiced a wish for a younger sibling, had he subconsciously wanted one? Kate had spent a lot of time during the past year thinking about his need for a role model. Maybe it would be equally beneficial for keeping him out of trouble to be a role model.

  He bobbed to the surface of the water. “Know what we haven’t tried yet, Aly?”

  “Aly?” the girl echoed.

  “Yeah. Short for Alyssa,” he explained. “Like how everyone calls Amanda ‘Mandy.’ Aly can be your nickname.”

  “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Miss Kate, I have a nickname!”

  “Anyway,” Luke said, not sharing her fascination with the topic, “we haven’t done the slide yet. Wanna go?”

  Actually, Kate thought the little girl was starting to look tuckered out from trying to keep up with a thirteen-year-old boy. “I have an idea,” she countered, “why don’t we go to the concession stand first and get some slushies? Then you can reapply sunscreen and hit the slide.”

  Once they’d agreed on that plan, Luke jogged down toward the deep end to see if Cole and Mandy wanted to join them for a snack break. Alyssa scowled as she watched him go.

  “Daddy and Mandy are probably having a lot of fun,” she said, wrapping a giant pink princess towel around herself.

  “I thought you were having fun, too.”

  “Yeah. But...” She stared at the ground. “Mandy always calls me a chicken. Like when Daddy makes us go camping. I get scared of the bugs. And camping is dirty. And when we camp at the lake, we hafta fish, too. Do you know how gross fish guts are? It’s like the high dive.”

  Kate tried to puzzle through that comparison. “The high dive is gross?”

  Alyssa shrugged. “How would I know? I’m too scared to go up there. Maybe Mandy’s right. I am a ch—”

  “Aren’t you in ballet?” Kate took her hand, leading her toward the winding line in front of the concession stand. “Your nana mentioned your recital last month.”

  Alyssa nodded happily. “I wish ballet class was in the summer, too. I like to dance.”

  “And your recital was in front of an audience, right?”

  “On a real stage at the big kid high school! There were really bright lights and costumes.”

  “Have you ever heard the term stage fright?” Kate asked. When Alyssa looked at her blankly, Kate explained, “Plenty of people are terrified to perform in front of an audience. The idea of doing a play or dancing or singing in a choir makes them feel like they might throw up. You don’t sound like you were scared.”

  “Why would I be? Dancing is fun. Not like mosquitos or getting water up my nose.”

  “Good points. But the fact that you can get up in front of people without being nervous makes you a very special kind of brave,” Kate told her. “You are not a chicken. Besides, it’s normal to be afraid of some things. No matter how tough a person acts, everyone has fears. Including your sister.”

  “What about grown-ups?” Alyssa asked. “Do you ever get scared?”

  Oh, kid, if you only knew. “Lots of things frighten me.”

  “You think even my dad gets scared?”

  Probably every time he crossed paths with the infamous Becca Johnston. “I’m sure he does. Ask him about it sometime. Just remember, even though you’re afraid of some things, you have courage, too.”

  “Thank you, Miss Kate.” She repositioned her towel so that it was more like a cape and twirled in a circle, whooping, “Make way for Aly the Brave!”

  * * *

  “WOW.” COLE WAS genuinely impressed as he joined Kate in line. “What kind of magic did you work on my daughter, and can you teach me your mystical ways?”

  When he’d left Alyssa, her lower lip had been trembling over the possibility of floundering in the water. Now, she was spinning and shouting declarations of bravery. Mandy had joined her in the grass off to the side of the concession stand, arms outstretched as they whirled in giggly circles. Cole felt dizzy just watching his blonde mini-tornadoes.

  Kate smiled. “Alyssa and I had a chat about the different ways to be brave. I think she’s feeling better now.”

  “Thank you. Mandy and I chatted, too. About calling people chicken and the consequences she can expect next time it happens.” After setting his daughter straight about teasing, he’d planned to follow her off the high dive a few times, then come back to check o
n Alyssa’s progress. But he’d let Mandy cajole him into “just five more minutes.” Repeatedly.

  She’d been having so much fun, and it was good exercise. Plus, you were avoiding Kate. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure Kate had wanted his company after telling him about Damon’s shooting. On the rare occasions he got choked up over something, he preferred to be left alone.

  That wasn’t the only reason he’d given her space, though. After she’d confided in him, he’d had an overpowering urge to take her in his arms. It was a completely inappropriate impulse, and he’d stayed away until it passed.

  He’d expected going through the motions of a date to be more cut and dry. Mastering a degree of detachment was necessary for anyone in law enforcement. On the few real dates he’d been on in recent years, he’d never responded so strongly to anyone—emotionally or physically.

  Of course, very few of his dates had included being half naked, either. At the moment, Kate had her arms folded across her chest, and he deserved a freaking medal for not staring at her cleavage.

  It took every ounce of his discipline to keep his gaze trained on her face. Did she know how mesmerizing her eyes were? They were kaleidoscopes of color, with flecks of gold that reminded him of history class and the brief Texas Gold Rush. It had never amounted to much, but looking into her eyes made him empathize with the miners who’d temporarily lost their heads, beguiled by temptation.

  “Where’s Luke?” she asked, rescuing him from his fanciful thoughts.

  “Oh, he said he’d catch up.” Cole pointed to where the boy stood a few yards away, talking to a girl with a towel around her shoulders. “Um...did he happen to mention any drug references to Alyssa? Maybe jokingly? One of the locals informed me that my daughter was yelling ‘cannabis.’”

  “What? No, he misheard,” Kate assured him. “She was yelling ‘cannibals.’”

  He blinked, not sure how to process that.

  “So Luke’s talking to someone around his own age?” She craned her neck, doing a credible job of trying to peek without looking as if she were watching.

  Cole nodded. “Apparently the girl’s beach towel bears the logo of some ‘sick’ video game. That’s good, right? Luke commented on it, and suddenly the conversation became boss battles and cheat codes and a bunch of acronyms I couldn’t decipher. I thought that, since he’s still in our line of sight, it would be okay to leave him there. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. I’m relieved. School in August will be a lot easier if he meets other kids first. She looks about his age. Know who she is?”

  “Arnold Pemberton’s daughter. He’s a trucker, and his wife’s a nurse at the county hospital. I’m pretty sure the girl’s name is... Sarah?” He glanced over his shoulder, hoping it would jog his memory. She was leaning toward Luke, who was a head shorter than she was, and laughing delightedly at whatever he’d said. “I’m also pretty sure she’s flirting with your son.”

  “You think?” Judging by Kate’s startled expression, girls had not been a big part of Luke’s life thus far.

  “Well, you’re a woman—you tell me. What are the signs when a girl likes a guy?”

  “I, uh...” Twin spots of color bloomed in her cheeks. “Oh, hey, it’s our turn to order!”

  Huh. Cole couldn’t help thinking that, in his experience, stammering and blushing were also signs of liking someone. Or had his perspection—and ego—become skewed after months of Becca Johnston and other local women pursuing him? Kate was difficult to read. She was still deeply affected by her husband’s death and had said more than once that she wasn’t interested in dating.

  Yet, at times he could swear the magnetic draw he felt was mutual. Or maybe her flustered response was because you embarrassed her by putting her on the spot. Maybe.

  Regardless, as he placed his order, he found himself grinning with a lot more enthusiasm than an orange slushie warranted.

  * * *

  STARING THROUGH THE windshield on Saturday morning, Luke was no more impressed with the scenery than he had been when they arrived a week ago. It was so flat here. And rural. Still, despite the uninspiring landscape, he had to admit the last few days hadn’t been all bad.

  His mom had taken him to the pool twice, and he and Sarah Pemberton had exchanged usernames. They’d spent a couple of hours Thursday in PVP mode, then gone on a campaign yesterday before the lag time got too problematic. Gram did not have the fastest internet connection in the universe.

  His mom seemed to have a decent week, too. After the piano tuner had come on Wednesday, she’d spent a lot of time practicing. He’d heard her in the room they were now calling the “music study” singing along with the piano notes. It wasn’t until he’d listened to her that he realized how rarely she did that anymore. She used to sing all the time, sometimes just under her breath while she cooked, other times really belting out songs, especially in the car. Half the stuff she liked was from before he was born, and he mocked her about being old. Secretly, he liked some of it. Bon Jovi wasn’t bad.

  Right now, they were listening to one of his Mom’s playlists, but she wasn’t singing or humming. Even with the music, it was too quiet in the car. He felt like she wanted him to say something. Would it make her happy if he admitted Cupid’s Bow didn’t suck as much as he’d expected?

  “Are you nervous about today?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I dunno.” He hadn’t thought about it much. Helping Mr. Jacobs entertain sick kids was his punishment for giving Aly that candy bar. Luke supposed he deserved it, but the situation was weird. Adults said all the time not to talk to strangers, now his mom was dropping him off to spend half the day with one.

  “Cole... Sheriff Trent,” she corrected, “assured me that Mr. Jacobs is a good guy who’s done lots of things in the community. Sponsors youth sports, played Santa Claus one year at the Christmas tree lighting.”

  Luke snickered at that, remembering the man’s tattoos. An inked Santa?

  “Anyway, if you have questions about what he needs you to do, don’t be afraid to ask him.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m not scared of him, Mom.”

  “Good. And you’ll have your phone on you at all times. Call me or text me if—”

  “I know how to use the phone, Mom.”

  Her sigh made him feel ashamed, but seriously, did she have to talk to him like he was Aly and Mandy’s age?

  “How much farther?” he asked.

  “About ten minutes.”

  “Can I get online when we go back to the farm? Sarah said she might be around.” Even though she was a grade behind him, it would be cool to know someone at the middle school. She also had a brother in the high school who played football for the Cupid’s Bow Archers. Stupidest mascot ever.

  “Whether you get to play depends on how you behave for Mr. Jacobs and what Gram’s doing this afternoon. It is her TV, you know.” She paused, slanting him a glance. “Sarah seems nice.”

  “Yeah. She’s okay.”

  “Just okay?”

  He squirmed in his seat. He knew what his mom was asking, but he doubted Sarah would look at him like that. For one thing, he was too short. And his hair was starting to look ridiculous, long enough to hang in his eyes. “Can I get a haircut soon?”

  “Sure. We can look for a place in town tomorrow, or you can go with me on Monday to Turtle.”

  He’d heard Gram and his mom talk about how there wasn’t really a music store in Cupid’s Bow. But elsewhere in the county, where they had an award-winning high school band, there was a decent-size store where Mom could get sheet music and a metronome and other stuff she wanted for teaching. He didn’t know what dumbass had named the towns around here, but he couldn’t imagine going to a football game between the Cupid’s Bow Archers and the Fighting Turtles. Sheesh.

  Hoping to discourage his mom from asking
more about Sarah, he turned up the speaker volume. “Isn’t this one of your favorites?” he asked.

  She snorted. “Subtle, kid.” But she stopped badgering him.

  At the hospital, they followed signs to volunteer parking. Luke couldn’t remember ever being in a hospital. He knew his mom had gone to one after his dad’s shooting, but it had been too late by then to say goodbye.

  His father hadn’t survived the ambulance ride. Luke had asked his mom once if she thought Dad had been scared. She’d said he probably wasn’t conscious for much of it; she tried to make it sound peaceful, like he’d simply drifted off, without pain or panic, and never awakened. But that image had terrified Luke. For months after his father’s death, he’d been scared to sleep, irrationally afraid he might not wake up in the morning.

  The trouble at school began when he started falling asleep in classes, then irritably swore at one of his teachers. He’d met Bobby in detention hall. Talking to Sarah was a little like talking to Bobby because neither of them asked about his father. Bobby hadn’t cared, and Sarah didn’t know. Maybe Luke could make new friends here who didn’t treat him like he was freaking delicate, didn’t make him feel weak.

  For the first time, he thought this move might work out okay. Even if the school mascots were ragingly lame.

  He and his mom took an elevator from the parking garage to a main lobby, then followed a mazelike series of corridors to the pediatric ward. He found the murals of bright blue birdies and pastel pink bunnies a little insulting. No matter what you drew on the walls, it didn’t change the fact that people were sick.

  He started to worry that Mr. Jacobs might be going for some kind of cartoony image, too. What if he dressed like a clown to cheer kids up, or wore a top hat and glittery cape for his magic show? Worse, would he expect Luke to wear some silly costume? But Mr. Jacobs, who stood chatting with a nurse in the hallway, was dressed pretty much the same way he had been last time Luke saw him—black shirt, black jeans, boots. He looked like a man you’d see smashing a beer bottle over someone’s head in a bar brawl; instead he was accepting a lollipop from a woman in Sesame Street scrubs.