Her Valentine Sheriff

by Deb Kastner

  “She’s scared.”

  “Of what? Me?”

  “Not you, exactly, but I think she’s frightened of herself and her feelings for you. She doesn’t want to get hurt. And she doesn’t want to lose you as a friend, if things don’t work out between you.”

  “But she won’t lose me as a friend,” Eli protested. “If I have my way, we’ll have much more. We’ll grow closer and mean that much more to each other.”

  “And that is the scariest thing of all, because from those heights, it’s a long way to fall.”

  “I think I get it,” Eli said, compassion and compulsion simultaneously welling in his chest. He was a man of action, not so much a purveyor of feelings. He wanted to fix the problem. “I’ve got to come right out and set her straight about my own position. After Natalie, she’s bound to have questions and concerns. I can put her mind at ease where my feelings for her are concerned. I simply need to be candid.”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying all along!” She punched his shoulder playfully. “Go get her, cowboy.”

  “I will,” he said, determining right then and there not to waste any more time. He would find Mary and tell her the truth. About everything. She didn’t know about his phobia, and she didn’t know about his affection for her.

  No. More than affection.

  He hadn’t said the words aloud—but he was ready. And he wanted to say them directly to Mary.

  * * *

  At the first sight of Eli and Alexis together, Mary slipped behind the biggest oak tree she could find. Her pulse was racing and dread filled her stomach.

  And then it started to rain.

  Of all the scenarios she’d envisioned since last night’s escapades, finding Eli and Alexis engrossed in a conversation out in public together was not among them. From the looks of things, they were pretty close, what with Alexis playfully flirting and Eli responding, beaming like an incandescent lightbulb.

  Anyone with eyes could see how perfect Eli and Alexis were together. Gorgeous, blonde Alexis with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome himself.

  “Bullet. Sebastian. Volg,” she whispered harshly when the dogs spotted Eli and bolted forward in anticipation.

  Mary wished she’d left the dogs at home, but Bullet was her excuse for hunting Eli down on his only day off. Now she was beginning to regret that decision. The dogs were acting particularly squirrely, perhaps because of the weather. If they didn’t calm down, she was bound to get all kinds of attention, and attention was the last thing she needed right now.

  After what felt like an excruciatingly long time, but was probably no more than about a minute, Alexis took off. Eli stayed where he was, watching the children on the playground, his hands tucked into the single front pocket of his black hoodie.

  Mary sighed and stayed plastered to the trunk of the oak, not caring that the rough bark was cutting into her palms. The superficial pain gave her something else to think about, something other than the blade slicing her insides apart.

  Go, Eli. Just go.

  If she could will it to be so, Eli would finish whatever he was doing and take up his run again, returning to the jogging path and letting Mary off the hook.

  That it was still sprinkling didn’t really register. Not in the mood she was in. She barely even noticed that the air had the funny electrical feeling that usually accompanied a lightning storm, and the sky glowed twilight, though it was morning.

  She did notice when the sky suddenly lit up like a room full of fluorescent lights, and not even a second later, the cracking boom of thunder made the ground shake underneath her feet.

  The children on the playground started screaming and scattering as parents scrambled to find their kids in the pandemonium that ensued.

  It was utter chaos. Mary could barely see through the torrential downpour that quickly began, and what the rain was lacking, the wind provided, making sheets out of the rainwater and blowing eaves from the houses surrounding the park.

  Mary knew what kind of danger they were facing. This storm had come out of nowhere. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d faced tornadoes during the winter months. As few and far between as they were, they weren’t completely unheard of. And they were always devastating.

  Forgetting her own troubles for the moment, she darted out from behind the giant oak and strove to round up a group of older children who had been hanging around the park unsupervised, and who were now heading toward the open street.

  The storm was quickly building momentum. Lightning flashed, and then flashed again. Thunder echoed one roll after another. The wind howled eerily. Trees swayed precariously, their branches waving in distress.

  “Kids,” she called, loud enough for them to be able to hear her over the wind. “Come this way. Hurry.”

  To her relief, they heeded her call, turning as a group and gathering around her. Left on their own, they’d scatter to their own residences. Several of the kids lived a few blocks from the park. Some even farther. Much better they seek shelter in the nearby chapel.

  “I checked my cell,” said a deep voice from behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Eli. Bullet had already switched allegiance and was now trailing Eli, while Sebastian continued to stand at her side.

  “Storm warning?” she guessed. She had to admit all the noise and sound had her a little worried.

  “More than that,” he replied grimly, pressing his lips in a tight line. “As of this morning, meteorologists were already predicting large hail and damaging winds, but now they are saying there’s the possibility of early tornadoes. It’s a supercell—hitting Oklahoma, as well. The wind is expected to reach up to ninety miles per hour. We’re looking at something pretty major here.”

  Mary’s mind was spinning. No wonder the dogs were jumpy. It was worse than she’d originally imagined. “Then there’s the possibility of major damage.”

  Eli nodded and slicked his wet hair back with his palm.

  “Head for the church,” she instructed the kids. The chapel was the closer of the two designated storm shelters in Serendipity, the other being the community center across town. “Go straight there. No dillydallying. Do you understand? And phone your parents when you get there, so they know you’re safe.”

  Mary and Eli spent the next half hour rounding up frightened residents and making sure they knew to take refuge in the church. She prayed that those who hadn’t claimed safety within one of the designated shelters were at least batting down the hatches in their homes and seeking safe areas to wait out the storm. She was determined to do what she could to help those who needed it.

  The rain was bad, the wind was worse, but when it all stopped suddenly, the real terror began.

  “Do you see it?” Eli called, his eyes to the sky.

  Mary didn’t have to ask what it was.

  A tornado.

  “No,” she shouted back, “but I can feel it.”

  “Me, too. Shall we head for the church?”

  Mary nodded. Eli reached for her hand and they ran full tilt toward the chapel, increasing their pace even more when the town’s tornado sirens started shrilling. As much as she wanted to make sure everyone else in town was safe, it was imperative at this point that they look after themselves and the dogs that ran at their heels. They’d held out as long as they possibly could, and there would be much to do yet today. As it was now, the church would be crowded with frightened townfolk. Pastor Shawn would need all the help he could get to keep everyone calm and collected once they started hearing the tornado sirens.

  The pause in the storm was followed by another downpour, sheets of rain that drenched them both instantly. She could hardly see going forward and relied heavily on Eli’s guidance. Still, she was caught off guard when he suddenly yanked her back and sheltered her in his arms. His shoulders blocked the brunt of the sudden expl
osion and a shower of electrical sparks that rained over them as a tree fell into a power line.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face so he could see her eyes. “Did the sparks get you?”

  “That was way too close for comfort,” Mary answered, gritting her teeth against the terrified sob that was fighting for release from her throat. “But I’m okay.” She cringed and ducked when she heard the pop-pop of windows breaking in the distance.

  He met her gaze with a determined set to his jaw. “Come on. We can do this. Not too much farther to the chapel now.”

  As Eli ran, he kept his arm around Mary’s waist, sometimes half dragging her when she slipped or slowed. She focused on his warmth, his strength and his determination to get them both to the safety of the church.

  At last she could make out the steeple and the welcoming red doors. They slipped inside, and Mary gasped, glad to be out of the worst of the weather. She knew the rampant surge of emergencies due to the storm’s fury were only beginning for her and for the town. The worst was yet to come.

  The lights flickered in the narthex as they headed toward an interior, windowless room where they found many townspeople hovering around an NOAA weather radio broadcasting an emergency alert. The blaring beep echoed throughout the otherwise silent room as everyone stayed attuned to hear the worst—that tornadoes had been sighted in their area and were threatening their beloved town.

  “What do you say we make these people more comfortable?” Eli suggested, reaching for a thick pile of blankets and nodding for her to start spreading them across the floor. When that was finished, he reached for a case of bottled water while she opened up a large container of kids’ fruit snacks. They circled the room, handing out the bounty and reassuring them that all would be well.

  No one had officially put the two of them in charge. Mary understood why the community instinctively looked to Eli for guidance—he was a man with a badge, usually in uniform, a deputy sheriff.

  But for some unexplainable reason, folks were actively seeking her out, listening for her counsel. How could they possibly expect her to blunder into a leadership position? Was it because she’d come through the door with Eli and was clearly working in tandem with him? Or was it because she had Sebastian at her heel, just as Eli had Bullet for company?

  She didn’t have long to ponder those questions, for more people started streaming into the church, soaking wet and brimming with terrifying stories of what was happening outside. The noise level heightened along with the tension. A few folks had injuries, mostly minor, thankfully—straining a muscle or spraining an ankle in their hurry to get to the shelter of the church. Mary was fairly sure one young boy had a broken arm. The poor kid had been up in a tree when the big wind hit and had fallen several feet to the ground in his haste to climb back down again. There were also a good number of bumps and bruises from flying debris, and a few lacerations from encounters with broken windows.

  Old Frank was complaining—loudly—that he couldn’t find his wife. Mary didn’t see Jo, either, but she didn’t see any reason to panic yet. For all they knew, Jo was holed up at the community center or back at her house. At any rate, she had a good head on her shoulders and wouldn’t be taking any unnecessary risks. Of that, Mary was certain.

  “Easy there, Frank,” she consoled firmly, knowing he wouldn’t want a soft approach. “Jo is fine. You know her. Well able to take care of herself in any given situation. She’s one tough woman.”

  Frank snorted. “You got that right. Stubborn as all get-out, too.”

  “There, so you see? No worries. We’ll catch up with her soon, I’m sure.”

  She patted Frank’s shoulder and then worked her way through the crowd, heading toward Eli, who had one hand clamped over his ear to make it easier to hear whomever he was speaking to on his cell phone. At a head taller than most other folks, he was easy to see, but not so easy to reach in the cramped quarters of the church safe room. By the time she got to his side, he’d ended his phone call.

  “Where are Zach and Ben?” she asked, naming the two paramedics who volunteered at the tricounty fire station. “Or Delia?” Delia was Zach’s wife and the town doctor.

  “I just got off the phone with Zach,” he said, sliding his cell back into the single pocket of his black hoodie.

  “They were on duty at the firehouse?” she asked. The volunteer fire station was located near the community center, as was the police department, so most of those serving in an official capacity for the town were probably holed up at the other authorized shelter location.

  “He and Ben are both at the community center. Wouldn’t you know they were playing basketball together at the center when the storm warning came through. Zach and Delia are going to brave the storm and head this direction, since it appears we have more wounded than they do, but it will be a while before they get here.”

  “So they don’t have many wounded—yet.”

  Eli nodded solemnly. “That’s right.”

  Maybe it was the fact that she’d lived her whole life in Serendipity and knew what kinds of battles they fought with the weather, or maybe it was the unusually warm, electrical feeling in the air, but she had a gut feeling the storm wasn’t over with.

  There was a burst of energy that brightened the fluorescent lights over their heads, and then the room pitched into darkness. Mary couldn’t see a thing, not even Eli, who was standing right next to her. Maybe it was the lack of one physical sense that made another so intense, because it was so much more than simply the gift of touch when Eli threaded his fingers through hers. She felt it with every nerve ending, every spot where their hands made contact. He communicated protection and strength without words and brought the definition of hero to a whole new level.

  Pastor Shawn flipped the switch on a bright LED lantern, and the moment of panic was over. Eli dropped her hand when he was given a flashlight for himself, and then he helped the pastor pass out the remaining lights, including one for Mary.

  The silence passed, and some of those around her struck up conversations—not about the storm or the wind or the tornado but about the success of the Sweetheart Social, and how they were looking forward to the next community event. There was even some light laughter in parts of the room.

  It seemed counterintuitive, but Mary could relate. These folks didn’t want to think of the storm’s devastation or the possibility that there was more to come. Yes, they’d deal with whatever damage was done, and bravely, at that, but for now, they were together, and they were safe, and that was all that mattered. The people.

  “How are you with sprains?” Eli asked, coming up behind her and laying a soothing hand on her shoulder.

  “I’m an expert, remember?” she said, trying to lighten the mood a little, if only because she felt her own alarm so keenly. She smiled up at him, taking a tip from the folks here at the shelter. “I can’t believe you forgot having to carry me a mile across the Texas plain.”

  “I didn’t forget,” he murmured from deep in his throat. One side of his lips quirked upward. “And I guess that does make you an expert. Samantha twisted her ankle on the way over here from her store. I’m sure she would appreciate having you wrap it for her—since, obviously, you know what you’re doing. Pastor Shawn has a bandage.”

  “What about you? Where will you be?” She felt the oddest moment of panic jolt through her chest and into her head when she considered him going somewhere without her—especially out in that storm.

  He pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt, a determined expression on his face. “I’m going out to make sure there aren’t any stragglers left on Main Street—just in case anyone needs help getting to the shelter. I think the tornado might have vectored off, but there is still a heavy wind. I expect there’s probably a great deal of damage, and I don’t want anyone out walking in it when they could be safe inside the
shelter.”

  She laid a hand on his forearm. “Let me come with you. We both have SAR dogs, remember? Bullet and Sebastian are both trained to find humans under exigent circumstances. They can do what we can’t. I’m sure Will can see to Samantha’s injury.”

  Eli blanched. He glanced down at Bullet and ran a hand across his jaw. “I’ve got to be honest here. I wasn’t thinking about working with the dog. I’m afraid I’ll be more of a hindrance than a help out there, if we’re trying to do this with the dogs. If the dogs are the best choice for finding people then maybe I’d be of more use here, organizing the troops, so to speak, than in doing any real search and rescue.”

  He started to turn away, but Mary tightened her grip on his elbow.

  “Don’t you dare walk away from me, Elijah Bishop,” she demanded in a voice worthy of a police captain.

  Eli’s gaze widened in surprise, but he stayed where he was, his mouth in a firm, straight and very stubborn line.

  “You aren’t giving yourself enough credit,” she continued. “Have you any idea how far you’ve come in the past month?”

  He scowled and shook his head. “Not far enough.”

  “You think? Well, there you’re wrong, and you’re going to listen to the truth right now. No, we haven’t quite completed your search-and-rescue training, since I was saving the best for last. But you have worked with Bullet on all types of terrain and in any number of critical situations. This isn’t that much different.

  “Bullet trusts you. Believe me when I say you can do more good out there with me, performing search-and-rescue tactics with Bullet that only you can do, than in standing around here passing out water bottles, straightening blankets and reassuring folks that all is well. Although, of course, you’re good at that, too.”