He raised an eyebrow at her then turned to walk through the hallway toward her office. A few minutes later, Sam re-emerged from the hallway. "Where did the noise come from?"
"I'm…I'm not sure. I just heard a noise." She felt ridiculous as Sam nodded.
"Could it have been one of the horses or other animals?"
"I don’t think so." Tessa clenched her fists. She wanted to scream at him, it hadn't been the horses or other animals.
"Maybe you should check on all of them while I’m here," he suggested with a nod.
Tessa nodded, feeling somewhat foolish, especially if it turned out one of the horses kicked over a pail or something. After checking on the cats and dogs inside, she led the way out the back door to the four stalls housed in the back. There was nothing amiss with the horses or any of the animals. She glanced at Sam, and shrugged.
"I'm sorry I ran you over here for no reason."
Sam shrugged. "It's my job, Tessa."
Tessa had no idea what to say because she felt like a complete fool. However, she was sure she’d heard something. Sam followed her back into the building.
"Why are you on nightshift?"
"Mark and Paul are both sick. I'm working twelve-hour shifts until they get back. Why are you here so late?" Sam asked as he followed her to her office.
Tessa sighed. "I had some paperwork to do. I always put it off and I should know better."
Sam chuckled and Tessa thought it was the sexiest thing she'd ever heard. She picked up her purse, turned to leave, and ran smack into him. His hands automatically went to her waist. Her hands went to his chest.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so…close." Tessa gazed up into those gorgeous eyes.
She watched as Sam’s gaze traveled over her face and landed on her lips. Tessa licked her bottom lip. Sam groaned and started to lower his head. She stepped away from him.
"I want to go to bed…" Her face flamed when Sam's eyebrows rose. "Sleep. I want to sleep." She stepped around him and heard him sigh.
"I'll walk you around to your apartment." Sam's tone of voice booked no argument.
Tessa led the way out through the entrance doors and locked them once she and Sam were outside. They walked around to the side of the building and stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her apartment. Tessa turned to Sam to tell him she was fine but he raised his hand.
"I'm walking you up, Tessa," Sam told her and she knew better than to argue.
Sighing, she walked up ahead of him and swore she could feel his eyes drilling into the back of her. She picked up her pace, hurried up the stairs, and stopped at her door. Sam stopped beside her.
"Do you want me to check it out?"
Tessa hadn't thought of that. "I…yes…please." She blushed when she remembered the last time she'd said that word to him.
Sam nodded for her to unlock the door. Tessa did and waited while Sam moved into the apartment, turning on lights as he walked around. A few minutes later, he came back out.
"It's all clear."
"Thank you." Tessa moved inside the door and turned to look at him. "I'm really sorry for running you over here for nothing."
"Tessa, stop…really it’s fine." Then he turned to go. "Don't hesitate to call anytime you need me."
Tessa thought she saw a smile lift his lips but she couldn't see well enough in the dark. She entered her apartment, shut her door, and locked it. Her gaze swept over her living room. Everything looked the same as it had that morning when she left for work. The row of windows along one wall had hanging plant baskets instead of curtains. She liked the morning sun streaming in, lighting up her apartment. Her large red cloth sofa sat centered in the room on an Oriental rug, facing a flat screen TV. Two matching chairs sat catty-corner on each side of the sofa. She walked into her kitchen to get some water. The stainless steel appliances gleamed, as did the cherry laminate floor. The apartment wasn't large, but it was hers. It consisted of the living room, kitchen, one bath, and a large bedroom.
Tessa walked through the living room and down a small hallway to her bedroom. She groaned when she entered her bedroom and saw several pairs of her panties lying on her bed. She'd forgotten she'd left them out after dumping her laundry there. Sam had been in here. Groaning again, she scooped them up and stuffed them in her dresser drawer. She entered the bathroom and undressed, then after taking a quick shower, she climbed into bed. Before she fell asleep, she saw beautiful blue eyes surrounded by thick lush lashes that should be illegal on any man.
****
Sam yawned as he drove through town, his eyes scanning the empty streets. It was a quiet night in his sleepy little town. He maneuvered down side streets, slowly checking the buildings but his thoughts continued to wander back to Tessa. What had Tessa so jumpy? He never would have thought someone like her would let a noise scare her. She just seemed tougher than that or so he thought.
He swore aloud when he suddenly thought about trying to teach her a lesson about him being professional because it had backfired on him—big time. His cock had been so hard when he walked away from her that he was surprised he was able to sit down in the SUV. Idiot!
Sam pulled up behind the station, parked the vehicle, and then entered the building. It was close to two in the morning, and he was dead tired. This wasn't his usual shift. Being the sheriff, he worked days only but with both of his nightshift deputies out sick, Sam had to take that shift too. He usually worked seven in the morning to three in the afternoon so the additional nightshifts were kicking his butt. His daytime deputy, Rick Stark was coming in at three so that Sam could go home and get some much-needed rest. Deputy Brody Morgan was working nightshift also until the other nighttime deputies, Mark Shaw and Paul Dixson returned. With Clifton being a town of only fifteen hundred, the five men were all it needed, usually. That is until someone fell sick or went on vacation.
Sam sat at his desk with his booted feet propped up on it and his hands clasped across his flat stomach. He had his head back and his eyes closed, but he jerked when someone cleared his throat. Opening his eyes, he saw Rick standing in the doorway, grinning.
"Hey, boss. Tough night?"
Sam grinned. "This nightshift is for the birds," he said through a hard yawn. "I forgot how much I hated it."
Rick laughed. "Yeah, I hate it too. Mark and Paul love it though. I’m sure Brody will be happy to get back to day shift too." Rick shook his head in what had to be wonderment. "I know Mark and Paul like checking out the Town Hall dances and Dewey's bar so they can see all the pretty girls."
"I wouldn't put it past them.” Sam stood and walked past Rick, slapping him on the back. "Tell Teresa I'm sorry to get you out of her bed so early. I'll see you later."
Ten minutes later, Sam pulled up to the one story rancher his parents had left him when they’d moved to San Diego five years ago. He missed them but he knew it was best for them. The cold weather in northern Montana was hell on arthritis and his dad suffered from it in his hands. Sam loved the thousand acres surrounding the home. There were four horses in the barn, and one day, he hoped to get more. He smiled as he heard Bo, his Rottweiler, barking from inside the house. Sam had stopped by earlier in his shift to let the dog out for a while since it was a twelve-hour shift and no matter how well Bo was house trained, Sam seriously didn't think he'd make it that long.
Unlocking the door and expecting an excited dog, he pushed it open only to have a large black blur run past him. Bo hesitated for a second when he saw his master but he needed to find a tree so his bladder took precedent. Sam entered the kitchen and removed his gun from his utility belt, placing it on the counter, then removed the belt and hung it in the mudroom. Pulling out a chair from the table, he practically collapsed onto it. After removing his boots and socks, he stood then stripped out of his jeans, shirt, and boxer briefs and dropped them in the hamper. The dark blue marble floor in the kitchen felt cool on his bare feet. Light oak cabinets lined the wall, surrounding a window sitting above the sink. The
appliances were a matching white. He let Bo back in, picked up his gun, then padded naked through the dining room, living room heading for his bedroom with the panting dog at his heels. In the bedroom, the king size bed beckoned to him. He barely had the energy to get between the sheets. After placing his Glock G17 on the nightstand, Sam fell face first into the pillow and was asleep in seconds.
****
The ringing in her head wouldn't stop so half-awake, she reached out slapping at the alarm clock, but it continued to ring. Tessa sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and realized it was her cell phone. Reaching for it, she picked it up from the nightstand and answered.
"Doctor McGuire."
Turning on the light beside the bed, she sat up, and pushed her hair off her face while she listened to the caller. "I thought Beauty wasn't due yet, Gabe."
Gabe Stone lived on a large ranch outside the town limits. His wife's horse was pregnant but not due for a couple more weeks by Tessa's calculations. It was mid-June and Beauty was due mid-July. "I'm on my way, Gabe. Tell Emma to calm down."
Tessa hung up and dressed quickly. Grabbing her phone, keys, and medical bag, she ran through her apartment and out the door. After locking it, she ran down the steps to her car. It was three in the morning and the town was eerily quiet, making her shiver as she opened her car door, although it was over eighty degrees.
Tessa drove quickly out to Gabe and Emma's ranch. When she pulled up to the side of the porch, she saw Gabe standing in the doorway of the barn. Grabbing her medical bag, she headed toward him. "Is she still in labor?"
Gabe ran his hand through his thick black hair. "Yes. It’s been almost thirty minutes. Follow me."
Tessa followed Gabe down the row of horse stalls to where Beauty was laying on the straw. Emma was on her knees beside her and looked up at Tessa with tears in her eyes.
"Please help her, Tess," Emma pleaded, rubbing the horse's nose. "I can't lose her."
"I'll do what I can, Emma. Hold her head so I can check her," Tessa told her as she walked to the back of the horse. Pulling on a long sleeved plastic glove, she covered it with Vaseline, and then slowly inserted her hand into the birth canal.
"You're doing fine, Beauty. Just let me check your baby." After checking the foal, Tessa sat back on her heels and smiled. "This little one is coming tonight, or I should say this morning."
"I'll help you, Tess. Emma, go inside and take a nap. I'll come and get you when the foal is born and cleaned up," Gabe told his wife. Emma stood and after one longing look at her horse, she kissed her husband and left the barn.
"Did you make her leave for a reason?" Tessa asked him.
Gabe shook his head. "No. I just know how she is. She'd stay here as long as it takes and be dead on her feet the rest of the day. She has enough trouble running after Sophie and Joshua on her best days."
Tessa nodded and pushed down her own longing for such a problem. Sophie was Emma and Gabe's two-year-old daughter and Joshua, their son, was a year old. Tessa cleared her throat and went to work making sure this new baby had a good day too.
An hour later, Tessa stood beside Gabe and Emma watching the new filly getting nourishment from her mama. Gabe had his arms wrapped around his wife's waist from behind, his chin resting on her head. Emma looked over to Tessa.
"Thanks so much, Tess. Sorry it’s so late." Emma smiled at her. Tessa smiled back.
"It's my pleasure, Emma. It's the busy season. I get calls at all hours."
Tessa picked up her medical bag and left them alone in the barn. She imagined the good feeling she had delivering a foal was much like that of an obstetrician delivering a baby. The thought of a baby gave Tessa that familiar ache in her heart wondering if she’d ever have a child of her own. Shaking her head, she walked to her car, settled in, and drove away. On the way back to her apartment, she pulled into the twenty-four hour convenience store to pick up some milk. As she stood at the counter, she saw a cruiser pull up out front. Her stomach was full of butterflies as she watched the door open but her breath whooshed out in disappointment when she saw Deputy Brody Morgan enter and smile at her.
"Late night, Doc?"
"Or early morning, Deputy."
Brody chuckled. "I suppose so."
Tessa was tempted to ask about Sam but held back. She sure didn't want it getting back to Sam that she was asking about him. Taking in the sight of his deputy wasn’t hard on the eyes though. Brody was a gorgeous man at six-foot four, with black hair and brown eyes. He wore glasses, which didn’t seem to detract from his overall good looks and all the women in town thought they were sexy as hell. But no matter how hot he was, he did nothing for her, unlike Sam who made her weak in the knees. Of course, Brody was head over heels in love with his wife, Madilyn and their two-year-old son. After paying for her purchase, she walked to her car and unlocked it, but as she was about to get in the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She quickly glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything. An uneasy feeling settled over her so Tessa got into her car, closed the door, and locked it immediately. Pulling out of the parking lot, she headed home, checking her rear view mirror more than a few times even though she was certain she was imagining things.
****
Sam sat at his desk working on a report when he looked up to discover Betty Lou standing in the doorway. He ignored her and tried not to smile when he heard her huff. Glancing up, he raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm taking tomorrow off." Betty Lou stared at him with her hands on her hips.
"I don't believe you have any vacation days left." Sam sat back in his chair and tossed his pen onto the desk.
Betty Lou snorted. "Maybe not, but I'm taking one. I have to help Bobbie Jo make cookies for the festival."
Sam glanced over to the calendar. The Fourth of July was in two days. Shit! That meant another long shift coming. He had to work the day with Rick and Brody and into the early evening with Mark and Paul. Sam exhaled. This job is going to kill me.
"Just what am I supposed to do if an emergency comes in?"
"What you always do. Most of the town calls you on your cell phone anyway and if it's a real bad emergency, they dial 9-1-1." She sniffed. "I know you only hired me ’cause I'm friends with your mama."
Sam smiled and rocked back in his chair. That was exactly why he’d hired her but he kept her on because she was actually very good at her job. She may be close to seventy but she was irreplaceable to him.
"I keep you because I can't see you staying at home, sitting on your ass crocheting doilies, and when you weren’t, I'd have to be chasing you and your sister, Bobbie Jo all over town."
Betty Lou cackled. "I ain't ever crocheted in my life." She turned to leave the office then turned back. "I love you, Sam Garrett." Then she disappeared back to her desk.
Sam shook his head in wonder and grinned as he remembered how he'd argued with his mother about hiring Betty Lou, but his mother had been right. Betty Lou may be a gossip and a busybody but Sam loved her and as long as he was sheriff, she'd have a job. Even if she didn't do much more than answer the phone, and call him on the radio occasionally. Picking up his pen, he returned to his report. When his cell phone rang, he picked it up.
“Sheriff Garrett.”
“Sam? It’s Trick. I’m at Baker’s ranch because his damn cows are on my property again and he won’t move them.”
“I’m on my way, Trick.” Sam pushed back his chair, stood, grabbed his hat, and headed for the back door then called out. “I’m headed to Baker’s ranch, Betty Lou.”
“You be careful, Sam. That man is a few bricks short of a load.”
“I know that’s right,” Sam muttered.
Climbing into his patrol cruiser, he started it up, put it in gear, and pulled away from the station. As he drove out to Baker’s ranch, he wondered how drunk the man would be this time. Joe Baker was a menace to society, and Sam knew things with him would come to a head one day.
Pulling into the driveway, he saw Trick leaning a
gainst the front of his truck staring at Joe Baker. Sam parked, grabbed his hat, putting it on as he climbed out of his vehicle then walked toward Trick.
“What’s going on?” Sam asked.
“His cows were on my property again and he threatened to shoot me,” Trick told Sam, his attitude animated and his hands waving around as he told his side.
“I just have my gun out in case he gets a little rowdy with me. Ain’t that right, Mary?”
“Yes, Joe.”
Trick snorted and looked to Sam. “She’s so damn terrified of him, she won’t go against him,” he mumbled.
“I know. I’ve been dealing with him since I became sheriff. I know how he treats her,” Sam said then looked at Baker. “Last time I’m telling you to keep your cows on your property. The next time, I’ll come out here with a trailer and load them up. You understand me, Joe?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it…now both of ya…get off my property.”
Sam walked toward Baker stopping close enough that he made the man take a step back. “I’m not kidding about this. If I hear from Trick one more time that your cows are on his property, I will bring a trailer out and take them from you.”
“I said I get it.” Baker looked at Trick and then back to Sam. “You two have to come together every time?”
“I’m the sheriff and you’re letting your cattle trespass. Trick’s land is posted.” Sam folded his arms across his chest and glared down at Baker. He meant to intimidate the man and he could tell the way the man shuffled his feet, it was working.
“I ain’t afraid of you, Garrett,” Baker said with false bravado, hiking his oversized jeans up at the waist over his belly.
“That’s Sheriff Garrett, and you damn well should be,” Sam told him. He looked at Trick. “You good for now?”
“Yes.” Trick walked to his truck and climbed in, Sam followed behind and stopped alongside the window Trick opened. “I think he’s cutting my fence…but I can’t prove it.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. He’s a shady character and I hate any man who beats on a woman,” Sam muttered.
Sam Men of Clifton, Montana Book 7 Page 3