Luke

by Lisa Lovell

  Luke

  Rogue County Rangers – Book 1

  Lisa Lovell

  Copyright © 2020 Lisa Lovell

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Marie

  I feel like I’m lost.

  I haven’t driven down this road in years. In fact, last time I drove down the two-lane highway, I was heading the other direction certain I’d never be back. Life has a funny way of making you eat your words.

  The funny thing is, it’s impossible to get lost on a two-lane highway with no exits. I can’t accidentally make a wrong turn or end up on the wrong road. There are no turns to make. There are no other roads.

  That’s how I know I’m on the right track.

  I’m on my way to Rose Haven, a small town quite literally in the middle of nowhere, Colorado. Not the fun, snowy, dream-vacation part of Colorado. Ranch country. Eighty percent of the land within the town border is allocated to ranches. The cattle outnumber the people, eight to one.

  My mom is one of the few people living in Rose Haven that have nothing to do with ranching.

  I’m not far from town, but I can’t tell exactly how close I am. There aren’t even mile markers on the road to guide me.

  This highway did have markers at one point, but they’ve all been washed away or broken. The town never bothered to replace them because anyone driving out there already knows where they’re going, with the exception of me.

  When I started my drive two days ago, I thought some kind of homing instinct would kick in but it hasn’t. The town could rise up out of the hills in a second or in an hour.

  Most of the highway is outside the range of the cell towers. I’ll only get signal again once I get within five miles of town. There’s only one cell phone tower in Rose Haven. Only the main streets fall within its bubble.

  My mother, who lives sixteen miles out of town, doesn’t own a cellphone. She doesn’t want one when her landline works just fine. If she calls someone and they don’t answer, she knows they’re in town.

  It never takes long to find someone in Rose Haven. There are only so many places to go and no place to hide. That’s one of the reasons why I left.

  I’ve spent the last six years in New Orleans. I went to college there and when I graduated, I couldn’t imagine leaving. New Orleans is the opposite of Rose Haven in every way. That’s why I love it. It’s loud, it’s colorful, and every day there’s something new to see.

  There are places to hide in New Orleans.

  Out of nowhere, a battered sign rises up down the road.

  Welcome to Rose Haven. Pop. 3071.

  Rose Haven takes up a surprising amount of space, though no one would ever guess it. I can drive an hour out of town and still be in the county. There’s nothing out there, but still.

  The background of the sign was once a rich, deep purple. It clearly hasn’t been touched up since I left. The loopy, cursive lettering was once a rosy shade of pink but the sun’s bleached it into the color of a seashell.

  I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. My knuckles ache from the pressure, but I don’t let up. I need something else to focus on.

  Anxiety flutters in my chest as I fly toward the sign.

  I press my foot down on the accelerator. My little Prius whirls as she zooms forward. Yes, my car is a She. Her name is Penny.

  In my mind’s eye, I picture a barricade around the town border. It’s made of all my sour memories piled up on top of each other.

  Once I pass the town line, I’ll be fine. I know this is all in my head. Nothing is going to stop me from seeing my mother, especially not the memories of all the pretty blonde bitches that made middle school and high school a living hell for me.

  I don’t see the police cruiser until it’s too late.

  I zoom by, cursing myself for not paying more attention. I slow down, but it’s too late. The cruiser’s lights come flashing on and the car pulls onto the road. I begin to pull over. My anxiety increases tenfold.

  What’s a cruiser doing out here in the first place.

  The car rolls to a stop behind me. The officer gets out. I can’t make out his expression under his wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. There’s something familiar about him, but I can’t see enough of his face to nail down what it is.

  I probably went to school with him. He looks about my age.

  As he approaches my window, he takes off his hat and sunglasses. In my rearview mirror, I finally get a glimpse of his face. My heart slams against my ribs.

  It’s Luke O’Donnell. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him instantly.

  His strong jaw looks even more chiseled than I remember. His wavy brown hair catches the gold light of the late afternoon sun. His eyes are like disks of jade.

  He’s the most beautiful man to ever walk the earth. Heat floods my body when I look at him directly.

  He knocks on the window, his smile stretching from ear to ear. He knows it’s me. I wonder if my mother told him I was coming back to town.

  He starts talking the moment I roll down the window.

  “Marie Richardson, as I live and breathe!” He slaps his hand over his chest. “I never thought I’d see you back here.”

  “Hey, Luke,” I nod. I can’t make my voice sound natural.

  I spent a good ten years head over heels in love with Luke O’Donnell. Now that he’s in front of me again, I realize I’m not as over him as I thought. I can’t look at him without imagining what it would be like to run my hands over his bare chest.

  “Hey, Luke?” He repeats. “That’s all you have to say to your best friend?”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch much,” I offer lamely. Truth be told, I’m surprised to hear him refer to me as his best friend. I thought I lost that title when I left.

  It wasn’t bad enough to be in love with someone like Luke knowing I didn’t stand a chance in the world. It was even worse when he was my friend. My best friend.

  In elementary school, he stood up for me when a few kids made fun of my weight. I’ve always carried a few extra pounds. I spent years of my life hating my body. That’s another thing that changed when I moved to New Orleans.

  Despite a healthy relationship with my curves, I slowly felt the old self-consciousness trickle back in.

  “Much?” Luke chuckles. “I haven’t heard from you since graduation. I ought to write you a ticket just for that.”

  “How long have you been a police officer?” I ask.

  “Ranger,” he corrects. “In you forgot how we do things here, we’re called Rangers.”

  I had forgotten. I’ve actively tried to think of home as little as possible since I left, but I can’t say that to Luke. He’s always been the Golden Boy. He wouldn’t understand.

  “I heard about Alice.” My chest flutters when he says my mother’s name. “Doc says she’s driving to Denver for treatment.”r />
  “Yeah, I’m going to take over driving so she doesn’t wear herself out. It’s a miracle she can still drive herself.”

  “It is. We’re all rooting for her.”

  “Thanks.” I blink away unexpected tears. “I should get going. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  “Of course. Try not to speed, though. Gary Wiseman can see the whole highway from his porch. If he sees someone speeding, he’ll be at the station all day trying to wrangle up a posse.”

  “Still?” I chuckle. “You’d think he’d have found something else to do by now.”

  “Nope.” He pats the roof of my car. “Say hi to your mom for me. Don’t be a stranger while you’re here, either!”

  I wave as I roll up my window, eager to get away before I can no longer hide the deep desire I still feel for him.

  Chapter Two

  Luke

  I can’t believe it. I must have been imagining it. Maybe I got a little too much sun today.

  Never did I think I’d see Marie back in town. I figure she would’ve called me first, but why would she? She didn’t bother to tell me she was leaving town.

  It’s only when I come to the one and only red light in town, do I realize my heart is pounding out of my chest. It’s not the first time she’s taken my breath away, but it’s definitely the most intense.

  I pull into the station shortly after sundown. There’s a beat-up truck in one of the three guest parking spots. Gary must’ve seen Marie’s car. Sure enough, he’s inside going off on my co-ranger, Rhodes.

  “I’m tellin’ you!” Gary shook a gnarled finger. “One of those hoodlums from the valley just drove into town. No one else comes from that direction. They’re trying to bring their jazz cabbage and disco powder into my town and I won’t have it!”

  “We’re aware of the situation in the valley and monitoring it closely, Gary. You know that,” Rhodes sighs. “No one is bringing jazz cabbage into town.”

  “You didn’t see what I saw!”

  “You can relax, Gary,” I cut in. “That driver on the road today was none other than Marie Richardson.”

  Rhode’s brows shoot up. “Your old high school pal?”

  Pal isn’t the word I’d use. Marie was my only real friend in school. I felt like I could be myself around her without the pressure of expectations. She was the only person who truly knew me at my core. I never understood why she left town so suddenly after graduation.

  Gary’s nonexistent brows shoot up. “Alice’s girl?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “She could have disco powder,” Gary mutters. “She’s a city girl now.”

  “No, she’s not,” I laugh. “She’s a Rose Haven girl, through and through. She just doesn’t remember that yet.

  She didn’t look like the other girls in town. She wasn’t obsessed with turning herself into whatever others thought was cool or trendy. She was unapologetically herself all the time. Not a lot of people at school liked that. They were always ready to remind her of how different she was as if it was a bad thing.

  Her dark chocolate hair is a lot longer than it used to be. She used to keep it cut to her shoulders. It looks amazing long. She’s always been beautiful. Her curves enhanced her femininity even when she dressed rather tomboy-ish.

  I’ve been attracted to her since my sophomore year of high school, but she never seemed interested in me that way. It was a shame, but I was still more than happy to have her as a friend. Any piece of her I could have was enough for me.

  I try to remind myself of that as my mind takes things to a far dirtier place. I tamp my thoughts down before I’m unable to hide them.

  “Are you going to hang out with her while she’s in town?” Rhodes asks. “You know, reconnect a bit?”

  “I’d like to,” I shrug. “I don’t know how Marie feels. She didn’t seem like she wanted to chat when I pulled her over.”

  “Most people don’t want to talk when they’re pulled over,” Rhodes points out. “She’s probably worried about her mother, too.”

  “You’re right,” I nod. “I’ll give it a few days before I knock on her door. She’ll need to settle in.”

  “Why’d she leave town in the first place?” Rhodes asks.

  “That’s the thing,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “I don’t know. I never saw her again after the graduation ceremony. She didn’t even come to the party.”

  “Weird,” Rhodes says before turning his attention back to Gary. “See, Gary? No jazz cabbage.”

  “Alice’s girl might be a mule!” Gary cries.

  I try not to laugh. On a small level, Gary has the right to be alarmed. A few months ago, some known drug dealers from up north settled in a rural part of the county. They rarely come into town. We haven’t found proof that they’re doing anything illegal, but all of us rangers have a bad feeling about it. We’ve been keeping tabs as best as we can.

  “Marie isn’t a mule, Gary. She’s just here to take care of her mother,” I say. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car. Ruthie’s probably got dinner in the oven, right?”

  “It’s casserole night,” Gary grumbles as he lets me guide him out of the station. “Worst day of the week.”

  “Ruthie’s taco casseroles are to die for,” I protest. “We tear them apart whenever she brings them into the station.”

  “I’ll bring some down tomorrow.” Gary climbs into his truck, which coughs to life. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to get another truck. I should start asking around. It’ll make his life a little easier. That’s what being a ranger is all about.

  I head back into the station, ready to file the evening paperwork, and call it a night. As I move through my routine, I can’t seem to shake Marie from my mind.

  Chapter Three

  Marie

  “It’s not all that bad,” my mother, Alice, says in the seat next to me. “Though, I wish we could’ve taken my car.”

  We’re on our way back from treatment in Denver.

  “You’re lucky your car made it to Denver and back even once,” I say. “You need to get a new one.”

  “Gary Wiseman’s selling his truck,” she says. “I saw Ranger Luke putting up a for sale flyer at the general store.”

  “If your little Toyota is struggling to make the drive, what makes you think Gary Wiseman’s old truck is going to do any better,” I ask.

  “I don’t know,” my mother says dreamily.

  I feel guilty about my rising annoyance. Alice Richardson is many things but practical is not one of them. Growing up, we always lived in the strangest houses. They never looked like the ones all of the other kids lived in. She likes spaces that have character.

  Her current house is a refurbished horse barn. I have to admit, she did an amazing job fixing it up. It almost looks normal.

  We pull onto the main road and I pull into a parking spot in front of Jeanette’s Grocery, the only grocery store in town.

  “Do you need something?” My mother asks.

  “You need something,” I say. “You heard the doctor. I’m getting smoothie supplies so your system doesn’t have to work overtime.”

  “I don’t have a blender,” she says.

  I let out a long sigh. “You couldn’t have mentioned that earlier?”

  “I didn’t know you wanted to get smoothie stuff.”

  “The doctor deliberately recommended it,” I say. “Why wouldn’t I do what the doctor says.”

  “Doctors say all kinds of things,” my mother waves me off. It’s everything I can do to rein in my temper.

  “And you should listen to them. I’ll be right back.”

  I get out of the car before she can say anything. I hope she stays put. I need a moment alone.

  “Marie!” Jeanette calls the moment I step into the store. “I heard you were back in town!”

  “I’m not back,” I clarify. “I’m just helping my mother until she gets better.”

  “Bless your heart.” Jeanette lays a hand on m
y shoulder. “My goodness, you haven’t changed a bit.”

  Her eyes drift to my midsection for a fraction of a second.

  “Neither have you,” I reply. “Do you have frozen fruit?”

  “In the freezer section,” she nods. “We don’t have much.”

  “I’ll make do.” I slip away before she can say anything else.

  When I get to the freezer section, I spy one bag of frozen strawberries and nothing else. I grab it since I’ve already made the effort.

  “Jeanette?” I call when I’m back at the front of the store. “You don’t happen to sell blenders, do you?”

  “Not this time of year,” she says. “I usually order a few for spring and summer but since autumn’s closing in, I haven’t ordered any. You making smoothies or something?”

  “Trying to,” I say.

  “Is it some kind of weight loss fad?” She asks. “I love hearing about all those new crackpot ways to lose weight. Some celebrities out in Hollywood eat nothing but seaweed. Hand to God!”

  “It’s for my mother. Smoothies will help her get proper nutrition while she treats her cancer.”

  The color drains from Jeanette’s face.

  “Of course,” she nods. “We’re keeping her in our thoughts all the time.”

  “That’s so nice of you.” If she can tell how fake my smile is, she doesn’t let on. “Have a good one!”

  I leave without waiting for change.

  “Need a blender?” Luke’s voice sends a shiver down my spine. I don’t even have to see him for desire to start boiling in my blood. How is that fair?

  “What?” I blurt like an idiot.

  “I heard you asking Jeanette for a blender,” he says. “We have one at the station we never use. Want to borrow it?”

  “No thanks,” I don’t like being so curt with him but it’s either that or rip his clothes off. Not sure he’ll respond to the latter well.

  I can’t believe Luke is being this nice to me. I’m not proud of how I left Rose Haven. It wasn’t fair to him at all. The least he can do is be mad about it like I deserve.