The Sheriff Gets His Lady

“Good point. You aren’t exactly a bustling metropolis out there, are you?”

“We like it that way.”

“Uh-huh. Guess that means coming back to work for me again is out of the question, huh?”

For one tiny second, Noah hesitated before rejecting the offer. Once Lauren was happily married, his initial reason for leaving Dallas was gone. He’d loved the undercover work he’d done for the Dallas P.D. On the other hand, he was older now. Old enough to know it was a young man’s game.

“Thanks anyhow, Zach.”

“Just remember, the offer stands anytime you want. How’s your daughter doing? I hear she’s engaged.”

Noah smiled. “She picked herself a nice guy. He’s about to graduate from veterinary school.”

“Isn’t that what Lauren is studying?”

“Yeah. She intends to go into partnership with him. They’ve already talked to the vet over in Trueblood about buying into his practice in a couple of years. He’s getting ready to retire.”

“That’s terrific. So Lauren’s away at school right now?”

“No, actually, she’s doing this semester via some new computer courses. She’s determined to save money before the wedding and this lets her work part-time as a veterinary assistant for our vet here in Bitterwater.”

“Independent as ever, huh?”

Noah’s grin widened. “That’s Lauren.”

“Still bringing home strays?”

“Afraid so.” He eyed the three dogs and one battered old cat sprawled on the kitchen floor. Each one had been a rescue that had ended up costing him a fortune in vet bills. Lauren was always bringing home strays of one sort or another. Long ago, he’d accepted the defeat of that particular battle.

Zach chuckled. “Glad to hear she’s doing so well. Just to be on the safe side, you should probably warn her to be careful. Listen, Noah, there was another reason I called.”

“Figured as much.”

“Could I use your office to set up a meeting? We’ve got an undercover operation that I don’t want to see compromised. I figure you’re far enough from anywhere that we can make sure no one sees the meet.”

Noah ran a knuckle across his jaw, remembering what had happened the last time he’d gotten involved in one of Zach’s operations. His deputy had been a year from retirement when a pair of thugs from a baby ring ran him down. It hadn’t been Zach’s fault, but Noah still felt the loss.

“I guess I can arrange that.”

“Good. I’ll let you know the particulars as soon as I do.”

“All right.” The dogs suddenly scrambled to their feet and dashed down the hall. Lauren was home. “I’ve gotta run before I burn dinner, but thanks for the call. It was good to talk with you again.”

Joyous barks greeted the arrival of his daughter. Noah smiled in satisfaction as he hung up. He grabbed the salad from the refrigerator and set it on the table, then he pulled out the colander. The clicking of paws preceded his daughter into the kitchen.

“Hi, Dad! Dinner smells great. I’m starving.”

The animals collapsed in a boneless pile inside the door, watching Lauren with canine adoration as she gave him a quick hug and headed for the stove to check on the garlic bread he had warming.

“Yum.”

“Go wash up. Dinner in five.”

When Lauren returned from the bathroom, they fell into their usual dinnertime routine. The dogs waited hopefully for something to fall in their direction, but were quickly distracted by their own food bowls so he and Lauren could eat in peace. The cat disappeared with a haughty flick of her tail. As he ate, Noah listened to Lauren describe her day with her usual cheerful enthusiasm.

“Oh, and Doug’s coming to spend this weekend if that’s okay, Dad.”

“Anytime.” He swallowed a mouthful of pasta and regarded his daughter. “He’s not going to drive, is he?”

“No. He’s flying into San Antonio and renting a car.”

Noah raised his eyebrows. “Pretty expensive for a weekend.”

“I know, but he can afford it. And he says I’m worth it.”

He shared her grin. “He’s right. Listen, there’s something we need to discuss. You know that snub-nosed .38 I gave you?”

Her eyes went from blue to gray as she studied him seriously. “Uh-huh.”

“Start carrying it for a while.”

“Uh-oh. What’s happened?”

His daughter never failed to amaze him. He thanked God every day for the miracle of Lauren. If only Beth had lived to see what a strong, beautiful, levelheaded woman they had raised. He took a bite of salad, chewed, swallowed past the lump in his throat and proceeded to explain about Francis Hartman.

“Okay, Dad, I’ll stay alert.”

“The odds of Hartman actually coming here are pretty small,” he assured her. “If he holds to his usual routine, he’ll be back in jail in a matter of days.”

For Noah and Lauren the following day was life as normal with some heightened caution and awareness. In the afternoon, Noah spent several frustrating hours trying to track down an oil leak in his truck before he gave up and drove into town. He groaned at the sight of Alma Underwood pumping gas into her sports utility, but there was no avoiding the woman unless he drove all the way over to Bitterwater. He brought his truck to a halt and looked around for Marvin Gates. Old Man Lacy had the hapless mechanic cornered inside the garage, garrulously complaining about something under the hood of his ancient pickup.

“Noah! I was just heading home to give you a call,” Alma said. “You have to do something.”

Too late to hide, he thought ruefully, and strode over to Alma. “Afternoon, Alma. What do I have to do something about? I’m not even on duty right now.”

She finished filling her gas tank and began screwing the cap back in place while Noah rested a foot against her front fender.

“Ha! You’re the county sheriff, you’re always on duty. Besides, you know young Terry’s still wet behind the ears. This woman would chew him into little pieces.”

The idea of anyone chewing his six-foot-three inch, 220-pound muscled deputy into little pieces made Noah smile. Terry Gooding might be young and inexperienced, but he wasn’t stupid or Noah wouldn’t have hired him.

“What woman, Alma?”

“The one over in my café. She’s been hanging around Darwin Crossing for two days now. She doesn’t belong here.” Alma’s seamed face creased even further.

“Where does she belong, Alma?” Over her shoulder, Noah saw that rescue wasn’t imminent. Marvin was still busy.

The older woman sniffed. “City woman. Now, I ask you, what business could she possibly have here in Darwin Crossing? As the sheriff, you should talk to her. Find out what she’s up to.”