Sheriff Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 10)

by Laylah Roberts

  The Devil’s Sinners had quickly left Wishingbone after Saber fled town. Which he was more than thankful about. It was hard enough keeping the crazy residents of this town safe, without adding in a violent gang.

  “There haven’t been any sightings of Tiger and Saber. My guess is that if they’re still alive they’ll be somewhere regrouping. If I was you, I’d be looking at the Devil’s Kings since they’ve got ties to them.”

  He didn’t understand why she was here, since she knew all this. Tiger and Saber hadn’t been seen since that night. Saber’s brother ran the Devil’s Kings, it only made sense he’d go back there to lick his wounds.

  “You don’t think they’re still alive?”

  “I’m not sure. You know as much as I do.”

  “There were reports of a fight between the Devil’s Sinners and some unknown men. You’ve found out nothing about that?” she snapped.

  His temper unfurled. It was slow to ignite, but when it got going then it could also take a long time to extinguish.

  “There is nothing I know that you don’t, Agent James.”

  She stood and smoothed down her pants. “I can see there was little point in me coming here.”

  “Certainly nothing that warranted a trip out here. I’m sure you’ve got far more important things to do. Next time, feel free to just pick up the phone or better yet, send an email if you want an update about nothing.”

  She was facing away from him, her body stiff with tension. “Yes. That’s true. Perhaps an email would have been a better idea. I’ll do that in the future.”

  Damn it.

  “That’s it? That’s all you came here for? To ask me about Saber and Tiger Mason?” Fuck. Why did he go and say that?

  “Of course.” She turned and gave him a cool look. “What other reason could there be?”

  Fuck. Yep, she was cold. “Then if that’s all, I’ve got work to do.”

  Something flared in her eyes, something he couldn’t understand. Then she left. He stared after her for a long moment before turning his gaze away. What the hell was he missing? There was something going on and he wasn’t connecting the dots.

  “She’s sad.”

  He glanced up to find Kiesha standing there in the doorway. She was frowning slightly.

  “What?” he asked.

  “FBI lady, she’s sad. You can see it in her eyes.”

  He sighed. “Really? You can see it in her eyes?”

  “And her clothes. Only someone who was really sad would wear such sad clothing. Classic case of the outside reflecting what’s on the inside.”

  He rubbed his temples. What he needed was a vacation. He’d go to the city, book himself into Hotel Sixty, which had a BDSM club on the basement level. He hadn’t been there in a while. That might be why he was so tense. He needed to relax. There, he could find one of the club subs to play with. Maybe he’d even find a Little to spend some time with.

  Yep, that’s what he needed.

  A break away.

  “Really?”

  “I was going to be a psychologist, you know. I minored in it at college. You should listen to me. That woman is really sad. She needs someone to remind her that life is for living. Not for fading into the background.”

  “She’s an FBI agent, I hardly think she fades into the background,” he protested.

  “Not talking about when she’s working. I wonder if she has any friends.” She tapped her chin with her finger. Fuck, that was her thinking pose. Kiesha thinking? Disaster. “Maybe I could be her friend.”

  Nope. Shit.

  “She doesn’t live here,” he said hastily. Thank God.

  “Yeah. That’s a small issue.”

  “Small issue?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You ever hear of phones? The internet? Any of those ring a bell? You don’t have to live in the same city as someone to be their friend.”

  He gritted his teeth. “I know that. But she seems like a busy woman. And I’m sure she has lots of friends. Just leave her alone.”

  Kiesha narrowed her gaze at him. “You say that like you consider me to be a nuisance.”

  Alarm filled him. “No, of course I don’t! You’re far from a nuisance.”

  She pointed a finger at him. “I’ll have you know that I’m a very good friend.”

  “I’m sure you are. It’s just, she doesn’t seem your type, does she?”

  Kiesha snorted. “I’m not asking her to date me. Not that she’s not cute or anything. I just like dick.”

  He groaned. “Kiesha, you can’t say dick.”

  “Why not? It’s just part of the male anatomy. Like vagina. And breasts. Are you saying I can’t say vagina and breasts?”

  Why? Why him? He closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly.

  “Yes, I’m saying you can’t say vagina, breasts, or dick while you’re here.”

  “So, uhh, this seems like a conversation I don’t want to interrupt.”

  Ed opened his eyes, staring over at the doorway to his office where Jace, one of his deputies, stood. He took a step back. Ed widened his eyes, staring at him pleadingly to stay. But Jace just shook his head and ducked away.

  Coward.

  “Just please remember that you’re at work.”

  “But what if a prisoner comes in, breaks out of his handcuffs, and punches me right in the boob? Can’t I tell you that my breast hurt then?”

  “Fine, if a prisoner breaks out of his handcuffs, somehow. Then punches you in the breast, for some reason, then you can say that your breast hurt.”

  She looked weirdly happy about that. Really. How did this become his life?

  “Anyway, back to FBI lady, you got me off track, talking about breasts and dicks . . . “

  He groaned.

  “What is it? Why are you making that noise? Do you have a headache?”

  “Yes, I have a headache.”

  “I’ll make you coffee. That will help.”

  “It won’t. It really won’t.”

  “Fine. Suit yourself. But don’t say I never offer to make you coffee. Now, back to FBI lady, I’m going to be her new friend, it’s been decided. I’m going to teach her how to live a little.” She clapped her hands. “This is going to be so much fun.”

  Shit.

  2

  Georgina made it back to her car before the shaking started.

  She stared down at her hands, watching them tremble. Her breathing grew faster, sharper.

  Shit. Shit.

  Get yourself under control. You’re a James. You’re not allowed to panic. You’re not allowed to freak out. You have to be strong.

  In. One, two, three. Out. One, two, three.

  This was humiliating. How could she have let herself become interested in him? Of course she was going to be disappointed. Someone like him, gorgeous, sexy, and strong would never be interested in her.

  His assistant was much better suited to him. She was stunning with all that smooth, dark skin, those curves, and that attitude. Sure, she was a bit eccentric, but she had soul. Personality.

  She was color and Georgina was gray. She’d had all the life sucked out of her. A caricature, pretending to live when in reality she was stuck doing the same thing over and over again. All she ever did, day after day, was just try to get through life.

  And she was so sick of it. So tired. Had she really thought that coming here would help? That she’d walk in, find that he’d been pining after her all this time, pull her into his arms and kiss her again?

  He had someone else. For all she knew, he didn’t even remember the kiss. This was so humiliating.

  Oh, God. What if he’d been dating the other woman when he’d kissed Georgina?

  Shit. Shit. Surely not.

  Could this get any worse? Not only was she humiliated, now she had to worry that she’d been a part of him cheating.

  Her phone ringing pushed her panic to one side. Grabbing her handbag, she pulled it open. Maybe it was her boss. Maybe he needed her to come back.
>
  Disappointment flooded her when she saw that it was her mother calling. Awesome. Just what she needed. Her mother had a sixth sense when it came to her. She seemed to realize when Georgina was at her lowest then she pounced.

  She really didn’t want to answer the call. She took in a shuddering breath. But if she didn’t answer then things would get worse.

  “Hello, Mother.” Her voice was steady, nothing to betray the fact that she’d been close to a panic attack.

  Show no weakness.

  No one in the James family was supposed to be weak. But she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t perfect. She was defective.

  “What’s wrong?” her mother asked sharply.

  She straightened up in her seat. Shit. She couldn’t know, right? Surely not. He’d promised her that she wouldn’t find out. If he’d told her . . .

  “What do you mean? Nothing is wrong.”

  Nothing to see here.

  “You sound strange.”

  She nearly slumped over in relief. But she was certain that her mother would sense that. How often had she suffered through her lessons on how to sit, on how to present herself, about how a James conducted themselves?

  “It might be allergies,” she lied. Then she closed her eyes. Fudge. Why had she said that?

  “Allergies? What allergies? You don’t have allergies.”

  “I’m not sure. I have a slightly scratchy throat. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Nothing? It could be contagious. You must go to the doctor immediately, and get a thorough physical.”

  She knew better than to argue. “Yes, Mother.”

  “Then have the doctor call me to give me a report on what is wrong with you.”

  Georgina bit her lip. She was a grown woman. There was no way she was telling her doctor that she had to call her mother and give her a diagnosis.

  Not that there would be a diagnosis since there was nothing wrong with her.

  Well, nothing physical. There was plenty that was wrong with her.

  But her mother couldn’t find that out. The woman was a germaphobe. She thought that getting ill was due to poor breeding, or something. All utter bullshit, but nobody told Catherine James that she was wrong. And lived.

  “I don’t understand. A James doesn’t get sick. Our bloodlines are better than that. Really, Georgina, I hope it’s not a cold. Colds are so common.”

  Right. So she wanted it to be something more interesting? Something less common? What would be acceptable? Ebola? The plague?

  “Sorry, Mother,” she forced herself to say.

  This was ridiculous. She was thirty-four years old and here she was, kowtowing to her mother! She didn’t need her telling her to go to the doctor or interfering in her life.

  So tell her to get lost.

  Yeah. Like that was going to happen.

  “Georgina, I don’t like this. You’re acting odd. Perhaps I need to send Sebastian out there. Or maybe August, yes, he would be a better choice. Not only is he closer, but he’s also a doctor. I don’t like you going to a common doctor’s office. There’re so many other germs you could pick up there. It’s definitely better that August examine you.”

  “Mother, he’s a cardio-thoracic surgeon.”

  “Yes, I know. That means he should be able to diagnose you. Far better than some common doctor.”

  She let out a small groan. Shit. Shit. What did she do that for?

  “What was that? Are you in pain? What’s wrong? You didn’t eat shellfish, did you? Please tell me that you didn’t. You know what happened last time you did that.”

  Oh, she remembered. She was the one that had spent twenty-four hours glued to the toilet. But her mother just wouldn’t let her live it down. She was surprised it hadn’t ended up in the yearly Christmas card.

  “I’m fine. I don’t have food poisoning. I just think I pulled a muscle.”

  “What? Where? Doing what? Have you been out running? I hope you weren’t out alone. And that no one saw you.”

  Which way did she want it? Either she went running on her own or she went with other people, in which case they were going to see her.

  “All that sweating and puffing and panting,” her mother said disdainfully. “Why do you need to run?”

  “I’ve got to be fit for my job, Mother.”

  “You’re not out in the field, Georgina. Most of the time you sit behind a desk. I made sure of that.”

  Actually, that wasn’t totally true, but her mother didn’t know that. Wait, what did she just say?

  “What did you say?”

  “I have to go, Georgina. Honestly, I have a very busy life and I don’t have time to chit-chat with you. I shall speak to August about coming to examine you. Please isolate yourself. You don’t want to infect anyone or have them see you with a runny nose or sneezing.”

  No. God forbid. They might think she was human.

  Before she could protest that she didn’t need August to come examine her, the line went dead. She’d hung up on her.

  For fudge’s sake. What had she done to deserve this? Talking to her mother was more stressful than dealing with the IRS. And now she wanted to send August to check up on her? That would be a disaster if she thought August would actually bother to do it.

  Still, she figured she’d best give him a head’s up.

  Georgina: Mother thinks I’m ill. She wants you to come examine me.

  Satan’s spawn #3: Why would she think you’re ill?

  Georgina: I groaned.

  Satan’s spawn #3: You have got to tell her to butt out of your life.

  Georgina: Yeah? How’s that going for you? You’re a cardio-thoracic surgeon who is about to be ordered by your mommy to do a doctor’s call on your sister.

  Satan’s spawn #3: It’s going fine since I’m going to lie and tell her that you’re fine. You just have period cramps.

  Period cramps! That asshole! Then she’d likely have to sit through a lecture about what was appropriate to speak to your doctor about, even if that doctor was your brother, and then be sent to the gynecologist.

  Georgina: You wouldn’t!

  No answer. There was a reason why she’d nicknamed her brothers Satan’s spawn, one, two, three, four, five, and six. Yep, she had six older brothers. And they were all awful. August was the best of the lot. The others would have jumped at any hint that she might need them, then charge into her life in an attempt to fix her.

  Because apparently, she needed fixing.

  You do. You’re completely broken. It’s just not something that any of them can fix.

  She really wished they’d get their own lives. But none of them was married. Georgina groaned and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. Why was her life such a mess?

  A knock at the window had her jumping. She barely held back a screech of fright. She turned her head and stared up into the smiling, beautiful face of Ed’s assistant.

  Shit. Had she found out about their kiss? Oh God, what was she going to do?

  “Hey there, FBI lady! Are you okay?”

  Georgina quickly opened the door. “Yes, I’m fine. Um, hello, Kiesha.”

  She didn’t seem like she was mad at her. Maybe Ed hadn’t told her about the kiss.

  That was a relief. Still, it was hard to believe that this woman would be so friendly if she knew that Georgina had kissed Ed.

  “I thought I was going to have to track you down. How great is it that you’re just sitting out here in your car, right? It’s like fate.”

  Why? Because Kiesha wanted to slap her for kissing her man? Whatever she did to her, Georgina would take it. All of this was her fault. She owed this woman.

  “So, are you staying in Wishingbone tonight?” Kiesha moved back and forth. Georgina glanced down to see that she was still wearing the roller skates. Was that safe without safety gear?

  She’s a grown woman. Not your concern.

  “Umm what?” she asked, realizing she’d missed something.

  “You okay FBI
lady? Did Ed do something to upset you? He can be a real stick-in-the-mud sometimes. Kiesha, no roller-skating at work. Kiesha, no cartwheels while working. Kiesha, take your sucker out before answering the phones. Such a bore.”

  “Yes, he sounds like it,” she said carefully. Even though she kind of agreed with Ed about all of those things. Then again, Ed was a stinking cheater so she shouldn’t agree with him about anything. “What a . . . a party pooper.”

  She cringed. Really? A party pooper? Was she five?

  “Exactly!” Kiesha pointed at her. “You and I, we’re destined to be best friends.”

  “Uhh, I’m not so sure . . . “ Shit. She’d expected the other woman to want to murder her and she wanted to be best friends? Ed definitely hadn’t come clean. That stick-in-the-mud, party pooper!

  Really, Georgina?

  Which meant it was up to her to tell this woman the truth. Nerves bubbled in her stomach. She deserved whatever was going to happen next. A James never ran when things got tough, they owned up to their mistakes. Not that she’d ever been allowed to make a mistake.

  “Which means you have to come to the Wishing Well tonight.”

  “The Wishing Well?” Was it an actual Wishing Well?

  “Yeah, it’s our local bar,” Kiesha said enthusiastically.

  “A bar?” When was the last time she’d been to a bar?

  “Yep, and it’s Trivia Night tonight. You look like you’re smart. You’d have to be in order to be an FBI agent, right? Not that it matters, we always win anyway. So come around seven-thirty. It starts at eight sharp. No late-comers allowed. We take our bar trivia seriously around here.”

  She could tell. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Especially once she told Kiesha what she’d done. Kiesha wasn’t going to want her around once she knew.

  “Oh no, it’s not a good idea. It’s a great idea. You are staying here the night, right?”

  “Umm, yes, actually. I booked a room at the motel for a week.” That had been a foolish idea in hindsight. “But I think that I might actually—”

  “That’s perfect. See you tonight.” She pointed another finger at her. “Don’t disappoint me.”

  Georgina had faced down terrifying criminals, other agents who thought she couldn’t do her job because she was female and slight, and her mother . . . no, scrap that, she’d never faced down her mother. That woman was terrifying. But right now, so was Kiesha.