“I think you’ve got to get used to it. You’ve been away from it for a while.” Heidi grabbed her glass and took a sip of wine.
“Yes, I suppose.”
Robbie, Heidi’s youngest, came running to the kitchen. “Mom, can we have dessert?”
“Yes. Tell everyone to bring their plates in here and put them in the dishwasher.”
Robbie ran into the living room to relay the message, and Heidi went to the refrigerator and pulled out a banana cream pie. She cut the pie into eight slices and gave everyone a slice on small plastic cake plates.
“Did you make that?” Marissa asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“It looks yummy.” Marissa ran her tongue over her lips in anticipation.
“Dig in.” Heidi set a piece of pie in front of Marissa. “So what’s going on with your hot water heater?”
“It doesn’t work,” she said after taking a bite of the pie. “This is delicious.”
“Thanks.” Heidi smiled. “How are you getting hot water?”
“I heat four large pots for a bath at night and to wash my hair.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of work. Why don’t you come here in the mornings and get ready for work?”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind it too much now that Miles is coming over. I hope I can afford it.”
“Them household appliances don’t come cheap,” Heidi said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I may have to wait a while before I can get a new one. But we’ll see what Miles says.”
“I think he’s the most reasonable plumber in town. Maybe he’ll give you a discount since you’re a former classmate of his.”
“That would be great, wouldn’t it?”
“If you have to replace it and you can’t afford to do it right now, don’t hesitate to stop by here and take a shower. I don’t mind, and the kids are all on spring break and they sleep late in the mornings, so they won’t even be up.”
“Thanks,” Marissa said appreciatively. “Who watches the kids for you while you work?”
“Their father, Hutch, works second shift at the hospital, so they stay with him when they get up. When he leaves for work, my oldest, Dan, watches them here at home.”
Heidi and Marissa talked long into the night.
Marissa glanced at the clock at the kitchen. “Wow, I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m so sorry to have kept you up so late!” she said, horrified.
“Nonsense. I rarely go to bed before eleven. I’m used to being up this late.”
“Well, I’ve got to go. I’m not a morning person as it is. Tomorrow will be rough getting up.”
After saying goodbye to the kids and Heidi, Marissa drove home, and with a satisfied stomach, she went to bed.
* * * *
Riley was sitting on his porch when he saw Marissa pull up in her driveway and then the lights come on in the house. He smiled to himself. He knew that Marissa had gone to Heidi’s for dinner. He remembered Heidi asking her last Saturday. He was glad she’d hooked up with her old friend and got out for a while. It was this thing with him—he didn’t like to see people lonely and alone, isolated, with no friends and family. Not even when they claimed it was what they wanted. Usually that was a sign to him that they were hiding something or something had happened to them. He hadn’t been able to figure out Marissa yet, but he knew without a doubt she was lonely.
He stood and went inside his house. He turned off the lights, walked into his bedroom, and got undressed. He laid in bed thinking about his own situation. His divorce from Rachel had ended in a bitter battle. He was disappointed that they weren’t able to make it work. He’d been offered the job in Frankenburg as a sheriff’s deputy and wanted to come back to where he grew up. Living in a city and being a city cop was not something he wanted, but Rachel didn’t want to come back. She loved Denver and wanted to stay there. Then he found out the real reason she didn’t want to come back—she was having an affair with another man on the police force. Riley felt that she made him look like a fool, and that solidified his decision to move back home.
After his divorce, he dated a few women in the beginning, but he hadn’t dated anyone in a while. He wasn’t sure he wanted to get emotionally involved with anyone after Rachel, but he missed not having a connection with a woman and sharing his bed with her. As much as he loved his log home, he found himself lonely, with no one to share it.
Riley shifted his thoughts back to Marissa. He didn’t understand why he was drawn to her. She had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship with him, but for some reason, he found himself pushing back and trying to break down her barriers.
Back in high school some boys in her class had come to him with a paper that said Marissa loves Riley 4 ever. He never went to her to ask her if it was hers, even though he knew it was. She was the only student in the school named Marissa. He figured by the way she had walked by him afterward in the hallway, with her head hung low, looking embarrassed, that he wouldn’t embarrass her even more by asking, but he liked her. She was quiet and shy, but he’d always thought she was pretty. He began to notice her when they played volleyball. She was a great volleyball player, and he could see her body curves. However, he had been dating Rachel since junior high and they had been inseparable.
He and Rachel were voted King and Queen at the last homecoming parade they attended in twelfth grade. Everyone thought Rachel was beautiful, and all the guys he hung out with were jealous that he was the lucky guy who got to date her.
After high school he had joined the Marines. By the time his tour in Iraq finished, and he left the military, he’d seen way too much suffering and carnage. He’d learned that beauty was beyond the physical appearance of an individual. He had never realized how shallow Rachel was until their divorce.
He looked beyond Marissa’s beauty, at a scarred soul screaming to be loved, but too afraid to reach for it. Why did he want to reach out to her? As far as he knew, she had no living relatives she could turn to, so it was up to him, Heidi, Mrs. Buell, and others to pull her into their lives, love her, and protect her, even though she insisted she wanted none of it.
Chapter 10
The next day Riley walked into the station and to his office to read up on what had happened in the past twenty-four hours. He was studying the reports when Deputy Murchison walked in sporting a black eye.
“What the hell happened to you?” Riley asked, his brows raised inquiringly.
“We got a call last night at the Coyote Bar. The Ferguson brothers were there. Someone started a barroom fight, and we went to separate them and one of the Ferguson boys took a swing, missed his target, and got me instead. He’s been released, his father paid his bail.”
“What were they fighting about?” Riley asked.
“Ferguson was spouting off his mouth to Brandon at the bar and said some nasty things about his wife. Of course Brandon got mad, and he stood up to him. There was a fight between Brandon and other regulars against the Fergusons and the guys hanging out with them. The bartender called it in, and when we got there, it was like something you’d see out of a wild west movie where the gunslingers get into a bar brawl, and I was Wyatt Earp. Fists were swinging everywhere, and my partner called in reinforcement. I was in the middle of trying to stop Ferguson and Brandon from punching each other and Ferguson brought his fist up and punched me in the eye.”
“There are two Fergusons. Which one was it?”
“Joe Ferguson.”
“Did you go to the hospital to get that checked out?” Riley pointed to his eye.
“Yeah, no serious damage, just have to put a cold patch on it to keep the swelling down. They said it would get really nice and pretty in a few days. Also, there are more than two Fergusons. Seem that they got the father here in town, and a few cousins too.”
“What’s your take on them? Do they act like they’re here to start trouble?”
“Looks like it to me. Last night everyone was drunk. The b
artender said she’d been serving them drinks all night long, and lots of them. They seem to like to agitate people and instigate things.”
Sergeant Miller came into the office. “I assume he’s briefed you on what happened last night.”
“Yes, anything more you can share with me about this?”
“Yeah, the bar owner is pressing charges against the Ferguson boys for the damages done to the bar equipment.”
“Is she pressing charges against the locals?”
“No. The way she figured it, there wouldn’t have been a fight if Ferguson had kept his mouth shut.”
“What else can you tell me?” Riley asked, rubbing his forehead.
“From what I’ve been able to gather, Jed Ferguson came into town last night intending to find out who vandalized their trommel. Apparently, they’re staying at a relative’s ranch on Highway 350. He indicated that he was the one who paid for the claim so his boys could dig for sapphires and gold. Apparently, he’s forking over the money to fix the machine, and he wanted to know what we’re doing about it. I told him early this morning he was not to take the law into his own hands. He alluded that if the sheriff couldn’t find out who did it and quickly, then he had the right to find out for himself, and if it made him look as if he was taking the law into his own hands, then so be it. The old man posted the boy’s bail and he was released.”
“Okay,” Riley said. “I have a couple of deputies investigating them. I told Joe that if I found that he was operating a business on the land, I’d be closing him down since it’s illegal to run a business on BLM land that has a claim on it.”
“Any luck finding out who messed with the Fergusons’ trommel?” Sergeant Miller asked.
“No, we’re still investigating. It could be nothing, and maybe they cut it themselves to cause trouble.”
“We nosed around, but no one seems to know anything about it, or if they do, they aren’t saying a word,” Sergeant Miller said.
“Okay, thanks.”
Sergeant Miller and Deputy Murchison left his office.
Someone wanted to get back at the Fergusons...who could it be? Campbell claimed it wasn’t him and no one was willing to own up to it. Why am I even wasting manpower and time on this? It’s not like there isn’t other work to be done.
Jack came into Riley’s office later that morning. Riley leaned back in his chair and asked, “What do you have for me, Jack?”
“Nothing as far as any legally operated business that the Ferguson boys would be into. But I did run a check to see where they came from, and they come from a small town in Colorado called Rives Junction. Seems they have a history of starting trouble and spent time in jail there for instigating fights. There are allegations that they stole from prospectors, and they like to ‘target’ practice near them as a method of intimidation and scaring folks.”
Marissa and Campbell were next door to the Fergusons’ claim and Campbell mentioned the boys were target practicing. I don’t like this. The hair on the back of his neck began to rise.
“I’m going out to the river to talk to Campbell.” Riley got up and left the office. He’d talk to Marissa tonight. Maybe he could talk her out of digging for a while until those hoodlums left town.
* * * *
Marissa went home after digging with Campbell. She was dead tired from staying up so late last night. However, she did enjoy herself and was glad that she and Heidi had reconnected and their bond was still strong. It took away the loneliness she had been feeling. At least she had a girlfriend to talk to.
After she ate her dinner, she went and sat on the porch. She was looking through the rocks when Riley pulled up in the police cruiser. She had noticed his lights were on in his house last night when she got home. Did he always go to bed late or was he watching her?
Why is he out so late now? She observed him as he parked behind her vehicle, climbed out of the cruiser, and headed her way. Her heart started to race as she gave him the once-over. Heidi was right about one thing—he certainly was good-looking. Was she also right in her assessment that Riley was one of the good guys?
“Hey, Marissa. What are you doing?” Riley asked as he climbed up her steps and stood next to her.
“I’m shifting through the rocks, looking for sapphires.”
“Have you found any?”
She reached over and picked a couple of the sapphires that she had found and dropped them in his hand.
He looked at them closely. “So this is what they look like in the rough, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Are they good quality?”
“A couple of them are. There’s one that I may be able to heat-treat to improve the quality.”
“I see.” Riley handed them back to her. “I have something to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
Riley leaned against the post on the porch. “I’ve been investigating the Fergusons, who are next to Campbell out at the river. I’d like you to suspend your activities with Campbell out there until I can get the Fergusons out of town.”
“When will that happen?”
“It’s only a matter of time. They have a history of making trouble and trying to scare people. They do target practicing and scare the hell out of the other prospectors.”
“I won’t be intimidated.” Her expression hardened.
“Well, I know, but these guys play with guns.” Riley leaned over slightly and rubbed his palms on his jeans.
“Did you talk to Campbell?”
“Yes, I did. Just a little bit ago.”
“What did he say?” Marissa asked.
“He said he’d do whatever you wanted to do. If you want to suspend your arrangement for the time being, he’s okay with it.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll think about it and talk to him about it. Bad guys with guns don’t scare me, but they may scare him.”
“Scare Campbell? I don’t think so. He’s going to continue to dig out there regardless of what you decide to do.”
Marissa felt safe with Campbell. “Then I’ll probably do the same.”
“I really wish you’d consider the implications of this and the danger this could be. I don’t want anything to happen to you or to Campbell.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“I appreciate your concern, Sheriff. I will think about what you suggested.”
“Could we get pass the sheriff name calling and you just call me Riley? I think we are friends, aren’t we?”
“Sorry, I thought you were here on official business.”
“I am. But… Oh, never mind. Did Cindy and Dave tell you what time they’ll be back tomorrow?”
“Yes, they’ll be back around six, give or take a few minutes.”
Riley’s eyes lit up. “Good. That means we can go out and have an enjoyable dinner-and-dance evening.”
“Dinner and dance? I thought it was just dinner.” She sat straight up and tensed her shoulders.
“Don’t you like to dance?”
“I don’t know how to dance. Really, Riley, I wished you had told me, I would have said that I couldn’t dance and—”
“We don’t have to dance if you don’t want. We’ll just sit and talk and get to know each other.”
Riley took a step forward to leave, and Marissa stood up, intending to go in the house and get ready for bed. He brought his hand up and gently caressed her arm and shoulder, to her neck, and slipped his finger under her chin. He lifted her chin upward so that Marissa stared into his eyes. She was surprised at what she saw. He had beautiful gray eyes, and there was warmth and tenderness in them.
He leaned over and kissed her lips. He came up from the kiss, still looking into her eyes. It felt wonderful to Marissa. His kiss was sweet, gentle, and kind. She wanted more. She impulsively reached up for another kiss, putting one arm around his neck and pulling him down to her.
This time he put a little more pressure on her lips, teasing them open so she could feel his tongue trace her lips. All kinds of unexplained, sizzl
ing sensations rushed through Marissa’s body. She enjoyed having his arms around her, and she loved the smell of him, with his faint aftershave cologne. When his lips left hers and traveled slightly along her jawline to her neck, she drank in the heady scent and huddled close to him. Her toes curled at the sensations that rippled through her body. He slowly eased up so he was standing in front of her again. Marissa’s heart was beating so wild and fast she thought she would fall to the ground from faintness.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Marissa,” Riley said quietly.
“Okay.”
She walked into her house, shut the door behind her, and leaned against it. She heard Riley get into his truck and start it up, backing out of her driveway. She walked over to the dining room chair and sat, waiting for her heart to slow down.
So, the Ferguson boys do this as a way to intimidate others. Well, she had news for them. She wasn’t easily intimidated, and she had a sidearm which made her feel safer, and Campbell would be there. She knew he would stand between them and her. She was starting to get attached to the old duffer. No, she was not going to suspend her activities.
* * * *
Saturday morning, Dave and Cindy dropped Katy off at Marissa’s house. Katy walked up on the porch and looked at the rocks on the table. “Are these the rocks that you dug at the river?” she asked.
“Yes. Look here, I got five sapphires out of the last two buckets I dug.”
Katy looked at the sapphires. “Wow, these are pretty!”
“Yes, they are.”
“Mom and Dad said that you had a plumber coming over today to fix your hot water heater. I brought a book to read so I won’t be in your way.”
“Do you like to read?” Marissa asked.
“Yeah, I love to read romance books.”
“I did too.”
“Really? Who’s your favorite author?” Katy asked.
“I liked Victoria Holt,” Marissa said.
“I like her too. I’ve got a couple of her books. But I really like Brandy Wilson. To me, she’s the best.”
“I’ve heard of her, but I’ve never read any of her books. You know something else I liked to do?”
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