Home on the Ranch: Wyoming Sheriff

by Rebecca Winters

  Silence came from their end.

  “Have you met her parents?”

  “Only her mother, who is wonderful.”

  “Where’s her father?”

  “He was killed when she was in her early teens, Mom.”

  “How tragic.”

  “But she had great family support. When we drive to Cody, we’ll talk over our plans with you and set a date for the wedding. It will have to be after the trial on the seventh. I’m thinking the tenth or so of July. Be thinking about some dates that work for you. We’ll want it to be soon.”

  “Good heavens.”

  It was a lot for them to absorb at once.

  “I’ll be trailing Blackie and Jessica’s horse, Bucky. Her husband once competed in the pro rodeo as a bull rider. Maybe we’ll be bringing a pony for Chase.”

  “Holden?” his father broke in. “Naturally, we’re thrilled you’ve found another woman to fill your heart. The whole family will be thrilled.”

  “Thank you. You couldn’t ask for a more wonderful boy. I love him like a son already. You will, too.”

  “We can’t wait to meet both of them.” His mother was all choked up.

  “I took pictures of them on my phone while we were on a hike a while back. I’m texting them to you now. Take a look.” He waited to give them time to look at the photos.

  “She’s beautiful!” his mother blurted. “And that boy is adorable! He’s wearing your sheriff’s hat!”

  Holden smiled. “I gave him mine and had to order another one.”

  “I like that photo of the three of you.” This from his dad. “You all look great together.”

  “We are great together.”

  “I’ve never heard you so happy.”

  “I am, Mom. Now I’ve got to go, but I’ll be in touch.”

  Before he left the office, he phoned Jessica. She answered on the second ring. “I’m so glad you called.”

  “Are you home?”

  “Yes, and Chase is in bed.”

  “Does your mother know we’re engaged?”

  “Yes, and she’s overjoyed! I knew I wouldn’t sleep until we talked.”

  “I’ve got the same problem. I just broke the news to my folks and sent them pictures. They can’t wait to meet you. Just to prepare them, I said we hope to get married around the tenth.”

  “How did they react?”

  “Silence at first. Then they got the nutshell version of our courtship. But the pictures I sent to them over the phone did the trick. They can’t wait to meet you and Chase. What’s important is that they’re happy for us.”

  “I feel like I’m in a dream. I wish you were here now. Holden—I love you so much you’ll never know. I need you to kiss me and never stop.”

  “When the trial is over, you’re going to get your wish for the rest of our lives, my love. I adore you. Now I should let you go. See you tomorrow.”

  After leaving his office, he headed home. Holden had been asleep only three hours when his phone rang. Feeling for the phone on the bedside table, he answered. “Sheriff Granger.”

  “Sheriff? It’s Deputy Green. Seth Lunt just escaped house arrest.”

  He felt like he’d been slugged and jumped out of bed. “How did that happen when we have the house covered?” Quickly, he threw on his uniform, having had a hunch this moment would come.

  “Dispatch took a call from his mother moments ago when she saw Seth shoot her husband. The officers heard a shot and saw he had a gun as he dragged her out to the Lexus with him, using her as a shield before he took off. We’ve got other units trailing him now.

  “Chief Wayland has sent more units to the Lunt house and asked me to work with you. He’s put out an all-points bulletin to shoot Lunt on sight, but urges caution because Mrs. Lunt is his captive. Roadblocks have been ordered.”

  “Where are you?”

  “At Mrs. Fleming’s ranch house. So far Seth hasn’t shown up here yet.”

  “Thank God. I’ll head for the beauty salon.”

  “Deputy Romero has it covered. So far no sign of him there, either. I think he may be coming for you, Sheriff.”

  His eyes closed tightly. “I think you could be right, Rick.” Holden wouldn’t forget that malevolent look in Seth’s eyes during the arraignment. “If he comes on my property, he’ll probably head for the barn.”

  “I’m headed your way now with more deputies following. Just a minute. Sheriff? I just got two messages. Mr. Lunt died on the way to the hospital and Seth is nowhere inside or outside Style Clips.”

  “Understood. We’ll stay in touch.”

  Holden reached for his night-vision goggles and small bag of tools, then ran out the back door to the barn under a dark cloudy sky. He got into a tuck position to scan his property through the glasses. Since he’d received no message that Seth had been spotted anywhere else, he would wait here for him as long as it took. The roadblocks would stop him if he planned to cross state lines.

  An hour went by. Holden was convinced Lunt was hidden along some private road near the house, planning out his next move. Time passed. When it got to be 4:00 a.m., Holden crept back toward his house wearing his goggles. He still didn’t see movement.

  He moved to the side of the garage, then stole around to the front of it. Something told him Seth could have gotten inside the house by breaking a back window. He could be waiting for him in the garage.

  It didn’t take Holden long to remove the four bolts that held up the mechanism to lift the door. When he undid the coupling, he would be able to open the garage door manually.

  If Seth was inside, he would hear the noise and hopefully give himself away.

  With his weapon in one hand, Holden lifted the door. His car and truck filled the space. Holden crouched down to see if Seth was hiding under either of them. That was when he saw broken glass on the cement beneath the front passenger door of the car.

  Seth had broken into it. Most likely, he was lying on the floor of the back seat holding the gun that had killed his father. Who knew what he’d done to his mother, or where he’d abandoned her.

  Holden continued to move around. Ever so carefully, he lifted his hand through the gaping hole and pressed on the horn, alerting the deputies outside. The sound could have wakened the dead. That brought Seth’s head up over the seat. He was brandishing his gun, but Holden had him covered.

  “Don’t move, Lunt. You’re surrounded and don’t have a chance of getting away.”

  “You bastard.” He shot at Holden. The bullet went zinging past his ear, but he felt a jolt of pain in his hand.

  “Put down your weapon,” one of the SWAT team guys called out.

  Seth answered with two more shots. Holden crawled along the side of the car to get behind it where he would have more of an advantage. But Seth had opened the rear door. The next thing Holden knew, his own gun dropped to the ground.

  At that point, the officers swarmed in to take Seth, but Holden heard one more shot. Another voice said, “The suspect turned the gun on himself.”

  Holden got up and moved closer. Any death was a terrible thing, but to see the blood on Seth Lunt’s long hair and know he’d taken himself out filled Holden with relief of an entirely different kind. The sick man never got the chance to hurt Jessica and would never be a menace to anyone again.

  He reeled, dizzy with relief. Chief Wayland was there to steady him with a hand on his shoulder. “Congratulations on nailing him. Come on. The paramedics are waiting. Let’s get you to the hospital so they can fix that hand.”

  “But my goggles are around the side of the garage and my gun is in here somewhere. I need to call Jessica. I’m supposed to be taking her and Chase on a hike in a little while.”

  “No, you don’t.” The chief took the phone from him. “You need fixing up or you’re going to pass out before you talk
to her.”

  “I’ve never needed an ambulance and I don’t need one now.”

  The chief ignored him and the paramedics took over until they drove him to the hospital and wheeled him into the emergency room with an IV in his arm. Wayland walked in a moment later. “We’re taking care of things. It’s time to take care of you.”

  “But I have to call Jessica.”

  “It’s five thirty in the morning. You can call Mrs. Fleming after the doctor has taken care of you.”

  Holden was forced to lie back while the doctor examined him. The chief waited in the ER while the doctor sent him to X-ray. When he was brought back, the two of them talked. Wayland told him the sad news that Seth had killed his mother, too. They’d found her body in the Lexus on the road leading into the Simpson’s Ranch.

  “I have good news, Sheriff,” the surgeon said after coming in the cubicle. “The bullet grazed the baby finger on your left hand. It fractured the bone and did a little soft tissue damage. But there are no other complications and won’t be if you take your antibiotics. I’ll put a splint on your pinky. The bone will knit back and you’ll be good as new in about six weeks.”

  “How soon can I go home?”

  “As soon I put on the splint.”

  In another half hour, Holden’s vital signs checked out and he was released. The sun had just come up over the horizon when the chief drove him back to his ranch and helped him inside the house. “I’m good from here. Thanks, man. I’m indebted to you.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, but take it easy, Holden. You’re going to need help.”

  He grinned. “I know, and I’ll get it if you’ll leave so I can call her.”

  Holden heard the chief’s laughter all the way to his van before he went inside and headed for the bedroom. After lying down on the bed, he pulled the phone from his pocket. It was good the bullet had hit his left hand. Being right-handed, he could still manage everything he needed to do and made the phone call that was going to set Jessica free.

  “Holden?” she answered on the second ring. “How did you know I woke up thinking about you and am dying for you to come over?”

  He smiled. “That’s nice to hear. But I’ve been forced to change our plans for today.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

  “What do you think I should hear first?” she asked quietly.

  “Our worries about Seth are over forever. He killed himself early this morning.”

  “What? Holden!”

  “It’s a sad story. He killed his parents, too. I’ll tell you all about it as soon as you and Chase drive over to my house.”

  After a silence, she said, “What’s wrong with you? What did he do to you?” He heard the tremor in her voice.

  “He took a shot at me inside my garage and hit my pinky. It has a little splint on it, but will be all better in about six weeks. I have to stay down today according to the doctor and would love some TLC from you and Chase.”

  “Oh, darling—we’ll be over as soon as I wake up Chase.”

  “Hurry. I left the door open.”

  She clicked off so fast, he laughed. Within a minute, his phone rang. He saw the caller ID and picked up, euphoric that he and Jessica could get married without delay.

  “Porter, my man.”

  “The guys and I just heard the news. We’re back from a fire at the Rockford ranch and pulled up in front of your house. We’re coming in.”

  “The door’s open.”

  In a minute, his friends Cole, Porter and Wyatt came into the bedroom in their firefighter hurry-ups smelling of smoke.

  “Don’t worry.” Wyatt grinned. “We won’t sit down. Captain Durrant is waiting out in the truck for us.”

  “How did you guys find out?”

  “Are you kidding? Chief Wayland got on the horn to Chief Powell and by now everybody knows including the governor. The chief says you’ll be getting a citation. It’ll be on the news. Both departments are buzzing about how you caught the guy who killed Trent Fleming. You’re a hero, dude. Way to go! We heard he shot your little finger before he took himself out.”

  Holden lifted his hand to show them the splint.

  Cole shook his head. “Between us, we think Judge Garson was an idiot to release a killer on bail. We heard Chief Wayland is going to look into it.”

  “I was surprised Judge Jenkins didn’t preside, but it doesn’t matter now.”

  “We’re just thankful you’re alive, you know.”

  “So am I,” Holden murmured. “Did I tell you I’m getting married?”

  “Congratulations!”

  Porter smiled. “We figured you had to be hung up on Jessica Fleming because you’ve been missing from our poker parties for the last month. She’s a knockout.”

  “She is that, and a lot more. I fell for her the first moment she came to the office to tell me she didn’t think her husband died because of an accident two years ago. We got engaged last night. You know she has a five-year-old son, Chase? The kid is incredible. Jessica’s mother owns the Style Clips salon. Jessica is a beautician like her mom.”

  “Tamsin knows her,” Cole said. “She goes there to get her hair done and thinks the world of her.”

  Porter whistled. “It looks like I’m the last loser left in Whitebark with no love life.”

  “I was where you are before that blizzard dropped Alex at my tent door,” Wyatt exclaimed. “Don’t worry. Your turn is coming.”

  Holden nodded. “It can happen that fast when the right one comes along.”

  “We’re happy for you, Holden.”

  “Thanks, Wyatt. I’ll call you guys as soon as we know our plans. I want the three of you at the wedding and our reception.”

  “Do you have any idea when it’ll be?”

  “As soon as Jessica gets over here so we can make it happen.”

  Porter chuckled. “Put all of us on your list, and save us a night to throw you a bachelor party.”

  “I promise.”

  “Chief Wayland said you have to stay down for a day or two. Some of us will be over later. Anything we can bring you?”

  “Just yourselves. You’re the best medicine I know of.”

  Five minutes after the guys left his bedroom he heard an excited young voice.

  “Holden?”

  The loves of his life had just arrived.

  Chapter 12

  Jessica had been prepared that Holden had suffered a wound to his pinky finger. But she’d never seen him incapacitated in any way. The sight of him lying on his bed in his uniform with a splint on his left hand shook her. It could have been so much worse.

  She let Chase run to him first. After hugs, Holden had her son laughing within seconds.

  “You know what? I’m thirsty for a cold drink. Could you run out to the kitchen and find me a soda? Get yourself one, too, if you want. I bought a lot of stuff for our hike, so pick whatever sounds good. We’ll go on a hike another time when I’m better.”

  “Yup. Mom says you have to stay in bed for a while. I’ll be right back. Do you want a drink, too, Mom?”

  “Not right now, thank you, honey.”

  The second he left the room, she rushed over to the bed and threw her arms around Holden’s neck. “Thank God you’re alive and it’s over!”

  Once she felt his mouth cover hers, desire swept through her. One hungry kiss followed another, each one growing longer and deeper until he set her on fire. Too much pleasure caused her to moan. The knowledge that there were no more shadows had made her joy complete. Nothing would ever separate them again.

  Just one month ago, while she’d been cleaning the garage, she couldn’t have imagined being in love like this again. This sensational man was going to be her husband. She felt as if she were caught up in a
whirlwind. “I love you, Holden. I love you,” she whispered into his neck.

  His lips roved over her face, kissing every feature. “If we go on like this another second, I’m going to eat you alive. I’d rather wait until we say our vows at the altar before I make love to you, so we need to set a date as soon as we can.”

  Chase came back in the bedroom with their drinks and she helped Holden sit up against the headboard.

  “Here’s a cola for you and a root beer for me. I brought some potato chips, too.” Their favorite kind.

  Holden patted the other side of the bed so Chase could sit. The two of them drank their sodas and munched on the chips. Jessica took Holden’s empty can and put it on the bedside table. Then he grasped her hand with his right hand and clung to it.

  “How soon are you two going to get married?”

  “I’m glad you asked, Chase. We’ll plan it right now.”

  “Hooray! Are we going to live in your house or mine?”

  Both she and Holden chuckled. Jessica was giddy with happiness. “What would you like?” he asked.

  “Will you live at our house? You could bring Blackie over and put him in the barn with Bucky.”

  “That sounds like a perfect idea. Maybe we could buy Sparky and he could live with us, too.”

  “Yeah. Are you going to have a big wedding?”

  “The biggest, pardner.”

  “How would you like to wear a tuxedo?” Jessica asked her son.

  “What’s a ‘tuck-see-do’?”

  Holden roared with laughter. “I call it a penguin suit. They’re black-and-white. I’ll wear one, too. And after we get married at your church, we’ll have a reception at the Whitebark Hotel and invite Joey and your other friends to come.”

  “Can I tell Joey right now?”

  Jessica was overjoyed. Yes, yes, yes. “I’ll phone Wilma’s number right now.”

  “Goody!”

  “Take my phone in the living room to talk to him.”