Not every law enforcement officer felt that way. She recalled seeing Gil drunk when he showed up at Georgia’s door. She shook away the bad memory.
“I’m glad. There are too many crazies out there already.”
He nodded in agreement. “Well, I’m hoping I don’t have to go any farther than from here to my bed next door.”
“Long week?”
“A long two weeks getting acquainted with the area and the way they do things here. These men love Sheriff Carson. I’m an interloper in their community.”
“You’re only doing your job.”
“Law enforcement is a special brotherhood. We take care of each other... Or most of them do.”
She knew all about the close connection. She slipped on pot holders and took the pan of lasagna from the oven, then set it on the hot plate on the table. She called for Ryan, then motioned for Cullen to sit down.
After a short blessing, Shelby picked up the plates and began dishing out helpings of the Italian dish. “Are the other deputies not cooperating with you?”
“No, but I’m the temporary new guy. They’re ready to tell me when I do something different from the sheriff.”
She enjoyed watching him eat so...enthusiastically. “How do you handle that?”
He tore off some bread. “I just let them tell me how things are normally done. Unless it sounds so off-the-wall I’ll go along with them, or I go ask Connie Lara, our dispatcher, and the sheriff’s sister.” He grinned and took a big bite and chewed. “This is great.”
“Thank you.”
“Another of Grandma’s recipes?”
She nodded. “What can I say? She was a good cook.”
Ryan picked up his fork, and said, “It’s my favorite.”
Cullen took another big bite, and groaned while he chewed his food, then said, “I’m thinking it’s mine, too.”
Ryan giggled.
Cullen winked at her nephew, and something melted around Shelby’s heart. She could get into trouble if she wasn’t careful. She had to stay alert and not fall into a false sense of security. Gil was out there. She didn’t doubt that he had the means to find her. Why? What did he want from her? Well, he wasn’t getting any more. He’d already stolen her sister.
Out of the blue, Ryan asked, “Can I ride your horse, Sheriff?”
Shelby started to answer, but Cullen was faster. “I’m not sure. The horses just moved in to their new home. They might be a little scared right now. So we better wait for a while so we can see how much they like little kids.” He looked at Shelby. “And your going riding is a decision your aunt has to make.”
They both looked at her. Great, now what should she do? Oh, Georgia, I wish you were here.
Chapter Five
After dinner, Shelby helped Ryan bathe and get ready for bed. Once he was tucked in, she kissed him and let him play on the tablet for his allotted twenty minutes. She closed the door, but stood in the hall, thinking about the good-looking man still in her kitchen. While doing dishes earlier he’d discovered a leaky faucet and offered to fix it.
She couldn’t just leave him alone in there. She walked back to find the man stretched out on his back under the sink, his Levi’s riding low on his narrow hips. He had removed his Western shirt so as not to get it dirty, and so he was working in his undershirt. When he reached up to turn something, the fabric rode up, revealing his flat stomach and a swirl of dark hair.
She closed her eyes, trying not to let this man affect her. It wasn’t working.
Suddenly there was a clang, then a chain of curse words. He lifted his head, then she heard the thud and more curse words.
She squatted down next to his prone body. “Cullen, are you okay?”
He slid out from under the sink, and sat up. His face was close to hers. Yet, she couldn’t seem to move away.
“Yeah, just bumped my head.” He rubbed the sore spot.
“Here, let me see it.” She leaned closer and began to look for blood on his crown. Dear Lord, the man smelled good, a mixture of soap and a hint of aftershave. Had he put on aftershave for her?
“So what’s the verdict? Did you find anything?”
“No, it looks okay, but I could get you some ice.” She was once again zoned in on his rich hazel eyes.
He finally broke the hold with a shake of his head. “I don’t need any ice, just another-size wrench. I’ll get it when I come by tomorrow to fix the pipe.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“As your landlord, I need to have everything in working order.”
She sat back on her heels. “Really, I’ve lived in a lot of places and a lot of things broke, but none of the landlords rushed to fix them.”
He didn’t hide his smile. Wow, another heart-stopper. She wasn’t going to survive this man living next door.
“I guess you’ve been living in the wrong places.”
“You can say that again.”
She stood up. She was entirely too close to this dangerous man. She saw that he was interested in her, too. No. Men were out of the question. She had Ryan to think about. So for now, Cullen Brannigan was off-limits.
“Look, what I mean is, just take your time to fix it. It’s not so bad that you have to spend your day off doing the repair.”
He stood and wiped his hands on a towel. “No, I’ll probably be spending it feeding and caring for my new boarders, Sassy and Dakota.”
She smiled. “They are beauties. I’d say you are pretty lucky to have them.”
“Yeah, it’s been a long time since I’ve had horses around. Do you ride?” he asked.
She nodded. “A long time ago on my grandmother’s farm. When she died they sold the place and the stock.”
“I take it you were too young to inherit the place.”
She glanced away. “Her brother, Harry, got it.” He gladly took possession of the property, but no thoughts of taking her grandkids.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She looked up to see the concern on his face. “It’s okay, I was only twelve and it was a long time ago.”
“Did you spend a lot of time on the farm?”
“Georgia and I lived there with our Nonnie permanently.” She glanced away. “Our mother had died in a car accident.”
He folded the towel and set it aside. “So you went to live with your dad?”
“No, he couldn’t take us.” She didn’t want to talk about this. “Oh, my, look at the time. I need to go to work early in the morning. I won’t be home all day, but you’re welcome to come in and fix the faucet. If you really want to.”
He looked at her like he wanted to ask more, but nodded. “Sure.” He gathered up his tools and headed out of the kitchen. At the front door he stopped and said, “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.” He frowned. “I’m a little disappointed there weren’t any oatmeal raisin cookies.”
She couldn’t stop her grin. “I apologize. I was running late.”
Cullen smiled, too. “I’ll tell you what. If you bake me some of your famous cookies, I’ll let you ride Sassy.”
Excitement rushed through her. “You have tack for the horses?”
“Yes. They could use some cleaning, but there’re bridles, halters and saddles.” He raised a hand. “First, I want to try out the horses to see what their temperaments are.”
“From what I saw today, those horses are as gentle as lambs, and happy to have a home. Your brother must be a real softy for rescuing them.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that. He’s ex-military and spent nearly a dozen years in the army.”
She smiled. “And now, he has a lovely wife named Brooke and a son, Christopher, who are his whole world.”
When she saw his frown, she added, “I’m sorry. Bess
talked about your brother and his family.” Shelby had also heard about Trent’s childhood and how he’d tragically lost his nine-year-old brother.
“Did Bess also tell you how Trent’s tragedy gave me and my brother a wonderful mother? And Leslie left me part of this ranch?”
She shook her head, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “I’m terribly sorry, Cullen.”
He raised a hand to stop her. “It’s okay. I just need to get used to living in a small town. Of course, in my experience, the big cities can be just about as bad. Thank you again for supper. Good night.” He opened the door and left.
Shelby sat down on the sofa. It seemed that everyone had tragedy in their lives. And her best solution was not to get involved, because she had enough to deal with.
* * *
BY THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Cullen had put in a full day of physical labor. After hearing Shelby’s car leave that morning, he’d gotten up and showered, then came out to feed his two new boarders. The horses were pretty happy to see him, too. After he filled their grain buckets, he proceeded to check out the barn.
He began with the tack room. He started to organize what was worth saving, and what was beyond repair and he could toss out.
He took a break for some needed coffee, then let Sassy and Dakota out into the corral for some exercise. He wasn’t sure about the fencing in the pasture, so that would have to wait until he checked it out. He cleaned out the stalls, put in new straw and made a note to pick up a few bales at the feed store in town until he could start having some delivered.
He paused, realizing he liked the physical labor, and having the horses on the ranch. Would Shelby and Ryan like that idea? He remembered how excited the boy had been to see them. Maybe he could teach the boy to ride. Whoa. Shelby should do the job.
He thought back to last night and realized he’d overreacted about the gossip. He’d heard about Bess and her eagerness to share information around town. What would Shelby do if she knew about his past? He hated how his life had changed, and even though he’d been exonerated of all charges, some people in Denver still didn’t believe his innocence.
Cullen walked out of the barn as he checked his phone. There hadn’t been any messages or missed calls. Okay, so everything must be fine at the office. He’d left Brad in charge, and Connie would call if there was something the lieutenant couldn’t handle.
So stop worrying. That wasn’t so easy for him.
He heard a vehicle and looked toward the road to see Trent’s truck coming up the drive, pulling the familiar trailer. He parked next to the barn. His brother got out, and he went to the backseat and lifted his son, Chris, out of the safety seat. Cullen grinned at the chubby toddler.
“Hey, what are you doing here? Seeing if I remember how to care for animals?” He reached out and tickled his nephew. “Hi, Chris.”
The boy gurgled at him and grinned, showing off two front teeth. Then he hugged his daddy’s neck, and envy sliced through Cullen.
Trent spoke, “Just thought I’d bring over a few bales of straw. Wasn’t sure what was here.”
“Not much,” Cullen offered.
“Also I brought a saddle horse for you to ride. Danny Boy.”
“What? Another horse?”
“You can’t ride these older horses, not for any distance.”
Cullen shook his head. What was Trent up to?
He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I’ve made a list of what we need for these two. I guess I should add more since you brought a third horse.”
Trent reached for it, and Cullen pulled it back. “Just hold on.”
“I told you I’d pay for the upkeep of the animals,” Trent said.
“Don’t see why we can’t share.” He had money from a year’s back pay and the sale of his town house. “After all I’m living here for free.”
Trent’s eyes narrowed. “This ranch is partly yours. I have enough to do at my place, but I want to keep the Circle R in the family.”
“Horsey,” Chris announced.
“Yes, horsey,” Cullen mimicked. “I guess we need to go see what you brought me.”
The three of them headed to the trailer. Cullen released the gate, and started up the ramp. He ran a soothing hand over the horse’s rump, unfastened the lead rope, then backed him out. Once on the ground, he looked over the big chestnut gelding.
He rubbed the horse’s muzzle, and in return he got a friendly nudge. “Hey, big guy. You want to hang out here with me for a while?” The animal whinnied and bobbed his head.
“You’ll be doing me a favor, Cullen. I can’t give this guy enough attention right now.”
Cullen whistled and the two other equines came immediately. The toddler didn’t hesitate putting his hands on the horses as they arrived at the fence.
“How did these two do last night?” Trent asked.
Cullen shrugged. “I checked on them about ten last night, and they seemed fine.”
Trent nodded toward the two rescues. “Danny can go in with them. I had them in the same corral at my place. They got along fine.”
Cullen unlatched the gate, then released the lead rope for the chestnut to join the others. The animal ran off, and Cullen went to stand beside Trent at the railing. He reached out and rubbed the mare’s head, then he gave Dakota a turn and his gelding blew out a long breath.
Chris laughed. “Nose.”
“Yes, that’s his big nose,” his daddy said.
Trent looked at Cullen. “It’s a shame these beauties were just discarded.”
“I know. I was going to put a saddle on one to see how they do. I thought I’d wait for Shelby to get home. She was raised on a farm and used to ride.”
“So how was dinner last night?”
Here it comes. “Good. Shelby’s a great cook.”
“I wasn’t talking about the meal, I was talking about the woman.”
“And her child. Remember there’s a little boy around.”
Trent grinned as he motioned to his son. “Yes, I know, but Brooke and I have become experts on how to get time together with a child in the house.”
“Okay, I’ll admit Shelby Townsend is attractive, but she’s our tenant. And she has a child to raise. Besides, my job here is temporary. So why would I act on an attraction?”
Trent grinned. “So you admit you like her?”
“I’m not blind, or immune to her beauty. I’m just not in a position to start up anything right now.” He remembered too well how his last relationship went south fast during his legal troubles.
“You’re going back to Denver? And your old job?”
“I didn’t say that, but it’s hard to give up a ten-year career.”
“You don’t have to tell me. Try leaving the army.”
Cullen nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, except drive to work tomorrow and do my job.”
* * *
AT FOUR O’CLOCK, Shelby pulled into the driveway. Although tired after her long day, she smiled on seeing the horses in the corral. Okay, she was excited about the possibility of going for a ride. And maybe she could introduce Ryan to that same love of horses. By the way he acted yesterday he seemed to have no fear. She was happy he wanted to try something new.
“I want to see the horses,” Ryan said from the backseat.
“Honey, they aren’t our horses. They belong to the sheriff.”
“Can I pet them?”
She turned off the engine and looked at the horses longingly. They brought back good memories from her childhood. The carefree days of her and Georgia living on a Kentucky farm with animals to care for. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“We’ll see.” She knew she needed to let the child run around. He’d been confined all morning.
Bess was right. She neede
d to put him in some sort of preschool. He’d only turned five just last month. He hadn’t gone to kindergarten yet, and next fall would be soon enough. Yet, she wasn’t sure if the child could adjust to a traditional school. Georgia had handled all his special needs. She needed to call Saint Theresa’s and see if its day care program would take Ryan. She hated to leave him, but what choice did she have? Could Ryan handle the separation?
She got out of the car as Cullen came out of the cottage. “Sheriff!” Ryan called.
Cullen smiled and waved. Before Shelby could exit the car, he had the back door open and was removing Ryan from his safety seat.
“Someone else moved in to the barn today.”
“A horse,” Ryan said.
“Yep, and another horse.”
He set the boy down on the ground. “Hi, Shelby,” he said, then turned back to Ryan. “This one I can ride.”
Ryan looked at her, his eyes wide with excitement. “Can I see it?”
She looked at her handsome landlord, feeling her own excitement growing. “Only if I get to come along.”
“Sure.” He held out a hand and Ryan took it. She was surprised how trusting her nephew had become with Cullen.
“Let’s go,” he said. “His name is Danny and he’s playing with Dakota and Sassy in the corral.” He looked over his shoulder at her and winked. “Come on, Aunt Shellie.”
She suddenly realized how quickly this man was becoming a part of their lives. She followed, knowing she couldn’t disappoint the child, but praying she wasn’t making a mistake.
At the corral fence, Cullen lifted the boy to the railing. He was a slight child and small for his age. He got tickled, and his eyes widened when he saw the horses.
“Watch this.” Cullen put his fingers in his mouth and let go with a sharp whistle.
Suddenly Ryan covered his ears and let go with a cry, then the boy buried his head in Cullen’s shoulder. “Oh, Ryan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He rubbed his back as his aunt came up to them.
“Ryan, are you okay?”
The boy lifted his head and nodded. She looked at Cullen. “It’s a sensory issue. Loud sounds are even louder for him.”
Her Colorado Sheriff Page 5
