The Deputy's Unexpected Family

by Patricia Johns

  That’s why Gabe was here—protection. And just because feeling protected felt a whole lot like being loved, there was no reason to get the two confused. There would be no more moonlight moments like last night if she could help it.

  * * *

  “What’s your name?” Gabe asked as he unlocked the front door. The man took one look at Gabe and took an involuntary step back. Gabe was used to that reaction. He was a big man, and if he didn’t tone down his naturally brusque manner, he tended to intimidate. This morning, he didn’t much care, though. He’d used up all his gentleness and consideration on the woman he was trying to protect.

  “I’m Will Boyd from Glistening Glass. I was sent here for a window repair?” He glanced toward the boarded-up window, and another man in the same uniform came up behind him.

  “Could I see your ID, please?” Gabe knew he sounded like a cop, even out of uniform, but he wasn’t about to let just any guy in a glass company uniform into the store, either. If the robbers were going to come back and scope the place out, this would be an excellent way. Distracted as he was by finding out he was a dad...and by whatever he was trying not to feel for Harper...he was still here on a case.

  The man fished out his wallet and showed his driver’s license next to his work ID. William Franklyn Boyd. He’d do a quick background check, just to be on the safe side. The other man supplied his ID, too, and Gabe made a note of both names, then called the company. The men stood at the door looking mildly annoyed while Gabe confirmed them, and when he’d hung up again, he stepped back to let them in.

  “Thanks,” Gabe said, then looked over his shoulder at Harper when he heard her footsteps behind him. “I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Now that they’d set things straight between them, it was best to get back to the reason he was here to begin with—catching whoever had robbed this place. He was better in this role, anyway. He knew how to check identities, how to trail crooks, gather evidence. He felt like he was actually doing something this way, not just wading through emotions. He’d never been good when it came to his deeper feelings because they were all tangled up with his abusive upbringing. And now, whatever attraction he was feeling for Harper was added to that mix.

  Harper Kemp was off limits. Period. Whatever he felt with her in the moonlight didn’t amount to anything in the daylight, and he’d best remember it. He wasn’t a family man, and she was already a mother—to his daughter! Complicated, messy. It was great if they could be legitimate friends as they co-parented his daughter, but that was where it needed to stop.

  William Boyd came inside the shop and Gabe eased past him and out onto the street. The brisk breeze felt good as he looked up and down that familiar old street. The road was dappled in shade from the golden leaves of overhanging branches. A warm dazzle of sunlight soaked into his shoulders.

  Blessings Bridal was an old brick building, and with the boarded-over window it looked rather dismal. Sad. Faded. Like everything in this town, it seemed to him. Most people liked Comfort Creek. It was cute, they said. It had character. But this place felt more like a prison to him with the sordid stew of his childhood memories.

  Gabe pulled the notebook from his pocket. He’d better make use of it if he wanted to continue to avoid book work in the basement.

  Sycamore Drive, he wrote. Memory: riding my bike with a bunch of other kids and dreading having to go home for dinner. I picked a fight with a smaller boy because I wanted somewhere to vent my frustration. I gave him a black eye and he went home crying. It didn’t make me feel any better.

  Ricky Henson. That had been the kid’s name. He’d been small and slender in build. Kind of gentle and bookish, but he enjoyed riding his bike like the rest of them. He’d been at the top of their class when they graduated high school, and he was a pharmacist in the city now, from what Gabe had heard, so he had grown up and made a success of himself.

  Lord, what is the point of this? he silently prayed. Let me catch whoever robbed Harper’s store, and then get me back to the city where I can get away from these memories.

  He hadn’t liked himself any more than his grandmother had liked him back then. What he’d hated most was that she’d been right. He’d been a rough kid—prone to fights, petty thefts and back talk. His anger had welled up and squeezed out in ways that even his grandmother hadn’t known about. She only knew about the times he’d been caught.

  And yet her dislike of him had stabbed deep. His own mother had dumped him on his grandmother’s doorstep, and that abandonment had been a hard one to deal with, too. Then his grandmother would look at him with such disgust in her eyes, and he’d glower back at her as if he didn’t care. But he had.

  He snapped his notebook shut and put it back into his front pocket, and as he did so, a black BMW eased to a stop across the street from Blessings Bridal. It was a new model, and the metal shone like obsidian. Gabe watched the vehicle for a moment. BMWs didn’t exactly blend into the surroundings here in Comfort Creek. The driver didn’t seem to take much notice of Gabe, but he did settle his attention on the store. Not an idle glance—a direct stare—and the hair on Gabe’s neck stood on end. He reached back to touch his gun in the holster under his shirt and turned his steps in the direction of the car.

  Gabe ambled across the road and then approached the vehicle from behind, being careful to stay in the driver’s blind spot.

  “Hey, there,” he barked, and he moved into view. The driver—a young, clean-cut, blond-haired fellow—stared at him surprise. “License and registration, please.”

  “Who are you?” the man demanded.

  Gabe pulled out his badge. “The police. License and registration. Now.”

  “Uh—yeah, sure... Did I do something?”

  The man supplied the required ID, and as Gabe looked it over, he raised an eyebrow. “Chris Holmes?”

  “Yeah, that’s me.”

  “I wouldn’t have recognized you,” Gabe said. “We were in the same graduating class. Gabe Banks.”

  “No way.” Chris nodded slowly. “Long time. How are you doing?”

  “Can’t complain. I hear you’re working the family business.”

  “That was always the plan,” Chris said with a nod. “I’m looking for Heidi Kemp, actually. We’re engaged—there’s some news for you. Is she in there?”

  “I was just in the store, and no. She’s not around, right now.”

  Chris looked at his watch, then heaved a sigh. “Okay. So she lied.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gabe glanced over toward the store. He could see Harper through the unbroken side of the window, her glasses held in one hand, the end in her mouth. Her attention was on something he couldn’t see.

  “I’ve been trying to get Heidi to have breakfast with me for a week,” Chris replied. “This morning’s excuse was that she was doing a dress fitting at the store with her sister. I came by to surprise her with some cheese Danishes...but...yeah.”

  “You didn’t go knock,” Gabe said, sifting through this story for a hint of a lie. “So you obviously suspected something.”

  “I’m not supposed to see the dress.” Chris shot him a bitter smile. “I was waiting for her to come out.” He heaved a sigh. “Whatever. She’s not here. I’ll talk to her later.”

  The dress, and all that wedding stuff. Of course. Gabe looked past Chris to the paper bag beside him. “So...you gonna eat those?”

  Chris eyed him uncertainly. “No. Go ahead.” He passed him the bag, and Gabe opened it, snagging a glaze-crusted Danish from its depths.

  “So what’s up with Heidi?” Gabe asked, taking a bite and tucking it into his cheek.

  “Honestly, man, I’m not sure what’s going on.”

  “So this isn’t the only time she’s disappeared on you?” Gabe asked.

  “She’s just getting...distanced. I don’t know. I thin
k she might be getting cold feet.”

  “Women do that?” Gabe asked with a chuckle, but when he met Chris’s miserable look, he sobered. “Look, from what I know, she and Harper are fighting over some dress.”

  “It’s their grandmother’s. An heirloom.” Chris provided.

  “Yeah, that’s the one. So if they’re altering an heirloom dress, I figure you’re pretty safe.”

  Chris nodded a couple of times, then brightened. “That’s a good point. I’m worried for nothing, aren’t I?”

  “For sure.” Gabe shrugged. “Women are complicated. They confuse us at the best of times.”

  “No, you’re right. I’ll text her later. I’ve got a meeting in a few minutes anyway. If you see her, tell her I came by.”

  “Will do.”

  Chris leaned forward to start the car. He raised his hand in a farewell as he pulled away from the curb. That could count as a good deed for the day, but Gabe still wondered what Heidi was up to. She was definitely not in the store...

  Whatever. As long as she wasn’t cavorting with criminals, this wasn’t his business. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the station. He had an ID to check for this William Franklyn Boyd. Due diligence. It was the one virtue his grandmother had taught him in all those years in hiding his life from her. Dot your i’s. Cross your t’s. Because he never knew who was watching.

  He scanned the street once more, but there was no one else around. Someone was watching. He could feel it like a tingle on the back of his neck. These robbers would return. That was a guarantee. The only question was when.

  Chapter Eight

  Harper watched from across the store as the window repair men got to work removing shards of broken glass and peeling away the rubber seal. It would feel good to have the glass replaced. She wanted to reopen as quickly as possible, and yet she still didn’t feel entirely safe.

  “We’re just going out to get the pane of glass,” one of the workers said as the store phone rang.

  Harper nodded in the men’s direction. “Sure. No problem.” She picked up the receiver. “Blessings Bridal, this is Harper speaking.”

  “Hi, Harper, I was hoping to catch you. This is Reverend Blake.”

  Harper had just seen the reverend on Sunday, and she smiled at the sound of his voice. “It’s nice to hear from you, Reverend. What can I do for you?”

  “You mentioned that Gabriel Banks is patrolling your shop,” he said. “And I actually was hoping to get into contact with him. Is he there?”

  “No, he’s just popped out,” Harper replied. “He’ll be back, though. Should I get him to call you?”

  “If he wants to, but it’s simple enough. When his grandmother passed away, there were a few personal items that I thought he might like to have.”

  “Oh...” Harper grimaced.

  “I was only hoping you could pass along the message. I have the things here at the church office.”

  “I’ll definitely let him know.”

  “We’re praying for you, Harper,” the reverend said. “I’m sorry about that robbery, and I’m personally praying for your continued protection.”

  “Thanks, Reverend. I appreciate that more than you know.”

  After she’d hung up, Harper breathed a sigh. What she needed was to reopen this store and get back into a rhythm. They not only needed the income, but she also needed the routine. This store wasn’t just a job, it was her life, her history, and those criminals couldn’t be allowed to take that away. She needed God’s protection, and her life back.

  The workers returned carrying a sheet of glass between them using rubber suction cup handles. Harper watched them for a moment, and glanced up as Gabe moved past them and pulled open the front door.

  “It’s coming along,” Harper said with a smile. “Look at all that natural daylight.”

  The things one took for granted until the main window was boarded up. Gabe sauntered inside and stopped next to her, glancing back to the working men.

  “Where’s Heidi?” he asked, turning back toward her, and she eyed him in surprise.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Chris was looking for her.”

  “He should call her cell phone.” She shook her head. “What’s going on?”

  “Probably nothing,” Gabe replied. “But she’s using dress fittings with you to put off her fiancé.”

  “What?” Harper brushed a curl out of her eyes. “Maybe he misunderstood.”

  “Yeah, sure.” He didn’t look entirely convinced, and Harper felt her irritation rise. She wasn’t even sure why.

  “I’m not responsible for my sister, you know. She’s a grown woman!” Harper said a little more sharply than intended. Gabe didn’t answer, but he did raise his eyebrows at her and she shook her head. “Look, you remember Heidi. She was always...flighty. But Chris is a great guy. We all love him, and she’s excited to settle down. Maybe Chris is just getting prewedding jitters, seeing problems where there aren’t any.”

  “I’m just passing along the message, Harper.” His voice was a low rumble. “This isn’t really my business.”

  No, it wasn’t. Neither was it Harper’s, really, but she did feel a sort of responsibility toward her sister. Heidi could be impetuous and she could live to regret that some days.

  “Speaking of passing along the message,” Harper said, “Reverend Blake called and said he has a few items that used to belong to your grandmother that he thought you might want.”

  Gabe looked away, sending a blazing glare toward the two workers. One froze, eyeing Gabe uncertainly. She’d never seen this side of him before—the intense, angry man before her. He was large, bristling, and definitely daunting. Not that she was afraid of him—not Gabe. She knew him too well for that. But he was making the workers nervous.

  “Stop scaring the glass guys,” Harper murmured.

  “Sorry.” His gaze whipped back toward her. “I hate this.”

  “I know.” She winced. “The reverend doesn’t know how complicated this is for you. He’s like everyone else.”

  She wasn’t sure if that was reassuring or not. Comfort Creek had let him down when he’d needed protection the most. And now he was back—offering the protection that he’d never gotten. The thought made a lump rise in her throat. They owed him...something.

  “Old Reverend Blake was one of my grandmother’s biggest fans,” Gabe replied bitterly.

  “He doesn’t know what she did, Gabe.” And if the reverend had known, he’d have intervened. Harper knew that for a fact. He’d called Social Services on another family not five years ago when he suspected child neglect. “Anyway, he just called.”

  “What items does he have?” Gabe asked.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

  Gabe shoved his hands into his pockets and chewed on the side of his cheek. “Do you know what it’s like to be running away from part of yourself?”

  “No. Not really,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “It keeps circling back on you. Like a dog chasing its own tail.”

  She could see the emotion reflected in his eyes, but the rest of his expression was like granite. He seemed to hide an awful lot behind that chiseled mask of his. And maybe it was more than that—the deflective good looks, the charm, the flirting. At least the women didn’t bother looking deeper. Harper never had.

  “Do you want to see what it is?” she asked softly. “Maybe it will provide some closure.”

  “You think?”

  She couldn’t tell if that was sarcasm or not, but she plunged on. “My aunt and her sister fought like cats and dogs their whole lives, and when the oldest aunt passed away, the younger one was left with a lot of resentment and anger. But she ended up taking a teacup in memory of her sister—mostly because my mother foisted it upon her—and now, five years later,
she drinks out of that teacup all the time. It gives her comfort.”

  “So what made it easier for your aunt?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “It couldn’t have just been the cup.”

  “Time, I suppose,” Harper guessed. “I did ask her about it once. She said that her sister was in heaven, and she trusted Jesus to do some explaining on her behalf. With a little Heavenly perspective, her sister would be able to see that she wasn’t so bad, after all. That was the way she saw it, at least.”

  “Huh.” Gabe sighed resignedly. “You’re the only one who knows about all of this, you know. Is that weird?”

  “Maybe.” She smiled, but then sobered. “But...I’m honored. And I do understand why it’s so hard for you.”

  “Yeah?” The confidence slipped, and she saw uncertainty etched in his features just for a moment before it disappeared. “Maybe I’ll be glad I picked it up. Maybe I won’t. But I won’t know unless I do it, right?”

  “Do you want...company?” Harper asked cautiously. “Once the window guys are done, I could go with you to the church.”

  “I’m supposed to be tougher than this.”

  “No, you aren’t,” she replied with a shrug. “Believe it or not, Gabe, you’re human.”

  He smiled ruefully. “If you’re offering the company, I’ll take it.”

  “Good. There should be just enough time before I pick up Zoey from preschool.”

  Harper looked out the new pane of glass, past the men who were sealing it into place, and she saw a patrol car easing by on the street.

  Comfort Creek—the best patrolled town in America. It was supposed to be safe, but for some of them, it wasn’t. There were bad guys with plans to come back to Blessings Bridal and finish the destruction they’d started, and there were people born and raised in this idyllic little town who hid wicked secrets underneath their glossy exteriors.

  In a town that was supposed to be the safest community in the country, they still had to take care of each other.