The Sheriff of Sage Bend

by Brenda Mott

  Nothing.

  “You’re awful quiet,” Lucas said.

  “Yeah, well, I’m awful frustrated.”

  “I know. So am I…Miranda,” he said, his voice softening. “I really do wish you’d try to relax as much as is humanly possible under the circumstances. You don’t need to be running around playing cop.”

  “I haven’t meant to, but I—”

  “Let me finish.” He frowned. “You can keep searching on horseback and with Kyle, right? The volunteers we have aren’t giving up yet. I know some of the people around Sage Bend will ride until hell freezes over, if that’s what it takes.”

  She knew he was right. And she knew she was probably being a pain in the ass. “Lucas, I’m not stupid enough to get in the way of you doing your job. But I have to be…involved…or I’ll lose it.”

  “I understand.” His tone was that of a teacher running out of patience. “But you’ve got to understand, too, Miranda. I can’t worry about you getting hurt or interfering with police procedure, and at the same time focus on locating your sister. What if Vance had done something to you. He’s never broken the law as far as I know, but there’s something about him that I don’t like. And don’t tell me you had your knife, because it’s a safe bet he could’ve disarmed you.”

  She pressed her lips into a thin line. “He’d have gone down trying. But,” she added as Lucas opened his mouth, “I see your point. I’ll try to show restraint in the future.”

  “Good.” But he looked skeptical.

  He dropped her off at the truck stop a short time later. “I’ll come up and ride with you as soon as I can. I’ve got to check out some other things, like Shannon’s computer…maybe go over her phone records again to be sure I didn’t miss anything.”

  “Thanks, Lucas.” Suddenly Miranda felt drained. “I do appreciate everything you and Garrett and your other deputies are doing.”

  “Just our job. Hey, are you hungry? We could grab some lunch, as long as we’re here.”

  Miranda shrugged. “Not really. But I guess I need to eat. I’m kind of tired of the truck stop, though.” Not the food. She was tired of all the people staring at her.

  “So, we’ll go to the Silver Spur. They make a mean steak sandwich.”

  “That actually sounds pretty good.” Before she could question her sense of judgment, Miranda climbed back into the Blazer, and they took off.

  The bar side of the Spur was closed on Sundays, the sliding partition that divided the restaurant from the honky-tonk in place. To Miranda’s relief, the Spur wasn’t as packed as the Truck Inn. Relishing the peace, she slid into a booth across from Lucas.

  They ordered, and in no time she was biting into her sandwich with relish. She’d done nothing more than pick at food lately, and she truly was more hungry than she’d realized.

  “Hey, there, Miranda. Lucas. How’re y’all doin’?”

  “Hi, Lily,” Lucas responded. Lily Tate was in her seventies, but no one would ever guess. She was a regular at the Spur, especially on all-you-can-eat rib night.

  “Any word on your sister?” Lily’s brow furrowed in sympathy.

  Miranda swallowed an inward groan along with her bite of sandwich. The meat and bread seemed to stick in her throat. “Not yet,” she said. Lily meant well by asking.

  “Well, at any rate, it’s good to see the two of you back together again. They say God never closes a door without openin’ a window.” The older woman beamed at them like a proud grandparent, then gave Lucas’s arm a pat. “If I was twenty years younger, I’d be after your fella here myself. You two take care, now.”

  Lily walked away, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence.

  “Sorry about that,” Lucas mumbled, suddenly deeply interested in dousing his French fries with more salt.

  “You know,” Miranda said, “I think I’d better get home and check on Mom.”

  “You’ve barely touched your sandwich.”

  “I’ll take it with me.”

  “Well, I don’t want to eat mine cold, or ruin it by heating it up in a microwave. I hate those things. They make everything taste like melted cardboard.”

  “So eat.” She waved at a young woman who was one of her barrel racing students. “Sissy Spangler’s headed for the cash register. I’ll buy her meal and give her gas money to take me home.”

  Lucas sighed and pushed his plate away. “I’ll take you.”

  “No. I don’t want to ruin your lunch.” Miranda gestured to their waitress, then asked for a take-out box.

  “It’s not a problem,” Lucas said, pulling out his wallet. Miranda beat him to it, throwing a twenty on the table.

  But it was a problem, and she could tell he was more than a little annoyed as they left, which made her annoyed as well. What right did he have to act like they were indeed the couple Lily Tate assumed them to be, behaving as though they were out on a date or something, and that she’d just spoiled it?

  “It was your idea to go to lunch.”

  “And you accepted.” Lucas pulled out of the parking lot. “I can’t help what Lily Tate thinks. What does it even matter?”

  “Because Lily can spread gossip around Sage Bend faster than Fae and Mae. She’ll have the whole town thinking I’ve fallen into bed with you.” As soon as the words were out, Miranda wanted to take them back.

  He looked at her, and for a heartbeat his anger was replaced by a hunger she hadn’t seen in his eyes for years…a hunger that had nothing to do with steak sandwiches.

  “Would that be so horrible?” he asked quietly.

  Her jaw dropped. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Lucas merely lifted a shoulder, his attention on the road.

  Laughing without humor, Miranda faced forward. “Unbelievable. Why do men seem to think sex can solve everything?”

  “I didn’t say that.” He paused. “But it can’t hurt.”

  “Are you propositioning me?”

  “Not if you’ve still got that knife at your hip.” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned. “Come on. Lighten up, Miranda. I was only teasing.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I just wanted you to relax. Forget about everything for a while.”

  “You mean forget that my sister is missing, maybe even…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. It ticked her off that he would think she could so easily brush thoughts of Shannon aside for a romp in the sack with him.

  It was only a steak sandwich.

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” Lucas said. “Would it hurt you to relax for an hour? You’re starting to look as haggard as your mother. Go home and take a nap.”

  “Gee, thanks.” She wanted to throttle him.

  “I give up.” He shook his head.

  Miranda remained silent for the rest of the drive.

  For the second time, Lucas dropped her off at the Truck Inn. But before she could climb out of the Blazer, he caught hold of her hand and tucked a twenty dollar bill in it.

  “I already—”

  “I know you did, and I appreciate it. Just take it.”

  “Fine. See ya.” Still seething, Miranda veered away from her truck to the diner’s entrance for a cup of Mae’s coffee. Tori put it in a to-go cup, and promised to be back at the ranch once her shift ended.

  Her best friend gave Miranda the boost she needed, more so than the coffee. Paper cup in hand, she got in her truck and drove to the Rocking W.

  When she walked in the door, the TVs and radio were on as usual. But Paige was nowhere to be seen.

  “Mom?” Miranda called as she went down the hallway. She poked her head into Paige’s bedroom. The bed wasn’t made, and her mother’s nightgown was draped over a rocking chair beneath the window.

  Miranda found her in the barn, saddling Snap.

  “Mom, what are you doing?”

  Paige’s normally dark skin looking waxy and pale, her eyes puffy and lackluster. “What’s it look like, silly? I’m saddling m
y horse.”

  “I can see that. Where are you going?”

  Paige dropped both arms to her sides, her body language that of a woman who’d reached the end of her rope. “I’m looking for your sister. Now quit trying to coddle me and go get your own horse, or saddle one of mine.”

  Her mother wasn’t herself. She was hurting, and tired and scared beyond words. “You need to go to bed. How much sleep have you had in the past couple of days?” Miranda asked.

  “Enough to function. And you’re one to talk, anyway. If these damn fumbling Barney Fifes can’t find Shannon, then by God I’ll find her myself.” Abruptly, Paige covered her face with both hands and started to sob.

  Miranda’s jaw nearly dropped. Her mother rarely cried, and never like this. She was one tough Cherokee woman.

  Awkwardly, Miranda touched her mother’s arm, then pulled her into a hug. Paige’s shoulders heaved, and her sobs grew silent in their intensity. Her tears dampened Miranda’s T-shirt, and she bit down hard on her lip as her own eyes welled. She couldn’t cry, too. Her mom needed her.

  “You can’t help Shannon if you’re dog-tired.”

  “I know,” Paige said, sniffing. “I’m just mad. I’m so screaming mad! Who would want to hurt Shannon?” Her features crumbled. “This has to have something to do with that scum Lonnie Masterson. I just know it.”

  “If it does,” Miranda said, “Lucas will figure it out. And in the meantime, we’ll keep looking. But I do wish you’d lie down for a while. I’m thinking I might take a nap myself.”

  Paige’s shoulders slumped in resignation. “I was going to cover the rimrock, up above the valley.” She pointed to the west, and Miranda knew exactly where she meant. She, too, had thought of riding some of the tougher, steeper trails high above Cutback Mountain, even though they weren’t easily accessible. She didn’t want to leave any stones unturned.

  “We’ll do it later. Now go on inside. I’ll put Snap in her stall.”

  “Okay.” Reluctantly, Paige took a step away from her mare, then staggered as though dizzy.

  Miranda caught her by the elbow. “Lean on me.”

  Paige waved her off. “Take care of my horse.”

  “Don’t be so stubborn, Mom.”

  Paige harrumphed. “I’m not helpless. Now, would you please let me be.”

  “Okay.” Miranda let go, lifting her hands in surrender. Still, she watched to make sure Paige got inside before she went back to take care of Snap.

  With the mare comfortable in her stall, munching a flake of hay, Miranda left the barn. She heard a vehicle on the road and turned to wave—a small-town, friendly gesture—and saw Lucas’s green Blazer, the horse trailer hooked to it.

  Not now.

  She leaned on his open window once he’d brought the rig to a stop. “Hi.”

  “You ready to ride?” he asked. “Garrett’s already got quite a few of the volunteers riding out by the lake.”

  “Actually, I was about to follow your advice and take a nap while Chet and Sam are escorting a group of dudes. I guess business must go on,” she said bitterly.

  “Well, even dudes can act as a few extra pairs of eyes, right?”

  “I suppose. Hey, I thought you were going to look at Shannon’s computer?”

  “I decided I could do that later, after it gets dark. Right now we need to take advantage of what’s left of daylight hours if we’re going to search.”

  He decided. It seemed to Miranda he decided everything, including calling off their wedding. She bit her tongue in an effort to hold it. “Don’t you ever take a day off?”

  “A lawman is never really off duty,” he said, climbing from the Blazer. “And it wouldn’t matter. I’d be here, anyway. So, do you want to search or would you rather take a breather?”

  “No. I’ll sleep later. Let’s ride.”

  “How’s your mom?”

  “Resting.”

  He nodded. “Hopefully, we’ll have some good news for her soon.”

  But the look on his face told Miranda otherwise. “You think Shannon’s dead, don’t you?” It was hard to even voice the words, especially because, in the back of her mind, she’d been thinking the same thing.

  Lucas paused, hand on the horse trailer’s latch. He reached out and gently touched her cheek, and what she saw in his eyes had her hurting all over again.

  Regret?

  Possibly.

  She flinched and took a step back, and that quickly, the moment was gone. Lucas lowered his hand. “I don’t know, Miranda. Of course, I hope she’s not, but I don’t know what to think.”

  “Well, thanks for your brutal honesty.” But she wasn’t really angry with him. She was angry with herself, she realized. Lucas wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know.

  “You asked,” he said, entering the slant-load trailer to walk Cimarron out.

  “It’s my fault, you know. That Shannon is missing.”

  He stopped dead in his tracks. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I knew something was wrong. She hadn’t been acting right for a while now. She was so upset and scared over testifying against Lonnie Masterson.” Miranda shook her head, tears burning her eyes. “I never should’ve let her ride off alone. I should’ve gone after her right away, whether she wanted me to or not.”

  “Miranda.” Lucas moved to touch her again, then dropped his hand to his side. “It’s not your fault at all. How could you know something like this was going to happen?”

  “I don’t know.” She wiped the corners of her eyes with her knuckles, willing the tears to stop. “I just wish I hadn’t let her down.”

  “You didn’t. Look at you, searching to the point of exhaustion. You know, I can just leave Cimarron here for the night if you’d rather. That way you can get some rest and we can start out fresh first thing in the morning.”

  Miranda let her breath out, the tired, drained feeling returning. “Maybe that would be better. I’m so worn-out, I don’t think I’d be much good, anyway. I’ve barely slept the past few days.”

  “I imagine not.” He walked Cimarron toward the stables, and Miranda directed him to a stall near Snap’s. She got the gelding some hay, then turned to bid Lucas goodbye. She was still smarting from his comments earlier at the Silver Spur.

  For a moment she couldn’t think of anything to say. Then her foggy brain registered that Lucas was still doing everything he could for her despite their personal differences.

  “Lucas, thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “Everything. You’re putting a lot of time into looking for Shannon.”

  He shrugged. “I told you, I’m doing my job.”

  She knew it was so much more than that.

  For a moment she imagined being back with him, sitting on the creek bank beneath the cottonwoods. She could still remember what his kisses tasted like. Warm, sweet…

  And then her nonfunctioning, sleep-deprived brain was reliving the moment for real as Lucas tilted her face up to his and kissed her. It was a light, gentle kiss. Nothing sexy. Nothing out of line. And still it was one of the best kisses she’d ever had.

  Miranda opened her eyes as he pulled away. Biting her bottom lip, she stared at him. “What was that?”

  “A kiss. Don’t tell me it’s been so long, you’ve forgotten what they are.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  His lips curved, and her pulse jumped. He hadn’t smiled at her like that in ages. “Get some sleep,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She stayed in the barn until she heard him pull away, out onto the road.

  Because she couldn’t bear to let him see the flush she knew was on her face.

  She was glad Tori was coming over later. She could use her friend’s shoulder. Would Tori think she was crazy to be making plans—yet again—with Lucas? Would she understand Miranda’s irrational feelings?

  She’d thought she was over Lucas for good.

  She’d thought wrong.

  CH
APTER EIGHT

  LUCAS MADE COFFEE the next morning, then filled a canteen with cold water and chipped ice. He was sure this would turn out to be another long, hot day. No rain had fallen in over a week, and while that was a blessing for tracking, it did make for an endurance test in the saddle.

  Banjo, Lucas’s big gray tomcat, rubbed against his legs, purring so loudly the sound seemed magnified. Lucas gave him and the other cats breakfast, then grabbed a doughnut and a glass of milk.

  By seven o’clock he’d arrived at the Rocking W, where he found Miranda outside. She looked better than she had yesterday. Somewhat rested, anyway. Who was he kidding? She’d look good to him no matter what. That was a problem. He couldn’t wait until they found Shannon, because not only did he want to bring her home safely to her family, he wasn’t sure how much more he could stand, being this close to Miranda.

  He could always scout on his own and leave her to search by herself.

  Not an option. He didn’t want anything to happen to Miranda, too.

  “Morning.” He slung the canteen over his shoulder as he walked her way. He’d left his tack here at the ranch along with his horse.

  “Hey,” Miranda greeted him. But she wouldn’t meet his gaze. Should he apologize for the kiss he’d so impulsively planted on her yesterday? It hadn’t really been much of a kiss, but…

  Pretend it never happened. “How’s your mom doing?”

  “She’s fine. She’s not up to riding today, but she insisted on going to my place to take care of my animals. I ended up staying the night here with her.”

  “I’m sure she appreciated the company.”

  “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yep.” He held up the canteen. “I brought ice water.”

  She nodded, then went to get her horse from the barn. Lucas followed, and a short time later they were saddled up and riding toward the rimrock country on the other side of Cutback Mountain. It was a long, sweaty ride, and Lucas would safely bet the temperature was already nearing eighty by the time they reached the next area on Paige’s search grid.