MOST ELIGIBLE SHERIFF

by Cathy McDavid

  Cliff, it seemed, had taken to heart a fact not many men did. Paying attention to a woman was far more romantic than flowers or candy or candlelit dinners.

  “Don’t let Scarlett or anyone else pressure you into making a rash decision. Me, included.”

  Again, he’d guessed correctly. Ruby wasn’t so much anxious about the reunion with her sister. Rather, she had the sensation of being pulled in a dozen different directions.

  Ernesto wanted her to return to Vegas and the casino. But Crowley was there, possibly waiting for her. The latest from Detective James as of that morning was Crowley had taken refuge in his father’s home, evading the reporters and paparazzi stationed outside.

  Surely he wouldn’t make a move against her. Not when simply leaving the house would be caught on film. Even so, if she were to return to Vegas, she’d spend every second of every day looking over her shoulder and being afraid.

  Then, there was Cliff. He wanted her to stay in Sweetheart. With him. He hadn’t said as much, but she was quite certain nonetheless.

  The path should be obvious, shouldn’t it? She was falling for him. Harder each day, as her unintentional admission last night had revealed. Still, she harbored doubts and concerns. Their relationship was brand-new. Untested and untried. Plus, she loved her job in Vegas and hated the idea of leaving it.

  A long-distance relationship would certainly be a test.

  Damn Crowley. If not for him, Ruby wouldn’t be in this position of having to choose.

  If not for Crowley, she wouldn’t have met Cliff.

  “What do you want, Ruby?” he asked. “Forget about everyone and everything else.”

  As if sensing her mood, Sarge whined from the rear seat.

  She reached behind her and gave him an absentminded petting. “If I could pick, I’d stay in Sweetheart a little longer. Give us a chance to see where this goes.”

  “I’d like that.” He smiled.

  “The only problem is I need gainful employment. One that pays a decent wage and offers some opportunity if possible.”

  “I wish the town was further down the road to recovery. Things were better before the fire.”

  “I get that the cost of living is less than Vegas. And I don’t always want to be working my tail off. I look at your cousin Maeve and think that maybe I could be like her one day.”

  “Three kids?”

  “Balancing work and my personal life.”

  “She’s good at that.”

  “And at raising a family.”

  “Really?” He pretended to clean out his ear. “Did you just say what I think you did? You want kids?”

  She laughed. “Maybe not three. One. Or two.”

  Cliff’s house came to mind, ready-made for the next generation of Dempseys. Was she ready for that? Not quite. More like entertaining the possibilities. Weird, until she came to Sweetheart, getting married and having a family was something she considered to be very far into the future.

  Two weeks with Cliff had given her an entirely different perspective.

  “You’d be a good mom,” he said.

  “Who’d have guessed?”

  “Would you live with Scarlett? If you decide to stay, that is.”

  “The trailer’s pretty small.”

  “I have plenty of room.”

  She’d been right. Cliff did want her cohabitating with him.

  “How ’bout we take things one step at a time?” She smiled, hoping he understood. “First, I need a job.”

  “With people coming to town for the Mega Weekend of Weddings, Sam might want to keep both you and your sister on.”

  “Truthfully, I’d rather work in the hospitality business.”

  “The offer to talk to my aunt still stands.”

  Ruby was struck with an idea. The more she rolled it around in her head, the more it appealed to her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be the one to talk to your aunt. After we tell her about me and Scarlett, of course.”

  “Sure.”

  “There’s going to be a lot of receptions during the weekend, of weddings, right?”

  “I’d say so.”

  “Your aunt might need a beverage manager. Someone to oversee the drink service for large gatherings.”

  “She just might.” Cliff’s nod reflected his approval.

  “It would only be temporary,” Ruby said.

  “Who knows? The whole purpose of the weekend is to put Sweetheart back on the map. Last my aunt said, registration was still climbing. There’s another TV crew due in today.”

  In the meantime, it’s possible she could work at the Paydirt as a server. It wouldn’t be awful. Might even be enjoyable.

  “You should check out the bulletin boards at the community center and the general store.” Cliff slowed as they passed a trio of backpackers.

  “For jobs?”

  “And a place to stay.”

  “Okay.”

  No pressure. He was keeping his word.

  Ruby let herself relax. It felt good having a plan. One of her own choosing, even if it was tentative.

  She’d have to give Ernesto her notice when she returned for the engagement party. He would have a fit. Well, no avoiding that. What if she offered to come back for a long weekend or two? Help train her replacement. Cliff could come with her. For fun, not just protection. Vegas did have a lot to offer by way of excitement.

  The good feeling increased—and grew stronger when they came within sight of the trailer. Scarlett’s Jeep was parked in front. Until that second, Ruby didn’t realize how much she’d missed her twin.

  Scarlett must have heard them pull up for she was out the trailer door before Cliff shut off the engine.

  Ruby scrambled out of the SUV. Scarlett met her halfway, and they hugged fiercely.

  “How are you, honey?” Ruby asked.

  Scarlett promptly burst into tears. Ruby should have been prepared. Flashing Cliff an apologetic smile, she walked her sister up the porch steps and into the trailer. They sat on the couch and for twenty minutes, Ruby listened to Scarlett’s latest tale of woe.

  “It’s for good this time,” Scarlett said through her tears. “I’m never seeing him again.”

  Ruby took the teary proclamation in stride. They’d had this same conversation before. Twice before. “I’m sorry he hurt you.”

  A short time later, Cliff knocked on the door. “Hey, you two.”

  “Come on in.” Scarlett wiped her eyes self-consciously and stood. “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting so long.”

  “No problem.”

  Sarge hurled past Cliff and charged inside. He went straight for Ruby, who still sat on the couch. Despite his large size, he attempted to crawl onto her lap.

  “Sarge, get down!” Scarlett wagged a finger at him, distaste on her face. “You’re not supposed to be inside, much less on the furniture.”

  “My fault,” Ruby said, pushing the dog down. “He’s been staying with me.”

  Sarge refused to be parted from her.

  “It’s my fault, actually.” Cliff came over, took Sarge by the collar and coaxed him toward the door. “I insisted Sarge stay with Ruby. For her protection. Guess he’s formed some bad habits.”

  “It’s all right.” Scarlett sidled closer to Cliff. “I understand.”

  “I’ll put him outside.”

  “You don’t have to.” She touched his arm.

  Ruby gawked in amazement. Wasn’t her sister crying like a baby not five minutes ago?

  “Can I get you something?” Scarlett asked, already starting for the kitchen. “A glass of water? It’s hot outside.”

  “Ah, sure.”

  “How have you been?” She chatted as she fixed Cliff a glass of ice water. “Anyth
ing exciting happen while I was gone?” She delivered the water to Cliff, her fingers brushing his during the exchange.

  What the heck was going on? Was Scarlett flirting with Cliff. Ruby fumed. She was flirting.

  Wait a minute! Did her sister think she could pick up with Cliff where she’d left off?

  That decided it. Ruby was staying in Sweetheart.

  As it turned out, she needn’t have worried.

  “Well, one thing interesting did happen,” Cliff said.

  “What’s that?” Scarlett smiled winningly.

  “Your sister and I are dating.”

  “You are?” She blinked, pivoting around slowly. Her gaze landed squarely on Ruby. “I see.”

  “I know you’re happy for us,” he added.

  “I’m...thrilled.”

  She wasn’t, but Ruby didn’t care. She rose from the couch, joy cascading through her. Cliff had made his intentions crystal clear.

  If her sister weren’t watching, she’d go over and kiss Cliff senseless.

  Wait! Who cared about Scarlett? Certainly not Ruby.

  Three seconds later, she was in his arm, Sarge dancing in circles and yipping excitedly.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cliff tried not to stare. Now that the two sisters were side by side, the differences were as apparent as a thick black line.

  After the announcement that he and Ruby were dating and the kiss she’d given him—his nerve endings were still tingling—Scarlett had wished them well. Whew! For a minute there he’d thought she was hinting at getting back together with him.

  The glass of water he’d drank had hit the spot. What he could really use was a second cup of coffee. He had a long day ahead of him and he’d had little sleep the previous night. Ruby, too.

  Cliff hoped she stayed in Sweetheart. She’d twice mentioned this morning that their relationship was only in the beginning stages, but he was confident his bachelor days were nearing an end.

  “You ready, sis?” Ruby made a pass through the living room, collecting discarded tissues and their empty cups. When she took Cliff’s, she smiled at him. His heart kick-started like an infatuated teenager’s.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Scarlett said. She remained seated on the couch.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She expelled a long-drawn-out sigh. “I’m not looking forward to talking with Sam.”

  “Why?” Ruby expressed sisterly concern.

  “He won’t be happy with me. With us. We put him through a lot of trouble.”

  “Sam seems like a decent guy to me.” Having set the glasses in the sink, Ruby wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “He’ll be glad you’re back on the job.”

  Personally, Cliff thought his buddy would do well with either sister. Ruby had performed competently, considering her lack of training. His aunt would acquire a good employee if she hired Ruby.

  “What about Will?” Scarlett asked. “You said he was onto you. Do we have to tell him?”

  “He’s going to figure it out as soon as he sees the two of us together.” Ruby sat beside her sister on the couch and put a hand on her knee. “It’ll be all right.”

  Ruby may not see it, but Scarlett was stalling. For whatever reason, she didn’t want to face the people at the ranch.

  He supposed she could be upset from her breakup with Demitri. Or, she was just being Scarlett. The ten-minute-younger, needier twin who counted on her sister to bail her out of trouble and clean up her messes.

  Cliff reminded himself that Scarlett had come to Ruby’s aid when she need to lie low for a while. Even if it did serve her own purposes at the time. For that reason, he decided to cut her some slack.

  They were almost out the door when his phone chimed. The ring belonged to his cousin Maeve. He was instantly on the alert. She didn’t call this early on a Sunday unless something was wrong.

  “Hey, Maeve.”

  “Glad I caught you.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I know you’re probably on duty.” She hesitated. “And I hate to impose—”

  “Just tell me.”

  “There’s an emergency at the store. The overhead sprinklers sprang a leak. Water’s pouring all over the merchandise and flooding the floors. The cleaning crew discovered it when they arrived. Uncle Milt and Mom can’t go. They’re meeting with the TV crew from Vegas at noon.”

  The show aired weekdays. The crew was filming for tomorrow’s episode.

  “I’ll meet the repairmen,” Cliff said.

  “No. I have to go. They need the key to the roof access door, which only I have. Besides, Mom insists.”

  “Let me guess. You want me to watch the kids.”

  Her voice grew small. “They only just finished breakfast and aren’t dressed yet.”

  During the summer and on weekends, Maeve let her children sleep in so she could get things done around the house before dropping them off at the sitter’s.

  “I’m on my way to the Gold Nugget. I could take them along after they’re dressed.”

  “That would be great! I’m probably going to be a while. I hear the place is a mess.”

  Cliff and his cousin ironed out a few of the details. When he hung up, he explained the situation to Ruby and Scarlett.

  “I’ll watch them,” Scarlett blurted out eagerly. “You and Ruby can go to the ranch.”

  “It’s okay. They love the ranch.” He wasn’t about to let her off the hook.

  “They’ll be in the way when you talk to Sam. And I miss them.” Scarlett was suddenly on the move when a moment ago she’d sat like a lump on a log. “You said yourself they weren’t dressed yet.”

  Cliff wavered. His gut told him no, to stick with Plan A. Scarlett was shirking her responsibility. Sam had done her a favor every bit as much as he had Ruby, and he deserved an in-person thank-you.

  “I think you should come with us.” Ruby said, though she didn’t insist.

  “I’ll drop by later with the kids. After I get them dressed.”

  In other words, after Cliff and Ruby had broken the news to Sam. Did Ruby see how much her sister took advantage of her? Probably not.

  He kept his mouth shut. This was none of his business. The sisters’ relationship was theirs to deal with. He wouldn’t intrude or interfere in any way. “It’s up to you,” he told Ruby.

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “What about Maeve? She may not like the idea.”

  “Call her.” Scarlett suggested, all smiles now.

  Maeve was okay with it. Frankly, she sounded so harried, she’d probably have agreed to let old man Seymour watch her brood.

  “Hurry,” Maeve said and hung up.

  Cliff turned to Scarlett. “Come directly to the ranch. No side trips.”

  “I promise.” She held up three fingers in a Boy Scout pledge.

  Ten minutes later, they dropped her off at Maeve’s. She disappeared through the front door, hauled inside by Erin and Ellie. Good thing Maeve hadn’t come out to greet them. She would have noticed Ruby sitting in the front passenger seat.

  The conversation with Sam went well. He was also busy. The ranch was hosting a church retreat, turning what was normally a lazy Sunday into a frantic Sunday.

  “We’re booked solid now through the Mega Weekend of Weddings next month. I could use another wrangler.”

  “I really appreciate the offer.” Ruby smiled up at Sam.

  “That sounds like a no.”

  “I have a couple leads I’d like to explore. In the hospitality field.”

  “Well, if they don’t pan out, give me a call. I happen to be in the hospitality field, too.”

  “Thank you, Sam.” She stood on tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

  “Whoa there!�
��

  If Cliff didn’t know better, he’d think his friend was blushing.

  “What next?” Ruby asked when she and Cliff were back in the SUV.

  “Find you a place to stay? Then check with my aunt. She should be done filming the TV interview by then.”

  They turned in the direction of town, the community center their intended stop. As they neared the main intersection, they spotted a commotion. A small crowd had gathered and was growing larger by the second.

  Ruby craned her neck to see out the windshield. “What’s going on?”

  Sarge whined and began pacing back and forth in the rear seat.

  “The Nevada at Noon TV crew, most likely.” Cliff had no sooner spoken than he realized his mistake.

  The crowd was visibly agitated, their frantic actions not those of people watching their mayor give an interview. Ruby noticed, too.

  “Isn’t that the girls and Evan with your aunt?” She turned panicked eyes on Cliff. “Where’s Scarlett?”

  He swung the SUV into the first available spot. His cell phone rang as he wrenched open the door. It was Iva Lynn.

  “Report,” he demanded.

  “Six people called in. An unidentified man was seen abducting Scarlett McPhee. He was driving a white Infiniti coup. He bore down on her and the children as they were standing outside the general store. According to witnesses, as Scarlett was shielding the children, the man jumped from the car, grabbed her, then wrestled her into the car.”

  Crowley! It must be him. He’d come for Ruby, only he’d taken Scarlett instead.

  Cliff hit the ground running. He could see the children but not if they were all right. “Call Detective Darell James. And the Washoe County Sheriff’s office. We’re going to need reinforcements.”

  “Right away.”

  “The children?” he pushed past people in a frenzy to reach his family.

  “They’re fine. Scared but unharmed.”

  Cliff’s knees went weak, but he kept moving. “Did anyone get a license plate number or see which direction he went?”

  “Both. He took the north road out of town. I’m running the plate now.”

  He swore under his breath.

  “Cliff?” It was Ruby. She’d been running alongside him. “What’s happening?” Terror marred her face.