The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Altar (Your Every Day Hero Series)
Copyright © 2016 Marie Higgins
Cover Design by Sheri McGathy
Edition License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com (Kindle) and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank my friends, Cherub-Angel, Veronica Mesia, and Sharon Simmons—and of course, my wattpad friends, for helping me with this story. I don’t know what I’d do without you!
Other published stories from Marie Higgins
“Stealing the Duchess” – Regency Romance Suspense
“Secrets and Lies” – Victorian Romance Suspense
“Haunting Secrets” – Victorian Paranormal Romance
“Amazon Sunset” – Victorian Romance Action / Suspense
“Love Lost in Time” – Victorian Time-Travel / Suspense
“Waiting for You” – Paranormal / Time-travel Romance
“Becoming a Lady” – Regency Romance
“In the Arms of Danger” – Romantic Suspense
“Crazy For You” – Romantic Comedy
“My Heart’s Treasure” – Victorian Romantic Suspense
Your Every Day Hero Series (Romantic Suspense / Romantic Comedy)
“Prince Charming is a Liar” – Romantic Comedy / Suspense
Where Dreams Come True Series (fairy tales)
“The Witch Hunt” – Young Adult Fantasy
“Champion” – Robin Hood / time travel
“Her Very Own Godmother” – Modern-day Cinderella, romantic comedy
“Keep on Believing” – Historical Cinderella
“Once Enchanted” – Rapunzel romance
Christian Historical Series
“A Walk in Heaven” – book 1
“Touching Heaven” – book 2
“Reach for Heaven” – book 3
Regency Romance Series
“The Sweetest Kiss” – book 1
“The Sweetest Touch” – book 2
“The Sweetest Love” – book 3
“The Sweetest Secret” – book 4
Victorian Romance Series
“Love Me Always” – book 1
“Charmed by Knight” – book 2
“True Love’s Deception” – book 3
“Belong To Me” – book 4
“Love Comes Blindly” – book 5
Colonial Romance Series
“Take My Heart” – book 1
“Falling in Love Again” – book 2
“Wonderland by Night” – book 3
Kurt Hamill has traded his police detective badge for a small county sheriff’s badge, and he’s living the easy life in Big Sky, Montana. His plan is to keep the heartaches and inadequacies from his past locked away so he doesn’t have to deal with them. But when an old friend from Seattle wants him to stop her daughter from marrying the wrong man, Kurt is sucked into a dangerous roller-coaster ride. If he can’t face his fears, they could all die.
Riley Peterson lives a simple life—thanks to the way her wealthy parents sheltered her—but once she meets the gorgeous sheriff, she knows her life will never be the same. Instead of going to the church to get married, she is dodging bullets and running away from the bad guys. The problem is, she’s not too sure who the bad men really are…
ONE
“That’s a fancy Alpha Dorado knife you have there,” Kurt Hamill said as his hand hovered over his gun. He kept his stare on the drunken woman wielding a knife.
“Ya know yer weapons, Sheriff.” Her toothless speech turned her s’s into a whistle.
He nodded. “I have one in my hunting collection, too. But I also know how dangerous they are even to the owners, especially when not used properly.”
The sixty-year-old woman had been drinking heavily. Again. But this time, she had a knife, and that placed the three of them in harm’s way, even though her blubbering husband was nearly passed out on the couch.
“Put the weapon down, and slowly step away.” Kurt kept his voice calm.
Mrs. Stevenson had never been a strong woman, but when she was drunk out of her mind, the five-foot, two-inch framed woman was stronger than most people expected. He doubted she would be able to hurt him, but he didn’t want her hurting herself…or her weak husband. Kurt didn’t really want to use his gun, but if he had to, he would aim it toward the knife just to get it out of the crazed woman’s hand.
“I’m not gonna hurt anyone,” she said as she stood next to the resort suite’s liquor bar. She swayed slightly, and grasped the counter.
“Then you need to put the knife down,” Kurt explained.
“I will as soon as he gibs me back my teef!”
Kurt nodded. “I’m sure your husband will give you back your teeth as soon as you put down the weapon.” He glanced quickly at the sixty-five year old man wearing his boxer shorts and nothing else. The old man’s saggy chest should have been covered as well. “Mr. Stevenson? Where did you put your wife’s teeth?”
The frail old man flipped his hand. “In the toilet!”
“Augh!” Mrs. Stevenson charged toward her husband with the knife held high.
Kurt jumped at her from behind, and brought her to the floor. In one swift move, he swiped the weapon from her boney fingers. She screamed and kicked, but thankfully, having her face-down on the floor slowly subdued the woman.
She turned her head on the floor and looked toward her husband. After a few, very descriptive swear words exited her mouth, she sobbed. “I hate you!”
Tears streamed down her husband’s face. “If you wouldn’t bite me all the time, I wouldn’t have taken your teeth.”
Kurt ignored the insults being flung back and forth between the two, only because he went through this process once a month when the Stevensons came to Big Sky Resort for some whitewater rafting down the Gallatin River. If only the older couple would lay off the booze, they might actually get along…instead of spending time in jail during their retreat.
He cuffed Mrs. Stevenson and pulled her to her feet. Holding her up was necessary, because the intoxicated woman could hardly walk. As he escorted her down the hall, several people peeked out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about.
Kurt had been in Big Sky, Montana, for nearly a year, and already he knew most of the small town’s habits…and especially those habits of the frequent patrons like the Stevensons. He’d lock up the wife for a few hours, but then her husband would always come bail her out. They’d be semi-sober at this point, and they’d hug each other, apologizing all the way out to the car promising one another how they’d never do this again. Apparently, neither of them knew what the word never meant.
They reached the lobby and met more curious people who probably wondered why the county sheriff was here. Again. The fancy glass entrance doors of the resort were across the lobby…appearing almost too far away right now, because he was anxious to get this drunken woman in his squad car. They passed the brown couches and chairs covere
d in leather, and homemade blankets that were arranged in this section of the lobby to look like a visiting center. The unlit large fireplace was nearby, bringing coziness to the lobby. Sizeable, wooden statues of animals, and animal skins were used as decorations. The long registration desk situated on the far side of the lobby took up most of the side wall.
Mary and Ron Martinez, the couple who managed the resort during the summer, moved around the large desk and were in plain sight as Kurt pulled Mrs. Stevenson toward the double glass doors. Disgust displayed on both of their faces, but they, too, were used to the problems brought on by these people. Mary had mentioned once that the Stevenson’s tipped very well, and they always paid for things that were broken during their domestic disturbances. If the couple wasn’t so free with their money, Mary and Ron would have banned them by now.
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Ron said.
Kurt nodded as he walked past. It was hard to look at Ron Martinez and not think of his brother, Kurt’s old boss, Captain Martinez. In fact, the captain was the one who suggested Kurt come to Big Sky, Montana, when he’d turned in his resignation from Seattle Washington’s West Precinct. He’d loved being a police detective, until…
Mentally shaking away that horrific incident that had ultimately caused him to resign, he continued taking Mrs. Stevenson out to the squad car and helped her into the backseat.
She wasn’t screaming at him this time, but he figured it was because she was about ready to enter her drunken coma any minute now. He’d managed to teach himself to drown out her noise so he couldn’t hear her screams, anyway. The drive from the resort to the Sheriff’s office wouldn’t be fast enough, unfortunately.
Almost a year ago, Kurt dealt with criminal cases on a daily basis—rapes, murders, drug trafficking…and anything else that could happen in Seattle, Washington. He’d been a cocky detective. Many times he’d felt invincible. Many more times he thought he was right and didn’t listen to his partners’ opinion. Then he’d gone against his own rules and had given his heart to one of his partners…and Brittany Russell had squashed it like an egg against the hot cement. Not long after he changed partners, he was supposed to be protecting a witness, keeping her from some drug lords. Kurt was drawn into her beauty, and feeling self-assured and heroic, he let his guard down. In doing so, he nearly killed his partner along with the eyewitness.
Thankfully, he learned his lesson, but it had been a hard lesson, and he’d felt unworthy to be a detective. He’d informed Captain Martinez that he was resigning and needed space to think. The captain suggested Big Sky, Montana. Kurt loved to hunt and fish, so this would be the best spot to find himself.
Now, after eleven months, he wondered if he’d found himself yet. The most excitement he’d received all month long was when the Stevensons came to the resort and caused a domestic dispute. Sometimes he was bored, but at least he wasn’t distracted by a beautiful woman. And, there was no way he could put his partner in harm’s way again.
When he arrived at the sheriff’s office, he locked Mrs. Stevenson in her regular jail cell. Once she hit the cot, she was out, snoring and drooling. He chuckled softly. At least she wasn’t worried about her teeth at the moment.
He walked to his desk and sat in his chair, kicking his feet up on the edge of the desk. He took off his Western Dakota cowboy hat and set it in front of him. A lot had changed, that’s for sure. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be wearing a hat—and become a sheriff of a small community.
His cell phone played out the strange ringtone he’d chosen just the other day. He pulled out his cell and answered it. “Sheriff Hamill. How can I help you?”
“Kurt? Is that you?”
The female voice sounded slightly familiar, but for the moment, he couldn’t wrap his mind around who it could be. “Yes, speaking.”
“Oh, thank goodness I found you.”
He creased his brow. The voice sounded like… “Judge Peterson? Is that you?”
“It is. I’m so happy I finally got in touch with you.”
He chuckled. He hadn’t dealt with the nice-looking, middle-aged woman since he was in Seattle. “So how are you doing?”
“Kurt, I’d love to chat and catch up, but right now I’m desperate, and I need your help.”
There was a certain plea in the judge’s voice that worried Kurt. Usually she spoke in a stern tone, but never with this kind of panicked emotion. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, Kurt.” Her voice broke softly. “You are only one hour away from my youngest daughter, and I need you to help her.”
Kurt didn’t like to get involved in family squabbles. Hadn’t he been through enough with his own father and step family? As he tried to think of an excuse of why he couldn’t help, the judged sniffed.
“My daughter is in danger, but she won’t believe me. Somehow, in the past month, she has hooked up with a shark, and he’s reeled her in quickly. If we don’t do something fast, she’ll drown.”
Kurt rolled his eyes. Parents never believed their children’s friends were good enough. He wanted to remind the judge that her daughter was an adult and could make her own decisions.
“I don’t know if you remember when the Reynolds brothers were arrested for drug trafficking,” she continued. “I was the judge in the case.”
“Yes, I think I do remember.” He paused and then asked, “Is your daughter dating one…in jail?”
“No, she’s been dating the youngest brother for the past month. He’d been in college during the drug bust, but I suspected he was involved in some way.”
“But you don’t know for sure?” he wondered. “I hope you’re not jumping to conclusions without seeing all the evidence.”
“It’s not like that, and let me tell you why.”
The judge was always one who overly-explained herself.
“Not long after I sent those scum-bags to prison, I started receiving hate mail. Some might even say they were threatening letters. Of course, I choose to ignore them.”
Kurt rubbed his groomed goatee. “They came from the Reynolds family?”
“The letters weren’t signed, but the postage was printed with a Seattle stamp.”
“Makes sense.”
“Anyway, the letters always mentioned that I’d better watch my back and protect my family, because nobody ever knows when accidents will happen.”
Kurt moved his feet off the corner of the desk and sat up straight. “The letters said that?”
“Yes.”
“And the police weren’t looking into it?”
“They were looking into it, but came up empty. The letters had no fingerprints or DNA or anything.”
Kurt blew out a heavy breath. “So what does this have to do with your daughter?”
“Around this time, Riley met Mark Reynolds—the youngest brother. In less than a month, he swept her off her feet. They are planning a quick wedding today.” The judged sniffed again. “Kurt, I need you to stop it…or do something to convince Riley she’s making a big mistake.”
He picked up a pen and tapped it quickly against the desk. “What am I supposed to say to her? I don’t even know her.”
“Oh, Kurt.” Judge Peterson cried. “I don’t know what else to do. Her father doesn’t care about her—he never has. He’s too busy with his boats and mistresses. There’s nothing I can do to help my daughter since I’m farther away. But you’re closer. Can you please go stop her? Mark Reynolds is only marrying her for the money, I just know it.”
Kurt stopped the tapping of the pen. “What money?”
“She has an inheritance her father promised to her after she was married. He was never around to love his kids, and so he thought money would make up for it.”
“How much money will she receive?”
“One-hundred thousand dollars.”
Taking one quick gasp, Kurt sprang to his feet. Why couldn’t he have had a father like that instead of one who left his wife and little boy without a penny? He swore and shook hi
s head. “I’m assuming Riley knows about it.”
“Of course.”
“And I’m sure Mark Reynolds knows about it now, as well.”
“Of course he does.” The judged sniffed. “This is the Reynolds brothers’ way of paying me back for sending them to prison. They will take my daughter—and her money—and torture her.”
Kurt’s chest clenched. “Torture? Aren’t you being a little over-dramatic, Judge?”
“No, I’m not, and I’ll tell you why.”
He rolled his eyes. Here we go again…
“Right after they were arrested, their cousins and friends rallied together and tried to fight my judgement. The police had proof of the drug trafficking, but the Reynolds’s followers were determined to fight it all the way. Within the next two weeks, our tires were slashed, and the windows on our cars were shattered. The cops who’d arrested the brothers…they all had pet dogs, and within these two weeks, the dogs were found tortured! I have photos to show you if you want to see. These men who support the Reynolds’s brothers are serious.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “That’s why I know Riley will be tortured, as well. She’s a naïve girl and just fell for the first man to charm her socks off.”
“Have you shown her the threatening letters and the photos?”
“No, I’ve just told her about them.”
Kurt paced around the desk, not believing he was seriously considering doing this for the judge. Was he really that bored with his job? Apparently so…
“Judge Peterson, if I can stop the wedding, are you going to come here and show her the proof?”
“Yes. I have court in an hour, and I can leave right after that and get a flight out.”
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know.” He frowned. “I just don’t do things like this, and you know it.”
“I’ll pay you for your time. Does twenty-thousand-dollars sound reasonable?”
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