“I hope neither of you are basing you decision on whether I agree to marry you or not.”
“Does that mean you still aren’t sure?” Tor asked. A worried look wrinkled his forehead.
“It’s a big decision. Marriage, moving to a completely different place and lifestyle, and finding a job I like.”
“She’s right, Tor. Don’t pressure her. We want her to be certain about her decision.” Chad put sausage, eggs, and fried potatoes on their plates. “We’ll eat. You two enjoy the day and later we can talk some more.”
Amy took a deep breath. “This smells great. You’re spoiling me. If I did marry you, you two wouldn’t get a fancy breakfast every day.”
“It’s not as important as sharing our lives with you.” Chad sat and motioned them to join him. “Your food will get cold.”
Amy knew she’d put a damper on the day, but she had to be honest before they changed their lives, and then maybe she said no. She didn’t know what to do. Her goal had been to be a partner in her firm and eventually a judge. Marriage wasn’t in her equation. How did she stop, change all her goals, and start again? Did she want to? And if she didn’t, how did she say good-bye to them?
“You’re frowning.” Tor ran his fingers across her forehead. “Don’t think so much. We’re going to have fun today, whatever happens later.”
After they ate, Amy put on her cowboy boots to go with her jeans and dark-green shirt. She grabbed a hat and a light jacket and walked out to the side of the house where Tor waited by the truck. Chad was talking to him.
“You look pretty,” Chad said. He pulled her in his arms and kissed her long and thoroughly. “Don’t forget me.”
“Have fun working around the ranch. I know you’ve been anxious to get outside, but didn’t want to leave me.”
“I enjoyed being with you.” Chad waved and strode off to the barn.
Tor opened her door and went around to the other side. “First, we’ll stop at the small ranch I’m considering buying. I just talked with the real estate agent. He’ll meet us there.”
The drive was pleasant. A cool breeze blew in the window and the prairie was covered with various colors of wildflowers.
“What will you do with a ranch?” Amy asked.
“Chad wants a place for more horses, and I want to be a partial partner and not a taker. I’ve got some money saved to invest.” Tor turned left and the truck bounced over the rutted driveway.
“First thing I’d have to do is fix this drive. I see a car parked by a house. It must be the realtor.” Tor parked beside the dusty, gray truck.
“Hello.” A man about fifty came out the front door and down the steps. “I’m Charlie Hatter, the realtor for this property.” He put out his hand to Tor. “Let’s start with the house first.” Mr. Hatter walked to the front door. “It’s been shut up a while. An older couple owns it, and they couldn’t manage it anymore. They’ve gone to live with their daughter and son-in-law in Montana. I opened some windows.”
Tor motioned for Amy to walk in front of him. She stepped into a small, empty living room. Two windows faced the north and a cool breeze blew in, clearing out any musty odors. Off the living room to the left was a small kitchen. These windows faced the south and bright sunshine lit the yellow walls.
“This would be a pleasant spot to sit and have your morning coffee. The room is small, but nice. I like it.” Amy smiled at Tor.
“Great,” Mr. Hatter said. “If the little lady is happy, that’s all that counts. There are two bedrooms and a bath between.”
Tor and Amy checked out both rooms and the small bath, but it did have a shower over the tub. “Is this the back door to the house?” Tor asked while standing in the larger of the two bedrooms.
“No, this is the surprise.” The realtor opened the door with a flourish. Off the bedroom was another room the same size. It had five windows, two on the opposite side from where they stood, and three facing the prairie at the back of the house. In one corner was a fireplace. The view of the mountains in the distance and the wide-open prairie was breathtaking.
“What made the couple add this unusual room to such an ordinary house?” Tor asked.
“She liked to paint and for her anniversary one year he had this built on. The windows are double paned and the fireplace works well.”
“This place is so quaint. I love it,” Amy said.
“Then let me show you the land. You mentioned horses and you’d have plenty of acreage for them.”
They followed him in Chad’s truck. There were dirt roads around a good part of the property, but at one point they stopped and walked through a forest of trees.
“You have to see this,” Charlie hurried them along. “It makes the farm more valuable.”
Amy heard rushing water. She quickened her pace and moved to the left toward the sound. Mr. Hatter had dropped back and smiled as she forged ahead. Tor stayed close behind her.
She gasped when she came to the opening. A waterfall glistened in the sunlight and fell into a round, natural pool of water. “It’s beautiful.”
The wind blew the mist from the falls toward them. She laughed when the cool water hit her face. Tor stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “From your reaction, I think you might like this place.” His smile sent her pulses racing.
“I knew you’d like it.” Mr. Hatter joined them.
“Do you want to see more? If so, you’d need to ride over on horseback from Chad’s place to see the whole thing.”
“I’ll think about it,” Tor said.
They were all quiet on the way back to the trucks. Tor helped Amy in, and then walked to the side with Mr. Hatter. She watched Tor’s face as he talked with the realtor. He appeared unconcerned and calm. From Tor’s expression, Mr. Hatter wouldn’t know whether he wanted the property or not.
In a few minutes, the two men shook hands, and Tor got in and started the truck. “We’ll head to Willow Junction from here,” he said. “It’s about twenty miles away. This ranch is almost at the halfway point between Chad’s place and where I hope to work.”
“Did you like the place?” Amy asked.
“I love it. It’s perfect for me, and I’ll be contributing to Chad’s ranch by having the horses he wants here. I’ve made an offer. It’s a little low, but we’ll see. This farm has been for sale for six months. They might take it. If so, I’ll have money left to buy some of those horses.”
“I’m happy for you. It’s a really nice place. I love the sunroom or whatever you’d call it. What a nice gesture to his wife.”
“If we do marry, the two of us could stay here occasionally and play in the waterfall, enjoy our morning coffee in the kitchen, and make love in the sunroom.”
“If is the operative word. And the sunroom is like making love in the outdoors.”
“It is, and maybe we’ll make love at the waterfall.”
“I’m not an exhibitionist.”
“Be daring. There’ll be no one to see us. I’ll make sure.”
“First, you have to buy the place, get a job, and resign.”
“Have you always been so detail oriented?” Tor asked. Amusement flickered in his bright, blue eyes.
“It’s why I’m a good lawyer.”
“I bet we can find you a job in Willow Junction, too.”
“Look out for yourself. I’m not available for a job.”
“Not yet.” He pulled the truck to the side of the street and parked in front of the police chief’s office.
She liked the looks of the town. It was bigger than Triple Creeks Township, but still had the small-town appearance with unique shops, lots of trees along the streets, places to sit and admire the flowers planted by the sidewalks and hanging in baskets in front of stores.
“While you have your interview, I’m going to explore the bookstore across the street.”
Amy felt his stare as she left him and crossed over to the shop.
* * * *
Tor stepped inside the
door. A receptionist was on the phone. She motioned for him to have a seat. He noticed there was another desk across from hers unoccupied, and then a doorway that led to the back of the building. It was quiet and clean. No ringing of a hundred phones and voices calling out to each other. Would he miss the noise and excitement?
The receptionist got off the phone and smiled at him. “How can I help you?”
“Kel Reardon arranged for me to see Chief Percy this morning.” Tor glanced at his watch. “I’m a little early. I had an earlier appointment. It didn’t take as long as I’d expected.”
“He just called in. He’s headed to the office and will be here in about ten minutes.”
“No problem. I’ll look at your hunting and fishing magazines on the table.” Tor wanted to go across the street to check on Amy, but the killer was dead, and they needed to start living a normal life. He still had a difficult time convincing himself to stay put.
Chief Percy was a big man, at least six foot four, with broad shoulders, and he was a bit overweight. He filled the doorway when he came in. He put out his hand.
“Welcome to Willow Junction. I’m Chief Percy, as I suspect you knew.”
“Torrad Davidssons, but most people call me Tor. I like the looks of your town.”
“Come in my office and tell me why a big-city detective wants to be a small-town police chief.”
Tor followed him through the back doorway and down the hall to the left. At the end was a large room with two windows facing the front of the building and one in the back. The desk faced the doorway. A straight chair sat across from the chief’s much more comfortable looking leather one.
“Have a seat.” Chief Percy sat and swiveled around to dig into an old file cabinet. “I have an application form here somewhere. Ah, this is it.” He handed the form to Tor. “That’s customary and required for the council men, but me, I want to hear about you and your experience. I looked you up on the computer after Kel called.” He studied Tor. “You and your partner caught that serial killer back when no one else could get a handle on him, and Kel tells me you and Chad caught this present killer trying to avenge his dad’s death.”
“I had a lot of good help on both cases.”
“True, but it’s how a man handles himself in a crisis that counts. I expect you got good training in the service and on the streets of Pittsburgh.”
“I did.”
“Then tell me, why change? You’ll be moving up the chain of command after this last case, no doubt.”
“I’m tired of the rat race and living in the bustle of a huge city. I grew up in a small town in Missouri. We lived on the outskirts of town and had our own garden, chickens, and occasionally a pig. My dad liked to farm, but he also worked as a mailman. My siblings and I had a good life. This area and Triple Creeks Township appears to be a good place to put down roots and have a family.”
“Would you live in Willow Junction if you got the job?”
“No, I’m looking at buying a ranch about twenty miles from here, but there isn’t much traffic into town. It wouldn’t take me long to get here. Chad and I want to raise horses together.”
Chief Percy rubbed his chin. “I know him. He has a few horses, but from what you say he wants to expand.”
“Is there any problem with me not living in Willow Junction?”
“No. Two of the deputies do, but the other two live in opposite directions. The town has a large outlying area included as part of Willow Junction, and we’re part of Triple Dare County. Sheriff Reardon and I work well together. It’s a good job.”
“But you have reservations about me because…”
“You might not last. You could get homesick for all that excitement.”
Tor shrugged. “I don’t think I will, but there are no guarantees in life.”
Chief Percy grinned. “True. I like you. Come with me and I’ll introduce you to one of our commissioners. We’ll have lunch.”
“My girlfriend’s across the street at the bookstore. I’d like to have her go with us?”
“I reckon she must be the one you’re hoping to settle down with.”
“Chad and I are hoping.”
“We have a large number of threesomes in family units and it’s quite accepted. Go get your lady.”
Tor found Amy sitting in a chair in the back of the shop. “Reading without paying? I might have to take you in.”
“Did you get the job?”
“Not yet, but the chief of police wants to meet you. We’ll have lunch with him and a commissioner. Are you all right with that?”
“Did you tell him you and Chad hope to marry me?”
“Basically yes, and there’s no problem with threesomes in this town. But I called you my girlfriend, not my fiancée.”
“Good, I can live with that.”
He put out his hand. “I’ll pay for your book. Put on your best smile, and they won’t care how I answer their questions. You’ll have all their attention.”
With his arm around her, they joined the chief standing by his patrol car. Tor made the introductions.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Gresham.”
“Call me Amy.”
“I will. We’ll meet Ted, one of our commissioners, at a restaurant on the outskirts of town. Put Amy up front with me.”
“What do you do for a living, Amy?” he asked as he drew away from the curve. He drove to the light and turned right.
“I’m an attorney.”
“She hopes to be a judge soon,” Tor added.
“I’m afraid that’s down the road a bit. I’m working toward partnership in the law firm where I work, and then I’ll look further ahead.
“Why wait? We have elections in a few months. There’s a judge’s vacancy. Old Judge Brown worked until he was ninety and had a heart attack on the bench. Folks are talking about wanting someone younger. It sounds like you’re well qualified.”
Too stunned to say anything, Amy glanced back at Tor. He was grinning from ear to ear. Mentally, she shook herself and turned back to the chief.
“I’m not sure I want to live way out west and in such a small area.”
“I like honesty. You think about it.” He motioned his head back toward Tor. “And don’t let this young man or Chad make the decision for you. There’s time yet to mull over what you want to do.”
“Thanks for the suggestion.”
Amy leaned back against the seat. She didn’t see the road in front, but two different paths beckoning to her. The biggest decision of her life was which one to take.
Chapter Fifteen
Aunt Janie called Amy on their way back to Chad’s. “Tor will drop me off and we can have a nice, long visit,” Amy said. When she clicked her phone off, Tor glanced her way.
“You look worried. I thought the lunch with the chief and the commissioner went well. They liked you.”
“I think it went well, too. I’m worried about you. Are you planning to move back in with your aunt?”
“No. But my boss will be contacting me soon wanting me back at work.”
Tor pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. He turned in her direction. “Chad and I love you. We’d like to marry you. Is your answer no?”
“I’m confused. My heart says one thing, but my mind fluctuates back and forth.”
“Being here you could run for judge and possibly win. If not, I’m sure there’d be some lawyer’s office where you could get a job. We could ride to work together.”
“I need space and time.”
A tense silence built between them. He started the car. She put out her hand to touch his arm. The muscles of his forearm hardened beneath her fingers, and his jaw clamped tight.
Tor pulled back on the road.
“I have to be sure what we have will last, for all our sakes.”
“Take all the time you need. In fact, forget I ever proposed. Women,” Tor muttered under his breath. “Why the hell did I let down my guard?”
Amy didn’t re
ply. She stared straight ahead and when the truck stopped, she jumped out. “Don’t bother to come back for me. I’ll get my stuff later. I’ll spend tonight with Aunt Janie.”
She ran inside before he saw the tears in her eyes.
She heard him gun the truck’s motor and the tires squealed leaving. “Juvenile,” Amy muttered under her breath.
Aunt Janie had come to the screen door. When Amy stepped inside, she saw her tears. “Oh, honey, come on in and tell me what’s upset you.” She directed Amy to the kitchen and poured her a cup of tea. Then she sliced her lemon cake and put a piece on a small plate for Amy. “Eat and drink, and then talk when you feel like it.”
“They’re so pushy, Aunt Janie, especially Tor. He has no patience at all. It’s not like I’m making a decision that won’t have any impact on the rest of my life.” Between sniffles, Amy took a swallow of her tea and a big bite of the cake.
Aunt Janie handed her a tissue. “Let me see if I can guess what’s upsetting you. The bits and pieces of information I’m getting from you don’t make a complete picture. My guess is you’ve fallen for Chad and Tor, and they have fallen for you. Do they want to marry you?”
“Yes, and they want me to give up my job in the city and move out here in the middle of nowhere like it’s no big deal.”
“So you don’t like Triple Dare County.”
“I do. I’m just not sure if I want to give up my plans. Tor and I had lunch with the chief of police of Willow Junction.” Amy took another tissue, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. “Tor wants to resign from his position in Pittsburgh. He has a good chance of getting the chief’s job. And Chief Percy thinks I could run for judge. There’s an opening.”
“That’s great. Wasn’t being a judge your ultimate goal?”
“It is. But I’m young. Do I have the experience to do a good job? And it’s in a smaller place than if I became judge in Pittsburgh.”
“So you’d have to downscale your dream a bit. Do you love Chad and Tor?”
“Possibly, but we’ve known each other a short time and during an unusual period in my life. They caught the killer and saved me, but now our days will go back to being normal. Will I get bored with living here?”
Treasured Temptation [Triple Dare County, South Dakota 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 13
