The Sheriff Catches a Bride

by Cora Seton

  Great. Word about her and Cab had obviously spread already. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and clicked off. She knew her friend would have plenty of questions for her then.

  Hannah arrived just as Rose shoved the phone back in her pocket. Rose greeted her and followed her back to where she’d parked her car to make sure she’d hidden it well enough. Like Mia, Hannah seemed to take her rules seriously and Rose couldn’t fault the job she’d done.

  “I put your posts in today. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t wait for you.”

  “I don’t mind at all. Do you mind if I get started building my corral? I brought a bunch of scrap wood along.”

  “Sure,” Rose said checking her watch. “We have to wind down before Cab gets home, though, so you only have about an hour and a half. I’ll be at Autumn’s place tomorrow to cut more boards. Do you want to meet me there?”

  Hannah hesitated. “I can’t take too much time off of work.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’re making the houses all the same size and shape. I’ll cut the wood you’ll need and be back here after lunch. Come by any time before four, but hide your car again, okay?”

  “You’re a lifesaver, Rose. Thanks.”

  Rose had wondered if the project would lose some of its luster with company around, but once Hannah took off deeper into the woods, to her surprise she found herself enjoying Mia’s presence. The young woman turned out to have a sly sense of humor that blossomed here away from prying eyes. They cleaned up the site and transferred Mia’s wood from her car to Rose’s truck. Mia had ridden from town with the boards sticking out one of her rear windows. Rose hoped she hadn’t attracted too much attention.

  “I just always feel so… wrong… when other people look at me these days, like they can see inside my brain and know I had an affair with a married man,” Mia confessed to Rose some time later. “Out here with just you and Hannah, I feel… safe.”

  “I’m glad,” Rose told her. “That’s exactly what this place is supposed to be—a hideaway from all the people who get you down.”

  “I think it’s going to work.”

  Rose wanted to ask her questions about her plans for the future, but she kept her mouth shut. After all, she was hiding here because she didn’t want to have to answer to anyone. Why shouldn’t Mia get the same privacy?

  A faint sound of hammering came from the woods behind them and Rose tensed, focused on a new worry. She still had plenty of reservations about keeping a horse out here, but Hannah had assured her it was only temporary; just until she could find the critter a better home. When she emerged an hour or so later, Rose and Mia were tidying up for the day.

  “Are you making any progress?” Rose asked her.

  Hannah nodded. “I actually got it done. It’s not a very big corral. I’m going to call it a day.”

  “Me, too,” Mia said. “I’ve got a five to nine o’clock shift tonight.”

  Rose nodded. “I’m supposed to have dinner with Cab. I wish I had a way to clean up first, though. One thing this place lacks is a shower. I think I stink.”

  “Aren’t you staying at Autumn’s? Why don’t you go there?” Mia asked.

  Because she didn’t feel like getting the third degree. She knew the minute she entered the door of the Big House, Autumn, Claire and Morgan would pounce on her and want to know everything. They’d grill her about Jason and Cab and Emory… she couldn’t take it. Not yet. She’d face Autumn tomorrow.

  “Want to follow me home?” Hannah said, taking in her expression. “I’m all the way across town from Emory and your folks. You can use my shower. They’ll never know you were there.”

  She was being silly hiding out like this—Emory must know by now she’d broken things off with Jason—but she didn’t want to face him and his questions and accusations, either. She’d be taking a chance going to Hannah’s, but the lure of hot water and soap swayed her. After all, what could any of them do if they actually caught her, except make a stink? Sooner or later she’d have to face the world.

  But not tonight, she hoped.

  An hour later, she stepped out of the shower in Hannah and Cody’s small house and pulled on a clean set of clothes. Cab hadn’t mentioned anything fancy, so she wore jeans and a pretty blouse. As she folded her dirty clothes and packed them away in the backpack she’d brought, she heard Hannah call a greeting and a man’s voice answer. She stilled, listened, and decided it must be Cody arriving home. He and Hannah had dated for some time now, although she didn’t get Hannah’s attraction to him. Cody was… rough. Not physically, but in his mannerisms. A little too crude for her tastes, but Hannah seemed to like him well enough.

  “Just a minute,” she heard Hannah say and she sped up her movements, knowing her friend probably needed to get ready for her own evening out.

  When Rose opened the bathroom door, she met Hannah in the hall. “Sorry, didn’t mean to take so long.”

  “Hush, you’ve been quick as a wink. Cody’s just early, that’s all.”

  “I’ll get out of your way. See you tomorrow? I plan to be at the… place… all day.”

  “I asked Bella for the day off so I’ll definitely be there, too. Just as soon as I get him out of bed and on his way. He’s slow in the mornings.” She made a face. “Real slow.”

  “The nights must be good enough to make up for it, then,” Rose teased her.

  Hannah looked uncertain. “I don’t know how long we’ll be together,” she whispered. “He’s…”

  “I’m what?” Cody said loudly as he poked his head around the corner. “When I hear women whispering I know trouble’s coming. What are you two up to?”

  “Nothing,” Rose said firmly, seeing Hannah’s face blanch. “I was asking Hannah what I can do to make tonight special for Cab. We’re kind of… celebrating,” she said, making up the story as she went along.

  “Just take your clothes off for him,” Cody said, coming all the way into the hall, which suddenly felt much too crowded for Rose. “That’s every man’s favorite celebration.” He tugged Hannah into a one-armed hug but kept his gaze on Rose. For one horrible moment she thought he might reach out and pull her close under his other arm. Her skin crawled under his scrutiny. Was she imagining it, or was he vibing her—hard?

  “I’d better run or I’ll be late,” she said, feeling anxious to get away. Hannah and Cody trailed after her as she made her way through the house and out the front door. She hesitated on the front walk, uncomfortable at leaving Hannah but unsure how to handle the situation. “Call me if you need anything,” she said to her friend, hoping she understood what she really meant.

  “It’s all fine. You have a great time,” Hannah said. She leaned into Cody’s embrace and Rose relaxed a little. Cody was sleazy, but Hannah wasn’t in danger. She was just with the wrong guy.

  Some relationships were messed up, Rose thought. Some people were messed up. She got in her truck, glad that wasn’t the case with Cab. She couldn’t ask for a steadier, more responsible man. She slid her key into the ignition, beginning to anticipate the evening to come.

  The engine made a sick sound and then died altogether.

  Cab pulled up at Hannah’s house just as the tow truck arrived.

  “Sorry for the change in plans,” Rose said, coming to meet him.

  “No problem,” he said as he took in the way her hair curled around her shoulders and her pretty blouse framed her cleavage. “I offered to pick you up in the first place. So this is where you’ve been staying?”

  Rose shrugged and turned back to gesture at the tow truck driver. “He’s taking my truck to the shop. I won’t get it back until tomorrow, though. It’s too late for anyone to work on it now.”

  “That’s all right. I’ll take you to dinner and then drive you wherever you need to go.”

  “Thanks. Let me talk to Hannah for a minute, would you?” She hurried off to speak to her friend and the two women huddled together away from the action around the truck. Cab figured she nee
ded to sort out the logistics of coming back here after their date. Would she let Hannah know she might not be back at all? He hoped so. He wasn’t going to spoil the evening straight off the bat, though, by suggesting she spend the night. She’d count that as him telling her what to do. Better let her think it was her idea.

  “Did I ever tell you I’m going bison hunting?” Cody swaggered up to him. “Next week. Pretty cool, huh?”

  “I think you mentioned it.” Cab resisted the impulse to roll his eyes.

  “They say when the bison falls over, it shakes the ground.”

  “If you manage to hit it,” Cab said. He hoped Rose would hurry up.

  “I’ll hit it. They just stand there,” Cody said. “But when they fall, they shake the ground. You can feel it all the way from where you’re shooting.”

  “All that way. That’s something.”

  “It’s a rush.”

  “I’m ready,” Rose waved good-bye to Hannah. The tow truck driver was ready to pull out, so Cab led her to his truck and opened the door for her to climb in.

  “I suppose DelMonaco’s is out.”

  “I’m afraid so. Mind taking a bit of a drive?”

  “Not at all.” Cab swung his truck around to head back through town to highway 90. Rose remained quiet for the first few minutes of the drive until he began to worry she might be having second thoughts about spending time together.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Hmm? Oh.” Rose gave herself a little shake. “I was thinking about Hannah and Cody. I’m not sure that relationship is going to last.”

  What about us? Cab wanted to ask her, but bit the words back. Sometimes talking too much caused all kinds of problems. Maybe action was called for here. “Rose—I’m going to tell you what to do and I don’t want you to get all riled up about it. You think you can hear me out?”

  “I guess so.” Her tone told him it wasn’t likely.

  He patted the seat beside me. “Come sit over here.”

  She waited a beat. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.” Would she take the bait? Looked like she would.

  She undid her seatbelt, slid over into the middle of the bench seat and rebuckled herself in.

  “That’s better,” Cab said. He put a possessive hand on her thigh and waited to see what she would do next. When she inched nearer, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. They were going to be okay. He allowed himself to explore her thigh a little, stroking gently down and then up, each time sliding a little higher. When Rose let a small sigh escape he knew they were more than okay.

  They reached an intersection in the center of town and stopped for a red light. Cab took advantage of the situation to lean over, tilt her chin up and give her a long, searching kiss. Rose answered him with equal ardor, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. She leaned into him, letting him lead the way and when he slid a hand under her blouse, she moaned, letting him know she’d missed him as much as he’d missed her.

  Cab pulled back an inch. “We could eat at my place,” he suggested. “Or skip eating all together.”

  “That sounds good,” Rose said. “Real good.” She kissed him again, and he slipped his hand higher, cupping her breast underneath her shirt. He knew he should wait until they got back to Carl’s place, but suddenly he didn’t want to wait another minute.

  “Or we could pull in behind the gas station and get it on right here.”

  Rose giggled. “Better not. What if we get caught?” She slid a hand down his back and into the waistband of his jeans. If she were any closer to him she’d be in his lap.

  The car behind them beeped and they both jumped.

  “Whoops. Better keep my eyes on the road,” Cab said, chuckling. “Don’t want to cause an accident.”

  Rose guided his hand back down to her thigh and wriggled to let him know she wanted him to stroke her again. He did so with pleasure, making the left-hand turn toward the highway. “You sure you don’t want to grab dinner first?”

  She sat up and glared at him. “You’d better not stop this car until you reach Carl’s.”

  Cab grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her thigh a squeeze.

  Rose went rigid and gripped his wrist.

  Cab glanced at her as he turned the wheel and pressed on the accelerator. “What’s wrong?”

  She stared out the windshield across the intersection as they turned. Cab saw a taxi at the far corner. A man leaning over it. Then they were past.

  “Rose, what’s wrong?”

  “I… I don’t feel so well. Can you please take me to Carl’s as fast as you can?”

  ‡

  Chapter Twelve

  Over Fila’s protestations, Jason handed the cab driver several bills.

  “This oughta cover it. Right, Alan?”

  She’d been surprised he knew the man by name, but she quickly realized Chance Creek was a lot like the village she’d left behind in Afghanistan. Everyone knew everyone, and when Jason told Alan to take her to the Cruz ranch, Alan seemed to know just where that was. Darkness had fallen, but the streets of Chance Creek were lit up by streetlights. She shivered a little in the cold, but her journey would be over soon.

  Once Jason knew she was heading to Chance Creek, he’d taken over her travel plans. When they disembarked from the Greyhound bus in Billings, he organized their switch to a small shuttle bus heading to the town.

  When they reached Chance Creek, he insisted on finding her a taxi. There was an awkward moment when Alan Higgens—a man in his late twenties, Fila estimated—had pulled up to the corner and spotted them there. He seemed unable to look Jason in the eye and Fila wondered if she was the cause of it. After all, Jason had recently been engaged, so his arrival with another woman might raise an eyebrow or two. After she’d taken her seat in the back, Alan asked Jason through the open front window, “Does Rose know you’re in town?”

  “Not yet,” Jason bent down to answer him. “Why?”

  A pause—just enough to tell Fila something was wrong. “No reason. Just… nothing.”

  “What?”

  “I must be confused, that’s all. I thought…”

  “Spit it out, Alan.” Fila could tell Jason was getting angry. She’d grown comfortable with his presence on the bus, but now his features hardened, and she realized he was a man like all other men—not to be crossed.

  “A minute ago I saw her and…” Alan trailed off and looked through the windshield at a truck that had pulled to a stop across the intersection ahead of them. Fila made out two people sitting inside it. A large man with short dark hair was behind the wheel. Beside him sat a petite brunette. As she watched, the man leaned down and gave the woman a sensuous kiss, which she returned just as passionately.

  Jason followed Alan’s gaze and swore. “That’s Rose right there. What’s she doing riding with Cab? Why is she kissing him?”

  “I don’t know,” Alan said, but Jason disappeared from the window and in another second the passenger’s side door opened and he slid into the front seat.

  “Follow them.”

  “Jason, look…”

  “I said follow them, or I’m going to open your door, shove you into the street and drive myself.”

  Alan swore but started the car and eased into traffic.

  “Hurry up—you’re losing them!”

  “I can tell where they’re going,” Alan said. “Look. Out to Carl’s. That’s where Cab’s staying these days.”

  “And she’s going home with him? Is she sleeping with him?” Jason’s voice raised and Fila cringed back into her seat. When men raised their voices, trouble quickly arrived. Alan picked up speed, followed the sheriff’s car through town and turned sharply onto a road that quickly wound into the countryside. She clutched the armrest with one hand, used the other to brace herself against the vinyl seat. Jason’s angry tone scared her. She’d seen too many angry men. She knew what they were capable of.

  “I don’t know,” Alan answered Cab final
ly.

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “I don’t know.” Alan sounded miserable.

  “Shit. Go faster.”

  Dark fields stretched away on either side of them and Fila spotted the hulking shapes of houses and barns in the distance.

  “Step on it,” Jason said.

  “I know where Cab lives,” Alan said. “No sense killing ourselves getting there a minute sooner.”

  “My fiancée is sleeping with the town’s sheriff. I want to get there now!” Jason banged his fist on the door and Fila shut her eyes. How had she thought she’d be safe in America? How had she hoped the men here would treat her any differently than her Afghani captors?

  “Hey! You better not break anything!”

  “Go. Faster!”

  Fila buried her head in her hands. Her dream was turning into a nightmare. Any moment they’d catch up to the sheriff and Jason would find his woman. He’d kill the sheriff, shoot him dead on the spot, then haul the girl home, truss her up and drag her to the town square. Would he stone her to death? Behead her? Douse her in kerosene and light her on fire?

  Jason punched the door again. “That’s Carl’s place! Turn in! Get going!”

  Alan swerved the taxi into a long driveway, and Fila toppled over, banging her head on the door. When he hit the brakes and came to a stop still far from the house, she lurched forward and slammed into the seat ahead of her.

  “Get out of my car!” Alan yelled at Jason. “Out!”

  “Drive, you asshole! Get up to the house! They’re getting away!” Jason lunged across the seat and wrestled him for the wheel.

  Fila, cold with fear and shock, tears brimming in her eyes, hands shaking as she righted herself, saw her chance and took it.

  She swung the door open and bolted outside. Nearly sick to her stomach, she raced for the woods. Would he come after her? Would he hurt her?

  She knew what happened to women who stepped out of line. No matter what the offense, they paid the same price. Beatings, torture, rape… death.

  She thought she’d escaped all that.