Sam Men of Clifton, Montana Book 7

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Mary's eyes filled with tears. "I can’t.”

  Tessa sighed. "You'll feel better about yourself."

  Mary didn’t say anything. Tessa watched Sam staring Joe down. Joe had a nasty grin on his face. Sam didn't move as he kept his eyes on Joe.

  "I'd love to kick your ass, Sheriff but I don’t trust your deputy," Joe told him climbing to his feet and holding his hands out to his sides. Brody moved forward and grabbed Joe’s gun from the back of his pants. Joe growled at the deputy.

  Sam walked forward and stopped within a foot of Joe. “Try it,” he said in a deadly voice.

  Joe looked away for a moment then swung his fist but before it could connect, Sam punched him and knocked him out cold.

  "Joe," Mary screamed, and broke loose of Tessa running to where her husband lay on the ground. Tessa had tried to stop her but Mary was unbelievably strong.

  "Son of a bitch," Sam growled as he stared at Joe. “Let’s get him inside, Brody.”

  Tessa watched as Sam and Brody carried Joe into the house with Mary following them. Once they were out of sight, she dropped to the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she wrapped her arms around her waist and rocked back and forth. Joe could have shot Sam.

  ****

  "Damn it, it's too bad you had to hit him. I'd rather have seen his ass in jail than in his house, lying on the couch," Brody said from beside him.

  Sam blew out a breath. "I know but I didn't have a choice. I’ll charge him with assaulting an officer. He was thinking about shooting us, after all."

  "He was thinking about shooting you, you mean," Brody reminded him. "He doesn't care for you at all. You’ve run him in so many times."

  Sam nodded as he watched Mary hover over Joe. Unable to understand the woman’s loyalty to a man who beats her, he walked outside and it was then he saw Tessa on the ground, on her knees, rocking back and forth. After what she’d experienced, it was possible that shock was setting in. Taking a deep breath, he strode toward her.

  "Tessa," he said softly. She didn't acknowledge him as he squatted down in front of her. "Tessa?" Sam gently touched her shoulder but she jerked away and looked up at him, her face was ghostly white and her eyes wide in her face.

  "I'm okay," Tessa whispered as she glanced away from him.

  "I don't think so." Sam frowned.

  "I…he's a bully." She gazed up at him. "He was going to shoot you, Sam."

  "I wasn’t going to let that happen. I knew I could hit him before he realized what was happening.” Sam tilted his head. "Are you all right?"

  Tessa nodded her head and glanced around. "I…uh, I feel sick." She tried to stand and Sam helped her but then Tessa ran to a row of bushes and threw up. Sam was beside her.

  "It's hard seeing something like this go down," Sam whispered as he held her ponytail back. Her hair was as soft as silk in his hands.

  Tessa gazed at him wiping her mouth. "He deserved it but I don't think Mary will press charges." She shuddered. "That's the course of domestic violence. It's so dangerous. I…"

  Sam frowned. "What?" He helped her stand.

  Tessa shook her head, and gazed up at him. "Nothing," she said suddenly looking away. "I need to leave, Sam."

  She started to move away from him but he kept a hold on her arm.

  "Tessa, I'll need you to come in and file a report," Sam said as they walked toward her car. She nodded, told him she would then got into her SUV, and drove off without looking at him.

  ****

  It had been a long day—damn Joe Baker. Sam finally had a chance to head home. Joe Baker was a loose cannon and Sam hated how he treated Mary. The woman was terrified of him. Just as Sam had thought so many times before, it would all come to a head one day. Right now, he just wanted to get home and relax.

  Just as he headed out home, a call came over the radio about a woman in labor who wasn’t going to make it to the hospital. So much for heading home, the location of the emergency was in the direction Sam was heading, so he called in that he was close but told the dispatcher to send the ambulance.

  As he came around a curve in the road, he saw a pick-up truck alongside the road. Slowing down, he thought it looked like Wyatt’s truck. Pulling in behind it, he opened the door, stepped from the cruiser, and walked toward the truck. When he heard a woman scream, he quickly pulled his weapon. Sam had to make sure this was the woman in labor and not something else—something far more dangerous.

  Slowly walking to the back of the truck, he stopped and called out, announcing himself.

  “Hello? Sheriff’s department.”

  Wyatt Stone came around from the side toward the back of the truck looking disheveled. Sam had never seen him like this but lowered his weapon.

  “Sam. Thank God, help me,” Wyatt said as he took his hat off, raked his fingers through his hair, and resettled his hat.

  Sam holstered his weapon and stepped forward. “Wyatt? What the hell is going on?”

  “Olivia. She’s in labor.”

  Sam blew out a laugh. “Oh, is that all? I thought you were in trouble.”

  Wyatt narrowed his eyes at him. “Is that all? I am in trouble. Her water broke and she says the baby’s coming.”

  Sam tried his best not to grin. “Calm down. I’ll help. If her water broke, she most likely won’t make it to the hospital.”

  “If you two could quit chit chatting and get your asses up here to help me, I’d appreciate it,” Olivia called out then let loose a scream that sent a shiver down Sam’s spine.

  Sam pursed his lips. “Coming, Liv. Wyatt, keep her calm. I need to get some things from my patrol cruiser.” Walking back to his vehicle, he opened the rear hatch, and pulled out blankets and towels then returned to Wyatt’s truck. He peered in at Liv with a grin.

  “Hey, Liv. How are you doing?”

  “I’m having a baby in a pick-up truck on the side of the road, how do you think I’m doing, Sheriff?”

  Sam dipped his head down then turned to Wyatt. “Was it you who called 9-1-1 about her being in labor?” At Wyatt’s nod, he went on. “Go around to the other side to help her sit up if she needs to push.” He watched Wyatt run around the passenger side of the truck. “I’m glad you were able to get in the backseat. More room.” Sam glanced at Liv to see her glaring at him. He winked. “We need to get your pants off, Liv.”

  Olivia stared at him then burst out laughing. “Sam Garrett, of all the times I might have fantasized of hearing you say that, this was not the way I thought it would go.”

  “Excuse me?” Wyatt growled from behind her.

  “Oh, please. You know I love you, cowboy, but you also know I’ve always had a crush on Sam.”

  Sam shrugged when Wyatt glared at him. “I could leave…”

  “Not a fucking chance, Garrett. Right now, I don’t care if she professes her undying love for you as long as you help with this baby.”

  Sam chuckled. “Sure. Maybe you should come around here and take her slacks off?”

  “Yeah, okay.” Wyatt moved back around to where Sam stood and told Olivia to lift her hips. He tugged them down and off, then tossed them onto the floor. Olivia started laughing. “What the hell is so funny?”

  “You taking my pants off is what got me into this predicament in the first place.” She laughed but then her guffaw ended in a gasp. “Shit. Cramp.” She groaned loud and grabbed at her belly.

  “Let’s get this towel under you, Liv. Wyatt, go back around to help her sit up. The ambulance should be here soon.” Sam sure hoped so anyway.

  “Have you done this before, Sam?” Liv asked him looking a little worried.

  “Yes, ma’am. You’ll be my third.”

  “Damn, I was hoping to be your first,” she said then giggled and winked at him.

  “Jesus, Olivia. I’m right here,” Wyatt said.

  “I love you, Wyatt, and you know it...but I’m a hopeless flirt.” She shrugged.

  Sam grinned. No truer words were spoken. Olivia Stone loved her husband and
no one doubted that but she was, indeed, a flirt.

  “I hear the ambulance,” Sam said, never more glad to hear that sound as now.

  “Thank God,” Wyatt muttered.

  “You don’t have faith in me?” Sam asked with a scowl.

  “Sure I do, but my wife seems to enjoy being around you without her pants on far too much,” Wyatt said with a frown then chuckled when Olivia burst out laughing. Her laughter died fast though when she inhaled with a hiss.

  “I need to push,” she said between clenched teeth.

  “Sit her up. Push when you’re ready, Liv,” Sam told her as he glanced out the back window to see the ambulance flying down the road toward them. He looked back to Liv to see the head crowning. “Ambulance is here, but so is this baby.”

  Olivia grasped the back of the front seat with one hand and Wyatt’s hand with the other as she pushed. All Sam really had to do was take the baby once it arrived. The ambulance pulled to a stop beside the pick-up truck. As the paramedics ran toward them from the vehicle, Sam laid the baby on the towel between Liv’s legs and grinned at Wyatt.

  “It’s a boy! Congratulations, you two.” He looked at Liv and Wyatt to see them both with tears on their cheeks.

  “His name is going to be Caleb Samuel. For you, Sam,” Liv told him with a happy smile.

  Sam grinned. “That’s nice but my name isn’t Samuel. It’s Jonathan Sam.”

  “No shit?” Liv asked with raised eyebrows.

  “No shit,” Sam said laughing.

  “Okay. Then Sam will be his middle name. Thank you so much, Sam.”

  “You’re welcome, Liv. Wyatt? You all right?”

  “Yeah, Sam. I’m great.” Wyatt grinned at him with the usual pride of a new father.

  Sam slapped him on the back and once he made sure the paramedics were taking care of mother and baby, he cleaned up then climbed into his SUV and finally, drove home.

  ****

  Tessa sat in her office, staring at the wall while tapping her pen on the desktop, and knowing she needed to go to the sheriff’s department to fill out a report on what she'd witnessed at the Baker ranch. Why couldn't Sam just take a statement over the phone? Why did she have to go there? It was getting harder and harder for her to be close to him. He made her feel things she couldn’t afford to feel.

  Tessa put her hands over her face and groaned. The man was too…male. A sudden knock sounded on her office door startling Tessa. She looked up to see Jodi stick her head in and smile at her.

  "I'm leaving, Doc Mac. I’ll see you Monday."

  Tessa nodded and glanced at the clock. It was ten after six. "I didn’t realize it was so late."

  After shutting down her computer, she grabbed her purse. "I have to go over to the sheriff's office to make a statement about Joe Baker," Tessa said with a grimace.

  "It's too bad you had to go through that but any excuse to see Sheriff Garrett would almost be worth it." Jodi giggled. "I mean, I know he's older, but he's so hot."

  Tessa burst out laughing. "I believe he's only thirty-four, Jodi."

  Jodi frowned at her. "Yeah, I know. He's an older man." She looked at Tessa as if she'd grown a third eye.

  Tessa shook her head, smiling. "I won't tell him you said that."

  Jodi laughed. "Please don't. All the girls my age have a huge crush on him. See ya." She gave a wave and walked out the door.

  Tessa's mouth twisted. It wasn't just girls Jodi's age with a crush on the sexy sheriff. She was twenty-nine and she had one hell of a crush on the man. Sighing, she pulled out her keys. She might as well go and get it over with since Sam was expecting her. Tessa locked up the hospital and headed up the street. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up making her stop and glance around, but she didn’t see anything or anyone out of the ordinary. Shrugging, she crossed the street and entered the sheriff's department.

  Betty Lou glanced up when Tessa walked in. She was wearing a frown on her face but it quickly turned into a smile when she saw Tessa.

  "Hi, Tess. How ya doin', hon?"

  Tessa smiled. "I'm good, Betty Lou. Is Sa—uh, Sheriff Garrett in?"

  "Nope. He's out patrolling. He’s working late today." Betty Lou shook her head.

  Tessa tried to stem the disappointment. "I'm supposed to fill out a statement about Joe Baker."

  "I can get it for you." Betty Lou stood up and motioned for Tessa to follow her to Sam's office. She walked to the file cabinet, pulled out a form, and handed Tessa a pen. “Just sit here at Sam's desk, fill it out, and leave it there, that way he’ll see it when he comes back." Betty Lou left her alone in Sam's office.

  Gazing around the room, she inhaled deeply. It smelled like Sam’s aftershave. She lowered herself into the chair and began filling out the paper. When she heard the door at the back of the station open and close, she hoped it was Sam. When he came to stand in the doorway, she knew he was there before she even looked up. Her pulse went into overdrive. He cleared his throat and Tessa lifted her eyes to look at him.

  "Hello, Tessa." His voice ran over her like warm honey.

  "Hi, Sam. I'll be done in just a minute."

  Sam nodded. "That's fine. I need to see Betty Lou a minute anyway, so take your time."

  Tessa silently chastised herself for acting all loopy over Sam and for sighing with disappointment when he stepped away from the doorway. Why did he have this effect on her? The last thing she needed or wanted was to get involved with him, but it would be so easy to do. He was interested, that she was sure of, which made Tessa shiver remembering the times he'd kissed her. No man had ever kissed her the way he had. She sighed again, finished the report, and stood just as Sam entered the room and smiled at her.

  "All done?"

  Tessa nodded. "How is Joe by the way?"

  Sam frowned. "He has a black eye and is threatening to sue, which is nothing new when it comes to him." He strode around his desk and stood in front of her.

  Tessa looked up at him and allowed her gaze to travel over his face. The crow's feet that fanned out from the corners of those blue eyes were even sexy. The stubble on his lower face, neck, and strong jaw was growing thicker as the day progressed, which made her want to trail her fingertips along it. She'd seen him clean-shaven, and with stubble, and there was no way she could choose which was sexier if her life depended on it.

  Tessa squeezed between him and the desk then headed for the office door but stopped when his deep voice grabbed her attention.

  "Have you decided about having dinner with me, Tessa?" he asked her, making her breath catch in her throat. She’d forgotten all about his asking and as much as she wished she could...

  Tessa shook her head and turned toward him. "I don’t think that's a good idea, Sam."

  Sam tilted his head as he gazed at her. "Why not?"

  Tessa dropped her gaze to the top of his desk where his hat rested. "Because…I'm not looking for any type of relationship."

  Sam sat down in his chair, leaned back, and clasped his hands across his stomach. "It’s only dinner but you can’t deny the attraction between us, Tessa.”

  Tessa clenched her teeth. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Sheriff Garrett."

  Sam sat forward and leaned his arms on the desk. "Yes, I do. If you say you don’t feel it, then you’re lying to yourself and me.”

  Tessa refused to address his allegation because he was right and she didn’t know what to do about it. She gave a huff and marched from the room. Betty Lou glanced up as she passed her desk but Tessa didn’t address her, she was too flustered. Sam had no idea what he was talking about but he did, which made her moan as she pushed through the doors.

  Tessa knew he was right. There was a deep attraction between them and as much as she’d love to go for it with him, she knew she couldn’t. She didn’t have the right to get involved with anyone, even just for fun. Stepping outside of the department, she took a deep breath as the heat of the evening hit her. It was almost six-thirty at night and still unbearab
ly hot. She jogged across the street, heading for her apartment to spend yet another weekend alone.

  Chapter Five

  Sam sat back, rubbed his eyes then swiveled his chair around, and pulled up the blinds. It was early August and still hot but in another month, the cooler weather would be moving down from the Glaciers. Being in northern Montana the cold weather moved in early. Sam gazed at the mountain range and knew they would be snowcapped in another month. Standing, he stretched his muscles. The day had been a long one so far with nothing much happening around town.

  He wondered about Tessa, though. She still hadn’t let him know about the dinner date he’d requested, and it had been over two weeks since he’d asked her. Should he ask her again? And get shot down. No man liked that and he’d wanted her for so long. Those few kisses they’d shared only enhanced his need for her.

  Sam gazed over toward the animal hospital. It looked quiet. He reached for the phone, dialed the number for the animal hospital, and waited. He had to ask her out again, he just had to try or claim defeat.

  "Clifton Animal Hospital, how may I help you?" a feminine voice answered.

  "Is Tessa around? This is Sheriff Garrett."

  "Oh hi Sheriff." A giggle came across the line. "Doc Mac had a call out at Jim Barton's."

  "How long has she been gone?" Sam wanted to know with the hope that he might know if she was going to return soon.

  "She just left about ten minutes ago. Do you want to leave a message for her?"

  "No. Thanks." Sam hung up, grabbed his hat, and headed for the back door. "Betty Lou, I'll be back in a little while."

  "Are you going for lunch?" Betty Lou hollered from her desk.

  Sam halted and exhaled. "I wasn't, but do you want me to bring you something?"

  "Not if it's a problem, Sam Garrett."

  Sam muttered under his breath as he headed toward the front office and folded his arms atop the counter. "Do you want me to bring you something or not?" he asked again.

  "Why are you in such a snit?" Betty Lou glared up at him.

  "I'm sorry. I just need to go out for a minute." He gave her one of his most charming smiles, but it didn't work on her.