The Sheriff 0f Wickham Falls (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 3)

by Rochelle Alers

  “She really did a number on you, didn’t she?”

  A deep frown settled between his eyes. “Who are you talking about?”

  “Your ex-wife, Seth. You talked about going down to the Caribbean for a quickie divorce as if you needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city for a few days. I saw the pain in your eyes when you talked about her carrying another man’s baby. A baby that should’ve been yours. You were hurt and you’re still hurting. And I’m willing to bet that you don’t trust women, otherwise you would’ve gotten married again.”

  Seth closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten. He wanted to tell Natalia not to psychoanalyze him. He’d spent hours talking to doctors to cope with the underlying causes of his divorce without divulging the name of the officer who’d seduced his wife and gotten her pregnant. There were times when he’d wanted revenge, to unburden himself when he confronted the man who had taken advantage of a vulnerable woman. Trust. He’d struggled with it for so long that it had kept him from forming a normal relationship with a woman—until Natalia.

  She was the first woman he felt comfortable enough with to say whatever he thought or felt. There wasn’t a need to censor himself with her. He had invited her into his home and his bed, and when he woke to find her beside him, it seemed so natural, normal that he wondered what it was that made her different from the other women he’d met. Although he was more than physically attracted to her, he didn’t feel an urgent need to make love with her.

  “You think you know me that well?” he asked.

  Natalia threw her leg over his. “No, because you’re not that transparent.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “There are times when you’re wound so tight that I can feel your tension. You call me babe and darling and claim we’re a couple, and I think you say those things because maybe you think that’s what I want to hear.” She shifted slightly and splayed a hand over his chest. “I like you, Seth. I like you a lot more than I want to. I’d told myself I didn’t want or need another relationship because I always muck them up.”

  “Maybe you’ve been given a second chance where you won’t muck it up again.”

  “We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”

  “I don’t issue endearments glibly.”

  “I guess that makes me special,” Natalia said teasingly.

  Seth smiled. “Yes.” He wanted to tell Natalia that she was more than special. That he was developing feelings for her he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  “I don’t know if you really want to get involved with me because I’ve always been an overachiever and career-minded.”

  “I can think of worse traits,” Seth countered.

  “Speaking of psychological traits it took me a while to acknowledge that I was trying to prove to my father that although he was disappointed that his son didn’t follow in his footsteps to become a doctor, I told him I would because that’s all I ever wanted to be. And it had nothing to prove that following in his footsteps was just as good as my brother following him. Daddy’s proud to boast about another generation of Dr. Hawkins, but he’s not too happy that I’ve refused to join his practice.”

  “Do you think you’ll take it over in the future?”

  “No.”

  “What makes you so certain, Natalia? One of these days you may change your mind and move back home.”

  “Wickham Falls is my home now. It’s a place where I can practice medicine, meet new people and make new friends. I’ve overheard people talk about leaving The Falls because there’s nothing here for them, but it’s different for me. It’s become my happy place, and unless something drastic happens I plan to be here for a very long time. I’ll have to start looking for a house before Chandler comes back to the States.”

  Seth kissed her hair. “Thankfully that’s not going to be for a while, so I get to have you as my neighbor for the next ten or eleven months.”

  “I’m going to have to get up, Seth, because nature is calling me.”

  “What do you want for breakfast?”

  Natalia stretched her arms over her head and slipped off the bed. “Surprise me.”

  Seth crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Natalia’s retreating figure in a pair of floral pajama shorts with a matching tank top. He couldn’t help smiling when he realized how natural it felt to sleep with her without making love.

  The cell phone on the bedside table vibrated and he wondered who was calling him this early. He picked up the phone and noted the caller. “Yes, Mayor Gillespie. I can be there at nine.” The call lasted only seconds. The mayor wanted to swear him in as acting sheriff in Roger’s absence.

  * * *

  Seth placed his right hand on the Bible and raised his left and swore an oath to uphold the principles and responsibilities as acting sheriff of Wickham Falls to the best of his ability. He’d arrived at the town hall and was escorted into the mayor’s office to find the town clerk and photographer on hand to witness his swearing-in.

  Seth had attended Tyler Gillespie’s swearing-in a couple of months before when he defeated the long-time incumbent by more than 90 percent of the registered voters to become at thirty-six the youngest mayor in the town’s history.

  Tyler shook Seth’s hand, holding it firmly while the photographer got off several shots. “Congratulations, Sheriff Collier.”

  Seth smiled at the slender man with large green eyes and thick wavy auburn hair falling over his forehead who appeared no older than a college student. He’d started a campaign on a shoestring budget and soundly trounced the former mayor who was so confident that he would be reelected that he hadn’t bothered to solicit votes.

  “Thank you, Mayor.”

  Tyler waved to the clerk and the photographer. “Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to talk to the sheriff in private.”

  Seth removed his hat and set it on the credenza in the streamlined office. Tyler had gotten rid of the massive desk, a number of tables and the overstuffed chairs the former mayor favored.

  “Please sit down, Seth. Now that we’re alone there’s no need to be formal.” He sat on an armchair, while Tyler sat opposite him. “When Roger called last night and told me he was going to be out for a while and wanted you to step in and run the sheriff’s department until his return, I asked him about Andy Thomas. He told me because of your prior experience as military police and your degree in criminal justice that you were better prepared for the position.” Tyler tented his fingers. “And I agree. I had a conference telephone poll with the members of the town council and they were split right down the middle. Three for you and three for Andy, and it was up to me to break the tie.”

  Seth inclined his head. “Thank you.”

  Tyler shook his head. “There’s no need to thank me, Seth. And I agree with Roger. You’re a better pick than Andy, even if he has more seniority. Some folks felt the same way once I challenged Billy Stephens for mayor. They were saying I was too young and inexperienced, that the town was running just fine with Billy. But, it’s not about what’s just fine. We can’t keep losing residents, especially our young people. If they don’t leave because they can’t find work, then they’re dying from drugs. I need you to come up with a proposal from your department as to how we can deal with this opioid problem and after we firm it up I’ll present it to the council for their review along with several others for a final vote.”

  Seth nodded. He hadn’t been sworn in five minutes and he had been given his marching orders and knew he had to hit the ground running to give Tyler what he wanted. With Roger out on medical leave, once again the department was down a deputy, and as sheriff, Seth was strictly an administrator exempt from going out on patrols.

  “Have you contacted Andy and Connor about my temporary position?” he asked the mayor.

  “Yes. Both were sent emails from my office earlier this morning.”

&nbs
p; “I also have concerns about us being short-staffed. Andy and Connor will be forced to work overtime.” Tyler massaged his forehead as he appeared in thought. “I’d like to suggest something,” Seth continued.

  Tyler met his eyes. “What is it?”

  “Contact the mayor over at Mineral Springs and ask if he’s willing to lend a couple of their deputies.” Mineral Springs and Wickham Falls were two of four towns that made up Johnson County. The neighboring town had a higher population than The Falls and a larger police force.

  Tyler stood. “Let me call their mayor and see if he’s willing to free up a few of his deputies for a few weeks.”

  Seth stared at the toes of his spit-shined boots as he waited for Tyler to complete his phone call. His respect for the newly elected mayor went up appreciably; unlike his predecessor, he wasn’t in denial when it came to acknowledging that The Falls had an opioid problem.

  Tyler ended the call. “Glenn said he can give us two, but we’ll have to pay their salaries and benefits. I’ll contact the treasurer and find out if they can be paid from one of the discretionary budgets.”

  Seth did not want to concern himself with who paid them as long as the department had coverage. “Give me a couple of weeks to put together a proposal to address the drug problem and then I’ll contact you for a meeting to go over the preliminary sticking points.”

  “Don’t worry about an appointment. My door is always open to all department heads. Calls are going out as we speak to every household in our database to inform them you’re now acting sheriff. I’ve also sent a press release to The Sentinel to get into this week’s edition before it goes out at the end of the week.”

  Seth rose and shook the mayor’s hand. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Although the majority of the populous had voted for Tyler, some of the council members were still loyal to the former mayor.

  He made his way down a hallway that led to the station house and unlocked the door to another hallway leading to an area where prisoners were held to be transported to another jurisdiction. Andy and Georgina were in the office, talking quietly to each other when he arrived.

  He stared at Georgina, and then Andy. “I’m calling a staff meeting. Georgina, please get Connor on the phone and put him on speaker.” Seth sat at his desk. He didn’t want to claim Roger’s office until after the meeting.

  “Seth, Connor’s on,” Georgina announced.

  It took Seth fewer than ten minutes to explain their new duties and responsibilities. He informed them they were getting two deputies from Mineral Springs and that meant Andy and Connor would have preference when it came to choosing shifts. He knew by Andy’s expression and body language that he wasn’t pleased that he’d been passed over to fill in for Roger.

  “Andy, I’d like to know if you’re willing to supervise the deputies from Mineral Springs.”

  The short man with a receding hairline had recently grown a beard to compensate for the loss of the hair on his head. “Do I have a choice?”

  A sardonic smile crossed Seth’s features. “Yes, you do. If you don’t want to supervise them, then I can add it to Connor’s duties.” He must have gotten Andy’s attention when he sat straight. Andy may have been lazy but he definitely wasn’t stupid. He knew even as acting sheriff Seth had the authority to promote and demote. And a demotion translated into a reduction in pay. “It’s your call, Deputy.”

  “I’ll supervise them.”

  Seth smiled. “Good. Now that we’re all on the same page let’s make this department a better place for Roger when he gets back.”

  “Is he coming back?” Georgina asked.

  “Of course,” Seth replied. “What makes you think he wouldn’t?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. Even though he’s going to be all right, I just can’t get the image of him hemorrhaging out of my head.”

  “It’s going to take a lot more than a nosebleed to take out our fearless leader.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Connor said, his voice coming clearly through the speaker.

  “When are the deputies from Mineral Springs coming over?” Andy asked.

  “I’m waiting for a call from their sheriff. Meanwhile, Andy, you can knock off at two this afternoon. Connor, I need you to take the two to ten today.”

  “What about the graveyard shift?” Connor questioned.

  Seth dreaded having to start his shift at two in the morning, but it couldn’t be helped until he reworked the schedule to include the new deputies. “I’ll take it, but only for tonight.” That meant he would alternate manning the station house with patrols for the next twenty-four hours. In between, he would go home to pick up several more uniforms and underwear to leave in his locker. “Georgina, I’m going to the hospital to see Roger later this afternoon. If there’s anything you want me to bring him, then let me know.”

  “Can he have visitors?” Connor asked.

  “Yes,” Seth said.

  “I’ll probably stop by before I begin my shift. I’m going to hang up now and go back to bed. Later, guys.”

  Andy got up, put on his gun belt and walked out. “He’s not a happy camper,” Georgina said under her breath.

  “He’ll get over it,” Seth countered.

  Georgina stared at him with her jewel-like eyes. “What if he doesn’t, Seth?”

  “It’s not our problem, Georgina. Maybe this is a wake-up call for Andy that he can’t shirk his responsibilities and then expect to be rewarded.”

  Georgina exhaled an audible breath as she nodded. “You’re right. Roger has warned him repeatedly about taking off, so instead of firing or demoting him, he’s passed over for a position he’s coveted since joining the department.”

  Seth walked into the office he would occupy until Roger returned. At first, he’d second-guessed his boss’s decision to have him fill in for him, but after witnessing Andy’s response to supervising the deputies from the next town, he realized Roger was more perceptive than he’d given him credit for.

  * * *

  Natalia sat on the bar stool next to Seth editing the medical section of the proposal he had promised to submit to the mayor and subsequently to the town council for their approval to combat the worsening drug problem. They had finished dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to the basement to work on the strategy. It had taken more than three hours to go line by line through the eleven-page document, adding statistics and deleting whole sections for conciseness.

  A week had passed since Seth’s appointment as acting sheriff and with additional deputies from Mineral Springs to offset the dearth of personnel, his revised work schedule proved beneficial when he began his workday at eight in the morning and signed out between the hours of four and six in the afternoon, which allowed them to spend more time together.

  Seth cooked outdoors on the patio, gauging the meal to give her time to shower and change before sitting down to eat. They hadn’t shared a bed since the night Roger had been admitted to the hospital, but that didn’t stop them from kissing and touching each other and stopping just short of making love.

  Her fingers stilled on the keys and she read her revisions. Seth had proposed those arrested for drug use should not be criminalized but required to go into treatment. Natalia had given the medical language he needed to describe drug addiction and its damaging and destructive effects of dependency on the body, the family, and the community.

  “Do you really think the mayor will agree to setting up a boutique court just to oversee drug cases?” she asked him.

  “That’s what I’m hoping, Natalia. We have two part-time judges and there’s no reason why one can’t be assigned to handle drug arrests, which will allow him to become familiar with the offenders. The judge will have the power to mandate them to treatment in lieu of jail.

  “Meanwhile if he or she is locked up they are
unable to provide for their family. Who do you blame, babe? The addict or the criminal justice system?”

  Natalia gave him a long, penetrating stare. “You’re preaching to the choir, Seth. Addiction is a disease, not a crime. Putting someone in jail doesn’t remedy the problem because even when people are in treatment they’ll occasionally relapse, so think of the addict who never gets treatment. They will continue using until they OD, which supports your argument that the town will have to find the money to hire drug counselors.”

  Seth grimaced. “That’s a hurdle that’s going to take a lot of convincing to bring to fruition. The town’s budget is stretched thin as it is, and now that they have to pay the salaries of the deputies from Mineral Springs a few of the council members are going to fight tooth and nail to vote this down.”

  “I can’t believe they’re more interested in pinching pennies than combating a drug crisis.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. Some folks believe the mayor is too young and much too radical for their tastes. People fight change because either they’re afraid they will lose control or be left behind.”

  Natalia chewed her lower lip as she pondered how Seth could get the funds to hire at least two drug counselors. “Have you thought about hosting a fund-raiser?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t get personally involved in raising money because I’m a municipal employee, but you can.”

  “Me!”

  “Yes, you, Natalia. You’re a doctor and you’re the perfect one to speak at the open monthly town council meeting about addiction and how it’s destroying lives, families and neighborhoods. The open meetings are held every third Monday. I’m required to attend because I head a department. And once the fund-raiser is listed on the agenda I will ask for time to talk about law enforcement’s involvement.”

  Natalia pondered his suggestion when he asked, “How many overdoses have you treated since you moved here? I take that back. How many overdoses did you treat when you were in Philadelphia?”