The Lawman's Romance Lesson (Forever, Tx. Series Book 20)

by Marie Ferrarella

  “And now that she’s been prodded,” Shania continued, “neither will your sister. I just wanted you to be aware of what was going on so you could be in her corner and find a way to encourage her.” She looked at him for a long moment. “Elena cares about you a great deal.”

  He didn’t believe that for a second. He would have liked to, but he knew better. “Now you’re just making things up.”

  “No, I’m serious,” she insisted. “I can see it in her eyes. Even when she’s calling you a Neanderthal, there is affection in her eyes.”

  “Uh-huh.” Again, he wanted to believe that, he really did. But he didn’t want to set himself up to be disappointed. He’d already been through that shocking set of circumstances.

  More than once.

  Still, this teacher with the animated expression and flashing bright eyes seemed to be convinced about what she was telling him. Nobody was that good an actress.

  “All right,” Daniel agreed, although far from enthusiastically, “I’ll take down that surveillance camera I’ve got up.”

  Shania smiled, happy that she’d gotten Daniel to come around. “Good. And be sure to let her catch you taking it down.”

  He wasn’t sure what the teacher was telling him. “You mean point it out to her?”

  Shania shook her head. “No, just make sure you’re taking it down when you know she’s around. That way you’ll get credit for trusting her without making a big speech about it. Less is more in this case,” she told him. “Trust me, being subtle makes for the best good deeds.”

  “I don’t know how to be subtle,” he told her.

  “Sure you do. Don’t underestimate yourself,” she told him.

  He supposed, if he thought about it, her advice about being subtle made some sort of sense. “If you say so.”

  Her smile grew broader as she rose from her chair. She’d done what she’d come to do.

  “I do,” she told him. She put her hand out to him. “It was nice meeting you—again, Mr. Tallchief.”

  “It’s Deputy,” he corrected, then added, “Or Daniel, if you prefer.”

  “Daniel,” she repeated, wrapping her tongue around his name.

  He didn’t know why, but he felt as if he had just been put on notice—and the odd thing was that part of him didn’t mind.

  Chapter Seven

  Elena’s head shot up, listening intently. The sound coming from the front of the house had registered immediately. She knew her brother was at the sheriff’s office, working the late shift, which meant she was supposed to be alone in the house.

  The faint sound told her otherwise.

  Elena crept out of her room where she’d been doing her homework. Leery, not sure what she’d find, she picked up the bat she occasionally used when she played softball at school. Her palm felt damp as she clutched the wood.

  The bat had been her brother’s, but he never played anymore.

  The journey from her room, located all the way at the back of the house, to the front door felt as if it was taking her forever.

  When she saw her brother standing on a ladder, taking down the camera he’d put up only a week ago, she let go of both her breath and the bat she’d been holding.

  The bat made much more noise as it hit the floor.

  The clatter immediately got Daniel’s attention. Turning, he caught and steadied himself just in time to keep from falling off the ladder.

  “I guess you’re not as defenseless as I thought,” he commented, going back to removing the camera.

  Picking up the bat, Elena leaned it against the wall in the corner and moved in as close to the ladder as she dared.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him, looking up as he worked.

  “I don’t have much time before I have to get back, but I thought I could use my dinner break to take down the camera.” Taking out the last screw, he tucked the screwdriver into his back pocket and then climbed down the ladder, holding the camera.

  Elena took a step back, getting out of her brother’s way. “Why?”

  Putting the camera down on the small table just inside the door, he glanced in Elena’s direction. “Why what?”

  “Why are you taking it down?” He’d made such a big deal out of wanting it up so he could spy on her, she was surprised that he’d take it down so soon after having put it up.

  Daniel thought about just saying that the camera was malfunctioning and leaving it at that, but he decided telling his sister the truth was the better way to go.

  He shrugged casually, as if this was no big deal. “Because I thought it over and decided I was sending you the wrong message with this camera.”

  She continued looking at him, waiting to hear something that would explain all this to her. He couldn’t just have decided to be a good guy and leave it at that. Could he? “Go on.”

  She was going to make him say it, wasn’t she? He suppressed a sigh. “I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you.”

  Elena cocked her head. Her arms remained crossed before her chest. She was a portrait of distrust. “You don’t.”

  He sighed, taking the ladder and bringing it into the living room. He rested the ladder on its side for the time being.

  “That’s not true. It’s other guys I don’t trust, not you,” Daniel explained. “But that’s no reason to make you feel like a prisoner. I do trust you, Elena.” He could see she didn’t believe him. “I trust you to make the right decisions. I raised you right, so I’ve got to trust that you’ll do the right thing.”

  She was still skeptical, but she was coming around a little. Still, she needed to know something. “Where did this sudden change of heart come from?”

  He doled out a little more of the truth to her. “I had a parent-teacher conference with Ms. Stewart.”

  Now it was starting to make sense to her. Elena nodded knowingly. “And she told you to take down the camera.”

  He didn’t want to lie to Elena, but if he told her that she was right, that could in all probability negate any possible headway taking the camera down may have gotten him.

  So instead, he left her question unanswered and focused on something else instead.

  “She told me that you signed up to study for the PSATs with her and she also showed me some of your test scores. Why didn’t you tell me how well you’re doing in school?”

  Elena shrugged, noting that he hadn’t congratulated her or said anything positive about her grades. “You didn’t ask.”

  She sounded annoyed, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to get sidetracked and get into an argument with her.

  “True,” Daniel agreed. He could see that his answer surprised her. “I didn’t want you to think I was trying to force you into studying.”

  Elena sighed and he had a feeling that she wasn’t really buying this, but for the time being, he let it ride.

  “I’ve got to be getting back. I’ve got the late shift this week,” he told her even though he knew that she already knew that. “But I was thinking, maybe you’d like to go for a ride this weekend.”

  The suggestion caught her completely off guard. “Why?” she asked suspiciously.

  He ignored the accusatory tone. “Well, we used to do that all the time and I thought it might be something you’d like to do again.”

  A bored, intolerant look came over her face. “So you’re willing to suffer through it, is that it?”

  Why did she have to turn everything into a confrontation? He struggled to hold down his temper. “I like riding, too.”

  “I’ve got practice tests to take,” she told him, then added, “PSATs.”

  Daniel nodded. “Yes, I know. On Saturday, but not on Sunday.”

  That surprised her. “We’ll see,” she finally answered, not wanting to be pinned down.

  Well, he supposed that he hadn’t expected h
er to immediately jump at the chance.

  “Right. Just let me know.” Daniel began to turn away. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  “Is that your way of asking if I’m staying home?” she challenged her brother.

  He stopped in the doorway. “No, that’s my way of saying that I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” She still looked unconvinced, so he explained, “It’s a school night. I figure you’re not going out because that’s what we agreed on.”

  Elena tossed her head dismissively. “I don’t remember there being an agreement. I do remember there being an order,” she added haughtily, her attitude indicating that she didn’t have to abide by it if she didn’t choose to.

  He saw it differently. “Yeah, well, there have to be some rules.”

  “For my own good?” she retorted, mocking the very idea of what she assumed he was thinking.

  He could feel the argument coming but he forced himself not to rise to the bait. Instead, he gave her a somewhat neutral answer.

  “And for mine,” he told her. “See you in a bit, Ellie.”

  He saw the surprise on her face. He hadn’t called her Ellie in years, not since she was a little girl. Daniel left his sister standing in the living room as he withdrew.

  “I sure hope you know what you’re talking about,” he murmured under his breath, addressing the teacher who wasn’t there as he left the house and walked over to his car.

  * * *

  Belle alerted her that there was someone at the door even before that person had a chance to knock. Rising, Shania glanced at the time.

  It wasn’t exactly late—once upon a time, she would have considered eight o’clock early—but she didn’t usually get visitors at this time.

  Instantly, she thought of Wynona. That got her moving quickly. She crossed to the door without bothering to even put her shoes on.

  Belle wasn’t a fierce dog, but no one would guess that based on the show the German shepherd put on before the door was opened. Aside from loud barking, there was leaping involved, as if Belle was warning whoever was on the doorstep that if they had any wrongdoing in mind, they were going to pay for it dearly.

  “Easy, girl,” Shania told the dog.

  One hand firmly holding on to Belle’s collar, Shania craned her neck to look through the door’s peephole. Any lingering apprehension vanished.

  The next moment, still holding on to Belle, she opened the door.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised to see the brooding deputy on her doorstep. “Is something wrong with Elena?”

  She couldn’t think of any other reason that would have brought him here.

  Daniel looked down apprehensively at the dog that had, just a second ago, sounded like an entire squadron of attack animals.

  “Do you need to lock her up first?” he asked.

  Shania smiled and shook her head. “No, Belle’s not dangerous.”

  “That’s not the way it sounds from this side of the door,” he told her, still eyeing the dog.

  “Let her sniff your hand,” Shania urged, nodding at his hand.

  He didn’t look entirely convinced that this was a good idea. “Will I get it back?” Daniel asked gamely.

  “Most likely,” she answered, struggling to keep a straight face.

  Daniel relaxed a little. He assumed that she wouldn’t have told him to do something that would result in his getting bitten. He slowly put his hand out toward Belle to have her sniff it.

  Shania kept her hold on the dog’s collar just in case. Then, to her utter surprise, as she watched she saw Belle lick the deputy’s hand.

  Shania looked at the deputy, clearly impressed. “She’s never done that before. I guess that Belle must really like you.”

  A small smile curved the corners of his mouth as he petted the dog’s head. “Feeling’s mutual,” he told Shania. “I like dogs.”

  Since order had clearly been restored, Shania opened her door wider.

  “Come on in,” she said, inviting Daniel into her house.

  After closing the door behind him, she turned around to see that the deputy had dropped down to one knee and was petting Belle in earnest. For her part, the dog appeared ecstatic.

  Although the dog was generally a very friendly animal, Shania had never seen Belle react to anyone like this before—except for Ryan, her cousin’s stepson, and even then, there wasn’t this effusion of happiness.

  She stood there for a moment, watching the interaction between Daniel and her dog. Smiling, Shania asked the deputy, “Would you like for me to leave the two of you alone?”

  Daniel brushed off his knee as he rose to his feet. It was obvious that the dog had brought out a softer side to him.

  “I had a dog when I was a kid. Chips,” he recalled, a fond note momentarily entering his voice. “Chips was a really old dog,” he explained. “I found him one day wandering around, looking for food. He had a wicked temper,” he remembered. “It took a while until I could get him to trust me.” He looked back at Belle, remembering the other dog. “He was a mutt, but I really loved him.”

  He cleared his throat, thinking that he had said too much. “Seeing your dog brings back memories,” he admitted. Then, realizing that his sister’s teacher had to be wondering what he was doing here at her house to begin with, he cleared his throat again. “Look, I know that it’s late—”

  “Not for some people,” Shania pointed out. She wanted to give him some slack in case he was apologizing for being here at this hour.

  “Yeah, well, I couldn’t come earlier because I just got off my shift,” he explained before he could get to the heart of what he was doing here.

  “All right,” she replied gamely, still waiting for the deputy to actually tell her why he was here. Maybe he talked better once some amenities were in place. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked. “Or some cake? I’ve got cake in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.”

  “No, that’s okay,” he demurred. “I don’t want to take up your time.” He shifted slightly as Belle brushed up against his leg, obviously looking to be petted again. “I just wanted you to know that I took your advice.”

  She waited for him to be a little more specific. But when he didn’t say anything further, she asked, “Which part?”

  He wasn’t the type to use five words when he felt one would do. But since she wanted details, he obliged. “I took down the camera and I suggested that we go for a ride this Sunday.”

  Pleased, Shania gestured for him to take a seat on the sofa. When he did, she sat down as well, leaving a little space between them.

  Her eyes lively, she asked Daniel, “What did she say?”

  He gave her the answer verbatim. “She wanted to know why I was taking down the camera and why I was asking her to go riding with me.”

  Shania laughed to herself. Elena wasn’t a girl to accept things at face value. “I take it that Elena suspected there was something behind you treating her like a human being.”

  He carelessly lifted a shoulder, then let it drop again. “Something like that. But she wasn’t entirely hostile toward me,” he added, sounding as pleased as he could, given the circumstances. “I just wanted to thank you for the push you gave me.”

  Shania grinned, pleased with the result. “Well, Deputy, anytime you want me to push you, just say the word and then brace yourself. Are you sure I can’t offer you some coffee or anything to eat?”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, I’ve already taken up too much of your time. I’d better be going now,” he told her.

  As he got up off the sofa and turned toward the door to leave, Belle moved in front of him, blocking his path to the front door.

  Shania laughed as she watched the dog. “I think that Belle has other ideas about you making a quick escape,” she told him. “She has really taken a shine to you. I thi
nk you might want to reconsider your beating a hasty retreat.”

  He petted the dog’s head, shifting around her. “No offense, Belle, but I’ve got a sister who, despite popular opinion to the contrary, still might need a little, um...” He paused, trying to find the right word, then gave up. “‘Subtle’ babysitting.”

  Shania looked at him, concerned. “You’re afraid she might take off?”

  “Something like that,” he admitted. “The camera’s been taken down and I had to work the late shift. There are no eyes on her,” he explained. “That’s a very tempting scenario.” He dared her to contradict him.

  “Aside from her regular homework, Elena took home a couple of the PSAT practice tests today,” Shania told him, watching his face as he took the information in. “That should keep her busy.”

  He didn’t look completely sold on the idea. “If she does them,” he pointed out.

  He expected her to be judgmental. Instead, he watched a smile bloom on a face that was already compellingly lovely.

  “Deputy, you are going to have to work on your trust issues, but the sooner you get those under control,” she predicted, “the happier both you and your sister are going to be.”

  He had to ask her. “Why are you so confident of that?”

  She thought of her great-aunt and their less-than-smooth beginning. It had taken her a while to lower her guard—and she would always be grateful that her great-aunt had waited her out. “Because I am living proof that if someone trusts you—if you realize that they trust you—most of the time you will try to live up to that trust.”

  “Most of the time,” Daniel stubbornly repeated as if that made his argument for him. “But not always.”

  Shania wasn’t ready to surrender the point just yet. “And which category does your sister fall into? The one that says she’ll try to live up to your expectations or the one where she’ll do whatever she wants to without any regard for you, or your beliefs?”

  “A year ago I would have never hesitated answering that question,” he told her.