Sherryl Woods - Natural Born Lawman

“How about some oatmeal?” Sharon Lynn suggested.

“Not without cream and lots of brown sugar,” he lamented. “No, I’ll stick with the toast today and some of that blackberry jam, if you have it.”

“I keep it back here just for you,” Sharon Lynn said.

Patsy noted where Sharon Lynn kept it, so she could supply it on request if she was here alone. She was about to gather up Billy and slip into the back room for a break, when the sheriff spoke directly to her.

“You’re new in town.”

She met his gaze evenly, fighting the sick sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Yes. My son and I got here yesterday.”

“Didn’t take you long to find work,” he observed.

“No. Sharon Lynn’s been very kind.”

He nodded. “Welcome to Los Piños, then. You run into any problems, let me know.”

The offer was made with such absolute sincerity that for a fleeting instant Patsy had the absurd desire to unburden herself to this man. Who knew, maybe she’d be lucky one more time and he would see what she’d been up against. Maybe he could protect her from Will. She sighed with regret. She couldn’t take a chance that it would go the other way.

Instead, she smiled noncommittally. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”

“You’re from Oklahoma,” he noted conversationally. “What part?”

She named her old hometown, rather than Oklahoma City. “I doubt you’ve ever heard of it. It’s tiny, not even as big as Los Piños.”

“Must be,” he said, his expression thoughtful. “I grew up around Oklahoma City myself and I never heard of it. Of course, my memory’s not what it used to be, either. Haven’t been home in years, not since my folks died about ten years back.”

When he’d mentioned Oklahoma City, Patsy’s heart had slammed against her ribs. It hadn’t eased back into a normal rhythm until he’d said how long it had been since he’d been back.

Ten years ago Will had been just starting law school. His face—and hers—hadn’t been on the front pages of the local papers until much more recently. She doubted that a mayor’s race in Oklahoma City would make the local paper here in Los Piños.

“Do you still stay in touch with old friends?” she asked carefully.

“Nope. My friends and family are here now. Haven’t heard from a soul back that way. Skipped my high school reunions. Couldn’t think of what I’d have to say to people I hadn’t seen in years.”

“Too bad,” she said, though the relief that washed over her said just the opposite. “It’s always sad when we lose touch with old friends.”

“What about you? You still have family there?”

“Some,” she said.

Thankfully, he let it go at that. Much more poking and prodding, no matter how innocently intended, and she was pretty sure she would have cracked. She just wasn’t cut out for this much deception. It was a habit that had started when she and Will were first dating and trying to keep it a secret from their co-workers. She’d been lousy at it then, too. Their relationship had been discovered in no time, which was one reason they’d married in such haste. Will had wanted to quiet the gossip.

Tate Owens drew her attention again. “We’ll have to compare notes sometime. It’s been my experience that it’s a mighty small world. Maybe we’ll know some folks in common.”

“I doubt that,” she said. “Like I said, the town where I grew up was really small.”

He nodded. “Okay. Well, I’d better get out of here. If I don’t stay on my toes, Justin’s going to steal my job right out from under me.”

“As if he would ever try,” Sharon Lynn chided. “You were his mentor, Tate. And everybody knows you’re the best sheriff ever. You’ll stay in the job as long as you want it. Besides, something tells me half the town is going to be mad as heck at him this morning.”

Tate Owens moaned. “What’s he done now?” he asked in a resigned tone.

“Last time I saw him, he was handing out parking tickets all up and down Main Street.”

“Damn, I thought I’d broke him of that. The town doesn’t need the money, and I don’t need the aggravation.” He slapped his Stetson on his head and walked out the door.

Patsy watched him go, then turned to Sharon Lynn. “What’s with the parking tickets?”

“Tate tends to ignore minor infractions like that. He thought the parking meters were a nuisance in the first place. Justin goes crazy every once in a while and starts handing out tickets. Tate spends the rest of the day soothing ruffled feathers.”

Patsy shook her head. “I don’t get it. If the people are breaking the law, shouldn’t they get tickets?”

“Technically, yes. And Justin is a by-the-book kind of man, especially after he’s done something that makes him worry whether he’s listening too much to his heart,” she said with a look in Patsy’s direction.

“Am I supposed to understand that?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, still confused.

“And not in a jail cell.”

“Oh.”

Sharon Lynn grinned, “Oh, indeed. Bottom line, it’s my guess that you’re the one behind today’s rampage with the parking tickets.”

Patsy would have chuckled if she hadn’t been able to imagine what everyone in town would have to say if they knew to blame her.

Sharon Lynn’s expression turned thoughtful. “Something tells me you’re going to be good for him,” she said quietly.

“Me? I don’t think so,” Patsy said at once. If Justin Adams knew the truth about her, he probably wouldn’t even blink before tossing her in that jail cell and throwing away the key.

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