Elyssa Henry - A Family For The Sheriff

“They told me that there wasn’t anyone who knew enough to set up the type of department they wanted,” Joe explained.

“The Lightners are the biggest problem.” She bit her lip, feeling as though she was somehow betraying Tommy and the others.

“Your husband?” he wondered.

Her eyes met his then, and the depth of sorrow he saw there made him sorry he had wanted to know the truth.

“My brother-in-law. My husband died two years ago. He was Gold Springs’ constable. He might have been the new sheriff.”

“I’m sorry.” He felt trite when the words were out of his mouth. “This must be hard for you.”

She looked up again, her hair falling back a little from her face. “Actually, it’s not like that for me. It seems to hurt the others, Tommy and Josh’s parents, more than me. Maybe that’s because I always hated Josh doing that job. It’s what killed him.”

Joe drew a deep breath and looked away for an instant, not relishing the memories those words dredged up for him. “So it’s nothing personal. They would have hated anyone.”

“That’s true,” she agreed with a shrug. “Only Tommy would have been good enough for the Lightners once Josh was gone.”

“Why didn’t Tommy get the training and take the job?” he asked, his voice harsh.

Maria smiled. “The commission made it clear from the beginning that they wanted someone with experience in setting up a sheriff’s department. Even if he’d had the training, Tommy would have been out of his depth. Josh had law enforcement training. They would have worked with him.”

Maria looked at the paper napkin only to find that she had shredded it.

Joe touched her hand lightly, stopping its restless destruction, then jerked his fingers away as though he’d been burned.

“I’m sorry to cause you this trouble. There wasn’t any way for me to know.”

“There wasn’t,” she agreed, picking up the pieces of napkin and depositing them in a trash container near their table. “I’m sorry for you, too.” She took her seat again and looked at him more thoroughly in the bright lights.

He had a kind face, she thought, and eyes that did understand what she was feeling, because he looked as though he had been hurt a few times himself. And there was something more. Something she’d never expected to feel again. Something she thought had died with her husband. Heat. Fire. When Joe touched her; when he looked at her. She didn’t want to feel that way but she couldn’t deny it. His voice seemed to hold her, stroke her. His words shivered down her spine.

“Don’t be.” He smiled, his eyes glittering as he made a rapid decision. He wasn’t running anymore. From his memories or this place. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

“Maybe you don’t understand—”

The pizza arrived, accompanied by Sam’s loud whoops of excitement.

“Look who’s here, Mom.” He dragged his towheaded friend to the table. “Ronnie’s science project won first prize, and his dad brought him here, too.”

“Dad says we should share a table,” Ronnie said in a voice that said he didn’t care as long as he could get back to the games. “He’s right over there.”

Maria looked across the crowded restaurant, and Ronnie’s father, Ron, waved to her enthusiastically. He pointed at the empty seats at his table and motioned for her to join him.

“Oh, God,” she moaned. “I can’t believe it.”

“They better get used to the idea.” Joe waved and flashed a smile. “I guess it might as well be now.”

“I have to live here,” she told him. “Everyone’s going to think I planned this.”

“I’m sorry, Maria,” he assured her quietly. “I didn’t plan this, either.”

“Maria!” Ron approached their table, a pitcher of soda in his hand. “I think my table was bigger, darlin’, but if you’d rather sit down here, that’s fine with me.” He pulled two chairs to their table.

Maria glared at Joe, who looked the other way. Is this what she deserved for her good deed? She should have kept herself out of it. Then she wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for the fat to hit the fire.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Ron hitched up his pants and stuck out his hand to the stranger across the table. “Ron Washington.”

“Joe Roberts.” Joe took his hand in a hard grip. His gaze targeted the other man’s as Ron’s face went from friendly to hostile.

“Joe Roberts?” Ron spluttered, staring at Maria, who wouldn’t look at him. “From Chicago?”

“Yeah.” Joe grinned. “How ’bout those Cubs?”

Chapter Two

“Why is he here?” Ron demanded when Sam came and pulled Joe off to the game room after they had finished eating.

“You know why he’s here,” Maria returned angrily.

“You know what I mean! He should have been in that fancy car of his and gone already. I never expected to actually meet him! Especially not here with you!”

“Ron, it doesn’t matter to me if someone else does Josh’s job. Especially a stranger. I’ve already had enough of that. So you and Tommy will just have to fight your own battles.”

Ron was thrown off guard by Maria’s outburst. He was a small, mean man who gloried in any sense of power. His dark hair was thick and greasy, slicked back from his forehead.

“Maria, honey.” His tone was clearly conciliatory. “I know Josh’s death has been hard for you and the boy, but...you aren’t dating the man, are you?”

“No.” Maria ground the word out, pushing her last bite of pizza aside. “But it wouldn’t have anything to do with you if I was dating him. He plans on staying, Ron, and after meeting him, I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do to change his mind.”

“He hasn’t seen the house yet.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “After that, we’ll just see, won’t we?”

“I think you might be surprised,” she informed him darkly. She wasn’t sure what they had expected, but she didn’t think they were prepared for Joe Roberts.

Ron left her, headed for the game room, found his son and led him out of the restaurant.

Maria’s headache had turned vicious halfway through the meal. She’d searched her purse for an aspirin but had come up empty.

It wasn’t anything that had been said between the two men. Ronnie had behaved as though Joe was a long-lost cousin. He didn’t have enough nerve to tackle the taller, clearly better conditioned man by himself.

But his glances at Maria had told her that it was far from over. He would head to Gold Springs and be on the phone all night telling everyone what had happened at the pizza restaurant.

Joe had tried to talk to Ronnie about the changes that were coming, about the needs the county felt weren’t being met with the present arrangement.

Ron nodded and didn’t say anything, preferring to keep his vehemence until Joe had left them alone at the table. Then he had lashed out at Maria, leaving nothing unsaid.

“Is everything all right?” Joe asked, bringing Sam back with him after Ronnie had gone.

Maria looked at him, her head pounding. “All right?” she asked scornfully. “No, everything isn’t all right!”

“Maybe we should leave,” Joe suggested, and Sam nodded.

“She gets upset sometimes,” he told the older man.

“Sometimes, women take things the wrong way,” Joe returned with a sigh.

“I think we should leave right now.” Maria glared at them both and stuck the check for the pizza in Joe’s hand. “Thanks for supper.”

She stormed past Joe and took Sam’s hand in a firm grip as she pushed open the door into the cool, rainy night.

“Aren’t we waiting for him like you said?” Sam asked as she headed for the truck. “We can’t just leave him,” he continued when she didn’t answer.