Kitabı oku: «Her Small-Town Sheriff»

Chapter One

Sheriff Carson Winters hustled down the boardwalk of Moonlight Cove, his gut clenched, the peace of his day shattered.

What kind of trouble had Heidi landed herself in now?

They’d only been in town a few weeks, and already his daughter had been called into the principal’s office for talking back to her science teacher and skipping class.

Despite being grounded for both incidents, Heidi was still definitely acting out, and frankly, he was beyond worried. Being almost thirteen was difficult for almost every kid; add to that the stress Heidi had been through in the past two years and you basically had a single dad’s nightmare in the form of one upset, rebellious preteen.

Squinting, he adjusted the brim of his campaign-style sheriff’s hat, glad the May rain had stopped for a bit and that the sun was peeking out today. Being from Seattle, he was used to the Washington state weather, but always had had enough of the drizzle around this time of year.

The woman who’d called him—someone he hadn’t met yet named Phoebe Sellers from I Scream for Ice Cream on Main Street—had merely said she needed to talk to him about his daughter. For Heidi’s sake, he hoped that whatever she’d done wasn’t too serious; the last thing she needed was more difficulties heaped on top of having to deal with her mother’s abandonment and her brother’s death.

CJ, his boy…

Grief welled up, sharp and searing, taking Carson’s breath away. With swift precision he shoved the agonizing memories of his son into their hole.

Instead, he focused on finding the ice cream store. He walked another half block past the planters filled with colorful flowers dotting the boardwalk, then he spotted the small storefront across the street and down a block, sandwiched in between a kite shop and an art gallery.

He headed to the next corner and crossed, then made a left. He looked around as he walked, taking in the quaint storefronts lining the boardwalk and the wooden benches placed here and there for those wanting to leisurely enjoy a treat from the bakery, candy store or ice cream parlor.

As he passed an alleyway separating two buildings, the cool, sea-scented breeze washed over him, carrying the echo of the ocean pounding a block away.

The tight muscles in his neck relaxed a bit, and a bit of his stress eased, confirming that he’d made the right decision by moving here. Moonlight Cove had just the kind of tranquility he’d craved for himself and Heidi since that awful day CJ had died and their world exploded.

As Carson drew near his destination, he tipped his hat to a group of elderly tourist couples wearing matching rain slickers coming out of the art gallery. They greeted him with smiles and respectful nods, and as always, a sense of pride filled him; he was glad he’d followed in his father’s footsteps and had gone into law enforcement.

As he opened the brightly painted door of I Scream for Ice Cream and stepped inside, bells rang over his head, announcing his arrival. He immediately smelled the scent of waffle cones and his mouth watered on cue. Guess he should have had more than coffee for breakfast. His appetite just hadn’t been the same since CJ died.

The parlor was decorated in shades of green and hot-pink, and had a long counter with swiveling stools along the front wall. The soda-fountain area sat behind the counter, and five or six white tables were arranged in the middle of the place. The wall to the left housed shelves that held bins filled with candy of every kind. A literal dentist’s nightmare.

At the moment, the place was empty, which he was grateful for; he’d rather deal with Heidi’s trouble without witnesses. Moonlight Cove was their new home, and Heidi needed a clean slate as much as he did.

Just as he hit the middle of the store, a pretty woman with long, curly blond hair stepped out from the back. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him, hesitating for a moment.

She wore a pink shirt with a lime-green apron embroidered with the name of the shop across the front and jeans that showed off her trim yet curvy figure. She looked to be a bit younger than his own age of thirty-two.

“You must be Sheriff Winters,” she said, tipping her head slightly to the side.

“Yes. Carson Winters.” Moving toward her, he extended his hand. “Guess the uniform gave me away.”

She smiled, showing cute dimples on both cheeks, then took his hand. “Yes, the uniform definitely makes an announcement. I’m Phoebe Sellers, the owner, by the way.”

He tried to ignore those fascinating dimples. “I figured that. The uniform gives you away, too.” He flicked a finger at her pink shirt and lime-green apron. He noted she was tall for a woman—five-eight, at least—and she had clear blue eyes, a smooth, fair complexion and an appealing fan of freckles across her nose.

Very attractive.

She laughed, then moved back a little. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I called.”

“You would be right.” Unfortunately.

Phoebe stepped behind the counter and picked up a cloth, then shoved it into the pocket on her apron.

Observant out of habit, he noticed she wore no wedding ring.

“There’s really no way of sugarcoating this…” she said.

Carson nodded curtly, preparing for the worst. “No need to.” As a lawman, he was used to handling the ugly truth. Although hearing about his own daughter’s trouble…well, not much prepared a father for that.

“Okay,” Phoebe said. “The truth is, I caught your daughter shoplifting earlier today.”

His stomach pitched. Theft. “Oh, no.” No small thing; technically, Phoebe could press charges against Heidi, and things would go downhill from there, fast.

He looked up at the ceiling and dragged in a huge breath, then settled his steady gaze on Phoebe. “What happened?” he asked with deceptive calm, knowing that Heidi had ditched Mrs. Philpot.

“She came in with a few friends and hung around over there by the candy. I thought I spotted her swipe something, so when they left without paying or ordering, I politely asked her to show me the contents of her coat pocket.” Phoebe nodded to a pile of candy on the counter. “That’s the contraband over there.”

He looked to where she’d pointed. Saltwater taffy. Heidi didn’t even like the stuff. Said it was gross and stuck in her teeth.

Phoebe continued on. “I got her to give me your name and number, and I told her I’d be calling you. I also suggested she might want to head home right away.”

“Thank you.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Let me call the babysitter and be sure Heidi’s back home.”

He called and Mrs. Philpot answered. Carson told her what Heidi had done, and an obviously stunned Mrs. Philpot told him, yes, Heidi was there, and, no, she wasn’t aware Heidi had left.

Carson breathed a sigh of relief that his daughter was safe and sound, which was tinged by exasperation at what she’d done. Before they hung up, Mrs. Philpot apologized profusely for letting Heidi slip out—and back in—under the radar. Carson eased her mind, telling her that a devious preteen bent on sneaking out could dodge just about anyone.

He said goodbye and disconnected, then turned his attention back to Phoebe, who’d busied herself scooping ice cream for a family of four who’d come in while he’d been on the phone.

“I am so sorry,” he said to Phoebe when the customers had left. “Heidi…well, she’s been acting out a bit lately, doing dumb stuff.”

Phoebe regarded him steadily for a moment. “You guys are new in town, right?”

“Yep. We arrived a few weeks ago.”

“Heidi said her friends dared her to steal something, and I got the notion that she was trying to impress them.”

“I’m sure she was.” He shook his head, his jaw tight. “But that’s no excuse for shoplifting, and I’ve raised her to know the difference between right and wrong.”

Carson paused and then forced himself to say, “Do you want to press charges?” He reached into his utility belt and pulled out his pen and notepad. “You have every right to.” And that didn’t bode well for Heidi. Great.

Phoebe pulled in her chin. “Oh, goodness, no,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s not why I called you.”

Relief wound its way through Carson and his shoulders relaxed a bit. “What would you like to do?”

“I’m willing to cut Heidi some slack because I actually felt a bit sorry for her.”

Carson’s hackles raised. How much did Phoebe know about him and Heidi, anyway? Had the whole town been talking about their history? How his son had been killed and how Carson’s wife had cut out? The thought of being the subject of rampant gossip really rubbed him the wrong way. That’s one of the reasons he’d he’d wanted a fresh start in Moonlight Cove.

Despite his thoughts, he managed to give Phoebe the benefit of the doubt. “Because?” he asked in what he hoped was a mildly inquisitive rather than defensive tone.

“It’s just I think it must be hard to be the new kid on the block,” she explained. “Especially in a small town where a lot of kids have grown up together.”

Carson breathed a sigh of relief; it was good to know Phoebe wasn’t feeling sorry for Heidi because they’d been fodder for idle town gossip. He also had to admit he was thankful she wasn’t going to grill him about what had brought them to town. Talking about CJ’s death and Susan’s desertion…not happening right now.

He studied Phoebe’s pretty blue eyes again, but found no hint of pity. “The move has been hard on Heidi,” he replied. Especially following on the heels of so many other traumatic events. She’d had to handle more than any twelve-year-old should in her short life. But wrong was wrong. Period. No excuses.

Shifting so that the heavy leather of his belt and holster creaked, he nodded toward the pile of taffy. “While I appreciate your compassion, what she did was wrong, and I insist she pay you back somehow,” Carson said.

Phoebe smiled. “It’s just candy, and I got it all back. Payment isn’t necessary.”

Setting his jaw, he said, “I think it is.” He looked around. “Maybe she could do some chores around here for the next week or so.”

“I don’t know…”

“I insist,” he said, holding up a hand. “Really. It’s not a good idea to let this behavior slide by. She did the crime, she needs to do the time.”

Phoebe inclined her head to the side in obvious capitulation. “Okay, then have her come by one day this week after school and I’m sure I can find something for her to do.”

“I will. And I’d appreciate it if you could give her some kind of less-than-pleasant chore, like dishes or cleaning bathrooms.”

“Spoken like a true parent,” Phoebe said, showing those dimples again.

“You’ve got that right,” he replied. Although sometimes, when Heidi rolled her eyes at him, he felt like the most clueless dad alive. “She needs to learn that choices have consequences. She hates any kind of cleaning, so that makes the most sense in my mind.”

“Got you.”

“And feel free to make her sentence last awhile. I really want her to know she messed up royally.” Despite what Heidi had been through, it was important his daughter grow up with boundaries.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Phoebe said. “Why don’t we say she’ll work for me starting this week, and maybe on Saturday, too. All right?”

“Sounds good,” Carson said, really liking the way Phoebe had approached the situation. She was obviously a softhearted, sensible woman. “I’ll stop by with her after school tomorrow so you two can meet under better circumstances, then she can start on Wednesday.” And he’d be sure Heidi apologized. Profusely. After the fact was better than never, in his book.

“Okay. I’ll be here all day.”

He adjusted his hat. “Thank you for calling me about this.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied with a smile. “I’m not a parent, but if I were, I’d want to know if my kid tried to steal something.”

“I do want to know. Being a parent is about the good, the bad and the ugly.” Too bad he and Heidi had more than their share of ugly lately.

“Well, it sounds like you’re doing all the right things,” Phoebe said.

He wasn’t so sure; he felt as if he had been thrust into a pitch-black room with no flashlight, only to be told he had to put a complicated puzzle together. Being a single dad was daunting. “Thanks,” he said. “And again, thanks for calling me.”

Bells over the door jingled, and a customer walked in, interrupting their conversation.

Phoebe looked to the front of the store. “Hey, Molly,” she said, waving.

Carson turned and saw a petite redhead heading toward them.

The newcomer waved. “Hey, Phoebs.”

As Molly drew closer, her gaze ping-ponged between him and Phoebe. Then Molly’s mouth curved into what looked like a sneaky smile. He had to be imagining that devious grin.

“Whatcha doing?”

For Heidi’s sake, Carson hoped Phoebe would keep mum about what his daughter had done.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes and stared at Molly for just a second. “I’m talking to Sheriff Winters here.” She looked at him. “Have you met Molly Kent yet?”

“Nope, sure haven’t.”

“Sheriff Winters, Molly Kent,” Phoebe said. “Molly owns Bow Wow Boutique down the street.”

He shook hands with Molly.

“He stopped by for some ice cream,” Phoebe said casually, turning her attention to him. “What’ll it be, Sheriff?”

Grateful for Phoebe’s discretion, and feeling remarkably hungry now that the waffle-cone smell had done a number on him, he said, “How about a scoop of Rocky Road? It’s my favorite.”

Phoebe nodded, smacking her lips. “Mine, too. Good choice.”

She went behind the counter, grabbed a cone and then started scooping.

“So, you’re replacing Sheriff Billings, right?” Molly asked.

“That’s right.” Gerard Billings, an old friend of Carson’s dad, had been sheriff here in Moonlight Cove for over thirty years and had taken his pension and retired to Arizona just a month ago.

Molly sat on one of the swiveling stools by the counter. “The town was sad to see him go after so long.”

“I know. I have some big shoes to fill.”

“What made you want to come to Moonlight Cove?” Molly asked.

Thank goodness he had a decent cover story. Just as long as people didn’t ask too many whys. “My cousin, Lily Rogers, lives here, and I liked the thought of being near family.” Although anywhere that wasn’t Seattle probably would have been fine with him. Too many heartbreaking memories there.

“Oh, I hadn’t heard you were related to Lily. I know her from the local church’s singles’ group, which I attended before I got engaged,” Molly said. Her gaze made a trip to his ring finger. “Maybe you should go sometime, meet a few other singles…?”

He didn’t go to church—hadn’t been raised to, actually—and his schedule usually didn’t allow him time for many social activities. And a singles’ group? Not for him. But he was sure Molly wouldn’t be interested in any of that. So instead he said, “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Phoebe interrupted them by handing him his cone. “I made it a double,” she said. “You can never get too much Rocky Road.”

He widened his eyes. “This cone is huge.”

“A big guy needs a big cone,” Phoebe said with an impish grin, her pretty blue eyes sparkling.

Male interest shot through him like a bright, undeniable spark, and for just a second, he couldn’t take his eyes off her lovely face.

Guess I’m not dead after all… .

Iron walls came down around that thought, ruthlessly cutting it off in its tracks. He had no business even being remotely attracted to a woman. Who’d want that kind of turmoil again? Not him.

Cone in hand, he said to Phoebe, “What do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house.”

“Well, thanks for the ice cream.” He turned to Molly. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” she said, flashing him a bright smile. “Stop by anytime. Phoebe loves visitors.”

Phoebe gave Molly an obviously significant glare, then regarded him. “Glad you could stop by, Sheriff.”

Was she blushing? And why did he like the look on her so much?

His neck burning, he raised his cone in the air. “Me, too. I’ll see you ladies later.”

He stepped outside, noting that the clouds had rolled in off the Pacific Ocean again. Rain was sure to follow.

Pausing for a moment, he looked up and down the main street of Moonlight Cove, soaking in the small-town charm and tranquility that had drawn him here. Setting his jaw, he started walking back to the station, one thought foremost in his mind: as long as the town was all he was drawn to, he’d be just fine.

* * *

Her cheeks still warm, Phoebe started wiping off the already clean counter. She surreptitiously watched Sheriff Winters go, liking the confident way he carried himself and his decidedly male way of moving. She didn’t want to let on to Molly that she found him attractive, though. Oh, no. That would be a disaster.

As the resident matchmaker, Molly would grab ahold of any tidbit of Phoebe’s interest and never let go. When it came to getting people together, Molly was tenacious. Especially since she’d found true love recently and was engaged to be married to Grant Roderick next month. As far as Molly was concerned, everyone needed the happiness she’d found with Grant.

Especially Phoebe.

Phoebe was having none of it.

Molly interrupted her thoughts. “Sooo,” she said, her voice high, as if she were curious and scheming at the same time. “He seemed nice.”

Very nice, indeed. Phoebe kept wiping the counter, carefully moving and putting back the metal napkin dispensers as she went. “Yes, he did.”

“Handsome, too.” Molly tapped a finger on the counter. “I’ve always thought dark hair and eyes were a good combination.”

Actually, Phoebe found the combination very appealing on the sheriff, too. Not that she’d let Molly know that. “Really? Hmm. I guess so.”

“He’s tall, too,” Molly said. “I like a tall man.”

“I suppose.” Being tall herself, Phoebe had always preferred bigger guys.

“In good shape I’d say.”

Phoebe stopped wiping the counter and frowned at Molly. “How do you know he’s in good shape?” She scoffed. “It wasn’t like he was dressed in workout gear.”

Molly grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. “Let’s just say he filled out the uniform just right.”

Phoebe’s cheeks heated again. Yes, he had made the uniform look mighty good. What was it about a man in uniform, anyway?

Truthfully, when Phoebe had come out of the back and saw him standing in the middle of her store, she’d actually stopped and stared. Sheriff Winters was easy on the eyes, no doubt about it, all tall, dark and handsome. The blue uniform added interest, of course, but she was pretty sure he’d look good in anything he wore.

“I guess so,” Phoebe said offhandedly, throwing the towel in the bin under the counter. “I wasn’t really paying attention.” Well, maybe a little…

Molly snorted. “Oh, come on, Phoebe. A woman would have to be blind not to notice how good-looking he was.”

No kidding. “So he was handsome,” Phoebe said, shrugging. “So are half of the guys in this town.” Actually, maybe a quarter of the guys around Moonlight Cove. On a good day.

“I didn’t notice a wedding ring,” Molly said, resting her chin on her fist. “I’ve heard he’s single. Divorced, actually.”

Really? Very interesting. A handsome single dad…

With a mental admonition, Phoebe jerked her thoughts back to where they belonged—figuring out how to derail Molly the matchmaking train.

Phoebe held up her hands. “Okay, Moll, let’s just cut to the chase.” Sometimes direct was the way to go when Molly was on a matchmaker tear.

Molly blinked, the picture of blushing innocence. “About what?”

“Don’t try to act like you’re not on another one of your matchmaking quests.” Phoebe adjusted the straw holder on the counter to its proper position. “I could see your ploy coming from a mile away.”

Molly’s chin went up. “So what if I am? Can I help it if I want you to find the same happiness I have?”

Reminder time. Again. “I’m not interested in dating.” Phoebe hoisted up a brow. “Remember?”

“But—”

“You know this, and you know why.” Phoebe drew in a large breath. “I don’t want to date anyone ever again.” She’d found true love once in Justin, and when he’d died two weeks before their long-awaited wedding…well, sadly, inevitably, so had her hopes for love.

Molly came over, then drew Phoebe into a hug and squeezed her tight. She moved back, her green eyes intent on Phoebe’s face. “But what if there’s someone else out there for you?”

Phoebe’s eyes burned, and she pulled away, then wiped a waffle-cone crumb off one of the stools. “There isn’t,” she said, covering up the sadness and emptiness her words brought forth with an emphatic tone. “You know I don’t believe in second chances.”

“I didn’t, either, and I found Grant,” Molly said.

“I’m not you. Justin was it for me, and I’m okay with that.” What other choice did she have? Jump back into another relationship, just waiting for something bad to happen, for her heart to be ripped out of her chest? No, thank you.

Molly opened her mouth to speak. To argue, Phoebe was sure.

She held up a rigid hand again. “No, Molly.” She had to be ruthless here or Molly would go into matchmaker overdrive and have double-wedding plans mapped out in no time flat. “I am not interested in dating anyone, so don’t try and fix me up with the new sheriff. Besides, he has a kid.” She swept the pile of contraband off the counter into a bowl before Molly noticed it. “A preteen.” She sighed. “I don’t think that’s God’s plan for me.

“You’d be a great mom,” Molly said.

Longing pierced Phoebe’s heart, and words stuck in her throat. Sadly, with no chance for a husband, kids weren’t in her future. She simply shook her head.

“Well, I think you’re making a mistake,” Molly said. “Love comes when you expect it the least.”

“Love? You’re getting a little ahead of yourself here.” Phoebe laughed, but it sounded hollow.

Molly’s words had a knot forming in Phoebe’s chest; oh, how she wished she could convert to Molly’s way of thinking. But she couldn’t. Justin had been her one true love, and there wouldn’t be another. Period.

“No, I’d be making a mistake if I let you fix me up with anyone when I’m sure I’m never going to fall in love again,” Phoebe said. “Total waste of time.”

“I didn’t want to fall in love, either,” Molly said. “And I was wrong.”

“I’m not wrong about this,” Phoebe stated. “So please back off and quit trying to convince me otherwise.”

Molly reluctantly agreed, then said goodbye to go back to work.

Phoebe headed toward the freezer to check inventory, and her eyes snagged on the candy under the counter she’d confiscated from Heidi Winters. Unbidden, memories of Carson Winters’s dark, chocolate-brown eyes and stunning smile flashed in her brain. He really was a handsome guy.

On top of that, she had to admit she liked the way he’d dealt with his daughter’s shenanigans. He seemed levelheaded, fair, and as if he took his parenting responsibilities very seriously.

She’d downplayed her reaction to Carson in order to keep Molly’s matchmaking instincts in check. But, truthfully, the new sheriff had piqued Phoebe’s interest.

She shook her head. No. Getting caught up in a man—any man—would be heading down a danger-strewn road she was determined to avoid.

Worse yet, Carson made his living in law enforcement, which ranked right up there with firefighter on the dangerous-jobs list in her mind.

She had to remember all of those things, no matter how appealing the new sheriff in town might prove himself to be in the days and weeks to come.