A Sheriff's Star
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Makenna Lee
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19,4K
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17
Chapter One
Where’s my baby?
Tess Harper’s rib cage rattled with the abrupt drumming of her heart. “Hannah Lynn! Where are you? Answer Momma!”
This can’t be happening! I only glanced away for a second.
Blood pounded in her head with such force her vision wavered, and a hot, prickly knot wedged in her throat. She grabbed a rack of clothes, knocked items to the floor and forced herself to focus. No one had been standing near them to snatch her little girl. Her precocious child must’ve slipped into one of the stuffed, round racks to play her favorite game of hide-and-seek.
Please, please let her be okay. “Hannah Lynn, answer me!”
A store employee stood nearby folding T-shirts, unaffected by Tess’s cries.
“My daughter is missing! Can you make an announcement?”
“What does she look like?” asked the blank-faced teen.
“She’s four, blonde, has Down syndrome.”
“Over here, ma’am,” a deep, male voice called from across the women’s department. “I think I have who you’re looking for.”
Tess spun to see her daughter in the arms of a tall police officer. She ran, dodging obstacles and other shoppers, and pulled Hannah into her arms. The slight weight of her child was an immediate relief. She cradled her head of silky curls and kissed her smooth, broad forehead. “Don’t you ever run off like that again. You scared the life out of me.”
Hannah’s bottom lip poked out and she placed both hands on her mother’s cheeks. “I sorry, Momma.”
The waning adrenaline rush left her trembling and dizzy. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and she stiffened. “I’m fine.”
“Let’s find a place to sit.”
Allowing a strange man to touch her wasn’t typical behavior, but he was a police officer like her father had been, and at the moment, she welcomed the support. “I could sit for a minute.”
He guided them to a bench near the dressing room and sat beside them. “Can I get you anything? Water?”
Tess shook her head, too intent on hugging her squirming daughter and savoring her baby shampoo scent. “I can’t believe I let this happen. I only turned my head, and when I looked back, she was gone. What if...” Her throat tightened and burned with repressed tears, cutting off her words. Terrible scenarios scrolled through her mind, each one more horrifying than the next.
“Play hide-see, Momma.”
“Sweet girl, you have to promise to tell me before we start playing hide-and-seek.”
“Something like this happens to every parent at some point,” said the officer. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
She cut him a hard look, ready to argue that her slipup was completely unacceptable. “Are you a parent?”
His jaw tightened and twitched. “No.”
“Then you don’t know what this feels like.” Tess didn’t miss the spark of sorrow in the man’s blue eyes. His expression almost matched the strained one that often stared back from her reflection. She took a deep breath. “Thank you, though. Where did you find my daughter?”
“She found me. I was looking through the ladies’ robes when a little hand reached out and tugged on my pant leg.”
“Ladies’ robes?” She bit her lip. It was none of her business what he shopped for.
Color bloomed high on his cheekbones. “For my grandmother.”
Hannah wiggled off her mother’s lap and onto the bench between them. “Sheriff safe?” Her blue-green eyes cut back and forth between them.
“Yes, baby.” Tess glanced at his badge that read Chief of Police. “She thinks you’re a sheriff like one of her favorite cartoon characters.”
He smiled at Hannah, showing dimples almost hidden beneath a short-cropped, blond beard. “You sure are a smart little girl. How old are you?”
“I four.” Hannah climbed onto her knees and traced around the border of his badge. “Circle.” Her tiny finger poked through each of the holes surrounding the center star. “Sheriff star.”
“It means I’ve promised to protect and keep you safe.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small plastic star and pinned it onto Hannah’s pink shirt. “You can be my honorary officer.”
Her daughter—normally shy around men—flung her arms around his neck. “Tank you.”
Tess once again caught a quick flash of distress before he schooled his features and returned the hug. Watching her child interact with a “father figure” set off a familiar swell of sadness that rolled in like a tidal wave. Hannah’s father didn’t want to be part of their lives, but he was the one missing out on the unconditional love of a precious child.
His loss. Idiot, selfish bastard.
She shook off the dark thoughts and took a good look at the man wearing a tan cowboy hat. His movie-star-worthy face topped powerful shoulders and a chest that filled his uniform shirt almost to the point of bursting buttons.
What’s the matter with me? How can I notice a man’s appearance at a time like this?
Eyes squeezed closed, she turned her head to hide her emotions from a man who was way too attractive, and no doubt knew it. He probably had women fawning all over him. She did not need another man who’d play with her heart like a chew toy. Especially one with a dangerous job.
I can, and will, raise my child on my own.
Oak Hollow, Texas, might be a small town, but she made up her mind to keep as much distance as possible between her and this tempting officer. It wouldn’t be that hard. They’d only be here a couple of months before moving on to Houston to prepare for Hannah’s heart surgery.
Hannah plopped onto her bottom, little legs swinging as she admired her prize.
“Thank you for your help. I need to find our shopping cart and get groceries. I’m moving into our new place today and I don’t want to be late meeting the landlord.”
He cocked his head and studied her with a set of stormy blue eyes. “Is your new place by any chance the Craftsman bungalow on Eighteenth Street?”
Hair lifted on the back of her neck. “How’d you know?”
He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tess Harper. I’m your landlord, Anson Curry.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Her mind spun for something to say. She took his offered hand, then jerked hers away as a powerful jolt zinged up her arm. “I didn’t realize my new landlord was the town’s chief of police.”
The radio on his belt crackled and he adjusted the volume, then stood. “I wear a lot of different hats. Finish your shopping and meet me at the house whenever you’re done. No rush.”
“We won’t be long.”
“Bye-bye, sheriff.”
He chuckled. “See you soon.” With a wave, he turned to go, talking into his radio as he went.
Not daring to let go of her daughter’s hand, she couldn’t resist admiring his tall powerful frame as he moved through the store and out of sight. Her self-indulgent ogling caused a flash of embarrassment, and she glanced around, hoping no one had witnessed her moment of weakness.
“I have an idea. Let’s be on the same team and play hide-and-seek with our shopping cart. Do you know where it is?”
“I find.” Hannah tugged her mother’s arm and set off on the search.
They found it quickly, but Tess was too frazzled to continue shopping. Residual panic still fluttered through her veins and getting out of public with her child clutched against her heart was all she could focus on.
Once they were safely enclosed in their SUV, she was able to breathe normally and pulled out of the retail store’s parking lot. GPS directions led them from the modern outskirts of town to the historic district’s tree-lined streets. An eclectic mix of well-kept homes from several different eras perched under the sweeping branches of oak trees. Manicured yards and Halloween decorations spoke of a community filled with pride and family values.
When Tess had seen the online photo of the moss green and rust-colored Craftsman home for rent, she couldn’t resist a chance to live in the house for a couple of months. She just hadn’t counted on the owner being more tempting than the historic property.
Just because Chief Curry is my landlord doesn’t mean I’ll have to see him very often.
Even though it was the middle of October, the day had been warm. Anson turned down the air conditioner in the old house he’d bought next door to the Curry ancestral home. But after his grandmother Nan’s stroke, just being next door hadn’t been enough for his peace of mind. Renting his home had been the best option.
He almost hadn’t accepted Tess Harper’s request for a month-to-month lease and for the home to remain furnished. The idea of strangers using his furniture was disconcerting, but once he’d found out she was in town to help the historical society open the Oak Hollow history museum, his resistance wavered. He hoped getting his grandmother involved in the museum would bring a spark back to her eyes and encourage her to live again.
While he waited for his new tenants, he wandered through the rooms he’d once shared with his wife. The first bedroom was pale yellow and just right for the little girl. Having a four-year-old next door was going to be a painful reminder of the children he’d planned to hear running across these creaky wooden floors.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to erase the memory of his ex-wife telling him there was no baby, begging and crying for him to forgive her cruel deceptions. A familiar anger cramped his gut.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his miserable past. “Come in,” he called out, and headed toward the front door.
Tess opened it a crack and peeked inside. “I guess we have the right place?”
“Sure do. Come on in.”
She stepped inside, gasped and turned in a circle. “This is fabulous. Other than opening up the wall between the kitchen and living room, most of the original Craftsman architecture is still intact.”
Hannah darted past her mother and spun around the living room like a mini ballerina. “Where my room?”
“Hannah Lynn, be polite and say hello to Chief Curry.”
The little girl hugged his knees. “Hi.”
Paternal pangs stirred in his chest. “Hello, Hannah. Go look in that first room and see if you like it.”
On the toes of her little red patent leather shoes, she walked down the hall to explore.
Tess kneeled in front of the fireplace and rubbed her fingers across the green tile around the firebox. “I’d bet anything this is the original Batchelder tile. You’ve kept it in great condition.”
“I’ve only owned it for four years. Before that it was the Walton family home. Follow me, and I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
Her eyes narrowed as she stood and glanced from him to the door. “No need. I’m sure you’re busy and have things to do.”
He’d grown used to the single women of Oak Hollow plying him with baked goods and promises of home-cooked meals. Fluttering their lashes and trying to get him into bed or down the aisle. Flirting to the point that his dispatcher, Betty, teased him about what she called the “Pantie Posse.”
Not this woman. She wanted him gone. Not in her bed.
“I’ll get out of your way. Keys are on the counter with a copy of the lease.”
“It’s the month-to-month lease we talked about over emails?”
“Yes. Are you sure you don’t want to switch to a six month? It’s cheaper.”
Long waves of mahogany-brown hair swung around her shoulders. “Can’t do that. It should take about two months to complete my job here and then we have to move to Houston.”
“For your next job?”
“For Hannah’s...” Her voice cracked and she caught her trembling lip with her teeth, then glanced down the short hallway where her daughter sang at full volume. “Yes.”
What did she stop herself from saying? “Let me know if you have any questions about the house or the town.”
“I’ll call if I do.”
“If my truck is in the driveway, you can always knock on my door.”
She spun to face him. “What door? Where do you live?”
He hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Next door in the big white house.”
Her green eyes widened. “In the fabulous Victorian with the wraparound porch?”
“That’s the one. It’s been in the Curry family since it was built.”
Hannah ran in and pulled on her mother’s shirt. “I hungry, Momma.”
“I’ll make you a peanut butter sandwich.”
“Nooo,” Hannah wailed, and tossed her head back. “Mac a chee.”
She picked up her fussy child. “We don’t have any mac and cheese.”
“No sandwich.” The toddler buried her face against her mother’s neck.
Embarrassment and exhaustion were clear on Tess’s pretty, heart-shaped face. The sudden urge to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and pull them both into his arms surprised him. Instead, he hooked his thumbs in his pockets and stepped farther away.
“After losing her in Target, I just had to get out of there. I didn’t get groceries.”
The little girl kicked her legs. “No sandwich.”
Tess struggled to hold on to her when she arched her back. “Hannah Lynn Harper, this is not the way to behave if you want to be Chief Curry’s honorary officer.”
Hannah’s head popped up and her little mouth formed an O. “I be good.”
Anson pressed his lips together to hide the smile and glanced at his watch. “I need to run and pick up dinner for my grandmother, Nan, and The Acorn Cafe has the best macaroni and cheese. Can I bring an order?”
Hannah bounced in her mother’s arms. “Mac a chee, pease.”
Tess adjusted her child on her hip and shot him a narrow-eyed glance.
Before she could speak, he held up a hand. “It’s no trouble. Consider it a welcome to town meal. What would you like?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.” She set Hannah on her feet.
“Momma, packpack, pease.”
“Your backpack is in the car.” Keys jingled as she pulled them from her pocket. “I’ll get it, but you have to take a bath before Chief Curry gets back with your food.”
He winked at Hannah. Her giggle made him smile, but also struck a wounded place inside him. A place that longed for a little one of his own. He held the front door open and motioned for Tess to go out ahead of him.
After a moment of hesitation, she quickly stepped past him, keeping as much distance between them as possible.
This woman doesn’t even want to be near me.
She rushed ahead and unlocked a maroon SUV with an attached rental trailer.
“You’ll need help unloading,” he said.
“I’ll be fine. I got it packed into the trailer all by myself, and I can get it out.” She swung a pink sparkly backpack over one shoulder, retrieved a large suitcase with one hand and tried to grab a box off the floorboard with the other.
He rushed forward and lifted the box. “I’ve got it.”
“Please be careful with it.” Her tone altered from all business to concern.
Anson glanced at the neatly printed writing. Dad and Shawn’s flags and photos. Was Shawn her husband? Were they flags that had draped coffins?
When she had the front door open, she put down the suitcase, then turned and took the box from him. “Thanks.” She clutched it to her chest, gazed down at the names across the top, then turned away like she’d forgotten he was there.
“I’ll be back in about thirty minutes,” he called after her and closed the door.
Anson drove the three blocks to Oak Hollow town square and went inside The Acorn Cafe. “Hey, Sam,” he said to the owner. “How’s the family?”
“All good.” Sam glanced across the café and smiled at his wife, Dawn.
The love bouncing between the couple made Anson’s chest tighten. They had what he longed for. A real connection, not a temporary hook-up.
It took several minutes to greet various people before taking a seat on a stool at the old-fashioned soda counter. One of the new waitresses sidled up so close her breasts brushed his arm.
“Evening, Anson,” she crooned. “What’s your pleasure tonight?”
He shifted out of her reach. “Hi, Tina. I need to place a to-go order.”
“I’ll be more than happy to get you anything you want.”
Her emphasis of the word anything was not subtle, but he ignored the suggestive comment. “I need an order of mac and cheese with a side of fresh fruit and three orders of pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans.”
“You and your grandmother have company tonight?”
“New neighbors.”
Once Tina wrote up the order and walked away, he called the station. “Hey, Walker. Need me to stop by before I go home for the night?”
“All quiet this evening, Chief. You work too many hours. You should call up one of those single ladies for a change.”
“Think I’ll leave that to you for now. See you tomorrow.”
The kitchen door swung open, giving him an eyeful of Tina undoing her top button and adjusting her breasts to swell even farther out the top of her uniform. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. None of the ladies who chased him piqued his interest. Not like the attraction that had slapped him when he met his prickly new neighbor with the rigid, full mouth he’d like to soften under his kiss.
Just my luck the first woman I’ve wanted in ages is repelled by me.
