Falling for the Lawman
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Claire McEwen
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CHAPTER ONE
ADAM SEARS SHOVED his chair away from his desk, wincing as one of the ancient wheels screeched in protest. He stood up, relishing the faint breeze from the fan turning slowly back and forth on the battered metal file cabinet. The Shelter Creek sheriff’s office was a small satellite to the main office in Santa Rosa. Adam had worked here for over ten years, but the old clapboard building still felt like a temporary setup. There was barely any heating in winter, and definitely no AC in summer.
Plucking at his shirt, Adam tried to pull the thick fabric of his uniform away from his damp back. Tomorrow was supposed to be even hotter. Where was the fog that usually rolled in from the ocean and cooled things off during summer nights?
He reached for the diet cola on his desk and took a sip as he glared down at the email on his computer screen. The message thanked him for his application, and informed him that his kids were on the waiting list for the final session of summer day camp at the community center. A waiting list? Shelter Creek was a small town. How could there be a waiting list for a summer program?
If he’d known the last session would fill up so quickly, he’d have registered the kids weeks ago. But it was just one thing on a long list of things he still didn’t know about managing his kids on his own.
He set his drink down and tried to think. What would he do with Jack and Penny for the next two weeks if they couldn’t go to day camp? He could ask his sister, Sara, to watch them, but she was pretty busy these days. She’d been running the family cattle ranch ever since their parents retired to their little cabin on the Oregon coast. He could ask his younger brother, Wyatt. No, bad idea. Wyatt was so irresponsible, he’d probably have the kids driving the tractor or swinging from the barn rafters if he were in charge. And Adam’s older brother, Ryan, was still on the road, living out of his truck chasing glory in the rodeo arena.
A tap at the door had Adam slamming his laptop shut like he’d been viewing something illicit. He had a pile of paperwork he should have been working on. “Come in,” he called, trying to sound casual.
Josie pushed the door open and stepped inside. “The captain wants you in his office.”
“Sure, Josie, thanks.” Adam waited for Josie to leave so he could follow her out the door.
But the receptionist stayed where she was, twisting her hands together in front of her, her shoulder-length brown hair waving slightly in the fan’s breeze. “How are you doing, Adam? Everything okay?”
He had come to hate that question. Was everything okay? No. Was there anything he could do to change that? No, again. “We’re hanging in there. The kids are enjoying the first session of day camp.”
“Oh good. Let me know if you’d like me to take them at any time on a weekend. Brendan loves playing with Jack and I’m happy to have Penny, too. It would be fun to have a little girl around to spoil.”
As always, when someone tried to help, Adam’s mouth developed a paralysis that made speech almost impossible. People assumed he was grief-stricken that his wife had walked out on them, but he was too overwhelmed to be sad. Too angry to be heartbroken. Tanya leaving had hurt like heck, but he was a grown man, he could handle it. What grieved him, what almost broke him, was that she’d practically abandoned their kids. She’d crushed their hearts, and she seemed to have no understanding of the hurt she’d caused.
Adam forced his jaw to move and fortunately, the rest of his voice followed. “That’s kind of you, Josie. I may take you up on that offer.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anything you need?”
Adam thought about the email he’d just received. “You don’t happen to know anyone who works at the community center camp, do you? I forgot to register the kids for the final session.”
“Ah.” Josie’s smile was full of sympathy. “A common mistake. You’ve got to get in there the moment they open registration or you’re out of luck. The last session always fills faster than the others, because a lot of families are back from vacation and getting ready for school to start.”
“I didn’t realize.”
“That’s a shame. Brendan’s going. He’d be so happy to have Jack there.” Josie looked thoughtful. “I have a hair appointment this afternoon. I’ll ask my stylist what you should do.”
Had he heard her right? “Your hairstylist?”
“Monique. Over at Monique’s Miracles. She has the scoop on everything that goes on in Shelter Creek. She’ll know if there are any strings we can pull to get your kids in.”
The load of worries Adam carried felt just a little lighter. He was acquainted with Monique. If she wanted something done, she found a way. “I’d really appreciate that. If I can’t get them in, I’ll have to figure out some last-minute childcare.”
“If it comes to that, I know a few ladies around town who would be happy to babysit.”
“Sears!” The frustration in Captain Dean Carson’s voice carried easily from his office down the hall. “You gonna make me wait all day?”
Josie grinned. “Guess you’d better get going, before he blows a fuse.”
“Thanks for helping me out.” Adam followed her out of his office.
“Of course.” Josie stopped next to her desk and turned to face him. “You and the kids have been through a rough year.”
“Yup.” It had been eleven months and four days, but it sure felt like a year or two since he’d found Tanya’s goodbye note on the dining room table.
Josie’s bright smile was probably meant to be reassuring. “Hey, it can only get better from here, right?”
Adam wasn’t used to talking about his personal life, let alone having it be brought up at work, or when he was out doing errands, or at kids’ birthday parties. Everyone in town wanted to offer their advice and support. It was kindly meant, but sometimes he thought he might suffocate under all that concern. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
“Sergeant Sears!” There was a definite edge to Dean’s voice now.
Adam glanced down the pale green, chipped linoleum hallway. “I’d better get in there.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow if I can find a way to get the kids into camp.”
“I’d really appreciate that.” Pulling in a deep breath, Adam forced himself to let his childcare worries go for now. His shift wasn’t over for another half hour. He was at work and he’d better start acting like it. He walked down the hall and tapped on his boss’s half-closed door.
“Sears. Finally.” Dean yanked the door open. “Come on in.”
Dean Carson was in his midthirties, just a couple years older than Adam. They’d worked together for over a decade, but only Dean had moved up the ranks to Captain. Adam preferred to work with people, not paper.
He followed his boss into the office. A woman was seated on one of the blue plastic chairs that Dean kept for visitors. Her straight black hair was long in front, flopping over her forehead like a horse’s forelock. It was cut really short in the back, giving her an edgy look. She stood up and fixed Adam with a cool, assessing gaze.
He nodded in response. “Hello.”
She didn’t return his greeting. Instead, she looked at Dean as if he’d offered her a moldy sandwich. “Is this him?”
Dean seemed oblivious to her dismay. “Sergeant Adam Sears, meet Officer Gracie Long. She’s with the State Department of Wildlife. Pull up a seat, Adam. I’ve got to talk to you about her work.”
Gracie wasn’t dressed in the usual khaki uniform of a wildlife officer. She wore faded jeans and a T-shirt that matched her striking, light blue eyes. She plunked back down in her chair and crossed one long leg over the other, the toe of her scuffed brown cowboy boot tapping the air.
“Okay.” Adam took a seat in the other plastic chair and turned slightly toward her. “Good to meet you.” She nodded in response and Adam looked at his boss for guidance.
Dean had remained standing. He leaned against the front of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Gracie is pursuing a possible poaching case in the area.”
“I’m required to notify you all that I’m working around here,” Gracie added.
“There’s a little more to it than that.” Dean tilted his head toward Gracie. “Why don’t you give him the background?”
The blue of Gracie’s eyes just visible under the long thick bangs that had fallen over her forehead. She reminded Adam of a wild animal peeking through a thicket. “You probably know that black bears have been showing up in the northern part of the California Coast Range. They’re moving south from Oregon, looking for new habitat as their numbers grow.” She paused, as if waiting for confirmation.
Adam nodded. “We’ve had a few bear sightings around here in the last couple years.”
“And when you get bears in the neighborhood, you also get bear poachers.” She fixed him with a stern look. “Do you know anything about bear poaching, Sergeant Sears?”
Her condescending tone was a little annoying, but years of working in law enforcement had taught Adam not to show his feelings. “I know it happens.”
“It’s a brutal crime. Poachers kill bears, chop off their paws, cut out their gallbladder and leave the carcass to rot. Those few parts they take can be sold on the black market for a whole lot of money.”
Adam could do without the images she’d just put in his head. “That’s pretty disturbing.”
“Gracie thinks we have poachers around here,” Dean said. “A mutilated bear was found by the side of the highway, about five miles north of here.”
“Was it a roadkill?” Adam glanced at Gracie. “Maybe someone just took advantage of an opportunity.”
“Maybe. Though that’s illegal, too,” Gracie said. “I suspect it might be the same people I’ve been trying to catch farther north in Mendocino County. I haven’t had any leads on them for a couple weeks, so I figured I’d better check this out.” She shrugged. “Whoever they are, I’ll track them down.”
“Okay, good to know.” Adam glanced hopefully at Dean. Now that this introduction had been made, maybe he could get back to his office and finish a little more paperwork before the end of his shift.
Dean gave a slight shake of his head, indicating that Adam should stay. “Gracie needs a partner while she’s here.”
“I usually work alone.” Gracie sat up straighter. “I don’t need a partner, just someone I can call on for backup, if it comes to that.”
“How are you going to call for backup if you’re out in the middle of nowhere chasing a poacher?” Dean looked more irritated than Adam had seen him in a long time. Maybe they’d already been arguing about this before he showed up.
“I’ve worked out in the backcountry on my own for years.”
“And your supervisor told me that you were working alone when you ended up in the hospital.” Dean’s voice sounded a little gruff. “From what he told me, you’re lucky to be alive.”
Adam studied Gracie, trying to process Dean’s words. What had happened that had landed her in the hospital?
Gracie’s sharp cheekbones flushed a deep rosy pink and she stood up so fast her chair slid a few feet back. “That was one incident out of many successful arrests.”
Dean held up his hands in a don’t-shoot-me posture. “That may be true, but you’ve got your supervisor pretty spooked. He asked me to assign someone to work with you in our district, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Adam knew that resolute tone well, and it seemed like Gracie recognized it, too, because she didn’t answer. But from the way she’d pressed her lips closed, it was clear she was holding back some choice words. What a prickly attitude. Pity the poor fool who had to work with her.
Then Dean’s words sank in and landed hard. “You’re assigning...me?”
“I figured you could use a change of pace.” Dean gave Adam an apologetic shrug that didn’t help one bit. “Plus, you’re my most experienced investigator. I need you on this job.”
“Full-time?” He glanced over at Gracie, unable to hide his dismay.
“Full time whenever Gracie is working in the area.”
Great. Adam had too much on his plate right now as it was. He didn’t need any more stress, and this woman was a whole lot of stress poured into jeans and a T-shirt. “I don’t get it,” he said. “How can it take all day, every day, to deal with a couple of hunters taking bears without a license?”
“Apparently they’re not easy to catch,” Dean said, glancing at Gracie, who had sat back down and was jiggling her foot again. “You’ll probably spend some time looking for them out in the backcountry. Gracie has her horse with her and you’re the mounted patrol sergeant most familiar with the area.”
Adam was starting to feel a little desperate. “What about my shifts? My paperwork?”
“Deputy Turner can take a few of your shifts. So can Deputy Leary. I’ll help them with the paperwork.”
Worry crept in. This smacked of a demotion. But it couldn’t be. No matter what Adam had dealt with in the past year, he’d shown up here and done his job as carefully as ever. He studied Dean’s face, trying to read the expression there.
“He obviously doesn’t want to do it,” Gracie interjected. “How about this? I’ll check in with him by phone once a day. If I’m headed anywhere remote, he can come along.” She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and they jangled in her restless fingers.
“You and Adam will be on this case together. End of story.” Dean reached for the phone on his desk and held it out to her. “You want to call your supervisor and complain to him? Go for it. I’m just doing what he’s asked me to do.”
Gracie’s pale skin went a little whiter. “Fine.” She shot Adam a glance armed with resentment, then shrugged. “Guess we’re working together.”
“Adam, when you’re not on horseback, you two will use Gracie’s unmarked SUV for this investigation. You’ll dress in civilian clothes and carry concealed weapons.”
Now he was being stripped of his uniform? To follow a wildlife officer around? To babysit bears? What had he done to get on Dean’s bad side?
“Wear hiking boots, if we’re going on foot,” Gracie said. “I hope you’re in decent shape. We’ll be covering a lot of ground.”
Adam was in the worst shape he’d ever been in. Without Tanya there to help watch the kids, he’d had to give up his daily run. He couldn’t exactly leave a seven-year-old and an eleven-year-old at home alone. Some days he talked them into a bike ride so he could jog beside them, but the pace was uneven since Penny wasn’t too sure of herself on a bike yet. “I’ll be fine,” he muttered.
“I hope so. Poachers tend to move fast. They’re savvy. We need to be faster than them and anticipate what they’ll do next.”
Her lecturing tone scraped his bruised pride. “Of course.”
“I guess we’re done here, then.” Gracie stood, so Adam did, too. She looked a little surprised at the courtesy. “It’s okay, I can see myself out.”
“You two will check in here at 8:00 a.m. every day, starting Monday,” Dean said. “I’ll need to know your plan for the day, including your expected itinerary. You’ll check back in here at the end of each shift. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Adam heard the bitterness in Gracie’s tone loud and clear. What was her problem? He was the one who should be bitter, getting reassigned out of the blue to go chase poachers.
“See you Monday,” he told her, but she didn’t answer, just raised a hand in a curt wave and strode out the door.
His boss reached over and shut it behind her.
“What did I do wrong?” Adam watched as Dean made his way around the back of his desk to slump in his chair. “Whatever I did, however I messed up, just tell me and I’ll fix it.”
“I’m not giving you this assignment as punishment,” Dean said. “You’re the most level-headed guy I’ve got.”
“You mean I’m the only one who won’t shove her out of the SUV and leave her by the side of the road to commune with those bears she’s so crazy about?”
Dean flashed him a weary smile. “Yeah, that, too.” Then his expression sobered. “I know you’ve been through a lot lately. Think of this as an easy gig. No paperwork, no major issues. Just driving around the countryside watching for poachers that you’ll most likely never find. And you’ll probably get to ride out on Bodie a few times. You haven’t had a chance to bring your horse to work in a while.”
Adam fixed Dean with a skeptical look. “You think you’re doing me a favor with this assignment? Nothing about that meeting gave me the impression that this will be an easy gig.”
Dean leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on his desk. “Okay, let’s be honest. I’m doing me a favor because I know you’ll be able to handle her. She’d run circles around Turner, and Leary is way too green. He’d do something stupid right along with her.”
“So my job is to keep her from doing stupid stuff?” Adam shook his head. “Look, I love my kids, but I spend most of my free time keeping them from doing stupid stuff.”
“Then you’ll be really good at this. And if you can catch some poachers while you’re at it, that would be great, too.” Dean’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “Scum of the earth.”
“That’s for sure.” Adam wouldn’t mind rounding up anyone who killed and mutilated animals for a few bucks. He just wasn’t looking forward to doing it with Gracie. But his boss had decided, so there wasn’t much more to say. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise you anything. Gracie seems like a real wild card.”
Dean nodded. “She sure does. But she’s caught a lot of poachers, so I guess her methods must work.”
“Except you said she ended up in the hospital.” Adam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What do you know about that?”
“Not that much. Just that she was arresting a poacher up in the Sierras. He turned on her. Beat her up pretty badly, I guess.”
Adam winced at the image. “Did they catch the guy who did it?”
“Yeah, he’s waiting on his day in court.”
“Hope they lock him up for a good long time.” Adam pictured Gracie, so tense and testy in the office just now. “How long has she been back at work?”
“Just a few weeks I think.”
Adam rarely got mad at his boss, but he certainly didn’t want to be sold a bunch of manure either. “You know I’ll do whatever you ask me to. But stop trying to sell this as a nice, easy gig.”
The expression in Dean’s eyes got a little desperate. “You’re my most experienced sergeant and the only one who’s going to be able to keep up with her on foot and horseback.”
“I hope I can.” Adam glanced at the clock behind Dean’s desk. “If that’s all, I have to go pick up the kids.”
“We’re done. Except... I hope you know I appreciate you.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. Just add a little something extra to my Christmas bonus.” Adam smacked his hand to his forehead like he’d forgotten. “Oh wait, we don’t get bonuses.”
Dean laughed. “I owe you a beer or two, at least. Have a good weekend. Say hello to Penny and Jack for me.”
“Will do.” The kids adored Dean, looking up to him with a little awe, now that he was “Daddy’s boss.” “They’re going to be with Tanya all weekend, so let me know if you have time to buy me that beer.”
“Tanya’s back?” Dean clamped his mouth shut like he regretted the surprise in his tone. “Sounds good. I’ll give you a call.”
Adam shut the door to Dean’s office behind him and thanked God for Friday. Despite the unpleasant prospect of working with Gracie, Adam was looking forward to the weekend. Tanya was coming into town and she’d rented a vacation cottage out near the coast. The kids would finally have some quality time with their mom and Adam would have a little peace and quiet. Maybe he’d even call up a couple friends and put some burgers on the grill.
When he stopped by his office to close up, there was a note from Josie promising again to try to fix his summer camp fiasco. He sure hoped she could.
Adam pushed through the creaky glass door and stepped outside into the late-afternoon sun. A faint breeze shifted the heat around and he welcomed it. If Gracie wasn’t so upset about working with him, Adam might agree with Dean about his upcoming assignment. It would be nice to be out in the fresh air, and to ride Bodie on the job again. Seemed like lately he’d been spending so much time indoors—cooking, cleaning, playing with the kids and their toys—trying to give Penny and Jack the quality parenting time they needed so badly, now that their mom had walked away.
But she’d be here this weekend. The kids had packed their bags this morning, excited for time with their mom. The next two days stretched out in front of him, suddenly full of possibility. Maybe he’d get out for a hike, or even a run. The memory of Gracie’s words, that she hoped he was in shape, stung a little. Yeah, he’d go for a run, for sure. Both days.
Adam’s phone buzzed in his back pocket as he unlocked his truck. He pulled it out and saw Tanya’s name on the screen. “Hey,” he answered, sliding behind the wheel. “I’m just leaving work. I have to pick up the kids and get them home. Then they’ll be ready for you.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” Tanya said. “I feel terrible but I’m not going to be able to make it this weekend.”
“What?” Luckily Adam hadn’t started driving because if he had, he might have crashed into something. The hurt that slammed his heart wasn’t his own. It was the pain their kids would feel when he had to tell them. “Why not? What happened?”
“I feel horrible about it. I really do. But Neil has a lot of work and his parents are in town. I need to play tour guide for them. They flew in all the way from Delaware.”
“Neil.” The name still tasted rotten in Adam’s mouth, no matter how many times he said it. Neil was the old friend Tanya had connected with on social media. The guy she’d eventually left him for. “Tanya, you barely know these people. You don’t even know if this thing with Neil will last. Don’t you want to see your kids? Aren’t they more important than Neil’s parents?”
“Neil and I are going to last,” Tanya said. “I’ve met his parents before and I really like them.” She paused and took an audible breath, as if she was trying to maintain her patience. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but my relationship with Neil is very important to me.”
“Clearly.” Adam looked around at the empty parking lot and said goodbye to his weekend plans. Though maybe he could still have his buddies over for a barbecue. It would be a distraction for the kids, and they were going to need one.
“I’m sorry to change plans at the last minute.”
Something cracked inside him, down in his chest. Maybe it was his heart. He couldn’t be diplomatic anymore. “It’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s your children. They miss you, Tanya. A lot. Penny cries sometimes. Jack is more stoic, but his temper is a lot shorter than it used to be.”
“Don’t guilt trip me, Adam.” Her voice rose. “You can’t just blame this on me. It takes two people to ruin a marriage.”
He took the bait. “Does it? Because as far as I can tell, our marriage was just fine until you went online and reconnected with your summer-camp crush.”
“And do you think I would have done that if you’d been there for me? Really there? You were always so serious about your job, so stuck in your routine. Our marriage was boring. Stale. There was no room for us to grow anymore.”
Years of law enforcement had taught him to keep his temper in check. But it was rising now. She wanted to blame him for her affair? Adam pulled in a deep breath and watched his knuckles go white on the steering wheel. This conversation was going nowhere. It was just a distraction from the real issue. He forced the turbulence out of his voice. “I’m sorry you were so unhappy in our marriage. But what matters now are the kids. Can’t you keep your promise to come see them this weekend? I’m sure you could explain the situation to Neil’s parents. They’re adults. They can do their own sightseeing.”
“They live on the east coast, Adam. They can’t just come here anytime. This is my chance to get to know them better. Just tell the kids that I’ll come up soon.”
“Why don’t you call back in about half an hour and tell them yourself? I think it would mean a lot more coming from you.”
She sighed, as if he’d just asked for a huge favor. “I’ll try. But I have to go pick up Jackie and Dave from the airport.”
He could hold back his temper, but not his sarcasm. “Jackie and Dave. That would be Neil’s parents, whose happiness is more important than your children’s?”
“Oh, come on. The kids will be okay. I even read an article that said children of divorce are more resilient than—”
“Stop.” He said it quietly, because how could he yell when his throat was closing up with the hurt his kids would soon be feeling? “Just stop making excuses. You don’t want to see them. That’s the real truth.”
“Don’t paint me as the bad guy here. I’m just postponing until next weekend.”
Adam closed his eyes, wanting the conversation to be over. “If you show up next weekend, great. You can wait while they pack and get ready. But I’m not going to let them count on you until you’re here, in Shelter Creek, ready to pick them up.”
“Don’t you undermine my relationship with them, Adam Sears.”
He was too tired to care about her scolding tone. “I don’t want to do that and honestly, I don’t have to. You’re doing it all by yourself.”
She hung up and Adam sat for a moment, listening to the silence on the other end of the phone. Then he plugged it into the charger and started his truck toward the community center to pick up the kids. He wasn’t looking forward to telling them that their mom had changed her plans, again.
