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It wasn’t until he had that free beer between his hands that a new wave of night air rolled in around a small group of people that Henry thought about the blond woman again.
It might have been a Wednesday, but apparently that did little to diminish the bar’s popularity. Ten or so patrons had eked in and were already either playing pool or sitting around, drinks in hand and conversations going strong. Finding the one person without either was fast work.
Henry wished he’d looked for the woman sooner.
Standing from a booth she’d commandeered in the corner, one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen was waving at the new group of people who’d just come in. The long, curly blond hair he’d already seen was half pinned back, showing an open face made up of high cheekbones and a long, thin nose. Her lips were rimmed in pink. Even from this distance he could still see the green of her eyes as they moved from who must have been her sister Kristen to a man who must have been her arranged date. Despite what Henry had heard her say about the man, he was impressed to see her expression gave none of her distaste away. Instead she was exuding nothing but enthusiasm and politeness.
It made something in him shift and before he had time to be surprised at himself, Henry did something he wasn’t expecting. With one look at the empty second pool table in the corner, he straightened his shirt, ran a hand through his hair and started to walk over to the group. His sights set squarely on the woman with green eyes.
The sister picked him up on her radar the moment he was a few steps away. It didn’t stop Henry. He felt a smile pull up his lips and hoped it was pleasant enough.
He also hoped the blonde hadn’t already committed to her arranged date. Or else things were about to get awkward.
“Hey, sorry, about that,” Henry started, eyes locked on target. “Work called and I had to answer.” He motioned back to the pool tables. “But one of the pool tables is open now if you wanted a rematch.”
The group turned to him as a whole, but the blonde didn’t miss a beat.
She grinned. “If you really want to lose again, then who am I to stop you?”
Henry didn’t have to fake the grin that stretched one corner of his lips higher.
“Wait.” The sister butted in. For a moment Henry thought the jig was up, but then she laughed. “She actually beat someone at pool?”
Henry shrugged.
“Believe me, I’m not proud about it,” he said. “I even owe her a drink because of it. A drink that’s past due now.”
The woman, once again, didn’t skip a beat. “Then let’s fix that, shall we?”
She smiled at her sister, said a quick, “Excuse me,” and followed Henry to the bar. Without another word between them, she ordered a drink. It wasn’t until the group she’d left behind settled into a booth that she spoke.
“I’m assuming you overheard my conversation with the man at the bar,” she said, voice low. It was back to honey.
“I did,” he confirmed.
Her smile returned.
“Thanks for helping me out,” she said. “In my sister’s words, as the baby of the family, I never know what’s good for me. She thinks that’s Stanley, and I think she has too much time on her hands.”
Henry snorted. “My brother plays that age card on me from time to time, too. I know the pain.”
The woman laughed.
It was a very attractive sound from a very attractive woman.
“I’m Cassie, by the way. Thanks again for being quick on your feet. You saved my night.”
“The name’s Henry. And I wouldn’t thank me yet.” Riding a genuine wave of excitement, he leaned closer, careful to keep out of her personal space but just close enough that he smelled her sweet perfume. He felt the new grin seconds before he heard it in his own voice. “I’m actually really great at pool.”
Chapter One (#u160bac0e-890a-5ac5-a740-28aa9cec7c8a)
Henry was looking through the passenger’s side window at the Eagle, trying to pretend he wasn’t thinking of a beautiful woman.
“This is one of three bars in Riker County worth their salt,” explained the driver and temporary tour guide, Sheriff Billy Reed. His cowboy hat sat on the center console between them. It was a reminder that Henry was in the Deep South now where cowboy hats could be normal even if cowboys in Alabama were few and far between. “The owner, nicknamed Hawk because nothing gets past him, also runs the bar and does it well. He makes a mean drink and doesn’t put up with any nonsense. Also has a memory of steel. Go to him once or twice and he’ll know your drink for life. And when to send you off.” The sheriff cut a smile. “I suggest you don’t force him to do that, though. Getting on his bad side wouldn’t be the best thing to do if you want to fit in with our crowd. This is one of local law’s favorite haunts.”
Henry grinned, deciding not to tell the man he was sure he’d already met the famous Hawk and seen up close how he operated. Seven months ago he’d been in the bar the day before interviewing for the Riker County Sheriff’s Department deputy’s position. One he had now held for a week.
The night after the interview he’d left town fast and hadn’t been back since. However, Henry was sure he’d been there long enough to peg the man next to him as one of the good ones. Quick to laugh, quick to teach, more pride than most men showed in their entire lives just while staring at one bar within his jurisdiction. It was crystal clear that Sheriff Reed loved his job, his home and the people he had sworn to protect.
The only thing Henry hadn’t seen yet was how quick Billy went from fun-loving to business when something serious went down. Sure, Henry had read and seen news stories where the man and his department had been quick on their feet, but he was a man who preferred to deal in firsthand experience. Though, thankfully, no calls that week had been worthy of straining the department, the deputies or its sheriff.
But Henry knew it was only a matter of time.
Bad guys never took breaks for long.
The sheriff took the Tahoe out of Park, backed out of the street-side parking spot and into the two-lane. It was a little after nine in the morning and the small town of Carpenter was mostly sleepy. The Eagle and its surrounding businesses especially, since they catered to the nighttime crowds. Still, Henry kept alert as they drove through, trying to catalog everything he could about Carpenter.
Or maybe he was just trying to keep his focus anywhere but on the bar. Even though he’d only been there once, his thoughts had been sliding back to the place for months. Back to the night when he’d met a woman with honey in her voice and a smile in her eyes.
Back to the night when they had played pool, laughed a lot, and things had been anything but sleepy.
A pull of regret momentarily tightened his stomach. He only had one thing to remind him of that night outside of his memories. The small piece of paper tucked into his wallet was a constant reminder of one of the best nights he’d ever had.
And how a man like him shouldn’t have anything beyond that.
“Now that we’ve had a look at where some of the nightlife of Carpenter takes place, I want to show you a few spots of interest during the day,” the sheriff said. He paused before continuing and seemed to consider his next words. “Listen, Henry, I know that you’re used to fieldwork and that this ‘touring the county’ thing is probably driving you a little up the wall, but while sitting in a car as I point at stuff might not be exciting, it’s hard to serve a county you’re flying blind through.”
Henry didn’t dispute that.
He’d spent the last five years in Tennessee, bouncing around when the job called for it. Not too far a cry from South Alabama but enough of a difference that he couldn’t pretend to know the county’s flavor just yet.
Henry pulled his mind away from the blond-haired beauty he’d rescued from a blind date, and tried to refocus on the task at hand. This was the first day he’d spent out of the sheriff’s department. One of several days to come that he’d spend touring with the sheriff and the chief deputy before getting partnered with another deputy. Then, after a while, Henry would finally get his own cruiser and be able to get back to working alone.
He hoped.
It had been a long time since he’d had a partner, and he wasn’t itching to get back into the swing of being one of two.
Sheriff Reed’s guided tour took them through the whole of Carpenter, one of three small towns in the county but, according to Reed, they were barely scratching the surface of his hometown.
“Carpenter has been through a lot in the last decade or so. Heck, the county has been through a lot,” he said later when they pulled into the parking lot of a small diner across the street from the department. Apparently, it was also a law-enforcement favorite, and not just because of its close proximity. “It’s made the community stronger, but it’s also made the people that make trouble smarter. Trickier. Carpenter, and Riker County as a whole, has a lot of nooks and crannies, country roads and open land, not to mention a good deal of abandoned properties scattered throughout the towns and city, that all make it harder to do our jobs. To keep the community safe, to keep the bad guys from getting the upper hand. Which means we get to work harder and adapt so that never happens.”
He put the Tahoe in Park and cut the engine. Henry couldn’t help noticing the temperature on the dash read ninety degrees. Though that wasn’t counting in the humidity.
Billy glanced at the temperature, too, and smirked. “Which means after lunch I’ll start showing you the juicy stuff. Until then you’re about to experience one of the best burgers in town and one of the most powerful commercial air conditioners, too.”
“And I won’t turn that down, either,” Henry was quick to say. It wasn’t like they were allowed to wear shorts on the job to help fight the heat. Plus, it had been a long time since he’d had a good burger.
They got out of the Tahoe and started across the parking lot. It was summer and the heat kept sticking to its guns. The air was hot and heavy, pressing against his uniform without hesitation. Tennessee had its moments of uncomfortable, but one week in Riker County and he thought he understood the meaning of the word melting.
“You weren’t kidding about this place being popular with the badges,” Henry observed after trying to memorize their surroundings for later. He noted two cruisers at the corner of the building and, if he wasn’t mistaken, there was also a personal vehicle of Chief Deputy Suzy Simmons parked in front of the entrance.
“The power of good food in a small town is second to none,” the sheriff responded, seemingly not surprised by the turnout. “Though today it’s less about the food and more about celebrating.” Billy pulled open the door but paused to explain himself over his shoulder. “One of our dispatchers is finally back from an extended vacation. We love all of our department, but I don’t think I’m being too sentimental when I say she’s close to the heart of it.”
Henry had heard that one of the night-shift dispatchers was out of town, but he hadn’t thought any more on it. Carpenter might have been a small town, but Riker oversaw two more towns and one city. He hadn’t had a chance to meet all the deputies in the department, let alone all the support staff. He hadn’t even personally met the dispatchers currently working.
“Plus,” the sheriff continued with a smirk, “I may be a man of the law, but I’m not one to turn down a chance at cake.”
Henry laughed and followed him inside. It was a small room but efficient. Booths lined the right wall along the windows while a counter stretched across the other with stools in front. In the back corner three booths were filled with deputies, Chief Deputy Simmons, and even one of the detectives, Matt Walker. Some were off duty; others wore their uniforms. All were seemingly in good moods.
Henry spied the half-eaten cake in question sitting in the center of the middle booth, but the woman of the hour wasn’t across from it. Even without knowing it was a celebration for her, Henry could have guessed easily enough. Everyone seemed to be leaning in toward her. She stood at the head of the closest table, a gift bag in one hand and tissue paper in the other. Henry couldn’t see her face, but he had an uninhibited view of her hair.
It was blond and curly and familiar.
“Deputy Ward,” Sheriff Reed announced as soon as they were close enough to the group. Everyone quieted and turned their attention to their leader. Including the woman of the hour. “I’d like to introduce you to our very own Cassie Gates.”
Two beautiful green eyes found Henry’s and widened.
The woman Henry had spent months trying to forget wasn’t just a dispatcher for the department. According to the sheriff, she was the heart of it.
On reflex alone Henry outstretched his hand.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. There was a distant tone to his voice. Even he could hear it. Like someone who had just been blindsided. Which, he realized, was exactly what was happening.
Cassie’s long lashes blinked a few times but she collected herself quickly.
“Nice to meet you,” she repeated. Her tone also sounding dull, hollow.
At least he wasn’t the only one who had been caught wholly off guard.
The change in both of their demeanors didn’t go unnoticed, either. The sheriff raised an eyebrow. He didn’t have time to comment.
The sound of glass shattering filled the air.
And then, right in front of Henry’s eyes, the sheriff took a bullet to the stomach.
* * *
BETWEEN THE SPACE of two breaths, all hell broke loose in the diner.
Cassie dropped to the floor, a scream caught in her throat. Almost simultaneously the weight of someone else was on top of her, sandwiching her flat against the tiled floor.
Yelling followed by more glass shattering kept the noise levels high and heavy. What was once a celebration had turned into terror. Like a light switch had been flipped, bathing them in a whole new array of shadows. Whoever was covering her tightened around her body, making a cage.
More gunshots sounded overhead. So close, her ears rang in protest. Her colleagues, her friends, were returning fire.
Memories of being in a similar situation years before filled her head.
She’d done this before.
She’d been here before. Under fire...
When she thought she was supposed to be safe.
Cassie sucked in a breath, panic thronging her body. If her hands had been free, they would have gone straight to her neck. A gut reaction she’d honed in the last two and a half years. Her fingers would trace the scar at the side of her neck. She’d remember the blood and terror. However, now she couldn’t go through that routine. Not when the weight of someone was keeping her to the floor.
So she did the best thing she could. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited.
What felt like an eternity went by until silence finally cut through the madness. It was brief but poignant. As if the diner as a whole had decided to take a collective breath. She couldn’t have been the only one whose heart was trying to hammer itself out of her chest.
The body holding her didn’t move.
Then, as quickly as the shot had invaded the diner in the first place, the yelling started again. A collective muddled sound where everyone spoke together, canceling one another out with no real progress.
It wasn’t until one voice climbed its way above those of the patrons and staff that the chaos was curbed.
“Billy! Billy’s down!”
Cassie’s personal cage loosened around her enough so that she could look toward Suzy. The chief deputy dropped to her hands and knees next to the sheriff, hands already pressing into the gunshot wound in his stomach. Cassie couldn’t look away as blood began to flow onto Suzy’s dark hands.
Billy didn’t complain about the shot or the pressure.
He didn’t even move.
“Are you okay?”
A new voice was at Cassie’s ear. The weight on her eased off until a man’s concerned expression swam into view. Still, she couldn’t look away from the sheriff. She could almost smell the blood.
“Are you okay?” the man repeated. “Cassie?”
Two warm hands came up to cradle her chin. He was gentle as he forced her to look away from the anguishing scene no more than two feet from them. Her boss. Her friend.
“Are you hurt?”
It was like he reached out and slapped her. The shock, the fear, the panic turned analytical. Cassie focused on her body, a new kind of worry coursing through her.
Had they been hurt?
Other than her racing heart, nothing felt different.
“Cassie?”
Clear eyes implored her. She finally recognized them as Henry’s. If they had been in any other situation, she would have been fighting a storm of emotions just at the sight of him. Instead she answered him simply. “I think I’m okay.”
Henry dropped his hands from her face to her shoulders. He pulled her up but not to her full height. Instead she let herself be led behind the counter that ran the length of the diner. Two waitresses were already huddled there, a reflection of the fear Cassie felt in their faces.
“Stay here,” Henry ordered. “There could be more than one shooter.”
She nodded and watched as he disappeared. Without his weight keeping her arms down, Cassie was able to reach up and touch the scar on her neck.
