DANGER BROUGHT THEM BACK TOGETHER.

WILL A SECRET BABY TEAR THEM APART?

As the newest deputy in town, Henry Ward is hoping to escape painful memories. Then a rain of bullets brings his history rising up again, throwing Cassie Gates directly into his path. He hasn’t forgotten their night together, seven months ago. And now that he’s seen her—pregnant with his child—Henry knows he’s fighting more than his past. He’s fighting for his future.

The Protectors of Riker County

TYLER ANNE SNELL genuinely loves all genres of the written word. However, she’s realized that she loves books illed with sexual tension and mysteries a little more than the rest. Her stories have a good dose of both. Tyler lives in Alabama with her same-named husband and their mini “lions.” When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s playing video games and working on her blog, Almost There. To follow her shenanigans, visit tylerannesnell.com.

Also by Tyler Anne Snell

Small-Town Face-Off

The Deputy’s Witness

Forgotten Pieces

Loving Baby

Private Bodyguard

Full Force Fatherhood

Be on the Lookout: Bodyguard

Suspicious Activities

Manhunt

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Deputy’s Baby

Tyler Anne Snell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07919-8

THE DEPUTY’S BABY

© 2018 Tyler Anne Snell

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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This book is for Marjorie and Annmarie. You two have been by my side, rooting for me since before I could remember. Even now you two are my own personal cheerleaders, and I couldn’t ask for anyone better! You might have a dedication in this book but know that you help me write every single one. Love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Prologue

“Listen, I need you to buy me a drink.”

Henry Ward put his beer bottle back on the bar’s top and glanced at the couple next to him. Well, considering what the woman just told the man, he guessed they weren’t a couple at all. It was well past the afternoon, but the bar hadn’t yet filled up. If he hadn’t been so focused on mentally prepping for what he had to do the next day, he probably would have noticed that he and his bar stool companion weren’t alone.

“Say what?” the man next to Henry asked. He had a slight slur that sounded like he was trying to talk through a coat of syrup. That wasn’t exactly surprising considering Henry had watched him down four very potent drinks within the last hour. Ones that had no color other than dark brown and could be smelled a few feet away. The woman must not have had the chance to catch on to the fumes yet or just hadn’t registered the slur. Or maybe she didn’t care. Either way, it wasn’t his business.

Yet he couldn’t help keeping an ear turned to the conversation.

“I need you to pretend that you bought me a drink, I should say,” the woman was quick to add. There was some hesitation in her words, but she took the bar stool on the other side of the man, three seats down from Henry.

He glanced over to see the blond of her hair, curled and running down the length of her back, but couldn’t get a good angle on her face. He turned his gaze back to the TV over the bar area and fingered the label on his bottle.

“My, uh, sister Kristen just told me she’s bringing one of her coworkers over to meet me. She’s been trying to set us up for a while now and...well, she won’t take no for an answer. So I thought I’d take the option off the table.” The woman waited for him to respond. When a moment stretched on, she laid it out simply. “Can I just sit here and talk to you for a few minutes? Maybe throw in some fake laughing every once in a while for show?”

Henry snorted but then covered it up by taking another pull of his beer. Even though he’d been sitting in the Eagle longer than the man a stool over from him had been, he’d only had the one drink. The only reason he’d even left his hotel for the bar was nerves. He had a job interview the next day.

An important one at that.

“Sure thing, hon,” the man finally answered. The slur went past the subtle side and right to blatantly obvious. “I’ll be your shoulder to lean on all night long. You’re such a pretty little thing.”

Henry glanced over at the two again in time to see the woman’s hand, rising to grab the bartender’s attention most likely, stall in midair. There was no denying the man between them was drunk now. Henry knew she’d heard it clear as day.

And it had bothered her.

“Oh, you know, thank you for that,” she hurriedly said, hand already back on the bar’s top. “Really. But I just...well, you know I just realized how rude it would be to lie to my sister. I mean, she’s a pain, believe me, but I should just be honest with her. So thank you again, but I don’t think this was the best idea.” She was off the bar stool faster than the drunk man could probably process the movement. “I’m sorry for the interruption. Enjoy the rest of your night!”

“I don’t think so, sweetie,” the man managed to rasp.

Henry tensed as his neighbor started to turn around.

“You can’t just leave me hanging like that. It isn’t nice.”

Henry was a second away from making the man turn around on his stool, with more than a few stern words, but the woman beat him to the punch. Her voice, sweet as honey moments before, took on a sharp edge.

“If you think I’m not nice, then you wouldn’t like my Taser,” she said simply.

It did the trick.

The man mumbled and then was facing his empty glass again.

Henry smirked as the woman walked away. He didn’t look after her. He didn’t need to be doing anything other than worrying about his interview. Though admittedly he wanted the man next to him dealt with. Instead of minding his own business again, he caught the bartender’s eye and waved him over. He pointed his thumb at the man now cursing all women beneath his breath.

“I think this one needs a cab called in right about now,” Henry said.

The bartender, an older gentlemAn with no hair on his scalp but at least a year’s worth of hair on his chin, nodded. Without looking at the man in question, he sighed.

“One’s already on the way,” he said. “Gary gets pretty foul after four of his drinks. If I don’t send him off after that, he won’t pay the cabdriver when they get him to his place.”

“Good policy,” Henry admitted, impressed.

The man named Gary swore at the two of them but nothing that made sense.

“If you get him into the cab so I don’t have to, next drink is on the house,” the bartender added, annoyance clear in his voice. “I’d rather not deal with him tonight.”

Henry felt the now-room-temperature beer between his hands. It would be nice if he had a cold one. “Deal.”

He spent the next five minutes or so trying to get Gary to calm down. Even without the woman coming over, Henry would bet Gary could still have managed to get riled up all on his lonesome.

During the last two years, Henry had worked alongside men like Gary, known them like he knew himself. They were angry no matter the drink in their hand or the people at their side. The way they held themselves, the way they dressed, spoke and even held their glasses or bottles showed Henry men who were unhappy and, for whatever reason, wanted to stay that way.

Being around them was more than a job. It was an exercise. One that had worn him down to the point of exhaustion.

Which was why his interview the next day was important.

He needed a new routine.

Gary, however, didn’t seem to want anything other than his current mood. He grumbled and cursed as Henry took him to his cab. Henry watched after him for a moment. The night air was cool and apparently rare, according to the manager from his hotel. Henry almost considered going back to his hotel room and trying to get a good night’s sleep. But just as quickly, he realized that wasn’t going to happen. He had too much on his mind. Not to mention a free beer back inside.

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

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.

Then she dropped her hand to her stomach.

Henry’s voice joined the chorus of law enforcement in the diner. It had been so long since she’d heard it like this. Panic and determination. Fear and anger. Uncertainty and planning.

And then here Henry was, among them, adding to the group. It had been over seven months since she’d seen him. Now here he was after no contact whatsoever.

And still he’d tried to protect her.

Cassie rubbed the bump beneath her loose-fitting shirt.

Henry Ward had no idea he’d just protected his unborn child, too.

Chapter Two

The man who had shot Sheriff Reed had been killed on sight by Chief Deputy Simmons. She hadn’t even needed to leave the diner to do it, shooting through the shattered window from next to the booth. Though the man had taken a hit or two from Deputy Dante Mills and Detective Walker in the process.

As for who the shooter was? That wasn’t answered until that night inside the department. Suzy, as everyone called her, straightened her back and addressed a room filled to the brim with staff on and off duty. With the sheriff out of commission, she was next in line to lead, and from what Henry had seen of her so far, he more than believed she was ready for the job.

“I just got off the phone with Mara,” she began.

Henry knew she was talking about the sheriff’s wife. It wasn’t a secret how much the man loved his wife and two children. It had been a point of envy for Henry when Billy first talked to him. Now it did nothing but make him feel even more for the man. He knew he wasn’t the only one.

“She said that according to the doctor, he isn’t out of the woods yet. The bullet missed any vital organs, but he lost a lot of blood.”

The woman paused, pain crossing her expression before she could rein it in. Billy had also not kept it a secret that his chief deputy was his best friend and had been for years. They were even godparents to each other’s children. He was her family just as the rest of the department was. That closeness was apparent in how the room around Henry seemed to be hanging on her every word.

He couldn’t deny he missed that feeling.

Camaraderie that was familial.

“But the doctor also said he’s optimistic,” she continued. A small smile pulled up the corner of her lips. “And we all know how hard-headed Billy is. Knowing him, he’ll be giving out orders by the end of the week from his hospital bed, fussing for his cowboy hat.”

There was a chorus of laughter and agreement.

It didn’t last long.

Neither did Suzy’s smile.

“The reason we’re all here is a man named Darrel Connelly,” she started again, her tone sharp, serious. A leader addressing those who followed her. “He had no ID on him, but a local police officer recognized him. We ran his name and found that he hadn’t been arrested before, but his brother, Tanner, had been for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. Billy’s testimony sent Tanner to jail, where he was killed in an inmate-led riot. He was Darrel’s only family. So I don’t think it would be going out on a limb to say that Billy was targeted out of revenge.”

The same group who had laughed in agreement a minute before cursed in unison.

Henry joined in.

“However, until we complete an official investigation, no one in the department will comment to the press. Understood?” Suzy didn’t wait for an answer. Instead she took a quick breath and gave a small nod. “While Billy is out, we will continue to do our jobs with the best of our abilities. Any and all questions in the meantime can be addressed to me or Captain Jones. When I know more about Billy’s condition, I will update you. Until then, let’s continue to make the sheriff proud.”

The room’s mood swung into a cheer before they started to break up. Suzy stayed up front, talking to those who stopped at her side. Almost like a widow after a funeral. Henry just hoped the analogy didn’t come true.

He stayed to the outskirts of the room, hanging back while the bulk of people filtered out. He looked through the crowd, hoping to see the woman he hadn’t ever thought he’d see again.

Cassie Gates.

One of Riker County Sheriff’s Department’s dispatchers.

Henry hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk to her since the diner. After they had secured the area, she’d left with one of the deputies and his wife. She’d been visibly shaken. They all had been, though, if he was being honest.

“Hey, Ward.”

Henry turned as Detective Walker came up to his side. He ran a hand through his blond hair and let out a sigh. It was tired.

“Not how you pictured your first week,” he commented. It wasn’t a question. “Wasn’t how I pictured my week, either, to tell the truth.”

Henry nodded. “Bad guys don’t take breaks for long,” he said. “My partner used to say that all the time.”

“I hate that it’s true but it is.” Matt ran another hand through his hair. He’d been the one doing the legwork on Darrel since they got back. Henry imagined he’d have a full, exhausting day tomorrow, too. “One minute we’re eating cake and the next—” The detective cut himself off, anger rising to the surface of his expression.

Henry let him have the moment in silence. He took another visible breath to calm himself.

“I just wanted to say thank you for what you did today.”

Henry couldn’t help his eyebrow rising in question.

The detective elaborated. “You covered Cassie without hesitation,” he said simply. “Made sure she was safe before we could get a hold on the situation. Good instincts can’t be taught, but they can be thanked.”

That surprised Henry. For two different reasons. One, trying to protect Cassie was a gut reaction. One his body started before his mind could even catch up and act on. He’d heard and seen the shot and then trying to protect her had been his only priority. He hadn’t done it for praise or thanks and was surprised he was getting both.

Two, being thanked was strange enough, but being thanked by the detective raised a few questions. The first and loudest was why was Matt invested in her safety? Or, more to the point, was it more personal than colleagues and friends? Did he care more for the woman than the rest?

And why was the mere thought of the two having more than a working relationship bothering Henry so much?

He’d only known Cassie for the one night—and the following morning—and then they’d parted ways. The slip of paper in his wallet was the only connection he’d had to her past then. It was foolish to think she was the same woman. He hadn’t seen her in over seven months.

A lot could happen in less time.

Henry shouldn’t, and couldn’t, be surprised that she might be in a relationship. Heck, they hadn’t even had one to begin with.

“I was just doing my job,” Henry said dutifully, locking down any conflicting emotions that might be splaying across his expression. “Nothing the rest of you wouldn’t do in my place. I’m just glad we kept anyone else from getting hurt.”

Matt nodded, accepting the statement as true, and started to walk off.

However, Henry couldn’t help himself. “I actually wanted to talk to her,” he blurted out, surprising himself. “Cassie, that is. I never got the chance at a proper introduction.” It was a lie, but Henry wasn’t about to admit to the detective that he had already met the woman... At a bar before going back to his hotel room. Especially if the two were involved. “Do you know where she is? I haven’t seen her since we left the diner.”

Matt’s brow furrowed. “She went to the hospital afterward, but now, if I’m not mistaken, she’s back at my place. I told her not to bother coming into the department tonight. Technically she doesn’t start back until next week.”

Henry’s gut dropped more than it should have. He had just confirmed the theory that Cassie and Matt were involved. Some of that emotion must have showed in his expression.

Matt gave a small smile. “You know, I’m about to head there myself but need a ride. If you give me a lift, I can trade you a home-cooked meal. I don’t think any of us has had anything to eat yet. Plus, I’m sure Cassie will want to thank you for earlier.”

The offer felt genuine. Matt hadn’t picked up on any of Henry’s thoughts.

But even those thoughts gave him little ground to argue with. Though Henry had to admit he didn’t like the idea of Cassie with someone else, he knew it was for the better.

People around him got hurt. Plain and simple.

But that didn’t stop him from accepting the offer.

He still wanted to see her. If only to make sure she was really okay.

They said goodbye to Suzy, asking again to be kept in the loop, and were on the road to Matt’s house within minutes. The detective gave directions, but other than that their conversation was light. Henry wanted to get to know more about him but decided he already knew enough. The lead detective was good at his job, nice to his team and loyal.

He reminded Henry of Calvin, his old partner.

A good man.

A man that Cassie deserves.

The thought popped into his head so quickly he couldn’t brace himself for it.

How had a woman he’d known for such a short time affected him so much? It made no sense. And was dangerous. Henry needed this job. He needed a new start. Banishing any and all thoughts of Cassie Gates past professionalism wasn’t something he wanted. He needed it.

Get a grip on yourself.

Henry loosened his shoulders, put on a polite smile and was ready when they finally pulled up to the detective’s house.

“Home sweet home,” Matt said over the hood of the car when they got out. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to eat a horse.”

The house was a good size with a nice yard. Simple and quaint. Two cars were parked in the driveway. One Henry recognized as the detective’s personal vehicle, the other he’d not seen before. Lights were on in the dining room, the curtains open enough that Henry got a clear view of the table.

And Cassie sitting at its end.

She must have felt his stare. She looked out the window and met his eyes.

She didn’t smile.

Maybe coming hadn’t been a good idea.

“I should also probably warn you,” started Matt, walking up the sidewalk that led to his front door. He paused at it, hand on the handle. “You’re about to meet a very loud, slightly intrusive woman. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love her, but sometimes she can be a little overpowering when you first get to know her.” There was a smile in his voice. “She calls it curiosity.”

Henry didn’t remember Cassie being loud, certainly not intrusive. At the bar she hadn’t kept poking around when he’d said he couldn’t talk about his current job and, in fact, hadn’t asked too many really personal questions at all. He’d treated her in kind.

Still, he had to remind himself he didn’t know her past their one shared night of passion.

That passion.

Even months later his body remembered it. Craved it.

Henry cleared his throat and followed the detective inside. He was just about to agree with his earlier thought that coming had been a bad idea when they made it to the dining room. Cassie was staring up at them. She looked tired. It reminded him that there were more important things than their past. She’d been witness to one of her friends almost dying across from her.

“I invited Henry to join us for dinner,” Matt greeted. “Since...well, today didn’t go as planned.”

Cassie looked between them. It encouraged Henry to respond.

“It’s nice to officially meet you,” he lied again. If she was with the detective, he didn’t want to make anything awkward. Not when Riker County was his chance to start over. He didn’t want to make enemies his first week on the job. And judging by the look she was giving him, he could only assume she was trying to figure out what to say herself. The least he could do was try to help her out.

Cassie’s green, green eyes widened, but she didn’t get a chance to respond. Sound from the other room turned into a flurry of motion that converged on the detective next to him within seconds. Henry tensed, but Matt was laughing into the hair of the woman whose arms were wrapped around him.

“My God, Maggie,” he said, reciprocating the embrace. “Ever think about playing football?”

The woman covered his mouth with hers in a quick but strong kiss. She wasn’t smiling when she pulled away.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said. “If something had happened to you, I would have hurt you myself.”

“Of that I have no doubt.” Matt reached up and squeezed her shoulder. He turned to Henry. “This is Maggie Carson. Apparently my linebacker of a fiancée. Maggie, this is our newest deputy I was telling you about. Henry Ward.”

Maggie’s gaze lifted to his. Her handshake was firm.

“Thanks for bringing him home,” she said, sincere. “My car’s been acting up and I stole his to pick Cassie up from the hospital.”

Henry felt his eyebrow rise. He turned to Cassie. “I thought you said you were okay.”

He wouldn’t have left her alone otherwise.

She gave him a polite smile, one he’d seen when he first met her at the Eagle, and stood from her seat.

Henry’s eyes zipped downward.

Right to Cassie’s stomach.

She placed a hand over it, protectively.

“I was,” she said. “But I wanted to make sure he was, too.”

Chapter Three

“You’re pregnant.”

It wasn’t a question but it wasn’t a statement, either. It felt like a confused in-between. Henry Ward had been thrown for a loop and was still trying to find his way back to solid ground. Cassie tried to help, even if she was also looking for some better footing herself.

It wasn’t every day that the father of your child appeared out of thin air for the first time since the night he’d spent with you months before, then potentially saved your life and pretended he’d never met you before.

It was all confusing.

“I am,” she confirmed, though it wasn’t needed. “Seven months, give or take.”

Cassie would bet Henry was doing some of the fastest math he’d ever done in his life. All while staring at her pregnant belly. Since she’d never had kids before, she wasn’t showing as much, but there was no denying the bump once she brought attention to it.

The man wasn’t stupid. If his math was even in the ballpark, he’d guess that he was the father. However, he didn’t ask the question. Then again, she didn’t think he would. Not after he’d made it clear they didn’t know each other.

You didn’t speak up, either, Cassie pointed out to herself.

The weight of the day erased thoughts of Cassie’s personal life for the moment. She moved her hand across her stomach.

“The doc gave the okay, though,” she said. If Maggie, the ex-reporter, or Matt noticed anything off about the two of them, they didn’t say a word. “But you can never be too careful. Plus, I wanted to be there for Mara.”

Henry tore his eyes off her stomach.

“That’s good,” was all he said.

Matt put a hand on his shoulder and steered the deputy into the kitchen. Cassie settled back into her chair while Maggie followed the men. She was soon back with the dinner they’d just finished making. Nothing too fancy, just something to kill their hunger. Cassie doubted any of them could take any real pleasure from a meal until Billy could, too.

Like her hand had a mind of its own again, it moved up and touched the scar at her neck. Maggie didn’t miss it. She took the seat next to Cassie and patted her back.

“You’re okay,” Maggie whispered. “You both are okay. This will all get sorted out. Have faith.”

Cassie felt herself nod.

Maggie started a volley of questions as soon as the men were back and seated. More than anything Cassie wanted to pay attention, to learn more about Henry, a man at times she’d wondered if he was even real. Yet there was a rising feeling of overwhelming vulnerability in her chest. It tightened her stomach and pulled out some of the fear and anger she’d felt at the diner.

She didn’t know if it was because she was pregnant, because the man she’d spent the last several months hoping would call had showed up, or because she just hadn’t had the time to process everything, but suddenly she couldn’t just sit there anymore.

“If y’all hadn’t have been at my party, this wouldn’t have happened,” she said, cutting Matt off midsentence.

He was quick to shake his head.

“Cassie, you know as well as I do that you and your party had nothing to do with this,” Matt said in defense. “That man was angry, probably out for revenge. Location doesn’t deter someone stuck in the mind-set that they’re going to try to take on the law.”

“But it did give the bastard the opportunity, didn’t it?”

She felt the heat that surged through her words seconds before Matt’s eyes widened a fraction. She’d bet Maggie’s were probably wider, too. It wasn’t every day that Cassie Gates had an outburst. She was the sweet one. The Southern girl who always smiled and was agreeable. The one who stayed optimistic when things went badly.

Her cheeks stung now that she’d broken out of her normal character. It didn’t help that Henry was there, staring at her with those eyes of steel. The same eyes that had traced her lips seconds before he’d kissed her for the first time. The same eyes that had traveled across her bare skin sometime later in the night.

Cool, hard steel she hadn’t seen since.

And she hated that she was thinking about that night right now. After the day they’d been through, it didn’t seem so important.

Yet she could feel the tears of being rejected starting to push themselves forward.

“Cassie...” Maggie began, but her tone was what finally broke the dam that Cassie had put up to keep herself sane after the diner.

The chair scraped against the floor as she pushed herself back and stood. With one hand on her stomach, Cassie met no one’s gaze. “Sorry, I’m just tired and hormonal,” she declared. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I think I’d like to go home now.”

Maggie, bless her, must have caught on that Cassie meant what she said.

“Okay,” she said, a reassuring smile lifting her expression. “That’s fine. Let me at least make you a plate before we go, though, all right? Tired or not, you two still need to eat something.”

There was force behind her words. A mother mothering a soon-to-be mother. Practically the lifeblood of the South. But she was right.

Cassie nodded and collected her plate. “I’ll help.”

Without looking at the men, or the one in particular, Cassie fled to the kitchen, a storm of emotions battling it out in her chest.

* * *

THE WOMEN WERE out and gone before Henry could think of a reason to pull Cassie aside, alone. Not that it would have changed anything. Cassie could have medaled at the Olympic sport of avoidance with how she’d skirted him on the way out.

Instead of asking her the million-dollar question, he’d been left watching through the dining room window as she slid into Maggie’s car.

Not that he blamed her.

He’d just burned any normal bridge they could have had, announcing that he’d never met the woman before in front of her coworkers. Her friends.

Henry resisted the urge to slam his fist down on the tabletop.

Seven months give or take.

That give or take could make the difference.

Had she met someone after him?

Or was he the father?

How had he missed that detail at the diner?

Why had he lied?

And why hadn’t Cassie corrected him?

Too many questions and no one to ask them of. At least, not right now.

“I’m sure Billy already told you, but we’ve been through a lot as a department the last few years,” Matt said, breaking the silence they’d fallen into. He moved his food around on his plate before dropping his fork and taking up his beer. “Stuff that scars. But I guess with your last job you know that better than most of us.”

It wasn’t a question. Few had been aware of the finite details that went along with his last job. The detective hadn’t been one of them, but Henry knew he wasn’t stupid. It was public knowledge that his partner, Calvin Fitzgerald, had died during an undercover operation.

Henry took a long pull from his beer as thoughts about Cassie were momentarily replaced by the one part of his past he’d been forced to leave behind.

“Scars are par for the course in this field,” he said. “Everyone seems to get them, no matter which side they’re on. And even if they aren’t on a side at all. A damn shame, if you ask me.”

Matt picked up his beer and tapped it against Henry’s bottle with a clink. “Amen to that.” He paused, his bottle hanging in midair. “But some of us have literal scars. Ones that came from calls that were way too close. Cassie’s one of them. So I’m sure she’s swimming in a sea of bad memories right now. When the dust settles and when Billy heals up, you’ll see us all in a better light.” Matt smirked. “Until then, try not to take any general grumpiness personal.”

“Deal.”

Henry didn’t have the heart to tell the man that any ill feelings he might get from Cassie were more than deserved.

Instead they finished their dinner just as Maggie returned to help clean up. The way she and the detective moved in tandem without even realizing they were doing it was refreshing to see. The only relationships Henry had been around in the last few years had been dangerous, toxic and unpredictable. Ones that were filled with uncertainty and almost always sank his world into trouble.

Which was why he’d come to Riker County in the first place.

He wasn’t looking for redemption and he sure as hell wasn’t looking for a second chance at his old life. He didn’t want to make things better. That was another bridge that had already burned.

All Henry wanted now was a big heap of nothing.

He wanted a clean slate.

But could he do it? Could he start over? Or had his last job rubbed off on him too much?

Henry sat heavily in the driver’s seat of his car after saying ’bye to the couple. He waved at Matt, who retreated into his house, Maggie at his side.

What about Cassie?

And her unborn son?

* * *

THE HEAT WAS THICK. Heavy. Unforgiving.

He didn’t care.

“What was that?” His voice wasn’t low. He was yelling. Again, he didn’t care. “You all had one job. One job!”

With a flourish he swept his arm over the desk. Everything on its top flew off and crashed to the floor. The man across from him winced. The woman holding his hand did not.

“We saw an opportunity and snapped at it,” she hissed, all venom.

“You could have ruined everything,” he yelled back. The keyboard that clung to the desktop by its cord didn’t last long. He put more feeling into his swing and it, too, crashed to the floor. This time the computer went with it.

The man across from him flinched again like he’d been the one struck. His woman didn’t bend.

“We have been waiting for you to put your plan into action for months,” she retorted, fire in her words. In a detached sort of way he noticed the tension that had tightened her muscles. He’d bet she was doing everything in her power not to throw her entire body into her anger. Her rage. Under different circumstances he might have been impressed.

At the moment he was not.

“What we’re doing, what I’m doing, isn’t planning some stroll through the park or setting up some simple con,” he said, pulling some of his own frustration back into himself. With Darrel’s death he’d already lost one of his players. He wasn’t willing to lose any more. Not yet. Not when they were so close. He straightened his tie and ran a hand over his hair to smooth it down. “It isn’t a plan at all, really. It’s a vision. One that will only work if we don’t do whatever the hell we want to.”

His calm shattered in an instant. He grabbed the lip of his desk and pulled up. If it had been his home office desk, it wouldn’t have budged, but this one was cheap. The desk flipped over without much resistance.

Paula was quick. She was up and out of her chair in a flash, long legs graceful in their movement. Her poor excuse for a boyfriend, Jason, wasn’t as fast. The weight of the desk pinned the top of his foot. He yelled out in pain.

Again, if it had been his personal desk, Jason’s foot would have been broken by the weight.

“Things are about to get crazy,” he continued, voice lost to the strain of trying to figure out if he should keep his tantrum going. “And that chaos is the goal, the end game.” He fixed Paula with a look that kept whatever she was about to say behind her lips. “No more acting out of line in the name of revenge. No more taking shots because you have the opportunity. You’re here for more than something so insignificant.”

Paula crossed her arms over her chest. She made no move to help Jason free himself. It was as if she’d already forgotten him.

Which was even better.

“What’s more significant than revenge?” she asked, cool and calm. “What’s better than making the people who wronged us and ours suffer?”

He was quick to answer. “The power to prolong both.”

For the first time since he’d summoned them both into his makeshift office, Paula’s expression went blank. Then, slowly, she smiled. “Then let’s go make some chaos.”

Chapter Four

The night ended without any more fuss. Cassie went home, showered and then took comfort in the arms of her padded duvet. But only after dropping the air-conditioning down a few degrees. She’d had a good pregnancy so far when it came to morning sickness, but she never stopped being amazed at how hot she got.

Her sister Kristen called her a walking furnace.

Cassie lived up to the name the next morning. She woke up sweating. It wasn’t until she made it to the kitchen for a glass of water that she fought through the haze of sleep and remembered everything that had happened the day before.

She downed half the glass and went in search of her cell phone. It had also spent the night tangled in the bedsheets. Which meant her battery hadn’t been charged. A notification showed it was less than 15 percent. The one below it listed two new text messages. Cassie perched on the side of the bed. She didn’t give herself time to worry about what each message said before opening and reading both.

The first was from Denise, the Caller ID reading Mrs. Beadle. Several hearts were on either side of the name. Cassie smiled. Her eldest sister and sibling was just as maternal as their mother. She’d actually been the first person Cassie had called after getting to the hospital to make sure everything was okay with the baby.

Which hadn’t made Kristen happy, since she was local and Denise lived in Colorado. However, it was a force of habit to call the eldest Gates sibling and had been since she’d moved out of the house when they were younger. Denise had a gift for worrying about a person with all of her being while simultaneously helping comfort that same person with all of her being. And that was what Cassie had desperately wanted. Comfort, released of the fear and uncertainty that had just crashed back into her life. Both sisters said in their own ways to call them when she was up and moving around.

Cassie sighed.

It was only a matter of time before word got out to the rest of the Gates clan. Then her brothers would be the ones filling her inbox.

It came with the territory of being the youngest of six siblings. The baby. Which, by default, meant she received the full weight of their worry and less and less of their confidence. Never mind Cassie was twenty-nine, had a mortgage and was a few months shy of becoming a full-fledged mother.

She placed a hand on her swollen belly.

A love she didn’t think was possible consumed her entire heart and soul at the touch. Relief cascaded down until she felt like crying.

The sound of gunfire shot across her thoughts.

If anything had happened to her son at the diner...

Cassie fisted the sheets in her hands, suddenly as angry as a kicked hornet’s nest.

Then she was picturing gray eyes and feeling the warmth of a body protecting hers.

Henry. Henry Ward.

The rage at the most horrific what-if about her son lessened into a different kind of anger. One that, if she was being honest, was backed up by insecurity.

After a night of connection so deep with the man that it had surprised her, he had promised to call when he got back home.

Yet he never had.

No call. No text. No anything.

What’s more?

He’d told her his name was Henry Smith.

How idiotic she found that now. Of course the gorgeous man she’d had a wonderful night of passion with after meeting in a bar had given her a fake name. She should have taken it as a hint he didn’t want to see her again after he’d told her he couldn’t give his number out because he didn’t have one yet. But, boy, if she hadn’t believed him then. Hung on his every word.

She had been a sheep, like normal. He, a lion.

Embarrassment began to burn in Cassie’s cheeks. She shook her head.

“Nothing’s changed,” she said out loud, stern with herself. “You have this baby and this baby has you. You don’t need strangers who lie. No matter how sexy that stranger is.” She patted her stomach. “You can do this, baby mama.”

It was a good little talk that mostly did the trick.

She went around the house trying her best to get back into any semblance of a routine. She ate, she cleaned and she cooked, all while making calls to her family and friends. The former she assured she was okay, the latter she asked for updates on the sheriff. Maggie was the only person she could get hold of who knew anything substantial about Billy’s condition. He was stable but still unconscious. Once he did wake they’d be able to go from there. It was good news, all things considered, yet it wasn’t enough to erase the fear that had taken root.

It wasn’t until she finished strapping a pan covered in aluminum foil into the passenger seat of her car that Cassie realized she was going to try to help alleviate some of that stress for her friends by delivering a platter of lasagna to the department. Just in time for lunch like the Southern woman her mother taught her to be. Sure, it wasn’t a normal lunch meal, but she blamed that on the baby in her stomach. She’d been craving cheese and tomato sauce for days. Two birds, one stone.

The dish didn’t budge as she drove to the heart of Carpenter. Since she was alone she said a few curses under her breath about the weather. Furnace or not, their South Alabama town was just plain old miserable. A blanket heat, a choking humidity and a baby in her belly were not complimentary details that made the situation better. By the time she pulled into the parking lot at the sheriff’s department, she was ready to sprint inside for the lobby air conditioner if she had to.

The day shift had most of the lot filled, but Cassie couldn’t help noticing a car she didn’t recognize. Which probably belonged to Henry, she realized.

The father of her child.

No amount of lasagna or air-conditioning was going to smooth over that particular stress. Despite her feelings, reservations and insecurities, she couldn’t sidestep the man forever. Especially if he was a deputy.

That meant that she was going to have to decide sooner or later if she was going to tell him the truth.

Guilt pooled in her stomach, but she was quick to combat it with the facts.

As much as she wanted to believe that the man she’d had a connection with months ago was great, she couldn’t escape the reality that he had lied to her about his name and then disappeared completely from her life.

He had been a one-night stand, albeit a great one. That was what it boiled down to.

One night.

That didn’t seem like a lot when contemplating letting him possibly have a place in her unborn child’s life.

Cassie cut the engine and patted her stomach.

“No matter what, it’s going to be all right,” she told her son, though she knew it was more to herself. With a sigh that she was sure even he felt, Cassie got out of the car and pushed into the heat.

She wasn’t two steps behind her car when her plan of action to escape the heat was halted.

“Excuse me.”

Cassie turned in time to watch a man walk out from between two of the cars. He immediately held his hands up in defense and pointed behind him.

“I was on the way over here from the coffee shop,” he explained. “Now I realize how creepy it must look, me just popping out from the back of the parking lot.”

The man managed to look sheepish. He was well dressed, she guessed in his early thirties, and had a shock of dark red hair that was trimmed neat to the scalp. Cassie had never seen him before, but nothing about him screamed hostile. The smile left behind from his laughter put her at ease.

“I assume you work at the department?” This time he motioned to the building behind her.

She’d been with the sheriff’s department for years and knew it like the back of her hand. It stood between the county courthouse and the local television station, a two-story wrapped in faded orange brick and concrete. It was wider than its neighboring buildings but shorter. The second floor was vacant minus a room used for storage. Still, the department had spent years cultivating efficiency in the first floor’s space. Cassie was particularly proud of her dispatcher’s area.

“Yes, I do,” she answered, mimicking his smile. “Though at the moment I’m off duty. But I’d be glad to try to help you.”

“I really do appreciate that, but I’m afraid I have a bit of a weird request.” He pulled a plastic sandwich bag from his pocket and held it out to her. There was something inside it. A ring. “Sheriff Reed made a stop into the Carter Home yesterday and a deputy who was with him left this behind.”

Cassie took the bag, her heartbeat already quickening.

“I never caught his name, so I figured I’d just bring it in and let you all sort it. Maybe you could return it to its owner?”

Cassie might not have been back at work, but she’d learned of Billy’s intended tours for new recruits. In this case, that meant Henry. Which meant fate was having a good ole laugh at her right now. It looked like she’d have to talk to the man sooner rather than later.

“Of course I will. I even know the deputy in question,” she answered. “Why don’t you come in with me? I’m sure he’d be grateful for you returning this.” Maybe she could use the man as a buffer until she decided what to do.

The man shook his head. “I’m actually in a hurry.” Again he motioned to the building that butted up to the back of the parking lot. It was a strip mall that housed several businesses, including the best coffeehouse in town. “Would you mind giving it to him instead? I have a friend waiting for me plus a cup of coffee with my name on it.”

Cassie was nothing if not accommodating. “I can do that. No problem.” She readjusted her purse. Sweat was already forming above her brow. “Can I give him your name so he can at least know who to thank later if the occasion arises?”

“Michael.” He held up his hands again, an apologetic look across his face. “I really have to go now. I hope you have yourself a great day.”

Before Cassie could press for a last name, he turned, effectively ending their conversation.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one in a hurry to get out of the heat.

* * *

“IT’S NOT IDEAL.” Suzy’s mouth tightened. “But it’s what I’m saying.”

Henry looked across the top of the woman’s desk and was trying his best not to look petulant. He knew a very bad thing had happened the day before, but he didn’t want to get benched because of it. Not when he’d done nothing but key himself up with thoughts about his future in Riker County the night before. He knew change was inevitable, but that didn’t mean he had expected it to start so quickly after joining the department.

“Listen, I get it, I really do,” he returned, trying. “I’m the new guy. It only makes sense that the sheriff’s case takes precedence over taking me around town and explaining the lay of the land. But isn’t there some way I can speed the process up? Maybe have someone write down the places I need to know and I can go when I’m off duty?”

Suzy gave him a flat stare. She looked as tired as he felt. “The idea was to pair you with people who have grown up in the various towns and city in Riker County. It’s a process Billy started up when he was elected sheriff and one that I truly believe has helped every new addition to the team. Even support staff has been paired with one of us or a senior deputy to learn, as you said, ‘the lay of the land.’” She pointed to herself. “Billy and I were your guides along with Deputy Mills, but now... Well, now plans and priorities have shifted, and as much as I hate it for you, you’re going to be sitting at your desk until all the dust settles.”

Henry didn’t like that. Not one bit. Billy might have stabilized, but regardless of his condition he wouldn’t be back to work for months. Which meant Suzy would hold the title of acting sheriff until then. Which meant there might be some shifting around of the deputies, picking up the things that might fall through the cracks of a sudden management shift.

Which meant he might be saddled to his desk a lot longer than he wanted.

“What about Cassie?” The words left his mouth out of desperation. It wasn’t until he saw them register in Suzy’s face that he himself wasn’t keen on the idea. Still, desperation bred desperation. He pushed on. “She’s not due back to work until next week, right? Maybe she wouldn’t mind showing me around, all things considered. I heard she grew up in the county.”

Henry wasn’t about to say he’d heard that from the woman herself, months ago and in between the sheets at his hotel room. The bottom line was that he’d made a point. One Suzy seemed to be considering.

“She spent a few years in Darby, but yeah, the bulk of her childhood wasn’t spent too far from where Billy and I grew up.” Suzy made a pyramid with her fingers, then tapped two of them together in thought. “Truth be told, I would like to get you out into the field sooner rather than later. I know Billy probably already told you this, but you’ve got an impressive résumé. I’d rather you use your skills out there trying to keep the county safe than stuck behind a desk.”

Henry felt a stab of guilt in his gut. He was proud of his career, sure, but in his mind that career had all but died when his partner had. Being praised for any of it now felt wrong. It hadn’t mattered how good he was at reading people, how fast his reflexes were, and how good a shot he could be, at the end of the day, none of it had saved his friend.

And if he couldn’t save Calvin, what made any of them think he could save anyone else?

That thought scorched across his mind so quickly he nearly stood from his seat to distance himself from it. Doubting his role as a deputy would definitely get someone hurt. Even him.

No. He needed to be ready for anything.

That included Cassie Gates.

“Let me give her a call and feel it out,” Suzy declared with a nod. She grabbed the phone but paused before picking it up. “But if she isn’t up for it, you’ll go to a desk until we can find someone else. Understood?”

There was no malice or annoyance in the woman’s tone. Just a boss needing to make sure her charge was on the same page.

And he was.

“I won’t push the issue,” he said. “Scout’s honor.”

She smirked at that and dialed Cassie’s number without another word. Henry was wondering if he should leave the room when a song started to play out in the hallway. They both looked to the open office door as the song got closer.

“You rang?” Cassie said, popping her head into the room, surprising them both. At seeing Henry there, she faltered but finished her thought. “Or are ringing, I should say.” She held up her phone as Suzy hung up hers.

“You’re here? Is everything all right?”

Cassie nodded hurriedly. “Yeah, I just thought I’d bring in some lunch for everyone.” Her cheeks reddened a little. She groaned. “Which I left in the car. Because pregnancy brain is real.” Her eyes flitted to Henry’s. Instead of looking away, she held his stare. “I was also distracted by someone in the parking lot looking for you.”

“For me?” Henry asked, once again surprised. Outside of the people who worked in the department, he’d made no friends in Riker County. He didn’t even know if he could give the people he worked with that title yet. Not to mention no one from his life in Tennessee even knew where he’d gone. At least, no one who would have bothered to visit. And surely if it had been his brother he would have called. “Who was it?”

Cassie pulled a plastic bag from her purse and passed it over. “His name was Michael. He was at the Carter Home yesterday when you came by with Billy. He didn’t know your name but knew you were the new deputy.” She shrugged. “He was in a hurry, so I said I’d make sure you got it.”

There was curiosity in her voice. Henry heard it plain as day. Yet it paled in comparison to his own.

He looked at the bag between his fingers. He didn’t open it. He’d recognize the ring anywhere. A warmth that had no business belonging to him started to spread in his memory. Just as quickly it turned ice cold. He looked back to Cassie. If her expression was any indication, she’d caught on to the unwelcome change in his demeanor. Apparently she wasn’t the only one.

“Deputy,” Suzy said, breaking their stare, “what’s wrong?”

Henry met his boss with an even look that he hoped gave nothing away but the facts. He held up the bag. “The last time I saw this ring was a year ago.” That cold feeling began to spread as he took a moment before finishing. “It belonged to Calvin Fitzgerald.”

By the change in her demeanor, Henry knew Suzy recognized the name. And why it was significant.

“A year ago...” she said, fishing.

Henry took the bait.

“The day of the fire,” he offered. “The day he died.”

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