Another Chance (23 page)

Jordan’s full
lips tilted as she looked up at him.  “Yes.  You’re a man and I’m a
woman.  I’m a woman who has been alone for five years and I’m so tired of
alone.”

Wolf smiled
down at her.  “I think I can take care of that problem.”

She loved the
way his blue eyes seemed to sparkle with laughter.  “I have no doubt.”

They heard the
patrol cars slow and turn onto the dirt drive coming up from the highway toward
the barn.  Slowly Wolf lowered his head and covered her lips with his,
once, twice, and then slowly settle on hers for a slow lingering kiss. 
They would not be denied one full kiss while there was still time.  One
kiss, each second promising that it was just a beginning.  Finally he
lifted his head and pulled her head against his shoulder again, cradling her in
his arms as the patrol cars slid to a stop and four deputies hurriedly, but
cautiously approached the barn entrance with their guns drawn.  He spoke
quietly to the big red dog and obediently, the animal moved to Jordan’s side
and sat down.

Continuing to
support her in his arms, Wolf identified himself and Jordan, although both of
them, and Lambert were illuminated by the shaft of light that spilled from the
door of the office.

Another
vehicle arrived and John Davis jumped out and hurried into the barn as his four
deputies were returning their handguns to their respective holsters. 
“Jordan?”  His eyes quickly took in the scene and he felt a flood of fear
as he saw Wolf clearly supporting her in his arms.

Jordan lifted
her head and smiled at the sheriff.  Slowly, she withdrew from Wolf’s
chest, although she deliberately remained close enough that one of the big
deputy’s arms stayed around her back.  “I’m fine, Sheriff John.”

He crossed the
barn toward them and began giving directions to the four deputies that followed
him.  He squatted beside Lambert and felt for a pulse, then called for an
ambulance.  He looked up at Jordan and Wolf.  “He’s still alive.”

“My eyes must
be getting’ bad,” Wolf muttered.  “I thought I drilled him right through
the heart.”

John Davis
shrugged.  “You kept her safe.  That’s what’s important.”

Wolf’s arm
behind her tightened slightly and Jordan leaned against him.  “Did you
doubt that I would?”

John Davis
chuckled dryly.  “Not really.  I just didn’t know how seriously you
would take the assignment.”

“I took it
very seriously.”  Wolf admitted, smiling down at the woman beside him.

Her face
flushed as she looked up at him, then at the old lawman.  “He was totally
professional.  In fact, he was professional to a fault.”  She smiled
and let the back of her head lean against Wolf’s chest.  “But now, that
assignment is over.”

John Davis
shook his head negatively.  “Not until the paperwork is done and turned
in.”

Wolf groaned
audibly.  “That’s the downside of law enforcement.”

John looked at
his watch.  “By the time we get him transported, and secure the scene, it
should be about daylight.  You can go on down to the office now and get it
over with, if you want to.  Take my truck.  My other deputies and I
will be around here for a while.”  The sheriff looked at Jordan as he
tossed his keys to Wolf.  “Do you think you can get some rest?”

She shrugged,
then turned and looked at Frankie Lambert lying so still on the floor of the
barn.  “Are you sure he’s alive?”

John Davis
nodded.  “Yeah, he’s alive.  The ambulance will be here shortly to
take him to the hospital.  You can stay down here with me until that
happens, if it’ll make you feel better.”

She nodded,
and then turned to speak softly with Wolf before he reluctantly withdrew from
her and walked to the front of the barn and disappeared into the darkness of
the night.

Her eyes
seemed drawn to Lambert, lying so still on the floor of the barn.  She was
doing some inner soul searching.  She didn’t want to wish death on anyone,
but just knowing that Lambert was still alive made her uncomfortable. 
What if he regained consciousness?  Could he over power Sheriff John and
his deputies?  Then she touched the grip of her handgun that Wolf had
transferred to the pocket of her robe, before he left the barn, and a smile
spread her lips.  He wanted to make sure she could protect herself, even
in the presence of the sheriff and four deputies.

John Davis
hadn’t missed the intimacy his deputy and Jordan appeared to have
developed.  He couldn’t say he was surprised.  She was a beautiful
woman and Wolf was definitely a masculine man.  He’d suspected there was
an attraction between them almost from the beginning.  He’d been a little
concerned to start with, but after talking with Don, he accepted that Wolf
Cetan was everything his previous supervisor had claimed he was.

It was good to
know that Jordan had finally allowed someone to touch her heart again.  On
the floor, Lambert groaned and stirred, drawing his attention.

Jordan saw the
movement and stepped back away from the injured man.  Sensing her fear,
Sheriff John squatted and even though he was sure Lambert was only
semi-conscious, he secured the man’s hands with a pair of handcuffs.  In
the distance, they could hear the wail of an ambulance, racing toward the barn.

Jordan sat on
her porch, watching Feather riding her gelding in the training ring beside the
barn.  She was so glad that she had been able to resume her friendship
with the girl.  Although she hadn’t known her a long time, she felt a
kinship with Feather that she had never shared with anyone outside her family.

Thinking of
family, she glanced down at the engagement ring Wolf and slipped onto her
finger last night.  It was almost frightening to think of getting married
again, but it was even more terrifying to think of spending the rest of her
life without him at her side.

It didn’t seem
possible that six weeks had passed since the night Wolf had prevented Lambert
from getting to the house.  There were still nights when Bhrandii had to
nudge her awake from a nightmare.  But now it was a new nightmare. 
In this one, she rushed into the barn to find Wolf lying on the ground
dead.  She was always glad when the dog awakened her.

Lambert had
returned to prison with a couple of added life sentences tacked onto the one he
was already serving, but now, his time would be spent in a wheelchair. 
She was content that he would not escape again.

Thinking he
was dying, Lambert had confessed to killing Mr. and Mrs. Swartz and told them
about Ruby helping him escape.  He even confessed to killing her, although
he couldn’t tell them exactly where to find her remains.

Jordan was
glad there had not been another trial.  She wasn’t sure she could have sat
in the same courtroom with him, while it took place.

Bhrandii as
usual was lying curled on the porch near her feet.  He was contentedly
holding down his new playmate.  The small female Rhodesian Ridgeback pup
squirmed and nipped his foot, causing him to release her, and then she crawled
up on his back and lay down.  They called her Emma and she had been an early
wedding gift from Mac and Mary and came from an entirely different bloodline
than Bhrandii.  When she grew up, the two would have beautiful puppies.

A truck pulled
to a stop down at the barn and Mac’s middle son, Steve hopped out and waved
toward the house at Jordan, but his attention was fixed on the Indian girl
riding the rangy paint gelding in the training ring.  He walked quickly to
the gate and propped one foot up on the bottom panel, smiling up at her. 
She stopped her mount next to him and dismounted.  It was easy to see the
two enjoyed being together.  Jordan wasn’t surprised.  Feather would
be good for Steve.  He had been Mac and Mary’s wild child, but it didn’t
take long for him to discover that the object of his affection wasn’t interested
in his foolishness.  He had fallen hard for Feather and with her
encouragement had returned to school to become a law enforcement officer. 
He figured his wild shenanigans gave him extra insight into the way criminal
minds worked.

Then a four
wheel drive SUV bearing the insignias of the Sheriff’s Department crept slowly
up the driveway and Jordan pushed to her feet.  It was Wolf!

He drove all
the way to the house, but having seen Steve and Feather together, his attention
was divided.

Jordan hurried
off the porch and met him as he emerged from the vehicle.

“What’s
he
doin’
here?”  Wolf said, bending to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

She
smiled.  “What do you think he’s doing here?”

“I’m not sure
I like him hangin’ around Feather all the time.”  He dropped one arm
around her as they strode toward the porch.

She shrugged,
still smiling.  “I don’t think either one of them care what you think.”

He grasped one
of her arms in his hand and pulled her around so she was facing him.  “Is
that the kind of supportive wife you’ll be?”

She laughed
softly and nodded.  “Yes.  I promise to always be honest with you.”

Their arms
encircled each other.  Jordan sighed deeply, then the doubts she had been
repressing all day suddenly overpowered her and she was almost sobbing when she
spoke.

“Do you think
David would hate me for loving you as much as I do, for being as happy as I am
now?”  She whispered her deepest fear to him.

He drew her
closer and shook his head negatively.  “No, Sugar.  He loved you
enough to give his life so you could go on livin’.  Not so you could stay
alive and spend the rest of your life grievin’ for him. 
I
know
that
, because that’s how much I love you.”

Silently, she
nodded her head against his broad shoulder.  “I guess I know that. 
It’s just once in a while, I’m so happy, I feel guilty.  The therapist I
went to called it Survivors Guilt.”

“Well, no more
Survivors Guilt!  We have a weddin’ to plan.”  He admonished her
gently as they ended the embrace and walked up the steps onto the porch.

Bhrandii had
followed Jordan, dumping Emma on the porch to whine after him.  She was
still not comfortable traversing the steps.  When they reached the porch,
she wriggled happily against their feet.

Wolf leaned
down and picked her up.  There was already an amazing bond between the two
of them.  Her pink tongue licked eagerly, trying to reach his face. 
Wolf chuckled indulgently and let her wash his hand instead.

He turned and
looked at the woman standing beside him.  How she’d come to be the center
of his universe, he didn’t know.  That she was, he understood and
accepted.  He’d been blessed beyond belief when she came into his life.

Feather
laughed at something Steve said and stretched her hand up to stroke his cheek
tenderly.  The sound drew Wolf’s pale eyes back to them.  He turned his
head to look at Jordan again.  “I guess you’re right.  She put her
whole life aside and moved here with no hesitation, for me, I suppose I can
learn to accept the friends she chooses.”

Jordan smiled
up at him.  “Honestly, I don’t think you have much choice.  Maybe
Steve didn’t mature as fast as a lot of people have, but I think Feather has
been good for him.  She’s made it clear that she’s not putting up with any
foolishness on his part.  Mac and Mary are so proud of the changes he’s making
in his life and they give all the credit for those changes to your baby
sister.”

Wolf’s white
teeth flashed with his smile.  “Smart Indian women always know how to get
their men to do what they want.  I should have remembered that.”

“Indian
women?”  Jordan queried him.  “I think you might want to rephrase
that!”

He lowered his
head and kissed her quickly.  “You’ll be an Indian soon.  By
marriage.”  He nuzzled lazily along her chin down to the soft skin of her
neck.  “And you certainly know how to get me to do what you want.”

“Hey you two,”
Feather’s voice drew them both to the present and they stepped apart.

Wolf bent down
and put Emma on the porch beside Bhrandii who was sitting near their feet, as
the younger couple approached the porch, hand in hand.  The puppy hurried
over to lick the larger dog around the face until he stood up, lifting his head
out of her reach.  She bounced around his front feet, barking and growling
threateningly.  The huge male dog looked down at her in disdain, then with
an air of superiority, he trotted down the steps and out into the yard. 
Emma followed him as far as the steps, then stopped and whined fearfully. 
She hated the steps.

Feather, at
the bottom of the steps lifted the puppy and stood her on the ground after
which she quickly scampered off after Bhrandii.  Then Feather looked back
up at her brother and his betrothed.  “Steve and I are going for pizza
after I put Music away.  Do you want to go?”

Wolf looked at
Jordan who nodded.  “Sounds good to me,” he agreed.  “Why don’t we
meet y’all there.  There’s somethin’ I need to discuss with Jordan before
we leave.  Y’all can go ahead and order for us.  Lots of meat, thin
crust.”

Jordan nodded
her assent.  “And peppers,” she added.

They waited until
Feather and Steve headed back to the barn then went inside.  Jordan looked
at him.  “We have something to discuss?”

He nodded and
took her hand leading her into the living room.  He settled into the big
comfortable chair and pulled her down into his lap.  “I can’t marry you
without bein’ totally truthful with you.”

Her insides
drew into a knot and her heart skipped a few beats.  “Alright.  This
is sounding a little frightening, so maybe you just need to get it done,
because you are not getting out of marrying me.”

He raised one
of her hands to his mouth and kissed her palm softly.  “I haven’t always
been Daniel Chetan.  I was born Hank Silver Hawk, and officially, I’m a
dead man.”