The Accidental Sheriff (12 page)

When his ragged breathing slowed, he sweetly nuzzled the underside of her breast, repeating her name. A rush of tender
emotions filled Carolina, and her throat unexpectedly closed. The great sex hadn’t surprised her. Considering the sparks that had flared between them, it was a given. What had taken her by storm was the intensity and depth of her feelings for him.

Then it hit her. She didn’t just like Neil, wasn’t simply attracted to him. She was falling for him. Completely. What now?

Would he regret what they’d done? She sure as heck didn’t. Would he tell her that, despite everything, they weren’t getting involved because of his stupid hang-ups about danger and all the other BS he’d handed her? If so, she had the perfect answer.

Rather than panic and drive herself batty by attempting to analyze what was going on with her and Neil and where it might lead, she relaxed. Or tried to. Fear that they would lapse into an awkward moment kept her from enjoying herself.

Then Neil hugged her. His arms came up, circled her and pulled her close so that her breasts lay flat against his chest and his face fit perfectly into the side of her neck. She couldn’t help but respond. Slowly, bit by bit, her limbs turned to liquid and her heart to mush.

“I’d like to do this again,” he mumbled. “Soon.”

“Right away soon?” She thought she detected a slight stirring beneath her, and he
had
mentioned all afternoon.

“I wish.” He gave a robust groan when the radio attached to his shirt crackled and a disembodied female voice spewed codes that made no sense to Carolina. “I have to return to the station.”

“Are you still on duty?” She should have realized that.

“Technically, yes.”

The thought made her feel exquisitely naughty.

“Drats.” She rose from the couch to get dressed. Sort of. She stopped at panties and her blouse, which she only partially
buttoned. He seemed to like ogling her cleavage and legs, so she indulged him.

At the door, he swooped her into his arms for a goodbye kiss. Then two, then three. They were starting to feel like hello kisses when he set her aside.

“I have to go.”

“Call me?” Afraid she sounded a bit anxious, she affected a lighter tone. “If you want.”

“You know I want.” His hand pressed into the small of her back.

That was better.

“I didn’t plan this,” he said.

“Me neither.” She snuggled deeper into his embrace. “But I’m glad it happened.” A profound pause followed.

Like that, the doubts Carolina had previously dismissed returned to plague her.

“Just in case you don’t know it,” she said breezily, “this is the part where you jump in and enthusiastically agree with me.”

“I’m glad. Believe me.” He spoke with such conviction she couldn’t help but be relieved. “But I’m also concerned.”

“About where this is going?”

“That, too.”

“Don’t ruin the mood, Neil, by bringing up work and the mine and danger.”

“I worry about you.”

Because he cared. Hadn’t he told her as much? Twice, if she remembered correctly. “I worry about you, too. You’re far more likely to land in trouble or get hurt than me.”

The change in his expression was instantaneous.

“Let me guess,” she said. “Lynne told you the same thing.”

“Let’s talk about this later. I really need to stop by the station, then pick up Zoey.”

She bristled—she couldn’t help it. His excuse was a valid one but smacked of a brush-off.

“All right.” Feeling suddenly vulnerable, she fastened the rest of the buttons on her blouse. The shield was a flimsy one at best and no defense against Neil.

To prove it, he swooped her up into an embrace, slipped his hand inside her blouse and fondled her breast as if to say the hell with her and stake his claim. A Neanderthal and chauvinistic move if ever Carolina saw one.

That didn’t stop her from loving it.

“I’ll call you,” he said determinedly, his fingers making all sorts of unspoken promises.

If not for the very tenuous thread of pride she clung to, she might have dissolved into a puddle.

“I have to go out and won’t be home later.”

“I’ll track you down.”

She believed him, and the lovely little tingle in her middle bloomed into a full-fledged fluttering. This silly, girly-girl stuff had to stop. It was so not like her.

He bent his head for another goodbye kiss. Carolina knew it would truly be the last when his radio went off again and she heard the female voice distinctly say, “Bear Creek Ranch.” She thrust away from Neil. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer her question. Pressing a button on his radio, he spoke into it. “On my way.”

“Neil.”

“Later.” He was out the door in a flash.

“I’m one of the owners.” She chased after him, mindless of the cool temperature and that she was only half-dressed. “I have a right to know.”

“The mining site’s been broken into, and the equipment belonging to the Arizona Geological Society vandalized.” Neil rounded the cruiser and yanked open the driver’s-side door.

Carolina spent exactly two seconds deliberating what to do. “I’ll meet you there. I just have to get dressed.”

“No!” He stood with one hand on the open cruiser door. The other, balled into a fist, rested on the roof. “Stay put. You got it? Don’t you set foot within a mile of that mine until I give you the all clear.” He didn’t wait for her to reply. Jumping into the cruiser, he sped off, leaving a plume of dust behind.

Stay put? Not on her life.

No sooner was she inside than she got on the phone and called Jake.

“Carolina! Hey, where you off to?”

“The sub shop.” She waited for Adrian, the station’s techie, to catch up with her. “Want me to grab you something?”

“Mind if I go with you?”

“Not at all.”

She felt no discomfort issuing the invitation. He hadn’t asked her out again or shown any interest in her for weeks. Come to think of it, no man had. Was she giving off some sort of unconscious vibes since… She’d started to think
hooking up with Neil,
but that wasn’t exactly right.

He hadn’t called her since their afternoon together three days ago, as he said he would. Probably because she’d shown up at the mining site that night with Jake and her sister Rachel. They weren’t allowed near the tunnel, and though Neil spoke with them, it was in an official capacity only.

Hard to imagine he’d been in her arms a mere hour earlier.

His eyes, however, had spoken volumes. They let her know he wasn’t happy she’d defied his instructions to remain home.

And he hadn’t called since.

It was obvious he didn’t want her interfering with the investigation, didn’t want her reporting on it—too late for that—and didn’t want her leaving her cabin.

Well, forget it. Listeners were eating up her reports, and the station’s ratings had escalated through the roof. The owners were pleased, giving her a special acknowledgment at the last staff meeting, and insisted she continue until further notice. On top of that, Jake’s administrative assistant had reported reservations at the ranch were exceeding projections. The family couldn’t be happier.

If only Ward were as pleased with her. Since the phone call and the threatening e-mail, he’d been acting even more out of sorts.

What was it with her and men lately?

Adrian appeared to be the exception. He increased his pace to match hers and headed toward the door.

“Let me get that.” He rushed to open it for her.

“Thank you.” She refrained from staring openmouthed. Adrian was cute and charming in a nerdy kind of way. Gentlemanly manners weren’t his style.

At the curb, he placed a hand on her arm and halted her when she would have crossed the street.

“Jeez, Adrian, what’s up with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Seriously. You’re no Boy Scout, and I’m no old lady.”

“A car was coming.”

“The light was red.”

“The driver might have run the light. You can’t be too careful.”

She laughed. “Quit joking, and tell me what’s going on.”

He was too ingenuous to hide his guilt. “Ward asked me to watch out for you.”

“Ward?” She was dumbfounded.

“He’s worried about you.”

“Oh, pull-eeze.” She looked around, wondering for half a second if there were any hidden cameras in the area. “Ward’s not exactly a role model for a concerned boss.”

“You’re wrong. He was really upset when you got that e-mail.”

“He wasn’t the only one.”

Carolina still couldn’t open an e-mail from a sender she didn’t recognize without enduring a bout of nervous anxiety. She hadn’t talked about it with Neil yet, but there had to be a connection between his phone calls and hers.

“He didn’t think you should go to the sub shop alone,” Adrian said.

“What?” Her boss was totally flipping out. What could happen to her in the middle of the day, in the middle of town and with people everywhere?

Then she remembered. Neil’s wife, Lynne, had died under just such circumstances.

Carolina immediately shook off the thought. That was New York. Not Payson.

“Whatever the reason,” she said to Adrian, “I’m glad you came along. I like the company.”

“Good report this morning. I heard the guys from the Arizona Geological Society might have seen a vehicle leaving the scene.”

“A white Ford Suburban. They passed it on their way back to the mine. Didn’t catch the license plate, unfortunately.”

“Must be a hundred white Ford Suburbans in Gila County.”

“Exactly. And this one’s probably stolen anyway.”

They reached the sub shop counter and placed their orders.

“What about gold? Did the investigators find any?”

Adrian was sure asking a lot of questions. Up until now, he hadn’t been all that interested in her stories on the illegal mining.

“They’ve given us a preliminary report.” She was purposely evasive. The family had agreed to wait to announce
the investigation results until they received the final report and decided what to do.

They chatted about work until a harried clerk called out, “Number seventy-two.”

Carolina and Adrian retrieved their sandwiches.

“You want to eat here?” he asked.

“Can’t. I have to finish up my draft on tomorrow’s report so Ward can okay it.”

Adrian took her arm again at the corner and held it while they crossed the street. She didn’t know whether to be amused, flattered or annoyed.

“What are you reporting on next?” he asked.

“I’m interviewing the team from the Arizona Geological Society. Getting a follow-up from them on the vandalism.” Jake had spent half of yesterday afternoon on the phone with the ranch’s insurance company, making sure the team’s equipment would be paid for. “I wish I had something new to report.” She might if Neil ever called.

“Have you been out to the mining site lately?”

“Not since the night of the vandalism. We’re not allowed. The police have it cordoned off again.”

“Too bad you couldn’t do a live broadcast from there.”

Carolina’s feet came to a grinding halt. “What a great idea, Adrian! You’re a genius.”

He grinned sheepishly. “No, I’m not.”

“Seriously. That’s a fantastic idea.” She was already picturing the live broadcast in her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”

“I mean, it’s not really my idea. Ward was talking about a live broadcast during your report this morning.”

“He was? How come he didn’t mention it to me?”

Was he attempting to keep her out of harm’s way again? Or were he and Neil in cahoots?

“I’m going to hit Ward up the second we get back. Suggest
we include the interview with the team from the geological society.”

“What about Sheriff Lovitt?”

“What about him?

“Won’t he object?”

Did everyone at the station know about her and Neil?

“He may.” That was an understatement. Neil would blow his top and get all sheriffy on her. “I can deal with him.” Could she?

Carolina and Adrian parted ways at the receptionist’s desk.

“Good luck,” he told her.

“Thanks.” She’d need her fair share to pull this off.

T
HERE HAD BEEN
a total of seven articles to date about Neil in the Payson paper and sixteen letters to the editor, a couple in support but mostly not. He sat at his desk, reading the latest article when he should be tackling the mountain of reports awaiting review. Nothing new had been printed in the paper, just the same old stuff about Lynne and the IA investigation. So as not to show bias, the paper had also inserted a paragraph—a
tiny
paragraph—about his exemplary service to the county since coming to Payson.

If he were a regular subscriber, he’d be getting pretty tired of reading about Neil Lovitt by now.

He set his half-eaten lunch aside and flipped to the editorial page. Only two of the letters were about him today, and of those, just one appeared negative. A fifty/fifty ratio. The percentages were getting better. He had Carolina to thank for that, at least in part. Her positively slanted reports on his investigation of the illegal mining operation had cast him in a good light.

His own efforts also helped. Before Lynne’s death, Neil had been a good cop and a good investigating officer. He was
glad to discover he hadn’t lost his skill…or his enthusiasm for the work.

More than ever, he remained convinced someone with an ulterior motive had it in for him, though he still didn’t know who or why. If they could get even one small break on the case, chances were folks—and the newspaper—would forget all about his past.

A copy of the geological society’s preliminary report had been faxed over to him from Bear Creek Ranch that afternoon. The results weren’t what he’d expected, and he’d be interested in learning what the family’s plans were.

Not that Carolina would tell him. They hadn’t spoken since he left her cabin after making love with her. His fault. He should have called her. But everything had become so complicated so quickly.

She must hate him.

He really needed to man up and call her.

He laid down the newspaper and reached for the phone. Face-to-face would be better, but he had an open house at Zoey’s school tonight and didn’t want to wait another day before talking to Carolina. His hand was just lifting the receiver when Otis strolled into his office.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Neil returned the phone to its cradle, fighting a mixture of disappointment and relief.

“I escaped Patty’s clutches.”

“Good for you.”

“Actually, she has a meeting over at the Historical Society and dropped me off out front.” The sheriff sat down in the visitor chair. “She figured I couldn’t get into too much trouble in an hour.”

“She doesn’t know you well, does she?”

Otis’s loud laugh filled the room. “If I’m lucky, their speaker will run over, and I’ll have an extra hour to chew the
fat with you. Could happen. He’s the assistant curator from the museum.”

“Really?” Neil had been in contact with Mr. Dunstan several times over the past week.

“He’s talking to Patty’s group about the early mining that went on here. Everyone’s interested, naturally, what with the illegal digging at Bear Creek Ranch. And not just locally. We’ve had a flood of new tourists lately.”

Neil knew that from the increase in traffic citations.

“Well, if anything, it’s good for the economy. Who said crime doesn’t pay?” Otis laughed again and rocked back in his chair. He studied Neil at length. “You look good behind that desk.”

The change in their usual positions hadn’t been lost on Neil. He’d experienced a fleeting moment of discomfort when Otis had first entered the room.

“The chair’s a little roomy. Might be a bit more than I’m capable of filling.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Neil. You’re doing a bang-up job.”

“I’m not sure about that. And besides, I won’t be sitting here much longer.”

“Who knows? I have to retire eventually.” Otis’s features fell slightly. “One thing this heart attack has taught me, I won’t be around forever.”

“You have a lot of years left.”

“I may not want to spend all of them in that chair. I’ve shortchanged Patty something awful during our marriage. She’s a good woman, a good wife, and deserves more than I’ve given her.”

“She loves you, Otis.”

“Don’t know why.” He shook off his display of emotion with a grunt.

Neil tapped the folded newspaper beside his desk blotter. “Have you read the latest?”

“Ridiculous drivel.”

Neil took that as a no.

“What you need to do is find out who the hell’s behind the illegal mining.”

“I was thinking the same thing myself right before you walked in.”

“Any progress?”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Neil hesitated telling Otis about the preliminary report from the geological society. Not that he didn’t trust Otis, but the fewer people who knew about the team’s findings, the better.

“Not much,” he told Otis. “The wheels are moving slow.”

“Good! Maybe we can draw this out a little longer, just until the economy in this town turns all the way around.”

“Yeah,” Neil said pensively.

Without meaning to, Otis may have hit on something. Everyone assumed the motive behind the illegal mining was to extract gold for resale on the black market. What if it wasn’t? What if the purpose was to generate interest and bring tourists to Payson? Who would have the most to gain in that scenario?

The first names that came to mind were the owners of Bear Creek Ranch. The place where the illegal mining had occurred.

Neil set that thought aside and, for the next fifteen minutes, he and Otis discussed the department and how Neil was progressing with the deputies.

“Not good, but better,” he said. “Like me, they’re laying low, waiting for you to return.”

“You can add Patty to that list. She’s plumb tired of having me constantly underfoot.”

“R.J. might be responsible for bringing the men in line. He’s been a good supporter.”

“He’s just a good man all-around.”

“You got that right.”

Otis braced his hands on the arms of the visitor chair and hoisted himself out of his seat. “I’d better get a move on. Let you get back to your lunch.”

“I’m glad you stopped by.”

“Me, too.” He surprised Neil by reaching across the desk and shaking his hand. “You’ve conducted yourself well during this mess and deserve to be congratulated. Makes me glad I recommended you to the county commissioner.”

“Thank you, sir.” The compliment touched Neil.

After Otis ambled out of the office, Neil picked up the remaining half of his sandwich and the newspaper, flipping to the editorial page. He ate on automatic pilot, his attention completely focused on the more positive letter to the editor.

At the last paragraph, he paused then reread it. The letter writer mentioned a number of Neil’s accomplishments during his year-and-a-half as deputy sheriff, including the time he’d administered CPR to a heart attack victim living in Bliss Canyon. If not for his action, the elderly woman might have died.

Neil hadn’t considered himself a hero, he’d simply been doing his duty. There’d been very little notice of the incident after it happened except for a brief mention in the newspaper that excluded Neil’s role. He’d liked it that way, having no wish to draw attention to himself.

Which told him the person who wrote this letter either had amazing resources or was there the night he’d responded to the call. That limited the possibilities to someone on the hospital staff or the other two deputies on duty that night, Hank and R.J.

If Neil had to guess the author of the anonymous letter,
he’d pick R.J. Neil didn’t know whether to thank his deputy or chew him out.