The Sheriff's Deputy

SETH

Sunday morning. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet.

Amelia wasn’t bouncing on his bed to wake him up. There was no oven door banging shut or sound of breakfast being made.

And there was no way Elli would allow him to sleep past seven-thirty, even on a weekend.

A folded paper with a messy heart drawn on it decorated a covered plate that greeted him as he padded into the kitchen.

Hope you enjoy it. You needed the rest, so we’ve gone shopping for Thanksgiving decorations.

Seth smiled as he lifted the dome and found two huge chocolate and banana muffins still warm from the oven.

He quickly poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down to enjoy his breakfast, scrolling through his phone as he ate.

He felt a stab of disappointment when he didn’t have a message from Miss Dawson.

He frowned. He couldn’t forget her soft golden eyes as she looked at him, or her cinnamon-colored waves of hair brushing her cheeks.

And he couldn’t for the life of him understand why he was so drawn to her. He’d even given her his number, he remembered with a wry smile.

That was even more out of character for him.

Seth finished his breakfast and quickly got ready for work, his mind still on Miss Dawson as he drove along the icy streets.

In fact, she hadn't left his mind since the day he had to cover her in the alley as bullets flew past them, her compassion for a lost puppy overriding her safety.

He still couldn’t decide if it was brave…or not so smart…

He wasn’t sure who pulled harder at his heartstrings, the dog peeking out of the bright yellow jacket, its big brown eyes pleading for something nice…

Or the golden eyes flashing fire at him as the bullets whizzed past their heads.

He could still feel the electricity sparking between them when their eyes met. She wasn’t typical in any way. And that drew him even more.

He hadn’t dated in a long while because he’d realized the whole dating thing had become tedious and draining.

All the conversations had begun to follow a pattern, and he didn’t find it challenging anymore.

The last date he had been on was…a year ago? … and it wasn’t all that memorable.

He couldn’t even remember the lady’s name. She had two cats named Skittles and Hershey, and he only remembered them because they were named after his favorite snacks.

After meeting Miss Dawson, he’d felt drawn to her and he couldn’t explain it.

He had been trying to avoid her, but when Amelia had led him into her shop, he had to concede defeat to fate for wanting them to be together.

He snorted at that thought as he opened the door to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Fate was the name of one of the ladies of the night he had arrested a week ago for solicitation.

Seth glanced at the large digital clock behind the reception desk. He had an hour and a half to use the gym and do some paperwork before his shift started.

He had some calls to follow up on when he went on patrol, and he wanted to see about some complaints at the edge of Ernie Miller Park.

As he started the treadmill, his thoughts wandered to Miss Dawson again.

He could almost see her sitting on the tailgate of his blue F-250, long legs dangling over the edge as they ate take-out. He expelled a hard breath as he cleared his head of that image.

He didn’t even know her first name!

“Hey, Marshall.”

“Hey.” He smiled at Felicity Rhodes as she joined him at the treadmills. She was his patrol partner and had been his best friend since the academy.

Tall, lithe, and a total bombshell, Felicity was the unofficial face of the department. Her waist-length strawberry blond hair was never out of place, not even on a chase on a hot day.

Her blue eyes could freeze you out, making her seem cold and unapproachable, but Seth knew it was her defense mechanism.

She might look like she had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she had once shown Seth where she grew up, and it wasn’t as pretty as her face.

“How’re the girls?”

“Elli’s negotiation skills will get her into law school with no issues.”

“Sure!” she drawled with a chuckle. “As if you were so resistant.”

“Hey! I got her to eat her vegetables,” he protested.

Felicity laughed loudly. “Okay! Then let me off at the three-mile mark.”

“Sure…,” he drawled in return. “Would that be three miles after the first two?”

“Torturer!” She groaned. “How many have you covered so far?”

He looked down at the display and shrugged. “Going into my fifth mile.”

“Shit! I have some catching up to do!” she moaned, picking up her pace.

INDIE

Indie blew the dust off the three-inch silver sheet she had just cut and rubbed her thumbs over the surface.

The metal had mesmerized her since her mama’s daddy had taught her how to craft with it at the age of six.

She had made her own jewelry from the age of ten and had made pocket money from the age of thirteen.

It gave her a sense of comfort and peace when she made the first cut into that sheet. And seeing her designs come to life was the ultimate high for her.

“Indie!” Grace called.

She pushed her goggles onto the top of her head as she turned to look at Grace. “You have a customer looking for an engagement ring.”

“Oh, thanks,” Indie said, setting down her tools.

She helped the young man as he described what he wanted, trying to keep her mind focused on the task, which she silently admitted was very hard these past few days.

She gasped in surprise when Grace handed her a bowl of chili from their favorite diner on the next block. They carried it to the tiny kitchen and sat down to eat.

“You’re still thinking about that married deputy.” Indie smiled at Grace’s accusation.

“I’m trying not to,” she protested, but they both knew it was weak. All she could think about was running her hands over those broad shoulders, following their path with her lips.

Just the thought had her going hot and shivery, and the dreams she had been having flashed through her mind as she tried to avoid Grace’s gaze.

“Please tell me that you didn’t call him,” Grace pleaded.

“No! I most definitely did not do that!” Indie denied. “I’ve been stupid, not desperate, Grace. I won’t blindly—”

The doorbell chimed and Indie used that as an excuse to escape Grace’s death stare.

Indie helped the couple find an anniversary gift for their parents, and the shop became busy after they left.

From November till mid-January, Silver Reflections was at its busiest, and Indie often worked late into the evenings.

The most exciting event for them was the Christmas fair held in De Soto in mid-November.

She had trays filled with bracelets, necklaces, rings, cufflinks, and earrings—their bestsellers—which she made through the year.

And they often sold out at the fair, making Indie work extra hours to keep the shop stocked for the Christmas rush.

She was replacing a tray of rings when the doorbell chimed again. “I’ll be with you in just a moment,” she called.

She looked up to see a Kevlar vest filling the door to her shop. “Nice security.”

Indie’s heartbeat started thundering in her chest as she took in that sweet grin. “I, um…”

Her stuttering faded when the most beautiful woman shoved him out of the doorway.

“Move, Marshall. You can’t block the door.”

Her long blond hair swung in a velvety ponytail down her back as she moved past him, her blue eyes expressionless as she looked around the shop.

She was tall and had the type of body that designers would pull wigs off for, even making her deputy’s black uniform look sexy.

Her voice was deep and husky, and Indie wanted to hate her on sight.

“You never called me,” Deputy Marshall said softly, making Indie start.

While she had been studying the other deputy, he had leaned over the counter close to where she stood, his green eyes watching her closely, and Indie was convinced he could read her thoughts.

“I, um—”

“Hey, Seth, look at this! Fiona will love this!” They both looked at the other deputy as she pointed to a charm bracelet with tiny ballet paraphernalia hanging from it.

She glanced up at Indie. “My sixteen-year-old would love this. She’s dancing in this year’s Nutcracker at the community theater.”

Indie tilted her head and felt her annoyance rise. How could she hate someone who was so excited about her daughter doing so well?

Indie pasted on a smile that she knew would be seen as fake from a mile away. “That’s amazing…”

“Yep, quite amazing,” Seth replied, his teasing smile letting Indie know that he saw right through her.

He settled his chin on his fist as he gazed at Indie, his eyes wrinkling up at the corners, doing things to her insides that were totally unfair.

Then he raised a dark gold eyebrow. “So?”

“So…what?” Indie asked, trying hard to ignore him as she wrapped up the bracelet.

“Why didn’t you call?”

Indie opened her mouth to respond when a voice sounded over their radios. He straightened up, keeping his eyes on Indie as he listened to the dispatcher.

“Come on, Seth, we’ve to go.” The other deputy tapped his arm and he nodded in agreement, but he kept his focus on Indie.

“Just tell me why,” he said softly, his eyes almost pleading.

Indie shook her head. “I won’t date another married man.”

His eyes widened as he tried to make sense of her words. “Married? I’m not—”

“Marshall! Another time!” The other deputy called from the door.

He nodded as he followed her but turned back to Indie before exiting the shop. “Yeah, another time.”

Indie frowned as she watched them get into their patrol vehicles and drive off.

She wasn’t sure why the disappointment in those green eyes had her feeling like she’d stolen his pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.