Page 32 of Sheriff's City Girl

“Well, you know, it was actually Sheriff Hewitt’s idea to stop in here today. He was in the middle of typing out some very long text to you, but he decided to just stop in here instead. Very kind of him, huh?”

Panic began to rise in my chest as Emma looked over to me, her brows raised. “Oh?”

“Yep,” Jackson answered. “And I gotta use the bathroom, so now’s a great time for him to tell you whatever it was that he was gonna say.”

I’m gonna murder that kid.

“I didn’t think you had my number,” Emma said, her tone flat as she folded her arms across her chest. I wondered if she was using that as an excuse as to why I hadn’t reached out.

Oof. I was just digging myself a deeper hole. “I, uh, just wanted to make sure you were okay after the other night—and I had no idea that Jackson noticed I was texting you. His eyes are better than I thought,” I added, trying to make the whole thing no big deal.

But she was not bending.

“Hmm,” she replied, looking unenthused. “Well, good to know, and I’m just fine, thanks. Enjoy your breakfast.” With that she spun on her heels and headed back to the counter, brightly greeting a customer walking in the door.

Well, I’ve fucked this up.

Chapter Fourteen

Emma

Asshole. That’s what he is.

I took a deep breath as I gathered my thoughts, watching Mason and Jackson exit the café. Mason didn’t even look at me as he walked out, and to be honest, it hurt more than it should’ve. Either he had told Jackson about what happened between us, or Jackson had found out for himself… Whatever the circumstances, I was embarrassed.

My eyes dropped to my apron pocket, a shiny corner of a photo sticking out of it. I pinched the corner with two fingers, emotions welling up as the black and white ultrasound was fully visible.

My baby.

The thought choked me up, and I wished more than ever that the circumstances were different. I was past the worry and concern about being a mom, and more excited about finally having a child of my own. I just… I never expected to have to hide the fact that I was about to be a mother. In my head, I had always dreamed of the fairy tale story, two parents who loved each other, cute photo shoots for an announcement, a gender reveal party—the whole works. But instead… I was just stuck trying to keep it under wraps.

Lily was still vocal about talking to Mason once I made it to the second trimester, but I was still trying to conjure up some way to avoid telling him at all. Lily might swear he’s a good person—and he might be—but he brought me nothing but confusion and heartache so far.

The chime of the bell ringing caught my attention, and I shoved the picture back in my pocket. I looked up toward the door, seeing Graham and some dark-headed woman I didn’t recognize. She was beautiful, and probably a few years older than me.

“This is my wife, Brittany,” Graham said to me like we were somehow more than just recognizable strangers. “This is Emma Fisher. She owns this nice place. She’s from Austin.”

Something about the way he told his wife the city I had moved from rubbed me wrong, but I forced a smile. “Good morning. Have a seat wherever you’d like, and I’ll grab a couple of coffees.”

“Do you have decaf?” Brittany asked, batting her thick, fake eyelashes. “I don’t drink anything with caffeine.”

Ah, she’s just as picky as her husband.

“I will brew up some decaf,” I said as the two of them headed to a booth, leaving me there wondering where the hell these two people were from. I got busy doing as they asked, trying to ignore my nauseous stomach. I hadn’t had morning sickness bad enough to stifle my work ethic, but it slipped up on me occasionally.

“Do you want me to take care of that table?” Sarah peeked her head out from the back where she had been taking a quick break after the morning rush. She was becoming my right-hand woman, and I was so thankful for her. She would have to run the place after the baby was born—and I had no doubt that she would do a great job.

“They look like a tough crowd, and I know for sure one of them is, so I got this one,” I said to her, giving her a knowing look.

“Yeah, I’ve heard some things about the two of them. They’re some kind of big-time developers,” she said in a low voice. “They bought off a section of the Parson ranch and built some mega mansion.”

My brow furrowed as I glanced over at them. They did scream wealth, though I wasn’t sure that it was in the mega-mansion category. I shrugged it off as another customer entered the shop, and Sarah went to greet them. I grabbed a couple of menus to accompany the coffee and carried it over to their table.

“Thank you,” Brittany said, showing some amount of mannerism that her husband lacked. “I love the way you cater to your customers. That’s hard to find in these small towns. They’re always opposed to outsiders.”

I nodded in an understanding that didn’t really hit me. “Thank you. I try to make sure I give everyone the best possible service.”

“And she’s good at it,” Graham added, giving me a kind smile—one that he definitely lacked the last time he was here. “Emma is Lily Berkshire’s best friend. You know, Drew’s wife.”

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