Page 48 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

She cocked her head. “Juni…”

“What?If you have something to say, say it.”

“When you love someone, it isn’t about where you live. Home is where they are.”

“Why isn’t home where I am?” I shook my head. “There’s no point in discussing this. His time here is finite. I’ll probably keep seeing him, casually, because I think he’s a nice guy. That’s pretty much the end of the story.”

“Maybe there will be a sequel.”

I got up to rinse the glass I’d been using, when I saw Uncle Pete pull up in front of the house. He got out of the squad car, then got right back in, turned on the lights and sirens, and sped down the street. By that time, my mom stood beside me.

When my cell rang, I pulled it out of my pocket and saw my brother was calling.

“Hey, Gray. Uncle Petewas just here?—”

“Juni, something’s going on at the Lilacs. Every available officer is on their way, plus at least one ambulance.”

I grabbed my keys off the counter and raced out of the house.

“Juni!” my mom hollered after me, but I didn’t stop. If there was an ambulance on its way to the Lilacs, that meant something might have happened to Cord. Or to Sam or Beau. Regardless, there was no way I could sit around, waiting for word.

I took the back way from our house out to the road that led to the estate and waited when I saw another police car with lights flashing heading in my direction. He turned the same way I was going, so I followed.

When we reached the gate, we found it open and we both drove straight in. I pulled up and parked away from all the police cars and off to the side in case one of them, or the ambulance, needed to leave.

Once out of my car, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Cord, Beau, and Sam walking up the lawn. Decker Ashford was with them.

“What in the world is going on?” I asked, running over to them, wishing I could rush into Cord’s armsand tell him how thankful I was he was okay. Instead, I stopped a few feet from him. “Grayson called and said there were police on the scene here and an ambulance.”

Before anyone could answer, Decker’s phone went off. He studied the screen, then looked up at Cord, then at Sam.

“Hey, I’ve got news for you,” he said, looking at her, but then turning and pointing at Cord. “And you’re lucky to be alive, you idiot. You don’t fire a gun when there are nine other guys standing there, ready to shoot somebody.”

I was wide-eyed when Cord hung his head and didn’t say anything. He’d fired a gun? At who? Is that why an ambulance was here?

“You don’t deserve this, Wheaton, but Sam, you’re officially related to this putz.”

I was stunned.Sam and Cord were related?How?

“That means I’m related to Cena, right?” I heard Sam ask.

“Good chance of it,” he responded. “You should get confirmation of howclosely soon.”

“Oh Lord, what is the attorney doing here?” Beau said, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Cord.Somethinghad happened; that much was obvious.

“I heard on the police scanner that a suspect was apprehended. Was it Jimmy Rooker?” asked the man I now recognized as Paul Creola, a well-known lawyer in town and someone who frequented my parents’ restaurant.

“It was,” Decker confirmed.

“If you’ll excuse us, Samantha and I are going to?—”

“Wait!” Mr. Creola shouted. “I have something very important to tell you.”

“Can’t you tell us tomorrow?” Beau said, leading Sam away.

She stopped walking. “Let’s go inside and hear what he has to say.”

I realized I was intruding, and as much as I wanted five minutes alone with Cord, I felt uncomfortable being here. “I’ll come back another time,” I said, taking a step in the direction of my car.

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