Page 1 of Falling for the Sheriff

ONE

Nina

My alarm goes off precisely at six a.m. I’ve been lying here with my eyes open for the last hour, willing myself to sleep the remainder of the time. However, all I did was daydream about my future.

I silence the alarm and push back my blankets. I move to sit on the edge of the bed and turn on the bedside lamp. The room fills with a soft light that doesn’t even bother my eyes. Getting up, I make my bed before leaving the room.

I walk into the living room and stoke the wood-burning stove—my only source of heat in this dream cabin of mine. I add in the wood, close the front, and start toward the kitchen to make some tea. I turn on the gas stove and pick up the kettle. I fill it with water and place it back on the burner. While I wait for it to boil, I prepare my breakfast of oatmeal with sliced strawberry, banana, and blueberries.

By the time the oatmeal is ready, the kettle is whistling at me. I turn off the burner and pour the hot water over the teabag already in my mug. I take both my tea and oatmeal to the living room to eat by the heater. The sounds of the wood popping and cracking as it burns relaxes me. In one way, it almost centers me,gets me ready to take on the day. I love having the wood-burning stove. However, I could do without chopping the wood.

I sit in my brown leather lounge chair, taking in the dark cabin. The walls are made up of rough-cut logs, along with the ceiling. The floors are good old-fashioned hardwood. Someone put a lot of work into this cabin. When I saw it, I couldn’t turn it down. Sure, I miss some of the fancier things, like central air in the summer, heated toilet seats, and a whole-home vacuum system, but this is so much simpler. I was told when I bought this place that it didn’t even have an indoor bathroom or power since it was just being used as a hunting cabin. I’m lucky the people I bought it from decided to add those things in order to make it a home instead of just a man cave.

When I’ve had my fill of oatmeal, I take the dishes to the kitchen and wash them before going for a shower. The bathroom in the cabin is rather small, with only enough room for a tub and shower combo, a sink, and a toilet. There’s just enough room for one person to move about. But I’m not complaining. At least I don’t have to walk through the dense forest to use the bathroom.

I turn the shower on as I unbutton my red and black flannel top. I check myself over in the mirror. My long blond hair is starting to look stringy, and I make a mental note to get it trimmed soon. My blue eyes are bright and shining, but my pale skin looks nearly transparent—the typical cry from a nerd who spends more time in front of a computer instead of being out in the sun like normal people. Maybe I’ll even tan at the salon while I’m there getting my haircut.

I pull my eyes away from the mirror in an attempt to save my sanity. I know if I just stare at myself, I’ll fixate on everything I find wrong, like my stringy hair and vampirish complexion. I step into the hot flow of water and make quick work of washing and shaving. When I get out, the mirror is covered in steam. I tie my towel around myself as I brush my teeth and hair.

Thirty minutes later, my hair is dried and pulled back into a tight bun. The little makeup I wear is applied perfectly, a pearl-colored eyeshadow, brown mascara, a touch of blush, and a little shimmery lip gloss. I tuck my white dress shirt into my black pants and pull on the blazer that matches the dress suit. Walking back into my room for my shoes, I scrutinize myself in the mirror and see that despite picking at myself earlier, I look nice and put together.

I slide my feet into a nice pair of black flats and gather up the rest of the things I’ll need for the day. It’s going on seven-thirty when I step out of the cabin. The sun is just rising over the horizon, painting the sky with yellows, oranges, and pinks. The birds are flying around looking for their breakfast, and it’s warm already with just the slightest breeze. I take a deep breath, taking in the crisp mountain air, with traces of a hint of wet earth and the moss growing up on the rocks by the small pond next to the cabin.

I climb behind the wheel and look up at my property. Most would probably see it as rustic or maybe even run-down. But that’s not what I see. I see a beautiful escape settled right into the side of the mountain. There’s silence, relaxation, and, best of all, home.

It takes me twenty minutes to drive into town. I park my car in the parking lot of the police station before grabbing my things and climbing out.

“Morning, Nina,” Nate my coworker says, shooting me his toothy grin.

I return his smile. “Morning. How’s that baby of yours doing?”

He lets out a deep chuckle. “Getting big. She said her first words last night.”

I can’t help but laugh at his excitement. “And it was?”

“Dada,” he replies, his grin only spreading wider.

“Daddy’s girl already, huh?”

“That she is,” he says, opening the door to the precinct and allowing me to walk through ahead of him.

“Thank you.” I turn to see him pull on his police hat.

He sends me a nod and heads toward his desk while I make my way back to my small, dark office in the back.

“Nina, did you hear?” Claire, a fellow officer asks as I’m walking past the break room.

I decide to dip in and pour a cup of coffee. I drop my things onto the round table in the center of the room as I reach for a paper cup. “Hear what?”

She smiles wide. “The new sheriff arrives today. I hear he’s just dreamy,” she says all breathlessly and schoolgirl-like.

I laugh as I pour my coffee. “Still very single, are you, Claire?”

Her smile falls as she rolls her head to the side to look at me with a bored expression. “Is it that obvious?”

I giggle. “It is when you talk like that. You know, even if this guy is dreamy, you still can’t go after him. He’ll be your boss.”

“Way to ruin my daydream, Nina.” She rolls her eyes but smiles, telling me she’s quite aware. “That won’t stop them, though,” she says with a laugh as she takes off out of the break room.

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