Page 23 of Falling for the Sheriff

“It’s good to see you again, Dan,” I say, shaking his hand as he sits down across from me. Dan was my boss back in Denver. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known. He was there visiting me every day in the hospital—every day for a month. When I told him I could no longer take the city, he understood completely and pushed me to find what would make me happy. That’s when I took this job and met the love of my life.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well for yourself around here,” Dan says, unbuttoning his jacket as he sits.

“Yeah, it’s not much compared to your precinct, but it’s all mine. I like it. It’s quiet here. I can actually hear myself think, you know?”

He laughs and nods. “Listen, I’m just going to cut straight to the point here.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to do anything else,” I reply.

“Bryce, you were the best officer Denver had ever seen. You know when to be tough and strong, but you also know when it’s time to be soft and caring. The world needs more people like you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He nods. “Which brings me to my next point. I’m retiring next month, and I’d love it if you came back and took my spot. I mean, surely you’d make way more than what you’re making here.” He gestures around the room.

“That’s a pretty big promotion, sir.”

“It is, but there’s no one else I’d rather leave it to. I know I can trust my city in your hands. What do you say?”

I sit back, thinking everything over. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, this comes as a shock.”

He laughs. “I thought you’d think so. I mean, what do you have here besides that old cruiser out there?”

“I have a life here, sir. I met a woman, and I plan on asking her to marry me.”

“Well, bring her with you. If she’s as great as you think, surely she’d move, right?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’m sure she would if I asked her to, but I won’t ask that of her. She’s a week away from opening a youth center in town that she’s been working on for years. This is her dream. Her big accomplishment. I won’t ask her to leave it behind before it even gets going.”

He presses his lips together and makes a “hmmm” sound. “Well, Denver isn’t that far. You could stay there during the week and come home on the weekends.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to be away from her that much. We’re going to get married one day. We’re going to start a family, and no offense, sir, but I’d rather raise them here than in the city. Not only that, but I came here to get out of the city. It’s too dangerous, too loud. With all due respect, sir, I like where I’m at. I like my life now.”

He nods his head, clearly upset. This was supposed to be a big surprise, something I’d take in a heartbeat. He’s always been like a father to me, and here I am, turning down what he considers to be his legacy. “Do me a favor, will ya?”

“Anything,” I say with a nod in return.

“Just think about it. If you’re as serious as you say about this woman and starting a family, you could really use the extra money coming in. And once you get used to it, you won’t even realize you’re missing time with them. They’ll be well taken care of with your income. Don’t turn it down yet. Just think about it. Can you do that for me?”

I nod. “I will think about it, sir.”

He stands and holds out his hand to shake. I clap my hand against his before pulling him in for a hug. As I walk him out, I say, “It was good to see you again. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Call me next week, Bryce. I can’t sit on this for too long.”

“Okay, sir. Safe travels.”

“Sheriff Moore?” Claire says from behind her desk.

“Yes?” I spin in her direction.

“Nina left lunch for you. She didn’t want to interrupt your meeting.”

“Okay, thank you,” I say, taking the bag back to my office.

Upon opening it, I find two burgers and two fries. Clearly, she was going to sit and have lunch with me. I wonder why she left so abruptly. That meeting wasn’t anything formal, and I would have loved to introduce her to Dan. She had no way of knowing that, though.

I kick back and eat my lunch, thinking about his offer, but not seriously. I like my job. I like my life. And I especially love being with Nina. And we’ve been talking so much about planning our future together. I never once considered going back to the city. But he is right. Taking that job would pay a lot more, giving us more money to expand the house and raise the kids we want to have. It could help pay for their first cars, college, weddings, even a down payment on a house when they’re grown up. I know Nina comes from money, but she’s never given me the specifics. I know she’s put a lot of it into the youth center, but I don’t knowhow much she has left. Plus, I’m a man. I want to pull my own weight, support her and our children.

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