Page 22 of Seducing the Sheriff
“Just like her mama,” Ellie said, sounding exhausted.
“¡Dios mío! Ellie. Where are you?”
Ellie’s eyes lit up at the sound of her husband frantically calling her. “Jorge! In here!”
I heard the sound of footsteps, then a young man with a mop of dark curls burst into the room. I moved back so he could take my place at Ellie’s side.
I stepped into the hallway and phoned Rosie.
“Hey Rosie, is everything okay there?”
“It’s fine. The baby?”
“Born a few minutes ago. A little girl. Her papa has just arrived, and the family are together.”
She gave a happy sigh in my ear.
“I’ll wait to check everyone is fine, then I’ll get out of here. My job is done.”
“Well done, sheriff. Your first Charming baby.”
Unseen, I smiled at the door. Yes, it was. It almost made up for Buttercup. Almost.
“Elena Sofia Maria Catalina Torres.”
I’d said my goodbyes and was almost out the door when Ellie spoke. I turned to see Ellie tiredly smiling at me from the couch. “Catalina. Catherine in English. For your mother.”
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I said, “Thank you, Ellie. I’m honored and Mom will be stoked. Take care of them, Jorge. You have a lovely family.”
He nodded and I could tell he was overwhelmed by sudden turn of events. I wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t every day a man became a first-time father.
I left them to the hands of the paramedics and drove back to the office. I thought about going via Greg’s to check on him, but to be honest, I was beat. I needed food and my bed. I’d message him later. Then I’d message Mom to let her know there was a little girl named after her.
As I drove to Greg’s on Wednesday, I realized how much I’d been looking forward to this. A full day away from work—no devil cows, no surprise deliveries, and best of all, no Rosie. I was tired of the sly insinuations since she’d met Greg. She liked him a lot, but I already had one mom, two if you counted MindMom. I didn’t need another in my personal business.
I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ease the tension knotted in my shoulders. It had already been a long week, and it was only halfway through. Spending the day with a stunning man felt like exactly what I needed. I hoped he hadn’t changed his mind.
I hadn’t seen Greg at all because I’d been rushed off my feet, driving over the county. I’d planned to invite him to the dinner with Meyer, Dex and Liam, but I’d been held up at the other office. Messaging him each evening wasn’t the same.
Greg gave me a quirky smile as he opened the door. “Hi sheriff, or should I call you Doctor Lawson now?”
“Cash will do just fine,” I said, giving him a mock glare. “I could be a cowboy too. I always wanted to be a cowboy, but my mom said I couldn’t have a cow in my bedroom because they weren’t housetrained. After Buttercup, I think she had a point.”
“Buttercup?” Greg looked confused.
“The runaway cow.”
“Oh! You’ve had a busy week,” he agreed. “Do you want to come in, or shall we get on the road?”
I thought about it for a moment. “Let’s get on the road. It gives us more time to look through the records, and there’s a great little Italian restaurant nearby if we want lunch.”
“That sounds great. I love pasta. Hold on.”
Greg disappeared for a moment, and I openly ogled his taut butt in jeans that molded his ass. He wore a grey/mauve striped plaid shirt which was almost identical to mine. I wanted to say twinsies, but he’d probably look at me like I’d lost my mind.
A moment later, he returned with two travel cups and a picnic bag. “Coffee for the road, or soda and iced tea if you don’t want coffee.”
I blinked. That was kind. I hadn’t thought about refreshments. We weren’t going far.
