Page 17 of Dusty
Sharon’s breath caught. “They’re not.”
Daisy nodded once, decision made. “I thought as much. They’ve got an odd vibe. I swear if Derrick was in town, I’d be calling him to head over here. But he’s in Austin for the week. Lousy timing.” Daisy stood with her hands on her hips, before blowing out a harsh breath, the air ruffling her bright pink bangs. “Follow me.”
Turning abruptly, she led Sharon through the kitchen to a small office and picked up the phone.
“What are you doing?” Sharon asked, panic rising.
“Calling the sheriff’s department.” Daisy’s tone brooked no argument. “This is Shiloh Springs, honey. Surely you’ve heard we take care of our own.”
“You don’t understand,” Sharon whispered. “These people—they’re dangerous. They work for a man who…” Her voice broke and she shook her head. She didn’t want to drag Daisy into her mess. She’d been kind to a virtual stranger, giving her a job without reference or experience, simply because Ms. Patti had asked her to.
“A man who what, sugar?”
“A man who’ll kill me if they take me back to Chicago.”
Daisy’s eyes widened, but her hand remained steady on the phone. “All the more reason to call Dusty. And Rafe. Of course,that means the rest of the family will probably show up too, come to think of it.”
“The Boudreaus?” Sharon asked.
“Honey, you think Ms. Patti sent you here by accident?” Daisy punched in numbers. “She’s got a sixth sense about people in trouble.” Daisy huffed out a laugh. “Probably because most of the people who get involved with the Boudreaus have had some kind of danger following them around. Boudreaus and trouble seem to go hand in hand, attracted like a magnet to steel.”
Realization crashed over Sharon. The way the Boudreau family had closed ranks around her from day one. The casual visits from various family members. The way she’d never been truly alone since arriving in town.
“They’ve been protecting me all along.”
“Now you’re catching on.” Daisy spoke into the phone. “Sally Anne? It’s Daisy. I need Dusty at the diner right now. Tell him it’s about Sharon…yes,thatSharon.” She hung up. “He’s on his way. The sheriff too.”
Sharon sank into a chair, overwhelmed. “I can’t let them get involved. You don’t know what Cooper is capable of.”
“And this Cooper fellow doesn’t have a clue what the Boudreaus are capable of,” Daisy countered. “This isn’t Chicago, honey. In Shiloh Springs, we do things a little differently around here.”
Tears blurred Sharon’s vision. “I’ve been running for so long.”
“Well, maybe it’s time to stop running and start fighting back.” Daisy squeezed her shoulder.
The back door burst open, and Sharon’s heart leapt to her throat. But it was Dusty who appeared in the doorway, his sheriff’s uniform rumpled and his eyes wild with concern.
“Sharon,” he breathed, crossing the room in three long strides. His hands hovered near her shoulders, not quitetouching, respecting the boundaries she’d always maintained. “Are you okay?”
Looking up into his worried face, something broke inside her. The wall she’d built, the distance she’d kept—it all came crumbling down, and she took that final step forward, and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her head against his shoulder.
“No,” she admitted, voice cracking. “I’m not okay. But I think I might be…if I stay.”
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Someone’s here.”
It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway. “They’re in the diner now. Three of them.”
Dusty’s expression hardened. “They’re not taking you anywhere.”
“You don’t understand what you’re up against.”
A small, dangerous smile touched his lips. “Neither do they.” He turned to Daisy. “Rafe’s out front. The rest of the family is on their way.”
“The whole family?” Daisy whistled. “Those poor fools won’t know what hit them.”
Sharon looked between them, bewildered by their confidence. “These aren’t ordinary criminals. Cooper Madison’s a powerful man. He’s got people on his payroll who have no morals and won’t stop until they drag me back to Chicago.”
“And Boudreaus have protected Shiloh Springs for generations,” Dusty countered. He finally reached for her hand, his touch gentle but firm. “I’m not a Boudreau by blood, but you can trust me—trust us. Believe me, we’re not going to let anybody hurt you or take you away if you don’t want to go. I promise you’re safe here.”
