Serving Pride Read online

  “I can’t believe that I’ve fallen in love with you so quickly. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.”

  “I do. Marry me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and went onto her toes and kissed him. “Of course, it’s perfect.” She laughed.

  “Really? You’ll really marry me?”

  “Yes. Don’t tell me that wasn’t a real proposal. If it wasn’t I may have to lock you up until you give me a real one.”

  He chuckled, “No, it was real. I just never imagined you’d say yes.”

  Just then one of his new deputies walked in and they broke apart until he smiled and walked into the back room.

  “Well, I came over here to see if I could help.” She straightened her shirt.

  “Help with what?”

  “I don’t know. Just help.”

  “You already have. I’ve been so angry since I saw him last night, I’ve been kind of in a daze. You’re sunny face and smile have woken me up.”

  She looked at him and realized that what he was saying was true. The dark circles that had been under his eyes earlier were gone. The color in his face was back, and his eyes were shiny again. He actually looked like he’d had a full night’s rest now. It was amazing how happiness could physically change him.

  “Anytime, Sheriff, anytime.”

  “Forever.” He leaned down and kissed her.

  Two days later, he was nowhere near getting any answers from Roy. He’d even called in the state guys to see if they could question him. He had one last card up his sleeve and when he made the call to his buddy in New Mexico, he wondered if he was doing the right thing.

  Eric was known for his questionable tactics for getting a confession out of someone. He’d never done anything illegal, but definitely questionable.

  When he arrived in town, Robert almost wanted to call him off. But Eric assured him that everything would be okay. After all, Eric owed him a favor.

  It had taken only three hours to get the confession from Roy. Eric walked out of the room, his head hung low, with a list of details Robert didn’t want to know.

  “Let me take care of this one for you, buddy,” Eric said, keeping the information to himself. “I’ll deal with the state and let you know what we find. He might be pulling a fast one on us. You never know with his kind. We’ll check it out and let you know.”

  “No, I need to deal with it. I’ve lived with this question almost my whole life.”

  “Robert—” Just then the bell chimed and Amelia walked in. She looked between the men and rushed over to Robert’s side.

  “Is it bad?” she asked Eric, and when he nodded, she pulled Robert aside.

  “Let him check it out. I’ll stay with you tonight, at the house.” He pulled her into a hug.

  “I need to deal with this. I have to deal with this myself.”

  She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Okay, but if you need me…”

  He kissed her and held onto her for a minute more. “I should be back soon. It may take a couple days…”

  She nodded her head. “Keep me posted.”

  It took just under a week. The information Roy had provided was sketchy. The old house he’d owned in the middle-of-nowhere New Mexico had burned to the ground three years back, right about the time he’d been spotted in Vegas.

  It was on the fifth day there that they’d found his mother. She was wearing the yellow happy dress she’d worn to his birthday party, its dirty, faded colors a complete contrasts to what the little boy in him remembered.

  His buddies at the New Mexico Police force tried to shield him, but he’d seen what he’d come to see. His mother hadn’t abandoned him all those years ago. Knowing that her body had been in her car trunk that morning as he left for school made him even sadder. If he’d just looked. If he’d just told the cops that he’d seen her car there. So many other ‘ifs’ popped into his mind.

  When he got back to the hotel that night, his phone was flashing with messages.

  The first one was from Amelia, telling him that Eric had called her and explained what had happened. She said she’d booked the morning flight out of Portland and would be there around nine. He couldn’t wait to see her, to hold her.

  The next calls were from his deputies, telling him they had everything under control and to take his time coming back. He listened to his aunt cry and tell him how very sorry she was that he had to go through all this. Then there were over a dozen calls from several people in town: Father Michael, Patty O’Neil, Todd Jordan, and so many more.

  In all his life, he’d never felt as loved as he had since he moved to Pride, except by his mother and father. He couldn’t wait to get home and show everyone how much he cared for them in return.

  Epilogue

  “Run, Run!” Robert yelled, standing up and throwing his hands to the left. “Keep going!”

  “Robert, would you sit back down? I think the whole town can hear you,” Amelia chuckled.

  “Everyone else is yelling, too.” He smiled down at his wife’s face, then turned just in time to see his son slide into home base. He screamed with joy as the whole team jumped up and down, and then a bunch of eight-year-olds rushed his son and engulfed him in a huge hug. If they were older, Robert had no doubt that they would have lifted him up on their shoulders. Todd and Megan Jordan sat beside them, his friend was being just as enthusiastic as he was as well as all the other men in the stands.

  It had been almost ten years since that day in New Mexico when Amelia and he had buried his mother at the small cemetery. Ten years, and two kids later, and he showed no signs of slowing down in his effort to show the people of Pride how much he thought of them. Or how much he loved the woman sitting beside him.

  He sat back down and pulled her into his lap and kissed her right there in front of his entire family. All of a sudden, the cheers faded and there was only her.

  About the Author

  Jill Sanders is an American romance writer, living in charming, rural Texas. She’s also the author of other titles you may enjoy:

  Finding Pride

  Discovering Pride

  Returning Pride

  Lasting Pride

  Secret Seduction

  Secret Pleasure

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