Kim was ready to roll. She’d moved so many times that she could pack her little car with absolute efficiency. Not an inch of wasted space. She gazed at it sadly. All her worldly possessions fit neatly into a decade old hatchback.
But this was the first time she’d dreaded leaving. Because this time she wasn’t taking all her possessions with her when she left. She’d be leaving her heart behind.
She’d chosen today to leave so she could slip out of town while everyone was celebrating July 4th at the fairground.
How many times was she going to do this? Pack up and disappear? Move on? Her whole life had been dictated by her father’s rules. No going into town. Homeschooling. Only socializing with the rest of the cartel as she’d taken to calling them. Chores. Learning to stitch wounds and birth babies. And most of all, No Cops.
She’d never rebelled. She’d escaped. Her dad had been furious, but no terrible consequences had ensued. She knew she could go home any time she wanted and her family would welcome her back with open arms. And a list of jobs her mom couldn’t get to.
She was sick and tired of running away. She wanted to love James, freely and happily. She wanted to make a home. To put down roots. To stay. Maybe she’d like to be able to adopt a stray kitten, have kids one day.
She stared at her packed car one more time, then, firming her jaw, she took out her cell phone and called her parents. Her mom answered. “Kimi, it’s so good to hear from you. Is everything all right?”
“I think it will be. But I need to talk to Dad.”
“Are you sure, honey? You don’t want to talk to me first?” She’d always gone through her mother, who’d act as go between. But Kim felt that it was time she stood on her own two feet. In fact, it was way past time.
“I’m sure, Mom.”
“Okay.” And she yelled for Kim’s dad. She could hear them in the background. Her dad: What does she want? Her mom: I don’t know. She wouldn’t say. Then a hmmmph and her dad was on the phone. “Kim, sweetheart, when are you coming home?”
She felt sick in her stomach, so shaky she had to sit down in the passenger seat of her car. She was a grown woman and she was still frightened of her father’s disapproval. She pulled in a breath and knew this was a moment that would define her future, however it played out. She said, “Dad, I’m in love with a wonderful man.” Oh, that wasn’t what she’d planned to say first. She was messing up already.
“Who is he?” her father asked. He sounded wary and she knew right away that he was more concerned about how Kim’s new man would affect him than he was about his daughter’s happiness. She began to feel angry which at least lessened the butterflies in her stomach.
“His name is James Chance. And he’s the Sheriff of Hidden Falls, Oregon. The town I live in.”
She didn’t have to wait long for the explosion. “Did you say Sheriff? What the Hell, Kimi. Why don’t you come on up here with handcuffs right now and slap your old man in jail. Then where will you and your mom and your brothers and sisters be? Where’s the loyalty?” He was yelling, louder and louder, working himself up into a rage.
She trembled because she always trembled when he got angry, but she was tired of backing down. She waited until he took a breath and then she said, “Dad, I want you to retire.”
“Retire?” He yelled the word so loud she had to pull the phone away from her ear. Far away.
“Yes. You don’t need the money. Our whole family has lived in fear ever since I can remember. You’ve been lucky. You’ve never been convicted. Why don’t you quit while you’re ahead? Go fishing. Enjoy life.”
“Since when do you make the decisions around here?” he bellowed, but he hadn’t hung up so she took hope from that.
“I don’t,” she said quietly. “But I need to start making my own decisions in life. I’ve always played by your rules. Done everything you’ve asked of me. Now, I’m asking you to do something for me. I love you and Mom and the kids and I swear I’d never do anything to hurt you. But I love this man and I think I have a real shot at happiness. Like you and Mom have. Don’t you want that for me?”
She heard him breathing and she kept quiet. Then he said, “You bring any sonofabitch cop near my place and I’ll shoot him. You got that?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
He huffed some more. “And don’t think I’m coming to your wedding.”
Since he couldn’t cross the border it had never occurred to her that he would. Not that she was thinking marriage.
Yet.
“But Mom could come, right?”
“Don’t you get ahead of yourself. He going to use you to get to me?”
“He says he won’t. But I would hate to have my father and the man I love on opposite sides of the law. So, I’m asking you, please, please, retire.”
“You’ve got some nerve!”
She laughed shakily. “Honestly, it took all my courage to phone you.”
“Well, I’m not saying yes. I’ll think about it.”
She knew she’d got much more than she could have hoped. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Here’s your mother.”
A second later her mom was on the phone. “Oh, Baby, I’m so excited for you. Are you really getting married?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Will you come?”
“If I can.” Then, “Oh, the hell with it. Yes. I’m coming. And if that man decides he doesn’t want me back, then he can do his own cooking and mending and weeding.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, Kimi. I’ve got to go calm your father down now, but let’s talk next week and you can tell me all about your new man.”
“I will.”
It was a while before she could get her legs to work well enough to drive. She should unpack her stuff, but she really, really needed to see James first. To tell him the good news.
Wiping a tear from her cheek, she headed for the fairgrounds.
When she arrived, she jogged straight for the largest crowd, assuming that’s where she’d find the sheriff. She couldn’t wait one more minute to tell him her news. She’d finally stood up for herself to her father. And it hadn’t been terrible. In fact, she had a feeling he was glad of an excuse to get out of the business. At least she hoped so.
But whatever happened, she’d made her choice and she was staying. She only hoped James still wanted her as much as she wanted him.
She was huffing, out of breath when she grew closer. A lot of men in period costume were mingling with the crowd who were gathered around a central spot. Her heart clutched as she took in the scene, saw the lights on in the first aid van, and realized someone was hurt.
“What’s going on?” she asked a tall man who looked as though he could see over the knot of people.
“Sheriff’s been shot,” he said.
“What?” She screamed the word and began pushing and shoving her way forward. “Let me through!” As she got close enough to see what was going on her worst fears were allayed.
James wasn’t dead. He was lying on his side on the ground looking pale. An old man in a Revolutionary uniform was mumbling, “I’m sorry, James. I usually shoot at a target. Forgot I wasn’t supposed to use a ball. I’m real sorry.”
Daphne was sitting beside James, along with Lauren and Cooper. Geoff was standing a foot away. There were people she knew from the coffee shop and others she recognized from around town. But the person who most alarmed her was Loreen Ludlow, standing near to James with a camera pointed at her.
“James, what happened!” she cried, throwing herself on her knees beside him.
“Accident,” he said. He sounded irate which she assumed was the pain and the fact that he was crowded around by spectators.
“He got shot in the butt!” Cooper announced, barely containing a snort of laughter.
Lauren snapped, “Shut up, Cooper. He saved a man’s life!”
“Oh, James, I’m so sorry.”
But he was looking at her as though she might be a hallucination. “What are you doing here? Thought you were leaving. Cooper said he saw you packing your car when he drove by.”
“I’ve got so much to tell you, but later. I’m staying.”
He looked as though he wasn’t sure this was good news. “Why?”
She took a deep breath. She felt that way too many people were listening, and a news camera was filming, but now that she’d started being brave she liked the feeling. “Because I love you!”
He smiled at her. She loved the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. “That is very good news.” He reached for her and she leaned down to kiss him, a kiss full of promise. “I love you, too.”
“What can I do?” she asked.
“Promise you’ll still love me when I’m a national joke,” he replied.
“What?”
“Loreen. She’s getting patched in to the network so she can report live about the sheriff who got shot in the ass.”
She recalled the family party where he’d admitted that his greatest fear was being shot in the butt and the humiliation it would cause. And once more her new found bravery asserted itself. “Give me a minute.” She rose to her feet.
Loreen was fussing with her hair. “Are we ready to go?” she asked the cameraman.
“We’ll be live in two minutes.”
“Excellent.”
“Loreen!” Kim said, speaking loud enough that everyone around could hear. “James saved a life today. That’s the story. Where he was shot has nothing to do with it.”
She received a thin smile from Loreen. “Honey, you bake great cookies, but let me decide what’s news.”
The cameraman laughed. “A sheriff getting shot in the butt! That’ll be on every network in the country. Might even go international.”
She was so mad she was vibrating.
“One minute,” the camera guy warned.
She had one minute. Sixty seconds. She had to make them count. “Loreen, if you dare say one word about where Sheriff Chance was shot, I will make sure you are never served in Sunflower again.” As a threat it wasn’t much but it was all she could think of. Loreen loved her skinny lattes and came in at least once a day for what she called her fix. Usually twice.
She rolled her eyes. “Please, you’re the hired help.”
Geoff stepped forward. “She’s right. I know my wife. You won’t get served. You either,” he said, gesturing to the guy with the camera.
A new voice joined in. “And I’ll make sure no vet will treat your kitten.” It was Lauren speaking. She stepped forward beside Kim. Now there were three of them lined up. Kim barely knew Lauren but she was positive that was a bluff. Lauren loved animals.
Still, Loreen began to look alarmed. “This is news. You can’t stop me reporting news!”
“Thirty seconds.”
Daphne joined them. “I’m sorry, Loreen, but you won’t be welcome in Yoga or book club any more if you do this.”
“What?” She glanced around. “You’re going to shun me?” She caught sight of Charlie Mars, the mayor. “Charlie, are you going to let that happen?”
He said, “We all like and respect Sheriff Chance. You embarrass him and I’m going to make sure you never get access to me, my council, or the press bulletins we send out.”
“Fifteen seconds.”
Kim grabbed the young man whose life James had saved. He looked shaken, and very young in his British uniform. She said, “You need to go on camera and tell this reporter what happened today. Can you do that?”
He nodded. Gulped. “Guy saved my life. Least I can do.”
She pulled him toward Loreen. “Here’s your story.” And pushed the blushing young man forward. Cooper joined the line of Chances, a human wall that protected James from the prying eye of the camera.
“And we’re live,” the cameraman said.
Loreen put on a professional smile and said, “I’m standing in Hidden Falls, where a July 4th celebration almost turned deadly. Thanks to the heroic actions of the town’s sheriff…”
“Quiet everybody, it’s on,” Daphne announced, turning the volume up on the TV.
James was stretched out on the sofa. On his side. The emergency doc had told him he was lucky. The wound was clean and only needed four stitches. He was home, resting, but one by one his family had all dropped by with gifts and cards and well wishes. Cooper brought cold beer, which James happily tucked into. Kim sat on the floor with her hand in James’s. She couldn’t stand to be apart from him, having so nearly lost him.
Now was the moment of truth. The item had made the six o’clock news. What would Loreen do? Would she dare the entire community and go with the story that humiliated James? Or would she treat the story with the dignity that Kim felt it deserved?
While the news anchor did the lead in, James leaned forward and whispered, “I love you.”
She put her lips to his ear and said, “I love you, too.” Now they’d started they couldn’t stop saying the words and she suspected they both realized how close they’d come to losing each other. If that musket ball had hit higher—she couldn’t complete the thought. Instead she held James’s hand and wished she never had to let it go.
There was Loreen, interviewing Gary Parks, the young man who’d almost died. There was footage of the re-enactment, and of James running, running, and the bang of the muskets and him knocking Gary out of the way. Loreen described the sequence of events and ended by saying, “Sheriff James Chance was shot in…” Everyone in James’s living room held their breath until she finished the sentence “…the line of duty.”
The laughter that erupted was so loud she couldn’t hear the rest of the report, but she saw the Mayor being interviewed and knew he was saying what a hero James was, and then Harold came on, looking pale and shaken. And finally, Daphne shushed them all and Loreen was saying, “We’ve been told that at Sheriff Chance’s request, no one will be charged in this near-tragic accident.”
The anchor wanted to know if the shot officer was all right and Loreen assured him that his injuries were not life threatening.
“Except that he won’t sit down for a week!” Cooper shouted to the TV.
James threw a cushion at him. “Kiss my line of duty!”
Thanks for reading The Sheriff’s Sweet Surrender. If you enjoyed it, the next story in the series is The Daisy Game.