Chapter Twenty-three

CHANCE SMILED FOR PICTURES as she stood to the right of Daniel with Taylor on his left, Zeus and Midas right beside them. His graduation from the police academy gave Chance a great deal of pride. She’d watched Daniel experience all the traditions she’d experienced when she went through the academy. Daniel graduated at the top of his class with honors. He had represented both his department and his family well. Faith stood beside Sarah taking pictures with her cellphone as Daniel’s girlfriend Dezi did the same.

Daniel groaned as he pulled off his Stetson and held it in front of his face. “Enough pictures. You’d think they didn’t have any of me.”

Chance laughed and patted him on the back. “They’re proud of you, and so am I. Hard to believe you work for me now, as a duly appointed deputy.”

“Watch out, Daniel, she’s buttering you up.” Taylor wrapped a one-armed embrace around a very pregnant Penny.

Daniel grinned as he bent to pet Zeus. “No doubt. So, I start to work Monday morning at the courthouse?”

Chance nodded. “You leave for K9 training next month. Enjoy the time at home.”

He stood and smiled. “I’m looking forward to seeing what K9 I’m assigned. I have no problem saying I’ve missed Mom’s cooking. Not that it’s bad here, just not hers.”

Kristi stood on her tiptoes and kissed her son’s cheek. “I’ve promised him an early Thanksgiving since he’ll be gone.”

Taylor extended her hand. “Daniel, I’m proud of you too, but we’re going to head out. I want to get these two home.” She put her hand on her wife’s swollen belly.

Daniel shook Taylor’s hand, and then took Dezi’s hand in his. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”

Faith stepped forward, and Chance watched as she wrapped Daniel in a hug. “Seems like yesterday, I was meeting you for the first time as a tiny little bundle at the hospital. You’ve grown into an incredible young man.”

Daniel blushed. “Thanks, Aunt Faith.”

“He’s turned out to be more than I could have ever dreamed of in a son.” Sarah hugged him next.

Chance wheeled Jax close to him. From her chair, Jax shook his hand. “I feel better knowing men like you are on the job, Daniel.”

“You guys are getting all mushy on me.” Daniel pulled his mothers into a tight group hug.

When they stepped away, Kendra slugged him in the arm. “Not me. Deputy or not, I can still stomp your ass with the bow.”

Chance watched the two friends banter and leaned down to Jax. “How are you holding up?”

Jax squeezed her hand. “I’m fine. Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Watching you look at him makes me think about what it would have been like to have a son with you.”

Chance stepped around and stooped in front of Jax. “It would have been one of the great joys of my life.” She reached up and wiped away a tear that had escaped Jax’s eye. “I think it’s time we get you to the hotel. I’d really like to hold you.”

Jax cupped Chance’s jaw. “Let’s say goodbye to everyone first.”

They worked through the group and were about to take off, when Faith stopped them. “Can I talk to you two for a second?”

Chance looked down at Jax with some trepidation. She was unsure about what Faith was going to say and that put her on edge. They moved to a spot at the perimeter of the parade ground. The broad limbs of the ancient oak tree still defiantly held its leaves against the chill of the coming winter.

Faith wrung her hands before putting them in her coat pockets. “I wanted to tell both of you something. I told Sarah and Kristi earlier. I’m leaving two weeks from now. I’ve taken a job offering in South Carolina. I think I need a new start, and you both could use less interference from me. I’ve signed the house over to Theresa and agreed not to contest anything she wants in the divorce.”

Chance looked at her former lover and tried to summon compassion. “I wish things with Theresa could have been different for you, Faith.”

Jax reached out a hand and placed it on Faith’s forearm. “Sometimes, a change of scenery is exactly what we need to put everything into perspective.” She slipped her other hand into Chance’s. “I can personally attest to that.”

Faith nodded. Chance had once cared deeply for Faith. Seeing her look so defeated was difficult. She couldn’t bring herself to be remorseful that things had turned out the way they had. Once Faith left Chance for Theresa, she’d unwittingly put Chance on an intersecting path with Jax. Soon, they would be married. Faith needed to find her way, and no one could point that out on a map for her.

“I’m not going to stand here and say I regret trying to get back what you and I had, Chance. I regret the pain it’s caused everyone. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact you won’t be in my life. For that matter, my head is kicking my ass for hurting Theresa the way I have. I hope she finds happiness with someone someday. She deserves that.”

Chance looked at the deep sorrow on Faith’s face. “Everyone deserves to find love and be happy. I’m sure you’ll find it when you least expect it.”

Faith rocked back on her high-heeled boots. “We’ll see. I think maybe what I need is to figure out who I am first. I’m accepting an ER Chief position near the beach. Plenty of sun and tourists should keep me occupied. Well, anyway, I just wanted you to know I’ll be leaving.”

Jax spoke up. “We wish you all the best, Faith, really, we do.”

Chance echoed that sentiment but refused to make any physical contact with Faith. In her mind, the less connection they had, the better. In less than two months, the woman sitting in the wheelchair would become her wife. That was something she’d been waiting a lifetime for. I won’t allow anything, not Faith and not Jax’s mother, to stand in our way.

 

***

 

The next three weeks flew by with court appearances for Chance and follow-up doctor appointments for Jax. Chance had given a deposition in the case against Leland Kurst and his family. The federal prosecutor had stepped in once the link between Leland and the men who’d kidnapped Marty Hendricks had been established.

Her phone rang. “Yes, Penny?”

“Taya Chapel on line one for you.”

“Thanks, are you going home soon?” Chance shifted papers on her desk and pulled out a stack of tax collection reports.

Penny sighed across the line. “Yes, mother hen, Taylor is taking me home after lunch. I’m all right. Stop worrying. It’s just normal swelling.”

“Don’t care why…just go home, I mean it. Thank you, Penny.” She worried about Penny and her recent diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

“You’re welcome, Sheriff.”

Chance clicked over on the line where her call was waiting. “Taya, good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

“I have a bit of good news to share. With the additional evidence, we were able to push the case against the Kurst family. They will stand trial for the drug charges and the case involving your fiancée. I will warn you, his attorney is trying to plead down the charges for attempted murder of both Jax and Lindsey.”

Chance took a deep breath and clenched the phone tightly in her hand. “Taya, I—”

“Before you get wound up, I’m not doing it. We have enough on the others that we don’t need him to turn state’s evidence. He’s low on the food chain. The guys who took Dr. Hendricks are a better bet for us to get information on the Murdaland gang over in Baltimore.”

Chance released the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you. That piece of shit nearly killed the woman I love and Lindsey. To see him cut a deal on that would have sent me over the edge. I’ve had about enough of people getting off for the crimes they commit. That’s nothing against you, Taya.”

“Rest easy, Sheriff. We’ve got this.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m sure there are more things you’ll need from me closer to trial. Don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Oh trust me, I will.”

They ended the call and Chance looked at the doodle she’d scratched on the legal pad. She’d traced the infinity symbol over and over. It’s how she thought about her love for Jax, a continuous path that wound back on itself over and over, never finding its end. Now, if I can just tie up all these loose ends, I can get my happily ever after.

There had been one bright spot recently. Last weekend, Megan and Lindsey’s wedding had gone off without a hitch. The only regret of the day was that she and Jax couldn’t take advantage of the dance floor. Jax’s leg was healing, though it still caused her some pain. She’d still be wearing the cast for their own wedding. Chance dialed a number on her cell and waited for the one voice she wanted to hear.

“Hey there, I was just thinking about you.”

Jax had returned to work under the watchful eye of her uncle. Lindsey and Megan were on a short honeymoon and would be back next Monday.

Chance felt her face break into a smile. “That’s funny, I was just thinking about you too. I needed to hear your voice.”

There were still times when the one thing Chance needed to turn her day around was hearing Jax say how much she loved her. Currently, Chance was stressed about Brad Waters’ upcoming trial for his assault against Penny and expected a call from Marsha Abbott, the special prosecutor for the case against the former deputy. His attorney had asked for a pretrial meeting.

Jax brought her out of her musings. “Well, I’m happy to fulfill that need. I have a few of my own, you know. Some of which you did an amazing job fulfilling last night.”

Chance began to trace the infinity symbol again. “Last night took care of more than a need, that was a fantasy come true.”

“Still no word from Marsha? I know you’re waiting to hear from her.”

“Nothing yet. Even after all this, we’ll still have the civil service hearings to go through. Depending on how this works out, we’ll either have stronger footing against Brad or lose ground. We’ve got him on video, that’s going to be difficult for him to dispute. It still scares me to think what might have happened. If Penny had lost the baby, I don’t…” She stopped, unable to continue that line of thinking.

“Thinking about what could have happened serves no purpose.”

Chance was always grateful that Jax could walk her off the ledge when her mind spiraled out of control with the what ifs. “Let’s talk about something else. Moms-squared is planning Thanksgiving for noonish. Your dad and Uncle Marty are joining us. Around seven, we’ll go out to Sarah and Kristi’s for pie.”

Jax chuckled. “I’ll be in a tryptophan coma by the time we get home. I’m thankful Maggie and Dee invited Dad. I think he’s feeling a little lost.”

“I’m sure. Mike and your mother were together for a long time. Has he heard from her?” Chance looked up to see Marsha Abbott standing in her door and gestured for her to have a seat.

“She called him last week, demanding he come home and work out their differences. Dad told her that if she insisted on being so obstinate and hateful toward his future daughter-in-law and her family that they had nothing to talk about. Anyway, I’ve got a cantankerous dachshund who needs his anal glands expressed.”

“Now there is one reason I’m glad I’m a police officer and not a vet. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Talk to you later.”

Chance hung up the phone and studied Marsha’s face. Her expression gave nothing away. “I’m hoping that look doesn’t mean we’ve dropped the case.”

Marsha unbuttoned her jacket as she sat down and reached into her briefcase. “Not on your life. They presented an offer that I need to discuss with Penny and Taylor. Personally, I say we reject it. I think our case is strong enough to win, especially with the video evidence. You can lie about a lot of things, but the video clearly shows what he did.”

“I’m sure they haven’t left yet, want to use our conference room?”

Marsha nodded, and Chance picked up her phone to call Taylor to the front office.

Minutes later, the four of them were seated around an oval table. Marsha passed out a set of papers with what Brad’s attorney had presented as an alternative plea. As the three of them read, Chance could barely contain her rage.

Taylor threw the papers she’d been holding back on the table. “This is horseshit, Marsha.” She reached over and clasped Penny’s hand in hers. “He could have killed my child.”

Penny put a protective hand over her abdomen. “Do we have to accept this?”

Marsha shook her head. “No, we don’t. I wanted you to see it, because when we go to trial, this is what we will be combating. He’s not going to make this easy.”

“What’s the timetable on this trial?” Chance asked.

Marsha looked at each of them. “Right after Thanksgiving.”

Penny closed her eyes. “I want this over before this baby is born. I can’t have this hanging over me going into delivery. This stress is not good for either of us.”

Taylor pulled her into her arms. “Do you want to take his deal and just be done with it?”

Chance watched, as Penny eyed the paper in front of her. Maybe there was something she could do. “I have a feeling one of the reasons he’s trying to plead this down to a misdemeanor is to save his pension. With a felony on his record, he’d lose the percentage the county puts in and only get back out what he’s paid in. That would be a significant loss.”

Taylor pounded her fist on the table. “What about what he almost cost us? If we’d have lost our child, it would have been murder!”

Penny reached out and cupped Taylor’s cheek. “We didn’t. Our child is alive and growing right here.” She pulled Taylor’s hand over her belly.

Chance watched as both women smiled. She understood Taylor’s frustration. “Penny, what do you want to do? As much as this has angered and frustrated both of us”—Chance waved a finger between Taylor and herself—“it was you that he assaulted.”

Penny nodded and read over the proposal again. She took a deep breath and looked up to Marsha, who sat quietly at the end of the table. “I want this over. The thing about this agreement is it leaves it open for him to seek active employment as a law enforcement officer again. I’m sorry, but he abused his authority with his actions. He would have arrested anyone else for what he did to me, if he wasn’t so damn incompetent. I couldn’t care less about him doing any more time. I don’t think that will serve as anything more than increasing his anger against these two.” She looked up at Chance. “If he puts his retirement paperwork in, can you fast track it?”

Chance thought about the request and realized what Penny wanted her to do. “I can. He’ll still have to go through the state process. That’ll take a few weeks.”

Penny looked at Marsha. “Then, here’s what I want. He drops the civil service case and puts in for retirement. He pleads guilty to the highest misdemeanor charges, not felonies that will cost him his pension, but things that will show up in any employment background check. He agrees to never seek employment as a law enforcement officer. Brad also agrees to counseling and community service at the 4H camp, doing whatever they want him to. If he agrees to all that, I’ll sign off.”

Marsha was making notes. “You’re generous Penny. I’ll go talk to them and see if this is agreeable. If he doesn’t agree to the conditions, we go to trial. I hope he listens to reason. If not, then we go both barrels. I’ll make sure I lay out all the evidence we have and advise him I’ll be going for the maximum sentencing because you are an extension of the sheriff herself.” Marsha looked at Chance.

Chance’s blood raged, as she thought of the scene she’d walked in on, Penny on the floor, and Brad being restrained and held at bay by one of her K9 units. What Penny was asking for was far less than what Chance wanted, though she hadn’t been looking forward to the civil service proceedings. The fact that Penny was taking that into consideration tempered her anger. She silently recited her mantra. Steel is tempered by fire, and gold is refined by it. This was one more thermal cycle she would use to strengthen her conviction to be the absolute best she could be. There were times when she was reminded that her position required restraint to achieve their ultimate goal, order in chaos.

Penny reached for Chance’s hand. “This, too, will pass. You have a wedding to focus on.” She cupped Taylor’s cheek. “And we have a baby to bring into this world. Let’s do both with less stress from someone who has caused us far too much grief.”

Chance saw Taylor’s eyes soften. She looked at the relationship the two women had built. They’d been through a great deal in their marriage, things Penny had revealed to her over hours of paperwork together. She knew that the child they were bringing into the world would be loved and cherished. She was glad that she and Jax would be there to see it all.