he continued. “My first priority is to keep you two safe. You can tell me all about your reasoning for not letting me know I was a father later.” While he spoke with what he was trying to pass off as authority, he couldn’t help but hear the anger at the end of it.
He’d spent most of the night lying awake in bed, coming up with a plan of action for the day. In the plan was a large section related to how he wanted to handle Mara and Alexa. After hours of no sleep, he’d decided the best way to do his job—to keep everyone safe—was to detach himself emotionally from the dark-haired beauties in front of him.
However, maybe that was going to be harder than he’d thought.
“Okay,” Mara finally said. “I’ll follow you to the station.”
She grabbed her bag and scooped up Alexa. The little girl clung to her stuffed animal with laser-like focus. Billy wondered what other toys she liked.
“There’s a coffeehouse that opened up across the street that has pretty good breakfast,” Billy said as he locked up the guesthouse behind them.
“I actually packed enough cereal to last for weeks for this one,” Mara said, motioning to Alexa. “She’s a nut about Cheerios as soon as she wakes up in the morning.” Alexa swung her head up to face Mara and let out a trill of laughter. It surprised Billy how he instantly loved the sound. “Yeah, you’ve already scarfed down two helpings, haven’t you, you little chowhound?” Mara cooed at the girl. Together they laughed, bonded in their own little world.
One that Billy didn’t know.
He cleared his throat and Mara straightened.
“But,” she continued, expression turning to the same focus her daughter had worn before. “If they have good coffee, I won’t turn that down.” She smiled but it didn’t last long. “And, Billy, I know it’s not my place, but I noticed you didn’t have a tree or any Christmas decorations or lights...”
Billy sighed.
No matter what was happening in their lives, leave it to the women of the South to still care about Christmas decorations.
* * *
THE RIKER COUNTY Sheriff’s Department was located in the very heart of Carpenter but was by no means in an extravagant headquarters. That never stopped Billy from feeling a boost of pride when it swung into view. Placed between the county courthouse and the local television station, the sheriff’s department was two stories tall and full of men and women tasked with protecting their Southern home.
Wrapped in faded orange brick and concrete, its entrance opened up to a street almost every Carpenter resident had to drive along to get somewhere, while its parking lot around back butted up against a business park that housed a bistro, a coffeehouse and a clothing boutique called Pepper’s. Billy and Mara angled their cars into the assigned and guest parking, respectively, and headed straight to the coffeehouse. Billy had tried to convince Mara to ride with him but she’d pointed out his day could get hectic and she liked having the option of her own transportation. Not to mention the car seat was already in her car. Billy decided not to push the topic since she was a flight risk. Instead, he decided to act like everything was normal when they went into the coffeehouse. There they earned a double take from one half of the owner pair known as the Chambers. Becky, a bigger woman with short hair and an even shorter temper, was surprisingly tactful as she addressed them.
“Well, Sheriff, can’t say I was expecting to see you on your day off,” she started, then she switched her attention to Mara and Alexa. “And certainly not with two lovely ladies in tow.”
Billy ignored the affectionate part of the statement, along with what felt suspiciously like pride, and showed just how happy he was about being in on his off day with a frown.
“A sheriff’s job is never done,” he said solemnly.
“Not with that attitude.” Becky winked at Mara, but the dark-haired beauty’s gaze had been drawn to the corner booth.
“I’ll take my usual,” Billy said. “She’ll take one of your mocha iced coffee concoctions I always complain about.”
Becky raised her eyebrow.
“Does the lady not get a say?” she asked, voice beginning to thread with disapproval. Her changing tone must have snagged Mara’s attention. She turned back to them with a small smile.
“She definitely does, but this one here apparently hasn’t forgotten my guilty mocha pleasures,” she said. “With whipped cream, too, if you have it, please.”
Becky seemed appeased that Billy wasn’t rolling over Mara and went about making their drinks while they hung off to the side of the counter. Billy expected Mara to comment about his remembering her favorite caffeinated drink but the woman seemed focused on the corner booth again. So much so that she hardly noticed when he moved close enough to drop his voice so no one else heard him.
“What’s going on?”
Alexa looked up from her place on Mara’s hip and stared at Billy with an expression caught somewhere between inquisitive and concerned. He couldn’t help but stare right back into those green eyes. Like looking into a mirror when it came to the same green.
“That’s Donna Ramsey,” Mara answered, in an equally low voice. Billy broke his staring contest with Alexa and angled his body to glance at the other side of the room. True to her words, Donna Ramsey was sitting in the corner booth, head bent over the magazine and coffee on the table in front of her. He nodded.
“It is.”
Billy watched as Mara’s face grew tight. She furrowed her brow.
“Do you know Donna personally?” he asked, his own concern pushing to the forefront. Mara shook her head.
“I’ve only spoken to her once.”
“About?”
He knew Mara well enough to know that her thoughts had turned dark. From anger or sadness or something else, though, he couldn’t tell.
“About my father,” she answered, voice nearly lost amidst the clatter of the espresso machine. Mara lost her dark look and replaced it with something akin to nonchalance.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “It was before I left and nothing I didn’t already know.”
Becky bustled into view before he could question Mara further. She handed them their drinks and looked at Billy.
“Remember, Sheriff, complaining always makes problems ten times worse,” she said sagely. “So stop complaining and start drinking some of the best coffee this town has to offer.”
Billy couldn’t help but smirk.
“You got it, Becky.”
Mara waved goodbye while Alexa giggled, and soon the three of them were walking to the back of the station.
“I like her,” Mara commented.
“Next time you order from her, tell her that,” Billy said. “Suzy did and now she gets a discount.”
Mara laughed and Alexa started
