Cold Hearted Love: A Small Town Sheriff Romance Read online

  At the sound of my voice, she straightened her posture and flashed a professional smile. “Sheriff. How goes the world of crime fighting?” Her smile warmed from professional to welcoming, almost friendly even.

  I wasn’t buying it, just like I wasn’t buying the innocent look winking back at me from hazel eyes that swirled with a rainbow of colors, gold and green and amber, just like a marble.

  “Just peachy. Did you come here to report a crime?” She wouldn’t be the first badge bunny to show up and try to flirt her way into an invitation to my bedroom. I didn’t do groupies, period.

  “Not exactly. I’m here to report on crime,” she said with emphasis as if it was needed. “I’d like to add a police blotter to the Gazette website and that will require your cooperation.”

  A police blotter? “No.”

  She straightened her spine at that one word, as if summoning her strength. “You haven’t even heard me out!”

  “Don’t need to. The last thing we need is you and a bunch of civilians thinking you can do my job.” The last time a reporter had been allowed in my business, he’d ended up dead. No coming back from that, no matter how good your intentions or how interesting the story.

  She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to do your job, Sheriff. I want there to be a record of what’s happening in town, which is my right by law.”

  “Everybody’s a lawyer all of a sudden.” I walked around the desk and dropped down into the old seat that still molded to the last sheriff’s ass. “Not. Interested.” I hoped that was clear enough for her, because there was no way in hell I was letting her talk me into any damn thing.

  Ginger stood slowly, her gaze darkening with her mood as it bore a hole right through my forehead. “I said I require your cooperation, Sheriff not your permission. I’ll get what I need. One way or another.”

  Touché. At least she had a backbone. That was something. Something kind of sexy. “Good. Then you don’t need me at all for this.”

  “Nope, I don’t. Though I’m sure I could get some good traffic on a story about the Sheriff hiding crime statistics from the public.” Without another word and that ridiculous threat lingering between us, she walked out with a sexy little swing to her hips.

  “Damn reporters.” I didn’t know much about Ginger yet, but I would. She was a reporter which meant I automatically didn’t trust her. But the fact that she’d been in town for months and no one knew much about her, was alarming. To say the least.

  “Knock, knock.” Brenda pushed the door open cautiously, a wary expression on her face. “Still hungry?”

  “That was quick.” Even on a slow day, it took Big Mama at least twenty minutes to get takeout orders ready.

  “Your visitor had meant to use this as a bribe. Instead she said she’d rather you stick it where the sun don’t shine.” Brenda’s pink cheeks only added to the humor of the moment and I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

  Ginger had a sense of humor, I’d give her that. And she didn’t take any crap. If she wasn’t looking to join in on the matchmaking fun, we might be friends. As soon as I figured out what she was up to with this sudden interest in my line of work. “If you don’t plan to do as she says, I can promise it’ll go somewhere the sun definitely doesn’t shine.”

  “Oh, Sheriff,” she admonished and handed the bag over along with a big stack of napkins.

  “Thanks Brenda. You’re the best,” I told her around a bite of burger with extra raw onions, because Ginger was a smart ass.

  “Don’t you forget it.” She pointed one long red tipped finger in my direction and slowly backed out of the office, leaving me eat in peace.

  Finally.

  Ginger

  Stupid damn Sheriff, with his handsome smirking face and gruff demeanor. What does he have to be so gruff about anyway? Serving as a smalltown Sheriff had to be the easiest job in the world. Other than a few domestic squabbles and public drunkenness, not much happened around here other than a whole lot of meddling. It was a big part of the reason I accepted the job in Tulip. Safety plus salary, equals a good life in my book.

  I sat in a booth inside Reese’s BBQ, stewing as I watched the lunchtime crowd come and go in varying stages of exhaustion. Some still had a pep in their step, possibly about an upcoming date or a new promotion, but most looked like they were going through the motions. Even in this charming small town. Although the lunch crowd was an excellent time for people watching, which helped me come up with more ideas to keep the Gazette in a steady flow of new online traffic, there was another reason I came here for lunch.

  The “Meddling Matchmakers”. It was an unofficial name, given to them thanks to their love of matchmaking the Hometown Heroes, and I planned to take full advantage of their expertise. And by full advantage, I meant setting myself up at a table close enough to hear their conversation. I needed to find out what else I could use to keep my job and keep Mom where she belonged. I wasn’t brave—or stupid—enough to put myself in their crosshairs, but I had no problem eavesdropping.

  It was my right as a professional journalist.

  “Want me to take your order, or should I just hook up a microphone to the old ladies’ table?”

  The woman, the chef and the owner stood in front of me with her long blond hair pulled into a ponytail that stuck out the back of her red and white baseball cap with the Reese’s logo splashed across the front. Her light brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

  I sighed, happy for the interruption. “I’ll have the short rib special with the Jack D sauce. And if that mic thing is real, hook me up. Thanks.” I motioned for her to sit since it looked like the lunch crowd had finally started to thin out.

  Reese sat and waved the ticket in the air until a passing waiter took it from her. “Thanks.”

  “Hard work having the best barbecue in town?” She arched a blond brow at me and I grinned. “Best in Texas?”

  “Better,” she said with a small, placated smile. “And yeah, it’s super hard work. But that’s the price of greatness. What’s new with you?”

  No one in Tulip knew about my mom, not yet. I didn’t want pity, and this town had a bad case of offering up help whether you wanted it or not. But since I couldn’t go to Mom for advice, I could use a sounding board other than Big Mama, who would probably attempt to threaten Tim into submission.

  “Nothing much, just a run-in with the Sheriff who refused me a basic request. Which by the way, he has no authority to refuse.” I’d been warned about small towns and how they could sometimes be unwelcoming to newcomers, but Tulip wasn’t like that. No one in Tulip was, except the Sheriff.

  “That doesn’t sound like Tyson. He can be gruff, and his personal skills could use updating, but he’s a good guy.”

  I didn’t doubt that, but it really wasn’t the point. “Yeah well, if he was such a good guy he wouldn’t refuse this request, not when my job is on the line. And did I mention he has no legal right to refuse me?” I knew my voice was getting shrill, but dammit it, I was frustrated. Things had been locking into place so perfectly with Rafe and Big Mama already agreeing to help. Even Hope had promised to do an article on choosing the right lingerie for your body type. Things had been going well.

  So well.

  Reese let out a shocked whistle. “Your job? That sucks. I wish you luck.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Luck had nothing to do with it, and I was mad not deterred from my goal. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter, I’m just fuming while I plan.”

  “Tyson isn’t being an asshole for no good reason, Ginger. He has his reasons for wanting to stay out of the spotlight.” She had no idea that was exactly the wrong thing to say to a journalist, but I filed that bit of information away for later. “Just go easy on him.”

  “I don’t plan on doing anything to him. But I’m not losing my job Reese, I can’t.”

  “Why not? Jobs are easy to come by in your field, aren’t they? You could start a blog like everyone else.”

  I snorted a laugh. “Blog
earnings won’t pay the kind of money I need. Besides, blogs take a while to build up a following before they become profitable.”

  She frowned and leaned forward with a gleam in her brown eyes. “Gambling addict? Oh, please dear lord tell me you’ve got something interesting like that going on in your life?” Reese blew out a long breath and leaned back against the booth seat. “I need some excitement.”

  I laughed. “If a mom with early onset Alzheimer’s is exciting, then yeah, I’ve got loads of it.” In those early years it had been exciting, but not the good kind of exciting, more like terrifying. “Nothing gets your blood pumping like a burnt to hell grilled cheese at three in the morning.”

  “Damn, that’s rough. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Me too, but the point is I’m not letting the paper close. I won’t. I can’t.”

  Reese nodded and stood. “I understand, just try not to burn any bridges while saving yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.” I’d fight only as dirty as I needed to for him to give me what I wanted.

  “Good. I’ll send you some hushpuppies on the house.” She winked and walked away, her chef whites swallowing up her petite frame.

  I had just finished typing some notes and a reminder to do some digging into Sheriff Henderson when the matchmakers showed up. Eddy, Elizabeth Vargas, Betty Kemp and Helen Landon walked in and took their designated booth, the round one in the center of the small restaurant. The women were close friends, laughing and giving each other a hard time while they decided what to order.

  “Eddy, I have to say you were masterful with Scott and Stevie. By the time they realized what was going on, they were halfway in love.” The awe in Betty’s voice didn’t escape my notice, and I barely resisted the urge to turn to see her expression.

  “Thanks. He was ready for it, he just needed a good hard push. And the right woman.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Helen agreed. “They think they know what they want, but Scott never would’ve ended up with a girl like Stevie on his own.” I could just imagine them all shaking their heads at the silly kids.

  “A pitcher of strawberry margaritas, please!” Elizabeth’s voice rang out, followed by the table erupting in laughter. “To celebrate our latest success, and to inspire us for the next one.”

  I shook my head at the older women who were each a force to be reckoned with on their own, together they were as unstoppable as the Avengers. The women were over the top ridiculous in their efforts, and the worst part was, they were unashamed of it, which made reporting on their antics as well as the Hometown Heroes, had stirred up a lot of traffic for the Gazette.

  But it wouldn’t last forever. Nothing ever did.

  That thought, as depressing as it was, gave me an excellent idea. I didn’t’ need it to last forever, I just needed to keep traffic growing steadily for long enough to appease Tim. The calendar and fundraising were almost complete, and I’d have to come up with something else.

  In the meantime, I had the Hometown Heroes.

  Tyson

  “What in the hell is the matter with you!”

  It wasn’t a question, but in hindsight, it definitely wasn’t the best idea to approach Ginger at work, which happened to be the busiest damn place in town while the sun was out. If the woman hadn’t made me so mad, I might have taken all that under consideration before I marched down to Big Mama’s to confront her.

  She blinked those big hazel eyes up at me, doing her best to look casually innocent, and failing miserably at it thanks to the mischievous smile curving her lips.

  “There’s probably a lot wrong with me Sheriff, you’ll have to be more specific.”

  She knew damn well what I was talking about, but I’d play her game since we’d drawn an audience. “This!” I held up my phone, which didn’t have the same effect as slamming the newspaper down on the countertop between us. Damn Brenda and her push for the Sheriff’s Department to go green to save the Earth.

  Ginger arched one sculpted chocolate brown brow at me, one hand on her hip and the other holding the orange handled pot of decaf coffee like it was a weapon. “Did I butt dial you on accident or something?”

  Did she what? I blinked, trying to figure out if she was crazy or just trying to drive me crazy. “I’m talking about your attempt at journalism, Ms. Scanlan.”

  Her wince at that word told me I’d struck my target, but Ginger recovered quickly, straightening her spine and steeling her resolve. “There’s a complaint box right outside the Tulip Gazette offices, you can shove your opinion right in there Sheriff.”

  A few titters of laughter sounded around us, but I wasn’t deterred. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”

  “That depends, are you here to criticize my attempt at journalism, or is there some other matter that’s captured your attention?” She set the decaf pot down and folded her arms over her chest, like she could possibly intimidate me.

  “You know damn well what I’m talking about, and I want to know what the hell you have to say for yourself about it.”

  She laughed. The frustrating woman actually laughed, and it was full throated, making her eyes water and sparkle like gems. “That’s the beauty of journalism, I don’t have to explain myself. And you, Sheriff, are a public figure.”

  “I’m law enforcement,” I growled, insulted she lumped me in with politicians and celebrities.

  “And a Hometown Hero. And the elected sheriff of this town. Public. Public. Public.” She sang the words until they started to lose their meaning, or worse, like she was trying to drill it into my head. “What exactly is the problem?”

  I looked around and noticed that no one in the diner wasn’t even trying to hide their interest, nor their blatant eavesdropping on our conversation.

  “I don’t need this, Ginger. Not the attention it’ll bring, and I certainly don’t need the notoriety.” Just like that reporter in the desert, digging his nose where it didn’t belong until it went and got him killed. And thanks to a random assignment, my name was forever linked with his. “Stop this.” I knew it was the wrong thing to say to a woman like her, but dammit I had to try something. Anything.

  She arched a brow again, the corners of her lips curled into the barest hint of a smile. “Infringing on my right to free press and free speech, Sheriff?”

  I growled at her words, just as she’d meant me to I’m sure. “That’s not what I’m saying, and you damn well know it. I am entitled to my privacy.” It was a weak argument and we both knew it, but Ginger had the ability to make me forget I was a law man, responsible for keeping the peace and not stirring up chaos.

  “Yeah well, I’m not losing either of my jobs because the Sheriff doesn’t believe in the rule of law.” She picked up the empty decaf pot, rinsed and refilled it efficiently before grabbing the regular pot of coffee and turning to me with a glowing smile. “Anything else, Sheriff?” The annoying woman didn’t even wait for an answer before she stormed off, flashing a smile at every customer as she refilled their coffee as if we didn’t just have a screaming match that would likely end up on the Tulip Facebook page.

  “She’s got fire, that one. Doesn’t she?” Big Mama’s voice sounded behind me and I froze, realizing she’d caught me staring.

  I turned and pretended I didn’t’ see her amused grin. “She’s got something, that’s for sure.” The woman had a lot of balls to go toe to toe with the Sheriff the way she did. My instincts said she was hiding something, and until I figured out what, I’d treat her like any other stranger in my town.

  “Yeah,” Big Mama said with a bite to her voice. “She’s got a heavy burden on her shoulders and she doesn’t need you makin’ it heavier. It wouldn’t kill you to be a little cooperative, in the spirit of community and all that.” Big Mama rarely spoke a bad word about anyone who didn’t deserve it, and I could count on one hand how many times I’d heard her use that tone with someone.

  I frowned, feeling betrayed by the disloyalty. “How did I end up the
bad guy when she’s the one who splashed my face all over the internet, speculating about my love life.” It was a total invasion of privacy, and I was pretty damn sure Scott and Eddy had given her some of the background info on me.

  “It’s a pretty face.” Big Mama reached out and cupped my face, smelling like vanilla and sugar. “You’re donating that face to charity and she’s writing about that, what’s the big deal? You can’t fault her that handsome heroes are always interesting to folks.”

  I guess she had a point about that. “Still, I feel like my privacy’s been invaded.” It was bad enough that the whole town was in on this matchmaking scheme, but it was worse that all of my friends, even my own brother, hadn’t been strong enough to resist their efforts.

  “Privacy? With all your smartphones and social media? A little late to un-ring that bell, don’tcha think?” Big Mama shrugged as if the matter was settled. “I’ll tell you what’s not right, that new hoity toity paper owner, threatening poor Ginger’s job just because Tulip isn’t as big as the big cities. How can she get more eyes on the paper if a town doesn’t have the numbers? And do you think it matters to him that she managed to get our boys and girls overseas, connected with digital subscriptions? Hell no, it matters not one bit to that sorry excuse for a man.” Arms folded over her ample bosom, Big Mama fumed and if I wasn’t mistaken, she was planning the city slicker’s downfall.

  “Just remember that I’ll have to arrest you the same as anyone else, Big Mama.”

  She grinned. “You can try it if you want, Sheriff. I might like to tussle with you.” She winked and walked away, giving me a swing in her sixty year old hips that I could have gone my entire life without seeing.

  Big Mama, like the rest of Tulip on any given day, had given me way more information than I asked for, but in this instance it was appreciated, even if that information made me more than feel like the bad guy. It made me the bad guy. She’d tried to do the police blotter and I shot her down cold. I should have known an enterprising woman like her would always find another way, hell I should have expected it. Anticipated it.