“Excuse me.” Belle pushed away from the table and stood up.
He and Corey did the same, staying next to her.
She walked up to Rose. “I’m so sorry about your deputy.”
He choked out. “William died a hero, Miss White.”
Tears streamed down her face.
Grief stricken, the old sheriff wrapped his arms around Belle.
“Is there anything I can do for his family, Sheriff?” Belle’s capacity for caring con
tinued to surprise him. It was boundless.
Rose wiped his eyes. “I’m his only family, Belle. He came here several years ago as a troubled kid trying to steal from our local grocery store. He was just hungry. I took him under my wing. When William was old enough, he became my deputy, and a damn good one he was.”
Corey grabbed his glass of water and held it up. “To Deputy William Clarkson, a fallen hero.”
The team raised their glasses and in unison, said. “Here. Here.”
Rose smiled. “Thank you.”
Black held out his hand to the man. “I’ll come back for William’s service, Sheriff.”
Sheriff Rose took Black’s hand and shook it.
“We all will,” Jason said.
Brock, the newest member of the team nodded. “Absolutely.”
They’d gotten word from Doc that Cooper was stable. The team had another memorial to attend back in Destiny. Jonas Ward. Thankfully, the tracker that Shane and Corey had placed on Trollinger’s car had led them to Belle, but it hadn’t saved Jonas or Clarkson.
The body count would continue to rise until Lunceford and his sister were captured.
* * * *
Belle looked out the windshield of Corey’s truck. They were driving to the Boys Ranch and she was vibrating with anticipation to see Juan, little Jake, and the other children.
Corey drove, and Shane held her hand. Her heart was theirs. She adored them.
She would build a life with them, one full of joy and laughter. They were her champions who had brought her out of the depths of despair and hopelessness. Shane and Corey had saved her not just from Kip, but also from herself. Her doubts were gone, thanks to her wonderful, amazing men. They’d shown her that she, too, deserved to be loved and happy.
A smile crossed her face.
“What are you thinking about, baby?”
She leaned into him. “About you, Corey, and Juan and the wonderful life we will have together.”
Corey turned left and drove the truck past the Boys Ranch’s gate.
Up ahead, she saw Juan standing by little Jake. Doc had released Juan that morning.
God, they look just like brothers. Jake’s biological parents had been killed when he was only two years old. Living in the poorest part of Chicago, they had been innocent victims, accidently shot through their window during a gun battle between rival gangs. According to Jake’s caseworker’s account at the time, he had been asleep in his bedroom which ended up saving his life. The sweet boy had been in foster care ever since. The Boys Ranch would be his first real home.
Has Jake already stolen my heart?
Juan and Jake started screaming and running to greet her. Amber and her three husbands came out of the building with the other boys.