“For someone who didn’t want to commit to law enforcement, you certainly changed your mind quickly.”
“I was asked to serve by the people of Ursa, sir. You can’t say no when you’re asked.”
“I’m not arguing,” he said solemnly, his deep baritone rumbling over the other end of the line. “And I’m certain you’ll make a fine sheriff.”
He wasn’t using fine in that mediocre way either. He meant it as a true compliment.
“May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“There’s no mutual friend, right? I mean, Harlan Thomas is your friend, isn’t he?”
“Sheriff Harlan Thomas is the oldest brother of my partner who was killed a very long time ago.”
I had no idea what kind of partner he was talking about, and there was no way to ask any more questions. I was amazed that I got that much. “I’m so sorry, sir.”
“Thank you, Calder.”
Quiet a moment, thinking how to frame the next question, I took a breath to dive in.
“We both know that you going to Ursa was not our usual kind of job.”
“Yessir,” I said, so relieved he was talking.
“I send you guys out to protect kids or retrieve them, not normally make them grilled cheese or drive them to school in the morning.”
“There’s normally a lot more shooting and bullets flying and a greater capacity for peril.”
“Yes, there is,” he conceded, and the warmth that came over the line made me smile, because this was the best and last conversation I was ever going to have with Jared Colter as my boss. It wouldn’t be the same after this. I wouldn’t be one of his guys anymore. “But that wasn’t the job in Ursa. The job there was to find the perfect mix of commitment and pride, protectiveness and empathy. Harlan’s been trying to find a man he could trust to take his place for a while now, but no one who wanted to transfer to Ursa, who was running from an old life, was what the town needed.”
He was telling me that I alone had been the best fit, and to have Jared Colter think so much of me, when I’d thought the exact opposite was the case, caught my heart in a vise.
“Harlan’s been the sheriff there for twenty years, and two years ago, when Cahill tried to rig the election to put his man in instead, it still turned out to be Harlan.”
“May I ask why Sheriff Thomas even wants to retire?”
“He told me that the town is changing and they need a sheriff who is engaged with the community, someone everyone can pick out in a crowd and feel safe with.”
“He just means younger than him.”
“No, he means calm under pressure, well-trained, capable, persuasive, and more than anything else, trustworthy,” he said, and the list, his list, was a lot of good to hear all at once. “And you look the part too, Calder. You’re tall and strong, you smile a lot, which puts people at ease, and you have a hefty ego because you know you can handle yourself in most situations. But, you stop and listen, and Harlan said he knew right away that you were the right man when everywhere he went and everyone he talked to already knew your name. This is the best outcome for everyone.”
I had a thought. “I wonder if folks who come to Torus now will think you’re running a dating service.”
“Calder—”
“Like pick the fixer you might wanna keep ’cause you never know, you just might.”
“All right, we’re done talking now.”
I chuckled. “When I come clear out my apartment, should I call you to meet me for lunch? I’m thinking I might bring my family and show them Chicago.”
“I would love that. Make sure to call.”
“Yessir,” I barely got out. “Thank you, sir.”
When he hung up, I let my head fall back and simply breathed, letting my life settle in around me.
I was still standing there when Emery came into the room, walked up behind me, and wrapped me in his arms.
“What are you doing in here alone?” he whispered, his breath warm on the back of my neck before his lips pressed against my nape.
“I called my boss and quit so I can live here with you now.”
“That’s good because I wasn’t letting you leave. Not now. Not ever.”
“I like it when you say scary possessive things.”
“I know,” he rumbled, turning me in his arms for a kiss.
Eighteen
Emery’s parents, who had only occasionally visited since Andrea passed, and had never accepted an invitation to be away from their home during any holiday, happily said yes to Olivia when she said they should come see her for Christmas.
Emery nearly passed out.
“What’s the big deal?” I asked him, watching as he paced from one side of our bedroom to the other.
“Are you kidding?” he asked, eyes wide, arms flailing, absolutely sputtering with words that were all trying to get out at the same time.