Chapter One
Brandon Champion sat in the sheriff’s office of Silver County in Wilde, Nevada. His dad, Wayne, sat behind the desk in uniform with his badge on. A gun was on the desk in front of him.
“Quite impressive, Pop, but it is so weird seeing you like this.” Brandon admired his dad’s drive to go for what he wanted. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you out of scrubs and no stethoscope around your neck.”
Brandon’s two brothers sat in chairs next to his. Alex was nodding his agreement to his statement. Justin was smiling, per his usual Peter Pan style.
“You will, boys. This has been a dream come true for me,” their dad said.
“I’m happy for you, Pop.” Justin stood up and limped to the window. Clearly the injury from his rodeo accident was still giving him more trouble than he would admit. “This is a great town.”
“Don’t you miss medicine? I know I would.” Alex wore a coat and tie today, unlike his normal doc gear. Made sense, since Alex was the big cheese at the event they were all headed to shortly. “Pop, when the hospital is complete, I know I will need you.”
“I’ll be happy to pinch-hit for you, son, but nothing full-time.” Sheriff Wayne Champion smiled. “I love this job more than you can imagine. Knowing I can help you from time to time works out great for me. I get the best of both worlds.” He leaned back in his chair. “Besides, Connie appreciates a man in uniform.”
“Good for you, Pop.” Justin winked.
“We love it here in Wilde, boys.”
Connie was their dad’s new wife. She’d swept into his life and brought back the old spark that had been gone since their mother’s death. It was good to see him happy again after all these years.
“How’s it going with the Mexican cartel case?” Brandon asked. “That was quite a mess you had to clean up.”
“Always the attorney, aren’t you, Brandon?” His dad grinned and then his face darkened. “That case was a mess. And it’s not cleaned up yet. The word we’re getting is the cartel isn’t happy to have lost Malcolm Winters, who was one of their best money men. Austin Wilde is on their radar now. They sent one hit man to Wilde back then. They might send another, but I’ll be ready.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Brandon believed in his dad but was still worried about the dangers his new profession was bringing him. “You should be carrying golf clubs instead of a gun.”
“I’m with him on that, Dad,” Alex chimed in, worry showing in his green eyes. “You’re not a spring chicken. Leave this to the younger guys.”
His dad’s face darkened, but before he could respond, Justin barked, “Don’t bury Dad yet. He’s got more life in him than you two combined. You think you can take him? I know I can’t.”
“That’s why you’re my favorite boy, Justin,” their dad said with a smirk. “You’ve got it all figured out.”
They all laughed. Their dad had always pulled each of them aside when they were boys and told them individually that they were his favorite. It was the game they all knew and adored. The bond between them and their father was unbreakable.
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“I don’t think Justin has figured out much, Dad.” Brandon was troubled for his little brother. Of the three brothers, Justin was the dreamer—always. Competing in the rodeo circuit had been his youngest brother’s life since high school.
“Don’t, bro,” Justin warned. Clearly, he wasn’t ready to talk about the accident or what that meant for his future.
“We better get to Alex’s ground breaking ceremony, boys. We don’t want the most important of the VIPs to be late, do we?” Their dad looked happy. “I’m very proud of you, son.”
“Me, too,” Justin said. “I never thought you would’ve become such a bigwig so soon.”
“I’ll be thirty next month.” Alex shrugged.
Their dad came around the desk and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “That’s young for a doctor and even younger for a new chief of staff.”
“This is Wilde, Nevada, not Reno or Vegas, Dad.” Alex shook his head. “I think Charly Wynn didn’t have a long list of applicants to choose from.”
“My understanding is she didn’t take applicants at all. She came to you,” Brandon said. “Impressive.”
“I was her doctor after she got shot and her lung collapsed.” Alex was downplaying his role in saving Charly Wynn’s life. Hidden in a tree line, her stepbrother had shot her with a rifle right in front of Tobias and Seth Strong. “I think that was my only advantage but enough of one to land me the job.”
Without Seth’s EMT training and Alex’s skill, Brandon wasn’t sure Charly would’ve made it. “Don’t sell yourself short, Alex.”
“With the money she’s spending on this hospital, she could’ve had a ton to pick from but she selected you.” Justin looked at Alex. “I think she made the right decision.”
“She definitely chose the best man for the job,” Brandon added, slapping Alex on the back.
“Okay. Thanks for the pep talk, fellows.” Alex smiled. “Let’s go. I’m the emcee of this thing.”
“There’s going to be food, isn’t there?” Justin could eat what three grown men could in a single meal. Always had been able to.
“Can’t you stop thinking about your gut for one minute?” Alex asked with a laugh.
God, Brandon loved his brothers and dad. They were his family. They were his friends. With his ex out of the picture, they were all that mattered. “I heard there would be barbeque.”
* * * *
Shelby Taylor’s nerves were frazzled, though she was thrilled with what she was witnessing. Her hometown had needed a hospital in the worst way for a very long time. Now they were finally getting one, and even better, the new chief of staff was one of the hottest men she’d ever seen.
The wind was up. She tried desperately to keep her long blonde hair from blowing into a total mess, wanting to look her best for a certain MD.
On the temporary stage stood the local dignitaries, including Dr. Alex Champion.
It was Alex’s damn green eyes. She couldn’t get them out of her head. Or was it his dimples? Maybe. They didn’t make him look boyish or soft at all, but they did make him look devilishly handsome. Perhaps it was his square jaw that kept her from sleeping. All of it, most likely, had been the reason for the unsettled feelings she’d been having. Not something she wanted to deal with right now. She’d already been down the path of dating an outsider. That had ended just like her mother said it would. Badly.
Alex was talking to Charly Wynn, soon to be Charly Strong, the most prominent of all the people on the stage. Her generous donation of over thirty million dollars, which was matched by federal and state grants for the project, had made this whole thing possible. Last year, Charly had inherited quite the fortune, making her the richest woman in the entire state, which was good for Nevada because of her giving heart. Charly’s men, the six Strong brothers, hemmed her in between them, three on each side in the folding chairs, which Carlotta had provided for the event.