Lone Star Holiday Proposal

Raina was his reason for being here—both at the sheriff’s office and in Royal altogether. While his work had sent him here, she was what would keep him. He only needed to convince her of that fact. A cakewalk, right? He snorted under his breath and earned a stern glance from a passing deputy.

“Can I help you, sir?” a woman behind the front counter asked.

“Yes, I know I don’t have an appointment but I need to see the sheriff, if he’s in. It’s urgent.”

“Just about every man coming in to see the sheriff says the same thing,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “Your name?”

Nolan gave it and thought he saw a glimpse of recognition in the woman’s eyes.

“Howard Dane’s boy?”

He nodded. He might be a grown man but he’d always be his father’s son in this town—and proud of it, he realized. “Yes, he’s my dad.”

The receptionist nodded. “Take a seat over there. I’ll see if Sheriff Battle’s available.”

Nolan sat down on a hard vinyl-covered seat against the wall and drummed his fingers on his leg. He was lucky he didn’t have to wait long.

“Nolan Dane?” The sheriff had come out to the reception area himself. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks,” Nolan answered, rising to his feet and offering his hand.

“What brings you to my office?”

“Can we talk in private?”

“Sure, c’mon back.”

Once they were seated in a private room, Nolan didn’t waste any time.

“I have information on a man named Jeb Pickering. He’s got a long list of convictions for petty crime but right now he’s wanted in New Mexico on third-degree felony charges.”

“Tell me more,” Sheriff Battle said, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk between them.

“He’s the ex-partner of Raina Patterson, who runs Priceless out at the Courtyard.”

The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, I know her. Lost her store in town in the tornado. Brave woman. Has a little boy. He’d be about three now, I guess.”

Nolan was impressed that the man could recall one of the people of Royal so easily, but then again that’s probably why Nate Battle was reelected each term. He cared. Nolan was counting on that to help him rid Raina of Jeb’s shadow forever.

“That’s the one. Pickering skipped out on her but keeps coming back for handouts. Seems he has a bit of trouble with gambling and drinking.”

“Not the best of combinations but not necessarily a crime, unfortunately.”

“No,” Nolan agreed. “However, we can now add manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol and skipping bail to his list of charms.”

The sheriff let out a low whistle. “I see. And you know this how?”

Nolan quickly explained, showing the sheriff the information he’d gathered. After reading it carefully, the sheriff looked up.

“D’you know where he is now?”

“Not exactly, but I know where he’ll be tonight.”

The anger he was feeling at Jeb Pickering’s callous disregard of life added cold hard inflection to his words as Nolan outlined his confrontation with Pickering last night.

“So he thinks you’ll be there to give him money so he can head on his way out of state again.” The sheriff nodded. “I think we can work with you.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Nolan smiled and leaned back in his chair.

“Give me the details and I’ll get a couple of my men together, and I’ll alert the New Mexico authorities that their chicken will be coming home to roost.”

* * *

Nolan stamped his feet against the cold as he waited in the parking area for Jeb to show. So far Nolan hadn’t seen a sign of anyone, although he had every confidence that Nate Battle and his men were nearby.

The skitter of a stone on the pavement made Nolan turn around.

“Pickering,” he acknowledged as the man slipped out from the shadows.

“You got my money?”

Nolan ignored his request. “I’ve been doing a bit of research on you, man. It seems you’re a wanted criminal.”

Jeb’s face turned nasty. “What the hell do you know? I’ve been doing a bit of research of my own. You’re just some fancy-pants lawyer who couldn’t even keep his wife and son alive. Now give me my money,” he demanded as he yanked one hand from his pocket and shoved it in Nolan’s direction.

Nolan fought to ignore the man’s gibe but even so, it cut deep. The truth always did. He forced himself to focus—to do what was right for Raina. Yes, he might not have been able to save Bennett and Carole, but he’d be damned if he ever saw another person he loved hurt when he could do something about it.