Reunited with the Sheriff Page 6

  And through prayer he’d learned the most important lesson of all. That the greatest peace lay in placing your burdens before God. Lord, please help me to deal with all my bitterness toward Cassidy. Help me to truly walk the path toward forgiveness and not harbor any anger or resentment.

  “What’s got you looking so twisted up?”

  The sound of Holly’s voice interrupted his prayers. He turned to his sister, noting the smirk on her face and the twinkle in her eye. She was wearing a T-shirt with the words This is How I Roll emblazoned on it, along with a picture of a wheelchair. Against his will Tate felt the corners of his mouth turning upward in a smile. As usual Holly’s indomitable spirit was awe-inspiring.

  “What makes you think I’m twisted up about something?”

  Holly smirked. “For starters you look madder than Rooster Cogburn.”

  Rooster Cogburn was the Lynch family rooster. He was legendary for his feisty temperament. He ruled the Lynches’ ranch with an iron fist and raised a ruckus every morning at the crack of dawn. They’d named him after one of their favorite John Wayne movies.

  “Not to mention the fact that you’re walking around mumbling under your breath,” she added with a knowing look. “That’s always a clear giveaway that you’re aggravated.”

  Tate nodded, acknowledging Holly’s assessment. “I am...a little annoyed. But it’s no big deal. It’ll all blow over.”

  Blow over? Yeah, right! It hadn’t blown over in eight years.

  “Humph. If you say so.” Holly was eying him skeptically, as if she didn’t believe him for a second.

  He raised an eyebrow and scowled at his sister. “It isn’t every day I get compared to the family rooster.”

  Holly threw her head back and laughed. “Take it as a compliment. Rooster Cogburn has more personality than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  Tate chuckled. Holly always had a knack for making him laugh.

  “I need to tell you something.” His voice turned serious.

  “I’m listening. Go ahead.”

  Tate steeled himself. If there was one thing Holly valued more than anything it was honesty. He hadn’t done the right thing yesterday and it had been eating him up inside all day.

  “I didn’t tell you the truth,” he admitted, his eyes flicking from his sister’s face down to the ground. “Cassidy did ask about you. She wanted to know how you were doing.”

  Holly’s mouth swung open. Her eyes narrowed and she shot him a look of disgust.

  “Why did you lie to me?”

  “I didn’t want you being pulled in by her and getting hurt again.”

  “That’s not your choice to make!” she exploded. “The last time I checked I’m a grown woman.”

  He nodded curtly. “I know, but old habits die hard. I’ve spent most of my life watching out for you. If I saw a Mack truck speeding toward you, I’d pull you out of the way, wouldn’t I?”

  Holly threw her hands in the air. “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about you. You and your relationship with Cassidy.”

  He bristled. “There’s nothing between me and Cassidy. That ended a long time ago.”

  Holly arched an eyebrow. “But you never really closed the door on it.” She cocked her head to the side. “All these years and you’ve barely looked at another woman.”

  Tate snorted. What was Holly talking about? He’d dated Kit Saunders, a local attorney, for almost two years. Since their breakup two years ago he’d been fixed up on dozens of blind dates by his friends.

  “Kit and I were in a long-term relationship.”

  Holly rolled her eyes. “Seemed more like convenience than romance.”

  “I’ll have you know I’ve been on plenty of dates since then!” he protested.

  “How many of ’em were second dates?”

  Second dates? He hadn’t even thought of second dates. Until now. Why haven’t I had any second dates? “I’m town Sheriff. I live a busy lifestyle, and my work comes first. When the time is right I’ll fall in love, settle down and have a few babies you can sing lullabies to at night. I’m more than ready to move on.”

  Holly looked at him, a somber expression etched on her face. “I don’t think you’ll be able to move on until you forgive Cassidy.”

  “It’s not easy to forgive someone who—”

  “Who what? Broke your heart? Called off your wedding? Put me in this chair?”

  Tate shot Holly a fierce look. “You know it’s way more complicated than that. When I look at you in that wheelchair—”

  Tears glistened in Holly’s eyes. She furiously blinked them away. “Don’t you dare hide behind me, Tate. If you want to hate her for the rest of your life, then do it. But don’t you dare pretend that it’s all for my benefit.” She huffed noisily. “Because we both know that’s the biggest lie of all.”

  Without a word of goodbye, Holly turned from him and wheeled away.

  First Doc. Now Holly. Both of them had given him a reality check. He couldn’t ignore the truth when it was staring him straight in the face. His bitterness wasn’t about the accident. It was about the way she’d treated him—the way she’d left him high and dry, dreaming of a future that would never come to pass. It was about his embarrassment, his shame, his feeling like a prize fool in front of the entire town. It was about losing someone that once meant the world to him. It was about loss.

  Tate raked his hands through his hair and let out a deep shudder. Love. It was such a simple word for such a complicated emotion. When he’d fallen in love with the pastor’s daughter, it had all seemed so uncomplicated. Effortless. It had felt like such a blessing to meet his soul mate at such a young age. Their future had looked so promising. But in one fell swoop everything had been taken away from him. And every time he thought about it, he burned up inside.

  Truth to be told, he missed being in love. He ached to feel that rush again, to feel so at one with another person that he didn’t know where he began and she ended. He missed imagining what their kids would look like and dreaming of growing old together. He missed belonging to someone.

  Not just someone, he realized with a sinking feeling in his gut. Try as he might to deny it, he missed belonging to Cassidy.

  * * *

  The crowd cheered and shouted words of encouragement as the eight contestants in the pie eating contest vied neck and neck for the win. The contest came to a riveting conclusion as a cherub-faced girl, who couldn’t have been more than eighty pounds soaking wet, raised her hands in the air as the victor. Grown men three times her size clutched their stomachs, their faces showing queasiness. Cassidy and her mother laughed at the sight of all the contestants’ faces covered in blueberries and cream. Cassidy pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures of the participants, wanting to capture the lighthearted moment on film.

  “If I haven’t already told you, it means the world to us that you joined us today. I can’t think of the last time I’ve had so much fun,” her mother said, her face beaming with joy.

  “You’ve said it a dozen times or more,” Cassidy answered with a chuckle. “But it never gets old hearing it. And if I haven’t already told you, I’m happy to be back.”

  Her mother fanned herself with her hand. “If only it weren’t so hot today. This feels like August weather, not May.”

  “Mom, are you sure you’re not thirsty? I could get you some iced tea or a bottled water at the concession stand.” She narrowed her eyes as she looked at her mother. Tiny beads of sweat were gathered on her forehead and her face looked washed-out.

  Her mother waved her off. “No thanks, sweetheart. I’m feeling a little nauseous at the moment. I’m not sure if I could keep it down.”

  The fact that her mother was experiencing nausea concerned her. Perhaps it was time they left the bazaar and headed home. Although it had been a
fun day, it had also been a taxing one for her mother due to the hot weather and the extensive amount of walking she’d done around the fairgrounds. Cassidy glanced around the crowded area looking for her father, anxious to let him know her mother was feeling poorly.

  “Why don’t we go sit down in the shade so you can rest a bit,” she suggested, reaching out to grasp her by the elbow. Her mother swayed a bit to one side, her body sagging as she crumpled to the ground.

  “Mama!” Cassidy cried out, falling to her knees next to her mother in the dirt. Her mother was lying on her back, her head lolled to one side. The contents of her purse had scattered around her. A group of people crowded around, looking on and speaking in hushed tones. She reached for her mother’s wrist so she could take her pulse. Her concern grew when it registered as thready and weak. Panic seized hold of her as the gravity of the situation settled in.

  “Somebody, please call an ambulance,” she cried out as fear gripped her by the throat.

  A young woman bent down and began collecting the items that had fallen from her mother’s purse. Cassidy was gazing out into the crowd, praying that her father would return to the area. She saw Tate, with his broad shoulders and commanding air, surging forward through the crowd. He moved quickly toward where she knelt on the ground next to her mother, his gaze full of concern as he searched her face for answers.

  “Cass, what happened?” he asked as he lowered himself to the ground.

  She bit her lip in an effort to hold back the tide of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Seeing her mother lying on the ground in such a vulnerable state brought a host of emotions to the surface. What she was feeling most was fear. Fear of losing her mother. Fear of not doing the right thing in this moment. Fear that she’d never get back the years she’d lost with her.

  Her voice trembled as she explained, “We were standing here talking and she told me she felt nauseous. Then she fainted. I’m having a hard time rousing her.”

  Tate reached down and gently swatted Maylene’s face, then loosened the silk scarf around her neck. A little bit of color seemed to be returning to her cheeks.

  “Maylene!” The sound of her father’s voice rang out in the crowd. She watched as her father stepped past the crowd and scrambled to his wife’s side. He bent over beside her, reaching out and caressing the side of his wife’s face. The loving embrace brought tears to Cassidy’s eyes. It made her feel humble to witness the deep and abiding love of her parents. She found herself wishing for things she’d let go of a long time ago.

  Her mother let out a low moan and her eyes fluttered open. For a moment she appeared disoriented. “Cassidy! What are you doing here?”

  She reached out and patted her mother’s hand. “I’m here for the summer, Mama. Don’t you remember?” she asked, sniffing back tears, her heart pounding with fear.

  “Of course I do, honey. I just feel so woozy. Everything is spinning.”

  “Don’t try to get up, darling. Let’s wait for the medics to arrive,” her father advised.

  The sound of an ambulance siren blared in the distance, sounding closer and closer by the second. Cassidy stood up and scanned the area, realizing that the paramedics wouldn’t be able to maneuver the ambulance through the small space between the enclosure and the concession stands.

  She turned to Tate, pointing in the direction of the ambulance. “They won’t be able to get through here. It’s too narrow,” she fretted.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got her,” Tate said. “Just hold onto my neck, Maylene,” he advised just before bending down and lifting her up in his arms, treating her as if she were as fragile as a newborn babe. As he instructed, she wrapped her hands around his neck and held on for dear life.

  “Move back everyone,” he instructed the crowd, who immediately fanned out to let him get by.

  The ambulance pulled up outside the enclosure and two paramedics jumped out, quickly opening up the back of the ambulance when they saw Tate striding toward them with Maylene in his arms. Cassidy and her father were right at his heels.

  “I’d like to ride with your mother,” her father said to Cassidy, his eyes full of uncertainty. “Could you please drive my car over to the hospital?” he asked, handing her his key fob, his hand visibly trembling.

  Cassidy reached for the keys and nodded to her father. Still feeling a bit dazed, she murmured, “I’ll be there shortly.”

  Her father squeezed her hand and climbed into the back of the ambulance, taking a seat next to his wife. As the paramedics closed the door, she could see him touching her mother’s face and placing a kiss on her cheek. The tender gesture cracked her heart wide open, making her feel more vulnerable than she’d allowed herself to feel in a very long time.

  * * *

  Cassidy stared at the retreating ambulance as it carried her mother away, tears streaming down her face, her shoulders heaving with emotion. Tate felt his insides being squeezed at the sight of her solitary figure, alone and hurting. He battled the impulse to wrap his arms around her, not knowing if it would be an intrusion.

  Tate moved toward her, wanting to let her know she wasn’t alone. He could see what it was doing to her. It made him ache inside to see her broken up like this. It made him feel guilty for having been so abrupt with her earlier.

  “She’s going to be just fine,” he said, trying to make his words sound reassuring. “It’s probably just heat stroke.”

  Lord, please don’t make a liar out of me. Please don’t let this be a setback for Maylene.

  “You don’t know that,” she said, her voice breaking under the strain. Vibrant green eyes studied him and he could see it all in their depths—fear, uncertainty, panic.

  “Tate, I’m scared. What if I’ve come back after all this time only to lose her? I’ll never forgive myself.” Her voice was tight with emotion.

  “Don’t think like that. Just pray, Cass. Tell God what’s in your heart. Let him know how scared you are.” It’s what he’d done in the days and weeks after the accident—he’d put it all out there in the hopes that God was listening to his prayers. And He had been. Tate knew it with a certainty. That experience had forever changed him into a believer.

  He pulled Cassidy to him, wrapping his arms around her and smoothing back her strawberry blond mane. She smelled of strawberries and vanilla, reminding him of lazy summer nights and stolen kisses in her mother’s rose garden. He heard her muffled sobs, felt the heaving of her chest as she vented her fear and sorrow. Her arms grabbed him around the waist as if he were a lifeline. She clung to him for a few moments—brief moments when he wanted nothing more than to comfort her and give her a soft place to fall.

  Just when he’d thought he was done with Cassidy, he felt himself being pulled back into her world.

  After a few minutes she untangled herself from his arms. “I should get going to the hospital.” She let out a ragged sigh. “I really need to find out what’s going on with Mama. I’m sure Daddy is frantic with worry.”

  “Go, Cassidy. Be with your family.” The thought of her being at the hospital supporting her family made him feel warm inside. He had a hunch that most of the congregation would check up on the family and make sure they were fed and cared for. It was one of the many strengths of Main Street Church—its members came together in times of trouble.

  She flashed him a tight smile. “Thanks for everything. Really. You always know what to do in a crisis, Tate.”

  “Keep me posted, okay?” he called after her. “I’ll be at the Sheriff’s Office.”

  “Will do,” she shouted as she hurried off. He watched her as she located her father’s car in the lot and gained entry to the vehicle, the tires spewing dirt and dust as she took off.

  For what seemed like an eternity he paced back and forth, his mind filled with thoughts of Cassidy and her parents. He knew it was dangerous to get caught up i
n Cassidy’s life, but he couldn’t help himself. Pastor Blake and Maylene had always treated him like a member of their family. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t care about their well-being. With a groan of surrender he made his way to his car and jumped in, revving the engine as if he was racing in the Indy 500. In record time he made it across town to Trinity Hospital.

  A portly nurse directed him to the seventh floor when he arrived at the emergency room. After taking a short elevator ride he found Cassidy sitting on a sofa outside room 723, her hands clasped in prayer. When she glanced up and saw him standing there, relief washed over her face.

  “Tate! What are you doing here?”

  “I just wanted to check on your mother’s condition. How is she?” He jammed his hands into his front pockets and rocked a bit on the heels of his cowboy boots.

  “The doctors are still in with her. They let Daddy stay, but they won’t let me inside.” She raked a hand through her wayward curls. “It feels like I’ve been waiting out here for forever.”

  “Patience is a virtue,” Tate quipped, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement.

  Cassidy smiled back at him, filling him with satisfaction that he’d been able to provide her with a little distraction.

  “I used to hate when Daddy said that. It always seemed as if he was staring straight at me when he said it.”

  He smiled at the memory. Cassidy couldn’t have been more than eight years old. He’d been a year and a half older, but only one year ahead of her in class. Kids within a certain age range were grouped together for Bible Class so he’d been alongside Cassidy and Holly. Pastor Blake had been their teacher.

  “I think he was trying to send you a message. From what I remember, you weren’t the most patient of children.” Tate sat down next to Cassidy and settled in.

  Cassidy made a face. “As I said then, patience is for old people and fools.” She giggled, spurred on by the memory of her eight-year-old self.