The Sheriff's Son

With a firm hold on her emotions, she turned to Tanner. Instead of the angry look she’d expected, she found him gazing at her thoughtfully, a smile touching his lips.

She could have dealt better with anger.

“Supper…” His smile widened. “It’s Thursday, isn’t it? Still barbecue night at Delia’s?”

She nodded shortly. The one indulgence she allowed herself and Kevin. Because she could run up a tab at the diner.

“Mm-mmm,” Tanner growled. “About the only thing I like better than your pecan loaf is a plateful of Delia’s barbecue.”

“Really?” She wasn’t about to take the bait for an invitation. “If you don’t mind getting back on task here…As you can see, I have taught my son some manners. Still, I apologize for him, too.”

To her shock, Tanner just shrugged. “To me, seemed like the kid was only looking out for you.”

“To me, too.” For a moment, that feeling of pride pushed her to smile.

He shook his head. “Must be hard, him not having a dad around. Maybe I should talk to him. Teach him a little respect.”

Her smile slid away. “I’m teaching him—”

“Coddling’s not always the best way.”

“You don’t know a thing about it,” she snapped. What had she been thinking, sharing the tiniest moment of understanding with Tanner? He was the enemy, the man who could bring her life tumbling down around her, if he ever found out the truth. “And I can handle my own problems.”

One eyebrow slowly went up. “So, you admit you’ve got trouble with him.”

“Right now, the only trouble I’ve got is with you.” She stalked around him to pick up the clipboard with the team rosters. “Why don’t we settle our business, so you can be on your way?”

TANNER CHECKED OUT the roads around Dillon for a while, then turned back to town just near suppertime. It had been a depressing trip, for more than one reason, and he needed food. Company. And answers.

The reminder of Thursday and barbecue night headed him in the direction of Main Street. Even before he’d left, there hadn’t been much to the town of Dillon, just a couple blocks of businesses. And now there were a lot of vacant properties between Delia’s Diner at one end and The Book Cellar down near the other.

Thinking about the bookstore set him off again. He still fumed from Sarah’s quick run-through of the duty rosters, followed by her cold dismissal. He couldn’t understand her reaction. A single mother, with a young boy running wild. Things couldn’t be easy. He’d only tried to help.

Why had she bothered to co-chair the committee with him?

Maybe she’d caught on at last, made the connection between her kid and his mischief and the other problems going on about town. Of course, Kevin couldn’t account for all the complaints, but Tanner suspected that he was one of several kids involved in this “crime wave.”

Someone would have to keep track of that boy.

And, plain as day, Sarah Lindstrom hadn’t a chance of controlling her misbehaving child. No wonder, with what she said to him two days earlier.

She didn’t have a husband.

He frowned, recalling the tight edge of hurt in her voice when she’d told him. What had happened to the man? She’d had a husband once, someone she used to love.

Yeah, and she used to love him, years ago.

He shoved the thought away.

She hadn’t ever loved him, no matter what she’d said. How could she, when she’d so obviously hooked herself up with another man so soon after he’d left town?

Could be she cared for that other man still, and that’s why her voice carried such hurt?

That thought had him slamming the pickup’s door extra hard behind him.

He strode into Delia’s and sniffed at the tangy smell in the air. Nice to know some things never changed. Not like women.

Scowling, he directed his gaze to the back booth Doc Thompson always claimed as his own. And there the man sat, digging in to one of Delia’s Texas-sized barbecue sandwiches.

Almost everything in the diner came Texas-sized, including the owner herself, who charged around the end of the front counter, a grin splitting her face.

He met her halfway and returned her rib-cracking hug.

She stepped back, put her huge hands on her hips, and shook her head slowly. “Well, whoever would believe it, Tanner Jones, a deputy sheriff. Decided to stay on the right side of the law, huh?”

“Why not?”

Her laugh echoed around the room and bounced off the high ceiling. “Don’t playact innocence with me, boy, after all those times you helped me load stock in here. When all those jelly doughnuts grew legs and walked off with you.”

He shrugged. He’d forgotten about that. “Hell, Delia, those were my tips.”

She laughed till her eyes streamed. “All right, boy, what do you want to do me out of now?”

“Coffee and double special.”

“Coming right up.” She turned away, still chuckling.

When he reached Doc’s booth, the other man nodded at him, his mouth full, but his eyes twinkling.

Tanner slid into the vacant bench seat. It put him with his back to the door, not something he liked.

Doc swallowed. “Delia looks happy to see you.”

“Whatever happened to the Welcome Wagon?”

He laughed and took a swig of coffee. “So. How’s the law and order around town tonight?”

“Orderly.”

Doc eyed him. “Maybe I should’ve said, how’s the lawman.”

Tanner grunted. “Suddenly aware of all the changes around Dillon, and not for the better.”

“Yeah,” Doc said, “we were hit hard when the furniture factory closed its doors. A few of the longtime stores had to follow suit, and some people moved out, looking for work.” He shook his head. “At least the ranchers are still holding on.”

Delia set a platter and coffee mug in front of Tanner, and he dug in. By the time he polished off the first sandwich, he felt more like himself. And now that he’d satisfied a part of his hunger, he planned to do the same for his curiosity. “Tell me something, Doc. What’s with Sarah?”

“Ah.” Doc’s white eyebrows rose. “So that’s what’s got you going. Here, I blamed it on a trip down memory lane.”