Chapter Two
Drayton
I park the car and reach for my police radio, clipping it to my belt. The second I open the door, I’m blasted by a freezing cold wind and swirling flakes of snow. Colorado winters can be brutal, and this one is no exception. Bracing myself against the elements, I pull my hat down over my eyes and head for the warmth of The Hideout Bar.
Pushing open the heavy wood door with its antique glass window, I step into the dimly lit interior. A sense of nostalgia washes over me at the familiar surroundings. Rustic beams run across the ceiling, and pictures line the worn, red-brick walls, faded in their frames. It’s just gone midday, so there are only a few patrons seated at the bar, nursing their drinks.
“Sheriff!”
I turn at the booming voice to look at the tall, burly man emerging through the doorway behind the bar.
“What have I told you about calling me that, Pa,” I glower, giving my dad the stink-eye.
“You’re the sheriff of this town, aren’t you?” he demands, raising a white eyebrow.
“Yeah, but—"
“Then what’s the problem? Proud of my son, and not ashamed who knows it,” he says with a grin.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” I ask, knowing it will distract him from his usual embarrassing speech about how glad he is to have me back.
“Nancy’s not my girlfriend,” Dad glowers, shaking his head. “You know no one will ever match up to your ma, but it’s still nice to have a little female company now and again.”
I pull a stool up at the bar. It’s bittersweet being back here, seeing him work the bar without Mom. They ran this place together for over thirty years. They raised me here, in the rambling house behind the bar. A lot of things have changed since then. I’ve changed.
“Nancy’s granddaughter, Julia, is a catch,” Dad says casually, placing a mug of coffee in front of me. “You’d make cute babies together, what with your blue eyes and her blonde hair. Don’t remember you ever bringing a woman home to meet your ma and me,” he grumbles. His eyebrows draw together in a frown as he considers his next words. “You know, I won’t think any less of you if you like men.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. Dad is from another generation. Same-sex relationships are a foreign concept to him. He’s not against them. He just doesn’t understand them.
“I’m not gay, Pa, but thanks for the reassurance,” I tell him, biting the inside of my cheek to stall my laughter at the look of relief he quickly conceals.
“Guess I just want you to have what your ma and I had, Son. She brought me such joy. Memories are all I have now, but they’re happy ones.”
I want to tell him I’m happy just as I am, but how can I? I’m not sure I know what happiness is anymore. Fuck, I’m not even sure I know what sadness is. The only thing I feel these days is numb.
I know the worry almost killed him when he got the news I was injured, especially coming so soon after Ma’s death. Getting that phone call saying I was unconscious and being rushed into surgery took years off his life. I don’t want to be a burden to him. It’s my turn to make sure he’s okay.
“I’m doing good, Pa,” I lie, summoning a smile. “Even if I was interested, which I’m not, I’m carrying too much baggage and too many scars for most women. Besides, I’ve got a small town to look after now, which doesn’t leave time for romance.”
“There’s always time for romance when it’s the right woman,” Pa says with a wink.
“Anyway, what did you want to see me about?” I ask, changing the subject and reminding him of the reason I stopped by.
“Ah, yes. I wanted you to meet my new member of staff. She’ll be here in a minute.”
I shake my head in exasperation. “Did you not hear anything I just said? I’m working, Pa! You can’t just call me over because you want me to meet some random woman!”
Dad frowns. “She’s not some random woman. It’s Daisy Jenkins.”
I look at him blankly. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“Maybe not. She grew up here, but she’s a good eight or nine years younger than you. Lived in the house on the edge of town with her mother.”
I wrack my brains. “Chubby, with blond hair and retainers?”
“When she was twelve, yeah,” he chuckles.
“Didn’t her father take off when she was a kid? Just up and left with some other woman?”