The Right Woman. Linda Warren

the top two buttons on her blouse, then thought, What the hell? and undid another.

      Serena jumped up. “And the hair. We need to do something with the hair.” Her eyes grew bright. “Let’s do a complete makeover. We have the whole afternoon to create a lot of warmth.”

      Sarah got to her feet. “What about Ethan, Jassy and Gran?”

      “I’ll call Ethan on his cell phone. He’s been wanting to visit a ranching supply place here and Jassy’s happy as long as she’s with her daddy. I’ll leave Gran a note. After the busy morning, she’ll be glad for a break.”

      “Then let’s do it,” Sarah said with gusto.

      “Okay.” Serena studied Sarah. “I’m thinking shorter hair. What are you thinking?”

      Sarah smiled. “I’m thinking I’m so glad you’re home.”

      DANIEL WALKED INTO the police station and found Russ Devers slipping on his jacket, ready to go out. Russ was, as Sarah had said, a macho cop. Daniel and Russ had clashed many times, mainly about correct police procedure, which Russ tended to ignore. He broke the rules constantly and his lieutenant had a list of complaints about the methods he used to get the job done. There were complaints about his appearance, too. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his clothes looked as if he’d gotten them out of the hamper. He chewed constantly on a toothpick, fighting a smoking habit. But Russ was good at solving crimes, so the grievances were filed away.

      “What’s the matter, Daniel?” Russ spouted off. “Didn’t you get the message last night? I don’t require your help anymore.”

      Daniel clenched his jaw at Russ’s attempt to assert his authority. But he’d come here for a reason.

      “I didn’t come to argue with you, Russ. I came to apologize.”

      Russ stopped stuffing papers into his pocket and looked up. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’re actually admitting you were wrong.”

      “Yes. I stepped over the line last night and I apologize for that.”

      Russ shrugged. “What am I supposed to say? That I won’t report you?”

      “Do whatever you feel you have to. Just go easy on the girl. She’s just a kid.”

      “Don’t tell me how to do my job,” Russ spat, biting down on the toothpick. “That girl knows something and I’ll get it out of her as long as Ms. Welch stays out of my way.”

      Daniel sighed heavily. “If she knows something, which I doubt, you’ll never get it out of her by using heavy-handed tactics.”

      “You really piss me off with that ‘good cop’ attitude.”

      “Well, Russ, you catch this guy and I’ll stay the hell out of your way forever.”

      Russ was ready to say more, but Joel walked up. “Ready, Russ?”

      “Yeah.” Russ picked up his cell phone and attached it to his belt. “We’re meeting with the kid who threw the party to get the names of everyone who was there. Then we’ll have the name of the rapist and Miss Wallace will help to finger him.”

      “I hope you catch him,” was all Daniel said.

      Russ brushed past him. “I will, and I don’t need your help.”

      Daniel didn’t respond. He didn’t feel he had to.

      Russ stopped and turned back. “Thanks for the apology.”

      Daniel nodded and watched in silence as Russ and Joel walked away. He hadn’t mentioned that he was quitting the force. It wasn’t any of Russ’s business. He was quitting. For the first time, the word played in his mind. He’d never quit anything in his life and the words suddenly stuck in his throat. He was quitting.

      His phone buzzed and he wiped the thought away.

      “Daniel, it’s Ethan.”

      “Hey, Ethan, how the hell are you?” He’d never felt so glad to hear his old friend’s voice.

      “Fine. I was hoping you had time for lunch.”

      “Sure. I’m free.”

      “You might change your mind when I tell you where I’m at.”

      “Try me.”

      “McDonald’s.”

      Daniel laughed. “You have Jassy with you.”

      “Yeah.”

      “Tell me which one and I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

      Within ten minutes he was pulling up at a McDonald’s. He found Ethan in the kid’s area watching Jassy on a slide.

      He shook Ethan’s hand. “It’s good to see you. Let me get some coffee and I’ll be right back.”

      He returned with a steaming cup in his hand. Sitting, he pulled his coat tighter around him. “It’s cold out here.”

      “Try telling that to my daughter.”

      Daniel watched Jassy as she played with another little girl. “Man, she looks just like Serena.” And Sarah. Don’t think about her.

      “Yeah. Isn’t she beautiful?”

      Daniel shook his head in amusement. “You still have that lovesick quality in your voice just talking about Serena.”

      “Life’s been pretty wonderful lately,” Ethan admitted.

      Daniel took a sip of the hot coffee. “So how’s the rest of the family?”

      “Fine. Molly’s happy being a wife and mother again. Travis is in Nashville and it looks like he’s finally going to get a record deal.”

      “Last time I saw him he was singing with this woman who had an awesome voice. They were getting a lot of attention here in Dallas.”

      “It was like a domino effect. Someone saw them and told this guy from a record company, then he came down and invited them to Nashville. They’ve been there about six months.”

      “Hope it works out for him.”

      “Me, too. He’s been dreaming about this since he was fifteen.”

      “And Walt? How’s he?”

      Ethan leaned back. “Now that’s a whole other story. My father has been seeing Mrs. Alma Ferguson about five years now. The other night I caught him sneaking in at five in the morning. I told him I didn’t understand why he didn’t just spend the whole night. He’s in his seventies and as long as he practices safe sex I was okay with it. He did not appreciate my sense of humor and he had a few choice words to say about respecting my elders. So I’m just letting Pop do his thing. He’s happy. Mrs. Alma’s happy. And I’m staying out of it.”

      Daniel twisted his cup. “I hope when I’m that age, I’ll still be thinking about women.”

      “Anyone in particular?”

      Suddenly Daniel saw blue eyes and red hair.

      “Daniel?”

      “What?”

      Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You seem a bit out of it today.”

      Daniel ran both hands through his hair. “I’m quitting the force.”

      “What!”

      “I’m tired, Ethan. Tired of crime. Tired of the bad guys always getting the best of us. I lock a bastard up for selling drugs to kids and he’s back on the street within a week doing the same thing. The revolving door never stops and I’ve had it.”

      “I hate to hear that. You’re one of the best cops I’ve ever worked with.”

      “Your sister-in-law has a different