How To Land Her Lawman. Teresa Southwick

      “You look really good, April.”

      “Thanks. So do you.”

      “I’m pretty sure you didn’t want to tell me that, so I’ll take it as a compliment.”

      “Gotta be honest.” She shrugged.

      “And I’ve always liked that about you.”

      “I heard you were coming back to Blackwater Lake.”

      He didn’t have to ask how she’d heard. April was best friends with his younger sister, Kim. She and her teenage son lived with their dad and Will had moved into his old room for the summer. One big happy family again. The backyard of April’s little house was separated by an alley from his dad’s rear yard. Hank Fletcher had watched over April and her single mom because it was the neighborly thing to do. And, unlike himself, his dad had been there when April’s mom died of breast cancer. The Fletchers had kind of unofficially adopted her, so of course they would warn her that he was coming back.

      “The thing is, this is a small town,” he started.

      “As opposed to Chicago.” Her voice was as icy as a Windy City blizzard.

      “Right. There’s no way we won’t run into each other and I wanted to make sure the first time wasn’t public and uncomfortable for you.”

      He’d checked one out of two boxes. This wasn’t public but she had to be as uncomfortable as he was.

      “Kim told you to do this.” She wasn’t asking a question.

      “My sister mentioned that it would be better if the first time we saw each other it was just the two of us, without a big crowd of people looking on. And talking about it.” Because the only thing folks in Blackwater Lake were better at than being neighborly was gossiping.

      “Still, you didn’t have to take her advice. It’s actually very thoughtful of you, Will.” Her tone implied his consideration was unexpected.

      Or maybe it just sounded that way because his conscience was passing the words through the guilt filter. Either way, he figured it was a good idea to clear the air. “I don’t think I ever apologized for what happened in Chicago.”

      “You mean the time I came to surprise you and a woman answered the door wearing nothing but your shirt?”

      “Yeah. That.” He was staring at her mouth, the way she pressed her lips together. It had always made him want to kiss her and unfortunately now was no exception. Normally it was comforting knowing things didn’t change but this wasn’t one of those times.

      “You tried to apologize, actually.” She met his gaze directly. “But I wasn’t speaking to you, so that made it kind of hard.”

      “Well, let me say it now. I’m sorry for what happened.”

      “Let it go, Will. I have. That was a long time ago. It was my idea not to be exclusive when you went to Chicago and entered the police academy. It seemed the right thing to do since I couldn’t go with you and everyone knows long-distance relationships are a challenge. We found out the hard way how true that is. Technically we didn’t have a relationship and it still fell apart.”

      Will remembered trying to talk her into going to Chicago with him, but her mom had just been diagnosed. April had never known her dad and wouldn’t abandon the mother who had raised her daughter alone and always put her first. She’d suggested they date other people but keep in touch and after a year reevaluate things between them. He was glad she hadn’t forgotten that.

      “I didn’t expect you not to date,” she said. “And you did.”

      “For what it’s worth, you were right about everything.”

      “Things happen for the best. Water under the bridge. Let bygones be bygones. And any other cliché you can think of to put this behind you.” She shrugged as if it made no difference to her.

      “Okay, then.”

      Will felt oddly dissatisfied with her response. Maybe the altitude was getting to him. That was the best explanation he could come up with for why he wasn’t completely relieved that she didn’t scream or cry or seem the least bit emotional about what had happened. Or maybe he was simply an egotistical jerk who expected her to still be a little bothered about something he’d done six years ago.

      Possibly his reaction was colored by the fact that he’d married the woman wearing nothing but his shirt and it had been a failure. On top of that, he’d always had the nagging feeling that what he’d done to April was the biggest mistake he’d ever made. For a man who hated to fail, doing it twice at the same time didn’t sit very well. And it was kind of annoying that she seemed completely at peace with how things had turned out.

      “So, if that’s all—” She cocked a thumb over her shoulder toward the back room, where a camera sat on a tripod.

      “Just so you know, I’ll be here until the end of summer while Dad is recuperating from his open-heart surgery.”

      “That was a scare.” She put her hand to her chest. The first honest emotion she’d exhibited since he’d walked in. “First the heart attack, then surgery. It was like watching the Rock of Gibraltar crack. Your sister has been his diet-and-exercise drill sergeant ever since he got out of the hospital and started cardiac rehab.”

      “Kim is hard to say no to.” He was here talking to April, wasn’t he? “The sheriff has always protected the citizens of his town first and himself a distant second. Maybe he saw God when the doc put him under for the procedure because right after he got out of the hospital he asked me to fill in for him. Then he got the mayor and town council to approve my temporary appointment.”

      “It would be just like him to push himself to go back to work too soon. I’m sure your family is glad to have you here.” Her tone said she felt differently. “And a good thing you could take extended leave from your job.”

      Maybe the job needed time off from him. Between that and his sister nagging him to not be an ass and do it for Dad, he had decided to take one for team Fletcher. All he was willing to say was, “I have a lot of days on the Chicago PD books.”

      “So you’re the sheriff now.” She folded her arms over her chest.

      “Acting, but yeah. And I wanted to make sure I can count on you for freelance work when needed.” Sometimes there were multicar accidents that required photos with more detail than an untrained photographer could capture with a cell phone. Insurance companies were funny that way when a settlement was involved. Mug shots were part of the official record.

      “Of course I’ll continue the arrangement. It’s important that Hank knows everything will go smoothly in his absence. Just as if he was at the wheel.”

      “So you’re doing it for Dad.”

      “Absolutely. After you and I didn’t work out, you got what’s-her-name, but I got your family. I’d do anything for them.”

      “They’re lucky to have you.”

      “No.” She shook her head and her ponytail swung from side to side. “I’m the lucky one.”

      The weird feeling in his chest felt a lot like envy. He was jealous of her loyalty to his dad, sister and nephew even though he’d given up any right to her commitment. He might not have cheated officially but it was a betrayal of spirit. And he still didn’t feel as if the air was cleared.

      “I should have told you I was dating someone, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”

      “And that worked out so well.” She smiled, but it didn’t turn her hazel eyes from green to warm. They went almost chocolaty brown. “Golly, this has been fun, but I have someone coming in for a sitting and need to get things set up.”

      “Okay. I didn’t mean to keep you.”

      “No problem. I appreciate