The Sheriff's Son. Barbara Daille White

      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.”

      “C’mon, Doc.” Some memories were best forgotten. And others…He shook his head. “What about Sarah? She’s raising that kid of hers alone, running that store by herself. Told me she hasn’t got a husband. What happened to him?”

      Doc shook his head. “Don’t know. Never laid eyes on the man, myself.”

      “What?” Tanner sat back. “How can that be?” Doc met everyone who set foot in Dillon.

      The other man shrugged. “You weren’t the only one to take off years ago. You remember when you phoned a short while later, I told you about Sarah’s daddy getting sick, passing on.”

      Tanner nodded. He did remember.

      He’d called Sarah before he left town for boot camp, and she’d hung up on him.

      A few weeks later, he’d tried her again and found the phone disconnected. With his parents already gone to live closer to his grandparents in Oklahoma, he’d done the next best thing and dialed Doc’s number. But Sarah had closed up the bookstore and left without telling anyone in town where she’d headed.

      Tanner winced at the reminder of Sarah’s loss. He’d known her father well, had always liked him, had spent a lot of time with him growing up. And he hadn’t given a thought to offering Sarah his condolences.

      He pushed his plate away, not sure even Delia’s barbecue could fill the sudden hollowness he felt deep inside.

      “Happened quick,” Doc continued. “After, she went off to live with some relatives out in California, so we heard it later. She doesn’t talk about that time much.”

      Tanner frowned. “When did she come back?”

      “Just a few weeks before the baby’s birth.”

      “With no husband tagging along?”

      “Nope. Just her and the baby I delivered shortly after that. They’ve been here ever since.”

      “What happened to the father?”

      Doc shrugged again. “No use asking me, boy. Couldn’t tell you. You want to find out about Sarah’s coming and goings, you need to ask her yourself.”

      He’d tried that, for all the good it had done him.

      That didn’t mean he’d given up. He did want to know about Sarah, to learn what had happened to her in the years after he’d gone. Why, he couldn’t say.

      Since asking had got him nowhere, he’d try something else. He had other ways to get information.

      And detecting skills he could put to good use.

      Chapter Four

      The minute Tanner left the diner, Lily Gannett gave Delia the signal and proceeded to Doc’s booth in the back of the room. Delia followed, carrying a coffee carafe.

      “How did it go?” Lily asked even before she’d finished settling across from Doc. She leaned forward, resting her forearms against the cool Formica tabletop.

      “Yeah, spill it.” Delia dragged a chair to the end of the booth and plopped onto the seat. “What’d you tell him?”

      He shrugged. “Just what we planned.”

      Lily felt a momentary unease. “You don’t think we’re overdoing it? Delia, you should have seen Jeb Carter at the town meeting. I never knew he had such acting ability.”

      “Wasn’t acting,” Doc protested. “Nobody made up any of those pranks going on around town. Exaggerated their concern, maybe, that’s all.”

      “In the hope of catching Tanner’s attention. Which we did.”

      “Which Sarah did.” Delia laughed. “Think he’s seen through us yet, Doc?”

      “Uh-uh. Tied up in knots as he was when he left just now, he’s lucky to see past the end of his boots.”

      “Good.” Delia slapped a broad hand on the table. “Can’t wait to see what happens when he figures it out. If he ever does.” She caught Lily’s frown immediately and said, “No regrets, now. We can’t expect the pair of them to manage things on their own. And Tanner always was thickheaded as a mule about some things.”

      Lily had to agree.

      All three of them had known Tanner—and Sarah, too—since birth. For that matter, Doc had delivered them both.

      But as Tanner’s former teacher, she’d found more to him than stubbornness. “He can smarten up when he puts his mind to it. No, what’s worrying me is Sarah.”

      “Plenty to worry about over her, with the load she’s had to carry.” Doc held his mug out to Delia. “Never one to make much about her troubles, though. Proud.”

      “Too proud. And that could bring things down around her ears.” Delia topped off the mug, set the pot down again, and leaned forward. “You’ve got to talk to the child, Lily. Sarah’ll listen to you.”

      “I don’t know about that.”

      “You’ve got to,” Delia repeated. “We hit it lucky with Worth needing some time off. But Sarah’s pride could ruin all we did to get Tanner hired on at the County Sheriff’s.”

      SARAH