Page 32 of Counter Attack

Nathan palmed his hand. “I know. And I’m happy in my job.”

“Good.” Her grandfather swept his arm around the room. “While I’m recovering, you’ll take over this office. If I return, we’ll share it.”

He was no longer sayingwhenhe returned. That saddened and frightened her. While he tired easily, which was the reason for the wheelchair, his recovery from the heart attack had gone much smoother than even the doctors expected, but the threat of another one hung over them all. She glanced around the room where she’d be spending most of her time.

Heavy red curtains covered the windows, and earlier she’d flipped on a light that revealed pale blue walls. “You’re free to do whatever you want to the office,” he said.

“Does that include replacing those?” She pointed at the curtains.

He grinned. “Depends on how much you want to spend. There’s only so much in the budget for that sort of thing, and it isn’t much.”

Blinds for three windows shouldn’t be that costly, especially if she hung them herself. His cherry desk was tidy and it would stay that way—the apple certainly hadn’t fallen far from the tree. She smiled, remembering playing under the desk when she was a child. It was no wonder she became a police officer, the way she hung around the jail all the time.

“Don’t worry about money,” Gram said. “I’ve been saving up to do something with this office for years, but old ‘Don’t Change Anything’ here never would let me.”

Nathan pointed to a blank wall. “Your awards would look good there.”

Alex was both proud and embarrassed of the awards. It didn’t seem right that she would get recognition for simply doing her job.

She sat behind the desk like she had a hundred times in the past, but it felt different now that it would be “her” office. Alex glanced down, suppressing a grin. The initials she’d carved into the wood drawer years ago were still there. Even though she’d been disciplined, it pleased her that her grandfather hadn’t had the drawer refinished.

Alex sat back in the swivel chair. The side door opened, and she swung around as the new chief of staff stepped into the room. He’d been conspicuously absent from the swearing in. She stood. “Harvey.”

He nodded. “Sorry I missed the swearing in, but my wife had a reaction to her medicine.”

“Is she all right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” He was no longer the trim young deputy who’d often found her under her grandfather’s desk and escorted her out of the office. Now he carried an additional forty pounds or more. Perhaps she would institute some of Nathan’s exercise programs for her deputies. But not anytime soon. For now, she wanted things to run as they were.

“Miss Alex ... uh.” He scratched his head. “What am I going to call you, anyway?”

The name he’d called her when she was a child wouldn’t do now. Before she could answer him, her grandfather folded his arms over his chest. “How about Chief Deputy Stone?”

She shook her head. “I like just plain Alex better. That good with you?”

“Kind of what I was thinking.” Harvey stood a little straighter. “Most of the deputies are here, if you’d like to speak to them.”

Showtime. A sudden attack of nerves had her hands sweaty and her heart in overdrive. “Thank you, Harvey.”

At least her voice didn’t give her away. Alex stood and wiped the palms of her hands on her slacks. She was about to findout how many of the deputies resented being overlooked for this position in favor of a woman. Especially a woman who wasn’t one of them. Would they view her hiring as nepotism, even though the sheriff was free to hire whomever he wanted? Or that she was more than qualified?

Her grandfather pushed himself out of the wheelchair. “Mind if I introduce you?”

That should help. She pointed at the wheelchair. “Only if you use that.”

He stood straighter and squared his shoulders. “I will not appear before my officers in that contraption.”

With his jaw set, he walked ramrod straight through the door. She didn’t know where he got the strength, but she was right on his heels to catch him if he fell.

Every officer stood and clapped, then saluted.

Her grandfather returned their salute, then cleared his throat as he held up his hand. When the room quieted down, he said, “Sorry I haven’t been here much lately, and I’m not going to lie to you. I have no idea when I’ll be back.

“But I’m leaving you in good hands with your new chief deputy, Alex Stone, my granddaughter. For the past twelve years, she’s been a decorated Chattanooga police officer, starting out at the bottom in patrol, and then the last eight years as a detective. As chief deputy, she’s more than qualified to take the reins of the Russell County sheriff’s department until I can get strong enough to return, and I need you to respect her authority just like you would mine. I know you will. Thank you.”

He turned and slowly walked to his office, his back as straight as it’d been when he walked into the room. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and almost followed him to make sure he was all right, but Gram and Nathan were there. Alex needed to follow through on his introduction.

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