Page 39 of True Valor
And then what?The police would find the badguy, and Julie and Nic would live happily ever after?Nic’s eyesflew open at the thought.His mind traveling down thetwo-of-them-together road wasn’t the problem.The disturbing thingwas that he’d actually used the phrase happily ever after.
Happily ever after was fine in and of itself.How many times had he and Joey talked about having a lady to sharetheir lives with?Someone who would long for them when they weregone.Someone to long for.But happily-ever-afters came slow, aftermonths or years.Not after just over a week, especially after aweek in which the lady in question didn’t even know her name.Therewas easiness between them, yes.And intimacy like he’d never feltbefore.Nic smiled.
“Are they going to arrest us, Nic?”
Julie’s words interrupted his thoughts.
“I don’t know why they would.”
“The sheriff from Lassen County is coming tomeet with us.”
“He is?”
“Yeah, Brogan called him on the way here.Itsounded like he’s been looking for me.I didn’t want to soundparanoid so I just didn’t ask.”
“C’mon.Let’s get back in the car.It’sfreezing out here.Get in back with me and I’ll keep you warm.”
Nic could feel her relax as she laughed.“Inthe back of the sheriff’s car?”Julie turned in his arms and fixedhim with a suggestive look.
“Theundersheriff’s car, baby.Onlythe undersheriff.”
Another deputy showed up a few minutes later.Brogan spoke quickly with him before getting into the car andstarting the engine.“We’ll head back.My deputy will wait forDOJ.”
“DOJ?”Julie asked.
“Department of Justice.They help with localinvestigations.”Nic answered.
Julie sat up abruptly, looking from theundersheriff up front to Nic beside her.“I know what they do.Ijust didn’t realize...”
“Just protocol, Miss Galloway.”Brogan lookedin his rear-view mirror, his eyes warm, compassionate.
“Oh.”Julie sat back again.
“Julie,” Nic whispered.“Close your eyes andrelax.I’m going to sleep for a few minutes and you should,too.”
Julie started to argue, but Nic tightened hisarm around her and, closing his eyes, shut her out.
He woke when they pulled into the sheriff’sdepartment lot.
Brogan led them inside.On his way past thefront desk he grabbed a clipboard and two report forms.
“I’m going to need you to fill out reportsstating all that you told me earlier.”He led them down a shorthallway and opened a door into a small room.“Miss Galloway, whydon’t you go in here and get started?Mr.D’Onofrio can sit outhere in the hallway.”
“Is that so we don’t cheat?”Julie’s voiceoozed sarcasm.
“Exactly.”Brogan pulled the door shut behindJulie and pointed to the chairs in the hall.He handed Nic theclipboard and a pen.“If you need anything, just see the person atthe front desk.”With that, he turned and walked a few doors downto an office on the other side of the hall.
If Nic could have switched to his left handto write, he would have.Will Pitkin was ambidextrous.He’d oftenseen Will switch hands in mid-report when the first hand got tired.The throbbing in Nic’s chest and shoulder had developed into anache that made his hand shake.He rubbed his shoulder and handabsently as he watched the front door to the sheriff’s departmentopen.
A uniformed man strode through the doorway.He wore a white cowboy hat which he yanked off his head as heentered.The man was tall—probably not as tall as Nic—likely in hislate fifties, and slim.His black cowboy boots echoed through theroom as he walked.
Nic couldn’t see the woman at the front deskbut he heard her greeting.“Good evening, Sheriff Raines.How areyou tonight?”
The man didn’t slow his entrance, didn’treturn the greeting.“Bill in his office?”His face set in a grimline.So, this was the guy who dead Doug had worked for, the guywho was apparently looking for Julie.That was enough to set offalarms within Nic.But there was something else about thisman—something he couldn’t quite put his finger on—that made Nicwant to stand guard at the door where Julie was.
The sheriff slammed into Brogan’s office.Before the door banged shut, Nic heard just enough of theconversation to know that the good sheriff wasn’t particularlythrilled that Brogan called the DOJ.Nic took a deep breath,exhaling slowly, trying to quell the instinct to grab Julie andrun.
Nic managed to finish his report before thedoor to Brogan’s office opened.He rubbed his shoulder, watchingthe sheriff and Brogan emerge.Brogan was all business as he ledRaines, hat in hand, to Nic and introduced them.Nic stood andreached out to shake the man’s hand, flinching a bit when he didso.
