Page 2 of Forever Finds Us
“Yeah, among other things. You know my brother too?”
“’Course. Wisper’s a small town. I’ll see you at the ceremony. Your sister invited me.”
For the first time, I focused on her name tag. “R. Fitts? Oh,” I said, realization dawning, “R for Roxanne. You’re Roxi? Abey’s mentioned you.”
The deputy bent at the waist. She leaned a hand on the edge of my open window, patted it twice, and handed me back my ID and registration, and her big, clear eyes took me in.
“That’s me. I’ll give you a ride to your mama’s house. You can call Mike Williams on the way, but he probably won’t get out here till mornin’.”
“Oh, uh, sure. Thanks.”
“No prob.” She straightened, and I watched her in my side mirror as she walked back to her cruiser. I couldn’t be sure because they all looked the same, but I thought she might’ve inherited my sister’s old truck when Abey took the deputy sheriff promotion a couple years ago.
I also noticed she was taller than my sister who had been five-ten since she turned twelve.
Roxanne had the longest legs I’d ever seen, and they led my attention right to her ass, which, wrapped in her fitted uniform, was kind of doing it for me.
Rolling up my window, I found myself staring at her in my mirror as she opened her door and folded that lithe frame into her driver’s seat, and when she was in the safety of her cruiser, her eyes stayed on my vehicle. She lifted her radio from her dash, probably to report that my new, sixty-thousand-dollar hunk of metal wasn’t abandoned.
Dammit. Some gift. When I bought the car for my mother, I figured she’d like a shiny, tricked-out, four-wheel-drive SUV to go with her new house. Plus, it was safer than the junker she’d been driving for ages. Or at least I thought it would be until it landed me stranded in the dark, but there was no way I was going to give her the car now.
Irritation festered beneath my skin. I wasn’t accustomed to my plans not working out, but self-sufficiency had always been more important to me than the need to voice my displeasure. If Mike couldn’t find a quick fix, I’d wait until the start of business on Monday morning, and then I’d quietly let the dealership know that the luxury vehicle they’d sold me was defective, and then they’d scramble and stumble over their apologies and offer me countless perks and free shit to earn back my good grace.
I checked for traffic, of which there was still zero, and when I stepped out of the car, the crisp air outside was unmoving. There was a stillness and a soundlessness that set my jaw on edge, but it was just the quiet way of Wisper and something I’d have to reacquaint myself with now that I’d moved home.
Opening the back door, I grabbed my suitcase, laptop bag, and at the last second, remembered my water bottle in the center console, then dragged it all with me to Roxanne’s truck. Until I could build myself a new house, the container I’d rented to store the rest of my furniture and household items would be delivered to my family’s ranch tomorrow afternoon.
My first night as a returning resident of Teton County hadn’t gone to plan. Was that indicative of my future here back in my hometown?
Goddamn, I hope so.
“So,” Roxanne said, staring at the side of my face when I was seated next to her in her truck and had clicked my seatbelt into place.
“My family’s place is about ten miles from here.”
“I know,” she said.
“Right.”
She put her truck in gear and pulled out and around my deserted SUV. “Your sister says you sold your company and are startin’ a new one here?”
“I did, Abey’s right. Well, I sold the contracts I had up in Sheridan. Not the company itself, but it’s similar, I guess. We’re startin’ over from scratch down here.”
“That’s cool though. A lot of people around here will be happy for the jobs.”
“Yeah,” I said, hoping I could find a solid crew in Wisper and the surrounding areas.
Starting fresh meant I didn’t have the reputation here that I’d cultivated in Sheridan, but I hoped a few people had heard about some of the jobs we’d worked and would spread the word. A lot of the local crew I’d hired to help build my family’s new rental cabins and houses last year had already started on some of the outbuildings on our ranch and the small inn we’d recently decided to add. Most of those craftsmen and women had inquired about future jobs. That was promising.
It was a point of pride for me, to bring good-paying jobs to the people of Wisper, jobs that would pay them enough to support their families. I had money now, had spent my adult life making Lee Construction a household name in Wyoming, but my brothers, sister, and I had grown up eating bologna and cheese sandwiches, just like most other farming families.
Other than the small handful of workers who’d already committed to working for me, I’d need to hire many more. I recruited my office manager to join me, paid her a hefty retainer fee to entice her to Wisper with me, but it was worth it. After working with Tabitha Ketterman over the last year, I didn’t think Lee Construction could survive without her.
And my right hand, Sweetie Baker, was about to marry my brother Bax, so thankfully I’d have her steady support too.
Dammit. Bea Baker. Bax and my niece Athena had tried to drum it into my head to stop calling Bea by her nickname, but it was a habit, and one I couldn’t seem to break.
What is that scent? A calming, warm aroma wrapped around me in the cab of the deputy’s truck. It seemed odd to be riding shotgun next to a law enforcement officer and be tantalized by a fragrance, but it was kind of intoxicating.
