Chapter Two
“Fuck,” I mumbled while easing off the two-lane leading into Bastian Grange.
Great. Why not? A speeding ticket would be just the perfect way to end this miserably shitty day.
I watched as the lone police vehicle rolled up behind me, roof lights rotating, and someone exited the old Jeep.
My sight latched onto Ollie Ahoka as he placed his hat on his head and then began the slow walk to my car.
I drank him in. The man filled out that dark brown uniform to perfection.
He was a tall drink of water, built like the ex-footballer he was, and possessed of the most rugged jawline I had ever laid eyes on.
The sight of handcuffs hanging from his belt made me itch to be frisked.
I smelled his woodsy cologne just before he bent down to rest his forearm on my open window. Dark eyes ran over me, seated behind the wheel, looking guilty as sin I was sure. I was shit at lying, always had been.
“Mr. Bastian.” Ollie’s voice was as deep as a canyon.
“Sheriff Ahoka,” I replied in my most polite dentist way. He smiled at me. Not a smug “Ha, I got you” smile but one that made my dick twitch. “Whoever did your crowns is quite good.”
Yep, that’s great. Let’s talk dentistry with the cop who just pulled you over. Maybe we can discuss gingivitis next. That’s always a party-pleasing topic.
“Why thank you, Mr. Bastian, but these are mine.”
“Oh, well, you have wonderfully strong enamel.”
Oh my God, Dodge, stop talking dental shit and just get your ticket, go home, and try to figure out how to tell your son his father is leaving the country, and him, behind.
“Yeah, it’s something I inherited. My dad and uncle both have all their teeth as did my grandfather when he passed at ninety-two.”
“Impressive.”
“We like to think so. So, do you know why I pulled you over? Other than the fact that I wanted to discuss oral health and tooth enamel genetics with a handsome man this evening?”
Now here was the moment I could either lie or tell the truth. If Dahn were here…well, if my son were here, I wouldn’t have been racing down the road like a maniac, so that point was moot. But it was moments like this that highlighted what kind of man I was.
“Yes, sir, I was doing seventy-five in a forty-five,” I replied, knowing that no one other than myself and Sheriff Sexy Pants would know I took the honest route.
“That you were. You also have a taillight out.” Oh shit. I didn’t know that. “Any particular reason you were traveling at such a high rate of speed coming into my town?” He seemed genuinely curious.
“Well, I had a really shitty day and was lost in thought while driving. I did not realize I had reached that speed until your sirens went off.” I opted out of telling him I was fantasizing about running my ex-husband down.
Even being an honest sort, it seemed wiser to sit on that little nugget.
“I’m fully prepared to pay the fine and assume the burden of any points on my license.
I was being reckless, and someone could have been hurt. ”
“Good to hear. Is everything okay out at the ranch?” His query surprised me.
“Yeah, as far as I know, things are fine out there. This was a personal situation that had me so distracted. My ex is being a dick.”
“Ah. Gotcha. I’ve had my share of exes who were assholes.
Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to cite you for the taillight that’s out and give you a stern warning about speeding as you approach town.
I want to see you and your vehicle at the sheriff’s office within five days about the taillight. ”
“Oh, that’s generous of you.” I was not going to argue. “Thank you.”
“Next time, I will ticket you. Also, five days to get that fixed. Don’t make me come looking for you. I do know where you live.”
“I’ll be there with a new taillight. Thanks again, Sheriff.”
He studied me for a long moment. “Call me Ollie and be careful driving home. Distractions can kill a person.”
“Yes, thank you, Ollie. I’ll pay better attention.”
“Good. I’d like to see more of you.” With that, he straightened, patted my door, and moseyed back to his Jeep as my sight locked onto his ass.
God damn. What a fine-looking man he was!
I sat there, hands on the wheel, and waited for him to pull away.
He flashed his lights. I crept away from the side of the road like a nun and slowly made my way through Bastian Grange as the streetlights were just flickering to life.
After Ollie tailed me for a bit, he pulled into a reserved spot in front of the sheriff’s office.
I never topped twenty until I was way outside the city limits, and even then, I stayed well below the speed limit.
Good thing too as a whitetail doe with two spotted fawns bolted out in front of me about ten miles from the ranch.
It seemed to take forever for me to get home, but when I did, I was never so happy to see the old farmhouse.
The lights were on inside as the sky overhead was filling with stars.
I took a moment to watch the heavens, wondering what the hell I would say to Dahn.
It would require some thoughtful insight.
My son’s laughter floated through the screens.
Smiling despite the rotten day, I made my way inside. They were all gathered in the kitchen.
“Dad! We’re making ice cream!” Dahn yelled even though I stood literally five feet away.
His dark brown eyes were joyous. Bella was taking her turn on the old hand-crank ice cream maker.
“We’re using goat milk and peaches! And salt on the ice, and everyone has to crank one hundred times.
If you don’t crank, you don’t get ice cream, right, Uncle Baker? ”
“Yep,” Baker replied from the corner where he was nursing a cup of coffee.
“That sounds amazing. I better get a few cranks in,” I teased, stepping up to take over from Bella. Granny gave me a brisk nod as I got to churning. It was kind of cathartic. I could take out my frustrations with Chris on this beat-up ice cream maker.
After a few hundred more turns on the old machine, the ice cream was ready.
We all got monkey dishes that we admired loudly.
Dahn followed me and Baker outside, sitting on the floor of the front porch as we ate our treats.
Bella and Lincoln were inside with Ford and Granny, setting up a card table for a rousing game of Monopoly after ice cream.
“What did Dad want to talk about?” Dahn asked me between spoonfuls of ice cream.
Crickets sang as a barn owl hooted in the distance.
The shuffle of cattle and the whisper of a warm wind playing with the tinny wind chimes out back eased my soul in ways that I never thought would be possible just a few years ago.
I took a spoonful of ice cream to stall. I’d not gotten anything sorted mentally as to how to handle this situation. A chunk of peach rested on my tongue.
“Well, he was telling me that Topher was starting a salamander breeding business,” I said after swallowing my peach bit. Baker arched a brow but said nothing. Strong, silent type in the dictionary has his image beside it.
“That’s cool. Was that it?” Dahn started pushing his bare feet into the floorboards to set the porch swing into motion. I glanced at Baker for help. He lowered his spoon.
“Salamanders are cool, but you know what’s even more cool? Telling your dad what Ford said about the doelings that you could pick from to show at the fair.”
Dahn forgot all about his other dad and my day trip. The rest of our time on the porch was spent listening to him give me a hard sell about him showing a young female goat at the fair. Seemed there were a few that had great conformation according to Aiden.
“You don’t have to sell me on the idea, Dahn.
I’m perfectly happy to have you show one of our goats at the fair.
Seems like you may have to start training whichever one you pick.
Don’t they have to know how to walk on a leash and such?
” I asked, placing my empty monkey dish on the worn wooden boards by my foot.
“They do, and I can do that tomorrow! I have time. They’re really smart.
This is so cool!” He exploded out of the swing with such vigor, it swung back to crack the side of the house.
Granny yelled to simmer down. Dahn grimaced, shoulders up to his ears, and then ran at me to grab a hug before darting inside to tell Ford he was allowed to show at the fair.
Excited conversation broke out inside that flowed to us through the screens.
“Thanks for that save,” I said softly to my brother. Baker nodded.
“Problems with the ex?” He ambled over, empty dish in hand, to sit next to me in Granny’s rocker. “You looked like you’d just stumbled over a porcupine.”
A gruff sort of choked laugh escaped me. “Problems. Well, he wants to give me sole custody of Dahn.” I stared out at the summer night trying to locate Ursa Major among the millions of stars.
“Oh, well, that’s not a problem, is it? I mean, yay. That’s good news. No more dancing to placate him over stupid-ass shit.” Baker was a man who got to the point. I admired that. It sure simplified life.
“True, and I am already getting the paperwork in order. I am thrilled to have him here all year round, going to a small school where he’ll get more one-on-one time and just loving a cleaner life than found in the city.
It’s not that I’m getting custody.” I paused to be sure the folks inside wouldn’t overhear us.
Dahn and everyone else were playfully arguing over who was going to be the top hat and who would be the shoe, so I could speak without worry.
“What’s the issue, and is so damnably my ex, is that he’s moving to Spain to play football in Europe while his fiancé sets up a salamander breeding business. ”
“I thought you were joking about that salamander thing,” he said with a sly snort of amusement.