Chapter 28 #2
“Samuel Shepherd, you are under arrest for starting the fire at the marina, the pier, the Banks’ barn, the Hart residence, and the Sandy Point welcome sign,” Wes said and nodded to his large deputies to cuff Sam.
Her brother was so stunned he didn’t react until his wrists were already enclosed in the silver cuffs.
“This is a blatant lie, and an attempt to smear my son so he won’t run against you for public office,” her father said.
“No, Mr. Mayor, I’m afraid it’s not. And we’ll be looking into your culpability as well. If I find one shred of evidence against you, I won’t hesitate to arrest you too.”
Everyone was standing to see what would happen next, but the room grew loud with calls for his arrest as Sam tried to deny his involvement in the fires.
Wes and the deputies ushered Sam off stage to exit the side door, near where Shelby stood hoping to get his attention.
But when he spotted her he just grimaced and mouthed: “I’m sorry.
” Then he exited the building, and the crowded hall grew even noisier as everyone processed what they’d just witnessed.
It took Shelby ten minutes to get out of the hall and then another twenty to get through the traffic and drive out of town.
Her own brother had set fire to two of Pops’s prize sailboats, which he’d gifted the town for tourism and boat rides.
And it sounded like he’d set several other fires.
But Wes had never said he suspected her brother.
Didn’t he trust her? Had he just been trying to make sure she wasn’t involved?
She realized instead of heading back to Pops’s place she’d driven out to the Hart estate.
She needed to speak to someone and figured Wes wasn’t going to be available to talk to her anytime soon.
But when she knocked on the door, she realized how strange it may have seemed to Wes’s family that she’d show up there.
Levi answered the door. “Well if it isn’t the other Shepherd. Looks like your brother is the real troublemaker in your family,” he said with a big smile.
“I didn’t have anything to do with my brother’s plans or any of the fires,” Shelby blurted out.
“Well of course you didn’t, sweetheart. Levi, don’t be so rude to my guest. Shelby honey, come on in, we were just getting ready to have some pie and wait for Wesley,” Mrs. Hart said, stepping in front of Levi and welcoming her inside.
She stopped in her tracks. “Maybe I better not. I don’t think he’s going to like finding me here after everything my family has done.”
But Mrs. Hart just stepped out onto the front porch and put her arm around Shelby and guided her into the foyer.
“You didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“I’m sorry about the fire on your property. I really just wanted to say I didn’t know about it, but I’ll pay for any repairs. I mean I promise I had nothing to do with it but I’m also not going to let my brother smear my family name.”
“Tosh, you don’t need to pay for anything. Levi already built me a new and improved, fireproof mailbox. And you can’t go around cleaning up your brother’s messes with your inheritance. That is not what your grandfather would have wanted for you.”
“No, I guess you’re right.”
“Was that the only reason you came to town?” Wes’s deep voice sounded from behind her and she spun to see him in the doorway.
“I came to finish my book,” she said feeling like she was in the spotlight with Wesley’s brothers and grandmother looking on.
He stepped in and took over the space.
“And?”
“And imagine my surprise when I saw all those signs announcing your run for sheriff?”
He sighed. “I was planning on telling you, in person. I had a change of heart. After the second set of fires, I realized it wasn’t that the town needed me. I need this town. It’s in my blood. I like helping my neighbors and the town I was raised in.”
“I understand. I never expected you to be interested in me long term.”
Then Wes stepped closer. “But I’m interested.
More than interested. I want my small town and you.
And I know that’s selfish, and really bad timing after I just arrested your brother, and threatened to arrest your father too.
But I think we can make this thing work long distance Shelby. I want to keep seeing you.”
“You do?”
“Yes, very much. Did you know, as sheriff, I can actually do a lot of work remotely. And once I have a new deputy sheriff, I don’t have to run everything myself.”
Then she closed the space between them and reached up to put her arms around his neck. “That is good news, because I decided I’m going to stay in Sandy Point, permanently.”
Then his mouth was on hers and he kissed her like he was never going to stop. When they finally broke apart, they were the only two people left standing in the foyer.
“You’re moving back?” he asked. “Are you sure?”
“I sorta already did.”
“You did?”
“I’ve been back since Monday, but I needed to see what it would be like for me to be here even if my family or you didn’t want me to be. Then I saw all those signs about your bid for sheriff and you never said anything. So I figured I better get ready for you to tell me it was over.”
He kissed her again. “I’m sorry, it all happened so fast, and I wanted to tell you in person. I needed to make sure you knew I wasn’t choosing this town over you.”
“So you thought eventually you could just convince me to stay?”
“I hoped,” Wes said with a cocky grin. “You did say I make the best grilled cheese you’ve ever had.”
“Among other things,” she said.
“On that note, I think we should go back to my place and discuss terms, maybe determine which bed we find the most comfortable? Yours or mine.”
“That might take a lot of research.”
“I am up for the task. I just have a sheriff’s race to win and then I can really dedicate the time to it.”
“You don’t think my brother is still going to try to stay in the race do you?”
“He can certainly try, but it’s going to be really difficult for him to convince people he respects the law when the evidence is stacked against him as the town arsonist.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t you ever apologize for what he did. And you hold your head high in this town. You’re Shelby Bell Shepherd, famous, brilliant author and Zeke’s favorite granddaughter.”
“True.” And Shelby could almost feel Pops smiling down on her, like he always knew she would find her place in Sandy Point and with Wesley Hart.
“Are you two coming in for some pie or what?” Gran hollered.
“We better get in there, because my gran has been mad at me ever since you left town without coming over to have a meal with her.”
“Does pie count, or will you be making us grilled cheese too.”
“Baby, I’ll make you anything you want.”
“So many options,” she teased as he took her hand and led her into his grandmother’s kitchen.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Shelby,” Wes said.
Shelby could feel the heat of a blush bloom in face. But every member of the Hart family just smiled at them like they were the last to know that she and Wes were already in a relationship.
“I knew you’d figure it out, Wesley. You are my favorite grandson, after all,” Gran said.
“Oh come on,” Levi whined, and his fiancée Missy laughed.
Dalton just smirked as if he knew he was the real favorite.
Shelby accepted a piece of pie and a side hug from Mrs. Hart before they all sat down at the large kitchen table.
She enjoyed listening to the loving banter between the brothers and Brooke, Dalton’s fiancée, and Missy both took turns asking Shelby easy get-to-know-you questions.
She suspected they already knew all the answers but appreciated letting her have the chance to tell them.
If she was going to be dating Wes, she was likely going to be seeing them a lot and she wanted them to like her.
But an hour later Wes insisted it was time for them to go.
As soon as they were outside, she realized how much she wanted to be alone with him too.
When he pressed her up against the side of her truck and kissed her, his hands roamed down over her curves and she wanted to rip off both their clothes.
“Your place or mine?” he breathed as he nipped at her earlobe.
“Yours is closest.”
“Smart—let’s leave your truck here and get it in the morning,” he said, then was dragging her toward his truck.
They barely made it out of the driveway before Wes’s right hand was up high on her thigh, his fingers sliding between them to rub between her legs.
“Wesley, you’re going to need to pull this truck over if you’re not careful.”
“So you did miss me this week. Did I have anything to do with your decision to want to stay in Sandy Point?” he asked, his voice gruff with desire.
“It’s been so long, I’m not really sure what you mean.”
Out on the dark road that led back into town, Wes pulled the truck over and slid his seat all the way back. “Come here and let me refresh your memory.”
“In the truck?”
“Yep.” He unbuckled her seatbelt then cupped her between the legs. “I guarantee you’re going to be happy you did.”
She unzipped her jacket and climbed over the center console to straddle his lap.
“We have too many clothes on,” she breathed as she peeled off her coat and then lifted her sweater off so she sat in only her jeans and bra.
Wes hands cupped her bottom, squeezing while his mouth skimmed the tops of her breasts. “Are you doubting my ability to get you out of these jeans?”
“Yes, Sheriff, I think I am.” She laughed, as he pulled her bra down to reveal one tight nipple and ran his rough thumb over it. Making the bud even tighter.
“I don’t know who is going to enjoy it more when I prove you wrong while I worship every inch of you.”
She didn’t know how long they spent in his truck, but Wesley not only proved her wrong, but they discovered several new positions she was sure his truck was not intended for. But by the time they made it back to his place, she was ready to experience every other way Wesley could worship her.