Chapter 7
Grady
“Sheriff? Did you hear about what happened at the grocery store?”
My head jerks and I glare at him blankly. “What’s up, Curt? You know I don’t like to gossip.”
God knows there’s enough of that in this town without my help.
“Margaret Shank causing problems again.”
“So? I don’t give a shit what that harpy’s up to?”
My deputy glares at me. “Are you sure about that? Because I have it from a few good sources that the one she was laying into was Fiona.”
Slamming my fists on the table, I push my chair back so fast it slams into the wall and the whole room full of deputies goes silent and still.
Curt grins. “Changed your mind, did you?”
“What the hell did she do?”
“I don’t know what it was word for word because you know it’s a game of telephone figuring that out.
Everybody’s gonna embellish it in their own way.
But suffice it to say that she told your girl that you deserve better than her and she should leave you alone.
Since she’s a mess because of her lousy parents. ”
My vision blurs into a red veil and my hands clench into fists. “I almost wish I could hit a woman,” I snap.
“I figured.”
“I’ll go see her later. I’ll talk to Fee and make sure she knows that nobody else but that old hag thinks that.”
“She’s not the only one though. Those old biddies love to treat her like shit.
The younger ones are nice enough but those old trouts just can’t help themselves.
They have to make her life miserable. And they’re all threatening you since you’re obviously with her.
Threatening to vote against you next election. ”
“Fuck!” I growl. “I’m not gonna lose this job. They’re just fucking with her.”
“Obviously. You’re fucking great at this job. Everyone in town is happy about how well you’ve cleaned up this town. They’re just being nasty to hurt her.”
“Well, that isn’t gonna fly with me. I’ll talk to her.”
“You better do it fast. I also heard from the grapevine that she’s gone to Betsy to put the diner up for sale. She’s talking about leaving town.”
“Oh hell no!” Slamming my gray cowboy hat on my head, I stalk out of the office. “I’m gonna kill that old biddy and then I’m gonna handcuff that woman until I finally get her to stop messing around and marry me.”
The whole office erupts in applause and I growl at them all. “Get back to work, all of you.” I point at Curt. “You go find Fee. See if she’s at the diner or at the house and radio me. I’m gonna go see that woman.”
“Remember what you said about hitting a woman.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
He just laughs and waves me out as he grabs his keys and heads for his car.
I rip my door open and sit in my seat for a minute, my hands clenched on the steering wheel and my heart pounding wildly. “I can’t lose her,” I mutter under my breath.
Whipping out of the lot, I hit the sirens and within seconds, I’m standing in front of the grocery store, anger still pouring off of me in waves.
Slamming my car door closed, I stalk up to the door and rip it open. Stomping across the small store, I ignore everyone smiling at me, especially the harpy at the register.
“Margaret Skank. You’re under arrest.”
Her face goes even paler than normal and then she forces out a laugh, her eyes darting right and left. “Ha-ha. You have such a good sense of humor, Sheriff.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“For what?” She snaps, her beak nose rising in the air.
“Harassment and threatening a citizen.”
“What!” She screeches, her face going red.
“You were overheard threatening Fiona Marcus.”
Her arms cross over her bony chest and she huffs. “I did not. I just told her that she…well, she might be better off finding someplace else to live. So many bad memories around here.”
The sanctimonious look on her face makes me want to punch a wall. “I heard that you threatened to make sure I wasn’t reelected. I heard you told her that with shitty parents like hers, she wasn’t good enough for me and she was taking me down with her.”
Her mouth opens and closes like a bass on the line. “No-no. I would never.”
I glance around at everybody in the store and growl at the faces staring at us. “Anybody else got something to say?”
Nobody says a damn thing and I step up to the counter, leaning over it to snap.
“That girl has gone through nothing but bad with the shitty parents she had. She still turned out to be a beautiful, sweet woman who didn’t deserve what she had to deal with.
She was abused by a drunk asshole who used her and her mother left her here with him like she was garbage.
” I stare up and down at her, watching her shrink into herself.
“She’s worth more than you for damn sure.
Your parents spoiled you and treated you like a princess but your daddy drank himself to death and your mama screwed around on him every weekend while he was doing it.
And nobody in this town ever made you feel like shit because they weren’t perfect.
That was them. You’re not them. But you’re worse. ”
My eyes cut her to ribbons and I turn to glare at the rest of them.
“You all think you’re so perfect. But every one of you has some skeleton in your family’s closet.
Some of you have your own. And nobody treats you like you’re contagious.
” Pacing back and forth I throw my hands up in the air.
“Fiona was a child born to two worthless people but that doesn’t make her worth less than you are.
If y’all want to vote me out at the next election, you go ahead.
I’ll leave this place and take my wife with me to somewhere where fools like y’all don’t treat her like she’s poison.
She’s beautiful, smart, sweet and giving.
She’s treated everyone of you well at the diner.
Never turns you away even when you treat her like shit. Well, that ends now.”
“She’s mine. Take it or leave it. Vote for me or don’t.
No job means more to me than Fee does. She’s my heart, my soul.
I can’t live without her. One way or another I’m going to convince her that we belong together.
And y’all can deal with it or not. I don’t give a shit about any of you.
Only her. So vote for somebody else. I don’t care.
Just don’t you dare ever talk to my future wife like she’s less than the beautiful soul that I see.
Cause I’ll arrest you without even thinking about it.
And I’ll make sure it sticks next time.”
Clapping brings my head around and I flush when I see Curt standing in the door with half of my deputies, all clapping and grinning.
He glares at Margaret. “I know what you get up to on Thursday nights, Margaret. Don’t make me out you in front of the entire town.”
She goes pale and shakes her head wildly.
But I barely glance at her because stepping out from behind Curt is my beautiful girl.
“Fee?” I breathe, shuddering at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh, don’t cry, Fee. You’re breaking my heart.”
She just cries harder and races across the room, throwing herself into my arms. “Nobody’s ever stood up for me like that.
Or at all,” she whispers in my ears, her soft peppermint scent dancing all around me.
Hugging her tight, I lose myself in her embrace, lifting her up until I’m cradling her against my chest bridal-style.
“You’re gonna hurt yourself, Grady.”
“The only thing that could ever hurt me is if you left me. I love you, Fee. I will always love you. I can’t live without you.
So if you leave, I’m following. I’ll stalk you.
I’ll kidnap you. I’ll do whatever it takes until you finally realize that I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours. You’re mine. Forever.”
She shivers and throws herself at me, choking and whimpering. “I love you too, Grady O’Hurley. You’re the best man I’ve ever met and I don’t deserve you. You’re too good for me but I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to leave you.”
I lift her delicate chin and kiss her gently, softly, tasting the salt of her tears on my tongue.
“I’m not good enough for you, angel baby.
You’re so sweet and smart. You’re a survivor.
You’ve had to deal with a lot with your family but you’ve never given up.
Not until now and I refuse to be the reason you give up.
Not when it will kill me to watch you go. ”
“It would kill me too. I don’t want to go. But I don’t want you to lose your job.”
“I won’t lose my job. I’m good at it.” I grin at my team. “Besides that, none of them will run against me.”
Curt grins. “I wouldn’t want to deal with all the paperwork. You can take care of that. That’s all you.”
I laugh and then stalk out the door and Fee sits up. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you home. And if you don’t behave yourself, I just might use those handcuffs on your. So settle your pretty ass down.”
She smiles up at me and her eyes sparkle like crystal flowers at dusk. “And what if I want you to use them?” Her dark brows lift and she winks at me.
Groaning, I throw her in my car and jerk it into gear. “Oh, angel baby. You’re asking for trouble and I’m gonna love giving it to you.”
She throws back her head, laughing wildly. Her purple eyes sparkle, her black hair dances around her cheeks and she blows a kiss at me from those petal-s0ft lips.
“I love you, sir.”
Growling, I turn on the siren and speed through town. I need to get Fee home and make love to my glorious girl like she deserves.
Like she’s my whole world. Because she is.