Saving the Sheriff

By Kadie Scott

There's a storm brewing...

The day his wife died, Sheriff Cash Hill discovered she was leaving him for another man, one she'd loved since before their marriage. How could the single dad ever trust another woman again? But when Georgia's best friend, Holly, comes back to town, something about Holly's sweet, sassy vulnerability has his protective instincts kicking in hard.

Holly Jensen left La Colina, Texas with regrets. She's returned home to work as the new large animal vet and to watch over her best friend's daughter. But Holly's knowledge of Georgia's past could rip a family apart. And she's reluctant to go to the sexy…and single…sheriff, as he’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with her.

Both are faced with a choice…stay locked in the past or allow their reservations to be silenced by a passion hotter than Texas summer nights. Can they learn to trust their own hearts and each other?

SAVING THE SHERIFF is a sweet and sexy standalone Texas romance in a series of standalones! Saving the Sheriff, Resisting the Rancher, Taming the Troublemaker and Claiming the Cowboy for Christmas can be read in any order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tule Publishing
• Release date: Jan 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781947636798

Kadie Scott

Multi-award-winning author, Kadie Scott, writes steamy romantic comedies and western contemporary romance. She loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic. Kadie attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) and an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. Kadie currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their angelic (mostly) kids, who are growing up way too fast, and 2 adorable fur babies.

Book preview

Author

Chapter One

Daddy?

Feeling the tug on his belt, Cash Hill looked into the tiny face of his daughter. What, Sophia?

Isn’t that Mommy’s doctor friend? she whispered. She raised her small hand and pointed behind him.

Mommy didn’t have any doctor friends. He tried to keep his voice down. He faced forward, eyes on his full grocery cart and the person ahead of him in the checkout line. He didn’t turn to look, didn’t need to. He knew exactly whom Sophia was talking about.

Holly Jensen.

Sophia gave an exasperated sigh that sounded very grown-up, despite the stuffed tiger she clutched in one arm. She was getting so big so fast. "I know that. I mean animal doctor. Is it her?"

Cash stifled an inward groan. Sophia obviously wasn’t going to give this up.

He half-turned and crouched in front of her. As he did, he caught a flash of long, chestnut-colored hair from the corner of his eye.

We talked about this, Soph. Do you remember?

She shook her head, her big blue eyes wide and solemn.

"Some of the people Mommy knew aren’t really our friends. They were hers. Seeing us might make them feel sad."

She gave a nod. ’Cause they’d miss her.

That’s right.

Cash stood up again. Why did they have to come shopping on a Saturday when the lines were crazy? Because he was a working, single parent and this was the only free moment he’d had all week to sneak in the trip. Bare cupboards sucked. That was why.

He glanced at the case of beer and bags of pretzels that Chip Dillon was purchasing just ahead of him. Obviously out to raise some hell. Too early for football. Maybe Chip and his buddies would be watching some NASCAR or the Texas Rangers game. Maybe they’d even hit the Yellow Rose, the most popular bar in town, afterward.

Cash gave a mental shake of his head. Those days seemed like a different lifetime…making him feel a helluva lot older than only twenty-eight. He could practically smell the stale beer, peanuts and sweat…hear the crack of balls being broken at the pool table over the music of the live country band and his friends’ raucous laughter as they swapped tales of their latest conquests. Maybe he’d ask Mama to watch Sophia one night and go out with his brothers. They hadn’t spent much time together lately. He could use a night out with the guys.

He hadn’t done anything like that since his wife died over a year ago. Hadn’t been interested after he found Georgia’s note. Not that he’d give up even a second of what he had now. Sophia was the most precious thing in the world to him. Hard as it was to act as both mother and father to her, he adored that little girl.

And he’d make damn sure no one ever hurt her. She’d already had enough pain in her young life. That was why he was so concerned with Sophia’s obvious interest in Holly Jensen—the new large animal vet in the area. Because Holly had been Georgia’s best friend, and she carried her own baggage. The two women both had a habit of walking away from family.

Cash shook off that thought and glanced at his daughter…only to find her gone. He frowned but didn’t panic. She couldn’t have gone far.

Sophia? He looked around the checkout counters in the grocery store.

She didn’t answer, and he couldn’t see her.

She’s down there, Mrs. Ford, the elementary school principal, said from behind him. She pointed toward the aisle where he’d seen Holly disappear.

Cash sighed and gave the older lady a polite smile. Do you mind watching my cart?

Of course not, dear.

Cash walked up the row of canned fruits and vegetables. His daughter had her back to him and seemed to be animatedly talking to Holly. For her part, Holly squatted in front of his daughter, listening intently. When Sophia stopped talking, Holly murmured something in response. The words were too soft for him to hear, but Sophia giggled.

Cash froze in his tracks.

He hadn’t heard that sound from his daughter in over a year. Not since her mama passed away. Their daughter had turned from a vivacious, outgoing child into a silent ghost, and now her first laugh was with the one woman he wanted to keep her away from. Holly’d always made people laugh, even in high school—something about her shy demeanor combined with an unexpected sense of humor. She’d made him laugh, too. But Cash knew exactly who Holly was, and he wanted nothing to do with her.

Still, the sound of his daughter’s giggle was an arrow straight to his heart. Cash couldn’t decide if he wanted to kiss Holly for doing what no one had managed in all this time—or glare at her for intruding on his life and bringing up memories best left buried. Why’d she have to come back to La Colina anyway? She had no friends or family left here.

Holly suddenly glanced up over Sophia’s head. Her eyes were still stunning, even from this distance, an unusual shade of bottle green. Just like that, when she trained her focus directly on him, a bewildering effect overtook him. Pure unexpected heat.

Damn.

He clenched his hands at his sides. Cash didn’t react to women. Not anymore. Not after his wife. Especially not this woman. The sunny smile Holly bestowed upon Sophia faded in the face of his stoic regard. A small amount of guilt slithered through him at that—as if he’d just kicked a puppy—but he pushed it aside.

Looks like your dad found you. She motioned to him as she stood. Her bright purple toenails peeped out from beneath her black, floor-length skirt. What kind of large animal vet in Texas painted her toenails purple?

Then again, she’d always dressed to please herself. He’d suspected, back in school, that her clothes were more a defense mechanism. An armor of sorts, against kids who’d made fun of her. Holly’s family hadn’t had much money. Rumor had it they bought all their clothes secondhand in Austin.

Sophia turned to look over her shoulder, pulling his attention away from the woman’s feet. Yes. He’s the sheriff now, she proudly informed Holly, turning back to her.

Only temporary until the election, Cash corrected.

Holly raised her eyebrows in a suitably impressed dramatic fashion. A very important position. She glanced his way. I never doubted you’d get there one day, Cash.

Sophia seemed satisfied with that because she turned and gave him a small smile. Daddy, Miz Holly says it doesn’t make her sad to see me.

Cash winced. Sorry.

Uncomfortable with the tight sensation in his chest, he moved forward and crouched before his daughter. Sweetie, you can’t run off in the grocery store.

But I wanted to say hi, Sophia pointed out with the logic of an almost five-year-old.

Your daddy’s right, Sophia.

Cash clenched his jaw. He didn’t want her support or her help disciplining his child. He opened his mouth to tell her so but stopped when Sophia said, I’m sorry.

Her lower lip trembled, and Cash’s heart cracked. She was more sensitive these days, so different from the spunky kid she’d once been.

Holly didn’t hesitate. She dropped back down and pulled Sophia into a hug. Oh, honey. I know you didn’t mean to do something wrong.

Sophia wiped her eyes. Okay, she said in a tiny voice.

Holly shifted that green-eyed gaze back to Cash as she stood, and he blinked. She bit her lip, drawing his attention to its fullness, and a totally unwanted desire stirred with another wave of shocking heat. He squashed it as he would a black widow. Desire for this woman was as unacceptable as it was ridiculous. He’d been without a woman’s company for too long was all. It was the only explanation that made any sense.

She held out her hand. I didn’t get to offer my condolences at Georgia’s funeral. I’m so sorry, Cash.

Politeness forced him to take her proffered hand, delicate in his own, and give it a brief shake. She hadn’t been able to because he’d stayed clear of her, not wanting to make a scene.

Her tentative smile froze. Well…

He could tell she’d been about to say something trite like: I know you must miss her. But given his stony expression, he wasn’t surprised when she decided to cut this conversation short. Exactly what he’d been going for.

You were my mama’s friend? Sophia’s upturned face was suddenly animated.

After a flash of…guilt maybe?…Holly grinned and nodded. She was my best friend growing up around here. You, young lady, are her spitting image. Except for the eyes. I can see you got those from your daddy.

She tapped Sophia on the nose, and—once more—Sophia giggled. Do you know any stories about Mama?

Holly glanced his way. I do. Maybe I’ll tell you someday.

Cash was torn. He didn’t talk about Georgia, not to anyone. However, based on her rapt attention, clearly Sophia was thirsty for details about her mother. He hadn’t realized.

His glance fell on those purple-painted toenails again; only this time, she scooted one foot beneath the hem of her skirt, like she was hiding from him. Had he made her uncomfortable? Another odd shot of guilt oozed through him.

Holly cleared her throat. You’d better go with your daddy or he’ll lose his place in line.

Yes, ma’am, Sophia said with the polite manners bred into her as a proper Southern girl. Bye.

Cash held out his hand for his daughter. He gave Holly a single nod before turning away and heading back to the checkout counter. He paid for his purchases, left the store and loaded everything in the truck without another glimpse of Miss Holly Jensen.

Despite her unusual effect on Sophia—and him for that matter—he was determined they keep their distance from each other. He wanted nothing to do with Holly. Sophia didn’t need that kind of person in her life. Besides, anyone who dressed like a gypsy, put a hot-pink streak through her hair and painted her toenails purple—especially in conservative, rural Texas—wasn’t exactly the best influence on his daughter. And why the hell did he care anyway?

Daddy?

He glanced over his shoulder to where Sophia had strapped herself in her car seat in the back. Yes?

Miss Holly was really nice. I remember her on the computer. She was talking about how Georgia used to Skype Holly all the time.

Cash took a deep breath. I’m glad you thought so.

She said she rescued a hawk with a broken wing and that if I wanted to come see him, I could.

Aw hell.

As sheriff, Cash assumed he’d have very little to do with the vet. Granted, as ranchers, his family might interact with Holly from time to time, of course…but he wouldn’t. He refused to admit he felt any attraction to her. He’d thought her sweet in high school; now he refused to think about her at all. Though any time their paths crossed since Georgia had died—only from a distance until today—his gaze seemed drawn to her of its own accord. A situation he found extremely irritating.

And now, his daughter appeared to have attached herself to the one person he’d rather avoid.

Chapter Two

Holly completed her grocery shopping with only half her brain focused on the task and got in line. The rest of her mind remained firmly with the brooding sheriff of La Colina County, Texas, and his adorable daughter.

Sophia was about as precious as she could be. She’d gotten big since Holly’d seen her last—over a year ago. There was spunk behind that solemn little face, although she seemed rather lost. Holly’s heart had gone out to her. No child should lose laughter in his or her life. The devastation of losing a mother was something with which she was intimately familiar. However, some sixth sense told Holly that Sophia would be okay. She’d find her spark again.

Sophia’s father, however, was another case entirely.

The friendly, open boy she’d known in high school—one of the few people genuinely nice to everyone—had closed in on himself, turned angry and cold. She’d glanced up from Sophia to see Sheriff Cash Hill standing so still in the aisle of the grocery store, seemingly arrested by the sound of his daughter’s giggle.

She’d seen Cash from a distance around town a couple of times since she’d returned home. Given how he’d seemed so distant at the funeral—not just because of his grief, but actively avoiding her in particular—she’d been biding her time before approaching the Hill family, concentrating on getting set up and settled in her new life.

But she’d once promised Georgia she’d watch over Sophia if anything happened, and she meant to keep that promise. No matter how much Cash disliked her.

A twinge of pain shot through her at that knowledge. She’d harbored a crush bigger than the Texas sky for Cash back in the day but was always too shy to say anything. Besides, Mr. Prom King and captain of the baseball team had his pick of the school. And she’d given up on that secret fantasy the day Georgia told her about the baby.

A few weeks after starting her junior year of college, Holly had received a call. Georgia—her best friend, her only friend—was getting married. To Cash, the one guy Holly’d ever liked. And Georgia knew that. The wedding had been a shotgun affair as Georgia was pregnant. A fight between friends and a rift with the guy she’d been seeing at the time resulted in a night with a bit too much to drink, and bam—lives had changed irrevocably. Cash’s. Georgia’s. Holly’s.

To say Holly’d been pissed had been an understatement. Usually one to forgive easily, Holly had refused to attend the wedding, or any of the baby showers, or even talk to Georgia for almost a year.

For her part, Georgia had dropped out of school to become a wife and mother. Betrayal, anger, time and distance had kept the two friends apart until Sophia had been born. Seemed a blue-eyed angel could heal any breach. Besides, Holly had missed her friend.

Until the day of her death, Georgia and Holly had talked on the phone or Skyped every single day. Georgia had brought her daughter to visit Holly at school several times over the years, and social media had been huge in keeping the two connected. As Holly had watched from across Texas, Sophia grew into a lovely little girl, and Georgia had grown more and more serious and withdrawn. Not the bubbly girl Holly thought of more as a sister.

Seeing Sophia in the grocery store had been like putting a vise around her heart; she’d missed Georgia so much. She was Georgia’s tiny mirror image. A perfect reflection of her beautiful mother with her thick, honey-blond hair, heart-shaped face and long, slender build. The only difference was Georgia had brown eyes, whereas Sophia had inherited her father’s baby blues. Cash was certainly going to have his hands full when she became a teenager.

Cash had always been handsome. She used to have a hard time breathing around him. Every one of those Hill siblings was gorgeous. Must be something in the water on that ranch. Once he was Georgia’s husband, Holly’d only ever acknowledged that fact about Cash in an isn’t she lucky kind of way, trying to keep a bitter edge out of the thought.

But today…holy smokes! If anything, his rugged good looks had improved with age, like a fine wine. The typical Texas garb of jeans, T-shirt and boots had fitted him like a glove.

Seeing him up close for the first time since the funeral, Holly’s heart had decided to do an imitation of a racehorse, and her breathing went on the fritz, just like when she was a girl, surprising the hell out of her. She was a grown woman, for Pete’s sake.

One with zero interest in or time for men. For the last eight years, she’d been too consumed with work and school to bother looking. And she’d decided a long time ago that marriage and kids weren’t an option for her. Then today, with Cash, an attraction—fierce and immediate—had her stomach clenching just as it did on roller coasters. Not unpleasant but a tad wild. Holly didn’t do wild.

Of course, that’d been before he’d stared at her as if she were a disease he’d rather not catch. Her attraction to Cash was patently one-sided. Holly was used to a certain amount of disdain or judgment around here. She dressed to please herself and didn’t always fit the Texas mold. She liked her funky clothes and colorful hair. And, of course, there was her family history. In some odd corner of her thoughts, she minded that he’d looked at her that way…and it irritated the bejesus out of her that she cared.

Ma’am?

Holly glanced up. Sorry? she mumbled to the checkout clerk.

I said this is on special. Two-for-one? he repeated in a thick Southern drawl.

Oh. No thanks.

The clerk nodded and kept scanning. Holly quickly paid then got out of there as fast as she could.

As soon as the double sliding doors of the store opened, she stepped into a wall of humidity. It was only mid-April in the Texas Hill Country, but this spring had been unusually hot, and the moisture in the air sent the heat index even higher. Every scrap of her light cotton clothing clung to her instantly damp skin. Even the air in her lungs felt wet and heavy, as if she were breathing in soup. Holly was used to it—she’d lived in Texas most of her life.

At least I’ll look youthful when I’m sixty. Humidity was supposed to be good for skin, right?

She piled her groceries in the cab of her beat-up Chevy truck. She’d had it as long as she could drive, and her grandmother had bought it used. Grams had raised her and her two younger siblings after their father skipped town and their mother died of cancer. Then, a few weeks before Holly graduated high school, Grams had passed away in her sleep. A heart attack, the doctor had said.

Holly didn’t think she’d ever get rid of Big Bertha, which was her nickname for the truck. Besides which, it ran perfectly fine and got her from point A to point B with no trouble. She cranked the engine and gave a happy hum as the air conditioner hit her full blast.

Getting home didn’t take too long. She lived on the other side of La Colina, and the town wasn’t exactly a metropolis, only being slightly over two miles wide and supporting a population of about two thousand, though that didn’t count all the ranches in the area outside of town. Dust flew up from the gravel drive as she pulled around the back of the veterinary clinic building and barn to the small house where she lived.

Holly couldn’t stop her grin at the sight of her home. She couldn’t be happier with how lucky she’d been to find this situation. She’d graduated from Cornell with a Doctorate in Veterinary Science and slightly under a hundred and fifty grand in school loans. She didn’t even consider starting a private practice, despite the market being desperate for more vets in her field willing to operate in the Texas countryside.