Page 1 of Forever Finds Us (Wisper Dreams #7)

Chapter One

Brand

As I tried to find my father’s old mechanic’s phone number on my cell, suddenly the glare from a too-bright flashlight tapping against my driver’s side window made me drop the phone.

When the SUV made a weird noise and my speed decreased even though my foot had been steady on the gas pedal, I pulled onto the narrow strip of dirt aligning the dark road, and now I hit the button to roll down my window so I could explain to the sheriff’s deputy waiting for a reason why I had parked illegally on a normally busy highway.

Tonight, the way home was empty in all directions.

I couldn’t see the deputy’s face—she was tall—but the swell of feminine hips and a brown uniform gave her away. It was the same one my sister wore for work.

“What seems to be the problem, sir?”

“I don’t know,” I said, staring at the dash computer, hoping for it to give me a clue, but the screen was blank. The lights were on, but the damn car wouldn’t move. “Engine trouble.” I poked the screen, like that would make it blink back to life.

“Hm. Isn’t this a new Explorer?”

“Yeah, it is,” I said, and I leaned closer to my door and peered out my window at the officer now shining her light at the hood of my vehicle. “How’d you know that?”

“I’ve got eyes, don’t I? Besides, you know how many cars and trucks I see on the job?” Finally, she looked at me, her light brown gaze traveling the side of my face and down my chest. She cocked a brow. “I’m surprised you don’t drive a truck.”

“I do. I bought this for my mother, but I have a truck too. An F350,” I said incredulously, like I needed to prove my manhood by saying so.

“License and registration?”

“For my truck?” I asked, confused. Why would she want that?

“Are you tryin’ to be funny?” She widened her legs slightly, hands on her hips now, inches away from a serious-looking Glock strapped around her tight thigh and a Taser holstered on her belt.

“No, ma’am.” I shook my head. “I was just confused.” I reached for the glove box and registration paperwork. “I apologize. It’s been a long day.”

“You’re from the Sheridan area?” she asked, watching me closely, probably in case I pulled a weapon from my glove box. It wouldn’t be unheard of in Wyoming.

“Uh, yeah. How’d you know that? Actually, I grew up right outside Wisper, but I’ve lived in Sheridan for a long time.”

“The ‘3’ at the start of your plate number gives you away,” she said, waving an arm toward the back of the car. “What brings you back?”

Loneliness.

“Family,” I said, handing her the registration, and I pulled my wallet from my back pocket, slipped my license out, and handed that to her too. “Here.”

The officer, who I now noticed had a kind of odd, quiet beauty about her with soft, wavy ash-brown hair and naturally rosy cheeks, took the ID from my hand.

A lock of her hair had fallen out of the low bun at the nape of her neck under her deputy hat, and she waved it off her skin with my paperwork like a fan.

She shined her flashlight over my license and glanced at my registration, and a little smile lifted the edge of her full, bare lip.

“Brand Lee. You related to Deputy Sheriff Lee?”

“Yes, she’s my little sister.”

She nodded in recognition. “Well, big brother, seems you bought yourself a brand-new, shiny lemon. That’s gonna be a hefty tow bill this time of night.”

“I’m aware. I was just lookin’ for Mike Williams’s number. I’ll call him and have him take a look at his shop. Maybe it’s just a loose hose.”

I could’ve called the dealership where I’d bought the SUV.

It was seven hours away, but the manager would’ve sent someone for me from the local dealership if I asserted my affluence.

I wouldn’t. I could’ve called the dealership owner on his cell, too, but I wouldn’t do that either.

I wasn’t someone who kicked up a fuss to get my way. I never had been.

The deputy shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”

“You’re not from around here,” I said, detecting a subtle nuance in her speech different than what I was used to in my home state, and it occurred to me that I was now interrogating my interrogator.

“No, sir. From Oklahoma. You comin’ into town for Bax’s wedding?”

“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.