Page 3 of Seducing the Sheriff (Charming Butte #2)

Chapter Two

Cash

“It’s an alien butt,” Rosie said from the doorway.

I knew that. I’d eaten enough of the cookies from Destiny’s Flying Saucer bakery. I just wasn’t sure what it was doing on my desk. I’d spent the afternoon at a meeting with the mayor and local businessmen, and I was sure it wasn’t there when I left.

“Did you put it there?” I asked, then realized how ungracious that sounded as her lips pursed.

I could hear Mom sighing in my head as she pointed out—yet again—to “thank people instead of interrogating them, Cash.” MindMom had a loud voice.

“I mean, thank you, Rosie.”

Rosie was my new assistant. Or rather, I was new in the police department.

She’d been here forever as Police Chief Wally’s sidekick, but he had semi-retired as police chief of Charming Butte and Bobcat Stump.

I had been elected the new county sheriff and currently divided my time between Charming Butte and an office on the other side of the county.

As Rosie was left without a boss and I was without an assistant, it made sense to put us together.

We had an…uneasy relationship. I think she expected me to be Chief Wally MkII, and, much as I respected the old man, that was never going to happen. I mean, the guy was older than dirt and I got the feeling the residents wanted to make life easy for him, especially Rosie.

I was new to Charming Butte, having grown up on the other side of the state, but I was an experienced law enforcement officer with my own way of doing things. Time would tell if Rosie and I could make it work.

She sniffed and curled her lip. “I didn’t leave it there. I have more taste.”

Now I was confused. Who else would buy me an alien butt cookie?

Rosie must have caught sight of my furrowed brow. “Dexter Chase came by this afternoon. He brought them for the whole department as thanks for catching the cattle rustlers last week.”

“Ahhh.”

Now I understood the cookies. There had been a spate of cattle rustling in the county.

I’d gotten wind that Charming was their next target.

Dex’s home, the Charming Chase Cattle Ranch, was the obvious target.

My office lay in wait for several nights and finally caught the men as they tried to make off with Dex’s beef cattle and his prize bull.

I couldn’t hold back my grin as I remembered old Nelson made his feelings known too.

Two of the men were still on crutches last I checked.

Rosie’s expression softened a fraction. “The ranchers are grateful. This has put a serious dent in the rustlers’ operation.”

I didn’t ask how she knew. The first thing I’d learned about Rosie was that she knew everything that went on in Charming.

Which was why I never talked to her about myself or private life.

Even going for dinner with Dex and his partner, Meyer Jones, the new fire chief, gave her enough fuel for speculation.

When I’d arrived in Charming, I’d been determined to keep a distance from everyone, not to make friends.

I was the sheriff, that’s all they needed to know.

After a long conversation with my mom—she talked, I listened—she told me if I was going to make Charming my home, I needed to make friends.

Meyer and Dex, and the mayor, Liam Sandell, welcomed me into their world.

Were they friends? Not yet. But they were good people and more to the point, people with power in Charming.

Keeping on their good side was a sensible move.

My mom sighed when I told her my thoughts. “One day you’ll understand the concept of a friend, Chase, and it’s not about politics or power. You’re not a youngster anymore. If you don’t want a partner, you need to make friends.”

There was so much to unpick from that, and the barb about my age stung, but I grumbled under my breath and left it there, because I never wanted to fall out with my mom.

In the meantime, I enjoyed the occasional meals out and hiking with Dex and Meyer and cycling with Liam and his wife.

Dex had tried to persuade me to go horseback riding.

That was never gonna happen. The one and only time I sat on the back of a horse, she’d gotten spooked before we’d left the yard and I ended up on the ground with a broken arm.

As it had been the start of the summer vacation, I had been devastated.

“I’ll bring you a coffee,” Rosie said. “Then I’m going home.”

I winced. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her I could fetch my own coffee.

I didn’t expect my assistant to fetch me drinks and food.

But Rosie had always done it for Chief Wally and now she expected to do it for me.

We were going to have to talk about her role—again.

I couldn’t face the hurt look and clipped tone for the rest of the day, so I smiled and nodded at her. That was a battle for another day.

Before Rosie could vacate my office, Dean, the young dispatcher, burst through the door.

“Sheriff, there’s a dead body in the old Jenkins’ ranch,” he said breathlessly.

I groaned inwardly as Rosie’s eyes lit up. The news would be around Charming before the ancient coffeemaker had dripped into the pot…if it wasn’t already.

“Someone has died?” I queried.

“Is it the new man who bought the place?” Rosie demanded.

Of course she would know about that.

Dean shook his head. “He’s the one who called it in. The body was walled up behind a closet.” He grimaced. “He says it’s been there a while.”

I gave a curt nod. Despite the fact that I was the county sheriff, I knew that a case like this would be passed over to New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.

Whether it was a homicide, a cold case, or both, this was their territory, not mine.

Wally had assured me Charming didn’t get many unusual deaths, aside tourists going missing, unprepared for the desert.

That was fine. I wasn’t here for excitement.

I hoped this was a rare occurrence, but I wasn’t about to let it go that easily.

The old Jenkins ranch was on my patch, and the new resident deserved to know the sheriff had his back.

Besides which, he was still a suspect until he was officially cleared.

“I’m going out there now,” I said. “Joseph needs to call the bureau.”

“I’ve already told him,” Dean said.

I pressed my lips together, holding back my annoyance at not being the first to be told. Of course he had told Joseph. That was the way it had worked before. Wally pushed the initial investigation to his officers. I caught Dean’s wary look.

“That’s fine,” I assured him. “Let him know I’m on my way. Then he can join me there.”

Dean’s expression eased. “Will do, Sheriff.”

My deputies worked from an office the other side of the county. It wasn’t worth bringing them over as we were only going to hand over the case. I texted my deputy, Diego Sanchez, to postpone our phone meeting until tomorrow morning and headed out for the sheriff’s car.

Before I reached the door, I heard Rosie calling me. I sighed and turned, pasting a polite smile on my face.

“What have I forgotten, Rosie?”

She was always calling me back for something I hadn’t remembered that Chief Wally had always done. I guess I didn’t hide the edge to my voice because her lips tightened.

“I made your coffee and here’s your cookie, Sheriff Lawson.” Rosie handed me a travel mug and a small paper bag. I peeked in, there was the alien butt staring up at me.

I felt like a dick for my previous thoughts and MindMom was sighing again. “Thank you, Rosie. That’s really thoughtful. Next time I’ll treat you.”

Now I sounded too effusive, but her expression softened. “You’re welcome. The homeowner’s name is Gregory Harding.”

I blinked, then remembered what I was supposed to be doing. Jenkins’ ranch. Dead body. Right.

The drive didn’t take long. It hadn’t cooled down much, and I had the AC cranked up high.

I chugged the coffee even though it was almost hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth.

Still, I could cope with that. Belatedly, I remembered I shouldn’t be drinking caffeine at this time of day.

It was a new rule I’d imposed on myself for healthy living.

I remembered it every time I sucked down a freshly brewed cup of coffee, instead of the green tea I’d bought.

Oh well, it wasn’t like my day was ending anytime soon. I knew from grim experience; dead bodies took up a lot of time.

As I turned into the driveway of the old residence, I spotted someone sitting on the stoop.

At least he had the sense to get out of the house.

The setting sun glinted behind the house and trees, giving it almost an eerie look, full of light and shadow.

The kind of place you’d find a dead body in a scary movie.

I pulled up in the yard, noting no one else had arrived as yet.

I wasn’t surprised. I was the only one on the doorstep.

The man on the stoop put down his cup on the step and stood, brushing his ass, as I got out of my car.

I took my time before I greeted him, watching his body language.

Just because he said it had been there a while, didn’t rule him out as a suspect.

He seemed relaxed for someone who’d found a dead body.

I expected more agitation. Then I turned my attention to him.

He was tall, a few inches taller than my 5ft 11”.

Six feet two, maybe? I was broader across the shoulders, but his muscle was rangy, gained from physical work rather than the gym.

If I’d been at a bar, he was the type of guy I’d approach for a hook-up, I couldn’t deny that.

Even the lines around his eyes were sexy as hell.

As I approached him, I realized his hazel eyes watched me as closely. Wary of law enforcement or was there another reason?

I strode forward to close the gap. “Mr. Harding?”

“Yes. I’m Greg Harding.”

“Sheriff Cash Lawson.”