The Sheriff Wins A Wife

She hadn’t seen Trace McCabe since the night they’d gotten married.

Recollections of his smile flashed through her memory like summer lightning. Memories of the hurt and confusion her decisions had caused stung like the sparks coming off a Fourth-of-July sparkler.

Her stomach flipped and her hands began to sweat.

Trace McCabe.

The reason Jennifer had stayed away from her hometown for eight years.

Then she turned, and his easy grin became a look of disbelief, shock—followed by a flash of anger.

Dangerous thoughts and emotions shook her. Her stomach jittered just as it used to when she was seventeen.

Perhaps her feelings hadn’t been buried as deeply as she’d thought.

Dear Reader,

To me, September is the cruelest month. One minute it feels like just another glorious summer day. And then almost overnight the days become shorter and life just hits. It’s no different for this month’s heroes and heroines. Because they all get their own very special “September moment” when they discover a secret that will change their lives forever!

Judy Christenberry once again heads up this month with The Texan’s Tiny Dilemma (#1782)—the next installment in her LONE STAR BRIDES miniseries. A handsome accountant must suddenly figure out how to factor love into the equation when a one-night stand results in twins. Seth Bryant gets his wake-up call when a very pregnant princess shows up on his doorstep in Prince Baby (#1783), which continues Susan Meier’s BRYANT BABY BONANZA. Jill Limber assures us that The Sheriff Wins a Wife (#1784) in the continuing BLOSSOM COUNTY FAIR continuity, but how will this lawman react to the news that he’s still married to a woman who left town eight years ago! Holly Jacobs rounds out the month with her next PERRY SQUARE: THE ROYAL INVASION! title. In Once Upon a King (#1785), baby seems to come before love and marriage for a future king.

And be sure to watch for more great romances next month when bestselling author Myrna Mackenzie launches our new SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE miniseries.

Happy reading,

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor

The Sheriff Wins a Wife

Jill Limber

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Matthew and Zachary: my newest little heroes

Books by Jill Limber

Silhouette Romance

The 15 lb. Matchmaker #1593

Captivating a Cowboy #1664

Daddy, He Wrote #1756

The Sheriff Wins a Wfe #1784

Silhouette Intimate Moments

Secrets of an Old Flame #1266

JILL LIMBER

lives in San Diego with her husband. Now that her children are grown, their two dogs keep her company while she sits at her computer writing stories. A native Californian, she enjoys the beach, loves to swim in the ocean, and for relaxation she daydreams and reads romances. You can learn more about Jill by visiting her Web site at www.JillLimber.com.

THE BLOSSOM BEE

The Buzz About Town

By: Harriet Hearsay

We’ve got the dirt…straight from the pigpen!

It seems Jennifer Williams, now of Dallas, is back in town and helping her niece with Petunia the pig. But don’t you know, this girl is clueless about hogs and she nearly landed flat on her behind the first time in the pen. Surprise, surprise—guess who was there to pull her out of the muck and straight into his arms? Her old flame, Sheriff Trace McCabe! This columnist is definitely ready to watch the mud fly between these two!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

Jennifer Williams tried to avoid breathing through her nose.

It had been eight years since she’d been to the Blossom County fair, and she’d forgotten how bad the smell of the animal barn could get during the heat of the day.

She’d never been involved in 4H in school. Her mother hadn’t allowed her or her sister to participate. Ellen Williams had declared that no daughter of hers was going to lower herself to clean up after an animal. Jennifer had felt left out; all her friends had raised 4H animals. But now, standing beside the smelly pen that held her niece Kelly’s 4H entry, Jennifer thought perhaps her mother had had a point.

Petunia the pig was large, pink and cranky. As far as Jennifer was concerned, Petunia was a three-hundred-pound porcine nightmare that was not going to end anytime soon.

This was not how Jennifer had anticipated spending her summer. But when her older sister, Miranda, called three days ago asking for help with a difficult pregnancy, Jennifer had taken vacation time from her job as a forensic accountant, packed up her seven-year-old son, Zack, and left Dallas.

She’d moved from Blossom the summer after high school, and aside from brief visits home to see her sister and bury her mother, she’d stayed away. There were too many bad memories here. And she wouldn’t have come back now, but Miranda and her daughter, Kelly, were family—outside of Zack, the only family Jenn had.

Petunia gave a squeal of displeasure, pulling Jenn out of her reminiscences. She watched as the very pregnant pig struggled to her feet and knocked over her water bowl.

The last thing Jenn wanted to do was climb into the pen with a grouchy pig, but Kelly and Zack had gone to get sodas twenty minutes before, leaving Jennifer to wait for Kelly’s 4H adviser.

Jennifer smiled, remembering the scowl on Kelly’s face when Zack had signed that he’d go with his cousin and Jennifer had translated for Kelly. No teenager wanted to haul a little boy around with her when she might run into her friends, but Kelly would have to get used to it, at least for a few months. Jennifer would need Kelly’s help looking out for Zack, especially after the baby arrived.

It was important that Zack learn to get around despite his deafness. He was usually shy about straying from her side, and when he showed some independence, Jennifer encouraged it. She just wished her niece had been more open to Jenn’s offer to teach her sign language so Kelly could communicate with her cousin.

Petunia nosed at her water bowl, her squeals escalating. She sounded as if she was being mistreated in some horrible way.

With no sign of Kelly, Jenn had little choice but to go into the pen and refill the water bowl. She had never raised a pig, but she knew from growing up in Blossom, Texas, that an overheated animal, especially a sow close to giving birth, could spell trouble.

The problem was that Petunia hated to be penned and had become an escape artist. Jenn found the bag of dog biscuits in Kelly’s canvas bag, slipped a few into her pocket, then tossed a handful across the pen to lure Petunia away from the door.

While the pig rooted in the hay for the treats, Jennifer let herself inside and closed the gate behind her. Just as she was congratulating herself on keeping the pig penned, she stepped in a soft pile of droppings hidden under the straw. Petunia chose that moment to sniff at Jenn’s pocket, smearing her white shorts with a mixture of mushy dog biscuit and pig saliva.

Jennifer heard the low rumble of male laughter right behind her and froze. Without even turning around she knew who that laugh belonged to. Trace McCabe. The one person she had hoped to avoid during her stay in Blossom.

Recollections of his smile and laugh flashed through her memory like summer lightning. Memories of the hurt and confusion her decisions had caused stung like the sparks coming off a Fourth-of-July sparkler.

Her stomach flipped and her hands began to sweat.

Trace McCabe.

The reason she’d stayed away for eight years.

She hadn’t seen him since the night they’d gotten married.

She knew she’d been silly to think she could be in Blossom all summer and not see him, but she hadn’t wanted to face the memories and feelings she’d avoided for so long.

What had happened between them should stay in the past quietly buried. She had no inclination to dig it up.

She took a deep breath and reached for her composure, plastering on what she hoped was a neutral expression.

Her hesitation cost her as the annoyed pig gave her a shove that sent her stumbling against the side of the enclosure. Petunia moved in quickly and pinned Jenn in the corner.

A big pair of warm hands grasped her upper arms, lifted her and hauled her backward, clear over the top of the pen.

She turned, and knew the moment he recognized her. His easy grin turned into a stunned expression.

She looked up at him, forcing a smile. Dangerous thoughts and emotions shook her. He was bigger, more handsome and so dearly familiar. Time had been very kind to Trace. The trim khaki sheriff’s uniform showed off his lean, broad-shouldered body.

Darn! Why couldn’t he have gotten fat, or bald?

Her stomach jittered just as it used to when she was seventeen. Perhaps her feelings hadn’t been buried as deeply as she’d thought.

Expressions of disbelief and shock chased across his face, followed by a flash of anger. He quickly recovered his composure and gave her a forced smile that didn’t look as if it belonged on his tanned face.

The air between them seemed to shimmer.

“Hey there, Trace,” she said, amazed her voice sounded so normal.

She could feel her heart racing. She fought the urge to simply turn and walk away from him, get in her car and head for home.

Not an option, she thought. Not this time. She’d run from her responsibilities—from him—once before. She wouldn’t run again.

Time for plan B, she thought, resigned. Maybe she could act as if they were just old friends. She forced a smile and said, “How’s it going?”

Trace let go of Jenn and stepped back. He felt as if he’d gotten hold of a live wire. He was having trouble getting a deep breath past the ball of anger that flared in his chest.

When he’d walked into the stock barn at the end of his shift and spotted the woman standing in the pigpen, he’d had no idea it was Jenn. She was wearing clothes that belonged at a country club, not in a pigpen. Her sophisticated hairstyle hadn’t come from the local beauty shop, and she had sandals on.

Anyone who grew up in Blossom knew you wore boots in a stock barn.

She’d changed a lot in eight years. Her body was more slender and she wore her once-long hair in a tousled, streaked style.

After all this time, thinking about her and wondering, she was standing right in front of him, smiling and greeting him as if they’d seen each other yesterday. As if they’d been casual friends.

Fury streaked through him.

He took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. “Hey, Jenn. What brings you back to Blossom?”

He struggled to match her casual attitude and give himself a moment to round up his feelings. It was going to take some doing, but if that was how she wanted to play this first meeting, he’d go along. His emotions were in such a turmoil he honestly didn’t trust himself to do otherwise. She looked sophisticated and snooty. Dallas had rubbed off on her.

He realized he was slapping his hat against his leg, and he stopped the motion.

Her eyes were just the same. A deep amber color. The same color as the topaz earrings he’d bought her on his way back to Blossom, before he’d known she’d run off to Dallas and left him behind. He kept those earrings in a box in his dresser. They served as a reminder of his lack of judgment where women were concerned.

She shrugged one tanned shoulder and said, “Miranda needs some help this summer, so I decided to spend my vacation in Blossom.”

He’d known she’d stayed in Dallas after college. In a small town like Blossom he didn’t need to ask questions about her. Everybody’s business was common knowledge, shared regularly at the Bee Hive Cafe, the Dairy Dream and the Alibi Saloon.

He gestured to her shorts with his hat. “I never thought I’d see you in a pigpen.”

“Momma is probably turning in her grave. But you know Miranda. If Momma didn’t like it, my big sister was all over it,” she said, her voice holding a hint of sadness.

Oh, Trace remembered Jenn’s mother, he thought with bitterness. Not an easy woman. Jenn’s sister had fought her mother every inch of the way, but Jenn had always gone along with whatever her mother wanted. Including breaking it off with him.

Eight years ago he’d blamed her mother for what had happened between them. He’d had plenty of time to grow up and realize Jenn had made decisions, too. The annulment might have been Mrs. Williams’s idea, but Jenn hadn’t fought against it. She’d never even answered his letters or phone calls or made any effort to contact him.

No matter how he’d felt about or her daughter, he knew his manners.

Mrs. Williams hadn’t thought much of Trace, and she’d let him know he wasn’t good enough for her daughter, but Trace knew losing a parent was hard. “I was sorry to hear about your mother passing.”

Jenn’s smile faltered. “Thanks.”

They stood awkwardly for a few heartbeats. He wanted answers to so many questions. Answers that would help him let go of the feelings he hadn’t realized until now he’d been hauling around for eight years.

The squeal of the pig reminded him they were standing in the middle of a barn. Now was not the time or place to bare his soul to Jenn.

“So, you’ll be in town for a while?” He needed to talk to her, but he wasn’t going to open their can of worms here in the pig barn.

She nodded. “For the fair. Miranda is off her feet until the baby comes, so I’m going to take on Kelly and Miss Cranky here.” She gestured to the pig, who was busy scooting her empty water dish around the pen and complaining.

He wondered if it was hard for her to see her sister pregnant, if it made her think of the child they had lost that summer after she’d graduated from high school. Maybe she’d been able to move on, but the unfinished business between them still gnawed at him.

He reached into the enclosure and grabbed the dish as the pig went by. He handed it to Jenn. “Well, I’ve got to get along. You staying with Miranda?”

She nodded, her head bent down, looking at the stainless steel bowl as if it held some fascination for her.

“I’ll be in touch.”

She glanced up at him with a resigned look on her face. “Okay.”

They both knew they needed to have a conversation they should have had eight years ago.

Chapter Two

Trace strode away from Jenn, still trying to get his emotions under control. He wanted to put his fist through a wall.

Hey, Trace, how’s it going? What kind of a greeting was that after almost eight years? He jammed his sunglasses back on and stomped out of the swine barn into the blazing sunshine.

They had been as close as two people could be. He had loved her so much he’d ached with it. Was he the only one who remembered that? Had he been harboring the remnants of some adolescent crush all these years? Obviously his emotions had been deeply buried, surfacing to smack him unexpectedly now. Now he had no idea what to do about them.

He stepped into the judging barn and headed for the fair offices. He needed to find Stan, the 4H adviser. Trace had offered to help out with checking in the projects, but he wasn’t going to deal with Kelly’s pig—or Jenn–until he had some time to figure out what was going on in his head and how he was going to handle it. Stan would have to check in Kelly’s project.

Over at the stock pens, where animals waited for the vet, a child climbing up the slats had Trace changing direction.

The boy, his back to Trace, was on a pen that held a particularly nasty bull from the rodeo herd. He had a broken horn and a bad attitude, along with a habit of charging the fence.

“Hey, kid, get down off there!” Trace broke into a run as the bull turned and spotted the child.

When the boy didn’t respond, Trace hollered again. “You, kid, in the red shirt, jump down!”

The boy continued to ignore him. The bull’s head was down and Trace could hear him snorting from twenty feet away. Trace closed the distance in record time and snagged the little boy around the waist, jerking him off the pen.

The sound of ripping fabric was quickly drowned out by the bull crashing into the fence, his horns raking the wood with a splintering screech.

Trace backed up, set the boy down and spun him around. “What were you thinking?” he yelled. The boy’s terrified freckled face didn’t look familiar.

The child looked up at Trace, but said nothing. His whole body shook.

“Who are you here with?” Trace moved the child another few steps away as the bull readied himself for another run at the boards. Whoever was supposed to be supervising this boy was doing a bad job.

The child turned to bolt, then flinched when Trace reached down to keep him in his place. Just as he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder someone called his name.

“Trace, stop!”

He saw Jenn ran toward them, looking as scared as the boy.

“Don’t hurt him.”

Hurt him?

She arrived panting and out of breath, and scooped the boy into a hug. His little arms went around her shoulders and his legs gripped her waist as he buried his face against her neck.

“What did you think I was going to do? Give him a beating?”

“No, oh, no. Sorry. I was scared.”

He nodded, but the notion that she thought he would hurt a child stung.

“Thank you,” she said, gulping air as she patted the boy on the back.

“Who is this kid?”

“My son, Zack.” She continued to stroke the boy’s thin little back.

For the second time that day Trace felt as if he’d been smacked by a two-by-four. Jenn had a child?

She smoothed a hand over Zack’s curly brown hair, as if to reassure herself he was all right. “He was supposed to stay with Kelly, but she came back alone.”

How come he’d never heard that Jenn had a child? Feeling as twisted up as old hay wire, Trace shoved his hands into his pockets. “I yelled at him to get down, but he ignored me.”

Jenn’s big hazel eyes filled with tears. “He didn’t hear you. Zack is deaf.” She lowered the boy back onto his feet, and used sign language to ask him something. Zack pointed to the front of his red shirt, where there was a big hole.

Jenn looked up at Trace. “He was trying to get down, but he got stuck.”

There was a piece of the boy’s shirt hanging from a splinter on the fence post. “He never should have been there in the first place.”

Jenn nodded, and had started to say something when Zack shook her hand to get her attention. He pointed to his shirt and then signed something.

Jenn laughed and nodded, signing back and speaking to him. The child watched her lips. “I know it’s your favorite. We can get you another one.”

Trace took another look at the boy’s red shirt and realized it had the Chicago Bulls’ mascot on the front.

The boy made some motions with his hands, and Jenn translated.

“Zack said he’s sorry. He wants to thank you.”

Trace nodded at the boy, then looked up at Jenn, still trying to absorb the fact that she had a child.

She gave him a wobbly smile and said, “I want to thank you, too. I’ll keep him with me in the future.” She took Zack’s hand and walked away.

Trace watched them leave, and slowly withdrew his hands from his pockets. He wasn’t very good at guessing ages, but the boy looked as if he could be about seven.

The same age the child they had supposedly lost would be.

Trace started after them. He needed answers. Now.

His phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket, saw the “911” designation and swore under his breath. As much as he needed to confront Jenny, his job called. He flipped open the phone and barked, “What?” He didn’t take his eyes off Jenn or Zack until they disappeared from sight.

There was a moment of silence and then his dispatcher, Henrietta, said, “Sheriff?”

Trace ran a hand over his face. “Sorry, Henrie. What’s up?”

“Accident on the highway, four miles south of the fairgrounds. Butch thinks one driver might be drunk.”

“Any injuries?” Trace glanced at his watch. Geez, it was ten o’clock in the morning.

“Doesn’t look too bad, but one of the passengers is trapped in the car. I already dispatched an ambulance, but Butch needs help. And there was another vandalism call, but that can wait until you get in.”

Henrie had managed the sheriff’s office since before Trace was born. He trusted her judgment completely.

“Tell Butch I’m on my way.” Trace shoved his phone into his pocket and headed to his cruiser.

Gripping Zack’s hand, Jenn hurried away from Trace and the feelings he awakened in her.

For so long she had tried not to think about him or any of the memories that went with him, but seeing his concern for her son brought those unwanted emotions flooding back. She tried to push them away into the back of her mind where she’d locked them. They didn’t seem to fit any longer.

Zack made a growling noise tugged and tugged free of her grasp. “Are you angry with me?” he signed.

She shook her head. “No. Why do you think that?”

He rubbed the hand she’d been holding. “Because you were smashing my hand.”

In her agitation she’d had too strong a hold on him. She scooped him up, reveling in the little-boy smell of him. He wiggled out of her grasp as she set him down again. “I’m not angry at you.” But she was furious at Kelly. Jenn had given her niece strict instructions to keep an eye on Zack.

Zack signed again. “The man was angry.”

“He was frightened for you.”

Zack shook his head in disbelief. “Policemen don’t get scared.”

She nodded, amused by Zack’s childlike view of the world, and took him more gently by the hand. She didn’t want to talk about Trace. Or why, if Trace was angry at anyone, it was her. Instead, she walked Zack back to the pigpen.

Kelly was sitting on a stool beside Petunia, talking on a cell phone. She didn’t look up at them.

Jenn pointed Zack to the empty pen opposite them, where he had been playing earlier with his assortment of action figures. Once he was absorbed, she said. “Kelly, I need to speak to you.”

Kelly rolled her eyes and pointed to the telephone.

Jenn barely resisted the urge to rip it out of her hand. “Tell them you’ll call them back.”

Kelly turned away and said something Jenn couldn’t hear, then disconnected the call. When she turned back she had a sullen look on her face. “What?”

Jenn wondered briefly what had happened to the sweet girl who had stayed at her house in Dallas last summer. Kelly had changed from a sunny child to a sullen teenager in the course of a few months.

“I told you how important it was to keep an eye on Zack. He’s not like other children.”

Kelly shrugged. That insolent lift of her shoulder was becoming a familiar thing. “It’s not my fault. I thought he was right behind me.”

“Well, he wasn’t. He wandered away and was almost gored by a bull.”

Kelly glanced over at Zack. “But he wasn’t.”