The Sheriff Wins A Wife

Jenn took a deep breath and said, “Miranda and I were cleaning out a room for the baby and I found a box of papers in a closet.” She stopped and took a sip of soda, needing to wet her suddenly dry throat.

He nodded, a puzzled look on his face.

She lowered the can of soda and said, “There was an envelope from the state of New Mexico.”

At that, his expression and body language changed. He stood up a little straighter and his brow furrowed. He didn’t speak, but made a little motion with his hand, encouraging her to continue.

She took a deep breath and let the words rush out. “My mother never completed the forms for our annulment.”

He stared at her for so long she had to fight not to squirm. She babbled instead. “I called the number on the form. They checked and…” She let the sentence trail off, not wanting to say the words out loud.

His voice was very quiet. “And what, Jenn?”

She cleared her throat. “We’re still married.”

Neither one of them moved.

Finally Trace shook his head and set his soda on the counter beside him. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression still unreadable. “So now what do we do?”

She pasted on a plastic smile. “It’s not really a problem. We can file the papers ourselves. There are grounds.”

“Desertion?” Trace gave a hard bark of laughter.

“That would work.” Yes, it fit. For both of them.

There was a hint of anger in him she’d never seen before. She took a step back, feeling uncertain of this Trace, this man she couldn’t read.

Immediately he relaxed against the counter. “Do you want me to take care of it?” he asked in that neutral voice she was beginning to hate.

“No. I’ll do it.” She headed for the door, needing to get away from him and the feelings that crowded her head. “Thanks for the soda,” she said over her shoulder. How inane to be polite after what had just transpired.

“You’re welcome,” Trace replied just as politely to her back.

She went through the utility room and out the back door, squinting into the bright sunlight. She made her way back to her car, fighting against the urge to cry.

They’d never really been married. He’d stepped up because she was pregnant. They’d never even spent even one night together as Mr. and Mrs. Trace McCabe. So why did she feel as if she’d just lost something?

Key in hand, she slid onto the hot upholstery of the driver’s seat and had to blink away her silly tears to find the ignition.

It was done, and over. Grow up and stop being so maudlin, she told herself. What had happened was eight years in the past.

She had her life in Dallas, the job she’d always wanted and her son. She was happy.

She pulled away from the curb. Telling Trace the truth had gone better than she’d hoped. Very civilized. He’d been…like a stranger.

Instead of feeling elated, she felt as if she’d just lost her lover all over again.

Trace got to the living-room window in time to see Jenn walk down his driveway. How could he be so physically attracted to her when she made him so furious?

He watched her slim hips sway in a purely feminine walk as she made her way to her car. He’d always loved to watch her move.

She walked like a person who had places to go. And she had. She’d gone to Dallas and she’d never come home.

As he watched her pull away from the curb he thought about what she’d just told him. Even though he’d believed the annulment had been finalized years ago, her casual offer to end their marriage had been damn hard to hear.

He turned away and headed toward the bathroom and a shower. As much as he would love to go back out to the yard and work the anger out of his system, duty called. But as he lathered up, his thoughts drifted into dangerous territory.

What if Jenn hadn’t lost the baby?

Their child would be the same age as Zack.

Would they have had a successful marriage? More children?

Or was she right? Had they been too young to have it last?

When they had first started dating, Jenn had had big plans for college and a career. He’d been a part of those dreams.

The unplanned pregnancy had upset her, made her feel out of control. He’d never seen her so distressed. And when she lost the baby, she’d gone back to her plans, minus him.

He stuck his head under the spray and called himself a fool for wanting things that could never be.

He had other things he needed to think about, things he could actually do something about. Like the frustrating investigation into the land swindle that had cost several residents of the county thousands of dollars. And the Committee for Moral Behavior was driving him crazy with their demands to make changes “for the good” of Blossom. He knew they meant well, but they didn’t seem to understand there was only so much he could do without treading on other people’s civil rights.

He dressed, grabbed his weapon and wallet and was stopped twice on his way to his meeting with the mayor.

The town’s gardener had found two garden trolls sitting on the bench in front of the courthouse. He wanted Trace to know they were in his shed.

Then Trace ran into the clerk of the court, who needed to show him pictures of her latest grandchild.

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