The Cowboy Sheriff

Which was good. It meant demand for the bakery’s mail-order products was increasing. Keri had been working toward that goal ever since she’d assumed the helm of Mehlerhaus. But now she had mixed feelings. On the one hand, the extra income would be useful. On the other hand, she now had a child to raise.

She blinked back tears, forbidding herself to think about Sammi now. Not when she had work up to her eyeballs and hours before she could go home and collapse.

As she flipped through the orders, she wasn’t able to keep herself from thinking about the other side of things. That more orders also meant more demands on her time. Right when she needed to devote it to Hannah.

“Don’t worry,” Sunshine said as she started slicing a pumpkin cake. “We’ll get through it.”

Keri suspected her friend meant more than the busy season.

As Hannah started crying again, she wasn’t so sure.

* * *

HE’D DONE SOME PRETTY dumb things in his time on Earth, but entertaining the idea of making a play for Keri Mehler ranked right up there. Especially now. What kind of lowlife made a move on a woman when she was grieving? Plus, chances were that when she’d had time to adjust to her new reality, she’d go back to ranking him right between slugs and fungus.

He’d already helped her more than either of them could have ever expected. The best thing he could do for her now was to stay away and keep from reminding her of painful losses.

But he’d continue digging around, trying to find Carter for her. Her brother should be here, helping her. No matter what he’d done or where he’d gone, Carter should know about Sammi.

As Simon pulled into Harvey’s driveway, he shifted his thoughts away from Keri and her MIA brother. When he saw Harvey gesturing wildly with a .357, it brought home that now wasn’t the smartest time to be distracted. He parked next to a sprawling live oak behind Jack Fritz’s patrol car and got out very carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Harvey into ventilating anyone, including himself.

“What’s got his knickers in a bunch today?” Simon asked the older deputy.

“You name it— Cowboys losing, politics, price of beer. Pretty much your typical ‘the world’s going to hell in a handbasket’ tirade.”

Simon eyed Harvey where he now sat atop his front steps, ranting about every politician in Austin being a crook.

“You know, I really like Harvey when he’s behaving and taking his meds,” Simon said. “Not so much when he doesn’t and becomes a cantankerous old goat.”

“Our very own Jekyll and Hyde.”

“This was not the day to not have my full supply of morning coffee.” Simon sighed. “Well, might as well get on with the disarming or the shooting.”

Jack grunted. “I’m getting too old for this garbage.”

“Have medical on standby.”

“Already called them. They’re waiting at the end of Rattlesnake Road.”

Simon eased out from behind the car, unsnapping his holster as he moved, and edged slowly up the gentle slope toward the house. “Hey, Harvey. How’s it going?”

“Who’s that?”

“Now, Harvey, you’re going to hurt my feelings. You’ve known me since I was born.”

“Simon?”

“Got it in one.”

“What are you doing out here?”

“Came to ask why you’re sitting out here in the cold waving that .357 around. I know there aren’t any rattlesnakes out today.”

“There’s snakes aplenty. They just have two legs.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that. Hope you don’t include me in that category.”

Harvey seemed to think about that for a moment longer than Simon would have liked, and he resisted the urge to place his palm atop his sidearm.

“Nah, you’re a good sort,” Harvey finally said, allowing Simon to breathe a smidge easier.

“You are, too, Harvey. But you do tend to make people nervous when you’re waving a gun around.”

Harvey looked at the gun in his hand as if he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why it was there.

“How about you set that gun down and we’ll talk about what’s bothering you?”

Harvey lowered the gun, then hesitated, twisting it in his hand to examine it, before placing it on the porch beside his right hip. “Ah, hell, I’m in trouble again, aren’t I?”

“You haven’t hurt anyone, and you’re on your own property, but I do need you to go to the hospital and get your medication back in order.”

Harvey grimaced. “That stuff makes me feel like I’ve got cotton for brains.”

“I’m sorry about that, but it keeps you from scaring the neighbors and maybe hurting someone. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?”

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