Brokenhearted Beauty(Divine Creek Ranch 19)(38)

“That’s a great idea. You should talk to Vincent, too. I’m willing to bet he’d like to be involved.”

After the conversation finished, he went out to his patrol vehicle and got ready to go. Thoughts of Vincent’s decision to drive to Abilene kept cluttering his mind as he went about his morning.

Vincent had sounded sincere when he stated his reason for going, but James also knew that he tended to leap first and look afterward.

Sitting on the side of the road after pulling someone over to warn them about a burned-out brake light, he asked himself the hard question. “Are you jealous he had her to himself?”

He pondered the question as he stopped in at Divine Drip for a cup of Cassie’s coffee.

What was he the most pissed off about, the fact that Vincent had her to himself or the fact that Vincent had jeopardized everything with his impulsiveness?

Before his death, Patterson had visited her on several occasions by himself, bringing her meals at work occasionally, and once he’d brought a movie to her home to watch with her. He’d thought she worked too much and had tried to find ways to distract her. But James also knew Patterson had never made a move on her alone.

He was mostly angry because Vincent was changing the game and trying to force her hand when they’d agreed long before Patterson died that they’d never do that. Once James set out on a course, he stayed with it until it was done and wanted Vince to do the same. Vince? Not so much. He went with what worked in individual situations.

She hadn’t gone into specifics, but Leah had told him that the time she’d had with Vincent the night before had been wonderful and he could hear the sincerity in her tone despite their subpar cellular connection. When she’d asked him if he minded her talking about it with him, he’d been sincere in telling her no. Jealousy wasn’t the issue.

“That’s something at least,” he muttered to himself.

“I’m sorry, James, I didn’t catch that. Did you want something else?” Cassie asked as she handed his big travel mug out the coffee shop’s drive-thru window. “I have fresh apple fritters. I just iced them and they’re still really warm.”

She giggled as he stopped in mid-denial because his mouth was watering so much. He could smell the delectable scent wafting through the window into his patrol car. No decent man refused practically homemade baked goods. “I can’t resist your apple fritters, Cassie. You’re furthering stereotypes here, you know?”

Cassie burst into laughter and said, “James, you and I both know you’ll burn all those calories off.”

“I’ll take one but promise me if you see me getting tubby that you’ll start baking sugar-free muffins?”

She scrunched up her nose. “What’s the fun in that? Maybe you’ll just have to finally wrangle Leah into being your girlfriend and go dancing every weekend?” She gave him a wink.

James groaned. “This town has got the fastest working gossip mill I’ve ever seen.”

“Don’t worry, I never carry tales. But I do hope you and Vincent work things out with Leah. She’s sweet and I hate seeing her looking so sad all the time. She was always a little more serious but lately she looks like the weight of the world is on her shoulders.”

James nodded and thanked Cassie when she handed him his treat and he went on his way.

“Yeah, she’s got the weight of the world on her shoulders, and if she moves to Abilene, it’ll only get worse.”



* * * *



“Everything’s fine, chief,” Vincent said as he stood in his boss’s office doorway.

“I hope so. I don’t like hearing that two of my most reliable officers are squabbling in the locker room.”

“Unrelated to work, sir. A misunderstanding.”

“Good. Work it out at home from now on. Hank Stinson was in earlier looking for you. You might give him a call.”

“Will do, sir.”

“You get things worked out with that little Woodworth gal?” Chief said as he got up from behind his desk. “I figured I’d be hearing wedding bells, or binding bells, or whatever the hell it is people do around this town these days. How come you haven’t taken that little gal off of the market yet?” Chief had a way of speaking his mind but Vincent valued him as a friend as well as his superior, which was why he gave him a real answer instead of glossing it over.

“It’s only been four months, sir.”

Chief nodded as he looked down at his boots. “Sometimes it seems like he’s been gone from us longer than that, other times I expect him to come walking around the corner whistling a tune.” He clapped his hand on Vincent’s back, demonstrating that no matter what he had on him in years he didn’t lack in strength.