Two to Love

Chapter Three

Six Years Later

Nate took a deep breath. He was still getting used to the elevation, but he couldn’t argue with the fact that Bliss, Colorado, was a beautiful place. He looked out at the little town nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Everywhere he looked there was a stunning view. Stefan hadn’t lied about that. Nate straightened his tie as he got out of the truck. His boots crunched into the gravel that covered the parking lot of the Bliss County Sheriff’s Office. It was a small building just off Main Street. It was his workplace now.

Shit, why was he so nervous? This was a huge step down, and he was practically shaking at the thought of meeting his staff.

What staff? According to former sheriff Rye Harper, he had an administrative assistant and one deputy. Rye Harper. He had been Bliss’s sheriff for years, but now he was quitting to train horses and spend time with his new wife. Callie had been in love with Rye Harper, but she wasn’t the new wife. Damn, when was he going to forget that girl? He wondered where she was, if she ever came back to Bliss. Would he be sitting in his office one day and have her wander by? What would he do?

He let the thought go. She probably wouldn’t remember them anyway. Callie Sheppard was probably married by now with a couple of kids. She would be thirty-one, and she would have gotten on with her life. She was probably still so pretty it would hurt to look at her.

If he did run into her, he would be respectful. God knew if he hadn’t been good for her back then, he would be poisonous now. He didn’t even know what to call Zane. The thought of Zane back at the cabin sent a weary sigh through him. This plan had better work. If Zane didn’t start getting better, he wasn’t sure what he would try. This was his last shot as far as Nate could see.

It was all gone. His money, their careers, possibly Zane’s future. He had to make this work. There wasn’t another choice. Guilt gnawed at his gut, and he wondered if the sleepless nights were finally catching up with him. He was so tired he just wanted to sleep.

The door to the station house opened, and he was greeted by a tall man with reddish-brown hair and a friendly smile. “Sheriff Wright?”

He nodded. That was his name now. He was the sheriff of a podunk town, and he was grateful for the job. “Yes, you Harper?”

Rye Harper held out his hand, and Nate shook it quickly. So this was the man Callie had loved. What kind of idiot couldn’t love that girl back?

“Welcome to Bliss, Sheriff Wright. We’re really happy you were willing to take the job.” Harper grinned broadly. “Me, especially. If Stef hadn’t convinced you to work out the rest of my term, those bastards were going to hold me to my contract. Can you imagine that? I didn’t know the people here knew what a contract was. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll like it here. It’s pretty quiet. Come on inside, and I’ll introduce you.”

Nate wasn’t so sure he’d like it anywhere. He might have passed the point in his life where he could have been happy. Still, he followed, his feet moving out of habit. It had been like this for months, ever since the day Zane’s cover had been blown and their world went to hell. He forced himself to move through his days.

Rye Harper was talking as he walked through the door. “I’ll be around if you need anything, but Callie can run this place with one hand tied behind her back, so I don’t expect you’ll have any trouble.”

“What?” He heard the words come out of his mouth, but his attention was focused on one thing and one thing only.

“Nate?” Callie stood by the front desk. She was slightly older, but more beautiful than he remembered her. She was wearing a prim little skirt and a sweater that hid her curves, but he knew they were there. He dreamed about them at night. Every woman he’d slept with since couldn’t measure up. Just like that, he could feel her hips under his hands, tracing her skin while she moved over him. Nate was stopped completely in his tracks. The world seemed to narrow down to that one face. A little bit of panic threatened to take over. Callie was here. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

“You two know each other?” Rye was looking between them.

“Stef introduced us a long time ago,” Callie said softly. She was wearing glasses. She hadn’t worn them before. He wanted to strip them off, along with that shapeless sweater.

“A long time ago.” Nate tried to recover. It would look bad to break down in front of his staff on his first day on the job. His mental breakdown could surely wait a week or two. He nodded briskly and put on a purely professional front. “Hello, Callie. It’s good to see you again. I hope you’re well.”

Her face flushed. He could plainly see that it wasn’t the greeting she expected. Her voice was strained when she replied. “I’m fine, Sheriff. Nice to see you.”

Rye Harper slapped his hands together. “Well, then, I leave you in good hands, Sheriff.” He was at the door in a shot as though he couldn’t wait to get the hell out. “You call me if you need anything, Callie. And be sure to explain about the nudists. There’s a science fair the Farley twins are planning to enter. Some idiot relative bought them a chemistry set. We’ll be lucky if they don’t blow up their barn. Oh, and we’re coming up on Nell and Henry’s annual protest. I think they’re planning on chaining themselves to a tree or something.” The former sheriff looked damn happy he wouldn’t be dealing with those problems. He grinned and was gone in a second.

And Nate was left alone with the only woman he’d ever loved.

He was going to kill Stefan Talbot.

“I didn’t know your last name.” She was quiet, but he heard every word. The station was empty other than the two of them. It was a far cry from the DEA office. And it was so far from the field.

So she was surprised, too. “Sorry. If I had known”

Her eyes grew wide. “What? You would have warned me?”

The truth popped out of his mouth. He’d forgotten how to be polite. “I wouldn’t have taken the job.”

The blood left her face. “Well, all right then.” She took a deep breath.

He spoke quickly, taking a step toward her. “Callie, it’s not like that. I just wouldn’t want to hurt you again.”

She shrugged. “You didn’t hurt me in the first place, Sheriff. We had a fling. That was all.”

Damn, she wasn’t any better at lying now than she was then. The hurt was written all over her face. He wanted to pull her into his arms. He kept his distance. “Callie, it’s been a long time. Can we just try to work together? I need this job. Harper said you can help me fit in around here.”

“You need a job?” Confusion was plain in her voice.

“No more trust fund.” He’d admit that much to her. He hadn’t had any control over that. He hoped she never found out about the rest. “Bad investments. My father’s company is gone. I’m going to work out the former sheriff’s term, and we’ll take it from there. I promise to treat you as professionally as the last sheriff.”

She snorted, and a little smile curved her lips. “That wouldn’t be hard. The last sheriff used to pull my pig tails when we were babies. It’s hard to keep it professional when you grew up together.”

He hated Rye Harper. “Well, I’ll be a good boss. Now what was he talking about?” Maybe if he just acted in a professional manner, she would go along. He had no idea how he was supposed to work with her. The idea of seeing her everyday and having to hear about her husband or boyfriend…he couldn’t do it.

Callie’s hands went to the buttons of her sweater. She fingered them as though she really wanted out of the garment. He remembered that Callie felt more comfortable naked. Nate felt his cock swell. Well, at least it still worked.

“Don’t worry about it. I already talked to Nancy Farley. She’s keeping an eye on the boys. As for the rest of it, well, it’s nudists’ retreat time. Sometimes they scare the tourists.”

What the hell kind of town was this? “Well, if I catch them, they can spend a little time in an orange jumpsuit. It’s illegal to walk around like that. They need to keep to their place.”

Callie stood up a little straighter. Her eyes lit up, and her hands were suddenly on her hips. “I think you’ll find that a little tolerance will go a long way in Bliss, Sheriff Wright.”

His tolerance was long gone. He hadn’t been here fifteen minutes, but he could already tell the former sheriff had been very lax. “If I find someone breaking the law, I’m going to arrest them.”

Callie’s arms were crossed, and her lips pursed. “That should make for a very interesting change then, Sheriff. Now, if you like, I’ll show you around.” She waved her hand. “That’s around. There’s your office. Your uniforms are hanging on the back door. Your deputy’s name is Logan Green. He’s on his lunch break. I’m going to lunch, too. I’ll be back at two.”

She was leaving? He just got here.

“Try to not arrest the whole town while I’m gone.”

She walked out, and he was alone again.

Callie tried not to cry, but as she shuffled down the street, the world swam in front of her. Why hadn’t Stef warned her? Seeing Nathan Wright after all these years had just about floored her. When he’d walked in, her first impulse was to throw herself into his arms and plant a big kiss on those sensual lips of his. Then she caught sight of the coldness in his blue eyes. He hadn’t smiled once. What the hell had happened to the man she’d met?

If he’d known she was there, he wouldn’t have come. Knowing that made her feel smaller than she ever had. Her heart constricted. She wouldn’t go back. She would just call in and quit over the phone. She felt someone fall into step beside her. As though she’d conjured him, Stefan Talbot glided alongside, measuring his step to match hers. He’d probably been waiting outside the station house watching for her. Callie turned away and tried walking faster.

“Callie,” Stefan’s smooth voice practically begged her.

“Go away, Stef.” She knew he played deep games from time to time. She just never expected he would play them with her. Betrayal burned through her. It hurt, maybe even worse than Nate. She had no illusions that Nate loved her.

“I can’t. You should just stop and talk to me, or I’ll follow you around until you do.” There was no threat, just a simple promise. Stefan was used to getting his way. When he didn’t, he tended to do whatever it took to force things to fall into place. Stefan liked a well-ordered house. “Let’s go to Stella’s. I’ll buy you lunch and explain why I didn’t tell you Nate and Zane were coming to town.”

She stopped in the middle of the street. “Zane’s here, too?”

“I suspect, though I haven’t seen him. I doubt Nate would have left him behind.”

“I don’t want lunch. I want to go home for awhile. If you follow me, you better tell me what you know, Stef.” She gave Stefan her sternest look. Her best friend was a good foot taller than she was and every inch the elegant man. He had a face that made every woman who saw him sigh. Callie knew he was gorgeous, but all she could see was the brother she should have had. Stefan Talbot was one year and two months older than she was. He had watched out for her almost all of her life. She wanted to know why he had stopped now.

“I thought you would quit.” He had a habit of knowing what she was thinking.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you were in love with Nate and Zane. Because you never got over those two.”

And he knew her better than anyone in the world. Tears welled up again. When would she get that hard outer shell so many people got? When would she be able to contain her feelings? She turned and started back down the street toward the little cabin she’d lived in all of her life.

Stef was right beside her. His hand found her back. “I think he needs you. I don’t know about Zane, Callie. I don’t know him the way I know Nate. I know Nate has been through a lot. His job went poorly. Zane was injured, and Nate blames himself.”

“Is Zane all right?” The thought of big, gorgeous Zane being hurt made her ache. Did he have some woman holding his hand? She hoped so. She hoped he was being taken care of. She wished she was the woman but wouldn’t have him be alone for anything in the world.

“I think he’s back on his feet.” Stefan was silent for a moment. “I think Nate needs this place.”

Callie began to slow. Stef had reasons for not telling her. She might not agree with them, but he hadn’t meant to hurt her. He slipped his hand into hers and pulled it to his chest.

“Please don’t be mad at me. I can’t stand it when you’re mad at me. You and Rye and Max are my whole world.”

Poor little rich boy. She couldn’t help but smile. Stef had given up a lot to keep his handpicked family together. “You’re a jerk.”

“I know.” His smile was slightly sad. “So you’ll stay?”

“For a while.” It was all she could promise.

The door to the small cabin came open, and Zane slammed down the book he had been reading. Was it really that late? He looked out the window, and sure enough, it was getting dark. Damn, he’d gotten lost. It was the story of his life lately.

“Zane?” Nate’s voice rang through the cabin. It wasn’t hard. There were only three rooms and a single bathroom. Zane got up from the small desk that dominated the bedroom he’d chosen for himself and walked into the main room. It was small, but served as both living room and kitchen. He took a deep breath because he hadn’t done any of the stuff he’d promised he’d do. He’d been reading a lot since he got out of the hospital. It took his mind off…well, everything.

He rushed into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Sorry. I’ll have dinner ready in a minute.”

Nate held up a bag. “Don’t worry. I got burgers. The burger joint is supposed to be first class. I figured you’d forget.”

Zane hated the feeling that rolled through his system. Useless. He was completely fucking useless. His legs worked again, but he was still half a fucking man. He couldn’t even remember to cook dinner.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nate said as though reading his mind.

But he would. He pulled two beers out of the fridge. If Nate could put on that pansy ass uniform and play at being a sheriff, he could at least open the beer.

Nate was already plowing through his burger when Zane sat down. “Bad day?”

Nate shrugged. He was shut down, but Zane expected that. They hadn’t talked, really talked, in months, not since long before he came out of the coma. Zane was okay with that. He didn’t really want to talk, either. It wouldn’t help anything. Nate’s eyes slid off to the side when he started to look Zane in the face. “It was fine. It’s a shit-ass job. Nothing to it.”

“Did you…” How did he ask it? Damn, but he wanted to know. “Did you hear anything about her?”

Nate let the burger fall out of his hands. He reached for the beer. “If you want to know if she’s still here, you should go into town.” Nate stood and stalked off to his room, his dinner half-eaten and forgotten.

Zane didn’t touch his. Damn it. It was still there. Callie Sheppard was still between them. How was he supposed to tell Nate that he wouldn’t go after her? The man should know. Fuck. Callie wouldn’t want him now. All it took was one look in the mirror to know no woman would want him now.

Zane stood up and walked to the front door. He pushed through the screen door and walked out onto the small wooden porch. The previous owner had left behind a couple of crappy lawn chairs. He lowered himself into one, hoping it would hold his weight. He had a sudden vision of three Adirondack chairs side by side by side. Three places for three people to watch the brilliant sunset. He took a long swallow of beer.

Why wouldn’t Nate just put him out of his misery and tell him whether or not Callie was still in this little mountain town? Was she married? Did she have a couple of kids? Did she think of him fondly, or wish she’d never met him?

He settled into the chair, which showed no signs of faltering. The night air was cooling off. The beer was cold as it flowed down his throat. Everything was still here and yet in constant motion. It was odd. The world moved, but he could be still and nothing forced him to run. He could finally fucking think in this place.

What did he want? He sure as hell didn’t want to be a burden to Nate for the rest of his life. He knew Nate blamed himself for what happened. If Zane had been in the same situation, he would have made the same call and yet…

Nate wasn’t the one who had to look in the mirror every day and see a monster staring back at him. Nate wasn’t the one who knew just how fucking mortal and helpless he could be. Nate wasn’t the one who had broken.

Zane’s eyes slid to the motorcycle that stood beside Nate’s beat up truck. He could get on it and just ride off. He could go anywhere and never have to be responsible again. No one would know him or care about him, and there was a certain amount of temptation to the idea.

But he owed Nate. He needed to make sure Nate was going to get his life back on track. He would make sure Nate was settled down here in Colorado.

Then he could disappear.