Chapter Two

Kayla came through the door of the sheriff’s department the next day. Right away, she could feel the tension. She looked around and saw Nash and Lance, two of the deputies, working at their desks with their heads down.

“Good morning,” she called out.

They both smiled at her.

“Glad you’re here, Doll.”

She put her purse away. “Why? What’s going on?”

“The new sheriff is in,” Lance told her.

“What? Is he mean or something?”

Both guys chuckled.

“Oh, he can be mean, no doubt. The guy is a bruiser.” Lance laughed. “He’ll take some getting used to.”

“Do you think he’ll work out?”

Nash nodded. “He’s going to have some issues with a few people…”

“You mean Fletcher?” she asked.

“Yeah. And Fletcher’s father, but the new sheriff won’t put up with any shit. That’s for sure.”

She exhaled in relief. The one thing the town didn’t need was a weak man. He’d get eaten alive.

“Good. We’ll help him fit in.”

The guys grinned.

Lance snickered. “Are you going to Mother Hen him like us?”

She gasped. “I do not.”

Both men snorted.

She narrowed her eyes at them, walked into the small kitchen, and started coffee. She thought about knocking on the sheriff’s door and introducing herself, but the door was closed, and she didn’t want to interrupt him. She’d wait until he came out.

After grabbing the coffee cup, she went to her desk and went over the notes Carol had left her.

The phone rang off the hook, and the next time she looked up, it was past lunchtime, and she was hungry. She grabbed a can of soup from the stash of food she kept in the bottom drawer. She was just taking the bowl out of the microwave when someone bellowed.

“Where the hell is everybody?”

A mountain of a man filled the doorway, making her shake, and then the hot liquid splashed onto her hand and made her gasp.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m the day dispatcher and your assistant.”

He looked at the way she was holding her hand. “What happened?”

She shook her head. “I jerked and spilled some of the soup on my hand.” She walked to the sink.

“I caused that?”

“It’s not a big deal.” She looked over her shoulder. “So, you must be the new sheriff?”

“Yeah,” he said and walked over to her. “Let me see.” He reached for her hand.

She tried to dodge him, but he was quick and examined the burn.

“I told you it wasn’t a big deal.”

“It’s red,” he said.

She tugged. “It’s not going to blister or anything.”

“Is there any ointment here?”

“We have a first aid kit, but I’m serious. I’m good.”

He reluctantly released her.

She pulled a piece of paper towel off the roll, dried her hand, and then turned to him. “So, I’m Kayla.”

“I’m Zeke.”

She studied him. He was huge. Bigger than any of the other guys, and muscular. His shoulders were the width of the doorway. He had close-cropped dark hair and intense dark eyes that seemed to look right through her.

“It’s nice to meet you. Are you settling in okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ve got a lot to learn.”

“Well, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Good to know.” He turned away. “I better get back to it.”

She nodded and watched him leave. She exhaled the breath she’d been unconsciously holding. Holy shit. The man packed a punch, that was for sure.

Kayla wouldn’t have said he was a handsome man. He was too rugged. His five o’clock shadow darkened the bottom of his face, and it was only noon. His hands were huge, and she detected several scars on his arms and a few on his face. She could tell the man had been through a lot already, but he’d only gotten stronger instead of breaking him.

He was the most masculine, domineering man she’d ever seen. He had that animal magnetism that most men wanted, and women craved to have a piece of. It would be interesting to see how the dynamics work in the department. She knew at least one man who was going to have problems with the new sheriff, and she was looking forward to seeing Fletcher on his ass.

She grabbed her bowl of soup and glass of water and took them to her desk. It seemed the minute she sat down, the phone started and went on until Carol came in to take over.

Carol snorted when she got a look at the desk. “Has it been one of those days?”

Kayla glanced at her as she pulled her purse from the drawer. “Why would you say that?”

“Because I suspect that’s your half-eaten lunch sitting on the desk telling me you didn’t have much time today.”

Kayla grinned. “Yeah, it was a bit crazy, but I hope it will settle down for you.”

Carol laughed and shook her head. “Go home and relax. I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kayla waved as she walked out of the building. Her small house was only a half-mile away, so she walked to and from work most of the time unless the TV news people predicted storms, or the temperature was going to be below zero.

That day, she breathed in the cool air and felt the stress of the day blow away. She smiled and waved at several people, which lightened her mood even more. She walked into her house and set her purse down before she locked the door and went to shower. Afterward, she dressed in a worn pair of gray sweats and an old t-shirt before she started dinner.

She usually waited for a while to cook after she got home, but that night, she was famished because of missing lunch. She decided to make a big pan of lasagna and planned to take it into the office tomorrow for the guys. It had been a while since she’d pampered them, and with the upheaval of getting to know a new sheriff, it might help in some small way.