The Sheriff 0f Wickham Falls (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 3) Read online

  Natalia took a sip of water. “That sounds like a win-win for everyone.”

  Seth nodded. “Yes, it was. Enough talk about me and my family. Have your brother or sister made you an auntie?”

  “My brother has. He and his wife became parents for the second time last year. My sister just celebrated her second wedding anniversary a couple of months ago, and she and her husband have decided to wait a few years before they start a family.”

  “Are you one of those aunties that spoil their nieces or nephews?”

  “I will when they’re old enough. My nieces are still too young for them to help me bake cookies or have sleepovers.”

  “Speaking of cooking, what do you plan to make tomorrow?”

  “Look at you,” Natalia teased, smiling. “You just ate and you’re already talking about more food.”

  “What can I say? I like to eat. However, I do work out to stay in shape for my job.”

  Natalia wanted to tell Seth that during her second trip to Wickham Falls to secure housing she saw a deputy with a conspicuous potbelly that indicated he wasn’t as physically fit as he could’ve been. “Where do you work out?”

  “I’ve set up space in the basement to use as an in-home gym. You’re welcome to come and use it whenever you have time.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I packed my bike along with some other things I wanted to bring with me.” Daryl had turned her on to biking and she had taken to it like a duck to water. “Riding a bike around here is going to test my stamina because of the hills.”

  “We have the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains running through the state, so you won’t find too many places where the land is flat. What else do you do for relaxation?”

  A wry smile touched her mouth. “That’s about it.”

  Resting an elbow on the table, Seth cradled his chin on his fist. “Have you ever gone fly-fishing?”

  “No, but it’s something I’d like to do.” She’d gone fishing with her Scout group but never caught anything.

  “Maybe one of these days I’ll take you fishing with me.”

  Natalia felt a shiver of excitement eddy through her. Now that she wouldn’t be required to work around the clock, she would have time to do some of the things she’d dreamed about doing. She’d always been an outdoorsy person from the time she’d joined the Girl Scouts. Hiking, canoeing, sleeping outdoors in a tent and roasting marshmallows over a campfire were the highlights of her childhood.

  “I’d love that. You have to let me know where I can buy some equipment.”

  “You don’t have to buy anything. I have all of the fishing tackle we’ll need. I’ll even bait your hook for you.”

  “Do you really think I’d be afraid of a worm when I’ve treated people with injuries where their entrails were hanging out of their bodies?”

  Seth put up both hands. “My bad!”

  “Outwardly I may appear to be a city girl, but underneath all of this” she pantomimed running her hand over her body “I’m a country girl at heart.”

  “Where does your country come from?”

  “Attending medical school in the South made me aware of my Southern roots. My grandfather was born and raised in DC. He attended Howard University and then their medical school. Once he became a doctor he moved to Philly and set up a practice. He married his nurse and together they had four boys—all of whom became doctors.”

  With wide eyes, Seth stared at Natalia. “Are your siblings also doctors?”

  “No,” Natalia said, laughing. “Justin is an urban planner for the city of Philadelphia and Rena an underwriter for an international insurance company.”

  “Where did you attend medical school?”

  “Meharry College School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.”

  Seth’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Why didn’t you go to Howard like your grandfather?”

  “Once I realized Meharry is the first medical school in the South for African Americans and also the oldest and largest historically black academic health science institution, I knew it’s where I wanted to go. Did you know that less than five percent of the doctors in this country are black?”

  “No, I didn’t. Those numbers are pathetic.”

  “That was one of the reasons I wanted to be a doctor and to become a role model for little girls who look like me. I used to watch the faces of young women I’d treated and they would light up once I told them I was Dr. Hawkins and that I was going to try and make them feel better. Some even questioned whether I was really a doctor and I had to convince them that I was.”

  “Can I say that Philly’s loss is The Falls’ gain?”

  “Hopefully you’re right about that.” Natalia knew working in a private practice would be a dramatic change from the ongoing chaos in a large city hospital’s emergency room. She doubted whether she would have to treat a number of gunshots and knifings, but that did not exempt her from medical crises stemming from household accidents or responding to drug overdoses. Seth had confirmed what Dr. Franklin had told her about the increase of abuse of opiates in the town.

  The noise in the restaurant escalated appreciably when several couples walked in. “I think it’s time we leave to free up the table unless you’d like dessert,” Seth said.

  “No, I’m good.” And she was. Not only had Natalia enjoyed the food but also her dining partner. Seth was a refreshing change from going out with Daryl who felt it was his divine right to select the restaurant because he had an expense account while also attempting to order for her, and whenever she refused he’d spend the time sulking like a spoiled little boy.

  It was only after their breakup that she’d questioned herself as to why she had stayed in their relationship so long. She’d convinced herself she was in love and attributed the ongoing tension between them to the stress in their careers. It had taken less than twenty-four hours to conclude after Daryl walked out that she had been liberated from a prison without bars.

  Seth settled the bill and then escorted her out to the parking lot packed with vehicles. It was Friday and date night. Natalia stared at the sky and inhaled a lungful of cool, crisp mountain air. How different, she mused, nightfall in the mountains was from the city. The sun had slipped behind the mountains leaving streaks of orange and bloodred color across the darkening sky.

  “Spectacular, isn’t it?” Seth whispered in Natalia’s ear as he moved closer to open the passenger-side door for her.

  The heat coming from his body, his moist breath caressing her cheek and the seductive scent of Seth’s cologne wrapped Natalia in a comforting cocoon from which she did not want to escape. “Yes, it is,” she whispered.

  Seth took a step back and she slipped into the car. “Do you want to go for a drive before I take you home?”

  Natalia glanced up at him. “Perhaps another time. I still have some unpacking to do, and I also have to figure out what I want to cook tomorrow.”

  The seconds ticked as he stared at her. “Forget about cooking for me. It was selfish of me to put that pressure on you when you’re trying to settle in. Please let me finish, Natalia,” he said in a quiet voice when she opened her mouth. “We’re going to be neighbors for the next year and hopefully I’ll get a chance to sample your home cooking at least once during that time.”

  Her smile successfully concealed her disappointment because she was looking forward to spending more time with Seth. She’d felt more comfortable with him than she had with any other man in years. Nothing in his demeanor indicated he was trying to come on to her which had put her completely at ease.

  She suspected, after she’d mentioned she’d had an ex-fiancé, that he probably wanted to know what had happened but did not pry for which she was grateful. Talking about Daryl always put her in a funk that left her in a bad mood for days. Natalia didn’t blame her ex as much as she did herself. She had free will and the option o
f continuing to see him or end their toxic relationship. However, she had deluded herself when she said it would get better, that he would change. But instead of getting better it got worse and worse until she knew it had reached a point where it had to be resolved. Days before he walked out, Natalia had confided in her sister that she was going to break up with Daryl before Valentine’s Day. Rena applauded her position while admitting she never liked her fiancé because he was full of himself. Thankfully Daryl’s leaving made the break drama-free, because when it came to drama, her ex could take it to another level.

  Natalia buckled her seat belt when Seth slipped in behind the wheel. They exchanged a glance and smile before he started the engine and backed out of the parking space. She had no way of knowing when she rented the little house on Stewart Avenue that she would live next door to a gorgeous, hunky lawman.

  There was only the humming sound of the car’s powerful engine during the drive back home. Natalia wanted to remind Seth that he was exceeding the town’s speed limit but held her tongue when she realized the chances of him being pulled over for speeding were nonexistent because he represented law enforcement.

  “You were speeding,” she said when he opened the door to assist her. She placed her hand in his and he eased her to a stand.

  “So you noticed?”

  “Shame on you, Seth. You took an oath to uphold the law and meanwhile you just broke it.”

  Tightening his hold on her hand, Seth led her across the lawn and up to the porch. He lowered his head, and dropped a kiss on her hair. “Good night, Natalia. Now go inside and lock the door behind you.”

  The porch lights had come on and provided enough illumination for her to see him trying not to laugh. “Good night, Seth.” She unlocked the door, entered the house and locked it behind her.

  Resting her back against the door, Natalia closed her eyes and slowly let out her breath. Her first twenty-four hours in Wickham Falls had just become a little more interesting. Not only did people recognize one another on sight but they also appeared privy to their personal lives. Seth was greeted by other diners who appeared genuinely surprised to find him dining with a woman. He’d admitted that he had been married and Natalia wondered if she had also been a local girl.

  She shook her head as if banishing all thoughts of Seth. When she told him she wasn’t looking to get into another relationship, it was a reminder to her and a subtle warning to him that they could never be more to each other than friends and neighbors.

  Natalia removed her makeup, and then changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before she tackled the task of opening boxes and putting things away. It was close to midnight when she finally crawled into bed and fell asleep within minutes of her head touching the pillow. She did not wake again until ribbons of sunlight slipped through the slats of the blinds.

  Chapter Four

  Seth woke feeling more tired than he had when going to bed. He’d slept fitfully. For the past two nights, images of Natalia’s face appeared in his dreams and he knew he hadn’t been honest with himself. He’d convinced himself that he wanted them to be friends when in reality he wanted them to be more.

  There were questions he wanted to ask Natalia about the man she had been engaged to but decided to wait until she felt comfortable enough to talk about her past.

  He’d found Natalia easy to be with and talk to. What impressed him was her modesty. She had to have had above average intelligence to become a medical doctor. Even her reason for choosing a historically black medical school rather than one affiliated with an Ivy League college resonated with him. She had not forgotten where her ancestors had come from, who she was and the impact she could have on young women looking for a career in the medical profession.

  Seth flexed his left thumb. Most of the swelling had gone down and there was only slight discomfort in the digit. He had decided to wait another day before he put up the birdhouse, but first he had to talk to the grandparents of the young boys responsible for jumping the fence protecting his property from theirs. Tossing back the sheet and lightweight blanket covering his nude body, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and headed for the bathroom to prepare for his first day back to work.

  * * *

  Seth walked around the corner and found Mr. and Mrs. Crawford sitting on the porch in matching rockers. He stopped halfway up the steps and forced a smile he didn’t feel. “Good afternoon, Mr. Crawford.”

  Howard Crawford nodded. The network of tiny lines crisscrossing his face was the result of decades of working outdoors repairing roads for the county. “Good afternoon, son. What brings you here?”

  Seth registered the older man’s defensive tone and decided not to say anything that would end in a verbal confrontation. “I’d like to talk to you about your grandsons jumping my fence and knocking over the birdhouse.”

  “When did this happen?” Mrs. Crawford asked.

  He smiled at the woman who was the epitome of a grandmother with her white hair and friendly blue eyes. “It was one day last week when I was out of town.”

  “If you weren’t here, then what makes you so certain it was my grandsons?” Harold asked, his voice rising slightly.

  “I have cameras on my property, and when I viewed the footage I saw the boys climbing over the fence.”

  Seth had installed the cameras to deter break-ins and keep intruders from stealing his firearms. And when at home he always secured his service and off-duty automatic handguns in a safe in the bedroom closet.

  “What can I say, Seth, but boys will be boys,” Harold said glibly.

  Seth closed his eyes for several seconds to compose himself. “I intend to say this once, Mr. Crawford. If your grandsons jump my fence again, I’m going to arrest them for trespassing and vandalism, and then you’ll have to answer to the local judge about them being just boys.”

  Harold sat straight as a noticeable flush swept over his features. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Yes, I would. I came here hoping we could resolve this without threats, but if you think I’m just blowing smoke then try me. Keep your boys off my property.” Seth wanted to frighten the man into talking to his grandchildren about respecting someone’s property. If left unchecked, they could possibly grow into adults with little or no regard for the law.

  Seth must have gotten through to the older man when he nodded. “I’m sorry, Deputy. I’ll talk to them.”

  Mrs. Crawford rounded on her husband. “Don’t just talk to them, Harold. You have to put the fear of God into those boys or they’ll end up like their daddy who can’t stay out of trouble even if you offered him a million dollars.”

  “You know they won’t listen to me,” Harold countered. “Deputy, can you do me a favor and talk to them?”

  Seth detested getting drawn into domestic squabbles but knew this time it was necessary because it directly concerned him. “Okay.”

  He waited while Harold went inside to get his grandsons. Ten minutes later they emerged still wearing pajamas although it was early Sunday afternoon. Although they weren’t twins, the two boys were mirror images of each other. Both claimed coal-black hair, large hazel eyes and a sprinkling of freckles over their noses. Seth estimated they were between ten and twelve, impressionable ages when young boys could either take the right or wrong path in life.

  “Jason and Mikey, Deputy Collier wants to talk to you boys about trespassing on his property,” Harold said, glaring at his grandsons.

  Seth saw fear in the eyes of the brothers as they stared up at him and he rested a hand on each of their shoulders. “I wanted to talk to you guys about climbing over my fence and knocking over the birdhouse.”

  The younger boy sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “We go over the fence because it is a shortcut to the school bus.”

  “You can no longer use my yard as a shortcut. When you come onto someone’s property without t
heir permission it’s called trespassing. Do you know what that means?” The brothers nodded.

  “Am I...are we in trouble?” Jason, the older brother asked.

  “Not this time.” Seth smiled when they blew out breaths at the same time. “But you will be if you knock over my birdhouse again.”

  “We won’t go over the fence again,” Mikey promised.

  “And we won’t go in your yard,” Jason added, “because Grandpa said we are going back to Florida to live with Mama once school is out.”

  Seth hoped the boys’ parents had worked out an amicable divorce. He remembered their mother as a popular, outgoing girl with a penchant for dating and eventually marrying an alleged bad boy from Kentucky. He extended his hand. “Now that we understand one another, let’s shake on it.” He shook Mikey’s hand and then Jason’s before they raced up the porch and went back into the house.

  Harold approached Seth. “Thank you. You handled that nicely.”

  “I didn’t want to come down too heavily on them but hopefully they got the message.”

  “Trust me, they did. It hasn’t been easy for them with their momma and daddy fighting all the time. But thankfully it’s over now that Kaitlyn’s been granted full custody.”

  “Divorce is always hard, Mr. Crawford, especially when children are involved.”

  Fortunately for Seth, when he divorced his wife, children hadn’t figured into the equation—at least not his child. When he’d returned to the States he was met with the news that his wife was pregnant with another man’s baby. She’d asked for a divorce so she could marry her lover before the birth of their child. Seth made it easy for her when they flew to the Dominican Republic, filed and were granted a quickie divorce. He’d acknowledged some blame for the breakup of his marriage on being away from home for extended periods of time, yet he’d felt if Melissa wanted out, then she should’ve communicated that to him.

  The older man grunted. “That bum never wanted his kids. He’s always made my girl’s life a living hell.” He offered Seth his hand. “Thank you again. I’ll definitely let Kaitlyn know you talked to her boys.”