Spring Texas Bride (The Brides 0f Bliss Tx. Book 1) Page 19

  But if she hadn’t lied about knowing that Holt was running from the law, then why did she leave without a word? Spring was tenacious. If she wanted something, she went after it. The assistant job was a perfect example. If she cared for him, why hadn’t she stayed and fought for him? He sat there and mulled things over and over in his mind, trying to make sense of it. But it all came back to one thing: She left, so that must mean she didn’t love him.

  He glanced at the clock, then got up and grabbed his hat. It was time to pay the piper.

  When he stepped into the town hall meeting room, he wished he’d gone fishing with his father. The entire room was filled with the residents of Bliss, and all eyes turned to him before the door even finished closing. Since he wasn’t about to hide in the back, he took a deep breath and walked straight down the aisle that separated the groups of folding chairs and took a seat in the front row.

  The town council sat at a table in front. The mayor usually sat in the middle chair with Joanna Daily and Ms. Marble on one side and Mrs. Crawley and Dirk Hadley on the other. Today, the mayor’s chair was empty. Joanna Daily explained as soon as she called the meeting to order.

  “There are two reasons for this emergency meeting today. One is to announce that Randall Gates has decided to step down from his position as mayor because it is taking too much time away from his ranch. We’ve elected a nominating committee and will be announcing the new candidates soon.” She cleared her throat. “The other reason is due to a certain board member’s insistence.” She shot an annoyed glance at Mrs. Crawley. “And since she is the one who insisted. I feel like she is the one who should state her concerns.”

  Mrs. Crawley leaned up in her chair. “Thank you, Joanna. But I’m sure I’m not the only one in town who is concerned about the nefarious activities that have been going on right under our very noses. I’m appalled and think it’s only right that our sheriff explain himself.”

  Waylon started to stand when Ms. Marble jumped in. “Sheriff Kendall doesn’t have to explain himself. As far as I’m concerned, this entire meeting is nothing but a witch hunt.” She pinned Mrs. Crawley with a direct gaze. “Cooked up by a witch.”

  Mrs. Crawley gasped. “Are you calling me a witch, Maybelline?”

  “If the broomstick fits.”

  Mrs. Crawley’s eyes narrowed on Ms. Marble. “I understand why you don’t want a full investigation. From what I hear, you witnessed firsthand the depravity that’s been taking place and did nothing about it. In fact, you condoned it.”

  Ms. Marble’s eyes narrowed. “If we are going to investigate every act of depravity in town, then we’re going to be having a meeting every day. And I’m sure members of your own family will be the first to be investigated.”

  Everyone in the room knew Ms. Marble was talking about Mrs. Crawley’s daughter Winnie. And before things could get ugly, Dirk stepped in.

  “Ladies, there’s no need to fight. I’m sure Sheriff Kendall doesn’t mind putting the gossip to rest by answering any questions you might have.” Dirk glanced at Waylon. “Do you, Sheriff?”

  “Not at all.” Waylon stood. “As an elected official of this county, I am happy to address the issue.” He turned to the crowd of people he’d grown up with. He’d spent most of his sleepless night trying to come up with what he was going to say to the town. But after talking with his father, he threw that speech out and spoke from the heart.

  “I’ll be the first one to tell you that I made a mistake. And the last few days, I’ve beaten myself up pretty badly for that mistake. You see, I don’t—nor will I ever—take my job lightly. This town’s wellbeing and safety is important to me. Not just as the sheriff, but as a member of the community. I was born here. I grew up here. And I hope to retire here. I love Bliss. I love the people of Bliss. But as much as I want to do a perfect job, I’m only human. I’m going to make mistakes. But I’ll admit that letting a fugitive take refuge in my town is a pretty big mistake. All I can do is promise you that it won’t happen again. If that’s not enough for you, if that mistake has made you lose faith in my ability to protect you, then I’m willing to step down—”

  “No you won’t!”

  Everything inside of Waylon froze at the familiar voice. Except for his heart. It seemed to beat in double time as he turned to the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Spring saw the conflicting emotions in Waylon’s eyes as she marched down the aisle. She saw the surprise, the confusion, and the pain. She also saw a glimmer of something else. That glimmer gave her hope. It gave her the strength to defend the man she loved.

  She stopped right in front of him. “I won’t let you step down. You love your job, and you’re good at it. And anyone who doubts that needs to spend one day working for you. One day watching the hours you put in and the stress you put on yourself to make sure everyone in your town stays safe.”

  She turned and faced the people who were crowded into the room. “You should be ashamed of yourselves. You shouldn’t be calling a meeting to condemn this wonderful sheriff. You should be calling a meeting to praise him for his dedication to his job.” She pointed a finger at the crowd. “He cares about each and every one of you. He cares about your safety and your wellbeing and your happiness. And this is the thanks he gets? You call a meeting to kick him out of office?”

  “Spring,” Waylon said. “You need to let me handle this.”

  She turned to him. “No, Waylon—I mean, Sheriff Kendall—I will not stand by and watch the people of this town make a huge mistake. And getting rid of you would be a huge mistake. You are the most conscientious, hardworking, capable man I have ever met in my life. And it’s my fault you’re here and forced to be ridiculed in front of the town you only deserve respect from.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry for that. I’m so very, very sorry.”

  She turned back to the crowd as tears ran down her cheeks. “The reason Waylon didn’t know my father was in town was because I lied to him. He trusted me and I betrayed that trust by not telling him that my daddy was here—by not telling him that Holt had stolen my Jeep and trailer. I tried to justify my actions by saying I didn’t know my father was running from the law. But that was a lame excuse. I’ve known for a long time that my daddy is no good. I just refused to accept it. And now my gullibility has caused this great man”—she held a hand out to Waylon—“to be standing here today having to justify something that wasn’t his fault. It was my fault.” She tapped her chest. “If anyone should be judged and found lacking, it should be me. I’m the one who can’t seem to do anything right. If I’d never come to town, everyone would be much better off.”

  Jonas stood up. “That’s not true. I wouldn’t have been better off. I was so depressed over Meg’s death that I’d become a burden to Waylon instead of a good deputy. Spring made me realize that. She made me realize that Meg was gone, but I’m still here. And I have a son and grandchildren to live for.”

  “I’m better off too.” Mrs. Miller stood up. “Spring was the first person who took time to really listen to me. She was the one who got me a job babysitting the triplets and got me out of my lonely house.”

  “And she helped in the diner when Carly was as sick as a dog,” Stella Sanders said. “She’s a terrible waitress, but she did her best.”

  “And let’s not forget that she took care of our sheriff when he was sick,” Joanna said.

  Mrs. Crawley jumped to her feet. “Which is exactly why I called this meeting. It has nothing to do with Spring Hadley’s father and everything to do with the inappropriate things going on in the sheriff’s office between these two.” She pointed to Waylon and Spring. “These two have been having an illicit affair for months.”

  Before Spring could think of how to address that, Waylon jumped in. “You mean this meeting isn’t about Holt Hadley being in town?”

  Mrs. Crawly waved her hand. “I couldn’t care a less about some two-bit criminal passing through. What I care about is the morality of this town. And how o
ur sheriff playing patty-cake with his assistant every night at his house reflects on our town.” She raised her chin and stared down her nose. “And I saw the naughty things that were going on with my own two eyes. I was on my way to Joanna Daily’s house to drop off the church Easter eggs and I saw Spring pull into the sheriff’s garage. A few seconds later, the sheriff came out of the house and greeted her with a kiss that almost made me faint.”

  Spring cringed. This wasn’t good. She could take the blame for what happened with her father, but she couldn’t take the blame for Waylon kissing her. Unless she lied.

  “It wasn’t the sheriff’s fault,” she said. “You see I’ve had a major crush on the sheriff since I’ve come to town—”

  Waylon cut her off. “Thank you, Miss Hadley, but I think I can take things from here.” He gave her a soft smile before he turned to the townsfolk. “When I first took this job, I had big shoes to fill. I thought in order to fill them, I needed to become just like my father.” He glanced at Ms. Marble. “But recently, it’s been brought to my attention that I’m not my father. I’m not as strict. I’m not as somber. And I’m not married with three kids. If I feel like you’ve learned your lesson after a firm warning, I’m going to give you a second chance. If you’ve got a good joke to tell, I’d like to hear it. And if I meet a woman I enjoy being with, I’m going to flirt with her, date her, and even kiss her.”

  The thought of Waylon flirting with, dating, or kissing any other woman besides her didn’t sit well with Spring. But she bit her lip and let him continue.

  “Now if you have a problem with how I’m performing my job as sheriff, I will certainly address those issues and try to resolve them. But unless I’m breaking the law, you do not have the right to question my personal life.” He looked directly at Mrs. Crawley. “Because what I do in my off-hours is none of your damn business.”

  Mrs. Crawley gasped and probably would’ve come back with something if Ms. Marble hadn’t stood up. She sent Mrs. Crawley her sternest teacher look.

  “I think that will be about enough out of you. The only reason I went along with the meeting was that I thought the gossip needed to be addressed and things needed to be cleared up. It looks as if the sheriff did a good job of clearing. Now that it’s done, I, for one, would like to apologize to Sheriff Kendall for the gossip that was circulating. I’m sure that everyone in town will back me when I say that we’re proud to have you as our sheriff. You’re a good upstanding man and a strong leader who we all respect and love.”

  She started to applaud, and the rest of the town immediately got to their feet and joined in with a few shrill whistles thrown in. The only one not applauding was Mrs. Crawley. She looked like she’d eaten a bad apple. When the crowd had quieted, Joanna Daily tapped her gavel. “I move that this meeting be adjourned.”

  “I second that,” Ms. Marble said.

  People started filing into the aisle, but instead of heading for the door, they stopped by to talk with Waylon and slap him on the back or tell him a joke. Spring got lost in the crowd. Which was a good thing. Because now that the crisis was over, she felt pretty stupid for charging into the meeting like she was the cavalry. She should’ve known Waylon wouldn’t need any help defending himself.

  She weaved her way through the crowd to the door. Outside, it was a beautiful April day. The sun was shining and the sky was a vivid blue with plump white clouds trailing through it. The trees that lined the street were in full bloom and the flowerpots on the streetlamps were filled to bursting with spring flowers.

  She took a deep breath of the fragrant air as she walked to Granny Bon’s old Oldsmobile. Since her Jeep and trailer were still being held by the FBI, she’d been forced to drive her grandmother’s car. Her sisters had wanted to come with her, but Granny had said it was something Spring needed to do herself.

  As always, Granny was right. Spring would always have a special connection with her sisters, but sometimes a girl needed to be on her own to learn who she was and what she wanted. The sweet comments made by the people of Bliss had made her realize that, no matter what happened between her and Waylon, she was going to be okay. She was a strong, capable woman who loved people and loved helping them with their problems. And she intended to keep doing that, whether it was here in Bliss or in some other small town. She didn’t want to live in a big city. She was a small-town girl through and through.

  “Pardon me, ma’am.” A cowboy came out of the diner and almost ran into her, spilling a little coffee from his to-go cup. The sight of the cup made her wonder if Waylon had gotten his morning coffee. The man could not sheriff properly without his caffeine. She had planned on heading to Dirk and Gracie’s and having a conversation with Waylon after he got off work. But suddenly she realized that she couldn’t wait that long to find out if Waylon could forgive her.

  She turned and headed down the sidewalk toward his office. She unlocked the door with the key she still had. While she waited for the coffee to brew, she opened the blinds and made sure there was toilet paper in the bathroom. When the coffee was done, she filled Waylon’s mug and carried it into his office.

  His desk looked nothing like it had when she’d first started working there. In fact, it looked a little too messy. She set down the cup and straightened the papers that were scattered across it. She hesitated when she noticed the doodles on one of the pieces of paper. Tears welled up in her eyes and a thousand butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as she stared at her name surrounded by a chain of daisies.

  The front door opened, and she quickly moved away from the desk.

  “Yes, Tucker,” Waylon’s voice carried into the room. “You’re in charge while I’m gone. No, you don’t get to sit at my desk. I’ll call you—” He cut off when he walked into his office and saw Spring standing there. He lowered his phone. “You’re here.”

  She nodded at the mug sitting on his desk. “I made you coffee, but it sounds like you’re leaving so I guess I’ll have to put it in a to-go cup.”

  With his gaze pinned to her, he lifted the phone back to his ear. “I’ll call you later, Tucker.” He hung up and slipped his phone in his front pocket. “I thought you’d gone back to Waco.”

  “No, I—” A thought struck her. “You were coming after me?”

  Instead of answering, he turned and closed the door. The click of the lock surprised her. Waylon never locked the door when he was in his office, only when he left. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad one. Maybe he just didn’t want anyone walking in on the tirade he was about to dish out.

  But he didn’t look mad when he turned. His eyes looked soft and melty. “Yes. I was coming after you. A man would have to be stupid to let a woman go who is willing to defend him in front of an entire town. A woman who believes in him. And I’m sorry, Spring, that I didn’t do the same for you. I should’ve believed you when you told me that you didn’t know your father was running from the law.”

  “But you were right,” she said. “Deep down I did know that my daddy was no good. I just didn’t want to admit it . . . even to myself.”

  He took off his hat. His hair was endearingly mussed. “There’s nothing wrong with looking for the good in people, Spring. Especially in your father. Everyone wants to believe that their dad is a good man. That’s why I didn’t tell you about Holt running a gambling operation. I didn’t want to hurt you. But if we’d both been honest with each other, it would’ve saved a lot of misery.”

  “I’ve been pretty miserable,” she said.

  “Not as miserable as me. And speaking of honesty, there’s something else I should’ve told you.” He paused, and then blew out his breath. “Damn, I wish I was the type of poetic man who had a way with words.”

  Hope bloomed in Spring’s chest, hope that what Waylon was about to say was what she’d been dreaming about him saying for weeks. She clutched her hands to her trembling stomach.

  “I’ve never been that into poetry,” she said. “Just plain ol’ words are fine w
ith me.” Three plain ol’ words to be exact.

  Waylon nodded. “All I can tell you is that my life was dark and dreary until you walked into it like a ray of sunshine. At first, I was annoyed by your brightness because it illuminated everything that I was doing wrong. But once my eyes adjusted, I saw the brilliant beauty of your kind heart. And all I want to do is spend the rest of my life basking in its glow.”

  Spring held her breath and waited. Thank the good Lord, she didn’t have long to wait.

  “I love you, Spring.”

  The words flew like an arrow straight to her heart. And she flew straight across the room into his arms. “Oh, Waylon.” She hugged him tight. “You’re wrong. You are poetic. Those were the most beautiful poetic words I’ve ever heard in my life.” She pulled back and smiled at him. “And I love you too. I think I’ve loved you ever since you stepped into my trailer.”

  He laughed. “You did not. You thought I was a stodgy sheriff with no sense of humor.”

  She scowled. “Okay, so maybe I didn’t fall in love right away. For a couple weeks, you were just my grumpy boss that I had the major hots for. But then I realized that you aren’t grumpy at all. You were just trying to be someone you’re not to impress the town.” She glanced back at the window and stepped away from him. “And speaking of the town, we better mind our p’s and q’s or Mrs. Crawley will call another town meeting.”

  “I think I’ve made it perfectly clear to Mrs. Crawley and the entire town that what I do in my personal life is none of their business. And since I just called Tucker to take over, I’m off duty. And since you aren’t my assistant—at least, you aren’t until I rehire you—we won’t be breaking any rules if I kiss you senseless.”