Town Darling (24 page)

Casey was surprised by the
comment.  He had said some things that night while drunk in her kitchen, but
she didn’t realize how deep it went.  She now lost all enthusiasm to fight with
Melanie and took a different approach. 

“Resenting me isn’t going
to solve anything,” Casey gently informed her.

Melanie appeared to lose
her strength, groaned softly, and held her head.  “You’re right,” she said
softly.  “I should have known he’d always want you.  Tucker told me how Vaughn
saved you from that sexual assault, and how emotional he got when he thought
you’d died.  Not that Vaughn ever shared those emotions with me.”  Melanie
frowned and appeared to pout.  “The most emotion I ever got out of him was
relief that I wasn’t pregnant and anger that I’d lied about it.”  She stared
blankly at the floor and appeared distant.  “After you’d left,” she said
softly, “Vaughn would actually go to your house and sit on your porch for
hours.”

“I didn’t know that,” Casey
said softly with surprise.  “Did he tell you that?”

She snorted a laugh.  “No,
he never shared anything with me, especially how he felt about you.”  Melanie
frowned with a look of embarrassment.  “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I followed
him a couple of times.  When he caught me, I questioned him.  He said he was
hoping to find some clue to solve the murders, but I know it was because he
never got over you,” she remarked sadly.

Despite the thoughts and
emotions running through Casey’s head, she knew she needed to say something. 
She could easily crush Melanie’s frail ego after what must have been the worst
day of her life, but she no longer wanted to destroy this woman.

“You need to move on,
Melanie,” Casey said gently.  “There are plenty of guys out there who are crazy
about you.”

“You think so?”  She smiled
weakly and appeared tense.  “So, uh, what’s the deal with the big guy?”

“Diesel?” Casey asked with
surprise then snorted a laugh.  “If you’re looking for some fun time in the
sack, he’s your man.  Anything more serious, avoid him at all costs.”

“Were you and he--?”

“Never,” Casey quickly
interjected, appeared almost humored, and then added an uneasy chuckle.

Melanie suddenly appeared
pleased.  “Would you be willing to give him my number?” she asked timidly.  “I
think I could use a little casual fun.”

Casey smiled and nodded. 
“Absolutely.”

Her look again turned
serious.  “I’m sorry for being a bitch toward you,” Melanie announced and
attempted a smile.  “I know why everyone in town loves you; I just could never
admit it to myself.”  She appeared awkward but sincere.  “Could we maybe start
over?”

“I’d like that,” Casey
replied.

It was possibly the
strangest day Casey had ever had.  She kissed over one hundred men, helped
elevate her brother onto a pedestal she feared from which he’d never come down,
overpaid for a slightly used sheriff, and now she was actually having a
grown-up conversation with the woman who’d dedicated her life to making Casey
miserable.  Did she just suddenly turn into her mother?  Casey reconsidered. 
She wasn’t sure if she was ready to sheath her claws just yet.

†

D
eputy Tucker made his way
through the crowd still surrounding Grey, who was discussing his mayor
campaign.  He was in his glory talking with different business owners, mill
workers, and farmers, all eager to show their support.  Dina stood by Grey’s
said and appeared proud to be with him.  Ruger and Diesel were conspicuously
missing, possibly to change out of their dance costumes.  Tucker approached
Dina and pulled her aside, startling her.  His look was serious and immediately
made her nervous.

“Is something wrong?” Dina
asked the handsome deputy.

He appeared reluctant to
respond.  “I don’t know if I should say anything,” he began then fidgeted, “but
one of our temp police officers arrested your mother.”

Dina rolled her eyes and
snorted a laugh.  “That’s not news, Deputy Tucker,” she replied callously. 
“Was it prostitution?  Drunk and disorderly?  It’s not like I haven’t heard it
before.”

Tucker drew a deep breath
and stared at her with uncertainty.  “A little of both, I’m afraid,” he
informed her.  “But it turned into an altercation.  She’d been beaten pretty
badly outside the tavern.  They took her to the police station.  She asked for
you.”

She stared at Tucker and
appeared uncertain how to respond.  Grey slowly approached while observing the
exchange.

“Everything okay?” Grey
asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Dina informed
him while fidgeting.  She attempted a smile and affectionately patted his
chest.  “I, uh, need to go see my mother.”

The look on Grey’s face was
almost shocked.  “Your
mother
?”  It was as if he immediately felt her
conflicted emotions.  She hadn’t referred to Olivia as her mother since she was
in high school.  “Do you want me to come along?”

“No,” she said almost too
quickly then attempted a smile.  “I mean, that’s not a good idea.  I should
probably go alone.”

Grey uncertainly nodded.

“I could give you a ride,”
Tucker announced.  “I should find the arresting officer and get the report from
him.”

“Actually,” Dina said
softly, “I think I’d rather go by myself.  I need time to think, and the walk
will do me some good.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tucker
replied.  “I understand.”  He attempted a smile and walked away.

Grey took her hands in his
and appeared sympathetic.  “Take my jeep.  I’ll walk you to the parking lot,”
he firmly announced.  “I’ll ride home with the guys.”

“Are you sure?” Dina asked.

Grey smiled and nodded.  He
kissed her quickly on the lips then caressed her shoulders.  “And if you need
me, just call.”

T
he stable area beyond the
bustling fairgrounds was quiet in the darkened, evening hours.  The fair was
still going strong, and, as far as Casey could tell, there was still a large
crowd surrounding the stage area.  Grey was going to be busy for a few more
hours while playing it up to his adoring fans.  As she saddled her horse, she
couldn’t help but be happy for her brother and the evening he was enjoying in
the spotlight.  She saw Vaughn approach with his baton flashlight.  Casey
offered a tiny smile and finished saddling Storm.  Now that the talent show was
over and Grey was officially throwing his hat into the political arena, she no
longer felt the need to spar with Sheriff Holt.  Was she one step closer to
being declawed?

“Sheriff--”

Vaughn stopped near her and
patted the horse’s large rump.  His eyes strayed to the massive scar along his
hindquarters.  He looked back at Casey. 

“Are you sure you want to
ride through those dark woods?  You can leave your horse here.  I’ll give you a
ride home.”  He offered a teasing smile.  “I’ll even let you ride up front for
a change.”

“Thanks, but Storm had a
long day, and I sort of promised him a little playtime with the mares tonight,”
she replied.

Vaughn leaned on the
horse’s rump and studied her.  There was obviously plenty on his mind.  “That,
uh, was quite a show you and your friends put on tonight.  So, uh, how long
have you been planning that?”

“Nearly two years.”

Vaughn snorted a laugh and
shook his head.  It was as if the world suddenly made sense.  “Is that why you
and Grey came back?  So he could run for mayor?”

Casey grinned in response. 
“While he was recovering, it became his obsession to realize our father’s dream
and end the corruption in Darwood Falls.”

“And you couldn’t have told
me that?”

“Corruption runs deep, Sheriff,”
she announced firmly.  “I never believed you were involved, but your history
with Melanie didn’t sit well with the others.”

He appeared uncomfortable
and straightened.  “Melanie was a drunken one-night stand followed by several
weeks of lies to keep me in her life.”

“I know,” Casey said gently
while staring into his dark eyes.  “What she did to you was wrong, but her
mistreatment of you was nothing compared to mine.” 

Vaughn appeared bewildered
as his arm slipped off the horse’s rump and watched her without comment.  She
shrugged and was no longer able to look him in the eyes. 

“I was consumed with guilt
over my parents’ death, and I took it out on you.”  She finally met his gaze
with a strange but sincere look in her eyes.  She released a shaken breath.  It
was difficult even talking about the attack.  “You shot that man three times in
the chest even though we both know he was surrendering.”

Vaughn suddenly tensed to
the comment.  He had led the entire town, including Wiley, to believe he shot
the man after he stabbed Casey, but he conveniently left out the part that the
killer had been surrendering.

“Don’t worry, Sheriff.  No
one will ever hear it from me,” she softly informed him.  “I know you did that
for me.  I was wrong for blaming you.”  She stared into his dark eyes with all
sincerity.  “Deep down, I always knew I was wrong, and I’m sorry for the way I
treated you.  You saved my life, and I never even thanked you.”  She gently
placed her hand on his badge without taking her eyes from his.  “Thank you,
Vaughn.”

Vaughn stared at her a
moment as if uncertain how to respond then suddenly pulled her against him and
held her in a tight embrace.  Casey uncertainly returned the embrace.  Vaughn
buried his face in her hair and sighed softly as if some terrible burden had
finally been lifted.

“Thank you, Casey,” he said
softly with a quiver in his voice.  “You have no idea how much that means to
me.”

Casey pulled back just far
enough to meet his gaze.  She was in no hurry to pull away from him.  She
wanted to be in his arms, and she was no longer afraid to admit it.  She
caressed his badge and smiled timidly.  “You know, I never told anyone except
Dina, but when I was fifteen and saw you in your uniform for the first time, I
had such a crush on you.”

Vaughn appeared surprised
by the comment and, without warning, kissed her passionately.  She was startled
by the aggressive way he kissed her.  Her heart immediately pounded in
response.  Before she could react, he just as quickly broke off the kiss.  He
pulled away from her, appeared embarrassed, and had no idea what to do with his
hands.

“I’m sorry; I’ve been a
little--”  Vaughn considered his mood and groaned softly, “--out of my mind
lately.”

Casey fidgeted slightly. 
She knew it was time to admit what she couldn’t or
wouldn’t
admit
before.  “There may be a reason for that,” she said timidly and grimaced. 
“When we were drunk the other night, we sort of had sex in the kitchen.”

Vaughn stared at her and
appeared unusually tense.  “Oh--” he replied gently and fidgeted as well.  “I,
uh, didn’t think you remembered.”

Casey was surprised by his
admission.  “You knew?”

“It took most of the next
day, but I eventually figured it out,” he replied then gave her a strange
look.  “If you knew, why didn’t you say something?”

“Like what?  That you’d
bent me over the counter and--”

“Okay,” he quickly
interrupted with embarrassment.  “I was a mutt in heat and hoped you wouldn’t
remember.  I didn’t want to make things worse between us.”

“You didn’t make things
worse,” she assured him.

“I was drunk and
aggressive,” he replied and again debated what to do with his hands.  “There
was potential for things to get really bad between us.”

“You may have been
aggressive, but I wasn’t exactly protesting,” she informed him then grinned
almost lustful.  “You’re sort of missing the point.”

“What point?”

“You transformed a horrible
memory into a wildly sexual one.  I’m no longer haunted by my own kitchen.” 
She suddenly laughed.  “Guess you should have thought of trying that when you
had me locked in the back of your cruiser two years ago.  We probably would
have gotten along a lot better.”  She suddenly hesitated then muttered, “Oh,
God, I sound like my mother.”

He stared at her with a
strange look on his face then snorted a laugh.  His hands finally settled in
his pockets, giving him an insecure look.  “I’m pretty sure you would have
killed me at the mere suggestion.”

Casey offered a tiny smile
and shrugged.  “I probably would have been more open to the offer than you
think.”

Vaughn stared at her a
moment in silence then suddenly groaned, pulled her into his arms, and kissed
her passionately with some added aggression.  Despite that he took her by
surprise, Casey immediately returned the kiss this time, which quickly turned
aggressive as they caressed and groped each other.  There was no hesitation on
either of their behalf, and it was quickly escalating.  She held him back and
broke off the kiss before things got out of hand.  Casey remained in his arms,
lustfully caressed his chest, and looked seductively into his eyes while
grinning.

“There’s room for two in
the jetted tub at my house.”

Vaughn suddenly groaned and
failed at an attempt to hide his lustful grin.  He was reluctant to release her
as he held her close and firmly caressed her body. 

“I’ll make an excuse to
leave,” he said with a soft moan.  “I can be there in an hour.”

Casey grinned and
seductively raised her brows while caressing his shoulders.  “Don’t be late, or
I’ll start without you.”

Vaughn groaned again and
kissed her wildly.  His lust was rising fast, and his hands started traveling
her body.  Any moment, she was certain he’d start undressing her.  Casey pulled
away, smiled warmly, and held him back. 

“One hour.” 

She kissed him quickly on
the lips then mounted her horse before he could react and rode away.  Vaughn
groaned while smiling lustfully, watched her ride across the fairgrounds, and
collapsed against the barn.  Everything finally seemed right in his world.

“Sheriff,” Ruger was heard
from nearby.

Vaughn straightened and
looked at the corner of the barn.  Ruger casually approached with an
emotionless expression.  It was almost obvious he had witnessed some or most of
what had just happened.  Ruger was the dreaded fatherly figure, and his
reaction could have a huge impact on their future.  Vaughn appeared tense then
resumed his authoritative demeanor.

“You just missed Casey,”
Vaughn replied simply.

“Yes, so I see.  I wanted
to make sure she got off okay,” Ruger informed him then sneered, “but it sounds
like you’re taking care of that later.”

Vaughn’s entire body
stiffened, and he appeared instantly annoyed.  “Nice of you to eavesdrop,
Ruger,” he muttered lowly while hiding his displeasure to the comment.

“I think you should know;
Casey’s only been with one other man,” Ruger boldly informed him.  “She’s not
the sort of woman who sleeps around.”

“Grey had mentioned her
past relationship,” Vaughn replied and appeared uncomfortable with the subject.

“So you understand why I’m
protective of her.”

Vaughn glared at him with
arrogance.  “She nearly died in my arms, so you’ll understand why
I’m
protective of her,” he informed Ruger and showed he wouldn’t be intimidated. 
“I fell in love with Casey the day I’d met her only to be devastated when I
learned she was only fifteen.  I’ve waited a longtime to be with her, and I
finally have my one chance.  Trust me; I’m not going to blow it, and I’m
certainly not going to be intimidated from pursuing her either.”

Ruger appeared unimpressed
with Vaughn’s candor.  “Being like a father to her, I’d be very displeased if
you did anything to hurt her.  However--”  Ruger’s look suddenly turned cold
and harsh.  “--as her former lover, I wouldn’t hesitate to break your neck
without thinking twice.”

Vaughn stared at Ruger with
a stunned look.  “You?” he gasped.  “I thought Diesel--?”

“Diesel?  Seriously?” Ruger
announced with a somewhat shocked expression.  “She’d never go for his type. 
I’m surprised you’d think she would.”  He shook his head while maintaining his
serious look.  “What happened between Casey and me was a mistake that ended
over a year ago.  That relationship was probably my biggest regret, and,
believe me, I have quite a few.”

“Why would you regret it? 
You’re obviously very close,” Vaughn announced.

“Sleeping with your
commander’s daughter is one of those lines you just don’t cross,” he informed
him.  “Our relationship was complex.  She was filled with so much anger and
rage, that I opted for the radical solution.  I know it was wrong, but it was
my last option to bring her back.”  He took a deep breath and stared at
Vaughn.  “Our current relationship is as it should be.”

Mitchell was heard talking
over Vaughn’s radio.  “Sheriff, we have a situation at the rabbit building.”

Vaughn groaned, removed his
radio, and responded, “What’s the situation?”

“Someone opened the pens,”
came Mitchell’s reply.  “We have rabbits everywhere.”

Vaughn groaned softly and
appeared defeated.  “Okay, I’m on my way,” he said into the radio then looked
at Ruger with irritation.  “You’ll be happy to know that I won’t be keeping my
date with Casey.  That should give you some added time to successfully turn her
against me.”

Ruger shook his head with
defeat.  “You really haven’t been paying attention, Sheriff.  I know how Casey
feels about you even if she refused to admit it to even herself.  Honestly, she
could do a lot worse,” he informed him.  He straightened proudly.  “Diesel and
I will take care of your bunny situation.  You keep your date.”

Vaughn stared at him and
appeared surprised.  “Seriously?”

“I’m only concerned for her
welfare,” Ruger replied.  “I’d never stand in the way of her happiness.  It’s
in her best interest that you keep your date.  Diesel and I can handle your
bunny related emergency.”

†

W
hite rabbits hopped around
the fairgrounds just outside the rabbit building.  They looked confused and
uncertain what to do with their newly found freedom.  Mitchell, two rental
cops, and a couple of workers attempted to catch the rabbits, which darted away
every time they got close.  Grey, Diesel, and Ruger appeared at the small
animal barn and watched the others attempting to catch the remaining rabbits. 
It was almost hysterical to watch.  Mitchell narrowly missed catching one of
the rabbits, saw the three men while straightening, and appeared surprised.

“Where’s the sheriff?”
Mitchell asked.

“He had an emergency call,
so you’re stuck with us,” Ruger informed Mitchell.

“Huh?  Well, if you’re here
to help, start catching rabbits,” Mitchell informed them.

Diesel looked around with
bewilderment then eyed the deputy.  “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just used
your gun?”