Short-Order Sheriff (River's End Ranch Book 1) Read online

  “Do you ever get scared when you read and watch so much horror?”

  She piled the shoes into the bottom of a box, slowly adding other things. “Sure. That’s part of the fun.” She shrugged. “As long as my feet are under the covers, the monsters can’t get me.”

  He sighed. “Am I going to have to look for monsters under the bed?”

  She grinned at him. “Would you if I asked?”

  He caught her hand and pulled her down onto his lap, kissing her softly. “I have a feeling I’d do anything you asked of me.”

  “Deciding to marry you is the smartest thing I’ve ever done.” She sighed, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

  “You only say that because the fairies told you to marry me.”

  “Can I tell you a secret?”

  He nodded, his eyes wary. “I guess.”

  “I think the gnomes and leprechauns are a whole lot more trustworthy than the fairies.”

  “Sometimes I’m not sure whether I should be afraid, or just love you.”

  She sighed, kissing him. “I think loving me is always the answer.”

  There was the sound of a loud throat clearing coming from her doorway. “Thanks, Sam.” She jumped up and took the tray from him, which contained the pizza and two plates.

  “Why are you packing?” he asked. “You’re not moving in with the sheriff. Over my dead body!”

  Kelsi sighed. “You know the big wedding the kitchen is getting ready to cater tomorrow?”

  Sam nodded. “Yes?”

  “That’s our wedding. We’re not telling people, because Mom wants me to marry a boy I knew in elementary school who chased me around with reptiles.”

  Sam frowned. “So you want me to keep this a secret from your mother?” The idea seemed to pain him.

  “Please? Just for twenty-four hours. Jaclyn knows, and she approves.”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Did the fairies tell her that you two should marry?”

  Kelsi nodded emphatically. “They did!”

  “Please tell me that’s not the only reason you’re marrying him.” Sam looked from Kelsi to Shane. “I want you to be happy, kiddo.”

  Kelsi smiled. “I don’t think I could ever find a man who loves me more than Shane does. Being married to him will make me happy,” she said. And it was true. But would being married to her make him happy?

  Sam shrugged. “I won’t say anything.” He looked at Shane. “You treat her right.”

  Shane got to his feet, holding his hand out to shake the chef’s. “She’s really special to me. I’m not going to hurt her in any way.”

  “See that you don’t.” Sam left the room, leaving the tray on her bed. Shane noticed he left the door more than a little ajar.

  “He’s worried about you.”

  “Sam’s always been there for me, and I’ve been special to him. He was the one who held me the day my grandma died. Mom and Dad were busy with Granddad and making the funeral arrangements. Sam had time for me.”

  Shane nodded. “I just wish you didn’t have the whole world watching us to make sure I didn’t hurt you. It’s…hard on me sometimes.”

  “I can’t change the people who love me, and I wouldn’t. It feels good to have people care so much.”

  “I understand.” He put pizza on two plates and handed one to her, looking at the pizza curiously. “A kitchen sink pizza?”

  “Oh yeah. He throws on just about everything. I love these!”

  Shane took a bite, not as excited about all the toppings as she was, but it wasn’t terrible. “I can choke this down.”

  “Soon, you won’t even need me to make you spiced-down enchiladas!”

  “Don’t count on that. I want to still have taste buds…not burn them off.”

  She grinned, taking a huge bite of her pizza. He was coming around, and she was so glad.

  Kelsi had a regular hairdresser in town, and she’d invited her out for the day, promising to pay her triple, and telling her to bring her supplies. Sheila Smyre had been her hairdresser since she was a little girl, and she came grumbling.

  Once she arrived, Kelsi told her about the secret wedding, and Sheila squealed with excitement. “I’m doing your hair and make-up!”

  Kelsi grinned. “I knew I could count on you!” She’d just finished lunch and was ready to get the ball rolling. Getting ready for a wedding was hard work. She sat in her robe, in a chair in her room, and let Sheila do whatever she wanted. She knew the older woman would make her look as good as she possibly could. Why, Sheila was practically a miracle worker!

  Dani knocked on her door just as Sheila was finishing up. “Kelsi, I need a trim before the wedding. My hair is out of control again…” She trailed off when she saw the hairdresser in her sister’s room. “I’ll come back.” Dani had once gone to Sheila for her own haircuts, and there was true fear on her face when Dani spotted her.

  Sheila grabbed Dani’s wrist. “You will not! Today is your sister’s wedding day, and you’re going to look your best if it means I have to sit on you to fix your hair. Kelsi knows nothing about hair!” Sheila threaded her fingers through Dani’s hair, groaning loudly. “Do you have any idea what a mess she’s made of this?”

  Dani shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me.”

  “I’ll fix it decently today, and give you a trim. One that will flatter you and not look like someone took a butcher knife to your head.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Dani protested.

  Sheila stopped her with a look, turning back to Kelsi. “You go and get your dress on now, and I’ll deal with your sister.” She shook her head at Dani. “Short is fine. Butchered is not. It will be fixed today.”

  Kelsi bit her lip at the look on her twin’s face as she hurried from the room, taking her dress into Dani’s to get ready. She couldn’t quite get the buttons done up herself, so when she was finished, she left the back of the dress gaping and stood outside her bedroom door, listening for yells. When she heard nothing, she stepped into her room.

  What she saw shocked her. Dani was sitting meekly while Sheila worked her magic. Kelsi sometimes forgot that they could be identical, because they’d worked so hard not to be. Dani looked pretty for a change, sitting there with her short hair styled into something that looked decent.

  “You look beautiful, Dani.”

  Dani made a face. “I look all made-up.”

  “Not yet,” Sheila answered. “But you will before I’m done with you! Go and get dressed, and I’ll do your make-up after I finish Kelsi’s.” Just before Dani left, she stopped her. “If you ever let your sister touch your hair with scissors again, you will feel my wrath.”

  Dani nodded and hurried away.

  As soon as she was gone, Kelsi burst out laughing. “I think you scared her, Sheila!”

  “I hope I did! And you! You stop whacking her hair off every time she asks!”

  “If I don’t do it, she will. And she does an even worse job than I do! What am I supposed to do?”

  “Call me out here. For that girl, I will make house calls!” Sheila waved at the chair Dani had just vacated. “Sit!”

  “Would you do my dress up first?” Kelsi asked, turning her back to the other woman.

  Sheila immediately complied. “This dress is beautiful. Old.”

  “It was Grandma Kelsey’s. I always knew I’d wear it someday.” Kelsi wondered if her sister would wear it when she married.

  “It suits you!”

  When she was finished with the buttons, Kelsi sat down and waited patiently while Sheila did her make-up. Dani slipped into the room during the process, wearing the ice blue dress Kelsi had chosen for her to borrow. “You look wonderful. Your eyes look so amazing in that color.”

  Dani sat on the edge of the bed, obviously feeling uncomfortable in the pretty dress. “You mean our eyes. The ones that are identical. I look like you with short hair today.”

  Kelsi frowned. “It’s not a bad thing for us to look alike every once in a while. Just not every
day. Trust me, today, everyone will know I’m me, because I’m dressed in the wedding dress.” She grinned. “Besides, I’ll be the one in the bridal mouse ears!” She nodded to the box sitting on her otherwise empty nightstand.

  Dani grinned. “I suppose you’re right. I just hate it when everyone confuses us.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re actually wearing those things to get married in. You’ll look ridiculous.”

  “When was the last time anyone confused us?” Kelsi asked with surprise. It had been years as far as she knew. “I don’t care if I look ridiculous. I’ll be me.”

  Dani shrugged. “I don’t even remember.”

  “I think we’re safe from confusing people now.”

  There was a knock on the door, and Dani called for whoever it was to come in.

  Will stood there for a moment, his eyes wide. “You both look beautiful.”

  Dani wrinkled her nose at the compliment, and Kelsi grinned. “You mean I look beautiful, and Dani looks like a girl for a change.”

  Will shrugged. “If you say so.” He looked between his sisters. “How much longer? Shane is starting to freak out.”

  Kelsi looked at the clock on her wall. “Tell Shane to get a grip. Wedding isn’t supposed to start for another thirty minutes. I’m almost ready, and Dani will be ready in ten minutes. We got this.” Wasn’t it the bride who was supposed to get nervous before the wedding?

  Will sighed. “I’ll tell him, but he seems really antsy. I’m afraid he’s going to start shooting or something.”

  Kelsi waved her brother away. Surely Shane wasn’t as nervous as her brother said. He wasn’t the type to freak out so easily. Besides, he would just have to arrest himself if he started causing problems, and she knew he didn’t want to do that.

  Chapter Nine

  Shane paced back and forth in front of the little arch that had been placed on the lawn behind the main ranch house. Judging by all the fairies and leprechauns placed at strategic places around the arch, and the two plaster bunnies on the ground beside it, he could guess who was responsible. He hoped the gnomes weren’t offended.

  Oh, God! Did I seriously just think I hoped the gnomes weren't offended? I’m losing my mind. She’s taking my mind down this crazy path, and it’s going to be long gone within a week. Bigfoot will be eating it with a knife, a fork, and a good red wine!

  Kelsi’s brother, Will, wearing his best man suit and a pair of cowboy boots, walked over to him. “She said to stop being nervous, and they’ll both be ready within ten minutes or so.”

  “Nervous? I’m not nervous!” Shane didn’t want anyone to think he was nervous. What if they lost respect for him?

  Will looked pointedly at the shredded carnation that had been in his lapel not fifteen minutes before. “You sure about that?”

  “Is there another one of these?” Shane asked in a panic, now nervous Kelsi would be angry that he’d shredded the flower he was supposed to wear. “She’s going to kill me!” He needed everything to be perfect for his bride on her wedding day, and she’d chosen the carnations, so he would wear a carnation.

  Will laughed. “Let me tell you something about Kelsi—” He waited until Shane was looking at him before he continued. “Kelsi is the most even-tempered of all six of us. She believes in forgiveness and love. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s actually the most romantic of our family, and she’s always so happy to watch people fall in love. I think she watches the slasher movies so that people don’t see her cry with joy when good things happen in real movies.”

  Shane tilted his head to one side, considering. “I guess that kind of makes sense from what I’ve seen.” It opened up a new side to his sweet bride too.

  “Trust me, there’s a very soft side to my sister. You’ve made a good choice. And she has to. I’ve never seen a couple who is so right for each other.” Will unpinned his ice blue carnation and pinned it on the sheriff’s lapel. “There. You look perfect. I’ll go steal Wyatt’s flower. He won’t care, and he doesn’t have to stand up.”

  Shane took a deep breath. “Thanks for the pep talk, man.”

  “No problem. But I bet the girls are about ready, so let me get that flower so I can be best man.” Will grinned. “I know you only chose me because Kelsi told you to, but you did get the best man.”

  Shane laughed as he watched the older man walk off, shaking his head. What was it about those Westons that made them so competitive? He was almost surprised none of them had taken up an Olympic sport. It just seemed like something they would do in their family. Of course, with as devoted as they were to the family business, maybe it made sense. Training for the Olympics would take up a lot more time than any of them had available.

  Five minutes later, he was standing beside Will in front of the arch when lively music began to play. He and Kelsi hadn’t talked about music, so he was surprised. Why wasn’t she walking to the Wedding March like a normal person? Only Kelsi would walk down the aisle at her wedding to the William Tell Overture.

  First he saw Dani, seeming to walk at a sedate pace befitting a bridesmaid, but then getting into the spirit of the music and practically galloping to the arch. She gave him a very confused look as she took her spot, as if she had no idea how she’d gotten there so quickly.

  Then he turned his attention to watching as his bride left the house and headed his way. She wasn’t doing anything sedately, because it wasn’t in her nature. Instead she bumped hips with the man escorting her and even gave a quick twirl on her way to him. He grinned, trying to figure out how he’d gotten so lucky as to find a woman like her to be his bride.

  He squinted, trying to see whose arm she held. He knew it couldn’t be her father, and all her brothers were present and accounted for. And then he knew. Sam. The chef in her family’s restaurant was walking her down the aisle. Maybe that was part of her reasoning for not wanting her mother there. She’d wanted to do things her own way, and no mother in her right mind would allow her daughter to walk down the aisle to the William Tell Overture on one of the family employee’s arms. Only Kelsi.

  When she reached him, it was all he could do not to reach out and move a strand of hair that was hanging a bit oddly from her mouse ears. It was probably meant to be that way, and he’d ruin her whole look if he tried to change it, so he didn’t, taking her hand only when the pastor told him to.

  The ceremony was short, but it did the job. When he was told he could kiss his bride, the grin he gave her was part relief, but a whole lot of pride. Putting his hands on her waist, he drew her close to him, pressing his lips to hers.

  He lifted his head too quickly to Kelsi’s way of thinking, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down for one more kiss. Shane heard the laughter of the few people she’d invited, but he didn’t care. It was obvious she wanted to kiss him, so who could complain?

  After the pastor had introduced them to the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Shane Clapper, they turned to face their audience. There were less than twenty people there, but Kelsi saw almost everyone she loved—and absolutely everyone she had wanted to be there. She was overwhelmed as she saw so many people who would die for her, and she had no doubt that every single one of them would.

  She took Shane’s hand and dragged him over to Jaclyn Hardy. “Thank you for the arch, Jaclyn. It’s perfect!”

  “The fairies suggested it. I just did as they asked.”

  “Well, I’m proud to have been married under it.” Kelsi hugged the older woman tightly. “You’re staying for food, right? We had the restaurant make all of their specialties.” She hadn’t seen Jaclyn this far from her home in years. Usually she put in orders for whatever she needed, so she was glad the woman was there. Since her Grandma Kelsey had died, Jaclyn had become more and more of a recluse, preferring the company of her fairies and bunnies to the real world.

  Jaclyn nodded. “I wouldn’t miss this for the whole world.”

  “You sit down and I’ll fix you a plate.” Kelsi took the older woman
’s arm to walk her to a table.

  “No, you go fix your own plate. I told you before. I’m not sick, just old. The more I do for myself, the more I’ll be able to do for myself. You’re not running me off anytime soon!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kelsi answered, not bothered by her words. “You take care of yourself and I’ll take care of myself.”

  “Why would you take care of yourself when you have that sexy man to take care of you?” Jaclyn asked.

  Shane blushed. Was a woman old enough to be his grandmother allowed to call him sexy? He didn’t know, but he was certainly a bit intimidated by it.

  Kelsi wandered through the crowd gathered for her wedding, finding her brother Wade and hugging him. “I know it worried you to not tell Mom, but thank you for respecting my wishes.”

  Wade closed his eyes as he held her. “You sure do make my life difficult sometimes, Kelsi, but you’re not too bad on the eyes. You have something going for you.”

  “Uh-huh.” Kelsi grinned over at Shane. “Let’s eat! And then we need to cut the cake, but real food first.”

  “How are you going to be happy with the food? You’re not carrying your purse…”

  She looked both ways to make sure no one was watching before pulling a tiny can of Cajun seasoning from her cleavage. “I’ve got it covered.”

  Shane laughed, grabbing her and kissing her. “Life with you is never going to be boring, is it?” Was there any other woman in the world who would carry Cajun seasoning in her cleavage at her wedding? He knew his sweet bride was a one of a kind.

  “I sure hope not…”

  Two hours later, they were headed to his place, both of their trucks filled to the max with her things. It didn’t seem like she had a lot until she started pulling the boxes out from under her bed.

  They met in the driveway of his house, and he sighed loudly, looking at the trucks. “This is going to be a lot of work. I’m not sure I want to do all this on my wedding day.”

  “You don’t have to!” Didn’t he have any idea of the family he’d married into?