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

  Kelsi sighed. “I think so too, but I get bored with men so quickly.”

  Jaclyn shook her head vehemently. “You’ve gotten bored with the boys you’ve dated. Sheriff Shane is very much a man. You won’t get bored with him.”

  “I’m not in love with him. At least I don’t think I am.”

  “Of course you’re not. You’ve only been dating a few days. You will be in love with him, though. Sheriff Shane is your soul mate.”

  “What makes you say that?” Kelsi asked, startled.

  Jaclyn shrugged, her dress loose on her thin shoulders. “I knew it the moment I met him. There was just something about his face that told me he was meant for you. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I knew I had to save that information for the right day for you to believe me. Today is that day.”

  Kelsi frowned, wishing she knew what to say. “He’s asked me to marry him, so I don’t have to put up with Mom’s matchmaking.”

  “And you’re trying to decide if it would be fair to marry him, when he’s obviously so in love with you, and you don’t know how you feel yet.”

  “You’ve always been able to know what I’m thinking.”

  Jaclyn smiled, looking down at one of the bunnies. “The fairies tell me a lot of things,” she finally said. “Yes, you need to marry the sheriff, and you need to do it this week. Sunday would be the best day. Would you like me to come?”

  Kelsi gaped at the older woman. “The fairies told you I need to marry the sheriff on Sunday?” The fairies were being awfully particular lately.

  “You look for Bigfoot every chance you get, and you question my connection with the fairies? Really?”

  Kelsi choked back a laugh. How could she possibly respond to that? “I would like you to come, but I have to tell the sheriff, if I do decide I want to marry him, first.”

  “Of course you do. Who wouldn’t want to marry that huge hunk of hotness? If I were fifty years younger, I’d be all over him, demanding he make an honest woman of me.”

  “Are you dishonest now?”

  “Every woman deserves her secrets!”

  “They do.” Kelsi finished her milk and snickerdoodles. “I’m glad we had this chat.”

  “So are the fairies. They’ve been worried about you.”

  “So has my mother!” Kelsi grinned. “Let me help you clean up before I head back to the house. Do you need anything before I go?”

  “I’m not an old woman who needs someone to take care of her! You just send word when the wedding is, and I’ll be there.” Jaclyn got up and bustled around, putting the dishes into the sink.

  Kelsi smiled, catching the old woman by surprise by kissing her cheek. “I’ll come see you again soon.”

  Jaclyn smiled, raising her hand in a wave. “Listen to the fairies now!”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  Kelsi was at the café at four-thirty with all the ingredients for the meal she planned to cook. She opened the door that led straight to the kitchen and put the groceries on the counter before walking over to unlock the front door, so the others could join her when they arrived. She was a bit surprised Shane wasn’t there yet, and wondered what had held him up.

  Her mind played her conversation with Jaclyn over and over, thinking about what she’d said. Despite her belief that she could hear fairies, Kelsi knew the older woman was smart, and her Grandma Kelsey had always had great respect for her. She’d always told her if she wasn’t around, she should listen to Jaclyn.

  Shane was a few minutes later than he meant to be, and he stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, leaned against the wall and just watched Kelsi work. She obviously had her mind on something else, and he didn’t want to startle her.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look, standing there, making dinner for your family?”

  Kelsi looked up at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I went and saw Jaclyn today.”

  “She didn’t try to bash you over the head with a hoe, did she?”

  “No, but she did say that you were very kind to her after she killed poor George that night.”

  “George? Are all those gnomes in her yard named?”

  Kelsi nodded. “Do you believe? All the gnomes, fairies, leprechauns, and bunnies have names. I’m doing good to remember the names of my breasts!”

  He blinked a few times. “Your breasts have names?”

  “Don’t everyone’s?”

  He decided that trying to follow her line of reasoning would just take him further down the rabbit hole, so he let it go. “What else did Jaclyn say?”

  “She said she knew the first time that she met you that you were my soul mate, and I need to forget about Donn and Bobby, and marry you next Sunday. She’s willing to come to the wedding, so we need to give her plenty of notice.”

  He blinked a few times before grinning. “How did she know that I was your soul mate?”

  “It was either something in your face or the fairies told her. It was hard to keep up with the conversation at times.”

  “So are you going to take her advice?” he asked.

  Kelsi frowned. “I’m thinking about it. Grandma Kelsey always said if she wasn’t around I should go to Jaclyn. They were best friends their whole lives, you see.”

  “Really? You’re considering it?”

  “I wouldn’t say I was if I wasn’t. Do you think I’m the kind of girl who would give a man false hope?”

  He smiled, sticking his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, before walking toward her. “I got you something today.”

  She made a face. “What? It’s not a lizard, is it?”

  “Why would I get you a lizard?” he asked, surprised she’d even worry about something like that.

  “I guess I still have Bobby Blakely on my mind.”

  Shane shook his head. “Not a lizard, and you shouldn’t think about other men when you’re with me, you know.” He caught one of her hands in his, frowning down at the tomato on it. “You should wash your hands.”

  She frowned at him. “I’m making supper. They’ll just get dirty again!”

  “Would you wash them? Please?”

  She rolled her eyes and walked to the sink, washing her hands and drying them with the towel she’d laid out earlier. “There. My hands are clean. Want to hold them now?”

  He took her hand in his again and quickly dropped to one knee. “Kelsi, will you do me the honor of being my wife? If we marry on Sunday, we’ll make the fairies happy!”

  Kelsi stared down at him and the ring he held poised to put on her finger. “Where’d you get that?” she asked, recognizing it.

  “Will gave it to me. He said your grandmother had left it with him when she knew she was dying, instructing that he make sure you had it as your engagement ring.”

  Kelsi swiped a tear from her eye. Grandma Kelsey’s engagement ring. He cared enough to use Grandma Kelsey’s ring. She stared down at him for a minute, her mind racing. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, because she didn’t know if she loved him yet, but with Bobby on his way, and the pressure she’d surely receive from her family, it might be their only chance.

  Finally, she nodded, and he slipped the ring on her finger. Getting to his feet, he swept her into a kiss. “I’m going to make you the happiest woman alive!”

  “I know you are.” She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. “You promised you’d helped me find Bigfoot.”

  He groaned. “I’m going to regret that, aren’t I?”

  She shrugged, looking down at the ring, which fit her finger perfectly. “You are.” Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek. “I have to get back to work. Do you want to get the garlic bread ready?”

  He nodded, hurrying over to wash his hands while his heart rejoiced. She was going to marry him. He’d asked and asked, but he hadn’t believed she’d really agree. He’d have to go see Jaclyn and thank her and all her fairy friends.

  They worked together in silence, but when they had to reach past each oth
er, there was always a loving stroke along an arm or a quick kiss. She smiled, pleased with him. Never had she dated someone she wanted to touch as much as him.

  It was shortly before six when the noise from the front of the café started. Dani was there first, and she walked back to check on the preparations. Her eyes, so like Kelsi’s, showed no surprise when she saw him standing in the kitchen. “You joining us for supper?”

  He nodded. “If you don’t mind, that is?”

  Dani shrugged. “I don’t hate you.” Her eyes went to her sister. “Need any help?”

  Kelsi shook her head. “I have my short-order sheriff here. He’s a good kitchen-lackey. You go collapse in one of the booths until the boys get here. You look exhausted!”

  Dani yawned, hiding it behind her hand. “I’m pretty tired. They worked us hard.” She wandered out of the kitchen.

  “You didn’t tell her we’re getting married!” he said, frowning at Kelsi.

  “I’m going to tell the whole family together,” she answered quickly. “Trust me, it’ll be easier that way.”

  “You know your family better than I do!”

  “God love them all,” she muttered. She wasn’t looking forward to their dinner, because she knew her brothers had all talked to their mother about Bobby. Why she felt guilty for not wanting to marry a stranger, she’d never know, but her mother could make people feel guilty for saving the world.

  Jess was the next to arrive. Jess was going to school to be a veterinarian, and her life wasn’t as entwined in running the ranch as the others. She did make it to every family dinner, though. Their cousin had the trademark Weston ice blue eyes that all the siblings shared. The eyes were the one way the twins hadn’t looked like their grandma.

  “Need any help?” she asked Kelsi, openly staring at the sheriff.

  Kelsi shook her head. “Shane and I have it.”

  “Why’s he here? You never invited Donn.”

  “Donn The Doofus didn’t deserve an invite. I’m here because Kelsi and I are dating,” Shane responded.

  “Okay.” Jess shrugged. “I’ll go wait for everyone. I might borrow a page from Dani’s book and nap.”

  One-by-one, the brothers came in, and the café got louder and louder. Will was the only one to stick his head in the back. “Hey, Shane. Kelsi.”

  “Hey, Will. Tell everyone five more minutes!”

  Her brother nodded, looking back and forth between them, before heading back out. “Kelsi says five more minutes.”

  Kelsi put food on plates, and Shane carried it out to everyone. He couldn’t figure out why everyone let her do all the work, but he figured there must be a system. Kelsi was not a woman to let her family take advantage of her without putting up a fight.

  When they were all sitting around two of the four tops pushed together, Kelsi looked up and down the table at the people she loved the most. “I know everyone is wondering why Shane is here.”

  “I heard you were dating at the same time that I heard you fought with Will in the restaurant on Monday night,” Wade said. “Don’t do that again.”

  Wyatt just looked at them, nodding politely.

  Wesley, her rock-climbing brother, frowned at her. He led the more difficult excursions into the mountains. “Mom wants you to marry Bobby. He’s coming up here to take over the kitchen. Why are you dating Shane?”

  Kelsi took a deep breath. “I was dating Shane before Mom decided I should marry Bobby. And I’m going to marry Shane. He asked me tonight.” She held up her hand with the ring on it. Only Will and Dani didn’t look surprised.

  Dani nodded at her, a slight smile on her lips. Kelsi understood. They may emphasize their differences by dressing differently and wearing their hair as different as they could, but they were still twins, and they still had a connection that was special.

  “Wait!” Wade frowned. “Isn’t that Grandma Kelsey’s ring?”

  Will nodded. “Absolutely. Grandma Kelsey gave it to me shortly before she died and told me to give it to a man Kelsi dated who was worthy of marrying her. Shane is.”

  “We’re getting married Sunday,” Kelsi said over the mumbling of her family. “With me or against me, it’s happening, so you might as well be onboard.”

  The brothers looked at each other before Wade, the oldest and the manager of the whole of River’s End Ranch, stood and walked to Kelsi, pulling her out of her chair and into his hug. All four of the brothers made Dani and Kelsi look like Lilliputians. “I’m happy for you!”

  Kelsi smiled, knowing that having Wade’s seal of approval would make all the other brothers immediately fall in line.

  Wade looked down at Shane, offering his hand to shake. “Welcome to the family. Make her happy, or we’ll kill you.” The words were said with a slight smile on his face, but Shane had no doubt he meant them.

  “I’ll do my very best.”

  The enthusiasm that greeted Shane then, with hugs and back pats and handshakes, was a bit overwhelming. Even if his family had been the size of Kelsi’s, they were more laid back and didn’t often get riled up about anything. He could see he had some adjusting to do, but he’d do it gladly. For Kelsi. He’d do anything for her.

  After they’d finished eating, Kelsi and Shane left, walking along the grass. Kelsi took a deep breath of the spring air, feeling engaged for the first time since he’d slid the ring on her finger. “I’m glad Wade welcomed you like he did. I don’t know if the other brothers would have otherwise.”

  “Will already did when I talked to him earlier.”

  Kelsi looked down at her hand, the diamond in the ring glinting a bit by the light of the moon. “I’m nervous but happy all at once. We’re getting married, Shane!” She loved the idea of spending her life with him, but was it just the newness of dating him? Would it wear off?

  “Is your mother going to fly back to try to talk you out of it?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Because all my siblings agreed to keep it quiet. We’re going to have a small, private, secret wedding at the ranch house next Sunday.”

  “When did they agree to keep it quiet?”

  She smiled. “Dani went around and asked them all for me.”

  “Dani? I didn’t see you two talk about it!”

  Kelsi shrugged. “Sometimes we don’t have to. We have the twin connection-thing going. Sometimes we are so far apart mentally, it’s like we were raised in different countries, and then there are moments, like tonight, where we just click, and she reads my mind and we make things happen.”

  “Am I allowed to talk about the wedding?”

  She shrugged. “I’d rather you didn’t. Get Pastor Randy to agree to marry us, and we’ll get our marriage license in Post Falls. Then no one in town will know except Pastor Randy, and you swear him to secrecy.” She shook her head. “Mom has a spy in town, and we have no idea who it is, so we can’t be seen planning the wedding. She’ll do a lot better hearing about it after the fact.

  “How did you figure all this out so quickly?”

  “I was thinking about how I’d make it work after talking to Jaclyn today. I need to take you by one day this week, so we can invite her to our wedding. She’ll assign the fairies to help us keep it quiet.”

  Shane didn’t argue. Instead, he slipped his arm around her, and stopped at a park bench in front of the lake. “How did we get all the way to the lake?” he asked, surprised.

  She shrugged. “When you asked me to go for a walk, I immediately headed this way. I always walk down to the lake when I’m sad or happy…or just need to be away from the chaos that is my family. It’s kind of my place.”

  “Works for me.” He sat on the bench, pulling her down close to him. “One week from today, you’re going to be my wife.”

  Kelsi grinned, stroking his cheek. “I know.”

  “I’m just bragging a little bit,” he told her. “I can’t tell anyone else, so I’ll just keep telling you over and over.”

  She laughed softly, resting her head on his shoulder
. “You should ask Will to be your best man.”

  “Will? Is he your favorite brother?”

  “He’s the brother I’m closest to. I never thought we’d both make it to adulthood alive, because I was sure one of us would kill the other, but we’re really close. I promise.”

  “I figured that when he was the one who had the ring. He called me today, you know.”

  She pulled away and looked at him with surprise. “No, I didn’t know. What did he say?”

  “He told me that he thought we should get married quick so that your Mother didn’t ruin things, and then he said he had something that would help me if I wanted to come get it.” Shane kissed the tip of her nose. “We talked for a couple of hours. That’s why I was late getting to the café to see you. He made sure he gave me the ‘be good to our baby sister’ speech before he gave me the ring.”

  She looked down at the object in question, feeling the unusual weight on her finger. “I’m glad to have it. I wondered where it had gone when she stopped wearing it a few weeks before she died, but every time I asked, she changed the subject. She had a different diamond ring that disappeared about the same time that I bet one of our brothers has for Dani.”

  “Which brother?”

  Kelsi shrugged. “Probably Wyatt, but Dani’s a lot more private than I am. We’re so much alike physically, but so different in other ways.”

  “I’m glad you said you’d marry me. I hope you know that I’m going to make sure you’re happy.”

  She smiled. “I just hope I can do the same for you.”

  Shane shook his head with a smile. “Don’t you know you’ve already done that, just by agreeing?”

  Chapter Seven

  Kelsi wore the ring on a chain around her neck the following day, so her mother’s informant wouldn’t find out about the wedding. She knew she was probably being overdramatic about it, but her mother was a force to be reckoned with, and it wasn’t a reckoning she wanted for her wedding day.

  When Shane came into the café, she watched to see if what he’d said was true, and sure enough, the other waitresses didn’t acknowledge him at all. She hurried over and leaned down to kiss his cheek, before sliding into the booth across from him. “Hi!”