An Agent for Audrey Read online

  “I thought you would be happy with that. Aren’t you?”

  She plastered on a fake smile. “I am. That’s great.”

  “But…” He intentionally let his voice trail off.

  Turning toward the bed, she ran her hand along the quilt before she sat down. “What do you see happening between us?”

  He straightened from the wall, unsure of her meaning. “Us? We’re partners. I assume we would just go from case to case, depending on where the home office assigns us.”

  A wistful expression came over her. “And after that?”

  Crossing his arms over his chest, he answered, “I don’t rightly know. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”

  “And you want us to stay married?”

  If he didn’t know better, he thought her words sounded hopeful. But that didn’t make sense. He dropped his hands and looked at her as if she lost her mind. “Of course, I do. I enjoy having you as my partner. Don’t you feel the same way?”

  “I do,” she rushed to say. “I just… I feel,” she hesitated, lowering her gaze, “I worry that you will grow tired of me as a partner.”

  “Why would I?” He walked to the bed and sat next to her. “Why are you asking these questions?”

  She looked up at him, vulnerability shining in her eyes. “You have grown to mean so much to me these past eight days, but I fear…” Her voice trailed off.

  He reached for her hand, encompassing it carefully. “You fear what, Audrey?”

  Looking down at their entwined hands, she let out a shaky breath. “I fear that I might lose you.”

  “Oh, darling,” Warren murmured, pulling her in close and kissing her cheek. “You are stuck with me. We are married, and I don’t plan to go anywhere.”

  “But don’t you want more in our marriage?” she said so softly that he almost didn’t hear her.

  “What more could I want?” He smiled. “You are clever, witty, and a crack shot. You also helped bring down a counterfeit ring and avenged Mr. Meyer’s death, in just three days. Three days! I have never solved a case that quickly before.”

  A knock came at the door, and a boy’s voice said, “Sheriff Walker wants to see you both in his office.”

  “Tell him we are on our way,” Warren informed the boy. He turned back to Audrey and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?”

  She shook her head. “No. I just have something in my eye.”

  He grasped her hand and pulled her off the bed. “Let’s go see what the sheriff wants.” After locking their door, he offered her his arm. “What did you have in store for us this afternoon?”

  “I was hoping to go to the barn raising.”

  He rubbed his chin. “I think you are just looking for a reason to see me without my shirt on.”

  She gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t think the men take off their shirts around women, even in these parts.”

  “I was just teasing you.” He smiled down at her. “For some reason, you have brought out the playful side of me. I feel relaxed.”

  “That’s because we are between assignments,” she pointed out.

  “It’s not that,” he answered, opening the door to the hotel, waiting for Audrey to step through. “I feel freer somehow.” He took a deep breath as they crossed the main road. “I’m happy.”

  She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I am glad. I’m happy, too.”

  “You don’t look happy,” he observed. “In fact, you look sad.”

  Before she could respond, the door to the sheriff’s office opened, and Mayor Brown walked out to greet them. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell. Please, come inside. We have something we want to discuss with you.” He ushered them in.

  Walking into the sheriff’s office, Warren saw Harper laying on a cot in one of the cells with a hat covering his face. Sheriff Walker sat behind the desk shuffling some papers. He looked up when they entered.

  Following his eyes, Sheriff Walker said, “The marshal is on his way to pick up Harper.” Turning back, he pointed at two chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

  Warren held Audrey’s chair as she sat before he sat next to her. “We were told you wanted to see us.”

  Mayor Brown walked over and stood next to Sheriff Walker. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

  “Can we make this fast?” Warren asked, offering a side-glance at his wife. “We’re planning to go to the barn raising this afternoon.”

  Mayor Brown nodded. “Yes, we can do that.” He glanced down at Sheriff Walker. “Sheriff?”

  The sheriff leaned forward in his seat and placed his forearms on the desk. “After failing to notice a counterfeit ring, a dead Pinkerton agent, a corrupt deputy, and the death of four teachers, I feel that it is best that I retire. I’m too old for this job.”

  Audrey gave him a compassionate look. “You are too hard on yourself. You have done a fine job as the sheriff of Hickory Creek.”

  Sheriff Walker smiled. “You are much too kind, Mrs. Rockwell.” He shifted his sharp gaze toward Warren. “I’ve been planning to retire for a few years now, but I have been waiting for the right replacement. I believe I have found him.” He gave Warren a knowing look. “What do you say, Rockwell?”

  Warren’s brows shot up. “You want me to be sheriff?”

  Sheriff Walker nodded as Mayor Brown said, “We are willing to pay you double what you are making as a Pinkerton agent, and we will authorize you to hire two new deputies.”

  The sheriff chuckled. “I assume one of those deputies will be your wife.”

  A sheriff. They were offering him a chance to be a sheriff of his own town at double the pay he was making. It was a way to stay in one place and build a legacy of his own. He looked at Audrey. “What do you say? Do you want to stay in Hickory Creek, and be a deputy?” He smiled flirtatiously. “We could work day in and day out, solving crimes together.”

  Her voice was soft as she looked up at him, nibbling on her lower lip. “Would we stay married if we stay?”

  Warren leaned closer to her. “Is this because I will be sheriff and you will be a deputy? You should know that I will treat you fairly as a colleague.”

  “A colleague?” she asked, her eyes reflecting hurt. “Is that how you will treat me?”

  “Yes, when we are on duty,” Warren said, frowning. “I don’t understand why you are upset. What am I saying wrong?”

  He reached over for her hand, but she rose quickly. “I must decline your offer.” She hesitated, swallowing slowly. “I have decided to seek an annulment after all.” Her eyes filled with tears as she turned to rush out the door.

  Standing, he stared at her retreating figure. What had just happened? Why would she want an annulment? Well, there was no way he was going to let that happen. They were suited perfectly.

  An annoyed groan came from the jail cell as Harper grumbled, “I can’t believe I was outsmarted by this imbecile.” Removing his hat, he sat up in his cot. “Your wife apparently loves you and doesn’t want to be treated as a colleague. She wants to be treated as your wife. How can you be so blind? Can’t you see that?”

  Warren shook his head. “No, that’s impossible. Audrey can’t possibly love me. We have only known each other for a week. You can’t fall in love that fast.” His eyes sought out Mayor Brown, who was the only one married in the room. “Can you?”

  “I did,” Mayor Brown said. “From the moment I saw my Ruth, I knew she was the one.”

  “We were married so I could train Audrey as a Pinkerton agent,” Warren reluctantly admitted. “This marriage was never real.”

  The sheriff huffed. “Not real? I see the way you two look at each other. It is sickening and revolting to watch you together.” He leaned back in his chair and placed his hands on his belly. “The question is, do you want to make this a real marriage?”

  “Yes! I can’t lose Audrey!” Warren declared. “I won’t lose her.”

  “I wo
uldn’t let a woman like that go, either,” Sheriff Walker said. “If I had met someone like Audrey, I would have given up my life as a Texas Ranger to settle down and raise a family.”

  That was all the encouragement he needed. “Wish me luck, gentlemen.”

  As he ran out the door, he knew Audrey would want to hear loving, flowery words. He was not good at expressing his feelings, but he was willing to give it a try if it meant he could convince her to stay married.

  After all, what was the point of having pride if it meant he would lose the one that he loved? He staggered to a stop. He did love her! But how could he prove it to his wife?

  Audrey sat on a log in the woods listening to the birds chirping around her. She picked up a pine cone and ran her fingers along the rough edges. No matter what she did, Warren would never view her as anything but his partner, or worse, his colleague. With them, it would be strictly a business arrangement.

  My, how time had changed things. Eight days ago, she had married Warren. Back then, she’d been counting down the moments until their annulment. Now, she wished she could stay married to him forever, but not this way. Not like this. She wanted love and a family. Not to be a deputy. Well, that was not entirely true, she admitted to herself. She wanted to be a deputy, but she also wanted Warren’s love.

  Audrey had no doubt that he cared for her. She could see it in his eyes. But she wanted more than friendship. Maybe it was time for her to go home and grow up. She could take over her company and live a perfectly respectable life in Cincinnati… without Warren.

  Her husband’s voice interrupted her musings as he came through the trees.

  “Audrey,” he said, speaking softly, “I have been looking for you.”

  “I just needed a moment alone.” She rose and smoothed out her skirt.

  He sat down on the log that she’d just vacated. His expression was serious, but it softened slightly when he looked up at her. “I am not giving you an annulment.” His words were tender but firm.

  Audrey felt caught between the marriage she desperately wanted to keep and the knowledge that he would destroy her if he didn’t eventually return her love. She slowly sat back down.

  “Why not?”

  He gave her an impish smile, the one that made her go weak in the knees. “First, I don’t think I could find another wife that tolerates me as well as you do.”

  “Oh,” she replied, disappointed. “I am sure that Archie will assign you a new wife to partner with.”

  “I don’t want another partner,” he said firmly. “I want you.”

  Pressing her lips together, she attempted to control her growing emotions. “I’ve enjoyed working with you, but it is time I move on.” She might have sounded more convincing if her bottom lip wasn’t trembling.

  “Then I will go with you,” he answered quickly. “Where do you want to go?”

  She looked up at him with misty eyes. “Why would you leave Hickory Creek?” she asked cautiously. “You were offered the position of sheriff.”

  Running a hand through his hair, he exhaled a loud, heartfelt sigh. “Because I have come to realize that you are not just part of my world, you have become my world.”

  Afraid she’d misheard him, she remained silent, hoping he would explain. She didn’t have to wait long.

  He angled himself on the log until their knees were touching. “I have lived alone for a long time, and I have never courted a woman, much less found one appealing to me. Then, you and I were hitched.” He reached for her hand, encompassing it slowly. “Frankly, I thought we would never suit as partners. You were too stubborn and opinionated for my tastes, and I was too set in my ways.”

  The lines around his eyes crinkled. “But then I spent time with you. Your smile. Your compassion. Your intellect. Your beauty. That intrigued me.” His eyes grew intense as he watched her. “I’ve not smiled or laughed so much since before my parents died. You have brought joy back into my life.”

  “You make me happy as well,” she admitted. He cared for her, but would that be enough?

  “Being offered a sheriff’s position is something that I never dreamed would happen, but it would allow me… us… to put down roots and start creating our own legacy.” Warren glanced down at their hands as he added, “I may have been offered the position of sheriff, but it is yours if you want it.”

  “Pardon?”

  “You are more than qualified to be sheriff. And frankly, I just want you,” Warren said with determination, bringing his gaze up. “I will give you anything to stay married to me, because somehow, you have taken a hardened heart that has been closed off from the world and thawed it. Now, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “I don’t want the sheriff’s position, Warren.” A tear leaked out of her eye, and she brought up her hand to swipe it away. “I just want you as well, but,” she hesitated, knowing she was putting her heart on her sleeve, “I have fallen in love with you. And I want… no, deserve more in a marriage.”

  Warren’s eyes seemed to bore into hers. “My job was to train you to be a Pinkerton agent, but I was so busy training you, that I failed to see what was right in front of me.” He gave her a tentative smile. “A remarkable, extraordinary woman that has been teaching me this whole time.”

  For a long moment, her eyes searched his face disbelievingly, not daring to hope.

  He cupped her cheeks. “I love you, Mrs. Audrey Rockwell, and I refuse to let you go without a fight. Please stay married to me. Raise a family with me.” He gave her a weak smile. “If you want to remain a Pinkerton agent, then we will go on to our next assignment. Or, if you want to go back to Cincinnati, I will follow you. I am sure that I can get work at…”

  Audrey couldn’t control the tears that now flowed freely. Her smile lit up her face. “I love you, too, Warren Rockwell. And yes, that is exactly what I want.”

  “You want to go back to Cincinnati?” he asked.

  She brought her hands up to cover his and laughed. “No, I want to stay with you in Hickory Creek. However, only on the condition that you are the sheriff.”

  “Will you please be my deputy?”

  Audrey nodded enthusiastically. “At least, until I am with child.”

  Warren gave her a flirtatious smile as he leaned closer, murmuring her name. Softly and slowly, he kissed his way from her tear-stained cheeks to the edges of her lips. When his lips finally brushed up against hers, Audrey wound her arms around him, grasping his neck. His kiss was gentle, full of promise, and painstakingly perfect.

  Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss as she melted against him. His lips left hers and started trailing kisses down the length of her neck. Unexpectedly, he jumped up from his seat and scooped her up in his arms.

  Placing her arms around his neck, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  As he walked swiftly through the trees, he gave her a boyish grin. “I’m taking you to the sheriff’s office, so we can be married again.”

  Snuggling closer to him, she whispered in his ear, “Since we are already married, why don’t we just finish this conversation in our honeymoon suite?”

  His steps faltered, and he stopped to look at her. “Don’t you want to hear the ceremony again? After all, we were not really paying attention the first time.”

  She kissed him, her lips lingering softly on his. “I heard enough. I will love, honor, and cherish you, ‘til death do us part.”

  Tilting his head to meet hers, their foreheads touched as he repeated, “And I will love, honor, and cherish you ‘til death do us part. And now, I think I’ll kiss the bride.” He kissed her tenderly.

  She returned his kiss, then pulled back, grinning flirtatiously. She pointed toward the hotel. “Now, husband, off to the honeymoon suite. I want to claim my wifely rights.”

  Laughing loudly, Warren started jogging toward the hotel. “Life with you will never be dull.”

  As Warren cradled her close to his chest, she relaxed in his arms, knowing that home wasn’t a place. It
was right here, safe in his arms. And that was all that she had ever wanted; a place to call home.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  Warren whistled as he strode down the boardwalk. The sun was bright, the birds were chirping, and he was in a fine mood. The crime in his town had gone down significantly since he’d taken the position as the sheriff. Not only did he enjoy working side by side with Audrey as his deputy, but he’d learned to appreciate her keen mind and insights on how to keep the citizens of Hickory Creek safe.

  With the town’s approval, they closed Ruby’s Theatre, relocated the saloons away from Main Street, and established a curfew for the citizens, thus eliminating most of the drunk and disorderly conduct. Furthermore, Dr. McCaskill opened a new medical practice, and Audrey graciously donated funds for a new church to be built. As a result, families began moving to Hickory Creek, and the town had grown considerably over this past year.

  Mayor Brown walked out of the general store and waved. “Good morning, sheriff.”

  “Morning,” he acknowledged with a tip of his hat.

  Matching his stride, Mayor Brown said, “The town council approved the new deputy request that you submitted.”

  Warren smiled. “That’s great news. Now I just have to convince Audrey to stop working.”

  Mayor Brown gave him a puzzled look. “Why don’t you just fire her?”

  Approaching his office, Warren chuckled under his breath. “Don’t you think I already tried that?”

  Mayor Brown stopped at the door and gave him a pointed look. “Would you like me to fire her?”

  Eager to see how this would play out, Warren nodded. “That sounds like a fantastic idea. Would you mind?”

  “Not a problem,” Mayor Brown said, opening the door and walking inside.

  Warren followed him in and closed the door behind him. Audrey was just as he had left her earlier, sitting at her desk, busy with the mundane task of paperwork. She looked up when Mayor Brown walked in, and she smiled sweetly at him.

  “Mayor Brown, what a pleasure to see you today.”

  The mayor pulled off his hat. “The town appreciates your service, Mrs. Rockwell.” His hands started fidgeting with the hat. “But we are letting you go as the town’s deputy.”