Promise Made (The Callahan Series) (2 page)

It happened every damn time she showed up. His cell phone rang as he bounded onto the porch of the small one-bedroom, one-bath cottage that came with his job as sheriff. Without checking the ID, he opened the phone with a jerk. “Callahan!” he snapped.

It was Mary Jo, calling to confirm their date for tonight. He apologized for being so abrupt, told her he might have to work late and asked her to meet him at Molly’s. When he hung up, his thoughts lingered on the woman he’d just spoken to. Mary Jo was a lovely lady. With short, blond hair, freckles, and a quirky personality, she was a fun date. The bank had promoted her last week from teller to loan officer. Over the last few weeks Dugan had considered asking her to marry him. Something kept him quiet. The something being the time he’d stood and waited for what seemed like hours for his bride to show up.

He pushed away the memory before anger consumed him again.

The scraggly dog he’d saved a couple of weeks ago ran up beside him. Dugan scowled at the mutt. “Don’t you have a home?”

Kate would give him one. She collected strays like some people collected coins. If she found a stray, she’d take it to the house and care for it until she found it a good home. If she couldn’t find a home, she’d keep it.

For years, the back portion of Grace’s property had had several pens, three doghouses, a rabbit cage and at one time, a turtle tank. “I should give you to Kate,” he threatened. The dog looked up at him with big brown eyes. Dugan swore he grinned. “Darned dog. I’ll never get rid of you, will I?” The dog padded to the door and plopped down in a corner where he’d taken up residence. Dugan bent over, rubbed his head. Inside, he headed straight for the shower.

He frowned when he remembered how Sadie Hicks almost ran him down in her effort to tell him about Kate. Though she’d been huffing when she caught up with him, her eyes were alight when she delivered her news.

Sadie was more excited over being the first to tell him about Kate being back again than when she’d turned sixty-five last month and collected her first Social Security check.

Like always, he’d have to listen to the gossips talk about Kate from now until she left. The thought didn’t settle well. But there was nothing he could do to change the town. It was what it was. Small. Nosy. Everyone knew too much about their neighbors. It had always been like this and wasn’t about to change now.

Still—didn’t they know he’d gone on with his life? That for the last year he’d been dating Mary Jo? Sure they did. Except it didn’t mean a thing to them. Kate would get them started again. Nothing had been juicier than when Deputy Dugan Callahan was left at the altar.

Even though he’d only seen Kate for a short five minutes he was totally unprepared for the anger she evoked. He threw a towel over his shoulder when he stepped out of the shower and scowled into the mirror. Green eyes glowered back. He raised a hand, ran it across his chin—his cheeks. He didn’t look the same as he had five years ago. The lines around his eyes hadn’t been there.
Was that a gray hair?

I’m not the same dumb kid who figured the world was mine for the taking.

Kate had changed too. Even in the semi-darkness, he’d seen the subtle changes. Like the expensive jeans and jacket he’d caught a glimpse of—the leather bag. Others were those that came with adulthood. Like the way her hair was styled all smooth and shiny where it had once been wild and curly.

He tamped down the anger. Kate had been out of his life a long time now. Despite the reminders the townspeople were sure to shower on his head, she would stay out. Running was in her blood.

Dressed now, he grabbed the last cup of coffee from his coffee machine, turned the pot off, and walked out the door. He bent down to rub the dog behind the ears again. Mutt thought he lived here. Then Dugan walked the hundred yards to the office next door.

As usual, the dog followed.

He kept a tight rein on his facial expression as he opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, every head turned his way.

His dispatcher, Sybil Wells, gave him a hard look. He should have known. “Morning, everyone.”

Sybil’s mouth turned down in disapproval.

Sybil was an attractive forty-something woman who’d made it clear from her first day on the job she wouldn’t mind if the two of them struck up a relationship. Didn’t matter she was almost ten years his senior.

No way. He didn’t get involved with female co-workers, no matter what their age. And wouldn’t. He wasn’t even sure she was a true friend. Not like his number one deputy, Jonathan, who was still down with the flu.

Dugan’s first order of business would be to call and see how Jon was doing. It wasn’t like him to be sick this long. But the flu had kept him out all week and they’d all suffered for it.

Their numbers were small. When anyone was out, they played catch-up.

It was clear Sybil had heard the news. She didn’t like Kate, but wouldn’t be rude enough to voice it.

His other deputy, Ralph Selby, on the other hand, still brought her name up on occasion. Mostly to ask Dugan what the hell he did to make her run away. Ralph’s wide grin and twinkling eyes made Dugan want to hit something.

You’d think after all this time, his and Kate’s past would be just that—the past. Forget it. Leave it alone. It’s over.

Not in this town.

Dugan walked to his office at his regular pace, stopped at Sybil’s desk. “What’s going on this morning?”

“Nothing you don’t know about,” she answered with a trace of knowing mixed with sarcasm.

Okay. So everyone in town had heard the news. The grapevine was alive and well. Kate Maroney was making her usual hit and run visit to town and Sheriff Dugan Callahan had given her a ticket. That should keep them talking for a while. The busybodies would think he’d pulled her over on purpose.

It didn’t matter what they thought, except he’d have to live with what they said.

He shut the door to his office, put his Stetson on the rack, and sat down with a sigh. He wanted the day over and it hadn’t even started. He picked up the phone and started his calls.

The dog had followed him in and plopped down in the corner, his eyes never leaving Dugan.

It was going to be a long day.

Chapter Two

Morning came with a blast of sun in her eyes. It didn’t take Kate long to throw on a robe and go to the kitchen where her grandmother waited. The sense of relief, peace, and safety exhilarated her. Her problem was still there, only now it seemed further away. Here she could think. She took a seat in the breakfast nook next to her gram. Yogi, the small terrier Kate had had for years, lay at her feet. Across the room, Heidi gave him annoyed “Are you still alive?” looks. Every so often, Kate would put a hand down to rub Yogi’s back. “I missed you, Yogi.”

Gram chuckled. “He should be accustomed to your short visits by now, but every time you leave, he mourns.”

“Don’t tell me that. It makes me feel bad.”

“Didn’t mean to. I know you can’t have a dog in your condo.” She looked over at Heidi. “Heidi gives you enough company and I’m delighted to have Yogi as a companion.”

Kate forked up a piece of pie.

“Not a very nourishing breakfast, Katie-Girl.”

“I dream of your coconut pie, Gram. Don’t deny me my pleasure.”

Gram patted her arm.

Kate took another bite, slid a look at her grandmother. “You’re amazing. No matter how much time has passed since I’ve seen you, you don’t age a day. How do you do it?”

Gram put her mug of coffee to her lips, took a sip. “You always say that. It’s not true, you know. I’m getting old.”

“You may be seventy, Gram. But you don’t look or act it.”

“I certainly hope not,” she huffed and pulled herself up tall and straight.

Gram had on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt with a long-sleeved jean shirt over her slim form. Her short, white hair was brushed back from her face; her blue eyes twinkled. She looked amazing, even more vibrant since Kate’s last visit. “I hope I look half as good as you when I’m your age.”

Gram pushed an unruly lock of dark hair from Kate’s face. “You’re a rare beauty, Kaitlin. Now, why don’t you tell me why you’ve come for a visit in the middle of May when you were just here for Easter? Not that I don’t love you being here. It’s just not like you. You’re always so busy.”

Kate scraped the last bite of pie off the plate, put it in her mouth. She didn’t want to answer Gram’s question just yet. Actually, she didn’t know where to start. They could talk later.

“You really don’t mind?”

“Silly girl. I not only don’t mind, I wish you’d stay. This is your home.”

She had taken an abrupt leave of absence yesterday and walked out on her boss without taking anything but a few clothes with her. All of her law books still sat on the bookshelves in her office. Her condo had dishes in the dishwasher.

“Are you really happy in Austin, Katie-Girl?” Gram asked with her usual astuteness.

Kate didn’t answer. Instead, she looked out the window at Gram’s beautiful roses. The scent wafted through the open window. It smelled of home.

She was happy here. Had come to love the place after Gram took her in thirteen years ago. It was easy to gripe that the town was full of busybodies. But, in a way, it was a comfort. They took care of one another. There wasn’t a person in the county who went hungry or had their utilities cut off for lack of payment. Someone always found out and miraculously fixed the problem.

Not like the big city.

Kate didn’t know her next-door neighbor in her high-rise condo complex. On the street, people nodded to one another, but didn’t speak. Not that they were standoffish; they were busy.

Here in the Hill Country, especially in Oaktree, it was customary to stop and talk. It was rude to do otherwise. Besides, how else would anyone learn what was going on?

She stood, took her plate to the sink, rinsed it, then helped herself to more coffee. “Refill?” she asked.

“Sure,” her grandmother said with some reluctance, though she lifted her cup so Kate could pour. “It’s a lovely day. What would you like to do?”

Kate grimaced. “I don’t have a choice. I have to pay the fine for the speeding ticket I got last night. Then I think I’ll take a walk.”

“You drive too fast, Katie-Girl. Maybe a ticket will slow you down.”

Chuckling, Kate sat back down. “I try to watch it. Honestly, I didn’t know I was speeding. But Dugan did.”

“Dugan gave you a ticket?” Gram asked, her face one big surprise.

“You don’t think for one minute your honest-as-the-day-is-long sheriff would let me off with a warning, do you?”

Gram sniffed. “That’s what makes him a good sheriff.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I deserved it. So I’ll pay up and not complain.”

“All right.” Gram stood, walked to the door. “Since you’re busy this morning, I’m going for my walk. We’ll talk later?”

“Of course. I'll be here.” Kate followed her to the door. Gram hurried down the front walk to the street, looked left, then right. Gram seemed antsy this morning, twisting her hands in her lap, stealing glances at the clock as if she couldn’t wait to get out of the house. It wasn’t like her.

In the bathroom, Kate looked in the mirror, wondered if Dugan had seen the changes. Probably not. It had been dark, so he couldn’t see much. She hoped he didn’t see the worry lines around her eyes or the strained look on her face. Not that it mattered. He was part of her past.

She didn’t use much make-up, just a touch of color to her lips. Then, dropping her robe, she put on her jeans and T-shirt, added a light jacket, and stepped outside.

Gram was right. It was a beautiful day. She opted to walk the four blocks to the courthouse.

As she walked down the driveway to the street, she was reminded of the first time she’d seen Gram’s house. She’d just turned thirteen. How afraid she’d been—how alone and devastated she'd felt that day.

It had taken a while, but Gram had made it right.

When she got to the gate, she looked back at the house that had been her home until she left for Austin. It was an old two-story, built in the forties. But Gram kept it in good repair, had even added an extra bath upstairs. Green shutters gleamed against whiter than white painted boards. Ivy climbed toward the windows in green trails. Multi-colored flowers; everything from zinnias to petunias, bloomed in beds that didn’t sport a single weed.

Kate loved this house. This place.

Each time she came home for a visit, it got harder to leave. Maybe this time she wouldn’t. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Couldn’t.

Her gaze went to the old Connor place next door. What a difference. The houses were probably close to the same age, but the Connors’ had been vacant for so long it had fallen into disrepair. The roof actually looked as if it was about to cave in.

Thank goodness a large span of yard separated them.

As she made her way to the courthouse she was stopped at least a dozen times with more questions than she could answer.

Still, the sameness was a comfort. She didn’t feel as if she were being judged. It was such a great feeling that she smiled at Emma Wells, one of the town’s biggest gossips, and decided she might actually stay a full week or more this time around.

Which was a huge change from her usual Christmas, Easter, and birthday visits. In between, Gram came to Austin to visit her. There, they’d go to the museum, take in a movie, go out to eat, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

They often talked of taking a vacation together, but so far Kate hadn’t had the time.

With so few visits, it was no wonder everyone in town was curious. But she
had
been busy. From her first day on the job until now, she’d juggled an enormous workload. In the process, she’d made a name for herself. A good one.

And now she was running away again. If she were ever to have the life she wanted, this had to stop.

To avoid another encounter with Dugan she stayed on the opposite side of the street from the sheriff’s office. One encounter was enough.

“Hey, Kate.”

She recognized the voice and turned. “Scott! Good to see you.”

She smiled as Scott Bishop trotted up the sidewalk toward her.