Lorenda sat in a swing on the back porch of her in-laws' cabin-style home, which backed up to several acres of land and had a nice stream running through the south side of the property. Jaycee and Trevor cast fishing lines into the stream, the soft sound of the running water soothing her. Brought peace to her after a very trying and troubling day.

Sierra. Her entire life had become trying and troubling.

She heard the shrill ring of a landline echo from inside the house and Badass Becky's muffled voice as she answered it.

Lorenda kept swinging. Kept listening to the babbling stream. Kept watching her two wonderful boys fish. Kept waiting for Mitchell to call.

He didn't.

Becky appeared at the screen door. "I just got word from Maureen at the sheriff's office." Her mother-in-law walked onto the porch and took a seat in the swing next to Lorenda. And it dawned on her that Becky looked more at peace than Lorenda had ever seen her.

"What's up?" she asked.

That's all it took for a dam of tears to break in the strongest woman Lorenda had ever met. Decades of a mother's worries came flooding out as relief took hold, and Becky told her the whole story about Bart and the mugger and Mitchell finally being free. Which meant Lorenda was safe and so, so wrong to dismiss Mitchell's instincts.

Becky pulled Lorenda into a hug. "Thank you, hon, for finally telling us the truth. For clearing Mitchell's name, so he can finally find himself. Cameron was a good boy, but he was a kid, and kids make mistakes. Mitchell's been carrying around a burden for all of us since he was very young. It was time to put an end to it."

Lorenda needed to find him. Tell him how wrong she'd been about Bart and how sorry she was. "Becky, can the kids stay here for a little while so I can go talk to Mitchell?"

"Of course." She wiped her eyes.

Lorenda found her purse and got into her SUV. Before she could pull out of Becky's drive, her cell rang, and a strange number from Washington, DC, popped onto the screen. She frowned at it and answered.

"Uh." A strange male voice came through.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. This is Allen Carson. I'm looking for Mitchell Lawson." His tone sounded confused. Then a muffled cuss word sounded in her ear. "I forgot he told me not to call this number."

"I'm Lorenda Lawson, Mitchell's wife."

Several beats of silence went by. "Mitch . . . Mitchell's wife?" Allen asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize he got married. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Can I take a message?"

His sigh was heavy. "Look, I really shouldn't be talking to you about this, but now some things make more sense." He cleared his throat. "Mitchell was set to take a high-paying job with my security company, where he'd be in charge of his own team." He paused. "In Afghanistan."

Fear ricocheted through her. "I see. Go on."

"He'd put off taking the job for family reasons." More throat clearing. "Until today."

Lorenda blinked. Several times, letting that soak in. Her heart pounded so hard she could actually feel it beating against her chest. "If you're telling me all of this, then there must be a reason."

"There is." Allen's tone was coarse. "Mitchell might get pissed. Might even want to kick my ass, but marriage and this job don't always mix. Probably why he didn't tell me about the change in his marital status when he called today. I'm guessing by your reaction you didn't know about the job?"

"No, I didn't." She tried to keep her voice from shaking. Wasn't happening. "So I need you to tell me what he said."

Apparently Allen drew in a breath, because it came through the phone loud and clear. "Something about him being poison to the people he loved, and they were better off without him."

Lorenda hoped she was one of the people he loved, but he still hadn't said it.

"This job is high stress. I've seen it take its toll on a lot of marriages."

Lorenda could vouch for that.

"That's why I'm not married. Obviously you and Mitchell have some talking to do before he reports. If you two decide this job is right for him, then tell him to call me."

"I will." She backed up, put the car in drive, and spun out. She headed to Joe's, because that's where she could be sure to find the biggest audience, which would spread what she needed to say as quick as lightning. And she had a pretty good idea why Mitchell thought he was poison to the people he loved. It was because this town, including her, had made him feel like poison. "And, Allen," she said. "Thanks."

"Sure thing. I hope everything works out."

Lorenda ran two stop signs and broke at least three traffic laws before skidding to a halt in front of Joe's. She didn't even stop to close the door of her SUV before taking the wood steps two at a time and crashing through the front door.

The place was packed, and the musicians were setting up in the corner on the far side of the long bar.

"Hey, Lorenda." When Dylan saw the look on her face, he stopped. "Everything okay?"

"No. Nothing's okay. I plan to make it right, if I can." Time to find that backbone she'd never had the courage to use.

Miranda hurried over. "What's wrong? You look like you're ready to take on the world."

"Do your whistle thing, and get everyone's attention," Lorenda said, because Miranda had a way of bringing an entire town to order with her authoritative whistle. "I've got something to say to everyone in Red River, and, God as my witness, I'm going to say it today, even if it's the last thing I do in this town."

Just like the BFF Lorenda knew she was, Miranda put two fingers between her lips without asking for an explanation. A loud, sharp whistle ripped through the restaurant, bringing the entire establishment to a halt. Every last head in the place turned in their direction.

Lorenda so needed to learn how to whistle like a badass.

She cleared her throat. "I assume you've all heard the news about the man who attacked me and who put him up to it." It wasn't a question, because everyone in a four-state radius had probably heard. "I'd already told you that Mitchell didn't start the fire that destroyed Joe's, and now you know the truth about the recent fires."

A lot of guilty expressions looked back at her from the crowd.

"I kept saying he was innocent, but most of you wouldn't listen." She fought off the sting in her eyes. "I'm just as guilty as the rest of you. I didn't listen when my husband said I was in danger and that Bart had something to do with it."

She swallowed, tears welling in her eyes at how she must've made Mitchell feel just as alone as everyone else had. Like the entire world was against him. He'd put everything on the line to protect her and the boys, and she'd repaid him by dismissing his concerns. She'd even called him an alpha ass.

Maybe an alpha ass-the very thing she'd been avoiding since her first marriage ended-was exactly what she needed. Exactly what she wanted.

Mitchell. He was what she wanted and needed, and she'd move heaven and earth to show him.

"I'm ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed of this town, because we're better than that. Or we should be. Mitchell is one of ours, and he should've been treated like it. If we can't all start treating him the way he deserves, then I don't think I belong here either."

She had a choice to make, and she was choosing Mitchell. Anyone who didn't like it could bite her.

Murmurs floated through the room.

Now all she had to do was go find her husband and ask him once and for all if he wanted to be with her for real. No more faux marriage. No more great sex without a long-term commitment to make it work. She was in it forever, and she wanted to know if he was too, even if that meant spending their forever somewhere other than Red River.

Because her home was with Mitchell, and she wanted his home to be with her. Not a town that didn't see him for the wonderful man that he was.

She swung around to go find him.

And bumped right into a hard wall of muscled stealth.

"Ooff!" She tried to step back, but Mitchell's arms circled around her waist and hauled her against him.

"You going somewhere?" His tone was soft. Sentimental. Sexy.

A fire started down below. The good kind that simmered through her veins and set her girl parts to a flaming heat.

"Funny." She tilted her head back to look into his smoldering eyes. "I was going to find you so I could ask you the same thing. I talked to your boss."

"So did I. He just called me and filled me in on his conversation with you." His eyes searched hers. "I told him Afghanistan wasn't on my list of most desirable places to work." His fingers caressed the small of her back. "So, I was thinking about settling down. Becoming domesticated. Maybe getting a wife, and a dog, and a couple of kids. Know anyone who might be interested?"

"The only person I know who might be remotely interested wants someone she can depend on. Someone who will always be there for her." The color of his dark eyes grew even more intense, filling with emotions that made her heart expand and fill too. "You were going to leave me."

His breaths were fast and hard like he'd run all the way to Joe's. "I was." His honesty and his regret showed in the tightness of his jaw. "But then I remembered something important you said."

"What would that be?" Hopefully not the alpha ass part.

"You said you loved me."

"I did say that. I do love you."

"I love you too, babe." He glanced over her shoulder, looking around the silenced room. "I don't know if that's good for you and the boys or not." He ran his hand up her back.

The love in his words and in his expression stole the air from the room.

"Life doesn't have to be perfect," she whispered, because it was hard to speak. "We want to be with you, no matter where that takes us." She swallowed. "Even if we can't stay here in Red River."

"Does that mean I don't have to sign up with an online dating service to find a wife?" he teased. "Because Minx could probably help me out with that if I can fix your old phone. She already tried to sign us up a few weeks ago."

"That little hussy can stay broken, because you're taken," Lorenda teased.

He brushed Lorenda's hair back over her shoulder with a tender touch. "I don't know what I'll do for a job. We'll have to discuss our options, but I want you to be part of that decision. No more making decisions about our future without your input, I promise."

Two scratchy female throats cleared somewhere behind her.

"Ouch!" Joe said as Clydelle poked him in the leg with her cane. Francine raised her ginormous purse like she was threatening him. "Okay, okay." He lumbered toward them, mumbling something about two old hens. "Mitchell, I don't know about everybody in Red River, but I know some of us feel real bad about everything." He turned back to look at Clydelle and Francine. They gave him a go on motion. "And well, we were thinking that the sheriff sure could use some help." Joe gave Mitchell a sincere look. "There's no one better qualified than you."

Some applause and a lot of "amens" rounded the room.

For the first time that Lorenda could remember, Mitchell looked choked up in a good way. He glanced around the room. "Only if people in Red River want me as their deputy. I won't take the job if all I'm going to get is resistance from the people I'm supposed to serve. I had enough of that in the military." His gaze found hers again. "And only if my wife agrees, after we've have a chance to talk about it."

She kissed him then. Soft and sweet. When she broke the kiss, he pulled her into his neck. She nuzzled the ropey muscles, and he placed a kiss at her temple.

"I think this is where I'm supposed to ask the woman I love if she'll marry me, but we're already married," he whispered so no one else could hear. "So instead I'll ask you to make it forever."

"Forever is a long time," she whispered back, and he tensed. "So let's go home and get started on it."

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

Brandenburg Park had transformed into a magical fairy-tale setting by Saturday night. Twinkling white lights draped the gazebo and most of the trees. All of Lorenda's music students had returned to the program and filled their seats to participate in the concert, and Andrea was ready to perform her flute solo.

Every seat in the audience was full, with the overflow crowd spreading blankets on the grass to listen to the kids.

Daniel Summerall sat front and center, a leggy blonde on his arm.

Lorenda scanned the crowd. Her pulse revved when her gaze landed on Red River's sexy new deputy standing at the back of the park, holding up a large tree. He still wore Levi's and combat boots, but his trademark black T-shirt had been replaced by an official department-issue deputy shirt. His badge was anchored to his belt, and his holstered Glock made him look even more badass.

Lorenda's mouth watered, and she licked her lips.

One side of his mouth curved into a naughty, knowing smile, like he could read her thoughts all the way from the back of the park.

Lorenda turned to the kids and had them tune their instruments to the oboe player.

The crowd quieted, and as if the heavens had opened up, the kids played to perfection. Okay, so not really to perfection, but it was like angels singing to Lorenda's trained ears. Because they were kids, learning the joy of music. Learning the skill of playing music, which would challenge their brainpower and open up a whole new world to them.

When the concert was over, Lorenda had the kids take a bow and then directed the audience to enjoy refreshments served by her best friends.

As she walked off the gazebo steps, Daniel captured her arm. "Great job, Lorenda. You've got my support." He looked around the park. "I've rarely seen this much community interest. If you can pull something like this off so well, then I'm in."

"Thank you, Daniel." She shook his hand, and he went back to his bombshell date.

Lorenda went to find her husband.

She scanned the row of trees that lined the back of the park where he'd been standing, but he was gone. She kept walking, looking, searching. Until strong arms reached from behind a large oak and snatched her up, hauling her behind it into the shadows.

"Hi." Mitchell covered her mouth with his.

"Hello, Deputy," she whispered between his soft, sweet kisses.

"You did great." He nuzzled her neck. "I'm so proud of you."

"The kids did great, not me." Her breathing picked up speed as his hot mouth got familiar with her neck. "And their parents deserve credit for letting them come back to rehearsals. Daniel Summerall is going to endorse the program."

"I knew you could do it." His eyes anchored to her mouth, and he dipped his head to pull her bottom lip between his teeth for a nip.

Her hands slid around his waist and landed on his cuffs.

A shiver of anticipation raced through her.