At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(81)

“I just called to thank you,” Jana said. “You really did save my life.”

That took him by surprise. “You’re welcome.”

“I have some news that I wanted to share with you,” she said.

He waited, still bracing himself.

“You know about my son, Joshua. Well, I’m going to be his nanny again for a while until Buzz Atwater and I get married.”

“What? I thought he was going to jail for insurance fraud.”

“It wasn’t him,” she said. “It was his wife. She’d been taking all the real jewels out of the jewelry he’d given her and replacing them with fake ones, then working with the sheriff to have the most expensive ones stolen. Buzz had no idea until the emerald-and-diamond one was stolen a second time. That’s when she confessed what she’d been doing with the sheriff. They’re getting divorced. Buzz and I are moving to Houston and starting over—once my legal problems are behind me. Buzz has hired me a good lawyer. We’re going to be a family.”

“Jana...” He started to warn her about getting her heart broken but realized it would be a waste of breath. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for...everything,” she said.

He disconnected and hoped Jana had a happy ending—for her son’s sake—and went to tell Alexis the news.

ALEXIS HAD WAITED until almost the wedding to have the final fitting for her dress since her body seemed to change daily. She’d already packed to spend the night with her parents. Culhane had insisted so he could surprise her tomorrow when she arrived at the ranch. She loved his excitement about the wedding. Added to her own, they were both almost giddy with it.

“I’m all packed,” she announced. “Are you sure you don’t need help with the wedding plans?” she asked Culhane, seeing that he looked worried.

“The wedding is coming along fine,” he said and seemed to hesitate. “They still haven’t found Cline. Please be careful, okay?”

“I will.” She hated to even mention her last appointment with the seamstress. “I have a dress fitting in an hour.” She splayed her hands over her stomach. “Your son is to blame.”

“In an hour? I’ll go with you.”

“Culhane, you can’t go with me. You can’t see the dress before tomorrow.”

His phone rang. “I have to take this.” He stepped into the other room and closed the door. When he came back out, he said, “I have several deliveries coming that I have to sign for. Maybe you can get your mother to go to the fitting with you.”

“Mom’s busy getting dinner ready for tonight, remember? Culhane, I’ll be fine.”

He moved to her to take her shoulders in his hands. “Promise me you’ll be careful and that you’ll call me when you leave the bridal shop.”

She smiled. “I promise.” But she could see that he was still worried.

“Take your gun,” he said.

She pulled back to look at him in surprise. “Culhane—”

“Do it for me and Junior.”

She smiled. “Junior?” He shrugged and gave her a shy grin. “All right. But I’m not sure how my shoulder holster will look with my wedding dress,” she said jokingly. She went to the closet, reached up on the top shelf and pulled down her weapon. Strapping it on, she reached for her coat. “It won’t be long before I call you.”

“Good,” he said. “You’ll go straight to your parents’ house, right?”

“Yes, and I’ll see you there. Don’t forget, Christmas Eve dinner is at six.”

“I won’t forget.” He drew her close. “Stay safe.”

“You, too,” she said and kissed him and left. It worried her that he was so worried about Cline. As neurologically injured as the deputy was, it surprised her that he hadn’t been picked up yet. What if he’d gone off somewhere and died? She shuddered at the thought. That would mean that ultimately she had killed him.

Alexis parked down the block from the bridal shop and joined those still shopping on the crowded sidewalk. She could hear Christmas music and bells ringing. As everyone scurried past, there was excitement in the air. She breathed it in, smiling to herself. She couldn’t remember ever being this happy. She was getting married tomorrow. To Culhane Travis. Her smile broadened as she reached the shop. She couldn’t wait to try on her dress.

CULHANE WENT TO work getting the house ready for the wedding. He wished more than ever that his mother was here to tell him what he was doing would make his bride happy. He was winging it. For a man who didn’t plan, he had a plan. That always made him nervous.

With such a tight deadline, he had to scramble to get the cake and the band and the flowers—and offer double the cost. He didn’t care. It was worth it. He wanted Alexis to have her dream wedding.

As it started to come together, he began to breathe a sigh of relief. He really might be able to make this happen. It took his mind off Garwood and what might or might not be happening.

“Deputy Dick Furu is singing like a canary,” Al said when he called. “We had no idea of all the illegal stuff the sheriff was involved in. But Furu did. Not just that, the deputy kept track of all of it with receipts and photos and recorded phone calls.”