The Prodigal's Return

That part hurt, but Laurel had to remind herself that it was only natural. Jeremy wasn’t her little boy anymore. He was a young man, and this was going to come as a shock to him, no matter what.

His voice conveyed that shock and anger. “Help me out here, Gina. Make her see how crazy this is.”

The brunette shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “As much as I’d hate to see your mom move, it’s not so crazy. I could get her a small fortune for this house. She could probably buy the biggest mansion in that little town you guys are from—”

“It’s Friedens—and Mom, what would I do back there? You may miss it, but I sure don’t. I’ve never lived there, remember?” His brown eyes glowed with emotion.

“All too well.”

Gina watched them both, as if observing a game of ping pong. Wisely, she was saying nothing.

Jeremy kept glaring. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you’ve grown up in a different place both physically and emotionally. And I remember it every time you answer me in that tone of voice, every time you nag for the latest electronic gadget. You remind me each time you try to talk me into letting you sleep in on Sunday morning because you’ve stayed up too late in a chat room or with one of your buddies doing skateboard tricks out on that ramp you set up on the driveway.”

“Like none of that would happen in Missouri?” Jeremy huffed. “Well, I know the skateboard part wouldn’t happen, because I didn’t see another skater the whole time we were there for Grandpa’s wedding. Not one.”

Laurel suspected Jeremy might be right, but she replied, “There have to be some there. I can’t imagine even a place as backward as Friedens, Missouri, being totally devoid of skateboarders. And if it is, you’ll start a new trend by being the coolest guy in town.”

The light went out of Jeremy’s face. “So you’re serious about this?”

Laurel nodded. “I am. Jer, I miss my family. I feel really rotten that I wasn’t there when my dad and my sisters needed me this week. And I want to go back and help Grandpa Sam with stuff. Besides, I think it would be great if I could give you a lot more freedom than I’m ever going to be comfortable giving you here.”

That got his attention. Gina nodded while he wasn’t watching her, to give Laurel encouragement that she might be on the right track.

“What kind of freedom?” Jeremy asked.

Laurel tried to frame her thoughts, so that she could be honest and still appeal to her son. “A whole bunch of kinds, really. The freedom to wander around town without me worrying what kind of trouble you could get into every moment. The freedom to have lots of people you could go talk to about a problem if you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Like who?”

His voice held challenge, but there was also interest. Laurel felt that maybe he was considering the idea. “Like your uncle Ben or either of your grandpas, or even that pastor at Grandpa Hank’s church that you thought was so cool.”

“The one that made the jokes at the wedding? He was pretty cool. I could probably even stand listening to him, if only I didn’t have to get up before daylight to do it.”

Laurel reached out and took his hands. She was amazed at how they dwarfed hers. Jeremy wasn’t anywhere near grown-up in intellect, but his body was making man-size leaps into maturity. She was in awe every day that this was the child to whom she had given birth. Fourteen years didn’t seem like nearly enough time for this kind of transformation.

“So you’d give it a shot? For me?” she asked.

“I guess. Are you going to let Gina sell our house right away?”

“No. We’ll go out and stay with Grandpa Sam. Don’t roll your eyes when I say this, but I’m going to have to pray a while first about any decision as big as selling the house.” She could see her son fighting a grin, and the urge to roll his eyes. “Hey, so you have an old-fashioned mother who prefers to take all decisions, no matter how large or small, to the Lord.”

Now Jeremy’s normal, rather impish grin was back. “Actually, I like that part. That way I can pray at the same time, and see if God might be on my side this time and move us back here.”

“Don’t hold your breath on that one, sport. Not right away, for sure.”

She let go of his hands, and Jeremy straightened. He dashed the brown hair out of his face.

“So how much time do I have?”

Somehow he reminded her of the valiant hero facing the firing squad. She was sure that was the image he wanted to project.

She did some quick mental calculating. “I can’t very well just pack up tomorrow. If I take a week, will it give you enough time to tell your friends, and skate all your favorite places a few times?”

“How about ten days. I have a lot of friends. And a lot of favorite places.” He sounded wistful. For a moment Laurel wondered if she really was doing the right thing.

As if to answer her, the telephone rang, and she looked for the handset to the cordless. Of course it wasn’t there.

Jeremy shrugged. “Not my problem this time. I haven’t used the phone since I was on the computer last night with Bill playing games…” His voice trailed off. “Which means it’s probably there, huh? I’ll go get it.”

He headed off in search of the phone and Laurel sat back down with Gina. “So what do you think? Am I as crazy as Jeremy believes I am?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m in trouble either way I answer. If I tell you you’re making a crazy impulsive decision, you’ll argue with me. And if I tell you it sounds great and to go for it, I’m losing my best friend.”

“I guess it’s hardly fair to ask you to take sides,” Laurel conceded. “But tell me more about selling this house. I never thought I’d say this, but I think it’s time.”

Friedens—Ten days later

Every new day as acting sheriff brought Tripp more challenges. He was near the two week mark now. At least he wasn’t bored. The temperature in the office didn’t bother him as much anymore. He’d gotten used to drinking decent coffee on a regular basis. Now that he was in the office as sheriff, instead of out patrolling as a deputy, he had developed more of a rapport with Verna. She didn’t intimidate him as much, although he did still feel as if he were being inspected.

Mrs. Baker and a few of her friends seemed to stop by daily with something that got under their skin. Sometimes he could hear Verna out in the main office pacifying them. On those days he considered whether Verna needed a raise. But some times the Old Ladies Brigade couldn’t be stopped that easily. Tripp told himself he had to stop referring to them that way even in his own mind, or he’d slip and end up saying it out loud. Even if he were only talking to Verna it wouldn’t be a good idea: she was probably related to half the brigade.

Over the past couple of days, they appeared to be on a rampage. Their problems were so petty. They ranged from kids still shooting off leftover bottle rockets from the Fourth of July, to threatening dogs, to parking tickets he’d missed.

After years of solving real problems in big city homicide, Tripp now kept telling himself that Lillian Baker and her friends should be a piece of cake. He was having a hard time holding his temper in check when their complaints turned out to be so minor that they weren’t worth his time to investigate.

Didn’t they ever have any real crime here? He knew that Hank had broken up a methamphetamine ring, because Tripp had worked some of the busts himself. It was the only major crime he could recall since living in Friedens. No murders, no other drug rings or even major burglaries. If somebody had a gun, they were probably hunting animals in season, and had a legal permit. Even the local merchants didn’t report much shoplifting.

Tripp could hear Lillian Baker out there again, talking something over with Verna. His department secretary and part-time dispatcher was beginning to grow on him. She had the patience of a saint, and more common sense than most people he could name. She knew when to pay attention to the complaints of Lillian and the crew, and when to soft-pedal them as well. So far she hadn’t been wrong. And since Hank was still recuperating from his surgery and couldn’t come in to lend a hand for quite a while yet, Verna’s good judgment was a precious commodity.

Tripp considered himself to have pretty good judgment himself, where crime and criminals were concerned. It was just that he was used to the kind of slime who shot each other on whims, dealt street drugs to their own grandmothers if necessary, and in general valued life very little. The primarily honest, fundamentally sane people of Friedens were a new experience for him. It did take a little getting used to.

Today Mrs. Baker seemed to be in the outer office by herself. He could hear her voice, sharp with complaint. Maybe it was time to go out there and give Verna a break. His coffee cup was nearly empty anyway, so he could stroll out and see what the problem was this time.

“About time you got out here,” Lillian Baker said with a sniff.

Prickles of aggravation made him want to run a finger under his collar. Who did she think she was? He tried not to sputter as he answered her. “Do you have a real problem this time, Mrs. Baker? I am not rescuing any stray animals or taking any reports of burnt bottle rockets.” He tried to look as stern as possible. Not that it had any effect on the silver-haired lady in front of him. Nothing phased her.

“No, this time it’s not anything minor. This time I think we have a federal offense on our hands.” She sounded triumphant.

She had his attention. “Tell me more.”

“I didn’t get my mail this morning. And what I had in the box didn’t go out, either. That old boat of Sam Harrison’s is parked right in front of my house, blocking the mailbox. Dorothy couldn’t get anywhere near the box. Obstructing the mail—that’s a federal offense, isn’t it?” Her bright eyes glittered with intensity.

“It probably is.” Not the kind of federal offense he was hoping for to liven up his morning, but in the long run it was easier to deal with than bank robbery. “And you’re right in coming in to report this. I told Mr. Harrison weeks ago that I didn’t want to see that car anywhere near downtown.” He turned to Verna. “I’m sure I should know the answer to this already, but do we have a boot? A car immobilizer?”

“I didn’t think you meant the kind to wear when it rains.” Verna’s tone was more humorous than sharp. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’ve never really had the need for one. And before you ask, there’s no city tow truck, either.”

“Not like working for the city of St. Louis. There I could get a car towed in twenty minutes flat, every time.”

Verna shook her head, making iron-gray perm ringlets bounce. “I didn’t say there wasn’t a tow truck in the city—just that the city didn’t own one. Max down at the Gas ’n’ Go would be more than happy to send his son down with their tow truck. They’ve been serving the sheriff that way for years.”

Tripp was learning something about small-town politics by now. “Is that why the city-owned cars fill up at the Gas ’n’ Go instead of having our own pump?”

Verna smiled. “Now you’re getting it. Should I call down there and have him meet you in front of Miz Baker’s house?”

“Please do.” He turned to Lillian Baker who stood in front of his desk, tapping a foot on the worn linoleum. “Would you like to be driven home in the sheriff’s car?”

Mrs. Baker recoiled. “I couldn’t possibly. What would the neighbors think?”

“They’ll be fine. I’ll let you ride in the front, and I promise I won’t turn on the lights or the siren. If anybody asks, you can tell them it was your reward for reporting a serious crime.”

It was the first time Tripp had seen any member of the Old Ladies Brigade smile.

An hour later Mrs. Baker had gotten her ride home in the sheriff’s car, and Tripp was done getting Sam Harrison’s aqua horror out of the Bakers’ flower bed. The car was probably a classic, and Tripp expected he should be congratulating Mr. Sam for keeping it running this long. If only the older man didn’t have the habit of leaving it in such inconvenient, not to mention illegal, places. Mr. Sam hadn’t been exactly receptive to Tripp’s last warning: this parking job was evidence of that. Fine. Let him get the heap back from behind the Gas ’n’ Go.

How much did one charge for a towing job and parking ticket in Friedens? Tripp had no idea. It just hadn’t come up since he’d got here. The few parking offenses he dealt with had been downtown meter violations, and most of those were ridiculously small fees if you stopped in at the sheriff’s office and paid them the same day.

The system here really made the guys who ran the towing business in St. Louis look like pirates. One of his old buddies had told him on the phone just last week that the highest legal tow fees were approaching $500 with storage.

He ought to point that out to Mr. Harrison when the grumpy old guy came by the sheriff’s department later today, as Tripp expected he would. Maybe then, he’d appreciate the fifty dollars or so that Tripp was sure he’d work out with Max for the use of the tow truck and his “storage” lot in back of the station.

Right now, he didn’t feel like dealing with Sam Harrison. For the first time, Tripp felt like taking a cue from Hank and stopping in at the Town Hall restaurant for a cup of coffee and a chat with the unofficial city leaders who seemed to spend most of their mornings there. He got back in the car and told Verna over the radio what he was doing. She sounded as if she approved. This day was just full of first-time experiences.

Two cups of coffee and buckets of information later, Tripp strolled up the sidewalk to the office. He was beginning to get the hang of this sheriff thing. Maybe he’d look through the case files to see what he could work on before Hank got back. If things kept going this well, he might get a commendation from his boss for doing such a great job as acting sheriff.

With that fine thought in his head, he walked into the office. There was a stranger in the front room, and she wasn’t happy. She wasn’t somebody he’d met in Friedens before. No, he’d remember a woman this well dressed. Those nails she was drumming on the counter were professionally done in pale pink. The tailored summer pantsuit she wore hadn’t come straight off the rack, judging from the way it fit her slender form to perfection.

Even seeing just the back of her, Tripp could tell that the most recent cut and style of that lush cinnamon mane had cost more than his uniform. What was Ms. Society doing in Friedens, in his office? She wasn’t a stranger to Verna, at least, because the two of them were deep in conversation.

“Tripp can straighten it all out, honey” Verna was telling her.

“I’m sure.” Her voice was cultured and frosty. “Acting Sheriff Jordan is just the man I want to see.”

“Then this is your lucky day, ma’am.” It was fun to watch her startle and whirl to face him. Her look of surprise would have been gratifying—if Tripp hadn’t been so busy keeping his jaw from dropping at the beauty in her face combined with the force of her gaze. Those flashing hazel eyes could have done him in at twenty paces. It might be her lucky day, but in an instant Tripp stopped feeling as if it was his. This woman felt like trouble.

“Mr. Jordan—”

He didn’t have time to correct her before she went on.

“Kindly tell me what’s going on here. Lurlene is gone, and I only left her twenty minutes at the most. I just know you’re behind this.”

“Gone? As in missing?” Tripp’s mind was spinning. What did this gorgeous woman have against him, and why was she so sure that he was responsible for her missing friend or relation?

“Gone. As in missing.”

She wasn’t tall enough to confront him effectively, but Tripp felt like backing up, anyway, as she came toward him. “And I know nobody took her legally, because the car keys were in my pocket the whole time.”

“So do you need to report an abduction, Ms….” Tripp fished for a name.

“Abduction? Of course not.” Her eyes narrowed and one perfect fingernail poked the middle of his chest. “You have no idea who I am, or what I’m talking about, do you.”

She had him there. Tripp shook his head, hoping she’d move away from him. Just that tiny touch of one finger on his chest was having the strangest effect on him.

“Should I know who you are?” There wasn’t anybody of celebrity status he hadn’t met in town. And nobody had any movie star relatives that he knew of.

“Don’t you remember me from the wedding?”

Tripp had attended only one wedding in recent memory, and it had been Hank’s. A vague thought was growing in the back of his mind, and it could only mean trouble. His memory of the wedding guests he’d been introduced to was spotty. He hadn’t stayed for the reception because he knew Hank would be happier if someone was minding business at the sheriff’s office. Besides, Tripp didn’t like wedding receptions that much, anyway. Too fussy and fancy and mostly feminine. It was beginning to dawn on Tripp that he probably should have gone to this wedding reception for a few moments.

“Don’t tell me you’re—” he began, only to have the woman draw herself up to full height. Her glare answered his question before her words did.

“I’m Laurel Collins Harrison. And I want Lurlene back in the next ten minutes or you have some real explaining to do, mister.” There was no mistaking her tone. It was a declaration of war.

Now he knew he was in deep trouble.

Chapter Three

Her father didn’t usually hire idiots. He tended toward men who were made from the same mold he was: canny and circumspect. Surely Tripp Jordan must have struck Hank the same way—but he wasn’t doing much for Laurel. He looked like a grounded fish the way his mouth opened and shut while he tried to answer her. No, that mouth was much more attractive than a fish’s. But still, he just didn’t strike her as up to her father’s caliber.

Someone had pointed him out briefly at the wedding, but she hadn’t gone over to say hello. Since he hadn’t bothered to come to the reception, she’d never had a conversation with him. And so far, this one wasn’t going all that well.

“Laurel? As in Hank’s daughter? That’s the Collins part, right?”

Maybe he really was dense as a doorknob. “Right. And the Harrison part is as in Sam. Which is where Lurlene comes in.”

“I can’t answer for Lurlene, whoever she is. When I towed that car, it was empty. There was nobody named Lurlene in it. She must have gotten out to look for you before we got there. Or maybe she just doesn’t like officers of the law. Mr. Sam sure doesn’t.”

She shook her head. “What have you been doing for the eight months since Daddy hired you? Don’t you know anybody around here yet?”

He stood a little taller and puffed his chest out, to look threatening. It wasn’t working. She probably knew every trick in law enforcement, which meant there was little he could do to intimidate her.

“I know plenty of people. Just not this Lurlene.”

Verna coughed discreetly. “Lurlene is Mr. Sam’s old Cadillac, Tripp.”

It was a comfort to Laurel to see relief in the man’s eyes. At least he really had been concerned when he thought he’d lost a person.

As fast as the relief had come into his expression, it faded to be replaced by aggravation.

“You really had me going, Mrs. Harrison. I thought Lurlene was a person. How am I supposed to know you’re talking about that rattletrap car?”

Laurel tried not to roll her eyes. She was definitely picking up bad habits from Jeremy. “Go out on the street and ask any five people who live in Friedens. I’ll bet you any money you’d care to wager that four out of five can tell you who Lurlene is.”

His brow knit. The expression didn’t do anything to make him look brighter. That was a shame. Laurel really wanted to give this man the benefit of the doubt. Her dad had said nice things about him. And Hank didn’t say nice things about too many people.

Tripp seemed to relax a little, then shrugged. “Maybe they could. But I can tell you one thing about that car that nobody else can. I have every right to tow it, because I told Mr. Sam over a week ago that I didn’t want to see it illegally parked within the city limits. Not ever again. And look how much attention he paid to that.”

“I don’t think you can legally take away an old man’s right to drive if he’s got a valid license.”

“I never said I was taking away his right to drive. Just reminding him he doesn’t have a right to commit illegal acts, because nobody’s got that right. And that parking job was definitely an illegal act.” He looked stern.

Now Laurel was the one who felt slightly foolish. “What if he wasn’t the one who parked it?”

Tripp shook his head. “Don’t tell me you’re going to own up to this?”

“Guilty. But am I going to have to go home and tell Mr. Sam that he let me have his car for half an hour, and I got her towed away?”

“Maybe not. Do you have fifty dollars on you?”

“Fifty dollars? That’s outrageous! Is the Gas ’n’ Go actually charging the city for towing now?”

His double take was satisfying. “How do you know what the towing arrangement is? I thought you said you didn’t even live here.”

“I may not live here, but I talk to my dad plenty. And Max has never charged the city for towing. Especially not for cars that live right here in Friedens. Lurlene is nearly a landmark. But we’ve had that discussion already and it didn’t impress you, did it.” This man got under her hide like a burr!

“Still, I’m going to have to fine you.”

Was she imagining things, or was there a sparkle in his eyes?

“We can put it in the sheriff’s department’s retirement fund if you like, or give it to some kind of charity. And whether you tell Sam or not is up to you.”

“I still say that’s outrageous. And now you’re probably going to tell me you don’t take credit cards.”

His grin was positively feral. “You know so much about this department. Has Hank ever taken plastic for anything?”

“Not even from bail bondsmen.” Laurel sighed. “At least tell me an out-of-state check is good. I have a valid California driver’s license to go with it.”

“You better. I’d hate to cite you twice in one day.”

The man was brighter than she’d thought. But he was definitely the most aggravating individual she’d met since coming home. Laurel wondered where her father’s head had been when he hired this one.

Still, when Tripp wasn’t being absolutely aggravating, he was good looking. Of course, her father would never have noticed that. Laurel was surprised she noticed it herself. When was the last time a man had teased her senses the way Tripp did? Not in a very long while, that was for sure. She suspected she’d consider him somewhat less attractive once she wrote that check for towing. It was hard to flirt with a man while you paid him to return your car.

She was a looker. Tripp tried not to stare too hard at Hank’s daughter while he drove her over to the Gas ’n’ Go to get Mr. Sam’s car. She was beautiful in ways that didn’t usually attract him. Too polished, too put-together. If he didn’t know she was Friedens born and bred, he’d tag her as a spoiled princess. She had that air about her somehow.

He wasn’t much of a fashion expert, but having a teenage daughter, even one he didn’t see every day, had taught him plenty about trends and prices. Laurel’s handbag would have paid her traffic fine five times over. Even the matching leather cover to her checkbook would have covered the damage, with change to spare.

He tried to keep his eyes on the road as much as possible. It just wouldn’t do to commit any traffic infractions himself, while he was driving this woman somewhere. If he did, he knew Hank would hear about it so fast it would make Tripp’s head spin.

His head was already spinning just from being close to Laurel. She looked good and smelled even better. He had no idea what perfume she was wearing—not that he intended to ask. Given her general air of wealth and privilege, it was going to be something that cost more per ounce than he was capable of comprehending.