To Love an Outlaw (Into the West #1) (A Wattpad Reading List Choice)

Epilogue

 

“Afternoon, Sheriff. You’re working late. Shouldn’t you be headin’ home by now?”

Doc Miller greeted Round Rock’s new sheriff with a crafty grin as he locked up his office and stepped down off the boardwalk. The town’s lawman halted his long stride and leaned a negligent shoulder against a wood support post, smiling lightly in response to the doctor before replying easily, “On my way, Doc. On my way. How’s Mabel?”

As expected, the old sawbones’ face lit up at the mention of his cantankerous mule. Ever since the sheriff had dropped by and whispered in her over-sized ears, Mabel had been an angel on four hooves. Well, relatively angelic. Either way, Doc Miller felt beholden to the younger man, and hoped he could repay the sheriff in some way. Maybe when the young’uns started coming...

Joining the new lawman in his walk back towards the jail, the older man answered, “Sweetest temper this side of the Rio Grande, Sheriff. Thanks to you. You’re so good with animals, I don’t quite know why you took this job.”

The sheriff grunted, canting an amused look down at the grizzled doctor. The old goat was sly; probably fishing for some kind of gossip to feed the hungry ears of the town folk. The lawman didn’t mind, though. He’d been accepted into their midst pretty readily, all things considered, so if they wanted to second guess his personal life, why, let them. It was pretty much an open book by now, anyway.

Reaching his horse, and having already filled in his deputy on the chores for the evening, the sheriff paused, leaning an arm on the bay as it patiently waited at the jail’s hitching rail.

“The position suddenly needed to be filled, and I figured I was the best qualified for the job. No one argued the point.”

At this explanation, Doc Miller cackled hugely, slapping the lawman on the shoulder in great humor.

“Ha! That’s rich, boy, seein’ as you helped vacate that post! O’ course, no one would disagree!” Quickly losing his smile, the doctor continued earnestly, “The best man got the job, McQuade, and don’t you forget it. Now,” and here the older man’s smile returned, “you git on home, son. I’m sure you’ve got a powerful lot to do at the ranch already, along with plannin’ a wedding as well. Take care of that little girl of yours. She’s been beamin’ like the sun since you asked her to marry you, and we’d all like to see the deed done. Now, go on, McQuade. Git!”

The doctor gave the larger man a good-natured pat, and Sheriff Sonny McQuade shook his head with a grin, bid Doc Miller goodnight, and swung aboard Red to indeed head toward home.

Home. The word filled his heart to nearly bursting as he wheeled his stallion about, cantering down the road back to his heaven on earth, the place where he was learning to be not only the best lawman Round Rock had ever seen, but also the best and only husband Miz Callie West would ever want, or need.

As Red carried him towards the woman he loved more than his own life, Sonny McQuade reflected back on the last two weeks. After his and Noah’s mutual rescue of the widow, Callie West would not hear of Sonny living at Marge’s any longer. The widow had been scared silly after Benson’s attack, and Sonny couldn’t really blame her. Surviving an attack in your own home left scars. So he had moved back into the bunkhouse with the youth, who had become a man that same night.

Being a hero hadn’t fazed the Lawson kid much. He still begged to ride Second Chance, pouted when he couldn’t, and dragged twigs and leaves into the house when he stoked the stove. But Sonny knew he owed the boy his life, as well as Callie’s. If the kid hadn’t shown up when he had that night, either he or Callie would be living in mourning. The very thought still froze his blood, and Sonny vowed to thank Noah Lawson one more time, for good measure.