CHAPTER ONE
Kelly picked up the remote control and turned off the television, shaking her head.
At that moment her husband, Sheriff Mike Reynolds, walked into the great room after he’d changed out of his uniform. “Nothing on the news tonight, Kelly?” he asked.
“Nothing I want to watch, at least not now. I don’t think I can take one more newscast where the talking head tells us the number of our soldiers killed and wounded in the war in Afghanistan. Sorry, Mike, this is too close to home for me.”
Mike walked over to where she was sitting and knelt down beside her. He gently lifted up her chin and said, “Rough day, honey? Worried about Cash?”
“Yes, I know you and the President and everyone else says everything is being done for our soldiers to keep them out of harm’s way, but if that was true, there wouldn’t be any deaths or wounded soldiers.”
“I wish I had some words of wisdom for what you’re going through, sweetheart, but I don’t. Like I’ve told you before, Cash has made it this far and he’s very street smart. If anyone can come out of this unscathed, he can, but I’m not for a minute making light of your fears for him. He may be my stepson, but I couldn’t love him any more if he were my biological son.”
“Thanks, Mike, I know you’re just as worried about him as I am. Some nights I lay awake terrified, when I hear a car, that it’s some Marine officer or chaplain coming to tell me Cash has been wounded or worse. The only thing that gets me through those nights is listening to your gentle snore. Then I know nothing has happened, and I’ve just been in some type of a momentary wakeful nightmare that wasn’t real.”
“If it’s any help to you, and I know it’s not, I worry, too,” Mike said. “Matter of fact, I worry about him every day, but I rather doubt it does any good. Let’s just keep thinking good thoughts about his current tour of duty. At least he only has a few months left before he’ll get a new assignment, and since he’s had two back-to-back assignments in combat zones, he should be in line for a stateside tour of duty.
“Now I’m going to change the subject and go on to something near and dear to both of our hearts and stomachs. What’s for dinner tonight?”
“As usual, when I’m worried, I cook,” Kelly said, “and today was no exception. You will be indulging in spaghetti and meatballs, roasted Italian green beans with tomatoes, butter lettuce with avocados and Italian dressing, and we finish with a Black Forest tart.”
“I can handle that. Rather good thing I’m the sheriff and not some deputy I’d have to reprimand for getting fat and not setting a good example of what an officer in the sheriff’s department should look like in the fair city of Cedar Bay.”
“As hard as you work, I think it’s well justified. I’m going out in the garage and get one of those good bottles of wine Julia brought us. Sure helps to have a daughter who teaches classes on wine and is well-known throughout the industry.”
“Sounds good. Since we’re having meatballs, why don’t you get one of those really nice Oregon pinot noirs she gave us? That should pair nicely with it. Good grief, did you catch what I just said? I sound like I know what I’m talking about when I mention wine, and we both know what a joke that is.”
“Agreed, Mike. I think the depth of the wine knowledge between the two of us would fit in an M & M.”
“Nice analogy, Kelly. Meet you in the kitchen.”
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