Zane had the widest grin on his face. It was a look of complete approval, and Nate felt it in his bones. His partner knew exactly what he was about to do. “Well, as to that, I’m staying, too. I’m staying in Bliss, and if this town decides to run a rubber duck against me in the next election, then you tell that damn duck to be prepared because I’m going to win. I am the sheriff of this town, and no damn inanimate object is going to do a better job than me. I promise to protect this town and all of her people. I promise to ruthlessly beat back the real world every time it encroaches. I promise to find the best alien-detecting technology that money can buy. I swear on my life that I’ll do everything I can to keep my deputy alive and whole so his momma doesn’t shoot my balls off.” There was loud applause, hoots, and hollers as Nate made his first campaign speech. But there was more he had to promise than just to do his job. He moved to the center of the stage and jumped off. He looked at Callie. “I promise to be the best husband and father I can be. I’ll be the best friend and partner to you, Zane. And we’ll be the best freaky threesome this town has ever seen.”
“Hey,” Max interrupted, only to have his wife’s hand clasped over his mouth.
“I love you, Callie Sheppard. You agreed to marry Zane. Will you marry me, too?”
A little smile curled her mouth up. “I never agreed to marry Zane. The truth is I don’t necessarily believe in marriage as an institution.”
“You do now!” Zane’s outraged shout exactly matched Nate’s own.
Callie looked between them. “Wow, way to double-team a girl.”
“Have no doubt, you will marry us,” Nate said with a light feeling invading his very cells. This was his future. These crazy, amazing people were his family.
“Hell, yes, she’ll marry you,” Stefan said with lazy menace. “I never thought I’d have to have a shotgun wedding in Bliss, but I will if you’re stubborn, little sister.”
“Fine, I guess I can compromise, but just this once.” Then she was running toward him, her face open and filled with love. For him. Nate dropped the microphone and braced himself for impact. When his arms were filled with soft, sweet woman, he sighed and clutched her close, not giving a damn that the entire town had watched him proclaim his love. Zane was suddenly at Callie’s back, the two of them crowding her the way they would for the next forty or fifty years.
“All of this is so touching.” Leander’s sarcastic voice cut through Nate’s joy, reminding him he had one thing left to do. “But none of it solves the problem that this town is woefully unprepared to handle the threat.”
Nate turned and faced his former co-workers. “Don’t worry about us. We can take care of ourselves. So you two should feel free to hightail it back to El Paso.”
Worthington leaned forward. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Nate didn’t want to hear it. “I said get the hell out of my town!”
The cheers erupted again, and Nate got lost in the crowd of people wishing him well.
Callie felt like the whole world had a warm glow around it. All through the reception hall people she knew and had grown up with were talking about her, Nate, and Zane. She’d lost count of the people who had hugged her in congratulations.
Stella winked at her as she walked into the small kitchen. “You’re the talk of the town, hon.”
She felt her face flush. “I don’t know about that. I think Nate and Zane are the ones people are talking about.”
Stella shook her head. “We might be talking about them, but we love you, Callie. We’re all happy that our favorite girl is going to be well taken care of. And don’t you doubt that. Max, Rye, and Stef already had serious talks with both of those boys about how poorly things could go for them if they step out of line. I heard Hiram mention that he still knew how to use a shotgun to the sheriff. And me and Hal certainly can take care of business if either one of them hurts you.”
Callie swung around quickly to try to see if Nate or Zane were running. They stood in the crowd, seemingly at ease, talking to the people around them. Zane laughed at something Jen said. Nate stood in a small group of the county’s ranchers, explaining something. Neither looked like they had been scared off by her friends and neighbors. Still. “Stella, you have to tell everyone to leave Nate and Zane alone. Couldn’t we let them settle in before we show them how crazy we are?”
Stella held a tureen of coffee in her hands. Callie helped her pour it out into the sink. “Not a chance. And don’t you worry. Those boys belong here. The big one knew it the minute he stuck his head outside of that cabin of theirs. And the sheriff is coming along nicely. It’s going to be okay, hon. They love you. They aren’t going to be run off easy.” She shook her head. “We’re out of coffee in here. Can you go to the storeroom for me? It doesn’t look like we’re breaking up any time soon.”
Callie nodded and walked out of the reception hall toward the small storage closet at the back of the town hall. It grew quiet as she moved away from the crowd. She breathed a little sigh of relief. It was great to be surrounded by friends, but she was really looking forward to the time when she could climb into the Bronco with Nate and Zane and head back to “Fort Naked” as Zane had started calling the naturist community. Tomorrow morning they were all going to the airport. They were going to the field office in El Paso, and once all the reports were filed, Nate had assured her that Zane would be safe. She felt her heart clench and a little smile cross her face. Nate would be coming home with them. Happy tears pricked her eyes. The three of them would come home to Bliss.
“Why wait? Why don’t we do this thing now?”
Callie stopped in her tracks. She could hear voices down the hall. There was only one strip of lighting on in this hallway at night to conserve energy. It made the entire place seem gloomy. She’d been in this building a hundred times before. There was nothing to be afraid of here, she told herself.
“You have to be patient. Wright is taking Hollister in tomorrow. That idiot will file a report with everything we need on it. The Agency has its head up its ass when it comes to stuff like this. They might have the numbers, but they don’t know where the account is. We just get a copy of the report and disappear. No one will ever even know what happened.”
Callie clasped a hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that almost came out. Worthington and Leander were dirty. She started to back down the hall. Her sneakers screeched against the slick floor, the sound resonating through the quiet hall. She winced and held herself still, hoping the agents wouldn’t notice. Please, please don’t let them come around the corner.
But suddenly metal flashed as Worthington rounded the corner, gun in hand. “Scream and I’ll shoot.”
Callie turned to run anyway, but Leander was on her.
He turned to his partner as he shoved his gun in the small of her back. “Shit. What do we do now?”
“Change of plans,” Worthington said as he pointed toward the door to the back parking lot.
Yep, it changed all of Callie’s plans.
Nate enjoyed a cup of coffee while he talked to a couple of the area ranchers. He looked up to see Zane in a discussion with Callie’s friend, Jennifer. He was shaking his head no, and Jen didn’t look like she was having it.
Nate nodded to James Glen and eased himself out of the conversation. He started to make his way across the room, intending to save Zane from Jen’s pleas. She’d been begging him to sit for her. She’d explained it as capturing Zane’s essence on canvas. Zane liked his essence just fine where it was. He was never going to be comfortable as an artist’s model. He was also not comfortable saying no to a woman. Even from across the room, Nate could see Zane’s eyes darting around, looking for someone to come and save him.