Separated Read online

  SEPARATED

  (In Midsummer #2)

  By Jessica Frances

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright ©2020 Jessica Frances

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Frances-Author

  Cover Design by MGBookcovers

  Editing and Formatting by C&D Editing

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Synopsis

  Authors Note:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Coming Up Next

  Note to Readers:

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  Separated (In Midsummer # 2)

  One jealous sheriff. One pushy Hollywood hunk. One threat. One undeniable attraction. One messy situation. One chance to fix it.

  I’ve guarded my heart the same way that I’ve guarded my hometown of Midsummer—with unwavering compromise and integrity. I’ve never even once been tempted to let my guard down. That is … until I met Conner Sherwood.

  It didn’t matter that I swore off all romantic relationships. Or that I wasn’t interested in opening myself up and likely getting hurt. Like a moth to the flame, I can’t resist him. I can’t stop myself from wanting something I shouldn’t. Even pushing him away didn’t stop me from wanting him. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who wants Conner. He has caught the eye of a Hollywood heartthrob. How can I compete with that?

  But when Conner starts to receive death threats and an attempt is made on his life, I begin to realize that there is more at stake here than having my heart broken. Conner is in danger being in Midsummer, and whoever is threatening him won’t be satisfied until Conner is no longer breathing.

  What I know for certain is that I won’t stop until I catch the person responsible for harming the man I’m coming to realize that I cannot live without.

  Authors Note:

  This series is set in a fictional town within Arkansas, along with surrounding fictional towns. I have taken liberties with Rocky being a sheriff and what that entails, as well as proper police procedures. This is a fictional book, so I hope you’ll just go with it and enjoy the ride.

  Chapter One

  I stare hard at my phone, my growing ire unsurprising since my anger has been building since I gave in, googling Conner’s socials and seeing his latest “tweet” this morning. He posted it two nights ago.

  Two nights ago when I let him go.

  When he then sent out a photo of some sort of heeled boots with a bunch of hashtags that include “#SecretAdmirer” and “#SurpriseGift.”

  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who sent Conner the shoes, not that I understand their significance. In fact, it sort of feels like an inside story that I don’t know. And I don’t like that Conner and Henry fucking Prince have the type of relationship where they have their own inside stories. I especially don’t like that Prince sent these while Conner and I were still … whatever we were.

  I knew they had hung out, and I saw the interview that Conner posted online. It seemed innocent enough, if not a little flirty, but I deluded myself into thinking nothing was there, because that made me feel better. It also meant I didn’t have to look further into why I would be so bothered if something were to happen between Conner and the A-list star.

  I’ve never resented having celebrities close by until now. I’ve been annoyed by the overzealous fans. I’ve grown weary of the security personnel that they hire, who look down on my people and me. I’ve tried to ignore when they think they can get away with anything because of their money and fame. Though, sometimes they do when Mayor Fuller steps in to keep the peace.

  But I’ve never been as enraged as I am now that one of them is sniffing around Conner.

  Then again, what right do I have to be annoyed? He was right when he said I can’t give him more. I told Conner I didn’t do relationships, and I offered what I was able to give—a casual fling. I also worded it in a way that made me a complete asshole. Made sure he knew my kid and job would come first.

  It still stands, but I didn’t have to be such a jerk to say it in such blunt terms.

  Conner was right to demand more, even if his lifestyle of wanting to road trip around America will make that almost impossible. He deserves someone who will give him their all, and I’m too broken to do that. But damn, it cuts deep that he’s already moving on. That he has a millionaire with no baggage weighing him down chasing after him.

  I already let both myself and River down when I settled with Sophie, my now ex-wife. She left us behind in Midsummer, saying this town was “boring,” that there was nothing to keep her here, not even her own family.

  She signed away her legal rights for River, something I had her do after tracking her down. I even had Mayor Fuller witness it so there would be no way for her to come back later on and say she had been forced. I would never keep her from River, but I wanted assurances that this wasn’t going to get messy.

  I honestly thought she would be back in a few months at most. Then, when a year came and went, I put some feelers out to see where she was. It turned out that she was traveling from city to city, having the time of her life.

  When I reached out to her, she was completely baffled as to why I would want to talk to her. She didn’t even ask about our daughter. That was when I decided to let her come to us.

  Six years later, there has been no word from her.

  I knew I could raise River on my own, but I also knew there would come a time when giving her love, stability, and a safe home wouldn’t be enough. A daughter needs her mother, or at least a mother figure. River has her best friend’s mom, a woman I also consider a good friend, and I hoped that maybe that would be enough. But then, two days ago, River, my ten-year-old baby girl, skipped school and disappeared.

  I had the entire town searching for her while every fucked-up, terrible scenario ran through my mind. I still don’t know what exactly led to her doing something so out of character. Whenever I try to broach it, she goes silent on me. The most I can get is an apology, so I still don’t know if it was a dare that had her doing something so reckless or something more.

  Maybe, if she had a mother in her life, she would be able to open up.

  I sigh, staring down at my phone again, at the message thread that I have open with Conner. One that hasn’t been used in two days.

  Where is he now? What is he doing? Does it suck for him as much as this entire situation sucks for me?

  I always knew I was bisexual, but it isn’t a fifty-fifty situation for me. I’m more attracted to men than women. I dated Sophie because I liked her and because I knew dating a woman was expected of me. I didn’t want to get into that argument at home, as I knew I would never win. And, for the most part, I was happy. I kept busy with work, and then we had a newborn baby. I thought life was good. And then she left us.

  Since then, I have only stuck to casual arrangements, no strings attached, with a few people in Paxton or one-night stands. I haven’t met anyone who has interested me in wanting more. Conner is the first person who has tempted me.

  But, to undertake something so new, something with such a risk to upheave the life I’ve fought hard to create for my daughter,
means I can’t rush into this. And, given the crimes that we’re experiencing lately in Midsummer, including murder, attempted murder, and manslaughter, I haven’t had time to process much at all.

  The timing of Conner arriving in Midsummer has been the worst. Add in that I’m down a deputy and River is going through something … to me, all that says is that I don’t have time for a relationship. I have to do what is right for River. And I’m not sure Conner is right for her. He’s not permanent, and River already had a mother leave her. I don’t want to add to that trauma.

  Despite all these thoughts, I still want him. I still miss him.

  I tap my phone where Conner’s name is, bringing up his phone number, and then I let my finger hover over it.

  I was an asshole to Conner when we hooked up our first night. I was an asshole to offer him so little when he deserved more. But, two nights ago, when I watched from the shadows as he put River to bed, reading her a story and using some hilarious voices that had my girl cracking up, I had some serious considerations of what my future could look like if Conner stayed. He fits with River and me. He could become part of our everyday lives so easily. And he seemed like he wanted it, too.

  Regardless of what he’s saying now, he has a life outside of Midsummer. He has a long-term plan that doesn’t include us. His job working for Mayor Fuller is for only a short time. Then what happens next? Is he going to give up his dream job to stay in Midsummer? Is he going to throw that future away so he can be with a single father who works a demanding job that pulls him away constantly? What do I truly have to offer him?

  I love Midsummer. I admit we have a beautiful town. It has charm, and there is never a dull moment, for me anyway—being the town sheriff, I rarely have time to get bored. But it isn’t a destination for adventure.

  What’s keeping Conner here? What will keep him here when the rest of America—hell, the world—is calling to him?

  As much as I like Conner, I don’t want to be a reason he gives up on his dream. I don’t want to be someone left behind again when he continues with his plans. Neither of us needs that to happen again.

  And yet, although I know all this, Henry fucking Prince is sniffing around Conner, and that just pisses me right the hell off.

  “Daddy?” River shouts, running down the stairs with her backpack slung over one arm while she struggles to get her other arm through the strap. “I’m ready.”

  “You brushed your teeth?”

  “Yes.” She sounds exasperated. “And before you ask, I made my bed and tidied my room.”

  “You tidied your room or you shoved all your favorite books under your bed covers?” I give her a knowing smile, watching the guilty lip biting.

  “I love you!” she declares instead of answering me, something she’s been mentioning almost nonstop for the past two days.

  I don’t hate it, and I’ll cherish every single declaration she gives me, but something tells me it has something to do with Conner.

  River mentioned to me that he said she should tell me she loves me, which was incredibly nice, but she’s been saying it with an almost scheduled feel. Like she has a quota of how many times she needs to say it to me per day. It should diminish the specialness of it, but it doesn’t. Hearing her say those words to me makes everything worth it. I would do anything for her love.

  Still, I get the feeling what lies behind this sweetness is the hope that she might get a lighter punishment from skipping school and scaring me half to death with her disappearing act.

  I’m Midsummer’s sheriff—I don’t cave easily.

  So, while I do take a step back from grounding her until she’s thirty, I hold strong on grounding her for an entire month, which, fortunately for her, will take her until the end of the school year, setting her free just before the Sunshine Carnival, something her and the entire town looks forward to every summer. However, I then almost immediately backtrack on this punishment since I need to sort out the King Alder mess.

  King Alder killed his son, caused a car accident that killed a local woman, and then shot John Troy, a friend of his son’s, when he tried to blackmail him. I got a confession the night River skipped school, meaning a ton of paperwork I needed to sort out over the weekend. As is often the case, I asked my good friends, Bell and Tyson Carter, who are the parents of River’s best friend, Mia, to look after her for most of Saturday.

  Her friend was under the weather, but she still got to hang out with her, eat junk food, and watch movies all day. Not exactly the tough grounding that I had hoped to give her.

  “Daddy, I’m going to miss the bus,” River points out as she stands by the front door, tapping her foot.

  “Oh, so you want to go to school today?” I grumble, grabbing my keys off the mantel by the doorway then holding the door open for her while she scoots past me.

  She guiltily looks down at her feet and bites her lip.

  She’s quiet on the ride to the bus stop, and I consider going back over the highlights of my hour-long lecture about the dangers of wandering off on her own. Then again, I don’t want her to get into the habit of tuning me out. I do confirm that she has her newly fixed phone on her and that it still works.

  Once I pull up by her bus stop, she leans over to give me a quick kiss on my cheek then jumps out of my car. Then I wait until I see her on the bus, sitting next to Mia, and the doors shut as it begins the trek to Paxton before I leave.

  We might have a population of just over a thousand people, but it’s mostly an aging population. Most of the youth and young families move to either Paxton or often farther away because of jobs or just needing a change. Our median age in Midsummer is fifty-nine. That does not bode well for our future, which is why Mayor Fuller is so intent to get a younger demographic to not only visit here but want to live here long-term, too.

  I’m not sure all that can work with just Conner working on getting the word out, but I can admit that his videos are addictive.

  I again wonder what he’s doing now, but when I pull into town and see a crowded coffee shop, my thoughts shift to assuming Angus Thom’s film crew is back in town. And that means Henry fucking Prince is either here, as well, or will be back soon.

  My grip tightens against the steering wheel as I consider the two of them together. I know it isn’t fair to be angry—this is what is right for all of us, even if it does suck to lose Conner. He couldn’t accept my offer and, deep down, I know it’s likely best for all of us.

  I get out of my car, ignoring the desperate need for decent coffee, and head into my office.

  As soon as I enter my domain, I’m reminded that I seriously need to get a move on with hiring a new deputy to replace Randy. On my desk is a list of qualified applicants, but I absolutely hate this part of the job. However, my only other deputy, Abby Neil, and I can’t run this by ourselves. And the longer we’re forced to, the more chance we get told our budget is getting cut and we can’t afford a new hire.

  I move into my office, grabbing some files, and then move back out into the main office.

  Usually, I hide away in my private office for part of my morning to catch up on paperwork, but being short-staffed means I’ve shifted out into the main area for the time being.

  I’m on call throughout the night, every night. Luckily, I have several neighbors who volunteer to stay in with River if I ever get a call out, and this being a town so small, I don’t get many.

  Love Fuller, a pain in my ass woman who is also Conner’s best friend in Midsummer, crashes through the doors, looking out of breath. “Rocky!”

  I inwardly groan, knowing this is most definitely not going to be good. She had her hopes set on me falling in love with Conner, having some idiotic idea that she’s some perfect matchmaker. She’ll likely be offended to know she got this one wrong.

  “Morning, Love,” I grumble as I hesitantly accept Love’s quick cheek kiss.

  “Don’t morning me! Are you insane?” She slaps my arm.

  I settle in for the berating I k
now is coming. Honestly, does being sheriff get me no respect?

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re really just going to let Conner go? Are you truly that blind?”

  I have to take a moment to get myself under control and not snap at Love to mind her own business. I think, if I give in to that urge, then shaking her might be a temptation too hard to resist.

  “Love, this has nothing to do with you.”

  “Of course it does! You’re throwing off my perfect matchmaking score. Worse than that, you’re throwing away a chance to be happy.”

  “Conner and I would never—”

  “He is perfect for you. Where you’re rigid and boring, he’s fun and exciting. You act like you’re some unlovable senior citizen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you let go and have fun. Your dad never let you, and then you had to step into his shoes and you never could. But you can! You’re only thirty-five, Rocky. You still have so much time left to have fun.”

  I grit my teeth, trying to remind myself that, while I often think of Love as a little sister, she likes to overstep like I’m an older brother. I just have to remember that she’s coming from a place of love.

  “Thanks for the advice, Love, but I didn’t actually ask for it.”

  “And if you weren’t throwing it all away, I wouldn’t need to give you any.” She sighs like she truly is being put out by this. “You deserve more than three empty fuck buddies in the next town over.”

  “Love!” I snap, really getting annoyed now, as well as a little embarrassed that she even knows about that.

  “Just think about having that special someone you can rely on. Think about going home to someone every night. Think about waking up with a smile and laughing more than once a year!”

  “Conner isn’t permanent. He’s leaving. Maybe not today, but one day.”

  “You don’t know that. He loves it here. Maybe he’ll stay. And I bet, if you gave him a reason to, he would. But no, you left him so that stupid actor can scoop him up. An actor who regularly travels the world!”