The Sheriff's Daughter Read online

  Sam shivered against him, but he couldn’t regret the starkness of his words. Bellamy deserved nothing more from him.

  “William called,” Jimmy said simply, and his eyes held a question. Are you staying or going? he seemed to ask. Is it Sam or the city?

  But Logan grinned because he’d finally figured out that it didn’t have to be one or the other. They’d make it be both.

  He glanced at the chopper and tightened his arm around Sam. “Any way your boys could give us a ride into the city? I have some testimony to give, and I want to be there and see Trehern Sr. put away for a long, long time.” He cocked his head at Sam. “You game for a day in the city, maybe a night in the penthouse? We have an airplane to meet tomorrow.”

  Her smile cut straight through to his soul. “They rescued Stephen?”

  He nodded and grinned when she whooped a cheer and said, “I’m in.”

  “But Sam, what about the clinic?” Jimmy said quietly, as though offering her an out, or perhaps reminding her of something.

  She reached out and linked her fingers with his, though she didn’t let go of Logan. “Jen can do the small animal work. And,” she glanced at the lovely farmscape, her eyes tinged with sadness, “I think we’ll let the vets up north handle the large animal work, once Dr. Sears has been picked up on charges.”

  “Already done,” Jimmy assured her, tightening his fingers. “Are you sure?”

  Logan didn’t step in. He waited for her to smile and reassure her friend. “I’m sure.” She turned back to him. “Shall we go?”

  “Yes,” he agreed, “let’s.”

  They ducked into the helicopter together, and as the rotors sped up and the ground fell away for the trip to Boston, Logan turned to Sam and grinned. “Were you worried about me?”

  “Hell, yes.” She smiled back. “Were you worried about me?”

  “Terrified,” he admitted, though the concept wasn’t as scary as it had once seemed. “Because I love you.”

  “Ditto.” She laughed and leaned back into his arms as the chopper swung out over the sea for the trip north, where Logan would testify against Trehern, and mentally dedicate the moment to Sharilee. Then they would stand with Nancy while she welcomed her husband home.

  And after that?

  It would be time to build their new life. Together.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-2842-9

  THE SHERIFF’S DAUGHTER

  Copyright © 2005 by Dr. Jessica S. Andersen

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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  Table of Contents

  Letter to Reader

  About the Author

  Books by Jessica Andersen

  Cast of Characters

  Contents

  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

  Copyright