A breath she hadn’t realized she was holding rushed out of her. Before she knew it she was off the couch, throwing her arms around him, happy tears slipping down her cheeks.
Everything she’d wanted—her dream, her future, and Clayton—had come together in one perfect day.
A sharp knock sounded at the door, followed by the dogs barking. Even little Heathcliff scrambled to the door, his nails clicking against the floor.
Jamie tensed. “Are you expecting someone?”
“Not a soul,” Clayton said, already moving.
Jamie followed a step behind as he pulled open the door. Standing on the porch was Shorty, flanked by two officers in Williams County Sheriff’s Office uniforms.
Her pulse quickened. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.
“Howdy, folks,” Clayton said, opening the door wider. “How can I help you?”
Shorty gave a quick nod. “Mind if we come in?”
Clayton stepped aside, letting them in. Jamie barely breathed as Shorty gestured to the officers. “This is Deputy Moore, and this is Deputy King. They’d like a word.”
Jamie’s pulse drummed in her ears. “Are we in trouble?”
“Have a seat,” Shorty said.
Jamie and Clayton sank onto the couch while the officers and Shorty stood.
“This is about the threats you’ve been getting,” Shorty told them.
Jamie exhaled in relief, tension releasing from her shoulders.
“Did y’all find the person responsible?” Clayton asked, squeezing her hand.
Deputy King nodded. “We did.”
Jamie sat up straighter. “Who is it?”
“Is it Tammy Travis?” Clayton guessed.
Deputy King shook his head. “AJ Baxter.”
The air in the room shifted. Jamie blinked, her mind scrambling to make sense of the name.
“What?” Her voice came out thin, barely there. Her father?
“We worked with Las Vegas PD on this,” Deputy Moore explained. “He was arrested this morning.”
Jamie barely heard him over the rush of blood in her ears.
Deputy King cleared his throat. “With his prior convictions he’s looking at significant jail time—if you want to press charges.”
Clayton’s grip on her hand tightened. “She does.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” she whispered. “I’m his daughter.”
Deputy King nodded grimly. “He told the Vegas police he was trying to get you press. Put you in the headlines.”
Jamie let out a bitter laugh. “Press? Since when has heevergiven a damn about my career?”
Shorty sighed. “It wasn’t about helping you, Jamie. It was about helping himself.”
