The other bouncer came back, out of breath. He looked angry and just a little scary to Mia. He was a tall, husky man with midnight black hair. He wore a black t-shirt that said security on it. “Asshole got away.”
Mia’s heart sank. She took her last breath of air in before the chaos started.
* * * *
Sheriff Abel Ramirez pushed people out of the way. When he got a call that police assistance was needed at Kramer’s, he was expecting another fight. It happened often, unfortunately especially on Saturday nights when everyone was trying to let off some steam. They were never serious, annoying, but easily resolved with both parties cooling off in his jail cell. It wasn’t until he arrived at the scene that one of his officers, Sam, told him it was an attempted robbery. Abel had been shocked to say the least. Brook Hollow was a small enough town that they did a good job of keeping crime to a minimum. What the hell was going on around here? Just a few months ago during the summer months they had a peeping tom that caused panic among the female residents. Now a purse snatcher, too? Well damn.
“Pardon me.” He impatiently moved the crowd to the side and spotted a young woman sitting on a curb under the light of the electric pole. He was glad the city council had forced Kramer’s Bar to add light to the parking lot. She had her head down. Her shoulder length blonde curls looked tangled and messy. She was wearing a dark blue dress that was above her knees. He winced when he saw the blood dripping from her cuts and scrapes. It looked raw and painful.
“Did you call an ambulance?” he asked Sam without taking his eyes away from the woman.
The woman looked up. Her bright blue eyes focused on him and he felt something strange. A tingle in his stomach that went straight to his heart and made it speed up beating much too fast. He thought he knew all the residents of his town, but he did not recognize her.
“I don’t need one, sir. It’s just scraped from where I fell.” Her voice was soft and shaky. Her nose was red and her eyes puffy, but for some reason Abel was unable to take his eyes off of her. He was sure he just felt protective over her because she was hurt. Soon the feeling would fade, he assured himself. Woman were soft, fragile creatures that did not deserve to be attacked and hurt.
He sat next to her on the curb after telling Sam and his partner Ron to push the crowd back some.
“What’s your name, miss?”
“Mia Wilson.” She hiccupped, her voice was soft and feminine with a slight tremor in it. It made him want to wrap his arms around her and promise her he’d find the bastard who dared to make her cry. What was wrong with him? He was here as a sheriff, so he forced his mind to stay on the task at hand.
“I’m Sheriff Abel Ramirez. Want to tell me what happened here tonight?” he asked her, trying to keep his voice even so he wouldn’t scare her. She looked pale and frightened already. Her blue eyes were dark with pain. She explained how someone had come from behind her, putting a hand over her mouth. He almost smiled when she admitted to taking a bite out of that hand. The man claimed to want her purse but had run off quickly. She had not been able to see him, only hear his voice. Not much to go on.
“Reva saved me,” she added at the end and started crying some more.
Abel felt bad he made her rehash her misery. He awkwardly patted her on the back and looked at her friend Reva. She was tall, slim and blonde. She added her side of the story to Mia’s. Mario, one of the bouncers Abel knew well, told him he ran after the man but he disappeared in the woods and it was too dark to go in there alone. Mario had retired from the army and was a mean son of a bitch. Abel knew the man would have caught him if possible. Abel felt his own anger rise.
“He was wearing a long black overcoat and had short dark hair.” Mario described the man as best as he could. “Never saw his face though.”
People were finally starting to go back inside or leave for home. Abel knew by morning the story would grow out of proportion. Mia shivered and Abel knew it was fear since the night air was warm and humid. He had the illogical thought to wrap his arms around her and hold her. He shook the feeling off, forcing himself to focus on the job at hand. His libido had been dead for over two years now. What a time for it to wake up. He handed her one of his business cards, resisting the urge to put his personal cellphone number on the back. What was wrong with him? Maybe he was just tired from pulling a few doubles in the last week.
Mia took the card from him. He didn’t recognize her so she must be new. They had plenty of new residents coming in during the last year as people wanted out of the bigger cities. She was not someone you could forget seeing. Her eyes were a bright blue and her face reminded him of the porcelain, fancy dolls his little sister used to play with. She had a wild halo of blonde curls surrounding her face. Her lips were full and covered in a pink shiny gloss.
“Call me if you remember something tomorrow.” He stood up, helping her up off the curb. Her hand was small and warm and he felt a tingle shoot up his arm. He let go immediately and frowned.
He looked at Ron resisting his urge to take her home himself. “You drive Mia home, and I will follow you and pick you up. Is that ok, Mia?”
She stood so close to him he could see her lashes were dark. She smelled like a spring rain. The top of her blonde head barely reached his shoulders and she was on the thin side. Her dress showed off a generous bust line that he could not help but notice. “Yes, thank you, Sheriff.”
Abel watched Ron help Mia to her car and put her in the passenger side carefully. Abel could see Ron speaking to her softly. Abel almost regretted sending Ron to drive her, but she was dangerous to his peace of mind. He knew that instinctively.
“Need to ask me any more questions, Sheriff?” Her friend Reva smiled at him, her interest in him showing clearly in her eyes. She was beautiful, but Abel felt nothing but concern for the situation. “No, ma’am. I will call you if we need something else.”
She eyed him with disappointment and shrugged, walking away. Abel got in his car, ready to follow Ron and Mia home. Why did he get the feeling his life was going to change? He wasn’t very happy about it either. He had gotten used to the dull but easy going way his life had run since he made the decision to keep drama out of his life.
Chapter Two
Abel Ramirez walked through the crowd of the busy farmer’s market of his hometown. Brook Hollow, Missouri was a small rural town nestled in the Ozark Hills. He nodded and waved to the familiar faces, but he kept moving through the crowd. October was just beginning so the morning air had a slight chill to it, but Abel didn’t mind. Soon the appearance of the sun would turn the air warm. The skies were blue and clear today. It was early Sunday morning and he wasn’t the only one out this morning. Citizens of Brook Hollow were anxious to be out and about before the winter season started. Winters here could be brutal in Missouri and kept people indoors more often than not.
Crowds of people stopped at the many stands of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other homemade items. Some people just stopped to chat with each other and enjoy the sunshine. He could easily drive the distance from his small house to the station, but sometimes he just enjoyed being out in the fresh air and among the town residents.
Abel took his job as sheriff of Brook Hollow very seriously. He refused to be one of those elected officials who spent all of his time behind a desk unaware of what was going on outside of his office walls. Having grown up here, he appreciated the quietness of his small town. It was a good place to live and raise a family. Not that there wasn’t crime. If a town had people, crime was bound to follow. He liked to think he kept things under control with the help of his fellow officers. He felt like it was necessary for the citizens to see him out and about, and not just a hidden figure who never mixed with the townsfolk, His father, Oscar Ramirez, who had once been the sheriff, instilled that idea in him. Abel had run for the office after being his father’s right-hand man and learning much from him. He wanted the people to feel comfortable with his presence, and to let them know he would do all he could
to keep this town safe. Lots of new people were moving into small towns, Brook Hollow included. It was still a close-knit community. He tried to keep an eye on the new residents, making sure they weren’t troublemakers. He enjoyed the expansion of the town as long as it didn’t change too drastically. The city council agreed and made every effort to keep the rural town from growing too fast or too big. The town was surrounded by bigger cities where one could drive and return in a few hours. It was an ideal location.
Abel spotted a familiar face and headed that way. Jack Johnson owned the local grocery store in town. Abel and Jack had gone through high school together, often competing with each other on the football field. The two had stayed friends ever since. Jack’s wife, Stacy, stayed at the store while Jack set up a stand filled with fruits and vegetables. Abel reached out his hand to Jack and shook it.
“Morning, Jack,” he greeted.