One of our newer deputies knocked on my open door. “Hey, bossman. You have a visitor.”

I glanced up from the work on my desk, gaze settling on Diane. She eyed her reflection in the window pane of my office door and smoothed back her auburn hair, tucking her bangs behind her ears. The unusual fuss over her appearance tipped me off to my guest’s identity. I’d expected him later in the week.

“Let me guess. Long hair and flashy suit. Looks like he belongs on a runway or the cover of GQ, right?”

Color flushed the woman’s cheeks. I chuckled. Only Nadir inspired that sort of reaction in every woman he met. Sometimes men, too.

“Send in him, please.”

“Sure thing.”

A minute later, Nadir strode into the room. Sasha had once described him as Middle Eastern Fabio, which was an apt description of our longtime golden jackal shifter pal. While absolutely straight, I was also secure enough in my masculinity to admit the retired marine was a gorgeous man. Today, he wore a suit without the tie and his dark hair down loose around his shoulders. I rose and moved around my desk to greet him.

“Glad to have you back in Quickdraw, Nadir.”

“Always happy to swing through town and catch up.”

After a brief embrace we each settled into a seat.

“So, what was so important you wanted to meet as soon as possible?” Nadir asked. “This got to do with the Medrano family? Or is it the diva this time?”

“No on both counts. The Medrano case is tied up with the feds, and our pop princess is still pleased with the arrangements you and I made. I’d have contacted you about that over the phone. No, this is about something more important. Something I needed to discuss in person.”

Nadir’s sculpted brows rose. “New job?”

“In a manner of speaking. I am retiring from the security firm and I want you to take my place.”

“Seriously?” He stared at me.

“You already handle a bulk of the work over in Houston, so why not make it official?”

“But the company is yours. You built it up from the ground.”

“And all men retire at some point. This is my time.”

Nadir sank back in his seat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll accept.”

He’d better damn well accept, because I could think of no one better to take the reins. Taylor had a business of his own. Sasha worked as a doctor. Juni didn’t want the responsibility, and Russ had a family to tend. Nadir was the only one I trusted in my place.

“Before I give an answer, can you tell me one thing?”

“Sure.”

“Will you be out entirely? I mean, can I call on you for advice or to help out with things?”

“We’re friends, you can always call on me for advice. But unless the sky is crashing down around us, I think my days in the field are done.”

“What about the Medrano issue?”

He had me there. “The Medrano issue I’ll count as the sky falling. Besides, most of that is going to be handled in court. Beyond that, consider me an office consultant. Good enough?”

“It won’t be the same without you, Ian, but I’m humbled by your trust in me. I accept.” He paused a second, then grinned. “But if you change your mind in a week, you’re gonna have to fight me for it.”

I chuckled. “Trust me, I won’t change my mind. I actually already had the company lawyer draw up the papers. All you have to do is sign.”

He blinked at the folio I slid across the desk. I waited while he took a moment to flip through everything. All of the signature lines had been marked with colored tabs indicating where he should sign and initial.

“You knew I’d say yes.”

“Hoped.”

“Ian, these all have my name on them.”

I spread my hands and leaned back in the seat. “Maybe I have another set in my desk with Russ’s name on them.”

Nadir snorted and signed his name at the first marked line. “He’s more retired than you.”

With each page he signed, a little more weight lifted from my shoulders. Letting go of my responsibilities hurt less than I expected, which probably meant I was doing the right thing. While everyone else from our original group had moved on with their lives and taken up new professions to suit their new civilian lives or growing families, Nadir had always been there at the security firm. He had no children, no wife, no husband. More importantly, he deserved this.

“Now what?” he asked, sliding it all back over.

“You move into the big office and do great things. I have every confidence in you. And because I knew you’d accept, you’ll find that everyone has already been made aware of the change in leadership, our clients included. My final parting gift.”

On my way home, I stopped to pick up flowers for my ladies and fruit for Moonfeather. My attempt to sneak inside unnoticed, however, was foiled by the bird. The moment I opened the door, he flew over and screeched loud enough for the whole house to hear.

“Ian!”

“Daddy!”

Sophia barrelled around the corner first, but Leigh appeared a few steps behind her. Pleased with himself, Moonfeather fluffed up and preened.

“Are those flowers for Mommy?”

“Some of them. These right here are for you.” I passed her a bouquet filled with white daisies and pink rosebuds. The other, red roses paired with calla lilies, I offered to Leigh.

“They’re so pretty. I love them. Thank you, Daddy.”

“Yeah, I have to agree. These are beautiful.”

“Only the best for my favorite girls.” I grinned and leaned in, kissing Leigh’s cheek. “I even picked up a kiwi for our prince.”

Watching the way Sophia’s eyes lit up made my day. She rushed off with her flowers and the fruit. Moonfeather soared after her, leaving Leigh and me alone in the front entry.

“You’re home early.”

I raised one shoulder. “Even the sheriff can take an early day off, right? Didn’t have much going on, and I thought I’d surprise you.”

Leigh’s smile broadened. “Well, you halfway succeeded.”

“That bird is better than a guard dog.” What startled me was how easily he’d blended into our household when usually it took months for a bird to adapt to a family the way Moonfeather joined ours in perfect harmony. He barely bit, and if he did, the warning nips never broke the skin anymore.

“Which is why you have no complaints from me,” she said, laughing. “I should go make sure she isn’t making a mess in there.”

“All right. I’ll go get changed and meet you downstairs in a few minutes. Or…”

“Or?”

“You could join me upstairs while she gives him his treat and we can talk.”

Her smile dimmed slightly. “Are you going to berate me again about cleaning?”

“No, nothing to do with cleaning. It actually has to do with work.”

“Okay, yeah.” Her brows knit together. “You head up, and I’ll be right there.”

We split ways, her to check on our daughter and me up to our bedroom. By the time she joined me, I’d swapped my uniform for comfy sweatpants and a tee.

“Sorry, she needed help getting the milk poured. Now, what’s up with work? Something wrong?”

“No, nothing wrong.”

Her features tightened. “Are you going away again?”

And this was why things needed to change. Why it was past time to step back. I held out my hand and Leigh reluctantly stepped forward, her entire body stiff. Gently, I tipped her face upward.

“I’m not going anywhere right now, I promise.”

“Then what is going on?”

“I’ve decided to officially pass leadership of the security firm to Nadir.” Leigh’s eyes widened, but I pushed on before she could say anything. “I can’t promise I’ll step back from government business, and I wouldn’t be happy about quitting the sheriff’s department—”

“I wouldn’t want you to,” Leigh blurted out.

“Really?”

“I told you this before, silly, but I love knowing that this town—this county—is safer because of you. Plus, I see how Sophia looks at her daddy whenever you put on that uniform. It’s like you hung the moon and you’re the bravest, best man in this entire world.”

“I kind of am.”

“Not the most humble man, but definitely the bravest.”

I grinned. Leigh leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine, barely a kiss. “Then what was all this about me working too much?”

“You do work too much. If you’re not out in uniform, you’re driving across Texas to fight vampires. That’s kind of hot, but… there’s other operatives out there, Ian.”

Damn. She had me there. Rubbing the back of my neck, I glanced away. “It’s hard to turn someone down when they ask for me specifically.”

“I can’t blame them for wanting you. If I had a warlock uprising or whatever the hell you’re out there fixing on my doorstep, you’d be the first person I’d call.” She kissed me again, lingering this time and cupping her palm against my cheek. When she leaned back, those gorgeous, stormy gray eyes held my gaze. All I wanted was to spend the rest of my life looking into them. “I don’t mind sharing you, Sheriff MacArthur, but we’re going to need more of you for us.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yup. Like I said, I passed things over. Nadir signed the paperwork today, which means it’s official. I plan to act only in an advisory capacity when it comes to the team.”

For a moment, she stood there in stunned silence. Then she closed the last gap between us and threw her arms around my neck. “I’m sorry that I’ve been a bitch to you.”

“I wouldn’t call it being a bitch… a little grumpy, but definitely not a bitch. Yet.” I waited a beat before adding, “We were getting there for a moment.”

She laughed again and buried her face against my throat. Content to hold her, I squeezed her close and kissed her silken head. When she was ready, she stepped back, but slipped one hand into mine.

“I guess… I ruined my last pregnancy and did everything wrong. I’m so, so very fortunate that Sophia wasn’t damaged by my fuckups. I should have been stronger. I should have fessed up that I needed help the moment I discovered I was pregnant.” She dropped her chin. “I should have done so many things.”

“Baby, you had an addiction, and you fought it the best you could. You can’t keep beating yourself up over it. At some point, you’re going to have to let it go and accept you’re a different person now when it matters most.”

“I know I’m not that person, but I want…” She sucked in a breath and met my gaze. “I want to be pregnant again. I want to enjoy it without worrying each day about when the next meal will come or if it will come at all. I want to have you standing alongside me, as eager to touch my stomach when the baby kicks as I am to feel a little life moving inside me. All I got to experience before were the worst moments and the fears. I want the joys.”

The words came out of her in a rushed tumble, and tears glittered in her eyes. Even when I was a child raised by my grandparents, I never worried about whether my next meal would come.

“I want to enjoy it, Ian. It doesn’t matter if the baby is from my egg or someone else’s. I want to carry a baby and experience everything Dennis and I ruined. There was nothing magical about that pregnancy. It was struggle, stress, and fear. I’d fight for days to stay clean, and he’d dangle codeine in front of me the moment I started to sweat over it or feel a little pain. Now my knee, body, and willpower are strong. I can do this.”

“But the pregnancy isn’t happening.”

She nodded. “Maybe it never will happen. I can accept that now.”

Damn, I hated declining anything Leigh asked of me. And when she approached with rational, logical reasons, I didn’t stand a chance. “All right, Leigh. I’ll agree to a donor under two conditions.”

Her eyes lit with hope. “Yes?”

“Doctor Kline has to be completely, one hundred percent, on board with the idea. She’s still running tests on you, and a pregnancy may interfere. You will not try to sweet talk her around it.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Good.”

“What else?”

“We take as long as I need to look at donor information. I won’t be rushed. If we’re going to use a donor, I at least want the woman to carry some of your physical traits. I know it’s a silly thing, but I—”

“Yes!”

One word loosened the knot in the center of my chest, and I knew without a doubt that Leigh and I could cross any obstacle we met.