CH51

Kate was sitting at her desk when she heard the door open. She had been expecting him all day. Now it was after lunch and she had skipped it since she was too wired waiting for him to show up. She watched him walk in dressed in casual clothes,something she didn't think she had ever seen him in before. "LT!"She was up and out of her office to shake his hand, get him into her office, then sit down with him. "Did you get to see much on your way in?" Kate asked him. "Some, everything is so much smaller out here. The airport in Rapid City was tiny." Kate softly chuckled. Everything was smaller compared to New York.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that what would cost you 10 million on the top floor will cost you less than a grand per month here." Kate knew housing costs here were a selling point. "Meaning no more roommates," LT mentioned, since he had two of them. It was how people could afford to live and work in Manhattan or even outside of it. She nodded. "The food you buy is yours and doesn't get taken by a roommate. You don't have to worry if one of your roommates doesn't or can't pay their part of the rent." Kate remembered those days when she had first moved out of her parents' home.

"I've met someone back in New York." LT was hopeful but it was so new he didn't know what to do. "That's great!" Kate didn't remember him being with anyone, not that she was very nosy about other people's private lives. "Ask her if she's willing to move with you. I don't have a job for her. I filled one of my openings yesterday and she's due to come in in a few hours to start her training. I don't know what the job options are like here."

"You know how far it is from here to Rapid City which is the closest large city." Kate meant commuting between the two cities. "Mom opened a new restaurant but she is completely hired. I don't know what the single life is like here either." Kate had gotten lucky that Rick was right across the street from her. He was as far as she had gotten into the single life in Newcastle.

"Let me get my keys and I can show you around a little so you can get a handle on the town. Unlike New York City you will be covering the entire county so you are, I suppose, not restricted to living in Newcastle. If you want to live out in the middle of nowhere you could." Kate got her keys out of the drawer and put her service weapon in her holster. "I'm going to show LT around a little. Call me if you need me," Kate told the people in the office. "Oh, and if Amber shows up while I'm gone give her the paperwork to read, have her sign it, and start her training. I'll be back in about an hour," she informed them and walked outside with LT.

She had left the list of places he might be interested in checking out in her Jeep. Once they got in, Kate handed it to him. She drove him around town and told him what he could expect in terms of places to eat, what to expect during winter. For about three months he would be driving one of the pieces of junk her office had until the new cars, which were already on order, got here. So long as he used the car for work the office would pay for the gas he used. If he used it for personal trips he was asked to keep track of those miles since he would need to pay for his own gas. Since LT didn't own a car giving where he lived, it meant he didn't need money to purchase his own car.

"Think it over LT and let me know if you have questions. I know the pay here is less than in New York, but your money goes a lot further here. Talk with your lady friend and make a decision. I want you LT. I think you would be good out here. But what you want in your future is up to you to decide."

"I don't have separate Robbery, Vice, Homicide, or Gangs here like the 12th has. But I also don't have gangs like New York has either. No drive-by shootings, no hookers standing on street corners, no drugs being sold on the other street corners. If you're thinking of having a family there are fewer options for your kids to get into trouble. They won't become gang members or get beaten up in school. How long are you here?" Kate asked him as they walked into her office. "I'm here today and tomorrow then I fly back the day after," LT told her. "Well, get out there and drive around. Find someplace to eat. Talk to people, they won't bite your head off here. This is a small town of a little under 4,000 people and a little over 7,000 in the whole county."

"You'll start learning the names of everyone who lives here and they'll know yours," she told him, warning him that living here was not downtown Manhattan. "Thanks Beckett I appreciate the offer. Let me look around and I'll get back to you before the end of next week. I have someone I need to talk to first," LT told her. "Does she know you're out here?" Kate questioned. Keeping secrets was not a good first start in a relationship. "Yeah, she does. I'm not sure what she thought of it though." LT and she had a lot to talk about. "I don't know where you are in your relationship with her, but give her a chance. She might surprise you." Kate shook his hand and watched him leave.

"What did he say?" Elizabeth stood in her doorway. "LT has a girlfriend. I got the feeling her moving with him might be a hard sell, especially if she doesn't have a job waiting for her here," Kate admitted. Elizabeth nodded. "Sitting at home in a small town can be hard to take, it's definitely not for everyone." Elizabeth went back to her desk.

LT drove around a lot and went into the grocery store and the only liquor store in town. Found the Pizza Barn and then found T&A Brewing Company. Going inside he found it was a bar and grill so he decided to stay and have a beer while ordering his dinner for the day. He ordered a Mexican pizza and had a hard time selecting a beer to choose from. He was amazed at the back wall of the bar area which was completely filled with draft dispensers. "It's only going to get harder to choose from when we start making our own brew," his waitress told him. That got LT to sit up straight. "When's that going to happen?" he questioned. "The addition to the building is already underway out back, after that I don't know. Maybe by New Year's would be my guess," she offered. "Any chance I could talk to the owner about it?" LT asked. "Sure, let me put your order in and I'll ask Robert if he has time." She walked away.

LT got his pizza and his beer of choice both of which he was liking when a guy sat down. "I'm Robert. I was told you wanted to talk about the expansion?" Robert said."Well, more about your plan on making your own brew. I work at the 12th precinct in New York City and a homicide detective I used to work with there is now your county sheriff and she's offering me a job out here," LT began to explain.

"I've heard about her though I didn't know she used to be a homicide detective. And she's only the temporary sheriff until a new one is elected," Robert corrected him. LT didn't remember Kate saying anything about that, but if he knew Kate, she would be running for sheriff and would probably end up being his boss, which was a plus. Though he didn't know what he would think if she lost and he took the job because of her.

"I have a girlfriend and I don't know what she's going to think about moving out here with me. I'm not sure we're that far along in our relationship. However she's one of the brewers at Six Point Brewery in New York. Red Hook-brewed lineup or Mad Scientist one-offs and seasonal crushers. It's where I met her and finally screwed up the courage to ask her out," LT explained.

"I'm not ready to hire anyone just yet," Robert told him. "A brewer huh? Familiar with a micro-brew. I could use someone like that. Let me see if I can get some of their beer out here and sample it. Leave me her contact information and if I like it we can talk. The expansion should be complete by Thanksgiving while the brewing equipment should be installed a month later. I'm hoping to have the first batch available for sale by New Year's." Robert was non-committal but it gave LT something to work with. Now was she willing to leave one micro-brew and start up another way out here? And was he willing to move way out here without knowing if Kate would remain his boss. "Hell, I don't know if Montgomery is going to remain my boss." For all LT knew Montgomery may take or apply for a new job higher up the NYPD ladder and leave them all with a new captain.

Robert found out later that Six Point Brewery had a number of beers. Sweet Action, Bengali, The Crisp, Resin, Little Raspy, Bark Red Ale, Pound for Pound, Righteous Ale, Brownstone, Little Buzz, Incredible Mild, Oyster Stout, and he hadn't even gotten to the Mad Scientist Series yet or Beer for Beasts. And then there were the series that were no longer offered. If she was involved in even half of these, she may be better than he was. It had him rethinking what he wanted to do. Perhaps if he offered her 50% of the business maybe they would grow bigger than he ever thought. It had him on his computer to start crafting an option that she might be interested in. He already had the brewing equipment on order, he just needed for his expansion to be completed and have the equipment installed. If she went for this it would reduce his financial risks if he had a 50-50 partner.

Distribution was the major obstacle for every micro-brew. The big beers like Bud, Miller and Coors had control over all most all of the distributors. It was their way of trying to keep their percentage of the beer market. However a lot of micro-beers had found a way around that so he had high hopes. It was why the big beers were starting to fight back by offering more than just their standard beers and lite beers. Maybe she knew something he didn't. It had him smiling at his good fortune that LT happened by. He was definitely voting for Kate as the new sheriff. Hell, he might even donate money to her campaign when the time came.

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Four days later LT was talking with his girlfriend about his job offer in Newcastle, WY. "I even found a house you might like," he told her and showed her the listing complete with pictures.

248 Salt Creek Road, Newcastle, Wyoming. 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 3,908 square feet of space. Log home on the top floor, block on the first floor, 2 car garage, pass through fireplace on 120 acres of land. $509,000.

"I met a guy who is starting up a micro-brew and was interested in talking with you," LT mentioned. "This is easily a 2 million dollar home Tee." She didn't believe it. "That was one thing Beckett told me about living out there. Housing was a lot less costly," LT said."It doesn't have air conditioning." She pointed out a potential flaw in this home. "It's Wyoming, it gets cold there. If it gets too hot we can have window units installed in the rooms we want them in like the master bedroom."

"Beckett has ordered new cars for the office. 2001 Dodge Intrepids, Durangos, and PT-Cruisers. We'll get one of those. We would just have to keep track of when we used it for personal use and when I used it for business," LT offered. It still meant they would need a car for her to use just to get into town, however it meant they didn't need to buy two of them. And hers could be a used car. "Are you taking the job?" she finally asked him. "Montgomery warned us that next year's budget would be a lot smaller. It might mean I won't have a job the beginning of next year. I'm not asking you to follow me out there if I go. I'm only asking you to think about it. Talk to the brewery guy, see what he has planned. I know how much you like your job, but that's all it is is a job. You've put your soul into that place and except for a paycheck you have nothing to show for it. You deserve better. You're way too smart to settle for a paycheck each month." LT tried to get her to see what her job really was, even if she did love what she was doing.

"Wait for the guy to call and talk with you. I'm willing to go and willing to stay and take my chances. If we move, the place will be ours and you don't have to put up with my roommates when you come over," LT informed her knowing that she made more money than he did and likely still would, which was why she lived alone in her apartment.

They would own instead of rent. There was just one question both of them really needed to answer. Were they going to be more or go their separate ways? Each knew they liked the other, but did they love the other and would they ever?

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Kate had someone coming out to talk about the K-9 unit job and she had just gotten off the phone arranging to have one of the PT-Cruisers converted into a K-9 unit by putting in a barrier between the front seats and the back for the dog. She had just hung up and it was getting late when Amber and Samantha walked in the door with a backpack that Kate didn't recognize on Samantha's back. She was up and out of her office. "Hi Sam." Kate was pleased to see her and hugged her quickly. "Hi Kate." Samantha was happy to see her.

"Ready to get started?" Kate looked at Amber. "Rebecca has all of your paperwork for you to look over and sign. She's also going to be your instructor for the next two weeks. Deputy Sloan is presently assigned the night shift. Once Greta starts and especially if LT decides to join us that may change eventually. Though Sloan needs a couple of days off." Kate really needed Greta to get here so he could get those nights and days off.

"I really want to thank you for this opportunity." Amber was still incredibly thankful. "You're welcome. Learn what Rebecca has to teach you and we'll get along fine," Kate told her and bent down to talk to Samantha. "Are you spending the night here or coming with me?" Kate asked her and Sam looked up at her mother. "Your choice honey. You have everything you need in your new backpack," Amber told her. "Can I go with you?" Sam asked softly looking at Kate. "Of course. Alexis is probably in bed asleep which is where you should be this late in the day," Kate informed her that seeing Alexis would not take place tonight.

"Is it alright if we do this nightly each night I work?" Amber really did want her daughter close to her, but sleeping here without even so much as a sofa would be uncomfortable for her. "I've already talked with Rick, we're good to go. I'll bring her with me in the morning and you can take her home," Kate said. Amber kneeled down. "You be a good girl and do what Kate and Rick tell you to do." She hugged her and kissed her forehead. This solved so many problems for her. "I love you" Amber added and kissed her head. "I'll be good Mom," Sam promised. "Let's go Sam, we'll be back in the morning," Kate took Sam's hand and brought her out to her Jeep.

Once home they both found Midas and Maggie just inside the door; they took turns sniffing one than the other. Samantha was smiling as she petted the dogs. "Do you have a dog at home?" Kate asked her and watched her shake her head. Kate believed it since dogs cost money.

'Babe?' Kate didn't see him. 'Be right up,' Rick told her which told Kate he was downstairs doing something. She waited for him to come upstairs. "Hi Sam!" Rick spotted her and moved in for a hug to help her feel better about sleeping there. "So you're going to start to be our new house guest?" he asked. "Hi Mr. Rodgers," Sam said a little shyly. "Well, Alexis is already in bed so let's show you your room for the night, shall we?" Rick followed Kate and Sam upstairs. "The bathroom is through that door and you'll share it with Alexis who has the bedroom right next to yours. Ours is just down that hall through the double doors. Midas and Maggie will keep you safe while you sleep. There isn't a bear alive brave enough to enter this house," Rick tried to reassure her. "Come downstairs for breakfast in the morning before Kate takes you back to your mother." He left her to Kate.

"Do you bathe in the morning or before bed?" Kate asked her. "Morning mostly," Sam replied. "So does Alexis. I guess we'll figure out something in the morning. Come find us if you have a nightmare or need something. You're perfectly safe up here." Kate kissed her cheek. "I'll be back to tuck you in in a bit. Put your clothes on the chair or in the dresser. This is now your room," she told her and went in search of Rick who was down in the kitchen.

"You're sure you're okay with this? I know I sprung this on you without asking you." She just knew she should have talked with him first when she found him snacking on some turkey sausage in one hand and a Honey beer in the other. "Trust me Kate. I'm not mad or upset at all. If I had known I would have offered it to you to ask her if she was interested. It's just a pity that Sam and Alexis will only see each other briefly in the morning before you take her back to her mother. The kids deserve a chance to play with each other." Rick hated that part.

"If it helps I think she's open to the idea of letting Sam come with us on our Labor Day trip. She just needs to know where we're going." Kate tried to soften the blow of her only spending her time sleeping here. "Are you coming on our trip? I know your mother can't since she has her restaurant to think about," he said asking her. That was a down side to her mother opening a restaurant. She really needed to be there to keep it running. "Greta is going to be here in about a week or so. If LT accepts he should be here before the end of the month. The same for my K-9 unit. That will bring me back up to a full staff so I'll be able to take some days off. I just don't know when the election process for sheriff is scheduled yet," she said to him.

"You'll win in a land slide, I'm sure of it." And Rick kissed her. Kate made a face. "You taste like sausage and beer. You better brush before coming to bed if you want any more kisses." Kate poked him lightly to accentuate her point. "Yes, dear," he teased. "And you call me 'dear' one more time and you're sleeping on the sofa." She poked him just a little harder this time. "Got it," he told her. "I'm going to go check on Sam. You need to finish your snack and go brush your teeth and gargle while you're in there, too," Kate warned him and headed for the stairs.

She walked into Alexis's room and found Midas sleeping on his bed but no Maggie. Still she went over to Alexis, stroked her hair, and kissed her head. "I wonder?" It was enough that Kate picked up Maggie's dog bed and went into the guest bedroom. She found Sam in bed already asleep with Maggie lying on the floor. So Kate dropped her bed on the floor and walked over to tuck Sam in and kissed her forehead and went to their bedroom.

"They're both sound asleep," Kate told him as she started stripping off her clothes. "She's such a sweet and shy little thing. Hopefully her mother catches on to what we do in the office. It sounds like their family could really use the money," she said to him as she slipped out of her pants and tossed them in the hamper along with her shirt.

"This isn't the richest county in the state. I partly chose this place because of that. I wanted to get away from everyone in New York. I couldn't have my publicist or publisher figuring out where I had gone," Rick explained as he walked out of the bathroom just in time to watch Kate remove her bra which had him stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "When does your next book come out?" She leaned back into him and closed her eyes. "Not until Thanksgiving. I owe them two more books over the next 3 years and since I'm essentially a ghost writer I don't have to do any book signings or book launches, so no one in New York should figure out where I am." Rick started kissing her neck while moving his hands up to cup her breasts.

"Babe, I have an appointment with an OBGYN in Rapid City in two days. I want her to remove my IUD." She twisted in place so that she could press her face into his chest and breathe him in. "I'll order some condoms for us to use instead," he told her. She looked up at him. "I don't want us to use those either." Kate knew just what she was asking. She wondered if both of them were really ready, too?

Another thing to think about was that this house only had 3 bedrooms.