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inside the garage.
    “Those boys will want a hot meal,” Conrad said quietly beside her. “When we finish here, I’ll take the three of you to the café for breakfast. My treat.”
    Katrina felt her eyes grow damp again. Really, this man was being very nice.
    Then Conrad said, “The sheriff can’t take you to jail until someone comes for the boys anyway. If he can’t reach the parents, he’d have to call Children’s Services in Billings.”
    Well, that was an effective douse of cold water, Katrina thought, as she stepped away to look up at her betrayer. Instead of having his eyes aimed at her, though, Conrad had them focused on the sheriff.
    It was clear from the twist to the sheriff’s mouth thathe hadn’t given any thought to what would happen to the boys if he arrested Katrina. Of course, she knew Leanne would be over here in a few hours once they called her, but the sheriff didn’t.
    He just stood there.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever arrested someone who had kids with them,” the lawman finally said. “I wasn’t really planning to put her in jail right now anyway. At least not without checking out her story. We have to pay Miles City for room and board every time we give them a prisoner. It adds up.”
    “Don’t worry, Leanne will vouch for me,” Katrina said and then stopped. It had already occurred to her that Leanne and Walker might be off somewhere together. Or maybe they’d had a fight and that’s why Walker said the car was stolen. Maybe Leanne was in the Lexus and Walker in his pickup. Either way, they might not get back to answer the phone until late tonight.
    “The children seem to check out,” the sheriff conceded. “And I’m not keen to pay Children’s Services. Travel. Meals. And they always take their time. We’re over our budget as it is.”
    Conrad pressed his point. “Then while you make your calls, you won’t object to me taking Katrina and the boys to the café for something to eat?”
    The sheriff shrugged. “It’s your dime.”
    “I can pay,” Katrina said.
    “Don’t let her convince you to let her go free, either.” This command was given to Conrad. “That’d be a mistake.”
    “Of course not,” Conrad said. “I’m just doing what needs being done.”
    Katrina tried not to let that sting. She should know he was only doing his duty by her. He probably had something in his code of honor that said he had to stand by any weeping women who faced the law in his gas station. She couldn’t worry about that now, though.
    “And be sure she doesn’t call anyone on that phone of hers,” the sheriff continued.
    She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her cell phone. “Here. It’s not even on. Keep it if you need to.”
    The sheriff took it and put it in his own pocket. “It’s just until I check things out.”
    Then she saw Charley start walking back from the car. He had her purse in one hand and her youngest nephew, Zach, in the other. Her older nephew, Ryan, was following behind them.
    The boys were looking a little scared.
    She glanced up at the sheriff. “There’s no need to talk about arresting me in front of my nephews. They don’t need to be any more upset than they are.”
    The sheriff snorted. “The only reason they might be upset is that they think I’m going to stop you from giving them their quarters. That’s what they wanted to know about. Besides I wouldn’t talk about arresting anyone in front of their kids if I could help it. Or even just holding them for questioning, either.”
    “Well,” Katrina said with a nod. “I appreciate that.”
    “I’m not the bad guy,” the sheriff added. But he still held his hand out for her purse when Charley brought it in the office.
    “I can open my own purse,” she said.
    “Got to check it out for—you know,” he said with a meaningful look at her nephews.
    Which, of course, stopped her protest. She didn’t want him getting specific.
    Instead, she smiled at the boys.