thin man with slicked-back hair started yelling at the woman. “Look what you’ve done now. You brought the cops down on us. How could you do this to me?”
The woman scrambled out of his way. Nick closed the vehicle door and approached the scene. “Stop right there, sir. I’m Sheriff Nick Bradley, and I just want to talk to you.”
The man threw his hands up in disgust, spun around and reentered the house before Nick could stop him. The woman collapsed on the bottom step still weeping. Nick approached her and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Don’t take him to jail. My husband is just upset because he’s been out of work so long. He’s been drinking today, but he almost never drinks. I’ll be okay. Honest, I cut my head when I fell.”
Nick didn’t take his eyes off the door. “Does he have any weapons in the house? Does he have a gun?”
“We don’t have anything like that. I’m sorry someone called you. I’m fine, really I am.” She tried to stand, but her legs gave out and she plopped back. She tried a second time and succeeded, but she wobbled. Nick reached out to help steady her.
From along the corner of the house, Miriam saw the husband approaching with a long thick piece of wood in his hand. He was out of Nick’s line of sight.
In that instant, she saw a terrifying scene beginning to unfold. The man rounded the corner of the house with the club raised over his head. Nick was in danger. Miriam pushed open the door and yelled, “Nick, watch out!”
Nick caught sight of the man an instant before it was too late. From his crouching position, he launched a sideways kick that landed square in the middle of the man’s chest. His heavy boot connected with a sickening thud. The husband tumbled backward, the board dropping from his hand.
Seconds later, Nick straddled him using an arm lock to hold him down while he snapped on a pair of handcuffs.
Miriam’s heart started beating again. Nick was safe. The emotions she’d kept bottled inside exploded into her mind. She pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. She cared about Nick. Deeply.
The wife started screaming hysterically for Nick to let her husband up. It was clear Nick had all he could handle. Miriam had to help. She jumped out of the car and rushed to the wife, placing herself between her and Nick. She grasped the woman’s arms and held on.
“It’s all right. He’s going to be all right. Don’t make things worse for him. Calm down.”
Nick growled, “Miriam, get back in the car.”
“Everyone take a deep breath. This doesn’t have to end badly if everyone keeps their cool.”
A movement at the window shade in the house drew Miriam’s attention. The frightened faces of two small kids looked out on the scene. She forced the woman to focus on her. “You’re scaring the children. You don’t want that, do you?”
It was the first thing that seemed to get through to the distraught wife. “No, don’t let them see this.” She turned her face away from the house.”
“Miriam, get back in the car, or so help me, I’ll arrest you, too.”
She ignored him. Concentrating on keeping the wife calm, Miriam spoke quietly to her. “The children have already seen this. They are going to need you to reassure them. You can’t do that if you end up in jail for assaulting a police officer. Do you have someone you can call? Do you have a family member or a pastor who can come over and help take care of the children?”
The woman shook her head and started sobbing again. “Danny and the kids are all the family I have. Please don’t arrest him.”
Miriam glanced toward the car, where her mother was watching with wide worried eyes. Looking at the young mother, she asked, “What is your name?”
“Caroline. Caroline Hicks.”
“Caroline, my mother is here. Is it all right if she goes inside and stays with the children for a little bit?”
Caroline nodded, but she couldn’t take her eyes off her husband. Miriam motioned
The woman scrambled out of his way. Nick closed the vehicle door and approached the scene. “Stop right there, sir. I’m Sheriff Nick Bradley, and I just want to talk to you.”
The man threw his hands up in disgust, spun around and reentered the house before Nick could stop him. The woman collapsed on the bottom step still weeping. Nick approached her and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Don’t take him to jail. My husband is just upset because he’s been out of work so long. He’s been drinking today, but he almost never drinks. I’ll be okay. Honest, I cut my head when I fell.”
Nick didn’t take his eyes off the door. “Does he have any weapons in the house? Does he have a gun?”
“We don’t have anything like that. I’m sorry someone called you. I’m fine, really I am.” She tried to stand, but her legs gave out and she plopped back. She tried a second time and succeeded, but she wobbled. Nick reached out to help steady her.
From along the corner of the house, Miriam saw the husband approaching with a long thick piece of wood in his hand. He was out of Nick’s line of sight.
In that instant, she saw a terrifying scene beginning to unfold. The man rounded the corner of the house with the club raised over his head. Nick was in danger. Miriam pushed open the door and yelled, “Nick, watch out!”
Nick caught sight of the man an instant before it was too late. From his crouching position, he launched a sideways kick that landed square in the middle of the man’s chest. His heavy boot connected with a sickening thud. The husband tumbled backward, the board dropping from his hand.
Seconds later, Nick straddled him using an arm lock to hold him down while he snapped on a pair of handcuffs.
Miriam’s heart started beating again. Nick was safe. The emotions she’d kept bottled inside exploded into her mind. She pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. She cared about Nick. Deeply.
The wife started screaming hysterically for Nick to let her husband up. It was clear Nick had all he could handle. Miriam had to help. She jumped out of the car and rushed to the wife, placing herself between her and Nick. She grasped the woman’s arms and held on.
“It’s all right. He’s going to be all right. Don’t make things worse for him. Calm down.”
Nick growled, “Miriam, get back in the car.”
“Everyone take a deep breath. This doesn’t have to end badly if everyone keeps their cool.”
A movement at the window shade in the house drew Miriam’s attention. The frightened faces of two small kids looked out on the scene. She forced the woman to focus on her. “You’re scaring the children. You don’t want that, do you?”
It was the first thing that seemed to get through to the distraught wife. “No, don’t let them see this.” She turned her face away from the house.”
“Miriam, get back in the car, or so help me, I’ll arrest you, too.”
She ignored him. Concentrating on keeping the wife calm, Miriam spoke quietly to her. “The children have already seen this. They are going to need you to reassure them. You can’t do that if you end up in jail for assaulting a police officer. Do you have someone you can call? Do you have a family member or a pastor who can come over and help take care of the children?”
The woman shook her head and started sobbing again. “Danny and the kids are all the family I have. Please don’t arrest him.”
Miriam glanced toward the car, where her mother was watching with wide worried eyes. Looking at the young mother, she asked, “What is your name?”
“Caroline. Caroline Hicks.”
“Caroline, my mother is here. Is it all right if she goes inside and stays with the children for a little bit?”
Caroline nodded, but she couldn’t take her eyes off her husband. Miriam motioned
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