Page 51 of Whisk Me Away

The last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids sitting around making stupid decisions, but doing it in this death trap was even worse. To some extent, I knew there was only so much we could do to keep kids from partying, but it was our responsibility to prevent it as best we could.

For now, that means getting this place boarded up until I could talk to the town council and figure out what should be done with the house.

"First things first, we need to secure this place to prevent any more unauthorized access. Then, I'll reach out to the town council and see what they want to do about it,” Randle nodded his agreement, kicking at a piece of glass on the ground.

"Let's get to it," Randle said before striding toward the front door.

I follow behind him until we both stood on the dirt driveway in front of my SUV.

"Let's head to the hardware store and pick up some plywood to board up the windows and doors. I'll drop you at the station first so you can pick up your truck and meet me at the store,” I rounded my SUV and climbed behind the wheel.

After an hour at the hardware store, countless sheets of plywood, and a few other supplies, we returned to the house. First, we had to clear out all the junk. Randle grabbed a couple of trash bags tossing one to me and we set out to tackle the disaster. We tossed bottles, cans, and who knows what else into those bags. It felt like we were shoveling snow in a blizzard, but we kept at it.

Once we got the place cleared out, it was time to board up the windows and doors. Randle pulled some plywood from the back of his truck, and we got to work, hammering the boards over every opening we could find. It wasn't pretty, but it was sturdy, and that's all that mattered.

As we worked, sweat pouring down our faces, we discussed what we would do next. We knew we couldn't just leave the place like this. When I got back to the station, I'd reach out to the town and see if they were willing to do something about it. In the meantime, we'd keep an eye on things and make sure nobody tried to sneak back in. I would need to put my guys on a rotation that involved them driving by this place at least once in the middle of the night.

By the time we finished, the sun was setting, casting shadows over the overgrown weeds that filled the land. I was exhausted and frustrated that I had spent my entire day out here. I wanted to swing by Whisk Me Away today but just haven't had the chance. I knew Karis closed up the store at 6 p.m., so maybe if I hurried, I could catch her before she headed home for the night.

"Thanks for your help, Randle!" I hollered as I strode to my SUV.

"Anytime, Sheriff!" He called before tossing me a wave and hopping in his truck.

I brushed as much dirt and grim off me as I could before slipping behind the wheel and peeling away from the nightmare of a house. The drive to Main Street was quick, making me thankful that tourist season hadn't started yet. By this time next month, our little town would be crawling with people.

The bright pink awning came into view, and just the sight of it brought a wave of comfort. I pulled around back, where I found Karis' little car parked, and took the spot next to hers. There were no other cars in the parking lot, which meant Karis must have sent Aspen home already.

Climbing out of my vehicle, I slammed the door and walked through the alleyway to the front door. With any luck, she wouldn't have locked it yet. When I rounded the corner, the little sign in the glass door was flipped to closed, but when I pushed on the door, it opened. The little bell jingled, giving away my presence, but Karis wasn't out front. I looked around the bakery, noticing that the tables and chairs looked clean and the floor was freshly mopped.

Looking down at myself, I grimaced at how dirty I was, a stark contrast to Karis' clean bakery. I shook my head but kept moving deeper into the store. I could hear the faint sound of music coming from the kitchen, and it drew me in. I rounded the corner and was about to push the door open when I heard the sweet sound of Karis humming, meaning she was lost in the song that was playing.

I gently pushed the door open and leaned my shoulder against it, watching her clean the countertop she used to prep her treats. Karis was wearing her usual work uniform: a pink Whisk Me Away T-shirt with a pair of jean cutoffs. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that swung behind her as she swayed to the music.

I knew I should do something to let Karis know I was here, but I was mesmerized by her. I couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth.

I cleared my throat, hoping it wouldn’t scare her as bad as it would if I just said something, but based on the way Karis just flinched, I was wrong. Her hands flew to her chest as she spun around, a loud gasp escaping her mouth.

"Brant!" Karis scolds. "Am I going to need to put bells on you so you stop sneaking up on me?" she asked, doing her best to look annoyed. In reality, the way she was scrunching her nose and drawing her eyebrows together just looked adorable to me.

Karis stomped one foot while sending me a mock glare. "This is not funny, mister. You are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

Sauntering into the room, I made my way across the kitchen until we were standing a few feet apart.

"Sorry, Peach. I didn't mean to scare you,” I feigned innocence as I held my hands up in surrender.

Karis huffed out a breath. "Yeah, yeah. What are you doing here so late, and what is all over your clothes?" A look of shock passes over her features as she took in my appearance.

"I never got a chance to stop by and see you today, and although I've had a crappy day, I didn't want it to end without seeing your beautiful face." I gave her a wink as I watched the sweet little peach color cover her cheeks.

"Brant," Karis whispered. Her piercing green eyes looked at me with so much emotion, and I leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"To answer your second question, I can't be completely sure what is all over my clothes,” I sighed, looking down at the filth clinging to my uniform.

"I spent the day cleaning out and boarding up the abandoned house just outside of town. A neighbor called the station last night complaining of loud music. Randle and I took the call, and when we got to the scene, a ton of kids took off. We were able to detain one of them. The inside of that house was basically a death trap. Broken bottles littered the floor, and furniture had been ripped up and thrown around the room. It was bad, and we didn't want the ones who got away to come back there, so we cleared it out and nailed some boards over all the windows and doors.”

"Oh, Brant! I'm so sorry! That's awful! It's good you guys made it so they can't get back in there, but wow. That must have been a lot,” I loved hearing the genuine care and concern that laced her tone.

I could so easily imagine a life where I came home after a trying day to this beautiful woman waiting for me. Ready to hear about my day, share a meal with me, and just spend time in each other's company. I could imagine a life with Karis, and that thought should scare me, yet it only brought feelings of excitement.

---