Page 111 of Sheriff's City Girl

I furrowed my brow. “And then what happened?”

“Then the back and forth started,” Frank chuckled. “I know that for a time, it was just petty things. You know, defacing property. I remember my grandmother telling me stories about it—and how it escalated. They were kind of like the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s, I suppose.”

“But when did it stop?”

“When old man Frederickson died, it all seemed to quiet down. However, they lost the land that was given to them by the Lowes in the end.”

“Why?”

“They defaulted on it when they’d kept taking loans up against it. It went back to the bank, and when it did, the Lowe’s bought it.”

“And when did that happen?”

He took a big deep breath. “I don’t know. It was finalized when I was a teenager. I don’t know how much Lucas really knows about it, but I would assume that it’s been talked about at some point.”

I nodded. “This is just news to me.”

“Well, it really died down after a while.”

“What died down?” Lucas asked, carrying the box that had the fundraising money in it.

“The feud between the Fredericksons and the Lowes,” Frank said before I could. “I was just telling him about the old family feud.”

“Yeah, I don’t think there’s any Fredericksons in town anymore. Dad always said that they left town after the last of the feud settled down, I think. I don’t actually know. I was never alive when it happened. It ended a couple of generations before me.”

“And you don’t think it could be why you’re being targeted?” I turned to Lucas, offering it out there.

Lucas was quiet for a few moments, his expression shifting to deep thought. “You know… I never thought about it. I just… I just figured someone wants the ranch. I never thought that it might be someone from that family.”

“I think it’s a stretch,” Frank said with a shrug and smile. “But anyway, let’s get that money to the bank and call this good.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Emma

“So you’re doing good with the pregnancy?” Mom asked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “And you’re happy with moving in without a ring?”

“You mean like being engaged?” I shot back at her, making a face.

“You know what I mean,” she snipped, shaking her head at me. She had surprised me with a visit, and while it wasn’t unwelcome, she was already on my case about everything.

“I know, and I think that it’s not my responsibility to worry about when he’s going to propose. I don’t want to get married while I’m pregnant, anyway.” I shrugged my shoulders. “We have a lot on our plate right now.”

“Yes, I read the paper this morning at the café, and it was just crazy. All those missing cattle, a barn fire—are you sure you’re safe living here? It seems this whole town is just up in arms.”

“Mom, it’s fine,” I said with a sigh, picking up Jess’s purse from the living room floor. As I did, a phone clattered to the floor, and I grimaced. She had forgotten her phone at home this morning, apparently.

“You shouldn’t let her go to school without that,” Mom said over my shoulder. “Not in a town like this. You need to be able to get ahold of her all the time.”

“Mom,” I spun around, shaking my head at her. “Please stop. I have it handled, okay? Besides, I’m going to take this to her.”

My mother pursed her thin lips, folding her arms across her chest. “I think I’ll stay here and keep working on the nursery. We still have a way to go with the new wallpaper.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Thank you for working so hard and being here.”

“Of course,” she said, finally giving me a smile. “I can’t wait for our little girl to get here. I can’t believe it’s just a few months away.”

“I know,” I agreed, grabbing my car keys. “She’ll be here before we know it.”

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