Page 36 of Truth is the Ultimate Weapon

Kenzie abruptly turned to Coy, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, her expression filled with playful concern. “Are you feeling okay? That was deep, especially for you. And… insightful.”

Coy chuckled softly, gently releasing her hand from his forehead before bringing it to his lips and planting a tender kiss on the back of it. “I learned it from you. That was right out of the Kenzie Gray handbook.”

“Yeah. It does sound like something I would say.” She giggled. “These past few months have been quite a journey, haven't they? Two hearts, once broken and now reconnected after all these years, only to discover that each holds the missing piece to make the other whole.”

“There you go again with all that wisdom.” He teased. “But I couldn’t agree more. The last thing I thought I was going to find here was murder, mayhem, and… love.”

She smiled. “Is that what this is?”

“Not many people get a second chance, Kenz, and if I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that life is far too short to waste it. I’d rather love and have lived than just live without knowing love.”

“Wow, who’s the poet now?” she winked.

“We’re going to get through this, Kenz. We are going to solve all the missing pieces to this case, then we’re going to figure out what’s next… for us.”

“Does that mean you’re staying in Coyote Creek?”

“I don’t know. I guess we need to solve this fucking mess and figure it out.” He kissed the back of her hand again, “Let’s go pack a bag for Glen and get him some fresh clothes to leave the hospital in.”

They each hopped out of the vehicle, meeting at the front with a kiss. “I’m going to look around and make sure everything is good and locked up while you grab his things. There no telling how long we’re going to need to keep him at the ranch with us, and this thing blows over.”

“Thank you for thinking of him and letting him stay with us out there.” She said.

“Glen’s family. I wouldn’t have it any other way. If he’s in danger, he’s under our protection, and there’s no better way than to keep out there with all of us until this thing winds down.”

“I agree. I’ll just be a few minutes. He’s a simple man with very few things.” She said.

Coy released Kenzie's hand and headed toward one of the barns on the property while Kenzie headed toward the house. As they moved, a familiar vehicle approached from the long driveway. Nash, Charlotte, and Devyn emerged from the parked vehicle, with Diesel by Devyn's side, parking along the driveway.

“What are you guys doing here?” Kenzie asked as Coy joined her.

“We tried calling,” Nash warned. “Your phones go right to voicemail.”

“That’s odd. It was working fine when…” Kenzie pulled her phone from her pocket and noted it had no service.

Coy squinted at his screen, his features tightening into a grimace of frustration. “You ever have issues with cell service out here before?”

“Never.”

“That’s what I thought.” Coy tucked his phone away and scanned the area while the others noted their phones were no longer working either.

“Tower down?” Nash asked.

“When was the last time one of you tried calling me or Kenzie?” Coy inquired, his eyes scanning the vast expanse of the property as he spoke.

“We all took turns calling both of your phones all the way. Here.” Charlotte shared. “I was the last one to try right when we approached the property.”

“Tower isn’t down. Our signals are blocked.” Coy said quietly. “Something tells me we aren’t alone out here.”

“That’s why we drove out,” Nash said. “There’s trouble. Shanks was stabbed at the hospital while sitting outside Glen’s hospital room.”

“Shit.” Kenzie chided. “Is he…”

“He’s in surgery.” Charlotte delivered the news gently, aware of Kenzie's fondness for Shanks and their friendship. “They won’t know the prognosis for a while yet. He was hurt pretty bad.”

“Oh no. This is all my fault. I should have had more deputies up there or… got Glen out sooner, transferred to a different hospital.”

“Hey,” Coy calmly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. It’s going to be okay. This isn’t your fault. We’ll figure it out.”

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