Page 1 of Defending Casey

Chapter 1

Hale Foster knewwithout a doubt that he was a coward. Face the enemy? No problem. Walk through a town where they were unwanted and called the enemy? He could handle that.

He could handle any situation like that, because it was just his life on the line.

His heart was another matter entirely.

There was no other reason for what he’d done.

Or hadn’t done.

He’d been back home in Fool’s Gold, Colorado for a couple of months and done everything he could to avoid his old haunts.

He didn’t do anything as extreme as cross the streets to avoid people he used to know. However, unless he was helping his friends and former team, he really didn’t venture off of his property, the house and land left to him by his maternal grandparents.

But he knew he had to pull up his britches and face the past if he wanted to stay in town.

He had to face Casey Jones.

He had to find out if she was happy.

She may have broken his heart almost a decade ago, but he didn’t want her to hurt. He just needed to know if they could co-exist in town. The last thing he wanted was to have an uncomfortable situation every time they bumped into each other.

Given the size of Fool’s Good, it wasn’t an ‘if,’ it was a when.

That’s why he was headed into town to do some recon and find out whatever he could about Casey’s life since he’d been gone.

He could have asked any number of people in town since everyone knew everything about everyone else, but they would have turned around and told everyone what he’d asked.

So this had to be as strategic as recon in the Army.

He had to find someone he trusted.

And someone who would keep his confidence.

Turning onto Bear Paw Trail between the coffee shop and the bank, he saw the building he was looking for up ahead on the right.

Fool’s Gold Feed & Seed. In a small town like Fool’s Gold there were three main places you could go for information. The Post Office, the Sheriff’s Office, and the feed store.

His choice was the last one.

Back in his high school days he’d worked a few summers at the store, taking a grunt level job, even though his father owned it. It was a good choice for him, not only because they paid a decent wage, but lifting the bags and bales proved an excellent way to build some muscle. And Mister Sumner was a good man who didn’t mind when Casey stopped by to bring him lunch. After a few weeks he’d even given her a job because she was able to do the math for change in her head and had clear handwriting for the sales slips.

If there was someone who would answer his questions without spreading gossip around town, it was Mister Sumner.

When he turned into the parking lot just past the building, he found himself taking a second look at the sign out front.

It had been repainted. Instead of the old brown lettering on a white background, it was a dark green with a pair of tiny hands painted on the corner.

Hale smiled. He didn’t remember Mister Sumner having any children, but in ten years, a lot of things could have changed.

Getting out of his Jeep, Hale let out a breath.

Being honest with himself, he had to admit he was a little nervous about the answers he might get from the older man.

Hale pushed open the front door and looked around the inside of the store.

It was a bit of a shock. Almost like stepping back in time.

---