Page 27 of Love Me Dangerous

I’m feeding Galaxy,the neglected colt Barb rescued two days ago, when the kick of gravel alerts me to an approaching vehicle.

It’s not even six o’clock in the morning. The Huttons are likely just waking up. I wipe my damp brow with my forearm and step into the center of the barn so I can see down the driveway.

It’s the sheriff.

He pulls his green Ford to a stop in the driveway loop adjacent to the barn. Meaning, he’s here to see me, not the Huttons.

Honey and Rex bound from the porch, tails wagging. Sheriff Olson climbs down from his truck, dropping out of sight to greet them, then walks around the front of his truck toward me. He’s a washed-out blur in the early sunlight, with both dogs trotting alongside him.

“Morning, Zach,” he says.

I have chores to do, so I give him a nod and step back into Galaxy’s stall. The sheriff is dressed casually in jeans and a gray camo-patterned hoodie. Instead of the tan cowboy hat he usually wears, a ball cap shades his dark, inquisitive eyes.

“Thought I’d drop by, see how things are going,” he says, pausing outside of the stall.

“Going fine.” I drop a load of poop into the wheelbarrow.

“Who’s this?” he nods at Galaxy.

“Rescue,” I reply.

“I thought Barb wasn’t doing that anymore?” he asks, but it sounds rhetorical.

I scoop another load of manure. I’m pretty sure Barb took on Galaxy because of me, but I’m not about to tell him that.

“I got some information for you,” Sheriff Olson says, bracing off the half-door.

The back of my neck prickles, and I give the sheriff a quick look.

“Kristov Stoll is contesting your guardianship of William,” he says, his face tense.

I brace off the pitchfork and shut my eyes.

“He says you’re a danger. Something about an arson fire?”

“I had nothing to do with that,” I grit out. Fuck!

That Kristov is making noise about the arson fire that destroyed my dad’s business is pure madness. If only I had proof that he’s responsible. Something stronger than my word.

“I’m afraid it won’t matter,” he continues, his gaze steady. “Heidi Jenkins is on your side, but?—”

“You talked to Heidi?” I ask.

We stare at each other for one long, heavy second.

“She’s doing everything she can to keep your brother safe, but that plan you two cooked up won’t hold forever.” He wipes down his chin, then shuffles his feet. “What about your mom? Can you talk to her?”

“No.” My mom is so far gone to me, just the thought of seeing her again makes my skin burn. When I think about how she abandoned William, put him in danger like that…

“All right,” Sheriff Olson says in a calm tone, as if he senses my distress. “We’ll just have to hope the information I passed on to law enforcement up there is enough. And if it’s not…”

I’m afraid to open my mouth. There’s too much to say.

“I want to help you, Zach. But I won’t break the law to do it.”

“I never asked you to.”

“You’re right,” the sheriff says, nodding, as if to himself. “Yet you sure as hell aren’t going to get out of this mess without some kind of plan.”

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