Page 117 of Starting Over

“Good choice.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Declan

“Sheriff?”

Looking up from my desk, I found Corbin Blackwater, one of my deputies, standing in the doorway.

“What is it, Deputy?” I leaned back in my chair, curious as to what he needed.

“Just got a call from Grayson Powell. They found a body in one of the back pastures.”

That got my attention, and I sat forward. “What kind of body?”

“The human kind.”

“Shit.”

Standing from my desk, I grabbed my keys and walked around to the door. “Foul play?”

“They believe so, yes.”

“Ok, let’s go take a look.”

The Powell Ranch was only eight miles outside of town. The trouble was, the ranch included over fifteen thousand acres of land.

Pulling onto the ranch road, Grayson Powell waited for us. Deputy Blackwater and I stepped out of my vehicle and walked over. The sun was shining brightly, but it was fucking cold.

That was December in Nebraska.

It was nothing compared to what January and February could be though.

“Hello, Sheriff.” Grayson held his hand out to me.

“Grayson.” Shaking his hand, I got right to it. “I hear you found a body.”

“I actually haven’t seen it yet. Hudson and Em were out riding fences when they found her. Em stayed with the body, and Hudson came back to get me and call you.”

“You sure it’s female?”

Grayson sighed. “Yea. Hudson said her face was unrecognizable, but no doubt it’s a woman. She wasn’t wearing clothes. Emerson stayed with her to make sure nothing else got to her. They wanted to cover her with a blanket but knew they had to wait.”

“I appreciate that. Can we drive out there?”

“Not in your vehicle.”

I turned, and Hudson was walking over, leading two big ass horses over to where I stood with his brother.

“I am not getting on a fucking horse.”

Grayson grinned. “You never rode your brother’s bike? That’s just a steel horse.”

“Yea, but that steel horse doesn’t have a mind of its own that gets spooked by fucking rattlesnakes.”

“Oh come on, Sheriff, the rattlers are all brumating this time of year.”

“No fucking way.”

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