Page 27 of Stormy Ride

“I guess somebody has to be sheriff.”

“Something on your mind? You seem a bit antsy.”

“Aside from Glenda at the bar stalking me, there’s no easy way to open up this can of worms.”

Ted gave Glenda a quick glance, and then he gave her a second look. “Just say it.”

“I’ll start off by saying I know Clay Peterson is dirty. I’ve known it since the first day I filled up with gas at his pumps. Been a cop for too long not to know. Stuff is going through the garage and the convenience store. I get that. What I’m hoping, is that you and Kirby are no part of it. I’d really like the two of you to be clear when I come at Peterson and knock him down.”

Ted raised an eyebrow. Tina brought Ted’s pitcher of beer and set it down on the table. “Thanks, Tina.”

She gave him a smile like maybe she knew him pretty well.

He filled his glass and drank half of it down. “You can’t help but notice shit when you’re in and out of the garage all day long like I am.”

“I figured you knew.”

Ted nodded his head doing some thinking and trying to get a read on me at the same time.

“My advice to you is to back away from it before I’m ready.”

“You’re a smart cop, Travis. That’s one thing I do know about you. How do you know I won’t go straight to Clay?”

I shrugged. “Don’t matter to me, Ted. I heard Montana State Penn ain’t the place to be. I knew the last guy who broke out of there and I can guarantee you, that guy is dead. Just say’n.”

“Interesting chat, Travis. I’ll think about what you said.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Feeling like a drunken piece of dog shit, I staggered into the house and fed Max and Sarge. While they gobbled up their kibble, I sat at the kitchen table staring at my phone and wishing I hadn’t been so brutal to Olivia.

I’d been with Annie the whole time I’d been back in Texas, but I’m pissed out of my tree because Olivia was screwing around with the goddamned bank manager?

“I told Ravary the truth. I’m not reasonable. Far from it.”

I flopped into bed and didn’t have a prayer of getting any sleep. Women were turning me upside down and I was allowing it to happen. It had to stop.

Chapter Six

Sunday, April 24th.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

The dogs woke me up early and I hated to get out from under the covers, the house was so fuckin cold. The furnace couldn’t keep the temperature up to a human level. I might have to have it replaced. Billy would know. He was in charge of the furnace.

My feet hit that icy cold wooden floor and a shiver ran up my spine. “Jeeze, doggies, is it really spring in Montana? Sure ain’t like spring in Texas.”

As soon as I spoke to them, they ran for the back door, and I had no choice but to follow and let them out. I ran back to my room and got dressed as fast as I could.

Wood had to be chopped if the house was ever going to warm up. Because of Billy’s horrendous accident, I’d been avoiding that chore. I had to get past the effect the accident had on me and look at it rationally. Because Billy hit a knot with the axe and cut his leg didn’t mean I was going to do the same thing.

Since the little talk to Olivia, I wasn’t looking at much of anything logically. Trying to compartmentalize and block that whole mess out of my brain wasn’t working worth a sweet goddamn.

Standing next to the woodpile, I picked up my new axe with the shiny razor-sharp blade and the red handle and I started splitting logs. Once I took the first couple of whacks and got into a rhythm, I was over the trauma of the accident, and okay.

The physical exertion helped to work off my frustration over Olivia screwing around with that desk jockey, Miller Ravary. When it came down to it, the biggest piss off was him having a key to her place when I didn’t.

Seemed petty when I analyzed it, but I was still mad.

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