Page 3 of Broken: Taylor

Bark. Bark. Bark.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Bark. Bang. Bark. Bang. Tails wagging, the dogs ran in delighted circles by the front door.

Taylor blew out a breath and stared at the door without moving.

“Hey.” His cousin Eric and police officer walked in. Dressed in uniform with radio crackling on his shoulder, the guy reminded him of his past. Eric was his aunt’s son. Eric and his brother Ernest, the local defense attorney, both lived in Laurel Creek.

Just as tall as him, but with less gray hair, the guy was in peak physical shape. Although in Eric’s case, it was all gym since there was little to no crime in Laurel Creek.

Eric petted the dogs and then without asking went straight to the kitchen and opened the cabinet.

The happy dogs raced back to their breakfast.

“Come on in. Make yourself at home,” Taylor said, tracking his cousin’s movements. “Why’d you even knock? You made the dogs crazy.”

Eric ignored him and poured coffee into a chipped cup. “Came by cause I was just up the street. Seems the Davis’ daughter ran away. Seen or heard anything last night?”

Even if fireworks had exploded outside, he would have slept right through it thanks to his pills.

The girl was trouble. Always up to something or another. Although he didn’t know the family well, they seemed like normal, nice folks. Taylor wondered why the girl was so desperate to get away.

“Just got up. We can go check the stables if you want. I haven’t heard anything.”

Eyes narrowed, Eric moved closer to Taylor. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Just took my pain pills a bit ago.”

“How many?”

Shit, the last thing he needed was his cop cousin deciding to be nosy. “One. The normal dosage.”

“Bull. Shit.”

“I thought you were here to look for a girl. Get out of my face.”

Of course the asshole didn’t budge. “When was the last time you went to the doctor? Have you been to the pain clinic?”

He’d stopped going. It was a waste of time and the last thing he had time for was to waste it. “Last week.”

“Bull. Shit.”

“Will you stop saying it like that? It’s bullshit. One word.”

Instead of replying, Eric lifted his cell phone up and punched in a number. “Hey Louis, this is Eric Hamilton. Do you have an opening for Taylor Hamilton? He needs to come in today if possible.”

“I’m not going.”

“Two o’clock is fine. He’ll be there.”

“I’m not going. There is too much shit to do around here. Tobias is gone. You want to go out there and explain to the cows why they’re not getting fed?”

Eric lifted a shoulder. “I get off at three, I’ll come give you a hand.” Eric’s index finger pressed into his left shoulder. “You’re going to see the doctor. If I have to punch your lights out and drag you there, so be it.”

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen.”

Taylor decided to let the discussion go for the moment. “I’ll go with you to check the stables. Other than that, I don’t know where else the girl could hide. Maybe the old cabin.”