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Sheriff Jebediah, or Jeb as I knew him, had his gun out but didn’t fire.
“Halt! Yer under arrest!” he shouted at the fugitive, but that fella never stopped. Never slowed. Only veered and made himself a hard target. He managed to get around the buildin’, and out of sight, when I heard the sudden roar of a motorcycle.
Sheriff Jeb ran after him, as fast as the old fella could, but it weren’t near fast enough!
Out came the thug on his hog, tearin’ on through the parkin’ lot and blazin’ right past Jeb, knockin’ the gun from his hand as he went. That smart lil’ trick buyin’ him all the time he needed to get away.
Jeb ran to his car, but he was old and slow and it was way on the other side of the parkin’ lot.
All in all, it was an invigoratin’ sight to see on a lazy Monday mornin’. But I had no idea at that time it was only the beginnin’.
* * *
Leavin’ the sound of sirens and screechin’ tires behind me, I headed on home. I didn’t stick around real long to gossip about the sight.
Okay, that’s a lie. I stuck around a couple hours, really. Found out the fella was from the city, was just stopped in to use the bathroom when Jeb recognized him from a wanted sheet. Which meant he must’ve been one badass if our sleepy lil’ town heard tale of him.
Just thinkin’ on him did a number to me though. He was big. Tall, broad shouldered, and built. Had a look about him like he’d seen a lot of rough stuff, and could handle himself in just about any situation.
It was just the kind of thought to keep my mind from goin’ nuts as I carried some of the sacks of feed from the truck into the barn. Though too distractin’ it turned out, because I never so much as noticed the intruder standin’ there. Not until I turned to go back for another load.
I nearly let loose a scream! In fact, I would’ve, ‘cept he was on me in no time. Hand over my mouth, silencin’ me.
My eyes darted all over him, and immediately I recognized him: the fugitive from the feed and seed store.
Only change was: now he was topless, with a torn up strip of his white shirt wrapped around his bloody arm. Though that weren’t enough to distract from the fact I was standin’ before the most gorgeous male specimen I ever did lay eyes on.
With his dark, black tattoos all over his chest and stomach, he had the look of a right street thug from off the TV. But his handsome face, with its broad, chiselled jaw, and those intense, dark eyes, were the stuff that belonged in Hollywood.
So straight off TV too, I guess!
“Don’t scream,” he commanded me, his voice all gravelly and dark. It was the kind of man’s voice that could make a lady cream her panties. “Promise me you ain’t gonna scream, and I’ll uncover your mouth,” he said.
Truth be told, there weren’t no point in screamin’ anyhow. Would only spook the animals, and there’d be nobody for miles to come to my rescue.
So I nodded my head, my heart thumpin’ so fast in my chest I thought I might pass out, though no idea if it was
‘cause he scared me or because he excited me. I mean, sure was the most excitin’ thing that ever happened to me.
“Good,” he said in that husky voice of his, slowly removin’ that big ol’ hand from around my mouth. Though of course he still grabbed hold of my arm real right as he stood there before me, bare chested, glistenin’ in the midday sun as his jeans hung real low. “Yer a good girl,” he remarked to me, and I dunno what it was, but those simple words had an effect on me. “You just need to be a good girl for a lil’ bit longer, think you can handle that?”
“Yea,” I managed, my brows furrowed and my chest heaving beneath my simple white tank top and plaid shirt. “What’s goin’ on?”
He looked me over for a moment, sizin’ me up before he loosened his grasp on my arm.
“I need a spot to sort some shit out. Took a lil’ wound in a scuffle back at—” he paused, narrowed his eyes at me. “Hey wait… I recognize you,” he said, his deep, dark eyes filling with realization. “You were at the shop this morning. Weren’t you?”
“Well, yea...” I said, looking towards the load of feed in the back of my pickup, then back to him. “Saw that thing you did with the Sheriff’s gun too,” I added on, though I wasn’t sure if I was tryin’ to be saucy or straight with him.
His eyes narrowed at me, but it took only a moment for me to realize he weren’t upset with me, just sizin’ me up. Studyin’ me.
“I need a place to tend to my wound, and hold out while the heat dies down,” he said to me in deep, confessional tones. “But here’s the thing… how do I know if you’re a good girl or a rat, huh? How am I to know you won’t just turn me in the moment I turn my back?”
I shrugged. “Why’d I do that, huh? There a reward on your head or somethin’?”
He reached an arm up over my shoulder, pressin’ his palm to the wall as he had me hedged in, blocked off.
“Maybe you’re just the type of goody two-shoes who’d turn a fella over who’s in need,” he said, lookin’ me over, his eyes comin’ to rest down my top, which was pretty scandalous I gotta say.
