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Asher smiled and shook his head, repressin’ a
laugh, I could tell.
“Well maybe once upon a time, I did look like scrawny ol’ Marcus,” he said, lookin’ at me still with those beautiful, dark eyes. “But that was long ago. And I built myself up into someone stronger. Tougher. Life’s a little different in the city, you don’t have the kind of peace and security you do out here in the country.”
“Is that why you’re so worried about the Sheriff?” The words popped out of my mouth unbidden.
Silence hung in the air for just a moment, but he shook his head as he looked down at his food, cutting his last fried egg in half with his fork before eating it.
“No,” was all he said to me, simple and direct.
I pushed around some of my bacon, regretting asking. He clearly wasn’t going to talk about it.
“I’m gonna head into town later, then go to Marcus’, see if I can’t clear this up none,” I said, trying to get rid of the strange feeling in the air.
But the moment I stood up, I froze. And the look of alarm on my face made it impossible to hide my concern from Asher. It was only a moment and he was standin’ up, lookin’ out the window with me to the sight of the sheriff's truck comin’ up the lane.
“Dammit,” Asher cursed beneath his breath, wiping his hands off on a napkin I’d put there for him.
“What do I do?” I asked immediately, shaking my head. Asher wouldn’t know. I’d known Hank since I was a kid, surely I could figure something out.
I moved away from the table, toward the front door, still barefooted and feeling a bit groggy.
Asher stayed back as I headed out to greet the sheriff, his pickup coming to a halt and the man casually getting out. He wasn’t even in his forties, but with his uniform and his black hair prematurely greying, Hank looked like an authority figure despite his youthful, athletic figure.
“Howdy Hank,” I managed to say.
“Mornin’ Shelby, sorry to drop on by like this unannounced. But I was in the neighbourhood,” undoubtedly he was, of course. Since Marcus’ farm wasn’t far up the road.
“Gorgeous day,” I said, and I felt a pit in my stomach, twisting and growing hard. I didn’t know what I was doin’, I wanted to protect Asher, but didn’t want to get Marcus in trouble neither. It was a tough spot, and I didn’t have any experience bein’ on the other side of the law. I’d always been the good girl, the boring one.
Everything about my life had been dull and routine until the moment I caught sight of Asher.
Hank tugged at his heavy belt, adjustin’ himself as he peered about the farm.
“Indeed it is,” he said, smilin’ as he looked on back to me. “I heard tell you had an incident here at your farm last night, Shelby. Anythin’ for me to be concerned about?” he asked so casually.
“Just a misunderstandin’, Hank, nothin’ serious. I’m gonna go over and talk to Marcus later today.”
Hank flipped up his sunglasses and looked me over.
“I was just over there, talkin’ with ‘im. He was right worked up. That jaw of his is right messed up too,” he said, fishin’ for more.
“He was sneakin’ around in the middle of the night with a crowbar, and parked off down the road so there was no way of knowin’ it was him, not a bit. He woke up ma and she was wanderin’, and you know how that goes with her mind bein’ what it is, Hank. It’s just family stuff, nothin’ you need to trouble yourself with, I swear.”
“I figured as much Shelby,” he said, holdin’ out a hand in that calmin’ gesture. “But Marcus was worked right up, and he was sayin’ there’s this shady fella hangin’ around your place what did it to him. Said he was just over here to protect you after some suspicious activity. So in a case of assault, I gotta investigate it some, ya see?”
“Yea, I know, Hank, but ain’t nothin’ suspicious at all. I just hired on some extra help is all, I can’t do it all myself and take care of ma. So I came to an arrangement with a man in town, and he’s stayin’ here and workin’. Marcus knew I’d hire him so I don’t know why he’d be all worked up ‘cept he mentioned about the barn burning down ‘cross the way, but it isn’t like that at all.”
My accent was getting thick, I knew. It always did, talkin’ to my own folk but I was tryin’ to act more sophisticated around Asher.
“I hear ya, Shelby, and I trust ya ain’t bein’ threatened or nothin’ like Marcus said, or else you’d tell me. Whatever a fella like that could blackmail ya about, I know ya could tell me and we’d take care of it. You’re practically a daughter to me as is. If yer ma’s mind had give way any sooner, I’d have had to step in as yer godfather, after all.”
Hank was a crafty fella, able to craft his words so carefully. Came with the job, I s’pose.
“Ain’t even looked at me the wrong way, I promise it. Just did his work, ate dinner, and went up to bed, that’s all he’d done. Quietest night as any ‘til Marcus came by and ma got to wanderin’ around.”
“I understand,” he said, smilin’ at me pleasantly. “Ya think I could meet this here fella? I know how Marcus can be, and that’s why I never came tearin’ in here, sirens a blazin’. But I do gotta meet the fella, keep it all official and the like,” he said so calmly.
