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It had been a long day. The boys were all in bed, and Jaris quietly shut the door to the dorm room.
Working at the Boys Ranch meant the world to him. He’d never dreamed of having children of his own, but he felt strongly for these boys. Most had been through hell, being moved from one foster family to another. Because of the Stones, they now had a real home.
He wasn’t quite ready to call it a night and was pretty sure sleep wouldn’t come easy. He had a ton on his mind. He bent down and patted Sugar on the head. She was waiting for him to let her know which direction he wanted to go.
The new building had been designed and built by local architect, Lucas Wolfe, the sheriff’s brother. The hallway Jaris was standing in split the place in two sections. On this side were the two giant rooms where the boys slept, one for the older kids and the other for the younger ones. Across the hall was his room, Chance’s room, the kitchen and bathrooms. To the right, the hallway led to the front door. To the left, it led to a large rec room, which had sofas, a pool table, and a flat-screen television. Almost every night after getting the boys settled, he and Chance would grab a beer from the fridge and head to the rec room to discuss the day’s events.
But Chance isn’t here. He is with Kaylyn.
With Sugar, he walked to the kitchen and grabbed a beer. “How about we stretch our legs, girl?”
Sugar led him down the hallway to the front door.
The air outside was crisp. Though he couldn’t see the sky, he bet there wasn’t a cloud in it.
The dormitory had a wraparound porch with lots of places to sit. He found his favorite chair and sat down. Before he popped the top, he heard footsteps. Emmett’s footsteps.
“Mind if I join you, Jaris?”
“Actually, I’d like some company. Wanna beer?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re in the fridge. Help yourself.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Emmett headed in to retrieve his beer.
The man was as solid as they came. A good friend. Always willing to help and lend an ear.
Jaris popped the top of his beer and took his first sip of the cool liquid. I could use his advice right now.
Emmett returned and sat down next to him. “Buddy, what’s going on with you?”
Jaris knew the cowboy had good instincts about people but never imagined Emmett could read him so easily. “Is it that obvious?”
“It sure is. You haven’t been yourself since Kaylyn was shot. Are you worried about her?”
“Of course I’m worried, Emmett. The creep who shot her is still in town, and until we know for sure that he and his friends aren’t connected to Lunceford, I’ll remain on guard.”
“We’re all going to be quite concerned until fucking Lunceford is put away for good.” Emmett’s sister-in-law’s safety was on all their minds. “I know in my gut those so-called hunters are involved. We’ve got the best sheriff in the state on the job. And don’t forget Shannon’s Elite is working day and night to capture the bastard, too.”
Shannon’s Elite was a group of highly trained operatives working for the CIA under the supervision of Easton Black. They were incredibly capable.
Jaris respected the entire team. “But there’s more to it than just that.” He took another swig of his beer. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“Don’t forget, buddy. I’m here for you.” Emmett was a straight shooter and always meant what he said. Having him in his corner was a very good thing. “I don’t want to pry, but I’m ready to listen if you’re ready to talk.”
“You know how Chance feels about Kaylyn?”
Emmett chuckled. “Everyone in town knows that.”
He downed the rest of his beer. “Well, I want to be honest with you. I feel the same way about Kaylyn.”
“Oh my God.” Emmett slapped him on the back.
“So you see my dilemma. I think I need to leave town.”
