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He mumbles and grumbles, and Lois starts speaking softly.
I can’t hear what they’re saying. Feeling my hands ball into fists, I decide enough is enough.
I’m about to step out, to tell the sheriff where to get off and to probably get myself arrested, when I catch a glimpse of Lois in the same mirror.
Her eyes are telling me ‘no.’ Her head shakes ever so slightly, and even though the sheriff is raising his voice, I can see she wants me to stay hidden.
For now.
“Well! Trespassing is trespassing young lady, and I gave you fair warning yesterday, sick of all you younglings snooping around and meddling where you’re not supposed to be! Now, I can take you in myself or I can follow you back to town. Which is it?”
Stuck like glue to the spot, it’s only for the look Lois gives me that I stay silent.
Doing nothing isn’t my style, but whatever she’s up to, I have to trust her.
Trust her?
I love her.
I’d do anything it takes to keep her happy, but letting her get herself arrested?
“I guess you’d better run me in, Sheriff,” she says loudly, firmly. Holding both hands out ready to be cuffed.
The sheriff blusters, turning bright red and taking a step back with both his own hands up a little, his pink palms showing all sweaty.
“Now, just a minute, Miss! No need for anything like that. You can ride with me if you like, but it’s just a formality really. Just to make a show for the kids in town, see?”
I relax, but only a little.
“Alright, Sheriff,” she says, and I feel my back up again. The thought of him, in a car with her.
My growl fills the house and for once, it’s the sheriff who looks spooked.
“Wha- what was that!?” he squeaks, moving closer to Lois, who’s trying not to smile as she shoots me a cool wink in the mirror before leading the sheriff outside.
“Just the wind, Sheriff, just the wind. I can safely say there are no ghosts in the old Barnes place, trust me.”
Why is she leaving? Why would she willingly go with him of all people?
I feel a stab of hurt, then feel angry again.
Mad at myself for letting her go and madder still at him for turning up.
Ruining our morning.
Our whole day I had planned.
Thrusting my hands into my pockets, I want to pace. To brood.
But feeling the sharp edge of Lois’ keys against my fingers, I suddenly get it.
She wants her story after all and she’s using herself as bait, knowing I can’t resist in following her.
Even if it means going into town and coming out of hiding.
I laugh out loud, tossing the keys high into the air and snatching them back again before heading out.
She knows you better than you think.
I hope she knows I’d walk across broken glass, even burning lava for her.
Chapter Eleven
Lois
I hope he’s the kind of guy who would follow me across lava or broken glass.
He did say I was his now.
I don’t want to expose him in front of the sheriff, but I still feel his story needs to be told. So I leave it up to him to decide how far he wants to follow me.
I go with the sheriff, who has his own beef with the local kids and wants a story of his own to tell, stay away from the old Barnes place, or else!
It’s Halloween after all. I guess he’s just trying to have one less thing on his plate.
Me?
I want Blake Barnes on my plate, and me on his, all to ourselves, but I guess I have to go just for now.
Until I can fix it so we can both…
Well. I guess I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.
Wait a second.
The old Barnes place…? Hmmm. Story indeed. I can’t wait to find out more. If he’ll let me…
My boss, Barbara, is waiting at the office, fuming by the time I get back with the law… and no story ready.
Her look goes from ‘this better be good’ to ‘you’re fired’ once the sheriff explains he’s booking me for trespassing and wants the front page of the afternoon issue to feature as a headline about how anyone caught snooping at the old Barnes place will get the same treatment.
“Enough is enough, Barbara! I’ve warned you and Lois here, as well as the town’s parents and their kids. Somebody’s gonna get hurt up there if it doesn’t stop. It’s private property. I’ve got a duty of care as the law in this town!”
I feel a smile pulling at my cheeks and fight not to roll my eyes, but Barbara goes from ice queen to slutty very quickly.
She shimmies over to the sheriff, sticking her chest out, pouting her heavily painted lips and batting her eyes. This is the part where my eyes actually do roll in my own head.
