Yasmin was thumping around in the kitchen as Zander let them back inside. The line of her back and the way her feet were planted on the worn linoleum spoke of anger. Brian wanted to creep down the hallway to his room, but when she turned away from the stove, she smiled at them. “I’m making hot chocolate. You boys want some?”
“I guess,” he said. “Sure.”
“Have a seat. I’ll bring it.”
He sat at the table and signaled Luger to go lie down in the corner. Out the front window, he could see past the porch to the barn. The bright lights were still on, creating pools of dark shadow. Nothing looked out of place, but he couldn’t help imagining someone out there, lurking. Luger sighed, laid his head on his paws and sprawled his hind legs out, and that helped. Luger wouldn’t relax if there was danger. Brian was able to look away from the window and smile back at Yasmin when she set a mug in front of him.
Zander took a cup from his mother too, but stood leaning against the end of the counter. Yasmin settled in her chair with a grunt and a glance at her feet. “Should’ve put on shoes.” She sipped from her mug and wiggled her toes, rubbing the ball of one foot on the floor. “Getting senile, I guess.”
“You’re not senile.” Zander frowned. “Did you cut yourself?”
“Just bruised.”
“Are you gonna call the sheriff, or not?”
Yasmin shrugged.
Brian said, “You have to, right? They must be trying to catch the guys doing the damage.”
Zander and Yasmin exchanged an undecipherable look. Eventually, she said, “Yeah, I’ll have to report it for the insurance anyhow. I’ll call the sheriff herself in the morning. Not gonna bring a deputy out here tonight.”
“Herself?” Brian asked. “The sheriff’s a girl?”
“A woman,” Yasmin corrected him. “Tough as any man and don’t you forget it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He ducked his head and stared down into his cup.
“She’s had a rough time of it,” Yasmin said. “Back when she was running for office, the folks who didn’t want a woman sheriff pulled out all kinds of rumors. Claimed her shooting-range scores were faked— until she showed off a bit in public. Called her bitch and butch and lezzie behind her back and to her face.”
“Is she? A lesbian, I mean?”
“Nope. She’s got a husband. Might be bisexual, I suppose, but that’s nobody’s business anyhow. Not as long as she does her job right, which she mostly does.”
“But she won the election?”
“Yep. Sheriff Bachmann, before her, was crooked as they come. People got tired of him and his men taking care of rich folks’ business when it suited them and shoving the rest of us around. There were two men originally running against him too, but they dropped out, so it was keep Bachmann or vote for the woman. He must’ve figured it was a safe race. Wish I’d seen the look on his ugly face when the numbers came in and she beat him.”
Zander said, “How’s she working out?”
Yasmin tipped her hand in a so-so gesture. “Bachmann’s chief deputy retired when he lost. They were thick as thieves, those two. He’s no loss, but she had to promote a new chief. Several other deputies quit, and she fired three, cleaning house. Hired a couple of new guys but they’re city boys who don’t know the area.”
“They doing anything but harassing folk and handing out speeding tickets?”
“Busted a meth lab a couple weeks ago. Caught three guys ripping off the liquor store, too. But there’s some grumbling, for sure. I don’t know if crime’s up, but people are sure talking like it is. This recent vandalism isn’t helping.”
“Maybe they’ll find a clue tomorrow,” Brian offered.
“I hope so.” Yasmin drank her mug to the dregs and rose stiffly, a hand on the table to help herself up. She walked to the window and stared out for a minute. “We’ll leave the lights on. Brian, you let me know if that mutt of yours gets nervous, right? He might finally be good for something.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced at Luger, who was dozing, eyes blinking slowly. “He looks calm right now.”
“Well.” She paused at the doorway, as if to say something, but just added, “Good night, boys.” The collies followed her off to her room.
Zander said, “Your sister must be a sound sleeper. I expected her to be out here demanding all the details.”
Brian glanced down the hall toward Lori’s closed door. “She can sleep through anything.”
“I guess it’s good she’s getting her rest now.” Brian thought there was humor in Zander’s eyes. “She won’t get much once the baby comes.”
“Mm.” Brian didn’t want think about the baby. Nothing to do with me, I hope, I hope, please— Lori will cope. She always does.
Zander collected the empty mugs, gave them a quick wash, and set them in the dish drainer. “I should go to bed too. See you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
Brian got up, and Luger immediately bounced to his feet too. Brian rubbed his head. “Hey, Luug, keep your ears peeled tonight, ’kay?”
Luger twitched his big ears as if to agree and followed Brian back to his room. Brian shut the door behind them and locked it this time, sat down and patted the bed for Luger to jump up and join him, no matter how squishy that made the narrow space. He was glad Yasmin didn’t want Luger on patrol. With Nick away, it was comforting to have his dog with him. Maybe she understood that— both her dogs always slept in her room, too.
He spotted a flicker of light and grabbed his phone off the stacked milk crates by the bed. The message symbol was blinking with a text from Nick. ~Done now. Even Brian could manage to read those simple words. He hesitated. Nick would need his rest for the long drive tomorrow, but Brian needed to hear his voice. He hit the phone symbol.
Nick answered, sounding drowsy. “Hey, I thought maybe you’d gone to bed.”
“Not yet.” He pressed the phone against his cheek and his whole body relaxed. “How did it go? Are you packed?”
“Almost. We’ll load the bed into the truck in the morning. The stuff I’m not bringing is on the curb for free.”
Brian squeezed his eyes shut. It was almost like having Nick there. “I miss you.”
“Yeah. Only two more days. How are things going? Fallen in any manure piles yet?”
He considered telling Nick about the tractor, but it would just worry him, and he didn’t want Nick driving too fast for his sake. “We’re okay. A bit of this and that. No worries till you get here.”
Maybe his voice wasn’t as ordinary as he thought, because Nick said, “You sure?”
“Positive. Except for the part where I’ve been sleeping alone for two weeks.”
“Tell me about it.” Nick’s voice dropped and got huskier. “In fact, do tell me all about it.”
“Don’t you need to get some rest?” He signaled for Luger to jump off, though, and pushed down the waistband of his sweatpants.
Nick murmured, “I’ll sleep better with a good bedtime story. Tell me what you do all alone in that bed.”