Page 19 of Tied to Trouble

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AFTER BEVERLY’S EXCITEDexplanation,Az’s stony face softened slightly when he realized how scared the girls had been. He reached out and put his long arms around them both, relieved that nothing bad had happened. The fact that it could have made him sick with fear for Mandy. There was no point in belaboring the fact that they shouldn’t have been there; he held Mandy responsible for that and would settle with her later. Beverly had always gone along with her friend.

“I’m glad neither of you was hurt, but this is a break in the case. I want you girls to follow me into town to speak with the sheriff. He needs to know this.” He turned to Mandy. “Are you going to be okay to drive?” He could feel the trembling in her body where his long arm stayed around her waist.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Mandy replied stiffly.

He leaned down and whispered privately in her ear. “We are going to talk about this tonight, little girl.”

An involuntary shiver shook her frame.

Good. He wanted her to be worried.

Fifteen minutes later, they were all seated in the sheriff’s office, explaining what had happened. Sheriff Dorney rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“You say Sam Pickering was up there, Mandy? Did he make any threatening gestures?”

“No. The man was carrying a rifle, but he didn’t act threatening, and I can’t swear it was Sam,” Mandy replied. “I’m just saying it looked like him.”

“He started towards us.” Beverly leaned forward in her excitement. “It scared me to death. I thought he was after us.”

“He could have been—which is exactly why I didn’t want you girls going to the lake in the first place,” Az inserted sternly. “After Skeeter Davis pulled a rifle on my brothers and me last night, I was worried. Since someoneisdumping up there, like he said, it could be more than just cow parts.”

Beverly protested. “Hey, don’t blame me. Mandy never told me you said to stay away until after we were already on our way.”

Sheriff Dorney looked directly at Mandy. “I don’t want you making any more deliveries to Genetico until I’ve checked this out.”

“All right, Sheriff,” Mandy assured him. “I’ll let Grams know.” She stood up. “Are we finished here? I need to go home and get a shower. I’m dropping sand everywhere.” She scrunched up her small nose.

Mags stood up as soon as Mandy made a move.

Az put his hand beneath Mandy’s elbow. “I’ll see you girls to the truck.” His hand was very possessive as he all but frog-marched Mandy down the hallway and out the door, much to her indignation. He could feel the tenseness emanating from her. Too bad, she would probably be a little more upset tonight.

When they arrived at the driver’s door of Mandy’s pickup, he placed his hand on the door handle, keeping her from opening it. Once Beverly was safely inside, he asked softly. “Why did you disobey me this morning, Mandy?”

Her eyebrow shot up in disbelief. “Since when are you my boss? You’re not my keeper, Az Newcomb, and I don’t have to answer to you.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “You didn’t listen, and look what happened.”

“If you hadn’t been so busy with Courtney Beauchamp, maybe you would have had time to explain why I shouldn’t have gone. As it is...don’t expect blind obedience from me, Az. Even if you had the right to tell me what to do, which you don’t, I don’t take orders very well.” She looked down her small, slender nose at him.

“Mandy...”

His words were cut off when a black Land Rover suddenly whipped around them and screeched to a halt at the curb. The door swung open, and Sam Pickering stepped out of the truck, holding a deadly-looking rifle.

“Sam!” Mandy’s shocked voice came out in a squeak as Az roughly shoved her behind him. Sam wasn’t wearing a cap, but the sunglasses and red t-shirt matched the man at the lake.

Mags woofed and ran to Sam, looking for the customary biscuit he would give her when she saw him during their deliveries. He chuckled, reached into his jeans pocket, and brought one out for her. He held the rifle pointed down at his side, a sardonic grin on his handsome face. “Relax, cowboy, I’m not here to shoot anybody, I’m here to see the sheriff.”

Mandy stepped out from behind Az, and he let her. Mags hadn’t seen a threat; she knew Sam, but he didn’t care for that.

“Was it you at the lake a little while ago, Sam?” Mandy asked.

“Yes, it was. Why did you run off like that? I just wanted to talk to you.” He looked quizzically at her.

“I...we...that is,” Mandy stammered, her face turning pink.

“She did the right thing,” Az interrupted. “After what she and Beverly saw go into the sluice, they had a right to be nervous.”

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