Page 23 of Tied to Trouble

“I think we need to have some divers check out the lake, for starters. Whoever called Sam this morning knew what was going on. And if Skeeter was telling the truth about dumping up here, then there may be more barrels in there. If there are, and the meat is gone, then someone is eating them. Or, selling the meat packaged and ready to eat, which would make them dang near impossible to track. Twenty-seven head of cattle on the hoof don’t just disappear into thin air, though. They have to be somewhere.”

“I think we should talk to Skeeter Davis again,” Az decided. “He might have seen something last night, considering the crazy old coot took a shot at us.”

“Agreed.” The sheriff shaded his gaze as he looked at the horizon where the sun was slowly beginning to sink. “It’s time to call it a night. I’ll arrange for the divers and meet you at the office in the morning. Then I’ll go by Skeeters.”

***

AS AZ RETURNED TO HIStruck, his thoughts returned to Mandy. They’d never been far from her all day, and the coming chat he intended to have with her had been weighing heavily on his mind. It was time to finish the day’s business and head her way.

The girl was as headstrong as she had ever been, maybe even more so as a woman. She was beautiful, with all the curves a man could want in all the right places. She needed her butt blistered for ignoring him today, though. The girls had been in real danger. Rustlers weren’t known for leaving witnesses.

It was 7:00 p.m. on the dot when Az knocked on the front door of Mandy’s ranch-style brick home, the memories of the many times he had crossed that threshold washing over him. The evening air was silky as it blew across his face, the smell of something cooking inside filling his nostrils. It smelled like beef stew, and his stomach rumbled.

The house was set slightly on the outskirts of town, but only about fifteen minutes from the grocery store Mandy’s grandmother owned. Petunia Collier had bought it from the Benson family several years ago, and Mandy had worked for her grandmother since she was old enough to help.

Az still remembered the day Mandy’s parents had been hit by a grain truck on I-70 when their car had stalled out. It left her without her father, and left her mother in a wheelchair.

Mandy had only been fourteen when the accident happened, but it had aroused his protective instincts. And looking out for her had become a permanent habit. The next fall, she started high school. Once she finally decided she didn’t have a crush on him, they’d settled into an uneasy friendship. After he was out of high school and attending the nearby junior college for his associate's degree in criminal justice, he was extra careful to keep tabs on her so that the randy juniors and seniors of Mockingbird Hollow High didn’t take advantage of her. She hadn’t appreciated it much, but he knew how it felt to lose a dad, and he knew she was hurting just as much as he was.

Glancing over at the driveway, he didn’t see Mandy’s red pickup parked in its usual place, but Randy Berenger’s Lincoln town car was in the driveway. He must be visiting Mrs. Merriweather.

“Well, hello, Az.” The door opened, and Mrs. Merriweather was there in her wheelchair, smiling. “Can I help you with something? Mandy isn’t here.”

“Not here?” Az glanced at his watch. It was two minutes after 7:00 p.m. “Where is she? We were supposed to go to dinner.”

Mrs. Merriweather was a fine-looking woman, and Az could see where Mandy got her looks from. Unlike her daughter, Sara had always been sweet and polite to him.

“She never said anything about having a date,” Sara replied, looking puzzled.

“Did she say where she was going?” Az clenched his hat in his fist, his irritation starting to simmer.

“No, she didn’t...wait. I overheard her having a conversation with Beverly on the phone earlier. Maybe she went over there. She just told me she was going out for a while and would be in early.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll just go over and check on her.” He jammed his black hat down on his head and stalked towards his old brown and white Dodge pickup. It was embarrassing to show up for a date and find the girl wasn’t there. It didn’t make him feel any happier towards Mandy for running away from him. Growling low in his throat, he jumped into the truck. “You can run, Mandy, but you can’t hide.”

***

“IS THERE A PROBLEM, Sara? Is that Az I heard you talking to?”

The rich, deep tones of Randy Berenger came from behind her, and Sara turned her chair around to face the tall, distinguished rancher. “It seems Az had a date with Mandy, but Mandy isn’t here. Isn’t that odd?”

Randy chuckled. “I didn’t know they were dating.”

“They aren’t—or at least they weren’t. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Well, I did hear that Az took her away from Sam Pickering last night at the Saddle. So, maybe they are a couple now.”

“Oh, you know how small towns are—they gossip about everything,” Sara retorted. “It’s not like Mandy to avoid Az. Lord knows I’ve often wished he and Mandy would get together, but they’ve always just been friends. Mandy always called him her buddy, or her big brother.”

Sara really liked Az and his family, and had always thought he would make a good husband for Mandy. Her headstrong daughter was used to doing exactly as she pleased and needed a firm hand for guidance in the future. She took too many risks.

Randy nodded. “I’ve always liked Az, and I agree with you. However, from a man’s point of view, I’d say he’s been more than just a big brother. There’s something behind that friendship that’s been on simmer all these years, according to Evan.”

“Sheriff Dorney, you mean? Randy, have you two men been gossiping?” She scolded him with a laugh.

Randy waggled his dark brows at her. “Not gossiping, just observing. Evan swears Az has been in love with Mandy all his life, but he just hasn’t acted on it yet.”

Sara’s eyebrow arched upward. “Really? Shame on you two for speculating about my daughter.”

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