Page 88 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“She eats everything,” JD said, joining them. He squeezed into the space beside Ally, because Vi didn’t like it when he got too close.

He was surrounded by wounded animals and one teenager he suspected was not happy. He just wasn’t sure how to get her to talk.

“So, no one has claimed any of the animals?” Zoe asked, never taking her eyes from the cow who was devouring her breakfast.

“You in here, JD?”

“Is that Uncle Asher?” Ally asked.

They all moved away from the stall and headed toward the voice that belonged to the sheriff of Lyntacky. Asher Dans was patting the four dogs when they found him.

“Hi, Uncle Asher,” Ally said, running to hug him. The Dukes were always hugging each other. Well, the women anyway.

“And there’s our baby girl,” Sheriff Dans said. “Both of them,” he added, catching sight of Zoe.

He was a man who kept the law with reason, and when that didn’t work, he used force. JD had always respected him, even before he made Lyntacky his home, because Sawyer had told him what he’d done for his sister and her children.

“Are you arresting JD for something?” Vi asked.

“What? Why would you say that?” JD asked her.

“Just wondering,” she said with a smirk. Vi had a wicked sense of humor when she let it out.

“Not today, Vi. Maybe next week,” Sheriff Dans said with a wink.

“Is everything all right, Uncle Asher?” Zoe asked. “My brothers haven’t done anything silly, have they?”

“Now, Zoe, I can’t say no completely because you know what they’re capable of as well as me, but it’s not them I’ve called for.”

“That’s something then,” Zoe muttered.

He wondered again what it had been like growing up with four protective brothers for her.

“Is this about the Bandits and what happened at Circle Left, Sheriff?” JD asked.

“Not that either, but I will say in connection to it, you shouldn’t have confronted Grill, because now he has two reasons to hate Lyntacky. You and Sawyer.”

“Sorry about that,” JD said. “The guy annoyed me.”

“So I heard,” the sheriff said, looking from him to Zoe. “You mind yourself if you see him again. He’s mean and wouldn’t hesitate to take it out on you, especially if you’re alone.”

“Will do,” JD said.

“I was called out to a home invasion at the old Stubbs farm, which is about thirty minutes from here,” Sheriff Dans continued.

JD had often wondered why there was always an “old” before a place. Old Mrs. So-and-so, or the old whoever place. It was how they talked constantly.

“Oh no, I hope everything is okay. I know Mom said Mrs. Stubbs passed six months ago, and Mr. Stubbs was devastated,” Zoe said.

And that was another thing. Everyone knew everyone’s business, which was why he rarely told anyone anything about himself. Not that they hadn’t tried to get that information out of him.

“It was that Aaron sneaking back in after he’d been out drinking,” Sheriff Dans said. “I told him to use the front door next time instead of scaring the life out of his father.”

“Idiot,” Zoe added.

“While I was there, I saw this huge silver horse in the paddock. Wandered over to have a look and saw it was in a bad way. Hooves need filing, and its coat is all mangy. Ribs are showing too.”

JD’s anger burned. He hated people who mistreated animals. In fact, he believed they should lock them all away for life.

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