Page 74 of First Chance

The thorns of jealousy lick at my spine. I can never offer her anything like that. An upstanding citizen, a reputation of gold.

“What can I do?” She asks me again, but when her hand brushes my elbow, the noise in my head becomes too much, and I snap.

“I don’t know, Jo. Go ask the Sheriff!” I bark the words out, throwing my hands up in frustration, and her face drops.

The kind and eager woman who has bent over backwards for the greater good of this place stares at me in devastation before running back to the guesthouse.

The woman who gifted me the gentle touch of her hands earlier.

The woman who had faith in me before she ever met me…

I snuffed her light out, and it doesn’t matter that I regret it immediately. The further she stays from me, the better.

The further she gets from this place, the better.

I drag myself up my porch, needing sleep, but even more, a drink.

Everything is imploding around me.

She didn’t deserve it, she never does, but whenever I attempt to voice my thoughts, my emotionally dense brain hijacks my words.

It’s not an excuse. She shouldn’t have to put up with it.

She’s my damn guardian angel. She saved my life by convincing her father to exonerate me, and I will spend the rest of it making it up to her.

I can’t offer her much, but a nonvolatile workplace should be a start, even though my skin itches to feel hers against mine, again.

Her soft hand against mine, her fingers gripping the shirt above my chest. It was selfish to let her get so close, because having her close is dangerous.

This place is dangerous.

And, if I touch her again, I won’t want to let her go.

* **

The rocking chair tips back and forth as the property finally quiets down.

The vet came and sedated the bear, taking away his pain until he passed.

The guys are back in the bunkhouse.

Sheriff Malec is the last to leave; he usually is, always staying until the dust settles. I’ve always liked that about him, until recently.

He takes two steps up the porch and stops, leaning against the handrail. I give him credit, he’s taking this seriously. His trunk is full of evidence bags.

“You going to be able to get some sleep?” He eyes the glass of whiskey in my hand but doesn’t say anything about it.

“Probably not.” He follows my gaze to the guesthouse.

“I can try to keep extra patrols in the area, but you know how it is. My men can only cover so much ground.”

“I know.” This isn’t the Sheriff’s problem. Whoever is doing this has made a personal vendetta against me, and I intend to handle it when the time comes.

“I told Jo it might be best to stay somewhere else, but she told me no.” He shrugs.

“Stay where? With you?” The words come out of my mouth like a whip, but I keep them hidden behind my glass.

“Sure, wherever. Natalie and Dec would love to have her.”

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