The Lawman's Second Chance. Ruth Herne Logan

Circumstance? Planned?

      It didn’t matter. She had health issues he’d faced and lost. End of story. Except his sidelong glances said the story might not be over.

      But it was.

      The fact that he smelled soap-and-water fresh made him seem approachable.

      He wasn’t.

      She’d seen that yesterday and his reaction to her battle dredged up too many memories of Evan’s recalcitrance. Lisa had no intention of stepping before the firing squad of rejection a second time. The first time had been circumstantial.

      This would be deliberate. Therefore, stupid.

      “They were parked back here yesterday.” Ozzie’s voice held regret. He ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Adam’s told me time and again to be more careful and I shrugged it off.” His pained look underscored his feelings. “I never thought someone would just pull in here and grab stuff while we slept right over there.”

      Alex eyed the distance from the house to the barn. “Aren’t the newer Bobcats keyless, sir?”

      Lisa cleared her throat.

      Ozzie scowled. “Yes. I converted the starter because the keyless entry was a pain in the neck. But then if I kept the keys in my pocket, people had to come find me every time they needed to shift something.”

      “So you left them in the equipment.” Alex’s observation held no judgment, but he quirked a smile to the older man, just enough to say he understood. “Adam will have a field day with that, sir.”

      “Already did,” Ozzie agreed, looking pained.

      Alex could tell that Lisa’s father was a great guy, not like that was a surprise. He’d known Adam for months. And now Lisa...

      He longed to pretend she wasn’t there, a few feet to his left.

      He couldn’t.

      He wished he could turn back the clock sixteen hours and banter with her. Watch the way the sun danced off those dark curls, hear her heartfelt laughter with the girls.

      That wouldn’t happen, either. His fault. But right now he had a job to do and that included keeping her safe. The thought that someone targeted her spiked his protective side. He swept a quick glance over the house and business. “Whoever it was knew what they wanted. And when and how.” He stared at the ground, then moved down the stone lot surrounding the barn. “It appears he came in along the grass to keep the noise minimal. And with the increase of traffic on the Interstate this time of year, we get used to engine noise and tune it out. It’s especially easy when you have fans or air conditioners running.”

      “Frogs,” Lisa interjected.

      Jack nodded. “Peepers.”

      “Yes,” Lisa agreed.

      “In English, Jack.” Alex had no clue what they were talking about, and he couldn’t bark at Lisa so Jack made a handy target.

      “Lisa’s ponds. The trees surrounding the house and barns. The water spillways she’s created and the state-designated wetlands are over there. You could drive heavy equipment up and down this field at night right now, and no one would likely hear it. The frogs and spring peepers are that loud.”

      Alex shifted his gaze to Lisa. A tiny smile softened her jaw...a sweet, touchable jaw that could go stubborn in a flash. “He’s not serious. Is he?”

      She answered, but didn’t turn away from Jack. “He is. So hearing anything even with windows open is unlikely in May.”

      Concern climbed a notch higher. “You don’t leave the windows open at night, do you? The correct response would be ‘no.’”

      “To cool things down as the days get hotter. Of course we do.” She shrugged, ignoring his concerns as if he hadn’t dealt with every level of crime imaginable for the last fifteen years. “And last night was the first bogeyman in thirty-plus years, so I think the odds are with us.”

      Except crime didn’t sleep. Alex knew that. And he understood her small-town cavalier attitude, but after last night’s theft, he figured a dose of reality might daunt her Sunshine Sue outlook.

      It didn’t and that spiked an internal lecture he had no right to give.

      He turned his attention to Lisa’s father. Ozzie still looked miserable and Alex understood the older man’s angst. Missing equipment at the height of their selling season? A rough go. “Have you called your insurance company?”

      Ozzie shifted his gaze to Lisa, then shrugged. “If we make a claim this big, our rates will skyrocket. We’re hoping to find the equipment.”

      “But...” Alex would love to find their stolen equipment and return it quickly, but the likelihood of that was slim and they had work to do. Wouldn’t calling in the claim make more sense? That’s what insurance was for, right?

      “We’ve got an old small tractor in the barn,” Lisa explained in a cool, polite voice. “Not as useful as the ‘cat,’ but we figure it will buy us some time.” She addressed the group in general, not him specifically. They’d been there twenty minutes, and not once had she met his gaze.