“Oh my God, it is not. Quit being a baby. You’ve hiked it at least a dozen times. And the viewing platform was the first fire tower in the area. As a person with firefighting experience yourself, I can’t imagine anyone better qualified to lead a group of women on their first guided hike.”
Sutton recognized blatant pandering when he heard it, but felt himself wavering nonetheless. “How many women?”
“Only six.”
“Only six.”
“They’re a book club. Very intellectual.”
“And how many of these intellectuals are experienced hikers?”
“That depends on your definition of experience.”
When he only stared, Willow threw up her hands. “Would they have hired an outdoor guide for a relatively easy hike if they knew what they were doing? Obviously, they’re inexperienced. They’re mostly housewives from one of those swim and tennis communities outside Atlanta, for God’s sake.”
Sutton dragged his hand down his face. “You seriously intend me to shepherd a group of suburban wine moms to the top of the second highest peak in Georgia?”
“The trail isn’t that difficult, and you know it.”
“Then they can manage it themselves.”
“Not when there’s a possibility of a less-than-favorable weather system moving in.”
Sutton hadn’t heard anything about that. “So now I have to guide inexperienced, suburban wine moms through…” pulling out his phone, he checked the weather app. “Oh good. A high of thirty-nine? What the hell is this, Alaska? And rain, with a chance of sleet?”
“Only a twenty percent chance of sleet.”
“For rain it’s eighty.”
“After two o’clock. If all goes well, you can be safely back before it starts.”
“If being the key word there.”
“Sutton, please. It’s my professional reputation. They booked this thing months ago, and you know there’s no way to predict a freak cold front like this that early on. It’s one of the group’s fortieth birthday, she just got divorced, and her friends planned this as a sort of empowerment thing. Down with men, up – literally – with women. I’m kidding,” she said when she noticed his expression. “About that last part, anyway. But seriously, someone as mild-mannered and competent as you who is also – at least, according to what I’ve heard from other women – easy to look at, would be perfect for this outing. They’ll be well looked-after, and some harmless flirtation –”
Sutton snorted.
“Some harmless flirtation,” Willow repeated, as if he actually possessed such skills “makes everyone feel good. Not to mention a few hours of exercise in the fresh air –”
“Cleared out by all the freezing rain.”
“Plus,” she continued to talk over him “I will pay you for your trouble. Please.” She batted her eyelashes, and reminded him of their mom.
Both of them knew he was wrapped around their respective pinkies.
He hesitated, trying to think of a way out that wouldn’t make him feel like a jerk. But unfortunately, Willow knew that he was only at the fire department one weekend a month – last weekend – so he couldn’t use that as an excuse.
He stabbed a finger toward her. “I am not bringing some kind of organic, free-range hummus to your house on Friday. I’m bringing greasy fried chicken wings, in a bucket, and you’re going to like it.”
“I don’t know about –”
“Like it.”
Willow held up her hands in surrender. “You really are my favorite middle brother.”
“Leave before I change my mind.”
“Fine, fine.” She climbed to her feet, and seemed to notice for the first time what he was doing. “Oh! The new paint looks great. I’m glad you took my advice and changed the color. That grey you had picked out was depressing.”
Despite spending most of her life outdoors, Sutton had to admit that Willow had a good eye for interior décor, and artsy stuff in general.
And because she did, he pulled one of his cards from his back pocket and passed it to her. “Well?”
She studied it for a moment. “Are you asking me to proofread or…”
“I’m asking what you think about the card.”
“It’s… informationally correct? I don’t get what you want me to say here.”
“I want to know if you think it’s boring.”
She shrugged. “I mean, it’s a business card.”
“Exactly.”
Willow frowned before handing it back. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Never better.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but then thought better of it. “Oh! I almost forgot. I brought you something.” Reaching into her pocket, she handed him a small, amorphous hunk of plastic.
“You shouldn’t have.”
“Hey, I know it looks like it came from a gumball machine, but see? It’s a GPS tracker. For when you misplace your keys.”
Sutton studied it. “Is it supposed to be a dog?”
“Dog, cat. Rhinoceros. That’s the beauty of imagination. And that little piece of paper has the name of the app you download.”
“This is actually pretty useful,” he had to admit.
“See? I know you well. And I told you I would pay you.”
“That’s not how this work –”
“Oh look,” she said, ignoring him as she walked to the door. “Looks like the storm passed.”
“Good, because I’m going to have to walk down to Clancy’s to get something to eat since someone stole my apple.”
“You would have walked down there anyway, because Ms. Clancy still treats you like the teacher’s pet and gives you free pie.”
Sutton lifted a shoulder in a modest shrug. “I can’t help it that I was her star pupil.”
“She taught kindergarten. She gave out star pupil stickers if you didn’t eat the paste.”
“Based on the number of kids who didn’t get stickers, that stuff must have been delicious.”
He expected Willow to laugh, but instead she looked pensive.
“Speaking of paste-eaters… I ran into Beckett Caldwell yesterday.”
“Is that so?” Sutton kept his tone as neutral as possible.
“Stop. This is me you’re talking to. I may have been only ten when you left for college, but I wasn’t blind nor stupid.”
No, she wouldn’t have been. Willow had always been observant – sometimes too much so – and mature for her age.
“I know he’s a good part of the reason that you went to college so far away, and stayed away afterwards. You always, always talked about going to UGA with Ethan.”
“The University of Florida is ranked higher for veterinary medicine.”
“By, like, one place. Don’t try to tell me that’s what swayed your decision.”
It wasn’t. Willow was right in guessing that he’d fled. He’d needed to get away – from Beckett, from Shannon, from Clayton, from the whole damn state of Georgia.
And mostly from himself.
Beckett may not have succeeded in killing Sutton when he tried, but he’d definitely done a number on his self-confidence.
“You know he ended up divorcing Shannon.”
“I heard.” But it was the fact that she’d married him, after what he did, that still made Sutton sick to his stomach. “Do you ever bump into her?”
“Here and there.” She tilted her head. “You’re not thinking about going there again, are you?”
“No.” And he wasn’t. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re too good for her.”
He rolled his eyes.
“I mean it. I may have been a kid when you left, but I’m a woman now. And women know these things.”
Because he had a tendency to still think of her as that kid, even given the physical evidence to the contrary, Sutton studied his sister. Objectively speaking, he imagined other men found her quite attractive. And that worried him a hell of a lot. “Beckett’s never bothered you, has he?�
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She snorted her derision. “As if. I mean, he’s an arrogant ass, but I don’t think even he is stupid enough to mess with the daughter of the former sheriff and sister of the current one. It was bad enough what he did to you, but at least he could explain that away as high school rivalry, and the fact that you threw the first punch.”
He had, and it had been a good one. Fractured Beckett’s nose.
“Not to mention,” Willow added “that if he even tried to approach me, I’d kick his ass.”
And she probably could, too. Her features might resemble their mom, but her personality was more like their father – with the stature to match. Willow was a warrior, and she didn’t suffer fools.
But since they were on the topic, he might as well ask. “Do you know how involved he is with the family business?”
“Have you not noticed his picture plastered on the billboard out on the highway? He is the family business.”
Sutton frowned. He remembered Ethan mentioning all of the re-development projects around town – an attempt to draw a more year-round, higher-end crowd – but that wasn’t his concern at the moment.
“What about the property management side?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t see that holding much interest for him.” Willow shrugged. “It’s not glamorous enough. He’d rather rub shoulders with the other beautiful people and host dinner parties for investors by the lake.”
The mention of the lake made Sutton’s spine stiffen. But since he figured Willow was correct in her assessment of Beckett’s priorities, some of his concern eased back.
Neither the fish camp nor Adeline were really his type.
“You okay?”
He glanced up at Willow’s concerned face. “Yeah. Yes.” And then he smiled. “But I think it might be time for a slice of apple custard pie.”
“Mid-morning snack.” She broke out the air quotes.
“Hey, I tried to be healthy. My dietary decline is really, when you consider it, entirely your fault.”
“Since you’re saving my butt this weekend, I’m gonna let that slide. And speaking of slides, did you know the shoe store next door went out of business?”
“What does a slide have to do with footwear?”
“It’s a type of… you know, never mind. I only mentioned it because I know you were concerned about space when you leased this place. It’s two floors, and even has an elevator. I think they used the second story for storage.”
“Yeah, I share the upstairs hall with that elevator. I knew the business was on the way out – they had those final clearance, everything must go signs in the windows. But first I have to get up and running and see if I actually make any money before I worry about expanding.”
“You’ll do great.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m a sucker.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true.” She stretched up to kiss his cheek. “See you and your fried chicken tomorrow night.”
“Greasy fried chicken. In a bucket.”
She gave a backwards wave as she pushed out the door.
Sutton watched her disappear along the sidewalk, as her store was right up the street from his clinic. And right around the corner from the sheriff’s office. Although he couldn’t regret the years he’d spent in Florida, or the things he’d learned while working in Atlanta, he had to admit that this was what he’d always wanted. Hometown and family meant the world to him.
And he’d allowed that asshole to drive him away.
What’s past is done. And while he understood the benefit of leaving old grudges where they belonged, he had to acknowledge that there was a small, persistent part of him that would like nothing better than to smash Beckett Caldwell’s billboard-gracing face into the nearest plate glass window. And he was pretty sure, with Ethan as sheriff, he could find a way to get away with it.
But that was giving his old nemesis current energy, energy that he didn’t deserve. Sutton was back home with his family – well, most of them anyway – and his clinic would be open in a matter of weeks. He’d be working directly with animals again, rather than spending his time filling out reams of paperwork for Uncle Sam.
Sutton’s stomach rumbled, and he decided that it really was time to get something to eat. After washing his hands and putting the lid on the paint, he went over to give Colonel Mustard a stroke.
“I’m relying on you to chase off any intruders while I’m away. I’m afraid I’m all out of candlesticks, ropes, and revolvers at the moment, but there might be a lead pipe in the kitchen. Okay, maybe not lead, but definitely a pipe. Just watch out for Miss Scarlet. The really hot ones are usually crazy.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
Sutton turned to see his brother standing behind him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You left the back door propped open.”
“Ah, right. Paint fumes,” Sutton said, indicating the new green walls.
“That’s… bright.”
“And it’s going to have even brighter artwork. Multi-colored pet portraits, to be exact. Willow talked me into it. Speaking of, you just missed her.”
Ethan grunted, but Sutton could tell that he was distracted.
“What’s up?”
“Do you know Katie Dunaway?”
“Yeah. Of course, I know Katie.” They’d not only graduated together, but she’d been his chem lab partner for most of senior year. “In fact, she was one of the first people that I looked up when I got back. We had dinner not too long ago.”
“When was that?”
“Jesus, I don’t know. The beginning of the month? Or last month, I guess it would be now. I’m losing track of time. I think it was right after – or maybe right before – I signed the lease for this place, because we discussed the pros and cons of having an office in the heart of downtown. She actually works for the leasing agency.” Sutton’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Ethan seemed to hesitate. “It was her puppy that you pulled out of the Driscoll cellar.”
“What?” Sutton came to attention, and shook his head. “That can’t be right. She was talking about getting one the night I saw her… we had the whole adopt versus shop discussion… I can’t see her being someone who would throw a puppy in a trash bag and toss it out because it piddled on her carpet or something.”
“She claims it was stolen from her property. She went to a Halloween party that one of her co-worker’s was hosting, and left the puppy in his crate on the rear screened porch. When she returned a couple of hours later, the puppy was gone.”
Sutton dragged a hand through his hair. “Why would someone do that?”
“That’s the question. She’s happy to have the dog back – and a little pissed because the shelter wouldn’t release him until we checked out her story – but she doesn’t seem to have any ideas. No disgruntled exes, that she’ll admit to anyway. The neighbors on both sides have dogs themselves and in theory wouldn’t have been annoyed by a little whining.” Ethan shrugged. “She lives on a street in town that gets trick-or-treaters, so no one can really say if they saw anything unusual that night, because everything was out-of-the-ordinary. Best guess is that maybe some kids came by, saw the bowl of candy she’d left out was empty, and… thought it would be funny to retaliate.”
“By stealing her freaking puppy and tossing it?”
“It seems pretty extreme; I’ll give you that. Sometimes teens get in packs, start drinking or whatever, and make stupid decisions.”
“That’s not stupid, Ethan. It’s evil.”
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. “It is. Of course, it is.”
“So, why are you trying to downplay it?”
“I’m not downplaying anything,” he shot back. “I’m just trying to stay rational. Things involving animals, kids… it’s really damn difficult to maintain objectivity.”
Because he could tell that Ethan was upset, maybe about more than the matter at hand, Sutton eased back his tone.
&nb
sp; “What else is it that you’re not saying?”
Ethan glanced at him, and then shook his head. “It just has me twisted up, I guess. It’s evil, like you said. And I’m wondering why they picked that particular spot to dump him.”
“Not much traffic on that road. Less likely to be spotted.”
“We’re surrounded by state parks and national forest. The ratio of trees to people here is like ten thousand to one. Finding a place where you would be observed ditching a dog is probably more challenging.”
Sutton had to concede the point. “You think the Driscoll place was singled out for some reason?”
“I don’t know. I do know that there are some teenagers that live on the back side of that mountain, and one of them has had a few brushes with the law recently – petty stuff, though. Nothing violent.”
“If he’s had some problems, does that mean his fingerprints are on record? Did you check the trash bag?”
“The only prints on the bag belong to Ms. Walker. Hers are on file with the state of Florida because she worked with kids at what she said was her stepmother’s art studio.”
“Wait. You don’t think –”
“No, not really. Her story seems to check out. For one thing, whoever dropped him there would almost have to be familiar with the property. At night, no lights on, the way it sits back from the road? You wouldn’t even know it was there.”
Sutton hadn’t thought of it that way, but then, he wasn’t the law enforcement professional.
“So, what do you do now? Shakedown the delinquent?”
“Okay, Wyatt Earp.” But Ethan’s amusement faded. “I don’t exactly have probable cause to interview him, and his parents are… let’s just say resistant to interference. But I can put out some feelers, see if I can find out what he was up to Halloween night. There are always at least a couple of kids over at the high school with big mouths.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Growing up as sons of the sheriff, he and Ethan hadn’t been able to get away with shit. Not that they were precisely rebels, but their dad being an L.E.O. had certainly painted a target on their backs in certain circles… especially circles where the members didn’t like them all that much.
“As much as adulthood can suck, I am so damn glad to be out of that hell.”
Slow Burn (Rabun County Book 1) Page 9