But even with the lack of intensity, his reproof still caused her extreme discomfort. For an awkward moment, she was that little girl who’d dumped the entire container of fish food into the aquarium. Apparently she hadn’t matured much since then.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ward, but I can’t help feeling a negatively slanted exposé on Neil would hurt him and his daughter unnecessarily. Not to mention adversely affect the people of this county and their safety.”
“How so?”
“Targeting Neil, creating problems for him, could distract him and compromise his ability to perform his job.”
He crooked an eyebrow at her. “That’s a stretch.”
“Not a big one. We don’t know how he’ll react. Cops have that adrenaline thing going.”
Talk about a stretch. Neil was the epitome of cool. Except when he’d kissed her. He’d been hot enough to blister the Jeep’s leather seats.
“Are you willing to risk your job for him?”
Ward’s question gave her a start. Vi had asked Carolina the same thing, and she’d believed then her boss wouldn’t threaten her with unemployment.
Wrong again.
“Yes,” she said, gulping.
Reporters had ethics, right? Like Woodward and Bernstein. They’d gone to jail to protect their source.
Comparing herself to journalistic legends didn’t take the sting out of potentially losing her job.
“I’m not going to fire you, Carolina,” Ward said evenly.
Whew! That was a relief. She tried not to go limp or burst into tears.
“But there will be repercussions.”
“I understand.” She’d prepared herself for a formal written warning.
“You can forget about any more roving assignments for the foreseeable future.”
While not entirely out of the blue, the announcement still hit her hard. Step two of her life-redirecting plan was to advance her career. This was a huge setback.
“And you’ll be put on probation for ninety days.”
Correction, a brick wall.
“Isn’t that a little extreme?” she choked out.
“Not for insubordination. Read your employee manual.”
She didn’t reply. How could she with a giant, painful lump lodged in her throat?
What would Neil say if he knew all she was going through for him? Would he change his mind about dating her?
Doubtful.
If she didn’t like him so much and sympathize with his position, she’d resent him.
“I’m sorry, Carolina,” Ward said.
“Me, too.” She nodded.
“If it were up to me alone, I’d let you off with just a verbal warning.”
Because he did sound genuinely sorry, she risked her fragile state and looked at him. His face showed a strain she hadn’t previously noticed.
“Are you okay?” she found herself asking.
“Fine. Why?”
“You just seem…a little distracted.”
He busied himself with her personnel file, which lay open in front of him.
“You’re not usually so nice,” she blurted.
“Nice?” He glowered at her. “I just put you on probation for ninety days.”
That was more like it.
“Is there anything else?” she asked.
“No.” He didn’t glance up.
She started to rise from the conference table. Being confident she’d done the right thing was some solace but not enough. She really had her heart set on being a roving announcer. It was hard seeing her dream put on indefinite hold. Unless…
Inspiration was a beautiful thing.
She sat back down.
Ward lifted his head and appraised her curiously. “Forget something?”
“Did you hear about the illegal mining operation they found on the ranch this weekend?”
“No.” His expression quickly went from surprise to interest.
“It was in yesterday’s paper.”
“Erica and I were in Tempe over the weekend, visiting Len. We didn’t get back until late last night.”
Their eighteen-year-old was a promising freshman quarterback, attending Arizona State University on a full athletic scholarship. Ward couldn’t be prouder. Neither could his wife, who tooted her stepson’s horn as loudly as his father did.
“What happened?” He pushed Carolina’s personnel file aside.
“One of our hands was riding the trail and found a mine shaft. Turns out, someone’s been excavating for gold on our property.”
“No fooling!” Ward listened attentively as Carolina filled him in on the details. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing at the moment. We’re stalled until the authorities complete their investigation. That could take weeks or even months.”
“Do they have any idea who’s behind it?”
“Not so far.”
“I’m amazed. Really. There hasn’t been any significant gold discovered in this area for decades. It’s quite a story.”
“That’s kind of my point.” She readied herself for the pitch she was about to make. “You said yourself you wanted to raise the quality of our newscasts. Well, here’s our chance.”
“Explain.” His pen beat a rhythmic tap on the tabletop.
“This story has far-reaching ramifications. It’s not just a matter of a crime being committed. Apparently, there’s gold in our hills. It could impact the entire town, if not the county.”
His eyes flickered.
Bingo, she thought with a smile. “Gold fever. Imagine the scores of new listeners we can win over by covering this story. We could run daily updates. Include local lore and stories from the mine strike twenty years ago.” She reminded herself to check with the museum about the map.
“What strike was that?”
“Up by Quail Butte. Southeast of town.” She frequently forgot Ward wasn’t a native of Payson. “I’ll copy the old newspaper clippings for you.”
“If I agree to let you cover the story, will your family give the station exclusive rights?”
“No one will be allowed on the ranch unless they work for KPKD.”
“And no interviews except to us?”
“Absolutely.”
“What do you want in exchange?”
“We can negotiate.”
“Free advertising for the ranch?”
“That’s a start.”
He stared at her. “You want to be in charge of the story.”
“Yes.”
“I did just tell you to forget about any future roving assignment.”
“There is that.”
“I can put someone else on the story.”
“Then I can’t guarantee KPKD exclusive rights. Besides, I’m the best candidate.”
“Are you?” He sat back, evaluating her.
“It makes perfect sense.” Riding the momentum she’d already started, Carolina ticked off the reasons on her fingertips. “The illegal mining is on my family’s ranch. I grew up in Payson and am familiar with the town’s history. I have previous journalism experience and a connection with the local law enforcement.”
“Sheriff Lovitt,” Ward said.
“Actually,” she said, swallowing to clear her voice, “I was referring to Sheriff Herberger. He and my uncle are old friends.”
After the fiasco with Neil Saturday night, any “connection” she’d had with him was severed. Every time she recalled asking him out, she cringed with embarrassment. When she thought of their kiss, her cheeks flamed. And remembering his final rejection made her want to kick the closest piece of furniture or break down and cry.
So far, the love-life portion of her redirecting plan was one big fat disaster. She’d move past Neil and focus her attention elsewhere, except no one else remotely interested her.
Not to the degree he did and not after the other night.
Neil had amazing kissing skills. Angels-singing, earthmoving, heart-going-pitter-patter kind of kissing
skills.
Stop thinking about him, Carolina silently scolded herself.
Hadn’t he been crystal clear about not wanting to get involved with her? She might consider his so-called promise to himself stupid, but he was committed to it, and she wasn’t desperate enough to grovel.
“Sheriff Lovitt would be a better connection,” Ward said, “and he likes you.”
Yeah, for all the good it had done her.
“Sheriff Lovitt is very much by the book,” she said, “and he’s already refused to cooperate. I doubt I can get much information from him.”
“Use your feminine wiles.”
“He’s immune.”
“You know?”
“I’ve tested the waters. He’s not biting.”
“It’s Sheriff Lovitt or no deal,” Ward said decisively.
“What?” Carolina sat up as if poked with a sharp stick.
“You can be in charge of the story but only on the condition that you cultivate your connection with Sheriff Lovitt.”
“Why? Sheriff Herberger is—”
“He’s on medical leave. Not actively involved in the investigation.”
Oh, dear. This wasn’t what she’d planned.
“You want the assignment or not?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Excellent.” Ward smiled as he stood. “I’ll tell the station’s legal counsel to draw up the contract.”
“My family will have to review it first,” Carolina mumbled. She was still in a bit of a daze. “I don’t have the authority to sign without their consent.”
“Fine. In the meantime, you can move your stuff into Frank’s old cubicle.”
“Really?”
Her own cubicle. One she didn’t have to share with the evening traffic director. Her spirits immediately rose, only to plummet as she remembered the tradeoff—working closely with Neil.
Not a problem. She could, she assured herself, be a professional.
And just who did she think she was kidding?
“WHAT ARE YOU doing here? I thought you had a meeting with your boss this afternoon.”
Jake’s surprise was legitimate. Carolina seldom visited the ranch’s riding stables. Hailey, Jake’s sister, had been the serious rider in the family, a position his oldest daughter, Briana, now held. Most afternoons, the teenager was either practicing her barrel racing, working with her high school equestrian drill team or giving riding lessons to the special-needs individuals from the Horizon Adult Day Care Center.
“I got off a little early,” Carolina said.
“Really? Why?”
“That’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She had caught Jake just as he was coming out of the barn office. He was probably consulting with Gary Forester about ranch business. While the family met and voted on major issues, day-to-day operations were Jake’s responsibility.
“I had an interesting meeting with my boss this morning. Told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t comfortable doing the story on Neil.” They both began walking toward Jake’s truck, which was parked in front of the main corral.
“How did that go?”
“Not as bad as I anticipated.”
“Excellent!”
They reached the truck and, by unspoken agreement, leaned their backs against the sidewall to carry on their conversation.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“You don’t sound too happy.”
“I thought Ward would be tougher on me.” She flipped up the collar of her coat to ward off the breeze. In a matter of days, their Indian summer had ended and the weather had turned chilly.
“And you’re disappointed?”
“No, confused. He’s been acting a little weird lately—not like himself. He gets mad over the most minor incidents then turns around the next day and blows off something that would normally send him through the roof.”
“Count yourself lucky you got off as easily as you did.”
“There’s a little more to the story.”
“And a little more to your visit here, I’m betting.”
Carolina grinned sheepishly.
Of all his Sweetwater cousins, she was closest to Jake. Maybe because she was most like his late sister Hailey. Not in looks or horsemanship but in personality. Hailey had also liked to defy convention. Carolina hoped the soft spot Jake held for her would sway him into going along with her plan.
“What do you need?” he asked.
“Why do you automatically assume I need something?”
“Carolina.” His tone was reproachful.
He definitely knew her too well.
“All right, here’s the thing. I’ve tentatively agreed for the family to give KPKD exclusive rights to the illegal mining story in exchange for me being put in charge of it.”
“I see.”
As she explained the details of the tentative deal she’d struck with Ward, Carolina observed Briana from the corner of her eye. The teenager led a group of about a dozen very young children from the barn into a small corral. At first, Carolina assumed the children were offspring of guests at the ranch. As they came closer, she saw they all wore identical lime-green ball caps and name tags on the front of their jackets. Bells went off in Carolina’s head. These children were participants in the after-school riding program.
Which meant one of those squirming and squealing munchkins was Neil’s daughter.
“Do you think the family will have a problem with it?” she asked Jake after she’d told him everything.
“I’m not sure we should talk to anybody about the mining. Not until we know more, which could be a while.”
“We wouldn’t be providing details of the crime itself as much as the effects of the illegal mining from the victims’ standpoint.”
“Won’t talking to the media hinder the investigation?”
“Or help it. Whoever’s behind the mining is probably local or has local connections,” she said, quoting the newspaper report. “The more people are made aware of what’s going on, the more likely someone will report suspicious activity to the Silent Witness Hotline.”
“Yes, but—”
“And people have a right to know what’s happening in their community.” Carolina liked the sound of that and would use the same argument on Neil when she attempted to enlist his aid.
“The free advertising with KPKD’s sister stations across the southwest is good,” Jake reluctantly concurred. “Will your boss let us choose when commercials for the ranch air? Three o’clock in the morning won’t reach our targeted market.”
“We’ll simply make that a condition of our agreement.”
Jake continued to weigh the pros and cons with her for several minutes. Carolina half listened, the noise and commotion in the corral diverting her attention to her niece and the class she was conducting. She tried to pick out which one of the eight girls was Zoey. From this distance, and with their identical ball caps, it was impossible.
“I think a family meeting is in order,” Jake announced.
“I figured you’d say that. We have to decide right away. I told Ward I’d have an answer for him by Wednesday.”
“That’s cutting it close.”
“The illegal mining is breaking news. We have to act quickly.”
“I’ll call you later. Let you know what time’s convenient for everyone tomorrow.”
She pushed off his truck and gave him a brief hug before heading to her car. After a week in the body shop, it looked as good as new. The fender bender might never have happened.
Instead of getting into her car and driving away, Carolina meandered over to the corral. Briana was using Big Ben, the very old, very gentle mule that belonged to the Horizon Adult Day Care center, to introduce the children to equine basics.
On closer inspection, it wasn’t so difficult to pick out Zoey. At least, Carolina was fairly certain the girl with the bright pink cowboy boots and saucy ponytail poking through the hole in the back of her ball cap was Z
oey.
A young woman who didn’t look much older than Briana wore the same ball cap as the children, identifying her as part of the after-school program. If she was supposed to be in charge, Carolina had her doubts. The woman was clearly terrified of large animals, even one as gentle as Big Ben. She visibly trembled as she brought the students up in pairs to pet the mule. Luckily, Briana’s experience extended beyond horses to children. She was a babysitter extraordinaire and a wrangler on trail rides.
Zoey was in absolute awe of Big Ben, and he seemed equally enamored of her, lowering his head and nuzzling the hand she extended.
“Very good,” Briana said. “Did you all see how she kept her hand flat so Big Ben wouldn’t nip her?”
Beaming at the praise, the little girl returned to the group.
Carolina continued to watch the children from her place at the corral fence, debating whether she should stay or go. If she remained much longer, she’d risk running into Neil when he came to pick up Zoey. Unless he sent his daughter’s babysitter, in which case, Carolina would miss him. She wasn’t certain which scenario she preferred.
If KPKD and her family came to an agreement, she’d be given the illegal mining story, and have no choice but to solicit Neil’s cooperation. Given that they hadn’t exactly parted under the best of circumstances the last time they were together, the prospect of seeing him again triggered a bout of nerves. Better to wait another day to conduct what could be a delicate conversation with him.
Having made up her mind, Carolina started to leave.
“Who wants to sit on Big Ben?” Briana asked.
“Me, me!” Small hands flew like crazy into the air.
Except for one.
“Teacher, teacher, I have to go to the baf-room.”
“Can you wait?” the young woman asked. “We’re almost done.”
“I gotta go now.” The little girl jumped up and down to emphasize her need.
“Me, too.” This time it was Zoey.
“Sorry. You’re going to have to wait. I can’t leave the other kids alone. It’s against the rules.”
“But this is a ’mergency,” the first little girl pleaded, her face contorted.
The Accidental Sheriff Page 8