Page 10 of His to Touch
“Yeah, I got a call. Another farmer saw a few kids cut a line in your fence, so I hauled tail up here. I’ve got them down by the fire pit putting the fire out and cleaning up their mess. It’s going to be on you and your family to decide how we proceed.” Liam no sooner gets the words out of his mouth than here arrives said family.
“I guess it’s going to depend on how much of a mess they’ve caused. The fence is probably the worst of it?” I ask.
“That and the scorched ground.” I get to thinking about what we’ll have to do in order to have everything back to normal.
“Not too bad. The only problem I can see is if they do it again and get ballsy enough to break into the cabin. Shit, it’s not like we’re up here every day. They could have been here a week before we were aware.” Liam hums at my statement. He’s more than likely thought this through, too.
“I think some community service on the farm might make them learn a valuable lesson.” He probably knows the kids, another reason why I called Wild instead of him to get the information about Sutton for me. The last thing I need is for others to find out I’ve been nosing around. “The cavalry has arrived.” I turn to look in the same direction Liam is and find every last one of them. Mom, Dad, Lawson, JW, Trey, Dean, and Lane. The only people missing are their significant others, Case, and the other grandkids.
I back away, letting Liam give them the lay of the land. It’s Lawson’s voice that gets my attention. “Shit, we’ve done worse. We’re not pressing charges. These kids clean up the mess, fix the fencing, and work at the ranch for a weekend. We can call it good.”
“Sounds good to me,” Dad replies.
“Yep, hard work will make them think twice before doing something like this on private property.” Mom nods. Everyone else joins in, and the only interruption that causes my family to quiet down is Liam’s radio.
“Sheriff Dane, this is dispatch requesting backup.” The other end cuts off with a screech-like noise.
“Go for Sheriff Dane.”
“Requesting backup, Sheriff Dane, at five-four-one Fawn Lane.” My goddamn world spins on its axis. I cut my gaze from Liam’s to my mom’s. She’s got her hand over her mouth. None of us thought the law would have to get involved.
“On my way.” He holds the button down, relaying the message.
“Request for an ambulance to five-four-one Fawn Lane,” is broadcasted next. Everyone is quiet, waiting to hear if there’s any information else left to be said. What I wouldn’t give for Fletch Wild to be living here in Arrowleaf. Sure, Liam is a good sheriff, but he’s nothing like knowing Wild as well as we do.
“Gotta go, guys. We’ll figure everything out. Pretty sure you know these kids’ parents. I’ll supervise whatever needs to be done.”
“Go on, I’ll handle Ace. Then drive your mother to town,” Dad offers. That leaves me with telling Liam my ass will be with him.
“Someone will get Case for me?”
“Without a doubt,” Trey pipes in. I nod, turn on my heel, and catch up with Liam.
“Ridin’ with you. Don’t give a fuck what you have to say. No way am I hanging back. Not when that’s Sutton’s address and Shane is who he is.” Liam doesn’t say anything for a beat.
“You gonna keep your cool and not go off half-cocked, you can ride with me. You do something stupid, like beat a person…” We’re at the doors to his SUV.
“Understood.” At this point, I’ll do whatever the fuck it takes in order to make sure Sutton is okay.
“I’d hate for it to be your ass behind bars.” Liam puts the vehicle inDrive, hits the sirens, the lights are on already, and he’s pushing the SUV to its limits the entire way to Sutton’s place. Never in my life did I ever hate living this far out of town until today. The need to be the one driving and taking over consumes me as much as the rage and worry swirling through my system. I swear to god, Shane Sullivan is a dead man walking.
NINE
SUTTON
My whole body feels numb. I also feel warm and cocooned inside a bubble. I squirm, trying to become aware of my surroundings. I’m not at home; the smell of antiseptic, a beeping sound, and hushed voices tell me that. The last thing I remember is the sirens blaring, being lifted onto a gurney, and then everything went dark. My body must have gone into fight-or-flight mode yet again.
“Shhh, rest, baby. You’re okay.” The voice is of a man I least expect. I’m not sure why; he and his family have done more for me than anyone besides my mom did. God, how I miss her. She was so strong and brave, unlike the woman I’ve been lately. It figures the day I find a version of my own, my life turns to shit, and I almost met her on the other side. Thank god I didn’t. I still have so much left to do in life.
“Ry,” I croak, my voice breaking at the end. I try to open my eyes, but they’re too heavy, or the drugs they gave me are too damn strong.
“Sutton, breathe for me.” It’s then I realize my chest is heaving. The drugs aren’t strong enough to numb all of the pain, and if I keep it up, I’m going to have a panic attack next. “There you go. You’re getting there.” Through each soft-spoken word,Ryland is holding my hand in his and the other is cupping my cheek. It takes a few more breaths for me to calm down. The tenderness and soreness in my ribs are still there, but it’s a dull throb.
“Ryland,” I say his name again, blinking my eyes, trying to get them to open. Another worry pops up in my head. What if Shane did more damage than I thought? Could I be blind? Obviously, my ribs are bruised badly. My whole body feels like it went ten rounds with Mike Tyson, which makes me worry if I have an ear or not. I lift my hand that isn’t held, attempting to feel the side of my head.
“Don’t touch, Sutton. You’ve got medicine there as well as a few bandages.” Instead of dropping my hand back to where it lay, Ryland holds it up to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles. This I need to see. Plus, I’m sure I’ve missed out on a whole heck of a lot.
“Water?” I ask. My throat is dry, and when I’m finally able to open my eyes, I can manage nothing more than slits.