AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I had no regrets.
Until he said goodbye at the back door. “See you later,babe.”
I threw the nearest thing I had to hand, a dishcloth, which hit the doorframe and made no impact on the asshole at all. He left, chuckling, and somehow, as I loaded the two mugs into my half-size dishwasher, I realized one thing.
I was already missing the fucker.
I decidedto take Jason along on a ride-along today. He’d been bugging me about getting out of the office, and I figured it was time he saw what the job was like. A call had come in about a fencing dispute between two landowners on the outskirts of town—figured it would be a good way to show him the more … diplomatic side of being sheriff.
As we drove, Jason kept his eyes glued to the window, taking in the sights with curiosity and excitement. It reminded me of when I was younger, riding along with my old man back when he was sheriff. It was strange to see the same eagerness in Jason that I once had, though I wasn’t sure how long it would last once he saw the reality of it.
“So, Jason,” I said. “How are the college applications going?”
He glanced at me. “Good. Slow, though,” he admitted, his voice uncertain. “I want to work with computers. Maybe something in programming or IT. I’ve beenlooking at a few colleges with good tech programs. Don’t tell Grandpa.”
“Your grandpa just wants you to be happy.”
“Yeah, but don’t tell him. He gets confused.”
I patted his arm. “You’re a good kid, Jason.”
By this time, we’d pulled up to the scene—a dusty patch of land where the properties of Bob Harlan and the infamous parking asshole Phil Thompson butted up against each other. The two men were already there, standing on opposite sides of the fence, red-faced and shouting over each other.
Bob Harlan was a grizzled old rancher with a thick mustache and a cowboy hat that had seen better days. He’d been working his land for over thirty years and was as stubborn as they came. On the other hand, Phil Thompson was a bit younger, maybe in his early fifties, with a clean-shaven face and a reputation for being a hothead, and for parking in handicapped spaces, pushing the limits. He’d moved to Whisper Ridge about a decade ago, and ever since then, the two had been at odds over just about everything.
“Sheriff!” Bob called out as I stepped out of the car. “You tell this man to keep his cattle on his side of the fence!”
“Sheriff, this fence line’s been a problem for years, and Bob here keeps moving it further onto my property!” Phil shot back, his voice rising with each word.
I walked over, holding up a hand to calm them down. “All right, gentlemen, let’s take a breath and talk this through.”
Jason followed close behind, his eyes wide as hesurveyed the scene. This was probably the most excitement he’d seen all week.
“Bob, Phil,” I said, turning to each of them. “I know neither of you is looking for trouble. But we’re not gonna solve anything by shouting.”
Bob crossed his arms, grumbling, while Phil kicked at the dirt, still fuming. But they were listening.
“Let’s look at the property line,” I suggested, walking over to the fence. “We’ll get a surveyor out here if necessary, but let’s agree to keep things calm. No more moving fences and letting cattle wander where they shouldn’t.”
Bob sighed, tipping his hat back. “Fine. But this isn’t over, Sheriff.”
“It doesn’t have to be over today,” I replied, meeting his gaze. “But let’s at least keep it civil.”
Phil nodded with reluctance. “Yeah, all right. But if I find that fence moved again?—”
“You’ll what?” I interrupted, and Phil blustered and then dropped his focus, his anger subsiding.
“Nothing, Sheriff.”
“Good. We’ll get this sorted.”
With that, the tension in the air started to ease. The two men exchanged one last glare before retreating to their sides of the fence. I exhaled and turned to Jason, who was as shocked as if he’d just witnessed a magic trick.
“That was amazing,” he said, his voice full of awe. “You just … calmed them down like it was nothing.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “It’s not always that easy, trust me. But a lot of this job is just getting people to talk, to see reason. You’ll figure it out.”
Jason was quiet for a moment, then he grinned. “You know, one day, I might want to be sheriff. Or a games designer. Or maybe a social media star. I haven’t decided yet.”
