Page 7 of Colton’s Inferno

Ted took a step away from the group. Aiden followed. “I’m sorry I was short with you before. I was talking to Lucy about buying her ranch.”

Aiden’s head snapped back as if he’d been punched. “This ranch.” He used his spoon to point at the ground.

“Unless she has another one hidden somewhere else, yeah.”

“What would you do with a ranch? You’re the mayor of Red Grove. You need to live in town.”

Ted glanced over his shoulder. Nobody was close enough to hear what they were saying, and he continued. “I made a couple of investments. I have a nice pile of cash and want to do something good with my money.”

Aiden had no idea that his foster brother had a pile of cash kind of money. “What is it that you want to do?”

“You remember how my grandmother used to love animals, right?”

Annie had been a mother’s helper to Emily when Aiden and his five siblings were younger. She’d spent as much time at his house as she had her own home. And Ted was right. She loved all animals. She was forever rehabilitating wounded birds. Or using a Havahart trap for mice that had gotten into the garage. “Your grandma was a good person. She loved everyone and everything.”

“Right?” Ted thumped him on the chest with his knuckles. “And what better way to honor her memory than to open a rescue and animal sanctuary in her name. Annie Barrett Animal Rescue.”

“I like it.” Aiden took another bite of his oozing ice cream. “She’d like it, too. But why do you want this ranch? There has to be lots of other land for sale.”

“The county comptroller mentioned that Lucy and her grandad have been late to pay their taxes several times. I don’t want them to lose this property on a technicality.”

If Ted could be that honest, then so could Aiden. “I am sorry that Sammy and I ruined your negotiations. I did more than point you out to him. I encouraged him to come over and say hello.” He paused, not sure if he wanted to confess everything. Then, he said, “I wanted to meet Lucy.”

“What was your plan? To use the cute kid to meet the pretty woman?”

In his opinion, Lucy was a lot more than merely pretty. “It sounds so crude when you say it that way.” He took another bite. Speaking around his spoon, he said, “Anyway, I am sorry.”

“It’s not a problem. Really. I can talk to her again. But do me two favors.” He didn’t wait for a response. “Don’t mention anything to anyone about me wanting to buy property. My finances aren’t a secret, but I never know how voters will react.”

“Sure. What was the second thing?”

Ted pulled his phone from his pocket. He tapped on the screen before sending a text with a whoosh. “Sorry,” he said, jiggling the phone. “Work.”

“You wanted me to do two favors for you. What’s the second one?”

Ted took a step toward Aiden. Grabbing him behind the neck, he pulled him closer. Lowering his voice to just above a whisper, he said, “Stay away from Lucy Harris. She has a past. Trust me, that woman is damaged goods.”

Lucy walked through the crowd. The faces were nothing more than a blur. And yet, she kept looking for the handsome firefighter. Aiden Colton. It was more than his looks that made him interesting. It was the way he’d taken care of his nephew when Ted had gotten prickly. It was also how he was smart enough to figure out that the Five Steers was named for a bunch of boys, even though Lucy was the one running it for now.

Finally, there were the butterflies that got let loose in her stomach just from shaking his hand. She’d read all about explosive chemistry in her mother’s old romance novels. But honestly, until now, she had thought it was just fantasy.

“Lucy.” A familiar voice cut through all the noise. It was her grandfather. “Where are you going?”

Someone had given Rusty a white bib. The word Judge was emblazoned on his chest in big black letters. “How was the pie contest?”

“Heavenly,” he said. “I picked a peach one for the winner, but they were all real good. You want to come over and have a slice?”

“Not now,” she said, pointing to the old barn where all the helium had been stored. “I need to get some helium tanks over to the balloon tent.”

“Isn’t that what the carnival people are supposed to do?”

Grandpa Rusty was right. The contract they signed said that the carnival staff was supposed to take care of all logistics—including cleaning up afterward. They just rented her land for the weekend. “I don’t mind helping out,” she said. “Really.”

“More like you want a reason to escape.”

“Well, there’s that, too.” She stepped away from her grandfather.

“Wait,” he said, stopping her in her tracks. “What about Ted Barrett?”