looked right at her. They both knew who’d done it.
“Excuse me, but is there something you all want to let me in on?” Ryker asked.
Lilly looked up at Ranger, who closed his eyes and nodded. She turned back to Ryker. “It’s just a guess, but Jeff wasn’t very happy with me the other night. When we got into his truck, he immediately started putting his hand up my skirt and I kinda freaked out. I apologised and told him I couldn’t go through with it. Needless to say, Jeff’s not used to being shut down. I don’t know how we’d prove it though.”
“I’ll kill him,” Ryker said, jaw tensing.
“No, you won’t, Bub. It’s Rawley’s job, let him do it.” Ranger put a hand on Ryker’s shoulder. “Our job is to protect Lilly, not play cops.”
Lilly looked at her battered car again. Every window was either cracked or busted along with her tail lights and headlights. She decided to take Ranger up on his offer for a place to stay. “I’ll talk to Mrs. Clemens and tell her I’ll be gone for a few days until they find out who did this. I’d like to try and convince her to go stay with her sister in Lincoln. If she agrees, I’ll probably drive her up this afternoon, if it’s okay that I use your truck?”
Ryker hugged her. “You can use anything of mine you want,” he gave her a grin and a wink. “Just make sure when you come back to pack, you have one of us or Rawley with you.”
“Will do,” she said standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “And I’ll be by after Bunco tonight.”
With one last look at Lilly’s car, Ryker shook his head. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Eight
By mid-morning, Ryker was back in the office. He looked at the clock and picked up the phone. Surely Lilly had had time to fill out her police report by now. Dialling Rawley’s number he waited. When he got a recording he hung up and tried his cell phone.
“Sheriff Good,” Rawley answered.
“Hey, did Lilly come by?” Ryker leaned back in his chair and put his muddy boots on the edge of the desk.
“Yeah, I’m over at her place right now. She’s upstairs getting some things together while I take some fingerprints off the car.” Rawley paused, “Lilly’s staying with you for a couple of days I take it?”
He could almost hear the censure in his big brother’s voice. “Yes, something wrong with that?”
“Nope, not as long as you’re sure of what you’re doing. And before you get all defensive, it’s not because of her age, even though I know that’s a sore spot with you and Ranger. I just need you to be sure this is what you want, because it might not go over very well in town. You need to think a little about what’s good for Lilly and the consequences of your actions.”
“Rawley, we know all of this. Ranger and I have talked about it for years. What it would all mean to our personal and professional lives, and we decided that Lilly had a right to choose for herself. We had a nice talk last night and the night before. I think she knows what she’s getting into. She talked to her momma, so we’re not sneaking around behind anyone’s backs. Just let us deal with it.”
“Deal, huh? What about Lilly’s car?”
Worrying his fingers through his hair, Ryker closed his eyes. “I don’t think that had anything to do with me and Ranger. I’m sure she told you about her almost-date with Jeff.”
“Yeah, she told me. If you’re going to continue this with her it will be your responsibility to make sure she stays safe.”
“Yes, Sheriff, we realise that. Why do you think we’re insisting she come stay with us until this whole vandalism thing is settled?”
Rawley sighed on the other end of the phone. Ryker could just picture him taking off his hat and wiping his brow. “On a brotherly note, if this is what you all want, I’m happy for you.”
Ryker knew his brother meant it. Ranger told him about the talk Ranger and Rawley had a couple of months ago, and it
“Excuse me, but is there something you all want to let me in on?” Ryker asked.
Lilly looked up at Ranger, who closed his eyes and nodded. She turned back to Ryker. “It’s just a guess, but Jeff wasn’t very happy with me the other night. When we got into his truck, he immediately started putting his hand up my skirt and I kinda freaked out. I apologised and told him I couldn’t go through with it. Needless to say, Jeff’s not used to being shut down. I don’t know how we’d prove it though.”
“I’ll kill him,” Ryker said, jaw tensing.
“No, you won’t, Bub. It’s Rawley’s job, let him do it.” Ranger put a hand on Ryker’s shoulder. “Our job is to protect Lilly, not play cops.”
Lilly looked at her battered car again. Every window was either cracked or busted along with her tail lights and headlights. She decided to take Ranger up on his offer for a place to stay. “I’ll talk to Mrs. Clemens and tell her I’ll be gone for a few days until they find out who did this. I’d like to try and convince her to go stay with her sister in Lincoln. If she agrees, I’ll probably drive her up this afternoon, if it’s okay that I use your truck?”
Ryker hugged her. “You can use anything of mine you want,” he gave her a grin and a wink. “Just make sure when you come back to pack, you have one of us or Rawley with you.”
“Will do,” she said standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “And I’ll be by after Bunco tonight.”
With one last look at Lilly’s car, Ryker shook his head. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Eight
By mid-morning, Ryker was back in the office. He looked at the clock and picked up the phone. Surely Lilly had had time to fill out her police report by now. Dialling Rawley’s number he waited. When he got a recording he hung up and tried his cell phone.
“Sheriff Good,” Rawley answered.
“Hey, did Lilly come by?” Ryker leaned back in his chair and put his muddy boots on the edge of the desk.
“Yeah, I’m over at her place right now. She’s upstairs getting some things together while I take some fingerprints off the car.” Rawley paused, “Lilly’s staying with you for a couple of days I take it?”
He could almost hear the censure in his big brother’s voice. “Yes, something wrong with that?”
“Nope, not as long as you’re sure of what you’re doing. And before you get all defensive, it’s not because of her age, even though I know that’s a sore spot with you and Ranger. I just need you to be sure this is what you want, because it might not go over very well in town. You need to think a little about what’s good for Lilly and the consequences of your actions.”
“Rawley, we know all of this. Ranger and I have talked about it for years. What it would all mean to our personal and professional lives, and we decided that Lilly had a right to choose for herself. We had a nice talk last night and the night before. I think she knows what she’s getting into. She talked to her momma, so we’re not sneaking around behind anyone’s backs. Just let us deal with it.”
“Deal, huh? What about Lilly’s car?”
Worrying his fingers through his hair, Ryker closed his eyes. “I don’t think that had anything to do with me and Ranger. I’m sure she told you about her almost-date with Jeff.”
“Yeah, she told me. If you’re going to continue this with her it will be your responsibility to make sure she stays safe.”
“Yes, Sheriff, we realise that. Why do you think we’re insisting she come stay with us until this whole vandalism thing is settled?”
Rawley sighed on the other end of the phone. Ryker could just picture him taking off his hat and wiping his brow. “On a brotherly note, if this is what you all want, I’m happy for you.”
Ryker knew his brother meant it. Ranger told him about the talk Ranger and Rawley had a couple of months ago, and it
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