Page 10 of Wandering in Love
Driving away from my childhood home, I make another pass through town, checking to make sure everything is okay. When nothing is amiss, I head to Betty’s for lunch. It’s about eleven, and since my breakfast was shit, I’m starving.
The bell dings on the door when I step inside, and coffee and fried food fill my nostrils. The chatter of conversations and the sizzle from the grill fills the air. I take a deep breath and force my shoulders to relax.
As I grab my normal seat at the counter, Betty looks me over from the kitchen, lifting an eyebrow at me.
“You’re awful dirty for so early in the day.”
A brown mug of steaming coffee is set down in front of me. I don’t respond as I sip the scalding liquid. Since school is in, Bianca is in class, leaving her momma to waitress. Diane never says much. The blonde woman with a permanent scowl isn’t friendly and hates working here, but Betty needs the help, and no one else will hire her since her attitude sucks. Her husband died when Bianca was real young, leaving her to raise the girl on her own. She’s had a rough go of it.
She doesn’t ask what I want, just writes my usual on the notepad and adds it to the orders already in the window.
“Have you seen Eva?” Rick sits next to me with his back to the counter.
“Yes,” I grumble, taking another drink of coffee.
“She’s looking good,” he comments. “Think she’s sticking around?”
My lip curls. This dweeb isn’t getting anywhere near her.
“She’s working for Will.”
He drags his thumb over his lip, deep in thought. “Cool.”
Then he’s gone out the door, the bell rattling as the door moves.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I suck in a deep breath and hold it before releasing it. She’s like fresh meat around here. I’m going to have to beat these dumbasses off her with a baseball bat. Horny bastards.
Diane sets my plate down in front of me without a word and walks off. I don’t even have silverware.
“Excuse me, Diane?” I call. “Can I get some silverware, please?”
She looks over at me, rolls her eyes with huff, and slams a roll on the counter next to me.
“Thanks so much.”
I take a bite of my sandwich when the door opens behind me. “Sheriff. We have a problem.”
Mother. Fucker.
I spin around; Luke is standing at the door looking worried. Luke’s family owns a cattle ranch a few streets over from my family.
“What is it?” I sigh.
“Main Street is full of sheep.”
“God damn it,” I grab one of my sandwich pieces, drop some bills on the counter to cover my lunch, and head out.
“Are those Miller or Ryan sheep?”
We only have two ranches around here that raise them. The boy is right, Main Street is full of sheep. There’s at least two hundred of them. This is going to take a while.
“Looks like both.”
Great.
“Alright, call your folks. See if they can spare a few people and horses to start herding them.” Turning back to the restaurant, I stand in the doorway. “We got loose sheep. Anyone that can help, we would appreciate your time.”
Pulling my own cell phone out, I call the Millers. It rings twice before it’s picked up.