Page 11 of Peach

After switching over the laundry, he put the ground beef in a bowl and started spicing it as he thought of how Wild’s life had changed. Before Ava and the girls, Wild hadbeen a little wild. Now he was calmer, so much so that he got excited over stupid stuff.

Guilt twisted through Peach as he stared out the window at the backyard. It looked awful and maybe the stupid stuff Wild got excited over wasn’t really stupid.

If he wanted to grill outside, he needed to tackle the lawn. It was the last thing he wanted to do, and he hadn't thought out when to wash clothes, so he didn't have to use the washer multiple times on this trip. But the lawn needed to be mowed.

On the drive to the nearest gas station, his thoughts turned to Harry and Rory. They seemed really happy. Then there was Jax and Jessica. They were perfect for each other.

He'd made it back to the house, his thoughts turning to his parents and their relationship as he grabbed a pair of shorts and then pulled off his shirt so it didn't get dirty. It wasn't warm outside, but he'd only packed so much and didn't want this shirt to get filthy. He grabbed an old pair of his dad's socks and slipped on his dad's boots. They were a little small, but it wasn't too bad. He looked ridiculous in shorts and boots, but the last thing he needed was a snake bite.

The mower took a few pulls to start, but once going, it was solid. He started with the backyard, cutting down the tall weeds and grass, bagging it all because there was no way the mower could mulch this mess. Luckily, his dad had a few paper bags for yard waste, so he could at least dispose of the grass properly.

If Bear had been with him, he would have started mowing the second he arrived. Maybe not the second, but he would have jumped on it. Ingrid was perfect for Bear. They fit well. And Bear was a great father.

He didn’t know Mel as well as the other women,though she had let him feel the baby kick. That had changed him. He could see the wonder in Andy’s eyes. He honestly never thought Andy would get with another woman after what had happened to him. But then again, even he could see that Mel was special.

Mowing took a while, but he still had an hour to do the front yard. The loud rumble of the mower’s engine must have scared all the creepy crawlies away because he hadn't seen anything slithering around in the grass.

His mind wandered from past missions to his friends, and he was almost done with the front yard when a sheriff's truck stopped in the driveway. Peach respected law enforcement, but something about this guy made him wary.

Haisley intimated that she didn’t trust the sheriff. The tickle in the back of Peach’s mind told him not to trust this man.

Though he’d grown up here, he never looked back. There were two guys and one woman who had joined the Navy from his high school. Only the woman had stuck with it, and the people he’d stayed friends with from high school had all moved away, so his ties to this place were few and he didn’t know this guy at all. Maybe the dude had been around back when Peach had lived here, but he didn’t remember him.

Peach shut off the mower and wiped his hands on his shorts, seeing that they weren’t too dirty. “Can I help you?” Peach asked as the man stepped from his truck.

“Yeah, I’m Sheriff Eason. A neighbor called in. Was wondering why a stranger was mowing the lawn.”

“I’m not a stranger. I’m John and Ellen’s son.”

Eason’s eyebrows shot up as he gave Peach a once over. “Oh, I guess the neighbor thought they were gone.”

“They aren’t here.” Peach didn’t want to tell this guy they’d died. It wasn’t any of the man’s business. Theauthorities had notified him, and he would start closing accounts when he felt like it.

“You know, before your parents took off, they befriended a troubled young lady. She’s real trouble. I hope she’s not still around.”

“No trouble here, Sheriff Eason,” Peach said. It wasn’t a lie, not really. There wasn’t any trouble as far as he was concerned. He was perfectly fine with Haisley staying in the house as long as he was here. It was a total turnaround from how he'd felt the first time he'd seen her. Heck, he'd threatened to call the sheriff, but now, he just wanted Eason gone.

Peach had spent enough time in bad places to know what it felt like when bad people were around. He had a similar feeling now. There was something off about this town that seemed even more sinister than it had back when he’d been younger.

Haisley seemed solid. Or at least not out to get him. She was hiding something, but he could tell her intentions were on the more innocent side of things, whereas this man was lying to his face.

No question, Eason was up to no good. He reminded Peach of the people working both sides of the coin in war zones. As a SEAL, they had to be able to read the body language of their potential informants. People with terrible motives would come to them, saying they had something good on the enemy, but sometimes it was a trap. Knowing if the person had good motives kept people alive. And Peach would lay down good money that this man’s motives were some of the worst kinds.

Eason frowned and then spat on the ground. "She's a liar and a thief."

Peach wanted to tell the guy to fuck off. Instead, he put a concerned look on his face to fool the man. “Has shedone something specific, you know, broken the law? I just want to protect my parents."

Eason’s stance shifted, and his eye contact grew almost uncomfortable. The man reached up and covered his mouth for a second right as he gave a slight shake of his head. If the body language wasn’t enough to convince Peach the man was a liar, the words were.

“Well, she’s not wanted by our department. But if you find her, you need to call me. She’s done some terrible things around here. She’s upset people. You know, people with delicate constitutions. She needs help. Should probably be locked up in an institution. Going around lying, saying things. It’s a sad state.”

As Eason spoke, ice slid down Peach’s spine, making all his nerves tingle. Haisley wasn’t dangerous, but this man was. No question, Eason wasn’t on the up and up. Peach feared what would happen if this man got hold of Haisley.

A weird thought slid through him. Haisley hadn’t told him what happened, but when he pushed, he could see the incredible stress on her face and in the way her shoulders curled in. The way that woman had acted at the store, along with everything else, painted a picture that wasn't good at all.

“Thank you for stopping by, Sheriff Eason,” Peach said. “I need to get this finished before the sun goes down.”

“All right.” Eason nodded in a way that made him think it was a threat and not a friendly gesture. “If you see her again, give me a call. I’ll leave my card in the mailbox.”