Logan sat up carefully as Crowe’s face tightened, becoming stoney and emotionless at the order Eddy gave the deputy.
They’d spent more than a week replacing the old rotted and rusted fence. It was obviously a wasted effort where one fence was concerned.
“Sorry about that. I guess ole Rafe Callahan should have put those fences in better, huh?”
“I can hear the lawsuits now,” Archer said, his sigh coming across the radio. “And trust me, Martin, I won’t cover your ass on this one.”
“Hey, I didn’t see no fence,” Martin’s voice came back slyly. “Did you see a fence, Eddy?”
“Yeah, I did, and I’m going to be the one to tell the Callahans’ lawyer what an asshole you are. Asshole.” Eddy informed him, “It’s no damned wonder the mayor put you on probation. If we’re lucky, he’ll get rid of your ass now.”
Archer was silent, and that didn’t surprise Rafe in the least. It did surprise him, though, that Eisner was so damned brave in destroying Callahan property.
“One of these days that girl is going to get herself in trouble taking up with the stray dogs in this county.” Martin came back with an air of self-importance. “And if I ever seen a dog, those Callahan boys is three of them.”
“I just hope for her daddy’s sake she’s okay,” Martin radioed. “It’s too bad how she doesn’t help him much with her poor, sick mother. She’s nothin’ like her sister was, that’s for damned sure. Jaymi would have been there helping her parents.”
“Fuck you, Martin! You damned little son of a bitch!” Eddy was pissed now. Real pissed if the tone of his voice was anything to go by. “Get him the fuck out of here, Sheriff, because I’ll show the little bastard exactly what justifiable homicide really is.”
Rafe lifted his head and watched as Cami came to a shocked stop at the doorway of the kitchen.
Biting off a curse, he moved for the radio to flip it off and keep her from hearing any more of Martin Eisner’s stupidity.
She beat Rafe to it. She moved in front of him, staring back at him in determination. “Let me hear what he has to say. That’s one of Dad’s best friends, and he’s not saying anything I haven’t already heard.”
The radio crackled again. “Martin, shut the hell up.” Archer’s voice was rock hard and filled with command now. “You’ll shut up or I can make sure you lose this nice cushy job of yours.” It was that edge of worry that had suspicion rising inside him.
“Too late to shut him up, Arch,” Eddy came back quietly. “Martin and I will discuss it later, though.”
Martin’s mocking laughter came back. “Your asshole mayor didn’t hire me, Archer, and neither did you. Neither one of you can fire me either.”
“I guess you were right, Crowe.” Rafe turned to his cousin, anger churning hard and deep inside him. “Selling out is the last fucking thing we need to do. They can just live with us.”
He caught Cami’s look of surprise, as well as the worry that edged it. His lips twisted sardonically. Yeah, if he stayed around, that just upped the chances that everyone might figure out she’d been doing the nasty with him, wouldn’t it? Fuck her. Was she ashamed to admit that she allowed him to touch her? Of course she was. He’d suspected it before and now he was convinced of it.
He glared down at her. “Don’t worry, Cami. No one will suspect for a second that we spent the weekend fucking like minks, and I’ll damned well make sure of it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try to attempt to make sure they don’t destroy the fucking place while they’re trying to rescue you.”
Cami stared up at him, her lips thinning. She knew the same thing he, Logan, and Crowe knew now just as well Sherriff Tobias and Eddy Flannigan knew. Obviously one of the barons had hired Eisner.
Cami shook her head slowly. “Martin’s James Corbin’s second cousin,” she said quietly as the radio seemed to go quiet.
“Well now, doesn’t that just figure. Guess Grandpop is making sure he has his eyes and ears where he needs them,” Crowe drawled mockingly.
“Martin is a pain in Archer’s ass,” she said softly. “Ignore it. Archer will take care of it.”
Rafe gave a hard laugh. “Do you think he’s going to destroy my property and get away with it?”
“Archer won’t let him get away with,” Cami argued.
“You’re asking me to let it go?” he asked her coolly.
“Eisner isn’t worth going after, Rafe,” she told him firmly as she propped her hands on her hips in determination.
“Why?” he asked her again. “Afraid you’ll have to testify?”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” she assured him tightly, but he knew better. He could see the concern in her eyes, in her expression.
Pushing away from her, he stalked to the door, slamming out of the house and moving to the porch as he watched the plow slowly making its way up the lane.
Pulling one of the slim cigars from the pocket of his shirt, Rafe dug the lighter out of his jeans pocket and lit up before leaning casually against the porch post.
That was just fine, he thought as one of the plows took out another length of the new fence and barely missed taking out the corner of the old shed that housed Clyde Ramsey’s pride and joy, his shiny dark-green tractor and all its attachments, still covered and looking all but new. No doubt that was the plow Deputy Eisner was operating.
Rafe could see the other man, in the glass-enclosed cab seconds later as he used the plow to carelessly push the snow from the driveway. It wasn’t easy going for Eddy. The heavy, wet snow had the motor straining as Eddy pushed it harder than he should have, evidently simply intent on checking on his niece and getting out of there. Eisner, though, he was making it count. Amused mockery filled the deputy’s face as another fence post met the force of the edge of the plow.
Rafe glanced to Eddy Flannigan again and watched as the older man shook his head and ran his hand over his face at the next post Eisner tore out. Fury tightened Eddy’s expression as he shook his head angrily a second later.
Looking up, Eddy caught Rafe watching, grinned, and shot him the finger. That was Eddy Flannigan. Bastard.
Rafe was considerate, he returned the gesture.
Then a frown creased the man’s face as Rafe heard the door open, then close behind him. All eyes were watching now. Her uncle’s, Eisner’s, and Sheriff Archer Tobias’. And Rafe knew why.
Cami.
He could feel her, smell the sweet, clean scent of her.
Rafe didn’t move other than to lift the cigar to his lips and inhale slowly as he grinned back at the other man.
Eddy wasn’t a Callahan fan, but neither was he an enemy. At least he didn’t poke his nose in their business. At least he hadn’t before now. And he sure as hell wouldn’t be once Rafe filed his lawsuit. His lawyer would be contacting the town soon, Rafe promised himself, because that fence was too far from the center of the lane for it to have been an accident.
“I’m so sorry,” Cami whispered behind him. “I’m so very sorry, Rafe.”
And she was. He could hear it in her voice, in the low, husky tone of regret, and the echo of sadness.
“Sorry’s not going to replace my fence.” He shrugged as though he really didn’t care about the fucking fence, and he didn’t, it was the intent behind it that pissed him off. “Why don’t you just get on out there and let her uncle and boyfriend know you’re safe so that crew can get the hell off my land before they finish destroying it?”
“My boyfriend?” Outrage filled her voice. “Just to start with, Rafer Callahan, I do not do boys. And second of which, there’s no one here that I’m seeing.”
“And you haven’t been going out with Archer?” He finally threw the accusation at her, amazed he had held it in this long.
Her eyes narrowed back at him, the soft gray of her eyes beginning to flicker in anger.
“Archer and I are friends, Rafe—”
“So were Jaymi and I,” he reminded her harshly. “Or did you forget that?”