“Abbs, relax. You’re not—”
“Vince will have my hide!”
He recalled the sheriff he’d seen parked near the town mart, and his breathing went rigid. That old guy hated him. He’d probably be delighted to cast a shadow on Logan’s popularity. “Don’t worry, I’ll take the blame.” His sponsors wouldn’t be too impressed if he did end up arrested, even for something as harmless as this.
“Let’s go.” She yanked at his elbow and pulled him a few steps forward. It seemed it only took her a few moments to realize what she’d done, and she dropped her hand. The slightest physical contact between them caused instant sparks neither could deny. “Hurry up.”
He stumbled a couple steps before he caught up. Unbelievable how easy it was to fall back into old habits. He hopped the fence first, helping her over as a silhouette emerged from the headlights of a patrol car.
“Hands where I can see ’em,” he heard the sheriff call over a megaphone.
He lifted his hands, squinting at the shadow walking their way. The sheriff looked a little lighter on his feet. Quicker, thinner.Taller? “Evening, Sheriff,” he said. “We didn’t mean any harm.”
“Hold it,” he called when Logan took a step forward. He really hated how bright the glare was against his eyes. Wished he could turn in the opposite direction without raising an alarm.
“Sheriff, it’s Logan Attwood, sir.”
There was a beat of relief when the flashlight lowered and the man holding it blocked some of the headlight beam with his body. “Logan? Abbie?” Then he started laughing. It didn’t sound at all like the man who used to get a kick out of busting him and his friends when they were up to mischief. He couldn’t remember the sheriff ever laughing.
“Please don’t arrest me,” Abbie pleaded.
“Don’t worry, Abbs,” the sheriff said. “You’re not going to jail tonight.”
“Cliff?” How Logan hadn’t placed his voice immediately was a mystery.
A closer, squinted look at the vehicle and its flashing lights revealed the wordSecurityon its side. NotSheriffas Logan had feared.
“You two can’t be breaking in here.” Cliff walked back to the car and turned off the lights, giving Logan’s eyes instant relief. Now all that lit up the grounds was the moonlight. “They have cameras now, you know.”
“I tried telling him,” Abbie grumbled.
“You’re lucky I hadn’t called it in yet, or the sheriff would be over here already.”
“Cliff, what are you doing out here?” Logan asked.
“Working.”
Abbie took a few steps closer to her brother. “Why?”
“Some extra cash, that’s all.”
Logan tried to follow what might be transpiring between Abbie and her brother, but it wasn’t something he could quite put his finger on. If his buddy needed extra money, why hadn’t he just asked? He had more than he knew what to do with, plenty to help Cliff’s family out. He would’ve given him some in a heartbeat, no questions asked.
“They already upped your hours at the store,” Abbie said. “Why would you wantanotherjob?”
“Abbie, don’t worry about it. Worry about what you and Logan were doingtrespassing.”
“I was just showing Logan the plaque.” Abbie marched to her car and yanked open the door. “For his dad.”
“You weren’t supposed to say anything to anyone.”
“You knew, too?” Logan turned to ask his friend as they watched Abbie speed away. “Cliff, were you going to tell me?”
“I’m sorry, man. I couldn’t. New owner wanted it kept under wraps. Telling you might’ve cost me this job.”
Now that Abbie was gone, he felt a little more comfortable offering help. He almost said as much, but found the right words seemed out of reach. Flashes of his grandpa refusing him replayed in his mind. He’d already ruined one relationship; he couldn’t risk destroying another.
Somehow, he’d find a discreet way to help Cliff and his family. It was the least he could do for all the times they let him stay with them over the years. “It’s all good. Abbie tipped me off, but I won’t say anything.”
