“No.” Sheriff Sutherland pulled his jacket on. “Dr. Chase called it in herself. She’s on scene. I’m headed there now.”
“You mind if I come with you?”
Sheriff Sutherland nodded toward the door. “Come on. But at this point, I might as well make you a deputy.”
Max didn’t usually insert himself like this. But something about this situation compelled him to do so. Plus, he’d wanted to be a deputy. But that wouldn’t ever happen.
No law enforcement agency would hire an ex-con.
Yes, an ex-con. The idea still felt foreign to him. But that would now be his label for the rest of his life.
They took Sheriff Sutherland’s SUV. With every mile that passed, Max told himself there was no reason for the tight feeling in his chest. Hadley had called the crime in herself. She was on scene. She was fine.
Max knew all that.
But he couldn’t help but worry she was being targeted—though he had no idea why that would be. She was new in town. She hadn’t had time to make any enemies.
Had trouble followed her here from Atlanta? There was so much he didn’t know about her. Yet he wanted to find out.
Which was a terrible idea. The best thing he could do was to maintain his distance. She was better off remaining unconnected with him.
The drive took twenty minutes, but it felt longer.
Finally, Sheriff Sutherland pulled up to the curb. His headlights swept across the front of the building.
Max’s gaze immediately found Hadley.
She stood on the sidewalk, with her arms crossed against the cold. Glass lay scattered across the concrete sidewalk around her feet, and the window frame behind her held only jagged edges where the glass had been.
Kori Hutchins stood with her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her new law practice was located nearby.
Max was out of the SUV before Sheriff Sutherland had fully put it in Park.
Something in Hadley’s expression shifted as they approached. Relief maybe. Surprise.
“I’ll let you two talk,” Kori said before walking away.
“Max . . . I wasn’t expecting you,” Hadley started.
His breath caught at the sight of her. She looked like someone who could cuddle up beside you. She was all warmthand coziness with a bright smile and eyes that didn’t know a stranger.
And all he wanted was to protect her.
“I was with Sheriff Sutherland when the call came in. I wanted to see for myself that you were okay.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
She looked back at the clinic. “That was the original window. I wanted to keep it because I thought it added character and kept some of the history of the building . . . and because replacing it wasn’t in the budget yet.”
Sheriff Sutherland stared at the destruction. “You have insurance on the building?”
“I do.”
“That should cover replacement.” He straightened and pulled out his phone. “No camera out front?”
Hadley shook her head. “It’s on my list, but I didn’t make it a priority. Now that clearly seems like a mistake.”
