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If we got anything at all from them that led us to the others, it would be worth bringing them in.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Because we had taken prisoners, we had to stop in Coyote Creek at the station to lock them up. Tammy was tired and we still had the barn chores to do when we got back to the ranch.

We brought the kids in, and they swore at us a lot and called us kid curse names. “Your parents better not hear you talking like that,” said Tammy. “Y’all are gonna get your asses tanned.”

They laughed at Tammy, but they wouldn’t be laughing when their parents showed up. I took their wallets and got their names. Kyle Smollett and Greg Gillespie.

As soon as we locked the two up in separate cells, we were full up. Six cells in our run and every one of them occupied. No more room at the inn.

“See everybody in the morning. Sleep tight.”

They yelled and hollered as I slammed the door of the run and it automatically locked.

Tammy checked the lock at the front of the building, and we locked up the back on our way out.

“Let’s go home, Harlan. I’m dead beat.”

“Same.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Big surprise when we got home. Savanna was there playing cards with Billy and Travis, and she saved dinner for us.

Me and Tammy did late chores and put the horses in for the night. Then we ran into the house, sat down at the table, and ate plates of spaghetti that Savanna had made just for me. She knew how much I loved her spaghetti.

I was so happy to see her, and I hoped her and Travis were getting back together. They weren’t saying much but seeing herhere at our ranch cooking us dinner was a damned good sign that she was thinking about coming back to us.

Chapter Fourteen

Saturday, August 3rd.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

“Not a workday, kids.” Travis seemed a bit better this morning as we sat at the breakfast table. “Y’all don’t have to spend the entire day at the carnival on surveillance. Y’all haven’t see any of the punks working there, so maybe they didn’t get hired like they thought they would.”

“Even if they didn’t get hired, Daddy,” said Tammy, as she cracked a dozen eggs into a bowl, “I think they’ll still come to check out the parking area. So many cars and trucks in one spot, how can they not?”

“I agree. Too big a temptation not to try for a couple of vehicles. I think they’ll come.”

“Yep,” said Billy. “I’m going again to sit at the picnic tables. I didn’t mind doing it yesterday and smelling all that junk food around me was like being in heaven. Smelling those candy apples and cotton candy, definitely worth it.”

“Yeah,” said Travis, “I think heaven might smell like fried onions.” He laughed. “Maybe I’ll go for a couple of hours and sit with Billy at a picnic table. I love those burgers with the fried onions. Nothing better.”

“What if you get tired like yesterday, Travis?” asked Savanna. “I have to work at the store and can’t come to get you. Saturday is my busiest day of the week.”

“Jeeze,” said Travis. “I don’t want to sit at home all day while my entire family is working surveillance at the carney.”

“One of us has to feed the prisoners,” said Tammy. “Ted is off, so Harlan can go ahead and get the prisoners’ breakfast over with on his way to Shelby. I’ll wait and clean up here until it’s time to get the fuckers their lunch, then I’ll do that, and I’ll bring Dad with me to the fairgrounds.”

“Good plan,” I said. “Travis will only be at the fair for the afternoon. It’ll work. I’ll get down to the station, make a couple pots of coffee, run over to the diner, and get the breakfast containers, hand them out and then go to Shelby.”

“No uniforms today,” said Tammy. “We want to blend in better than we did yesterday.”

“We still got us two punk pickpockets wearing our uniforms,” I said. “Filled the run right up.”

“Their parents been called?” asked Travis.