Page 6 of Rhett

“I’ll be eighteen in no time,” he boasted, puffing out his skinny chest.

“Until then, I’ll make do with Deputy Mack.” Walking into my office with Jacob on my heels, I grabbed my tablet. “Give me the female’s description.”

“She’s maybe five foot six, with dark skin and curly brown hair about to her shoulders. Her eyes are hazel and almond-shaped. She had on jeans, sneakers, one of those Supergirl T-shirts with a bigSacross her”—he cupped his hands in front of his chest dramatically—“big boobs. Like, you know, big enough that the edges of theSkind of disappeared around the sides.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Okay, I get it, she’s stacked,” I cut in. I had to fight down a laugh.Boys.

“Yes. And she’s beautiful.” He grinned boyishly before continuing, “And she didn’t even freak out when she saw me either.”

“Well, obviously not, if she was taking your photo.” I smiled a little. “Did she say anything?”

He turned a little red, grinning awkwardly. “Yeah, she said I was cute.”

I snorted. “Well, she probably didn’t mean it that way. You were a fur ball all the time.” I fought the urge to snicker at his crestfallen look.Poor kid.At his age, all I had thought about besides having fun had been girls too.

“You don’t know that.” He scowled.

Ignoring his statement, I asked, “Is she on foot?”

“Yes. Like I said, she’s on Old Man Henry’s land, and you know how ornery he can get about people on his property.”

Shoving my tablet under my arm, I eyed him. “Then why were you there?”

He shrugged, his face turning redder.

My cell rang, and I pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you move,” I ordered before answering my cell with, “Sheriff Ward.”

“Sheriff Ward, this is Henry. You better get your ass over here, pronto. I found a hybrid trespassing on my land.” He ended the call abruptly.

“Shit,” I grumbled, grabbing my cowboy hat before tugging Jacob with me as I exited my office.

“You taking me with you?” Jacob asked as I ushered him along the hallway.

“Nope.” I released him when we reached Heidi, my administrative assistant. “You go home.”

Jacob frowned. “But I can help.”

“Go home, Jacob.”

Shoving his hands in his jeans pockets, he sulked. “Not fair.”

“Life often isn’t.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Heidi chimed in while patting her protruding belly. “I haven’t seen my feet in years.”

“That’s because you’re pregnant,” countered Sally, the department analyst at the station. “Again.”

“Oh hush.” Heidi gave her the evil eye while taking a big bite from the donut in her hand. “I can’t help it that I’m fertile.”

Sally laughed. “I have a solution for your problem. You and your mate need to stop going at it like rabbits.”

“But we are rabbits,” Heidi whined.

Sally rolled her eyes. “As your best friend and loving godmother to all six of your children, I beg you to slow down the baby-making machine. Their birthdays alone are costing me a fortune.”

“Hush your mouth, Sally,” Heidi said. “You love children.”

“I loveyourchildren,” Sally said pointedly.