Page 15 of Unexpected Danger (Mountain Justice #2)

Just another day on the job. Dad had always said that ninety percent of the crimes were committed by ten percent of the people.

Brodie was about to agree with that statement once again.

While Pronghorn Falls was a small town, crime had increased in the past few years. More people had moved in, seeking the slower and more relaxed lifestyle and close proximity to a beautiful mountain range.

Not that it was anything like the larger scale of criminal activity in bigger towns and cities, but it demanded a lot of time and took Brodie away from his main jobs as a sheriff.

A thug named Hyland, a repeat offender who’d previously been arrested for illegal drugs, abusing inhalants, and domestic violence, thought it was a good idea to weave all over the road just south of town on the frontage road adjacent to the freeway.

Brodie called for backup and pulled him over. As predicted, Hyland exhibited all the signs of drug use. The guy was hyper, sweating, and his face was covered in severe acne and sores. He’d retained two lone teeth. Just one look, and Brodie knew the guy was high on something.

He completed the tedious paperwork. It amused, but hadn’t surprised him, that Hyland stated he had nothing in his pockets.

K-9 police dog, Radar, had begged to differ.

Hyland said the crystal was planted in his pocket and wasn’t his. Same story, different day.

“Brenneman, I'm glad I caught you before you went home. Do you have a minute?” Chief Neeley stood in the doorway.

“I do. What's up?”

“I thought you might want to know that Grayson applied for the open detective position.”

“I was wondering if he would follow through with that.”

“Well, he did. We received his resume this morning. Seems he may have plans to move back to Pronghorn Falls.”

Brodie scrubbed his chin with his hand. “Can't say I'm completely surprised since Mom had me relay the information to him.”

“Not my business at all, but kind of interesting that he's choosing to move back, don't you think?”

Brodie stared into the distance, not really seeing what was there. He'd thought about this several times after Mom mentioned Grayson expressed interest in the detective position. Part of Brodie, admittedly a large part, had hoped Grayson wouldn't apply.

A stab right in the center of his gut reminded Brodie that such thoughts weren't exactly Christlike, especially toward his own brother. The niggle of his conscience persisted as the Holy Spirit’s conviction pressed. “Yeah, it will be interesting to hear how he's been doing.”

“I can imagine.”

Chief Neeley knew Grayson had left abruptly after Dad was killed, but that was the extent of it. Rumors had likely abounded. “Have you had many other applicants?”

“We've had four. Of those four, two were immediately weeded out.”

“Is Grayson a contender?”

“He is. Grayson is on the young side, but he’ll take the national testing next, although with his experience as a patrolman in Denver, I’m sure he’ll pass. He will, of course, then take the physical fitness test.”

Which Grayson would easily pass if he were still regularly working out like he had when he lived in Pronghorn Falls. The guy loved just about every sport, especially biking and indoor cycling.

“And we'll do the background check,” Chief continued. “We'll have him meet before the board for an oral interview.”

Chief Neeley was on that board as well as the lieutenant. Brodie studied his friend and fellow LEO. “He has a good chance of cinching the job, then?”

“I think so. He's got the creds, but there are some hoops for him to jump through, and the other candidate is no slouch.”

“What time frame are we looking at?”

“Probably within the next couple of months.”

A mixture of emotions settled in Brodie's chest. On one hand, it would make Mom happy to have all of her boys back in Pronghorn Falls.

On the other hand, Brodie, and likely Roarke as well, would be calling upon the Lord multiple times because forgiving their brother might not be an easy task.

Even if that was the right thing to do. “Thank you for telling me.”

“You're welcome. Just figured you might want to know.”

As Brodie left later that evening, thoughts about Grayson lingered in his mind. Two very important people in his life had left of their own accord, with barely a goodbye. Would Londyn return to Pronghorn Falls at some point as well? Or was it safe to assume she was out of his life forever?

Londyn tucked her gun in the concealed holster and pulled her suitcase from beneath her bed.

Unfortunately, she’d accumulated a few items since moving to Rowland, necessitating a small pull-along cargo trailer.

Her Rowland apartment was fully furnished, so there were no large appliances to haul except a microwave.

Also, fortunately, Brodie had taught her how to pull a horse trailer the year she won a purple grand prize ribbon for the cow she entered in the fair. Pulling a cargo trailer would be simple.

The man at the rental shop hooked it up to her SUV, and now, Lord willing, Londyn could load it and be ready to leave in two hours. While it would have been advantageous to have Jasmine’s help, her friend hadn’t offered.

She hadn’t heard from Dustin either, despite the fact she’d texted him and told him she was quitting. She’d thanked him again for being a good friend.

Londyn had started typing in Pronghorn Falls in Dustin’s text, telling him of her destination. But she stopped just short of sending it. Instead, she hit the delete button. With the way Dustin felt about her, it was best he not know where she was moving.

Freedom beckoned her. In a meager amount of time, she would be free of her stalker.

There had been no more texts or phone calls today, much to her relief. Londyn peered out the window. No one was outside except the elderly woman who always walked her dog about this time, and two moms with their strollers, gabbing in front of the apartment building across the street.

An hour later, she had the suitcase, clothes, Bible, purse, and several water bottles packed in the SUV, and the small, flat-screen TV, microwave, laptop, photo frames, her carefully packed porcelain dolls, and two boxes of dishes stored carefully in the travel trailer.

Linens, food from the cupboards, portable exercise equipment, and some miscellaneous items were next.

She’d use the linens and pillows to cushion breakable items, although she had no anticipation of anything getting too jostled since ninety-five percent of her drive was on the freeway.

Finally, at 10:00 a.m., an hour behind schedule, she conducted a last-minute recheck of the apartment and added an efficient cleaning of the table, counters, and floor.

She was ready to go.

Just entering the freeway calmed her nerves. The sky was clear, and the spring weather was a pleasant sixty degrees with no sign of anticipated rain. In four hours and twenty-six minutes, she’d be in Pronghorn Falls, including a few pit stops to eat and stretch her legs.

She could do this.

For the first hour, she sang along to her favorite Christian worship songs. It kept her grounded and from thinking about what she’d do if her stalker discovered she’d left Rowland.

An hour later, she spied the exit that boasted four fast-food restaurants.

She filled up with gas, then pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant with the most space to park the SUV and cargo trailer, locked the door, and strolled inside.

She inhaled a deep breath. Two more hours and she’d be in Pronghorn Falls.

Hamburgers and fries were not her usual go-to, but today it was the fastest she could manage so she could efficiently return to her travel.

She was filling her cup with ice water when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Her heart pounded, and she slowly turned to see the clerk behind her with a tray of food.

“Your boyfriend said he’d meet you there. ”

“My boyfriend?”

The woman, barely out of her teens, smiled, exposing a mouthful of braces. “Yes, he came in when you were in the restroom and said he’d meet you wherever it is you’re going. He said the town, but I don’t remember it right off.”

Londyn took the tray from her. “Thank you, but I think you might have the wrong person.”

“Pronghorn Falls! That was the place. Yes, he said he’d meet you there.”

Her stomach clenched, and Londyn nearly dropped the tray. “He said that?”

“Yeah, he did. Is everything okay?”

She scanned the restaurant and what she could see of the parking lot from the window. “What did he look like?”

“Your boyfriend?” The woman’s painted-on black eyebrows rose into her forehead.

“Uh, yes, just making sure it was my boyfriend.”

The woman wrinkled her nose. “Well, he was slim, taller than me, blond hair, a nice smile… Like, way charming.”

A peculiar panic rose in her throat. She set the tray on the counter, reached for her phone, and brought up Dustin’s image. “Was this him?”

“Yeah, that was him.”

“And he was here?”

The clerk offered an incredulous stare as if Londyn were missing a few brain cells. “Yes. He was here. Like I said, he told me to tell you he’d meet you in Pronghorn Falls.”

“Can I get a to-go bag, please?”

“Sure.”

Londyn hurried to the window. No sign of Dustin, but obviously, he was somewhere watching her.

There was no reason for him to follow her to Pronghorn Falls. No reason for him to meet her there. No reason for him to become obsessed. Because that’s what it was—obsession—if he was planning to follow her from Rowland.

Something was off. Dustin was her friend. Yes, he’d been pushy about dating, but he was her friend. Why was he stopping at the fast-food restaurant and giving an update to an anonymous clerk? Why hadn’t he texted her back and told her he would like to see her before she left Rowland?

If he had, she probably would have rejected the idea due to time constraints and not wanting to lead him on.

Surely it wasn’t anything dire. Just a friend wanting to say goodbye. Right? Yet…