Picking Up the Pieces

by Carolina Mac

  “I know all that,” said the sheriff. “I know what every last person in my county is doing. But you can fit this in. I know you can.”

  Jack turned and looked at me and I shrugged. I didn’t know what to say. I thought fast and spit it out. “Can he have a probation period, Sheriff?”

  “Oh, sure he can, Logy. Thirty days. If he don’t work out, or the job doesn’t work out, we can go our separate ways. No hard feelings on either side.”

  “Thirty days,” said Jacky boy. He seemed to be thinking hard. “Okay, I guess I could try it for a month. I don’t know much about the law, Sheriff. Sorry to say.”

  “Got a couple of books here for you to read up on, son. Be best if you scanned through them before tomorrow.”

  Jack raised a dark eyebrow. “I’m starting tomorrow?”

  “Today’s pretty well under way, ain’t it?”

  “What do I have to do, Sheriff?” asked Jack. “Like swear on a bible and like that? I’ve seen a few old westerns.”

  “Uh huh. Give me a minute to get organized and I’ll swear you in.” The sheriff fumbled around for a few minutes getting everything ready and then he administered the oath and swore Jack in. “There you go. Now you’re official.”

  He opened a locked drawer in the filing cabinet behind him and gave Jack a badge and a gun. “Sig Sauer is what we’re shooting here in this county, and you’ll have a shotgun in the trunk of your squad for emergency use. You can spend an hour at the range this afternoon with the instructor. I’ll set it up for you, Jack.”

  “I could use the practice, Sheriff. I’m not bad with a shotgun, but a handgun ain’t in my wheelhouse.”

  Sheriff Tucker grinned. “It will be soon, Jacky boy. You’ve got what it takes. I’m a great judge of potential deputy talent.”

  Jack nodded, looking a little dazzled by the whole thing.

  Broken Spur Roadhouse.

  SITTING outside in the designated smoking area surrounded by nurses chatting him up, Clay gave us the stink-eye as we arrived at the hospital late to pick him up from his therapy. “Where were you guys?” he asked with his lip a little curled. “I been done for twenty minutes.”

  “It was Jack’s fault,” I said. “He got himself deputized and we had to get his gun and badge and all that.”

  “What? I don’t believe a word y’all are saying. You were drinking in one of the bars on main street and you forgot about me. Tell the truth.”

  “No, honest,” said Jack. “We didn’t forget about you. I’m Sheriff Tucker’s newest deputy.” Jack flashed Clay a wide grin. “You can call me Deputy McKenna.”

  “Shut up.” Clay punched Jacky. “Don’t screw with me, Jacky. I’m your brother.”

  The boys were arguing back and forth as I parked at the Spur. “I’m getting lunch. Any takers?”

  “Hell, yeah, Logy. I’m starving. That therapy nurse like to kill me with her exercises.”

  “You’re not dead yet, Clay, and soon you’ll be able to play your guitar again.”

  “Can’t be soon enough for me. That’s how I get my best dates.”

  “My boys are here.” Miss Jane hurried from behind the bar when she saw us come through the double doors and gave us each a hug. “Want lunch or just a beer?”

  “We’ll take the lunch special,” I said. “We’ve had a bit of a hard morning. What are we having?”

  “I just wrote it on the blackboard,” said Miss Jane. “Half a rack of ribs with coleslaw and potato wedges.”

  “I’m in.”

  Both my brothers nodded. We’d all have the special.

  “Jacky has news,” I said with a grin.

  “Do you have a new girlfriend, Jack?” asked Miss Jane.

  “I wish that was what it was,” Miss Jane. “Honest I do.”

  “What then?”

  “I’m Sheriff Tucker’s new deputy.”

  “Oh, poop.” Miss Jane made a face. “You don’t want to work for Wade Tucker.”

  “Why not?” asked Jack. “He seemed keen to have me today. Said he was a good judge of deputy material.”

  “Wade Tucker is a lazy lump,” said Miss Jane. “That man will run you ragged doing all his work and won’t give you a lick of credit. I’ve known him all my life and believe me when I tell you, you don’t want to work for him.”

  “I’m on a thirty day trial run, Miss Jane.”

  “At the end of thirty days, Jacky, you just say ‘thanks, sheriff, but I’ve got better things to do.’”

  Jack smiled. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind while I see how it goes.”

  Miss Jane turned to Clay and asked, “When is Bonnie Sue going back to work for the slave driver?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll be talking to her later,” said Clay. “Can’t wait to tell her my little brother is her new backup.”

  “Are you seeing Bonnie Sue seriously, Clayton?” asked Miss Jane.

  “In a way.”

  “What way would that be?” Miss Jane raised an auburn eyebrow.

  “Kind of a casual way until she’s better. She’s got a lot of healing to do—like on her body.”

  Miss Jane smiled. “I get it. You can’t get up close and personal yet. Is that it?”

  “Umm… might be.”

  “I bet her mama doesn’t want her to be one of Tucker’s deputies anymore,” said Miss Jane.

  Clay grinned. “Nope, Mrs. Dempster sure doesn’t. Nags on it every single day. Bonnie Sue doesn’t know what she should do.”

  Miss Jane giggled. “Bonnie Sue will be heading back to work in a big hurry when she finds out our Jacky boy is going to be riding shotgun.”

  Jack chuckled. “I told the sheriff I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and he said a guy will tune me up at the range this afternoon.”

  Miss Jane frowned as she put a pitcher and glasses down in front of us. “Is Wade putting the rush on you for a reason? Is there a big crime wave about to hit Preston County?”

  “Don’t think so,” said Jack.

  “I think we had the crime wave working for us,” I said. “The trial is starting this week.”

  Miss Jane gave us each cutlery rolled up in a napkin and taped with a little Broken Spur label. “Everybody in town will be fighting for seats to see what happens to the girl who shot Bonnie Sue.”

  “I’m not looking forward to the trial,” said Clay.

  “Me neither,” I said. “Sitting in the courtroom will be days wasted. Right now, we need every minute at the ranch to get things sorted out. The roofers should be finished by the time we get home this afternoon. The painters are coming tomorrow.”

  “Don’t forget tomorrow we have to go to the DA’s office to go over our testimony,” said Clay. “That will be hours wasted too.”

  Miss Jane made a face. “My poor, sweet boys. That’s way too much bother for y’all. I’ll be glad when it’s over and all those horrible people go to jail.”

  After we polished off our ribs and were about to leave for home I noticed Fiona Lonnigan sitting on the other side of the roadhouse having lunch alone. We hadn’t had much contact since Linda Loudon and I had gotten back together and it was best to keep it that way. I gave Doctor Lonnigan a little wave as we left, and she smiled at me.

  If you enjoyed the sample of Comeback Trail, Book Two, and want more of the McKenna brothers, you can find it on Amazon.