Besides, the ordinance was set up to avoid people squatting on other people's land. It wasn't intended to make it hard for people to fix up their homes. It was ridiculous to even insinuate that it was.
It wasn't even like it was an eyesore. No one could see the house as they traveled down the long dirt road to the center of town. Maybe if it was in town, I could understand keeping properties free of blight. But where he was, there shouldn’t have been any issue. It was all a power trip, an I’m important with a little fuck you city guy on the side. Nothing more.
I’m not sure if me being there helped or not. It kept Leo from being brought in on gun charges, but it obviously didn’t help him out of the ticket. Maybe that was the sheriff’s way of getting back at me for helping the riff raff. He never understood the concept of being kind to others when you didn’t get something in return. It drove him crazy when people smiled and waved at me while I was out of uniform.
As I shut off the vacuum, I decided to also shut off the noise in my head. There was no changing any of it, so there was no reason to let it get to me.
I put the vacuum away and took the laundry to the washer.
The house was basically ready for Leo, but I wished I could have allowed him to bring his cat too. If Mrs. Parker wasn’t so adamant about them, I might’ve been willing to break the rules. But that was the one thing she was hardcore about. No cats or dogs allowed. I imagined it included bunnies and rats too, but I never mentioned those.
I was already in love with Leo’s cat and was disappointed I hadn't gotten to see him all day. I could’ve kicked myself for that comment about neutering him, though. The way Leo almost turned green at the suggestion made me realize I was being a little preachy. I wasn’t wrong that it was best for the cat and the community, but my delivery had obviously upset him.
Thankfully, he had met Jase and August already. Their grounds were pretty much where all animals who needed some extra loving wound up. The cat would have fun there unless he pissed off Lux. Lux ruled that place even though Daisy thought she did.
August and Jase were good people, and I was happy Leo was already forging a friendship with them. Being new in a small town held different challenges than in the city. When I moved in, I was the new guy for six years.
I considered putting a pot of water on to boil but then thought better of it. We already had noodles for lunch. Granted they were instant noodles from a cup, but they were noodles nonetheless. Another pasta dish was probably the last thing he wanted to eat. Since that was pretty much the extent of my culinary expertise, we had to consider a plan B.
Maybe our dinner date could still happen if he wasn’t too exhausted from the day. Worst-case scenario, I could order take-away. It wouldn’t be as good, but it would still be better than spaghetti.
The knock on the door made me smile. I couldn’t help it. There was just something about Leo that made my body tingle. But that’s not all there was to it. There was a connection between us, one I’d never felt before. It was odd and beautiful and scary and so many things all at once. It was like a first crush on steroids. And while it probably wouldn’t last, I planned on enjoying it for now.
When I swung open the door, my smile fell. Standing before me was Sheriff Asshat. I schooled my face, not wanting to make things worse than the scowl on his face suggested they were.
“What's up, Sheriff?” I stood in front of the open door, blocking it. I didn’t want him to come in, but also didn’t want him to feel he couldn’t. It was a fine line.
“You think that troublemaker brought those guns?”
“I'm pretty sure he didn't, sir.” As in of course he fucking didn’t.
“And how do you know?”
As if we hadn’t already gone over that. “Because I helped him take down the moldy paneling, and we opened up the room for the first time.”
“Yeah, well, maybe he put that paneling up.”
Was he insane or mean or both? “Sir, he didn't. It had been there for a long time.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on my door jamb. “I don't see Clarence being into that stuff. I just don't.”
Ah, okay. I finally got it. At least I thought I did. The sheriff didn’t want to think his friend was into that level of wackadoodle. “Maybe he didn't, but that doesn't mean that the new guy did.” If giving Clarence the benefit of the doubt helped him sleep at night, so be it.
“I don't trust this new city guy.”
“I see that, sir. Did you run the serial numbers?” There were a lot so I doubted he got them all, but chances were they would have similar results.
“Most of the ones that came back were sold at shows.” That wasn’t unusual but the sheer volume of weaponry is what needed a closer look. Especially considering all the papers he had full of conspiracy shit.
“So, where do we go from here?” I dreaded the answer, not wanting to deal with state or federal officers coming in and taking over. But I was pretty sure that would be his answer.
“He needs to come in for more questions,” he barked.
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know anything.” Leo knew even less than I did so continuing to ask him questions was a waste of everyone’s time. Not to mention that this conversation shouldn’t be happening at my front door, but I wasn’t going to invite him in.
“Clarence was a lot of things, and I heard the rumors. People didn’t like him. But this was not his doing. Bring him in or I will.”
I nodded, knowing I had no other option. “I’ll bring him in tomorrow. He’s planning on working on the house again.” The sheriff didn’t need to know his potential suspect was on his way over to sleep in my bed. Not my bed but close enough to make the sheriff even more hostile if he knew.
“Be sure you do.” He stomped off.
I needed to see what those results really said. If he thought he could somehow pin anything on Leo, there was something more than buying guns for cash going on.
Nine
Leo
The guys were still teasing me when I finally took off for Ron’s address. He lived in an adorable little house. It was more of a cottage, complete with window boxes. I could easily picture a grandmother owning it more than the town deputy, but in an odd way, it suited him. I climbed out with the small bag I’d packed in hand, anxious and nervous to get inside. Fortunately, I’d showered over at Jase’s, so at least I wasn’t bringing the dirt and stink of the day with me.
August’s comment about his mate being his pet first really got to me. He was human. And I knew that before, but it really sank in today. The idea was troublesome, and I needed to process it. Although once I walked into Ron’s house, with his scent permeating the place, chances were good I wouldn’t be able to think of much other than him...preferably naked.
It wasn’t like I could just go up to him and say, “Hey, guess what? I’m your mate, but lions don’t have human mates, and really I’m a cat not a lion, so help me figure this out.”
Even if I wanted to woo him in the way humans seemed to live for, there was the little problem of me staying at his house. The timing was truly shit, and it was best to just keep it in my pants.
August swore Ron would be fine with my secret if I chose to share it. After all, he and Jase were happy. Except this wasn’t the same thing. August had bonded with his bunny before meeting human Jase. And then there was the whole Jase leaving thing that still perplexed me. How could a mate leave, even for a day?
But still, the evidence of their love surrounded them. They were the real deal.
Gah. This mate thing was hard—almost as hard as I was pretty much nonstop.
I stepped up to the doorway, raised my hand to knock, and he opened the door, his hair still damp.
“Come on in.” Ron stepped out of my way to let me inside.
I brushed by him, needing that slight touch and instantly feeling guilty by it. Things would be so much easier if he were a shifter.
“I was going to make us some dinner.” He poi
nted to a pot on the stove. “But then I realized, I only know how to cook spaghetti, or some variation of that.” His cheeks turned a slight color pink. Adorable.
“No worries.” I was hungry, but he was already doing enough for me without having to cook. “Wait, want to walk down to get pancakes? If you're up for it, I mean.” I was so freaking smooth—like sandpaper smooth.
“Yeah, I’d like that.” He grabbed his keys off the hook on the wall and slid them into his pocket.
Maybe this wouldn't be so hard. Maybe he felt it too. Or maybe he was being nice, and I was overreading things.
I lifted the bag in my hand. “Where do you want me to... ”
“Oh, sorry.” He grabbed it and let out a long breath. “I'll show you to your room.” He led me down a small corridor and past what I assumed to be his room which shared a wall with the one I was going to be using.
He set my bag down on the twin bed. The enclosed space gave me a very real feel of how rough things were going to be for me while I stayed there. His scent was enveloping me, my cat was pouncing at me to make a move, and I had to position my hand in just the right way to hide my boner. His scent of sunshine and rainbows sounded so cliche but there was no better way to describe it. Damn, I wanted to rub against him. Or maybe that was the cat being pushy. This was going to be hard and wonderful….and hard.
“It's not much.” He slipped his hands in his pockets and looked around the room. “But I hope it'll do.”
“I can't tell you how much I appreciate this.” Even if he wasn’t my mate, this kindness to someone he barely knew...it meant a lot. He treated me better than my pride after my first shift, and I had a feeling it wasn’t just me specifically. Ron was just a kind man. “At least let me pay rent.” It was the least I could do.
“Don't be ridiculous. That's what neighbors do.” He smiled and patted my shoulder. “They help each other.”
Prides were supposed to do that too, but here we were.
“I'm hardly your neighbor. I live miles down the road.”
He laughed. “In a town like this, that's a neighbor.”
“To a city boy, a neighbor is someone whose apartment you can see from your doorway.” Not that I knew any of mine. Where I used to live, everyone stuck to themselves. It was fine, I guess. This definition of neighbor, though? I liked it much better.
“It's a good thing you're not in the city anymore. You’d have no neighbors.”
Something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then again, just because I was feeling an insane connection to him didn't mean he was anything toward me. And anything I said at that point would just come across as weird.
The situation was weird enough without me adding more weirdness to it.
The walk to the diner ended up being much shorter than I thought it would. That was good for my belly but not for getting enough air to not be bombarded with his scent the second we stepped inside. The diner was everything a small town diner should be, complete with shiny chrome and bright red booths.
People were sitting in most of the seats, including those at the counter, but Ron and I were lucky enough to get a booth with some privacy.
“I'm good to see ya!” I had no idea what that meant as a cute little thing from behind the counter called out to Ron. She waved and a huge smile showed her perfect teeth.
He smiled back and said the same to her.
Great. I picked the one guy in town who was straight, or at least interested in a woman. A stunning one at that. Damn, my green eyes of jealousy popped out fast. I needed to pipe that down. It didn’t have a place to stay without him, so even if he was with her, I had no say in it.
We sat down, and she came bouncing over with two glasses of water. “Hey, Ron. See you brought the new guy.”
Apparently, that was going to be my name for years, according to Jase. He said the only reason he wasn’t the new guy anymore was because I moved to town. Glad to be of service.
“Camille, this is Leo.” He set his hand on mine briefly and then acted like he was reaching for something. It was all my cat needed to calm down. He wasn’t even a shifter, and yet somehow he knew I needed reassurance. Or maybe he was making a move. Either worked for me. “He just moved here from the city. He’s fixing up Clarence’s old place, and I’ve been helping.”
She let out a whistle. “Oh, you got a lot of work cut out for you.”
“Definitely.” And she didn’t know the half of it. “Nice to meet you.” Now that my cat had calmed down, it was the truth.
“Guessin’ you’re here for the pancakes.”
“I’ve been told they’re the best, and you even have the good stuff to pour over them.”
“You better be talking about the real syrup or else I might need to take back my first impression of you.” She scribbled my order on her notepad, not even bothering to ask Ron his.
“You think I’d bring anyone here who didn’t?” Ron winked at me, and while it was a general wink and probably more to punctuate his joke, I held on to it like it meant something more.
She took our drink orders too then bounced back to the food window. Seriously, she bounced. The energy flying off her was kinetic. I could use just a fraction of it after the day I had.
I watched her until she disappeared into the kitchen. “She seems nice.”
“Oh, she is.” Ron offered me a straw, and I took it just for something to do with my hands. “She and her husband took over this place a couple years back. They've been doing a really good job. It's hard for a restaurant to survive in a town like this. People don't go out to eat as much as they do in the city, and when they do, it's usually just people like me coming in to buy their one order of pancakes.”
She was married. My shoulders relaxed at that. I was officially a hot mess.
We chatted while we ate the most delicious pancakes I’d ever tasted. Then we chatted some more. And just because we could, we ended our meal with some banana cream.
For the entire meal, Ron sat across from me all confident and sexy. I, on the other hand, sat there trying not to squirm in my seat, my pants way too tight.
If it was this bad in a restaurant, what was it going to be like when we were home later tonight?
Maybe he'd let me turn off the air conditioning and open up the window.
That would help my cat quiet down and wouldn’t seem too odd. Right? Everyone does that.
Ten
Ron
Dinner was wonderful. I hadn't laughed or had so much fun in a long time. And even with our very different backgrounds, we had a lot in common. We talked about how we both enjoy reading, although I prefer my sci-fi to his fantasy. And we’d both rather play a sport than watch it on television. Randomly, both of us said our favorite color was green. And less randomly, we’re both painfully single. That last part I may have embellished on. I was painfully single and he had just said single. I still took it as a good sign.
As we reached home, Leo’s exhaustion started to take over. He’d been sleeping in a camper and had been emptying the house for a lot longer than I had. It was a miracle the poor guy was still standing.
I offered him a cup of tea, but he politely excused himself to get some rest. Had I not seen the bags under his eyes and his pace slowing on the way home, I might’ve thought it was me that had him racing off to bed.
But I truly believed he just needed to sleep.
Which was the excuse I gave myself for not telling him he was going to have to deal with the sheriff in the morning. He wouldn’t be able to relax with that over his head. And it wasn’t like knowing tonight would change anything.
Once I was alone, I turned on the television and flipped through the channels, trying to find something to distract me from the sexiness in the next room. As expected, nothing did.
Then I got an idea. I knocked on his door to let him know I needed to go to work for a bit, and then I left. The tug to stay was real. It couldn’t be healthy to be so attracted and connected to someone this soon.
Not that I had any say in the matter.
I walked into work, glad to see Sheriff Martin had left for the day. With the way he was earlier, I was afraid he would still be there.
It didn’t take me long to realize he had done jack shit as far as paperwork went. Not logging things into the computer. Not even a paper list on his desk. Nothing. Was he so desperate to keep the Feds away that he was willing to skip protocols all together?
But that wasn’t right. He said he ran the serial numbers, right?
I went to find the guns. Maybe I couldn’t find his paper trail, but I could at least look the records up myself. Something was up. I just needed to figure out what.
It took me a while to find them. Not all of them, but some of them. They were in a random box with no label. None. Everything in that room needed to be labelled. It was the rule of crossing the threshold, and yet not one gun had a label and the box was blank.
I took some photos of a few serial numbers. I didn't want to disturb things too much, but I couldn’t leave without some information. Back at my desk, I started looking them up in the database. Not all of them were there, but a few matched and proved he was right. Those were sold via private sales. Of course, it wasn’t easy to search, which was intentional and a pain in the ass in cases like this.
All of that was good and normal. What wasn’t normal were the two guns that showed up not as sales, but as being confiscated by this station...and neither of them were under Clarence’s name. One was taken from the scene of a speeding ticket gone wrong and the other was found by the river. Neither was ever claimed. In theory, they should still be sitting in the back with identification tags on them.
Clearly, they were not.
I deleted everything I found and then shut down my computer. I couldn’t deal with any of this right now, at least not here. I took a few minutes to fill out some reports for some random calls that didn’t result in anything significant so I had some plausible reason for being there so late.
Feline The Love: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (River’s Edge Shifters Book 2) Page 5
