Page 1 of Let Me Be the One
CHAPTER ONE
USING A FOREARM, Tanner Patrick swiped the sweat and dirt away from his eyes. The sun had already set low in the sky, leaving everything in shadows, but the unseasonable spring heat wave remained. Starting at 6:00 a.m. and working through dinner had left him ready for a shower, something more substantial than a sandwich, and then an ice-cold beer.
With Blu at his side, his tools in a wagon, Tanner headed past the trees toward the house.
“It’s a freaking horror movie,”was whispered somewhere to his right, inhiswoods. After all the recent rains the honeysuckle, black locust, and ash trees made the trails nearly impenetrable.
Giving mixed signals, his German shepherd, Blu, went alert with a low growl, but at the same time swished his tail through the air.
Tanner quickly put a hand to his collar. “Shh.”
Obediently, the dog quieted, sat at attention, and perked his ears.
“It’s not that bad.”
“No, it’s worse. The house is probably rat infested. I heard rodents in the yard.”
“I think those might have been chickens.”
Tanner cocked an eyebrow. Who the hell confused chickens with rats?
“C’mon, Callie. You can’t mean to actually live here.”
“Actually, I can, because I do.”
Live here? Onhisproperty? Like hell.
“You’re always so damned stubborn.”
“And you’re being a nag. God, Glory, I didn’t even ask you to come along.”
So, Callie and… Glory? The women clearly didn’t understand how voices carried on the evening air.
“Oh, I like that. You know you wanted me here, and you know you’re being outrageous.”
The intruding voices were most definitely female, and they were getting closer.
“Ow, damn it. My shirt just caught on something.”
“Thorns, probably. Did you see the size of those things on that tree?”And then with a grumble,“I have little sticky things all over me, now.”
Probably the thorns of a honey locust tree, Tanner thought. They were so long and needle-sharp they could be weapons. As a kid he’d been wounded by them more than once. Thankfully, they weren’t as plentiful as the black locust or ash trees—though the ash trees brought problems of their own.
The little sticky things had to be burrs. Whoever had gotten into them was going to have a hell of a time getting them out of their clothes.
“It’s getting dark and we’re in the boondocks. They probably have alligators.”
“In Kentucky?”
“I expect to see some crazed person wielding a chain saw at any moment.”
Tanner glanced at the large chain saw in his wagon. An evil grin tipped the corners of his mouth and hedecided, why not? He had no idea who the intruders were, but the roar of a saw ought to send them running.
“You have a wild imagination, Glory.”
“And you don’t? Come on, Callie, let’s go home.”
“No. I want to see the property, all of it. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”
