Chapter 8
Ian's phonerang shortly after he'd turned on the road leading back out to the home place. He'd barely gotten out a 'hello' before Matt MacKenzie tore him a new one. And he deserved it. He couldn't believe he'd abandoned normal protocol.
Driving one-handed, he tried to put his phone on speaker and nearly drove into the ditch. With a sigh he put the phone to his ear as he wondered about the laws in Mississippi on driving while talking. And if Ben Carter was still running the county. Sheriff Carter'd caught him racing on back roads and generally acting like an arrogant young ass back in high school on more than one occasion. Hopefully he wasn't anywhere nearby.
"Mr. MacKenzie. You're absolutely right. I had no business coming to the house." He soothed the irate man on the other end of the conversation.
The tirade continued with more along the same line of what an idiot he was and he let it flow over him, occasionally making agreement type noises but his mind wasn't on the call.
He wanted Piper. Just the sight of her today made his heart ache with wanting to be close to her again. So how as he going to get her back? She'd made it pretty clear she wasn't interested in any kind of romantic attention from him. He sighed.
"Am I boring you?" Matt MacKenzie's venomous tone pulled him back into the present.
"No, sir. Not at all."
He turned onto the road leading to the home place noting the lack of other traffic and homes. Nothing had changed out here.
"Sir. I want to ask you to come out here to the old home place. I think you could make a plausible excuse to come out here on a fishing trip to the pond where you and Daddy used to fish all the time."
Mr. MacKenzie didn't respond.
"Sir. We need to discuss the details of your situation so I can protect you. As we both discovered today, coming to your home isn't a good option."
The man actually snorted.
"And coming to your office isn't good because there are too many prying eyes in town." Ian went on, as he parked the car by the house and got out. "When I went there looking for you today, I noticed there're a lot of people coming and going around the building. Someone is bound to wonder why I'm visiting you."
Pulling the set of keys his mama had given him from his pocket, he one-handed the correct one into the lock and swung the door open. A strong musty odor greeted him, making his nose itch.
An old couch sat in lonely solitude in the living room. No TV. Moving into the kitchen he opened and closed cabinets, taking a visual inventory of cookware and dishes.
"What's that racket?" asked the mayor.
"I’m out at the home place looking around. If you're not busy right now why don't you grab a fishing pole and come on out here so we can discuss the situation?"
"I'm hardly dressed for fishing at the moment and I haven't fished in years. I don't think we need an elaborate ruse for me to come out there and talk to you. There aren't any neighbors to see me. I'll be there in half an hour."
The call disconnected and Ian sat on the couch, wondering what in the hell he'd gotten himself into. There might be too much personal history for him in this assignment.
Standing from the couch, he forcibly pushed the negative thoughts aside. He was a professional and by gosh he was going to start acting like one instead of a love struck boy. After he'd taken care of the hit on Matt MacKenzie he could focus on the situation with Piper. He just wished he truly believed the could keep them separated.
