Like Arrows (Cedar Tree #6) by Freya Barker Read Free Book Online Page A

on his flight. I wanted to know if you'd heard anything. Whether he's notified you of any changes to his plans."
    That's odd.
    "All I know is his original plan of returning today. Haven't had any other contact. But I could've told you that over the phone, no need to come out here on my account."
    His eyes darken and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Checking in on you isn't a hardship exactly, Kimeo. I just got off shift and was on my way home anyway. You need someone looking out for you," he says, leaning in close to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. A low growl comes from Boo, who's finished his dinner and is sitting by his bowl, looking at the sheriff who is looking back at him.
    "Your dog doesn't like me much,"
    "He's just protective. Doesn't like people he doesn't know getting too close to me. And people call me Kim."
    "He didn't seem to have an issue with Whitetail the other day, Kim " he says pointedly with an eyebrow raised.
    Right. Boo had reacted differently to Mal. I'd been surprised when the dog submitted to his command right away. Perhaps it was instinctual, I don't know.
    "Mal is a good investigator, but a word of warning, he's a dark horse. He has a criminal history and is someone that a sweet girl like you should probably not get wrapped up with."
    "I'm afraid you're out of line, Sheriff," I tell him icily, not liking the message and not liking the fact that he's labelled me so easily. "First of all, I'm a forty-year-old woman, not a girl and least of all a sweet one. Secondly, I think it in poor taste you would make assumptions about me or Mr. Whitetail. It's simply preposterous." He has no idea who or what I am. As I turn away he puts a hand on my shoulder. Boo doesn't like that at all, as evident from the hackles standing up on his neck. Drew drops his hand and steps back.
    "I apologize if I overstepped. I simply would hate to see a lovely woman tangled up with someone so completely wrong for her."
    "Seriously? That is your apology? You're doing the same thing, making assumptions about me and about him that have no ground. I've answered the questions you said you came for, and now I'd really like for you to leave." I walk toward the door and hold it open for him. As he passes he bends down.
    "Just keeping an eye out for you, Kim. I'd also like to ask you to refrain from any snooping at the office, since I'll be trying to obtain a search warrant tomorrow. I'll talk to you later."
    I stand in the doorway, with Boo beside me, watching as the patrol car backs out of my drive and Drew waving as he drives off. Not quite sure what to think of that exchange, except that it really rubbed me the wrong way. It also got my mind churning on the small snippets of information he gave me about Malachi and I can't help but wonder how much of that is truth.
    _
    "That's bizarre. So you haven't been able to get hold of him at all?"
    It's Wednesday night and Kerry came by the office after she closed for the day, asking me to go out for dinner with her. Her husband is out of town on a job in Silverton and has been gone since this weekend. Instead of dinner out, I'd convinced her to come home with me so I could let Boo out and promised to order something in.
    I just finished telling her about my ultrasound today. The technician had mentioned the results would be with Doc Waters sometime tomorrow since she'd requested they be faxed to her. The moment I got back to the office I called the clinic to set up an appointment for Monday.
    I happened to mention not being able to get hold of Martin, when I realized I hadn't informed her yet on anything that happened since I left the office early on Friday.
    "Nothing. He apparently left the hotel a day early and wasn't on his scheduled flight back. It's not like him to not answer his phone or messages either. I haven't told you everything though," I tell her as we're cleaning away the remnants from Hunan's chicken lo mein and vegetable egg rolls. Kerry stops wiping the