When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt Read Free Book Online Page B

let it hang at my side.
    Sheriff Levi glances around. “Nice little place you have here. You got about everything you need.”
    â€œIt’ll do,” says Zachary.
    The sheriff walks over to the window with the bags taped over it. “Looks like you have a problem with that window, though. Know anything about that?”
    I hold my breath, concentrate on the floor, and prepare for the ax to fall.
    Zachary stares at us, yawns, and locks his hands behind his head. “I guess some kids did it.”
    â€œWell, I’ll drop by later with somebody who can fix that for you.”
    My heartbeat slows and my breathing returns to a regular pace now that I know Zachary doesn’t have a clue it was us.

    â€œToby and Cal should be about your age,” Sheriff Levi says. “How old are you fellas?”
    â€œThirteen,” we say together.
    â€œI’m fifteen,” says Zachary, and the way he says it sounds like he thinks fifteen is as old as thirty.
    â€œThat a fact?” says the sheriff.
    Zachary just stares.
    Sheriff Levi folds his arms and clears his throat. “Mr. Beaver, you don’t sound like a Texan.”
    â€œI’m from New York. New York City. Ever heard of it?”
    Sheriff Levi grins. “Kind of a jokester, aren’t you?” He looks down at Zachary’s foot, and his smile drops into a frown. “What happened to your foot?”
    Zachary covers his injured foot with his left one. “It’s okay. I just stepped on a piece of glass.”
    The sheriff kneels in front of Zachary like a shoe salesman. “You better let me take a look at that.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Zachary snaps.
    Sheriff Levi stands and steps back. “All right, but I’m sure the doctor at the clinic would be glad to take a look at it.”
    Zachary glares.
    Sheriff Levi clears his throat. “Where is that other fella from? The young man you’re traveling with?”
    â€œPaulie? He’s from Jersey.”

    â€œIs that where he is now?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhere is he, son?”
    â€œHe’s looking for another act to add to our show, but I don’t know where he is.”
    Zachary frowns at Cal, who is lifting the lid off the gold box. “Put it down. My mom gave that to me.”
    Cal lifts a black book out of the box. “It’s just a Bible.”
    â€œIt’s not just a Bible. My mom gave it to me when I got baptized.”
    Cal flips to the front pages.
    â€œCal, put the boy’s Bible down,” Sheriff Levi says in a gentle tone. Cal slaps the Bible shut and returns it to the box.
    I’m wondering why Levi Fetterman ever became sheriff. He’s too soft, and I can tell he hates asking these questions by the way his eye twitches and he keeps clearing his throat.
    â€œWhere are your parents?” Sheriff Levi asks.
    â€œRosemont Cemetery.”
    â€œHow’s that?”
    â€œDead.”
    Sheriff Levi clears his throat, and his eye looks like it’s going to take off. “Sorry about that, son. Life can be tough.”

    â€œI’m not your son,” Zachary says.
    The sheriff swallows. “Well, of course not. Sorry. Didn’t mean to offend you. Who is your legal guardian?”
    â€œPaulie Rankin’s my guardian.”
    Sheriff Levi grimaces, and his voice becomes firm. “I see. Well, I hate to break this to you, Mr. Beaver, but if Mr. Rankin doesn’t return in a week, I’m going to have to take some sort of action. I really should be doing it now. This isn’t a campground, and the court would view you as a minor who has been left unsupervised and abandoned.”
    â€œPaulie will be back. He always comes back.”
    â€œHow do you know?” the sheriff asks.
    â€œI’m his bread and butter.”
    Sheriff Levi looks at Zachary with pity, and I wonder if he’s thinking about taking him home like one of his adopted dogs. “How is your food