Chapter Eight
“ I ’ m telling you that it ’ s safe to come out from under there,” I repeat for the third time to the scared little girl. I ’ m crouched and peering underneath the outhouse where Clem decided to take up residence.
Thankfully, I like to keep all parts of my property tidy, so she won ’ t come in smelling of anything foul.
“ You promise?” she asks me for the fourth time. I rest back on my heels so she can ’ t see the frustration on my face as I rub it in annoyance, then crouch to look under the structure again.
“ Clemmy, have I ever lied to you before?” I ask a little harsher than I mean to. She pouts and shakes her head. “ Come on out, then. We ’ ll go back inside and get cleaned up,” I say as I hold a hand out toward her.
Even though neither of us smell like waste, she ’ s caked in dirt, and my hands are raw from resting against the dirt road for this damn long.
She reluctantly takes my hand and allows me to guide her out. Once she ’ s on her feet, I stand up, keep her hand firmly tucked in mine, and lead us both back toward my home.
Clem walks a little clumsily, which tells me that she ’ s still unsure of her own safety, so I scoop down and pick her up, cradling her close to my body. If being the sheriff of Crescent Oak ever meant anything to anyone, I hope it matters to her now.
Once I get to the front door, I push it open with a foot before I step in to let her down. She ’ s not shaking much anymore, but I don ’ t know if she would willingly walk in at this point, either.
Clemmy immediately notices the folded letter on the floor and scoops down to pick it up. I don ’ t know if I should be concerned about the contents because I haven ’ t read it yet. A few moments later, though, I realize that maybe I should have because Clemmy stomps her foot and looks up at me with anger in her eyes. Balling up the letter, she throws it at my chest with all of her might.
“ Aw, Boone! Why did you do this?” she shouts, her little voice shaking with rage.
“ Do what?” I ask nonchalantly as I walk by her and drop down into my favorite cowhide sofa. I prop my legs up as I fold an arm behind my neck and finally muster up the courage to look at the enraged little creature.
“ The Sun Down Mob!” she accuses in a voice damn near loud enough for all of Crescent Oak to hear. “ This smells like Sara Belle! You talked to Silas!” she scolds, stomping a foot again.
I shrug as I turn my eyes toward the ceiling of my home. “ I didn ’ t know what else to do.”
It ’ s not something I ’ ve been able to admit until now. I ’ ve felt it for as long as Elyse was taken, but…I guess I wanted to feel like I was man enough to get her back on my own.
I was wrong.
I understand that now as much as I get why Clemmy ’ s mad.
Her and Silas haven ’ t gotten along since they first met due to being different. Something about the way their personal monsters are wired to hate each other, and she ’ s even gone at him a few times with everything she ’ s got.
Luckily for the both of us, the one time that Sara Belle was there, all it took was one furious strike from Clemmy to knock her down, causing her to back off almost instantly. It ’ s how she got that angry scar on her face: little Clementine Hunn and her temper tantrums.
Silas forbid her from being near Clem any time after that, and we ’ ve managed to keep the peace in Crescent Oak so far because of it.
So…why was Clem suddenly so afraid?