Chapter 21
Eavesdropping & Espionage
One Week Later
If I had it my way, I’d have spent the last few days holed up in my loft with Birdie.
Instead, we’ve had to make do with frequent texts and late evenings together—me cooking for her, followed by hours of exploring every inch of her body and discovering what pleasures her most. I’m addicted to the sweet sound of her moans spilling from her lips when I’m inside her, and the way she gazes up at me—eyes heavy-lidded, mouth slightly parted—every time she gives herself over completely, crying out my name.
Unfortunately, I have to wait until later than usual to see her tonight.
She’s working at the feed store and I’m pulling a double shift at the sheriff’s office stuck doing paperwork which is painfully boring.
Sheriff Matterson visited a neighboring town training a group of new deputies today and there haven’t been any calls that require attention.
My second shift overlapped with Mason’s by a couple of hours but luckily, aside from the occasional clipped question or sideways glance, he’s stayed out of my way.
Now that he knows Birdie and I are together, he’s learned not to test me where she’s concerned—and he’s been smart not to bring up the missing video footage again or my impromptu chat with the sheriff the other day.
When the deputies are in the office, we sit in an area that has four desks arranged in two rows.
Today, I’m seated in the back row on the left.
Mason got here an hour after me and sat at the desk farthest from me.
It’s a wise choice to keep his distance, though the space is small enough that it doesn’t offer much privacy.
“Deputies,” Margret, our night shift dispatcher, shouts from her desk at the front of the room. “I’ve got a lady on line two who’s looking to report some suspicious activity. I offered to take down her information, but she won’t hang up until she speaks to one of you.”
“I’ll handle it,” Mason rushes out. “Put her through to me.”
I shake my head, chuckling under my breath. Everything’s a competition with him. Glad he’s dealing with the call. It’s probably old man Grady reporting that his pigs have run away again. I’d pay good money to watch Mason chase them across the muddy pasture as they squeal in his ear.
“This is Deputy Thatcher speaking. Who am I speaking with?” Mason asks as he rummages through his desk drawer, pulling out a pen and paper. “Mrs. Bixby, it’s good to hear from you. What can I help you with today?”
My attention snaps from the document I’m reviewing when I realize he’s speaking with Birdie’s neighbor.
The woman is a constant nuisance for the sheriff’s department, always calling to complain about trivial things like dogs barking at night and tractors driving too fast down her road.
Mrs. Bixby has even reported Birdie on multiple occasions for running what she calls an “unsanctioned animal circus.” That’s one battle she’s never going to win as long as Sheriff Matterson’s running the place.
Mason adjusts the phone against his ear and straightens in his chair. “Hold on—did you say Birdie Matterson?”
I stiffen at the sound of her name, instantly on edge.
He glances around, and I duck my head, pretending to be too absorbed in my paperback to pay attention to his conversation.
Mason angles his body away from me, cupping the phone and makes a half-hearted attempt to whisper.
“I heard you, ma’am. You think she’s keeping a donkey and cow in her shed.
” He jots something down on his notepad.
“Yes, the sheriff is out of the office today but will be back tomorrow. We can stop by first thing in the morning to investigate if you’d like. ”
My hands curl into fists as I shoot daggers at Mason, but luckily, he’s too immersed in his scheme to go after Birdie to notice.
Either Birdie’s neighbor was snooping around her property when she wasn’t home, or she’s just speculating after hearing rumors about her recent run-in with the law. Either way, I’m not taking any chances.
“Looking forward to seeing you too, ma’am,” Mason says before hanging up the phone.
He pulls his cell phone from the desk drawer and leaves the room.
No doubt he’s calling to leave a voicemail for the sheriff, knowing he goes to bed early, especially after a long day out of town.
He typically checks on any urgent matters first thing in the morning.
He does have a second phone for emergencies, but Mason isn’t foolish enough to use it for something like this.
Sheriff Matterson takes every complaint of suspicious activity seriously, which will leave him no choice but to show up at Birdie’s place on his way to the station tomorrow.
Luckily, that still gives me time to fix this and keep Birdie out of trouble—although destroying video evidence is one thing…
Moving smuggled animals without being seen is a whole different challenge.
If I’m going to pull this off, I’ll need reinforcements.
Group Therapy Halstead Siblings Edition
Walker: We’ve got a problem.
Briar: Oh, look who finally came to the group chat for backup.
Jensen: Ignore her. She’s just excited that you initiated for once.
Heath: Looks like Briar and Jensen have you covered.
Briar: Nope. Whatever is going on, we’re ALL supporting our brother.
Heath: Can’t it wait? I’ve got a cow that’s ready to drop a calf any minute.
Briar: Pops told me we’ve got at least a week before that calf comes.
Walker: Guys, this is serious.
Briar: What is it?
Walker: Someone reported Birdie for keeping a donkey and cow in her shed. I think Mason is going to ask the sheriff to go with him to check it out first thing in the morning.
Briar: Oh shit. I’ll loop in the girls.
Heath: Wait she actually took them? I figured that was town gossip.
Jensen: Nope. That woman has no sense of self-preservation.
Walker: For starters, she RESCUED those animals.
I still have no idea if they’re actually on Birdie’s property, but based on the video evidence, there’s no disputing that she did take them from the fairgrounds.
Walker: Second, her courage and compassion are what make her so damn special.
Briar: Aww, look at you defending your woman. How romantic.
Walker: Briar focus.
Briar: Right. I’ll text the girls and get back to you shortly.
Jensen: We’ll be ready when you need us.
Walker: Thanks.
Briar: Heath???
Heath: Fine… I’ll get one of the ranch hands to take over cow duty so I can be there.
I can picture him grumbling and wearing a scowl while he texts his reply. Even still, I appreciate him dropping what he’s doing to help.
Briar: That’s the spirit!
I breathe easier, knowing Birdie has both me and her friends in her corner, and we’d all move mountains for her. Two things I know for certain: she’s not going to jail, and I’m about to wipe that smug grin off Mason’s face once and for all.