Chapter Seven #2
It was the same as his story, but Liam would bet money that Blake had blazed her way into her position.
He, on the other hand, had been elected for McCoy County’s sheriff in a calm, quiet event.
There had been no pushback, no fuss that he wasn’t a true local.
There had simply been a need for the position to be filled after the former sheriff had retired.
Liam just so happened to be there with the right résumé.
He had been suspicious though at first. Why hadn’t someone else tried to run against him?
Price had been open about the answer.
“We’re boring here in McCoy County,” he’d said. “Not a bad thing, but there’s not many people who want to be in charge of all of that boring.”
Boring equated to still. Still meant quiet.
Liam started to knead his hip with his fist.
Quiet is what he’d been wanting.
The current silence in the cab of his truck didn’t last long. It was only humorous timing that a few moments after recalling his memory with Price did his name pop up on the phone screen.
It was just past seven. Both men were off work.
Liam answered with an eyebrow raise that no one could see.
“Hello?”
Price’s words came out through the truck’s speakers strong but rushed.
“Where are you right now?”
Liam’s back zipped straight to attention.
“Just left the cluster intersection. Running along the access road that goes to County 22. Why?”
Mrs. Connie was still going too slow. It now made Liam feel anxious.
What Price asked next didn’t help matters.
“Can you see Blake?”
Both hands went to the steering wheel.
“No. Why?”
Price was moving. Rustling came through the line.
“She just called me saying someone is trying to drive her off the road,” he hurried out. “She can’t get your business card while she’s defensive driving, so I’m sending her contact now. She said she needs your help.”
Liam flipped on his hazards. His phone made an additional beep.
The text came in fast.
Liam was faster.
He was already passing Mrs. Connie when he clicked the number link.
“Hang up with me and get out here,” Liam ordered.
Price didn’t respond. The call ended.
Liam hit the call button on the new number.
It rang once before Blake answered.
The road noise coming through the call was startling loud.
“Liam?” she asked before he could say a word.
His name had never made him sit at such attention before.
“I’m here.”
That’s all Blake seemed to need. She launched into the situation with notable calm.
“Some four-door car—I can’t tell the make—has been trying to run us off the road. They already managed to bump me at the turn. I—Hold on, Clem.” She cut herself off and filled in the space with some cussing.
Liam’s grip tightened on the wheel and his foot pushed the gas pedal down hard.
The access road’s end was in the distance. She would have had to turn left toward town or right, taking her along County 22. He needed to know where she went but only managed a quick question.
“Which way?”
Thankfully, she understood.
“County 22.”
Clem was making noise, but he couldn’t tell if she was just talking or crying. Blake’s voice was strained as she continued.
Liam readied to make the right turn.
“I’m not going to go on the offense because Clem’s in the car. I can’t chance us wrecking. I’m guessing you’re not too far behind me. Can you—”
“I’ll end this,” he promised. “Getting on County 22 now.”
His tires squealed a little, his heart was pounding a lot.
Blake cussed again. Clem started clearly crying.
“We’re going too fast.” Blake was talking fast too. “If I go any faster and they hit us again, we’ll crash. I—I don’t think you’re going to get to us in time. We’ve been flying since I got on here.”
Liam was filling with anger.
He should have never let any car get between them.
“How much of the road do you have left?” he asked. His speedometer was topping out. If County 22 hadn’t been a straight shot, he wouldn’t have been able to do it as quickly. That was probably why Blake was confident that her and her tail were already so far ahead of him.
“The curve near Becker Farm’s back end is coming up. If he hits us, we’ll flip.” Blake’s voice drastically changed. “We can’t do that, Liam.”
He’d only known her for two days, and yet Liam understood that the panic he heard was rare for the woman.
It pulled at every part of him.
Especially since he couldn’t help her yet.
And even more so since the advice he was about to give her was less than ideal.
“Don’t take the curve then,” he said. “Hit the field to the left of it. It’s flat, just mowed last week. Reduce speed enough that the entry won’t rock you too hard. It’ll force him to slow down too. If they even decide to follow.”
If she didn’t agree with the plan, there wasn’t time to come up with another.
She agreed.
“Okay. Clem? Clem. I need you to hold on to your seat. Okay?”
Liam was running the math. He was a minute behind them, give or take. He could get there in thirty seconds if he didn’t reduce his own speed. Clem’s crying quieted.
“I don’t have a weapon with me, Liam.” Blake’s voice had changed again. It was back to being hard. “You have until the field runs out to save us.”
Liam felt straight fire in his veins.
“Yes, ma’am.”