Letters From Al by Pieper, Kathleen (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

here." He laughed and grabbed her arm. Maddy kicked him as hard as she could. The useless gesture just made him angrier and his grip tightened.

"Hey, save some for me. I don't like them bruised." The other man was getting out of the truck when a tremendous explosion ripped through the air. Maddy stopped struggling and looked up to see a tractor racing over the hill with one of her friendly farmers she always waved at hunched over the wheel. She'd never seen a tractor move so fast, and then she realized he was holding a shotgun in one hand and charging like John Wayne to the rescue.

The cowboy hesitated a minute and loosened his grip enough that she could jerk away, running towards the green John Deere tractor. Angrily they cursed and climbed back into their old truck, gunning the engine and making gravel fly behind them in their haste to escape. Maddy had never been so glad to see anyone in her life.

"You okay, there Miss? Darn bums come around stealing gas and fertilizer or digging up the ditches for wild marijuana. Dang dopers. You catch your breath and I'll take you into town." Propping the very large gun on the even bigger tractor tire, he took off a battered straw hat, wiping the band with his handkerchief. His tan face looked like wrinkled leather but held crisp blue eyes and a square jawed, jaunty grin.

"Never seen the like, every year it gets worse." He muttered again then helped her up on the tractor. "You're Miss Madeline's kin, I hear. Been seeing that young deputy, too. I’m the one who farms that eighty acres across the road. I wave at you when you run by. You’re mighty quick, too." Speechless, Maddy nodded. "By the way, I'm Ezra Mick."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Mick. And thanks for the rescue, but how do you know so much about me?"

"Small town, miss, everyone knows everything about everybody." Ezra revved up the engine and with her carefully perched on the fender, they headed off down the road, a spotted dog trotting happily alongside. A long drive way led to a rambling farmhouse surrounded by neat, red farm out buildings. An elderly woman stood on the porch, cats scattered all around her feet.

"Howdy, missus, everything's all right now. I just ran off a couple of bums trying to scare off our little jogger, here. Shep and I scared the pants off of them, didn't we boy?" The old man cackled and lit a pipe while the dog barked in agreement.

"Are you okay, my dear?" The older woman looked from one to the other with concern. Maddy assured her she was fine. "I worry more about you and that darn gun, Old Man. You're too old to go around the countryside shooting it up. This isn’t Dodge City." She chided him lovingly, but he just patted her arm and they headed for town and a talk with the deputy.

After talking to Alec privately, the old farmer named Ezra tipped his hat and left. Alec led Maddy to his office and shut the door with a bang. The old venetian blinds swung wildly in the wake of his anger.

"Maddy, what in the world were you thinking of? Obviously, you weren't thinking. Going jogging by yourself after all that's been going on. You could have been hurt, or worse."

Maddy squirmed on the cold, hard chair and fumed inwardly. Of course he was right; that's what made it so hard to listen to.

"Oh, Alex, I don't think..."

"That's right! You hit the nail on the head. You didn't think!" Throwing a file on the desk, he sat down in his squeaky chair running a hand through his hair in frustration. Pointing a finger at her he was about to continue when she finally had enough.

"I understand I shouldn't have gone that way and gone alone, but I forgot. I was so wrapped up in thinking about the diary. Besides, I don't think those two guys were involved, just a couple of flirts, out for good time. Don't you think?" Alec didn't looked like he was convinced and she sat back, chewing on her fingernail. "You were busy and couldn't jog this morning," she finished weakly. "One of them did look familiar. I just can't recall from where."

Alec drew his lips in thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

She nodded miserably. "I'm not sure where, though."

"I'll tell you one thing. Good old boys around here don't need two blasts from a shotgun to get their attention Maddy. Old Ezra said he'd never seen them before, that means they're outsiders and could be drug dealers and dangerous."

Alec came around the desk and knelt in front of her quickly, "Ezra said one had his hands on you. He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?" His thumb rubbed against her skin and gave her goose bumps. She shook her head and burrowed in his arms, loving the concern in his voice.

So full of rage only a moment ago, his voice now softened to a tender whisper and he touched her arms smudged with grime where she'd been grabbed.

Tears welled up in her eyes at his obvious concern and she cupped his face in her hands. The emotion in that one look they exchanged tore at her heart.

"No, darling deputy, they didn't hurt me, honest. Scared me pretty good, but that's all. I'm really sorry I acted so foolishly and made you worry. I won't do it again, I promise."

"Thank goodness Ezra was there. He's had a lot of trouble with drug dealers and thefts lately. If anything ever happened to you I don’t know what I’d do." Pulling Maddy up from the chair into his arms, Alec kissed her hard, burying his face in her copper hair. A tap on the door and Alec's secretary interrupted them with business. Reluctantly they parted.

"Sorry, Alec, State Patrol is on line one."

"Okay, thanks Brenda. Maddy, I'm having Ben drive you home. No argument." Alec kept holding