“No, although he must’ve been thinking about it for a long time. We often talked about my hopes and dreams for the future, especially after Mark was killed in combat. It was in my plans to move to Heyworth before Lily started school, but I wanted to save up money to open Helping Paws first.”
His brow furrowed. “Helping Paws? What’s that?”
“It’s the nonprofit organization I’m starting. Search-and-rescue dogs have been a passion of mine since vet school. I adopted Sadie five years ago and got my certification to be a trainer. It was always my dream to start a SAR canine-training facility. The goal is to train and provide SAR dogs to law enforcement and fire departments at no charge.”
“That’s amazing. The nearest SAR dog we have is more than three hours away. I haven’t been able to convince the county to set aside the funds to purchase one.”
“You aren’t alone. There’s a serious shortage of SAR dogs and most law enforcement departments in rural communities don’t have the money to purchase them. Which is frustrating. Dogs like Sadie save lives. That’s why I’m so passionate about this project. But a facility like the one I want to create takes a significant amount of income to get off the ground. You need the buildings and all of that, but the biggest expense is the land.”
“You need a large area to do the training.”
She nodded. “Uncle Jeb wrote me a personal letter, which he gave to the probate attorney. In it, he encouraged me to use his ranch to build Helping Paws.”
She was deeply saddened by Uncle Jeb’s death, but the opportunity he’d provided wasn’t something she could pass up. It would’ve taken far longer to get her organization started without the inheritance.
Reed drummed his fingers on the table. “Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt you?”
“No.” She bit her lip. “Everyone in Heyworth has been so welcoming, and other than Owen, I haven’t had any altercations with anyone.”
She got up from the table and went over to the window. In the park nearby, she spotted Vivian pushing Lily in the baby swing. Her daughter’s chubby hands clung to the seat, and she kicked her legs in joy.
“What am I going to do, Reed? I have a child to protect and a criminal stalking me.” She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. “Vivian packed up her life to follow me to Heyworth, to help me raise Lily and get Helping Paws off the ground. I’ve already sunk most of my savings into making improvements on Uncle Jeb’s land and getting the necessary equipment. God put this mission in my heart, and I want to see it through.”
“And you will.”
She turned. Reed came up close. His chin jutted out and his shoulders were squared. Emma knew that look. She’d seen it many times before, usually at the beginning of an argument. Reed was stubborn as a mule when he set his mind to something.
“I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” he continued. “In the meantime, a deputy will be watching your property day and night. My top priority is keeping you and your family safe.”
Some of the tightness left her chest. She took a deep breath. “Thank you, Reed. I can’t tell you how much better it makes me feel to have you working on this.”
“I’m glad. I want you to know you’re safe. Heyworth is your home.” He reached out and touched her arm. “This is where you belong.”
Warmth spread though her. Emma’s childhood had been spent bouncing from place to place behind a mother who flitted through life like a hummingbird. She’d gone through thirty schools, dozens of friends and a handful of stepfathers. Coming to stay with Uncle Jeb the summer before her first year in college had been like a breath of fresh air. She’d fallen in love with Heyworth. The townsfolk all called each other by name, brought casseroles when a baby was born or a relative died, and told the same stories dozens of times.
Emma had vowed a long time ago to set her roots down in this town. There were only a handful of people who knew about her dream to live here. Reed was one of them. That he remembered touched her deeply.
It also set off alarm bells. Reed had made it clear he didn’t want to be friends. The break-in had forced an interaction, but there was still an awkwardness to it, as if neither of them could navigate the new waters they found themselves in. She wasn’t quite sure how to address it.
Will Norton stepped into the break room. Tall and handsome, with blond hair and the physique of a quarterback, Will was the golden boy of Heyworth. His uncle was a judge and he’d followed the family tradition by becoming the county’s prosecutor.
Will paused midstep and his gaze flickered from Emma to Reed and back again. “Oh, uh, sorry to interrupt. Austin told me you guys were back here.”
Emma’s cheeks heated as she suddenly became aware of how closely she and Reed were standing to each other. She jumped back. “No, you aren’t interrupting anything. How are you, Will?”
“Fine. Although I think I should be asking you that question. I heard about the break-in at your place. Are you okay?”
“Yes. Thanks to Reed, no one was hurt.”
“I heard. Nice job, Sheriff.” Will ran a hand down his silk tie. He looked like he’d just come from court, dressed in a crisply pressed shirt and slacks. “Do you have any suspects?”
“We’re taking a hard look at Owen, but he has an alibi.” Reed gave a quick version of the information he’d uncovered during his investigation. “Emma’s been receiving threats, and I suspect the break-in is connected to those.”
“Hmm...” Will rocked back on his heels. “Did you consider any of the people who wanted to buy Jeb’s property?”
Reed’s eyebrows shot up. “You
