“Yes, you have an older brother named Kristopher, right?”

Jes smiled another genuine smile as she nodded. “Yes.” her voice trailed off, caught between relief that at least she could talk to someone about them and the grief of losing them. She lowered her headed and exhaled slowly.

Mitch moved over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew that look. He knew that grief all too well. Mitch had lost his wife going on six years ago. He pieced together the clues to realize that the Navy SEALs she referred to earlier were her family. “Look, I’m sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose the ones you love. Trust me, I know. I didn’t mean to bring up the pain,” he apologized. “Your Dad was a wonderful man. I have been in touch with Kris off and on for years since we were kids.”

Jesalyn looked up to the sky as a couple of tears escaped her eyes. She wiped them away casually, then finished pulling the jack out of the compartment. “Thank you, but you couldn’t have known about it. My father has not been back for some time now. So, no foul on you, “she said with a weak smile. Jesalyn took a deep breath to regain her bearing.” But thank you for your kind words.”

Mitch reached into his chest pocket of his plaid shirt and retrieved a business card. “If you need a friendly ear to bend, I volunteer,” he said as he handed it to her. “Besides, we’re going to be neighbors anyway,” Mitch added with a smile.” My mom owns the property across the road from you,” he added.

Jes took the card and looked at it for a second like an unexpected gift. She looked up at him with a weak, but genuine smile. “Neighbors, huh?” she asked, “Guess it will be good to live across from the Sheriff,” she added as she slid the card into her front right pocket.

“Expecting to get into a lot of trouble?” he asked with a chuckle as he lowered himself to slide under the bed to get the spare.

“Not really, but with my luck here lately, I expect it to come find me,” she stated with a dread factual tone; as she moved to the front of the Jeep to set the jack, in preparation to jack it up.

Making such comments surely puts up a broadcast signal to Lady Luck that says it is time to create problems. That problem manifested itself as a spare that need repair as well. “Okay, slight problem here,” he said as he slid back out from under the bed of the Gladiator.

Jesalyn dropped her head in disbelief. “Of course, my luck doesn’t have a good shelf life here lately,” she stood up, looking dejected at Mitchel.

He held up his hand at her as he grabbed his mike from his radio on his belt and keyed it.” Operation, Adam 112, over.”

“Adam 112. Operation. What’s up, boss?” came a reply on the other end.

“Hey, Pardo, can you call Bobby out to my location? Over,” Mitch responded.

“Can do, Boss. How bad is it? Over.”

“Nothing super bad. Just two flat tires. One of them was the spare. Over,” Mitch replied as he smiled at Jesalyn, who rolled her blue eyes as she ran her right hand through her hair.

“Okay, make and model? Bobby will want to know. Over,” Pardo inquired.

“2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. Tire size....” He squatted down to find the tire size on the tire. “....31 x 10.5 R15. Over.”

“Ok. He should have those in stock, even though those are a specialty tire. Troy Mackenzie and a couple of the guys from The Palisades have Jeeps like that. Over,” Pardo replied.

Mitch looked at his watch. It was a quarter after one. “Hey, Pardo, are Jim and Larissa doing anything? Over,” he asked.

Jes raised her right eyebrow quizzically. Mitch raised his hand again and mouthed the words, Trust me.

“Nope. They just got back from lunch. Over,” was the reply.

“Have them roll out here in one vehicle. Tell Larissa she is being timed as if it was an emergency call. Over,” he stated.

“Roger that, boss. Over,” then the call ended.

Jesalyn looked at him questioningly. “You do this for every damsel in distress?”

“Miss Masters, you are as far from a damsel in distress as the east is from the west,” he smiled. “Look, it’s a quarter after one. Bobby will be as quick as he can, but he could be on another call. You need to meet Mrs. Lorraine at your property at three, and she is one for punctuality. You might need a good cup of coffee and a bite to eat. I know a place where the coffee is good and has a killer pecan pie. I have not had lunch yet. So, my treat. If it all goes to plan, you get lunch, and your Jeep gets its tire fixed and delivered to you. What do you think?”

He’s quick on his feet for a country sheriff. She thought as his plan impressed her. It was sound and well thought out. It showed he had an excellent knowledge of the locals and how to keep them happy. His comment about her not being a damsel in distress seemed sincere from her perception in that it was not a flirtatious innuendo.

“What if the plan goes sideways?” Jes asked. “That U-Haul has over 150 grand of irreplaceable firearms in it,” she added, finger pointed to the trailer. The moving company she hired from Virginia simply refused to transport the collection since the insurance would not cover any loss of high value transported items without her paying for extra insurance at an extremely high-priced premium.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Mitch replied, stunned, “What? ... do you... why do you”

The look on his face was so priceless Jesalyn despite herself laughed aloud hardily. “It is a combined collection of my dad, brother, and mine,” she replied between laughs, trying not to snort through her nose. “All of them in working order. We all are military history buffs with a special interest in military arms throughout history,” she added, trying to catch her breath during her explanation.

Mitch scratched the back of his neck nervously, as he tried to think of a new Plan B. He snapped his fingers, “Well, I have a hitch on the back of the Jimmy. Jim and I can attach it to the truck when he arrives here. I take personal responsibility for its safe delivery to your place,” he responded.

The man is definitely quick on his feet. Jesalyn thought to herself. “I guess if I can’t trust the interim Sheriff; I can’t trust anyone, huh?” she teased, as she felt more at ease around him. She looked at his GMC Jimmy. It was a little worse for wear. It was an early nineties model, so really close to being thirty years old. The paint had faded badly in places, but no rust. “You sure this relic can even tow anything?” she asked with a tone of skepticism in her voice. “This Jimmy has seen better days,” she added.

The old axiom ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ ran through his mind but he left it unsaid as she was well within her doubts given the offer to the responsibility of a firearm collection that was worth at least three times his yearly salary. The county commission was notorious for not spending money. The elected Sheriff John Redfeather had tried unsuccessfully for his three terms of being sheriff to get them to update the sheriff’s department’s equipment.

They just would not come off the money, citing the money for the county needs to be used for the development of the County. By development means giving Caine Industries tax break extensions that would have given the county more than enough money to take care of all the county needs with a surplus.

"The old girl has not failed me yet. I take real loving care of her,” Mitch replied.

Which was near to the truth. Mitch and Kevin ‘Pardo’ Pardin kept the five vehicles in the Department in top running condition. They have had to barter their skills as gearheads and Mitch’s ranger skills to do it, but it was a small price to pay to have good running vehicles for the department.

Mitch tilted his cap up as he switched up the conversation, as he hoped Larissa would get here soon. “That’s a pretty fancy 1911 you got there. I have never seen one that tricked out.”

Jesalyn snickered as she continued to survey the Jimmy’s viability to pull the U-Haul. “2011,” she corrected.

“Sorry. A what?” Mitch apologetically asked.

“My handgun is a 2011. Think of it as an update to that TRP Elite Operator you’re carrying. They designed it to hold high tolerances to improve the various down sides of the 1911 when chambered in something other than 45 ACP,” Jes turned to look at him as she explained briefly.

She had read him earlier without going into great attention to his looks. His deep brown hair needed a decent haircut. The half goatee needed a shave to make it look better. He seemed fit for a man of his age, which she estimated to be around his mid-thirties. The Sheriff dressed casually in a plaid long-sleeved shirt with his sleeves rolled up just under his elbows which let his forearms reveal slightly the evidence of his apparent fitness, as they were well-toned but not Uber cut. So, he at least was familiar with a gym.

“So, your gun holds what? Fifteen plus one of nine-millimeter? and the RDS is for shoot more accurately?” he asked with a hint of incredulity in his tone. “Seems a little like overcompensating a bit to me,” he added with a bit of an arrogant smirk on his face.

Jesalyn gave an equally arrogant smirk back. “Oh! Did I hurt your manhood a bit?” she started in with a causal mocking tone. “The 1911 won TWO!!... Count them TWO!! World Wars!! Nothing has the stopping power of 45ACP!! If you need more the one shot to stop someone you suck!! 45 ACP has shot down more fighter planes than anti-aircraft guns!!!” she added with wild over the top dramatic flair.

Mitch placed his hands on his waist as he chuckled. “Seems you have had this discussion before.”

“You think?” Jes responded with a half-annoyed smirk as she recalled having this very discussion with her father. “And I modified my gun to hold 17 plus one in my gun and 20 rounds in my backup mag.”

Mitch let out a low whistle of surprise. “You that bad a shot?” he asked and instantly regretted it when he saw Jesalyn’s face go eerily blank. That kind of shift in a woman’s face that she gives you right before she really gives you a tongue lashing you unwittingly figure out you deserved. Way to go, asshole. Piss the pretty girl off. He thought to himself.

“Every Marine a rifleman, Ranger,” she said after she composed herself, letting out a long-drawn-out breath.

Just then another almost antique Jimmy slides to a stop on the road with a squeal of tires. Mitch thought to himself. Dodged a bullet there. As Larissa Montenegro and James Hill got out. He walked over to them as he looked at his watch. “Impressive 7 minutes and 32 seconds,” he said to 5’ 7’ Hispanic woman wearing a denim shirt and jeans that fit her curvaceous frame well.

“So, what’s the emergency, Mitch?” Larissa asked as she looked past Mitch to the tall, long-haired blonde woman.

Mitch smiled. “Saved me from a tongue lashing,” he replied with a small, apologetic smile.

“Mitchell Thaddeus Walker. Man of the tarnished silver tongue,” Larissa chuckles. “Okay, so seriously, why am I here?”

“One, Deputy Montenegro. You must recertify on high-speed maneuvers on the 13th. So, I figure you’d appreciate a little extra wheel time,” he started. “Two. Miss Masters here is in a bind, and I figured the Wake County Sheriff’s Department could lend a hospitable hand to our newest county resident,” he added as he showed with a gesture toward Jesalyn.

“The fact she’s fucking hot has nothing to do with it all, Boss man?” James asked quietly as he moved in closer to Mitch after coming from the passenger side of the truck. The large red-haired man with a bodybuilder’s build eyed the subject of conversation with a lustful interest.

Mitch glanced at James with a stern side-eyed look that showed James had crossed a line.” Should I remind you, you’re currently in hot water with for the Anderson girl’s accusations?” Mitch asked sternly.

James dropped his bravado quickly and replied with a weak. “No, Sir. How can I help?”

“You’re going to help me attach her U-Haul to my truck,” he said to him in a clearly authoritative tone. “Then you two are going to wait for Bobby to get here,” he added to both deputies with a slightly softer tone, as Larissa nodded. “Miss Masters has to meet Mrs. Loraine on her property. Miss Masters feels uncomfortable with leaving the U-Haul out of her sight. So, when Bobby gets here, radio me for further details.” he added. “Now, let me introduce you both to her,” he finished as he turned back toward Jesalyn. “Miss Jesalyn Masters, let me introduce Deputies James Hill and Larissa Montenegro, two of Wake County’s finest,” he said as he motioned to both deputies.

Jes offered her hand to James, who took her hand passively to shake it,” Deputy Hill.” she said as he then offered her hand to Larissa. “Deputy Montenegro.”

Jesalyn immediately impressed Larissa with her firm handshake. “Miss Masters. Sheriff says you’re in a predicament, and I’m glad to help,” Larissa said with a friendly smile and warm tone.

“Thank you, Deputy,” Jes replied with an equally friendly smile and tone. Things were looking up, finally.