Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Food.” She nodded, refraining from hitting herself again.
“Food.” Matthew grinned. “And when that fails, there’s one other thing he can’t resist.”
“Baked potatoes?”
He laughingly shook his head. “Money.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. Greer loves money as much as he loves food.”
“I still can’t believe he’s married. His wife must be a saint.”
“Holly watches over Greer like a hawk. She’s afraid he’ll get busted for selling his pot around town.”
“Does the sheriff know?”
Matthew gave her a are you kidding look. “Knox is Greer’s best customer. The whole town knows Greer and his brothers grow the best pot in Kentucky. To be truthful, the best in the country.”
“You’re joking?”
“Nope. Pot business in Kentucky is no joking matter. We can walk around the property, if you want, and I can show you the no trespassing signs marking where their property begins. Anyone takes a step on their property, they know about it, and they don’t need dogs to alert them. The Porters have set booby traps everywhere to keep people out of their crop.”
“How do they get away with that?”
Matthew arched a brow at her. “Did you miss where I said the sheriff is Greer’s best customer?”
Matthew rose from the blanket to hold out his hand. “You want to go for that walk?”
“Oh yes, I’ve got to see the signs. What do they do with the trespassers? Call the sheriff?”
“No, everyone knows if you take a step on their property, you’re taking your life into your own hands. There’s a reason Greer is deputy, even though he’s a pain in the ass. He’s one of the best shots in the county.”
“One of the best?”
Matthew didn’t release her hand as they took off walking. “His brothers, Tate and Dustin, and his sister, Rachel, have a running competition on who’s shot more kills.”
Alanna stopped walking at his choice of words. “Kills? Animals?”
“People.”
She stared at him, dumbstruck, and then used her shoulder to bump him. “There’s no way. You’re pulling my leg.”
He tugged her hand to get her moving again. “Okay. I’m joking.”
Alanna stared at his profile. He did seem to be serious, but she wasn’t having the wool pulled over her eyes again. Her lips twitched. He was really reaching this time. She would be shocked if Greer could get his gun out of the holster. He would be too busy eating to be bothered.
When they came to the first sign, Alanna burst out in laughter so hard she had to hold her stomach. “‘Move the fuck on or get shot!’”
“That one’s pretty tame.”
“Does your family post signs to get back at them?”
“Of course.”
Walking a little farther, they came to another sign.
Alanna had to hug the wooden fence post when she read it to keep from doubling over. “‘This steer isn’t for you, Greer. Move along.’ Oh my God, this is priceless. Does it work?”
Matthew gave her another are you kidding look. “What do you think?”
“Are there more?”
“Oh yes. Greer loves making signs. He changes them out every couple of weeks.”
Matthew walked her around their property, showing her the different parts where the Colemans’ land intersected with the Porters’. “We think this could be in the direction of where he grows his plants.”
She didn’t have to step forward to read the sign; she could read it from where she was standing. “‘Monitored by …’” she read out loud. Underneath the words was a picture of a rifle instead of a camera. Then there was another one posted right next to it. “‘You’re sixty seconds from meeting the undertaker.’” Alanna looked around, not seeing any from the Colemans. “You let him have these?”
Matthew pointed up, and Alanna looked to where he was pointing.
There was a target on the same tree that the Porters had posted sign. In the middle of the target was a picture of a hand giving the fuck off sign. She stared at the sign appreciatively.
“Do you know how many times I wanted to do that when Greer was driving me nuts?”
“I’m guessing a lot.”
“Are his brothers like him?”
“Yes, and no. Pretty much no one messes with Tate. No one wants to get on his bad side, while everyone likes Dustin. He’s become a financial advisor. I hear he’s pretty good at it.”
“How about his sister?”
“Rachel married a Last Rider. She works for them, too. Every so often, when she’s searching for a certain plant, she comes here to ask Silas for permission to search for it on our land. Rachel is a botanist. She has a doctorate in aquaculture. Three times a year, she takes samples from our streams, pond, and our well water.”
“Has she found anything interesting yet?”
“If she has, she hasn’t told us yet. Remember, at heart, she is a Porter; if she found anything really good, she’d be afraid we wouldn’t let her come back.” Matthew looked up at the darkening sky. “We should head back. I didn’t bring a flashlight with me. I’ll walk you to the trailer then grab a flashlight from Jody’s to go back to the pond to get the poles.”