Free Close To Home (Westen Series) by Suzanne Ferrell Page B

town are afraid to rile?”
    Clint racked his brain. The sheriff was a strict law enforcement man, but no one really feared him. The mayor was nothing more than a sugarcoated politician. His uncle, as the town doctor, had the respect of the town, not their fear. Dawning shot over him. “Harriett.”
    Emma grinned at him, then lifted her glass to drink the last of her juice. “Yep. Even my boys wouldn’t dare give her trouble.”
    “You’re right. Neither one of us will have to worry about them at night.”
    Laughter sounded from upstairs. With a scoot of her chair, she stood. “The boys are awake. Now, if we’re agreed there is no real conspiracy here to try and fool you, Doctor, I need to check on them and get ready for my shift at the café before Rachel gets here to take her shift with Mama and the boys.”
    He knew a dismissal when he heard one. Standing, he returned his chair back to the table, then followed her out. On their way through the house, he noticed the further demolition of the front parlor. “Who’s doing the work on your house?” he asked, stopping on the first step off the porch.
    She stood holding the door, the sun shining on her coppery hair. “You won’t believe me.”
    “Sure I will.”
    Emma stepped back in behind the safety of her screen door. “I’m doing it,” she said before quietly closing her door.
    Clint stood on the porch steps staring at the house for a moment. A deep chuckle rumbled out of him. The woman never seemed to stop surprising him. He shook his head and headed back to his own house, assured he didn’t have to worry about Emma and her boys any longer.
    A movement from the side yard caught his attention.
    Miss Isabelle had wandered from the back porch into her rose garden. He could hear her softly singing the words to the old forties song, Mares Eat Oats , as she snipped some of her flowers. A soft smile played on her features and she seemed to be completely oblivious to his presence.
    He wondered if the elderly woman’s spells were as harmless as Emma believed or if something more serious might be the cause. Uncle Ray’s files might prove interesting reading this afternoon.
    * * *
    Two days later a knock, followed by two hushed voices, drew Clint’s attention from the Journal of Geriatric Medicine he’d been studying for the past hour at his desk. Recognizing the voices beyond his door, he smiled to himself. His prediction at the beginning of the weekend that he wouldn’t worry about Emma and her boys any more didn’t include the frequent visits the boys made to his office. Although each time Harriett or whoever watched them came with them, he would’ve preferred to see Emma walk through his door.
    “Come in, Ben and Brian.” He set aside the papers in his hands, leaning back in his chair. The boys opened the door and peeked into the room.
    “Hi, Doc!” they called out, neither one coming past the door’s threshold.
    They exchange a suspicious look.
    Intrigued, Clint cocked his head to the side and studied them closer. “What’s up, guys?”
    “You ask him,” Brian whispered.
    Benjamin whispered something back, but Clint couldn’t quite make out what.
    “He’s a doc, Ben. He has to help us.” The younger brother pushed his older brother into the room.
    Clint waited patiently while the older boy decided whether to trust him or not. For some reason waiting for this small boy to choose positively in his favor made him as nervous as interviewing for med school had years ago.
    Benjamin thrust his good hand into his pants pocket and eyed him challengingly. “Doc, ya fixed me and Bri up real good the other day. We gots to know if ya is a really good doc.”
    “I’d like to think I am,” Clint answered as honestly as he could. Where was Ben headed with this line of questioning? “Something wrong with your arm, Ben?”
    “Nope. We gots to know if ya can fix something harder. Like say, could ya fix a frog, or even a puppy?”
    Clint struggled to keep