Free This Hero for Hire by Cynthia Thomason

chickens should be free range. But yesterday’s ‘chicken thing,’ as you call it, was only incidental. I do have ideas about improving livestock care, but...”
    He reached for her glass. “Time we got back to town.”
    She stood. “That’s fine with me. You obviously don’t get what I’m trying to do here. But you’re not going to back out on your agreement with my father, are you?”
    â€œOur governor supports the economy of this state and the tried-and-true policies that ensure our farmers get a fair shake.
    â€œBut I don’t see any way out of my promise to your father,” Boone said. “I’ve already tried, and now I’ve given him my word.”
    He went in the open screen door but kept talking as he headed to the kitchen. “Meet you at the truck. And fair warning. As we’re driving back, you might want to keep your eye out for another perfect piece of land.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    â€œS O   HOW   DO you feel about this fairy tale assignment, partner?” Lila later asked Boone in the station.
    He’d dropped Susannah off at the mansion to discuss campaign tactics with her father, and he’d gone into work to complete current reports. He didn’t want to leave any loose ends before starting his “special” assignment.
    He grimaced as the word
special
played through his mind. Usually the term was used to indicate the positive. A special gift. A special moment. But not in this case. He’d arrested Susannah Rhodes just yesterday. Now they had this land issue between them, an obstacle that made the hour she’d spent in jail seem insignificant.
    â€œIt’s all part of my job,” he answered Menendez. He’d just filled her in on the details because she might be called upon to stay with Susannah, but the last thing he wanted was for her to think he needed sympathy. As far as his partner was concerned, this assignment was just another day at the office.
    â€œWell, I hope I don’t have to sit with Her Highness,” Menendez said.
    Boone started to argue, but Lila raised her hands. “Don’t worry. I’ll be nice if I have to attend to her ladyship.” She gave him a smile. “For you, partner.”
    Boone didn’t appreciate the choice of words she was using to describe Susannah. So far he hadn’t seen any hint that the governor’s daughter was using her rank to influence him or anyone else. And realistically, Boone couldn’t blame Susannah for contacting his grandfather. While Gramps was alive, all decisions about his land were his to make. And he couldn’t fault Susannah for her principles. He admired anyone whose purpose was the general improvement of society. But she’d put him in an awful place. He was being paid by the father, and he was being asked to keep secrets by the daughter.
    And then there was Jared, who had begun pressuring him to do something about the land. Like Jared needed the money! He was sitting pretty in Atlanta with a cushy accounting job and a supportive, caring family. Of all the people Boone should be concerned about, Jared was at the bottom of the list, or should be. But Jared was his big brother.
    Usually independent and self-sufficient, Boone suddenly wished he had someone to talk to about this situation. His parents were two thousand miles away, and even if they’d been in town, the person he had gone to most often for advice had been his grandfather. Maybe he could talk to Bobby or Mike, but they had families and kids. It seemed the whole world was coupled up. He knew he could confide in Lila, but that would send the entirely wrong message.
    With little recourse, and knowing he and Susannah were going to be in close contact for the next two months, Boone decided he would give her a chance—for now. If she found a decent plot of land for her experiment, he’d keep her secret. Doing nothing seemed like the best course of