Free Cold Heart by Sheila Dryden Page A

“Doc Walters will do everything he can.”
    He let her go and Lexi stepped back.
    “It was Mitch,” Lexi said, wiping her tears away. “I’m sure of it. He set the fire and I’m going to tell the Sherriff just as soon as he gets here.”
    “We have no proof of that Lexi.”
    “But the barn door had been latched deliberately,” she said. “Tucker hates him and if he were going to set the fire he would have wanted Tucker locked in so he couldn’t interfere.”
    “Well that may be but we have no proof,” Carter said again.
    “But we saw him on the road just minutes before we drove in here.”
    “I know and I think you may be right, I just think we need to be careful. These men are determined and I’m beginning to think they are dangerous,” Carter said.
    A more chilling and sinister thought began pricking at Lexi’s brain.
    “You think they had something to do with Uncle Max’s accident don’t you?”
    “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “Did you tell the Fire Chief your suspicions?”
    “Yes I did. I didn’t mention names though.”
    “Good,” he said. “We need to think this through.”
    Lexi was suddenly really weary and hungry.
    “How about some breakfast Carter,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long night and I’m starving.”
    “That would be great,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave Tucker until I thought he was stable. Some food would be good and then maybe a nap. After I go home and feed animals that is.”
    “Thank you so much for doing that for Tucker,” Lexi said. “Come on. How does a big stack of pancakes sound?”
    “It sounds wonderful,” he said following her to the stairs and up onto the porch.
    The first thing Lexi did was to put on a big pot of coffee then she pulled a package of bacon out of the freezer and put it in the sink with some warm water to defrost it a bit. Once she was able to peel some slices off she put them in a big fry pan to begin cooking. Next it was onto pancake making. She knew the recipe by heart and in no time she had prepared batter and was firing up the griddle in the middle of her cook top. Carter watched in fascination.
    “Coffee’s ready,” she said. “There are mugs in the cupboard to the right of the sink. Creams in the fridge, do you need sugar?”
    “A little cream is just fine,” Carter said. He took two mugs out of the cupboard then he filled them both. “Cream or sugar for you?”
    “Just cream,” Lexi said as she cracked several eggs onto the griddle where a half dozen or so pancakes were cooking.
    “Oh that tastes good,” Carter said after taking a drink of his coffee. “It’s just what I needed.”
    “Me too,” Lexi said taking a sip.
    She got out cutlery and a couple of plates and then took butter and syrup out of the fridge.
    “Would you mind putting these on the dining room table?”
    “You bet,” Carter said.
    He took the items she handed him out to the dining room. When he returned she handed him a plate with a large stack of pancakes, a couple of fried eggs and several pieces of crisp bacon. She had one for herself also. They carried the plates out to the dining room along with their coffee and sat down. After they had added butter and syrup they ate the first few bites with gusto.
    “These are the best pancakes I have ever had,” Carter said.
    “Well thank you though it is possible you are just really hungry,” Lexi said.
    “No, I’m pretty sure they are the best,” he said talking with his mouth full. “Who would have thought that skinny little dimpled girl from San Fran would grow up to be such a good cook?”
    “Well thanks, I think,” Lexi laughed. “I did go to Culinary School so that might have helped.”
    “I know Max mentioned it,” he said. “He seemed pretty proud.”
    “Really,” Lexi said. “That’s nice. I saw that my mom must have sent him my graduation picture. She sent him a lot of pictures. He had them all up in his room. Plus he