High Country Cop. Cynthia Thomason

the hills are.”

      Carter folded his arms across his chest. “You mentioned a proposition you wanted to discuss.”

      “Yes, that’s right.” She looked up at him with the clear, beautiful eyes that had once made him do anything she wanted. He reminded himself not to be taken in again. Those days were over.

      “It concerns Lawton,” she said. “I’ve decided that he needs a bit more help than I can provide.”

      “Have you tried the churches?” Carter asked. “We might even have a support group in town for guys like Lawton.”

      “You don’t,” Miranda replied. “I’m willing to look into any solution for Law’s difficulties, but first, I hope you meant it the other night when you said you’d be willing to help.”

      Whoa. Had he said that? He recalled the words, but now he wondered at the wisdom of the promise. “What does he need?”

      “He needs a mentor, Carter. Someone from Holly River preferably. Someone who is respected in this town, whose opinion matters.”

      Carter held his breath.

      Miranda lightly touched his arm. “I’m hoping that mentor will be you.”

      * * *

      CARTER’S FACE PALED to nearly ashen. He took a deep breath. “You’re kidding, right?”

      Miranda had expected him to be surprised and probably reluctant, but a stiffening of his spine told her this was not going to be an easy sell. “I’m not kidding at all. Lawton needs a strong male figure in his life, certainly not Dale, but someone with good moral values to help him acclimate.”

      “I don’t doubt that it would be helpful, Miranda, but not me. I’m the cop who put him in jail.”

      “He doesn’t resent you for that,” Miranda said. “What else could you have done after you searched his car? He knows you were only doing your job. He got caught with an illegal substance, which he manufactured himself, and an unregistered weapon. He knows he deserved to be arrested.”

      Miranda was attributing a generous, forgiving trait to Lawton, and she figured Carter would question her opinion. How many ex-cons were willing to forgive the cop who arrested them? She just hoped he would listen and not refuse her request until he’d heard her out.

      “Don’t forget his public vandalism,” Carter added.

      Miranda frowned. “I haven’t forgotten anything, Carter, but it’s history. For Lawton’s sake, everyone needs to move forward.”

      Carter rubbed his jaw. “Moving forward is one thing, but you’ll have to admit, Miranda, this whole idea is at best impractical and at worst inconceivable.”

      “Why is it so impractical?”

      “I have a job. I’m busy.”

      “This won’t take much of your time.” Miranda was so certain that this was the proper course of action that she wasn’t going to let Carter talk himself out of helping.

      “That’s only part of the problem,” he said. “You may think Lawton doesn’t resent me, but I guarantee that on some level, and maybe not so deep a level at that, he does. I was responsible for him losing eight years of his life...”

      “He was responsible for that,” Miranda pointed out. “And he knows it.”

      “Maybe so, but he’s hardly going to want me giving him advice now.”

      “I think you’re just the person he does need,” Miranda insisted. “He can look up to you. You both come from Holly River. Your upbringings were different, and your lives are certainly different now, but you’re a figure of authority around here, someone Lawton would listen to.”

      Carter held up both hands and slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Miranda. This idea would never work. Wasn’t it just a few days ago that you pointed out to me that I went immediately to Liggett Mountain when a crime had been committed? I hadn’t gone up there to catch Lawton at something, but Dale is always a strong suspect, and that’s not going to change.”

      “This isn’t about Dale.” Carter had brought up an argument that Miranda had considered before coming to Snowy Mountain. “And that’s my point. You drove up Liggett to investigate Dale because you know he’s a troublemaker, always has been. This fact alone makes it all the more important that Law has positive influences. How healthy can it be for Lawton to have his older brother as a role model now? And I’m afraid that’s what will happen if he doesn’t have anyone else to guide him. I have faith in Lawton, but old habits are hard to break.”

      Carter scraped his index finger across his chin. Miranda couldn’t help noticing that he hadn’t shaved this morning. Just like she couldn’t help noticing that he had on work boots, worn dungarees and a green Snowy Mountain T-shirt that molded to his upper body. He’d looked official in his police uniform on Monday. Today he looked more like the boy she’d ridden in the golf cart with. She’d immediately thought of those nights when he mentioned the cart a few minutes ago.

      “Lawton and I were never that close,” Carter said. “I know you and he had a special bond, but that didn’t extend to your...” He hesitated as if searching for a word. “...friends,” he finally finished. “Lawton didn’t even finish high school, so I didn’t know much about his life after the tenth grade.”

      “You know what I told you,” she said. “You know I loved him. He protected me and supported me, and listened to me for hours on end. Lawton was the main reason I was able to get by after my daddy died. Momma was always so depressed. I couldn’t talk to her. Lawton...and you...were the ones I depended on.”

      He didn’t look convinced, but at least he gave her idea a few moments of quiet thought. Finally he said, “It won’t work, Miranda. There’s too much history between the cops in Holly River and the Jefferson boys.” He paused as an intuitive light suddenly appeared in his eyes. “You can’t think that if I acted as a mentor to Lawton, or maybe because of the past relationship you and I shared, that I’d ignore the Jeffersons when a crime was committed.”

      His veiled accusation hurt. Did he really think she was suggesting this arrangement to keep Lawton and her worthless other cousin out of trouble? She’d thought he knew her better than that.

      Her expression must have clued him into her thoughts. “I shouldn’t have said that. I know you don’t have an ulterior motive other than Lawton’s well-being,” he said.

      She tried another line of reasoning, hoping to engage Carter’s sense of fairness and community. “Did you know that when Dale picked Lawton up at prison, Lawton had the clothes on his back and twenty-five dollars in cash? That was it, and the money was spent immediately on food because there was hardly a bite of anything in the cabin.”

      “That’s not much of a start...”

      “And you said yourself...he has no family but Dale. Their parents moved away and never contact their boys. And even if they did, it would be an extremely dysfunctional relationship. And Lawton has a limited education, and no job opportunities, not without someone vouching for him anyway.”

      “So I would be putting my reputation on the line to help Lawton get a job?” Carter said. “It’s asking a lot, Miranda, and I don’t know if I’m willing to do that.”

      For the first time Miranda had doubts about her plan. She’d heard stories about Carter’s involvement with the community, the blind eye he often cast to minor traffic violations, the raccoons he’d chased from garbage cans. But she’d never expected Carter to worry about the consequences of his job over someone’s well-being. Still, she knew in her heart that Carter would be the perfect person to help Lawton. “I guess supporting Law might have an effect on your position here,” she admitted. “But at least talk to him. That’s not too much to ask is it? You said you’d help.”

      He expelled a long breath. Maybe she was wearing