The Sheriff's Son | Harvey #2

Chapter 5

Ashton chuckled. "Maybe so. That's why you mention paying him to get me out." Her eyebrows shot up. "If you tell him you want to see if he can override Clive and get me out, he might just spill. I know he's arrogant and willing to double-cross anyone." His eyes lit up. He had an idea. "Actually, I have a lot of money in my cabin."

"Where?"

He smiled at her, suddenly excited. "Forget about asking him to let me go. Offer to pay him more than my dad."

"But your dad paid him, like, $500 a week!"

Ashton shrugged. "Then pay him six. Listen, in my bedroom, there's one floorboard that squeaks bad near my headboard. Pry it up. There's a crowbar under my bed. Like, taped to the underside. There's a sharp pocket knife under my mattress I use to cut the tape. When you pry it up, there's a box there. It's got about $8,000 in small bills. Take it all home, hide it. Bring about a thousand with you when you go, but negotiate. He may only need a hundred more to be paid off." Nicole gaped at him. His brows lowered. Why was she looking at him that way? "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "$8,000?!"

He nodded, not sure why she was so shocked. "I thought you knew my family was rich?" She shook her head. Well, that explained it. And somehow warmed his heart. "Well, they are. I had a trust fund. I still do. There's another $20,000 in there. I took half of it when I moved out, but it's okay. I mean, when I take over for my dad-" He cut himself off. "If I take over for my dad-" better "-I'll be making a lot. I won't miss the money I took out."

She nodded. "Um, okay." She shook her head then cleared her throat. "Um, okay, I'll go to see him." She looked at him. "How long will the investigation take?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. It could last a week, it could last a couple of months." He smiled at her. "But don't worry – when they see everything against my dad and nothing on me, they'll let me go and he'll go away."

She nodded and backed away. "I need to go get that done. Mason says he's going to call as soon as I leave you, and I still need to talk to a few people."

"Um, okay, Nikki. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Hopefully not in the same place. And hopefully not before he had a shower, but he knew he'd see her long before then.

She nodded. "Okay. Love you, Ash."

"Love you, too."

---

Money was stuffed in the box, all of what Ashton had told her. She'd counted it. Now she was just sitting there in shock. She couldn't believe he had so much. Well, she could believe it, but not that he'd never told her. Maybe he just wanted to make sure she wanted him and not his money? She kept telling herself that was why. It made her feel better, whether it was true or not.

She knew she needed to keep moving, so she got up and closed the box. The walk home seemed to be much longer with so much money tucked under her arm. She felt like everyone knew what she had. It wasn't possible, which was what she kept telling herself, but it didn't make the feeling go away.

Once she was back in the cottage, she went straight to her room. Once she took out a thousand, she hid the box under her bed. Next stop was Mayor Gamble. She took a deep breath. That was a gamble, all right. His name fit, ironically. She needed to play her cards right.

She locked the front door when she left and took a leisurely stroll over to the only home with a fence that went completely around the house. The front gate was mechanical and had an intercom. She hit the 'call' button and a tinny voice asked, "What do you want?"