Fried Pickles and the Fuzz Read Online Free PDF

you’ve gotta understand where I’m comin’ from.” With a deep sigh , he sat up and braced his elbows on the desk. “How long are you going to try and keep this up? Tarnation, in the few months that I’ve been here , I’ve had at least a half - dozen calls about him , and he doesn’t stay in any one place for more than a week or so. Aren’t you runnin’ out of places to stash him?”
    Anger bubbled deep in her stomach. “ What am I supposed to do? Wash my hands of him? Let someone else deal with him?” She sliced a hand through the air, punctuating her point. “Forget about him and just let him slip through the cracks?” Heather shook her head. “I can’t. Granny Joy would want me to look after him the same way she would hav e. ”
    â€œI understand that, but your granny wouldn’t have wanted you to be runnin’ yourself ragged trying to find someone, anyone , who’s willing to take him in for a spell .” Bronson scrubbed a hand over his face, the rasp of his whiskers against his palm echoing in the silent room. “ The only reason nobody’ s pushed the issue is because they know what it means to yo u to look after him. You mean a lot to this tow n and the folks in it , but this has got to come to an end.”
    With a deep sigh, Bronson stood. “I’ll give you a week to find him a permanent place, then as the s heriff, I’m gonna have to step in.”
    â€œFine.” Heather crossed her arms over her chest and gazed past him down the hall. “Can we leave?”
    â€œYou can, but I think it’s best if Gus stays here until you have someplace to take him .” He moved around the desk to stand in front of her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t risk anyone getting hurt.”
    Her anger fizzled a bit. He was right. She would never forgive herself if someone got hurt because Gus was out and about when he shouldn’t be. Bronson was right, it was his job and responsibility to make sure everyone was safe. It ruffled her feathers that he was putting down his foot and giving her a time limit , but the rational part of her knew it was nothing personal. “I’d still like to see him before I leave. ”
    With a nod, Bronson led the way down the dim hall toward the back of the building. At the end of the corridor , he pushed open a steel door that led into a courtyard at the rear of the small jail , which at times doubled as the impound lot .
    Heather glanced around the space until her gaze landed on the cause for so much of the mischief in her life. There, near the far corner of the chain - link enclosed yard , stood the twenty-six - year - old gelding, Gus. His once - gleaming russet coat was now liberally dusted with grey. His head drooped a bit and his back sagged. Once - pert ears now reclined almost permanently, unless of course he thought there might be a yummy treat around.
    Silently , he stood dozing, swaying ever so faintly as his horsey dreams probably took him to distant memories of younger , more carefree days. Well, at least that’s what Granny Joy had always said old horses dreamed about. She had claimed that old horses couldn’t be that much different than old people. Dreams were made for reliving the glory days.
    A lone tear slid down her cheek as she watche d the old guy . His long life had been filled with hard work on a cattle ranch. Granny Joy had always said i t was a shame that such loyal animal s hadn’t been loved nearly enough in their liv e s .
    When his owner died , the county had taken the small ranch due to back property taxes. It had been the only home Gus had ever known. He had no one. Heather had done everything she could to try and find him a home, but the weeks had slipped by and no one in town had been willing to keep another mouth around for long . The deep drough t had driven the price of feed and hay through the roof. Locals had a hard enough time