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slightly. He appreciated the sheriff's hospitality, but the sooner they were on their way back home with what they needed the better he'd feel. He stood as well and followed the man inside.
     

Chapter Two
High Price
     
    Fred treated the family to a generous breakfast of pancakes with butter and syrup, as well as fried strips of potted meat. Then, after everyone had changed into the freshly laundered clothes he'd taken care of for them last night, he once again proved himself a good host by offering to walk along with the family up to the General Store, while giving them a tour of the town along the way.
    “It'll be a good chance to stretch your legs before you go out on the road again, and Lucas can bring the truck up to meet us there,” he said with a smile.
    Trev's parents and aunt and uncle exchanged glances. “We wouldn't want to keep you from your duties,” his dad said.
    The sheriff waved that off. “Are you kidding? With the purchases you guys plan to make you're VIPs, the town wants to roll out the red carpet for you. Besides, it's only neighborly.” He started ushering them out the door, grabbing his cowboy hat as he went. “My boys can handle the town for a few hours on their own. I'm pretty much just a glorified greeter as it is.” He said that last with a chuckle.
    To Trev's surprise the town had completely woken up since his early morning conversation with Fred, going from deserted to bustling in just a few hours time. Townspeople were out and about doing morning chores, chatting, or buying and selling. More than a few had set out their wares on blankets and were acting as impromptu vendors. He even saw Westman out in front of his bar, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for a few waiting customers.
    The sheriff noticed him staring at the crowds and grinned. “Bet you thought the place was a ghost town during your last visit.”
    “Sort of,” Trev admitted. “I know there's enough houses for hundreds of people, but I didn't see anyone but you.”
    The sheriff shrugged. “Timing, that's all. We keep a pretty strict work schedule to make sure everyone's pulling their weight, and you just happened to show up during the middle of the day's main shift. Pretty much everyone was busy, aside from the few layabouts you ran into at the bar.”
    “Makes sense.”
    Fred waved at the vendors and townspeople going about their business. “Morning and evening is when we do the most trade. Travelers tend to arrive late and stay the night, so it works out best for everyone. In fact, we've got a few groups in who arrived yesterday evening to trade.”
    “Trev mentioned the town's gained a solid reputation,” Lucas observed, glancing around as he headed for the truck to meet them at the store.
    “Yeah, we have,” the sheriff answered, looking slightly annoyed. Maybe he thought that reputation was being questioned. “In fact, we don't get many people just passing through these days, since almost all our visitors come specifically to trade with us. Your nephew was actually one of the rare exceptions on his last visit.” He smiled. “And your visit this time supports the trend. Let's get started, shall we?”
    They drew more than a few stares as they made their way down the street, and many of the townspeople called out their wares as they passed. It was mostly scavenged junk by the looks of it, but there were a few things that caught their eye. Fred didn't give them a chance to browse, though, briskly continuing on towards the store as he gave them a bit of the new town's history and pointed out a few of the more notable buildings.
    As Trev followed the sheriff up the street his eyes were drawn past the early morning bustle to the defensible positions Newtown had set up around the town. Maybe it was just his time spent taking shifts at the roadblocks back in Aspen Hill, but it seemed natural to double-check the town's defenses.
    Oddly enough most of the positions were abandoned, with only two lookouts that he