Read Sanctuary Lost WITSEC Town Series Book 1 for Free Online

dinner for you and Patrick.”
    “You can just call me Pat.” He hopped onto
the chair at the desk that said SHERIFF and toed off his sneakers.
“That’s what my dad calls me.”
    John grinned at his boots.
    Betty Collins started up again, but the mayor
slung an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll let you boys get settled.
If there’s anything else, we’ll let you know. And if you have any
questions ask us at dinner. It’s at six. Four doors down other side
of the street.”
    “Got it.” John shook their hands again, even
though it made his shoulder throb. “I appreciate your being here to
welcome us.”
    “You’re welcome.” Betty shot him a
beauty-queen smile.
    The mayor and his wife wandered out. The bell
above the door clanged and then it shut. John turned to his son and
lifted his arms. “So…what do you think?”
    “Pretty cool.”
    “What did Matthias say to you before he
left?”
    “He said he came here when he was six. He was
really scared. But not for long.” Pat smiled. “He said if it’s okay
with you, I can come out to the ranch sometime and he’ll show me
how to rope a steer.”
    “Awesome.”
    “Yeah.” Pat paused. “What’s a steer?”
    “It’s a…uh…girl cow.” John cleared his
throat. “Want to check out the apartment?”
    Pat hopped off the chair. “Can I leave my
shoes down here?”
    John took the bags and suitcases up the
narrow staircase and unlocked the door at the top. He wasn’t too
sure about living this close to the sheriff’s office. What if he
had to arrest someone dangerous? He didn’t want to detain them so
close to where his son would be sleeping at night. A house might be
a good idea.
    The main room was a small living room/kitchen
area with a round table and two chairs. The TV was the size of
John’s old microwave. The curtains were mustard colored, the walls
were covered in wainscoting and the kitchen was yellow.
    “It smells like old man in here.”
    John smiled. “Guess we should crack a
window.”
    The bedroom was small but the bed was big
enough Pat hopefully wouldn’t kick him in the middle of the night.
Still, they’d need new sheets and a new comforter. The bathroom was
decorated in puke green tile, complete with a green toilet.
    “Eew, Dad.”
    “You’re not wrong, kid.” They shared a smile.
“It’s only for a month. If we want to stay then we can look at
moving into one of the houses, okay?”
    “I’m hungry.” Pat pulled open the fridge.
“There’s a ton of stuff in here. Can I have a PB and J?”
    “Sure, bud. I’ll make us both one.”
    “I can do it.”
    “Yeah?” John wandered over and leaned against
the counter while Pat got out the stuff and a butter knife.
    John pulled two plates from the cupboards and
found glasses. He got the milk from the fridge and broke the seal.
“We’ll have to find out who stocked the fridge and say thank
you.”
    “Hello, hello…anybody up here?” Footsteps
ascended the stairs and a tall red-headed man in a tan sheriff’s
uniform emerged. “There you are.”
    The man wasn’t more than thirty years old.
Red stubble on his chin clashed with his bright green eyes. He
stuck out his hand. “Deputy Arnold Palmer at your service.” He
shook with Pat. “Nice to meet you.”
    John introduced them. “We just got in.”
    “Yeah, sorry I wasn’t here. Had a call out
uptown and it took longer than I thought.”
    “Anything interesting?”
    “Nah.” He waved off John’s question. “Just
some kids being kids, messing up old lady Tanner’s garbage
cans.”
    John leaned his hip on the counter, one eye
on the job Pat was doing with the sandwiches. “Have you been a
deputy long?”
    “Born and raised in Sanctuary. It’s been
maybe eight years since Sheriff Chandler—the marshal who was here
before you—hired me. He’d been here since the town was founded. The
one and only Sheriff, for thirty-eight years.”
    “Wow, cool.” Jam dripped from the knife Pat
held onto the counter.
    John