“You think I’m wanting something sexual from you?”

She disdainfully gave him a withering look. “Aren’t you?”

The deputy laughed at her. “Sorry, but my sexual favors are spoken for. I’m a married man. I’m lucky to keep the misses satisfied, much less giving it away to anyone else.”

Surprised, she stared at the man who had been a pain in her neck since she had found herself in Treepoint. Men typically didn’t reveal they had trouble keeping their partners satisfied.

“Then, what do you want for this miracle?”

“There’s no price tag attached.” He shrugged. “I don’t want to be accused of bribery. I have a reputation to maintain in this town. Of course, I don’t even know if I can help you with this miracle, free of charge, unless you start opening that yapper of yours and tell me why that kin of yours has it out for you.”

He wanted her to trust him when she hadn’t even trusted her lawyer with the information?

Alanna couldn’t believe she was even considering talking to him. She needed her medication. If imagining a prisoner who didn’t exist last night hadn’t proven that, considering confiding in a man she frankly couldn’t stand did.

“Why should I?” Rebuffing him with a careless shrug, she plopped back down on the bed to reach for the discarded book.

“Woman, Imma just gonna be plain blunt. The only reason I’m even considering helping you is because I know how it is to want to help a family member out. You’re between a rock and a hard place. It’s no never mind to me what you do. The only reason I’m even thinking about helping you out is from the kindness of my soul.”

Was this the same man who, yesterday, had confiscated the baked potato that had come with her dinner when his had been shorted?

Alanna lifted her eyes from the book. “Deputy Porter, if you want to do something from the kindness of your soul, convince my niece to accept my calls.”

Alanna knew from the gloating look he gave her that he was going to take pleasure in what he was about to tell her.

“I can’t be doing that. Elizabeth doesn’t want to talk to you. The sheriff received the paperwork this morning. Elizabeth is seeking a restraining order, preventing you from trying to contact her or be within a hundred feet of her. Said you’re threatening her.”

Alanna stared at him in shock, fighting back the escalating alarm she had been dealing with since discovering what her niece had become involved in and with whom. Elizabeth had sworn to her that she hadn’t had contact with her mother since she graduated from high school.