Heartfield Ranch (Communities of Discipline Book 2) by Fiona Wilde

Clemmons had nothing to do with this, and that she couldn’t manufacture evidence that simply did not exist. But it occurred to her that if he made good on his threat, there were any number of up-and-coming officers who would be more than pleased to investigate Heartfield and “see” what the Sheriff wanted. Gaining Smith’s favor in a political year could pay off big dividends to anyone credited with helping him along the road to victory, and Karen knew he didn’t just want to find something amiss in Heartfield - he needed to.
     
    “Yes, sir,” she said, nearly choking on the words. “I’ll look harder. I’m sure there’s something I’m missing.”
    She pushed the “end” button on the phone and closed it, and sat there on the edge of the bed for several long minutes, wondering what was happening to her. Less than a week ago she’d been a gung-ho policewoman, all too eager to bust up a community on even the hint of a patriarchal structure. But now that she’d met the people here, she found herself not only liking them, but secretly envying what they had.
    There was a difference between being gently led and being bullied. Sheriff Smith wanted her to find evidence of abuse, when he was far more abusive than any of the men she’d seen at Heartfield.  When Clay had spanked her, it had been because she deserved it. She’d been told beforehand that there would be consequence and defied them, even though what he’d asked of her was fair. Sheriff Smith, on the other hand, was threatening to penalize her for being honest. And he had threatened the job security of two of her co-workers to further manipulate her. The values were completely contradictory, and she began to realize what drew people to places like Heartfield in the first place.
     
    But she knew that while she was here she’d have to walk a line between both the world she worked in and the world she was visiting. She’d already betrayed them both; she’d hidden the truth from Clay until he’d forced it from her, and she’d lied to Clemmons when she told him she was still undercover. She’d even lied to the Sheriff. Women were physically punished here, but it was by their choice. Was it wrong to hide that information from the authorities? There were no easy answers.
     
    And then there was Ann Marie. In many ways she felt worse for her than for anyone else. She’d just given Sheriff Smith information about her. And while her intentions were good, now that he had her new last name it was only a matter of time before Jake Markum would be targeted. Just what depths would an unscrupulous sheriff stoop to in order to get re-elected? Would he ask her to lie? To frame someone?
     
    Karen dropped her head in her hands and let out a heavy sigh. Part of her wanted to run straight to Clay, to warn him. But that would be interfering with an investigation. She had to find a way to neutralize the situation, to convince her bosses that nothing was out of the ordinary in Heartfield, or at least that nothing illegal was going on. But she was completely clueless about how to make that happen. What in the world, she wondered, had she gotten herself into?
     
    ***
     
     
    “Something’s bothering you.” He’d come up behind her in the barn, where she’d gone to sit and think.
    When Karen saw Clay, she turned and smiled. She wished she could tell him everything. But she knew she couldn’t.
    “It’s nothing,” she said. “Really.”
    He sat down beside her. “You don’t mind, do you?”
    She shook her head. No she didn’t mind; in fact it was just what she wanted.
    “Did you call in to the station?” he asked.
    Karen nodded slowly. “Yes.”
    “And?”
    “And I told them the truth. There’s nothing to report.”
    He shook his head. “They won’t go away that easily.”
    “What makes you think that?” she asked.
    “I get feelings,” he said, and when she looked quizzically at him he reddened, slightly embarrassed. “Feelings and dreams. It’s