For a moment, Robert didn’t know what to say. He glanced at the path, the dirt finally untracked, the vines undisturbed. “I don’t like causing trouble,” he said. “You didn’t,” the officer replied. “You protected what’s yours. We should’ve done that sooner.”
They left him with a copy of the new local ordinance update and a laminated printout of the official warning sign—until the metal one arrived. As the SUV rumbled away, Robert turned toward the vineyard.