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“I’m just saying…”
“Well, don’t. I’m not even allowed to date him. Not that I’d want to,” I add quickly. “It’s in my employment contract. Public defenders can’t date local cops.”
Petra’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
I shrug. “It’s a necessary rule. The public defender’s office handles most of the cases on the criminal docket, so it would cause serious issues if one of us were dating a police officer. We’d have to find conflict counsel for every case that the cop was involved in. In a small town, that’s just not possible. It’d be a total mess.”
“You have a right to a dating life!” Petra argues.
I can’t help but smile at her outrage. “My clients have a Constitutional right to an attorney, and I’m afraid that trumps any right I might have to a dating life. Besides, as I already told you, I’m not interested in him.”
She shakes her head. “You’re the only woman in Mercury Ridge who isn’t.”
At that moment, a peal of laughter comes from the direction of the bar. I see Jonah entertaining a gaggle of women with a story. A wave of jealousy rolls over me. His eyes meet mine, and his grin broadens. I look away quickly, my heart thundering in my chest.
Why am I jealous? I don’t even like Jonah. He’s a cocky, arrogant, womanizer. I have absolutely no interest in being with a man like him, no matter what he looks like.
“Who are you glaring at?” Petra asks, turning to look. She sees Jonah and smirks. “Not interested, eh? Then why does the sight of him with other women make your blood boil.”
“The sight of him makes my blood boil,” I argue. “I can’t stand him.”
Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “Really? Why not? He’s a really nice guy.”
I stare at her in disbelief. “Nice?”
She nods. “Yeah. He always volunteers for local fundraisers and stuff. And he gives so much of his time to the drug court team—”
“Jonah Griffin volunteers for the drug court team?”
She laughs. “How do you not know this? Jonah was one of the founders of the local drug court program.”
Jonah helped to form the drug court program? I don’t know how to process what I’m hearing. The giggling gaggle around him isn’t helping matters. My blood feels too hot in my veins. Can a person spontaneously combust?
Petra runs her fingertips along the colorful tattoo on her forearm. “My tattoo artist, Dex, says Jonah singlehandedly saved his life. Helped him get into drug court, wiped away his criminal record, and even noticed his artistic skills. Jonah got him the apprenticeship at Mercury Ink.”
I open my mouth to say something but close it again. Am I wrong about Jonah Griffin? Surely, not. He’s always got that stupid grin on his face. The one that makes me feel like I’m the butt of the joke.
When the waitress appears to see if we need anything else, I nod emphatically. “A pitcher of margaritas, please.”
Petra’s eyes light up, but I remind her that she’s my designated driver. And tonight, I’m getting rip-roaring drunk.
Chapter 3
Jonah
Every time I look over at Cressida, she’s sucking on the straw in her margarita glass. She’s sitting alone at her table now, and her chin is drooping onto her chest. Is she asleep?
Asleep or not, she’s had more than enough to drink. I doubt she can even stand up on her own. A fierce desire to protect her washes over me. It doesn’t matter that she’s not mine to protect. Tonight, I’m assuming the role, whether she likes it or not.
I walk over to her. “Cressida?”
Her eyelids flutter open, and she gazes up at me through thick lashes. “Officer, Griff—” She hiccups. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I say, smiling at her. I can’t help it. Whenever I see her, my face has a will of its own. “What happened to your friend?”
She points toward a shadowy corner. Sure enough, the other woman is wedged against the wall with her arms wrapped around a man who’s sucking on her tongue. Whoa. Mikki will put a stop to that soon. Despite the extensive drink menu and the raucous crowd, Mikki makes sure her restaurant is a family-friendly place.
I glance from Cressida’s friend to the empty pitcher on their table. Is she as drunk as Cressida? White-hot fury flashes through my veins. If the man is taking advantage of her, I’ll have him pinned to the ground and in cuffs faster than he can say, “Ladies’ Night.”
