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adam
As soon as I crossed the threshold of my home, the scent of Momma’s legendary pot roast swept over me like a warm, savory blanket. The rumble in my stomach echoed through the quiet hallway, eager for a taste of home cooking. Making my way to the dining room, I was greeted by the familiar sounds of laughter and conversation from the Coles and Wilsons, already seated around our weathered pine table.
I slid into my usual spot, greeting each of them with a wave or a nod since there were about six different conversations going on and it’d be impossible to get a word in edgewise.
But I didn’t mind much, considering the day I’d had and the food that sat before me. It wouldn’t upset me one bit if I could get through this supper without doing much more than stuffing my face full of pot roast and potatoes.
“Adam, how was your day, honey?” Momma asked from the other end of the table.
As usual, the minute I thought something, my momma had a way of yanking it from my mind and doing whatever she wanted with it.
“It was a wild one, that’s for sure,” I replied as I wiped my mouth with my napkin.
“Did you go to that call on the west side?” Jackson asked, winking at Bailey.
She shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”
“You weren’t even there!” he teased, leaning over to kiss her temple.
“What call?” Dakota asked, leaning across Everett so she could see them better. “We didn’t have anyone in the ER today that came from a wild call.”
“Thanks to Paisley,” I muttered, causing several sets of eyes to swing my direction.
“Okay, now I’m interested,” Laney piped in.
I set down my fork. “All right. Imagine this: A tourist thought it was perfectly normal to bring his pet python on a casual stroll downtown.”
Everett nearly choked on his sweet tea. “A python?”
“Yup,” I confirmed, piercing a juicy chunk of roast with my fork and pausing while I ate it, much to my family’s annoyance. “Caused quite a stir. Folks were hollerin’ like banshees, and from what I heard, you’d think it was an anaconda based on the calls Pais and Remi had to field.”
Bailey and Jackson took turns quoting some of them, which they’d overheard thanks to being on an unrelated call downtown at the time. I wondered if any of what they’d heard was actually said on the emergency line, but Paisley wasn’t here to confirm or deny any of it.
I continued to eat while they entertained the group, relishing in the explosion of flavors that filled my mouth with each bite.
“So, Paisley took the calls or helped with the dispatchin’?” Momma asked, reminding me that was how we’d gotten into the storytelling part of this in the first place.
Me and my big mouth.
“She and Remi wound up havin’ to do both since it was such a mess,” I replied after swallowing my latest bite. “And I gotta say,despite how hard it is to take calls and talk on the radio at the same time, she kept her cool, actin’ like she was orderin’ lunch and not a town full of people up in arms over an escaped reptile.”
Taking another bite, I continued through muffled laughter, “She didn’t miss a beat when she sent us out there. Sayin’ it was an ‘unusal situation’ and givin’ all the last known locations of the dang thing in order of distance from where we were comin’ from so we could hit them all without backtrackin’. It was pretty impressive, not gonna lie.”
“Turns out, Paisley’s been watching those nature documentaries in her downtime. Who knew that’d come in handy? She rattled off facts about pythons and their behavior like she was reciting a recipe for peach cobbler.” I shook my head, grinning at the memory. “That girl can handle anything, I swear. Even a surprise python parade downtown.”
Dakota leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Well, well, well. Did I just hear you throwin’ a compliment Paisley’s way, Adam?”
Laughter rippled around the table as I felt the heat creep up my neck. “What? I can’t give credit where it’s due?”
Travis nudged me with his elbow, a playful smirk on his lips. “Uh, not when it’s Paisley. Didn’t you offer to knit her a muzzle at the party for gym’s openin?”
“Last I checked, you and Paisley were about as friendly as two wet cats in a sack,” my momma added, blinking innocently.
I shrugged, focusing intently on my plate. “Just callin’ it like I see it. She did good work today, that’s all.”
But even as the words left my mouth, I knew there was more to it. Paisley Stevens had a way of getting under my skin, but it had nothing to do with who she was. If that was all that mattered… Well, I didn’t even wanna think about that.
I’d complimented her because she deserved it. She was whip-smart, quick on her feet, and had a heart big enough to take onthe world’s troubles without even stopping to think if her plate was already full. She’d just dig up a new plate—probably a fancy one—and get to it.
