“I was getting ready for bed when Geraldine called me.”
Ah. An elite member of the Golden Girls.
“How very interesting, Grandmother,” I said, taking a slow sip of beer.
“Her nephew bartends at Rick’s on the weekends.”
“Information I was absolutely dying to hear.”
She ignored me. Of course.
“Rumour has it that a certain new teacher is in said bar—dancing with Nathan Garland. From the hardware store.”
The bottle froze midway to my mouth.
I usually checked in on Juliette while she slept. Gave her space. Let her settle.
Apparently not tonight.
“Isn’t that interesting?” Grammy purred. “Goodnight.”
She hung up, cackling like a witch at a bonfire, leaving me staring at my phone like it had personally betrayed me.
My first thought was to shoot Nathan in the ass.
Just a clean shot—something to remind him where his hands didn’t belong.
But when I imagined those hands on Juliette touching her skin, making her laugh, thinking he had the right—the idea twisted. No, a bullet would be too fast. He needed to suffer. Slow, deliberate. Something that left a mark on more than his body.
It was time this town understood that Juliette Morgan was mine.
I slammed the bottle on the table and grabbed my wallet and keys. For a brief second, I considered taking my service weapon, but I wouldn’t need it.
My fists were more than capable of inflicting pain.
?? ?? ??
There were several patrons outside, and I could already hear how loud the bar was. The music thumped through the walls, quickening my pulse as I pushed forward.
“Sheriff, you here on official business?” Sally called from the doorway.
“No,” I said without slowing. “This is personal.”
I saw her blink as I passed.
“Something’s up,” I heard her mutter.
“Think it’s the new teacher?”
“Oooh, did she jaywalk?”
Laughter followed me, shrill and irritating, like the pack of hyenas they were.
I’d been here before with Nadine, but this was different.
Inside, the place was packed. Juliette wasn’t on the dance floor. I scanned the room until I found her tucked into a corner booth with Cathryn Simmons. No Nathan in sight.
I was halfway across the room when she stood up.
