Her confidence in me sends a bolt of heat through my chest.
“What was your hardest case?” she asks, grabbing yet another fry. It feels comfortable—intimate, even—the way she helps herself to what’s mine.
“Hmmm. Well, I’d say it was when I helped track down Em’s parents. I don’t know if Lexi told you Em had amnesia after she hit a tree outside Aiden’s farm.”
“No!”
“It’s public knowledge around here. She couldn’t even remember her own name. Anyway, I was a part of helping her parents locate her.”
“Wow.”
“You’re impressed?”
“Of course. That’s a big deal. They must have been so grateful.”
“I guess they were.”
“And here you had me convinced you never have to deal with crime in Bordeaux. We’ve been on the trail of a series of thefts, you had a major missing person’s case …”
“Not to mention when Bessie breaks through the fence and wanders into town. Though, a lot of those calls are handled by the firefighters.”
“Bessie?”
“A cow notorious for wanting to mingle with the people.”
She laughs again. “Nothing in the academy would have prepared me for that call.”
We finish our food and I take the wrappers, wad them into the bag and throw them in a trash can outside Dairy Land. We ride out of the parking lot, holiday music playing low on the radio. The snowdrifts along the road have a tinge of grey around the edges. The street is clear, but the lawns and lots around town are still blanketed in white.
I’m calmer than I’ve felt in years. More than calm—a deep sense of contentment fills me. It’s the kind of peace I used to think belonged only to other people—the ones who didn’t fumble through life.
Beside me, Alex hums along to the song on the radio.
I’m about to say something to Alex about how good it is working with her when she says, “Is that Cooter?”
I look in the direction Alex is pointing. Cooter’s ambling through yards, a string of battery-operated Christmas lightswrapped around his neck several times. The bulbs blink in an irregular rhythm. He’s muttering to himself, sipping a steamy drink from a to-go cup.
I grin.“He’s looking extra festive tonight.”
Alex deadpans,“As long as he’s not driving.”
I understand her concern. It’s appropriate.
Still, my protectiveness of Cooter wins out. “He’s mostly harmless. And not everything’s police business. I vote we let him be.”
“Are we voting now?” she asks.
“That’s what partners do, right?” I say.
She nods quietly, and I wonder if she’s thinking about how little her ex valued her input—valued her. He’s a fool. But he had his chance—and blew it. I don’t intend to blow mine—if she ever gives me one.
The radio crackles, interrupting my thoughts about Alex.
Jeanie’s voice comes through, “Good evening, you two. “We’ve got some suspicious activity—possible theft—in the alleyway off Main.”
Alex reaches over for the call button on the mic. “We’re on it, Jeanie. Have a nice night.”
“You too, sweetie. And I’m switching the calls over to the county after this one.”
