“Sounds like a good night,” Israel said as he studied me. “We have some new dogs visiting. Make sure you stay away from them. They’re not very nice yet.”
“Okay.” Wendy nodded solemnly. “We gotsta go. Odin’s meeting the sheriff.”
Israel’s brows rose. “That so?”
I nodded. “He’s got some news on a case I’ve been working for him.”
“The teens?” Janet guessed.
“The teens,” I confirmed. “Hopefully we just caught a break.”
Janet let out a relieved breath. “Thank God.”
I ended up spending over two hundred bucks at the grocery store.
Then we stopped at the liquor store to buy beer.
Wendy was a freakin’ hit.
And I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t have taken her in there.
Was it appropriate to bring an almost six-year-old to the beer barn?
I didn’t know.
It’d have to be something I talked to Constance about.
Speaking of Constance, she and Black were on the porch drinking a beer when I arrived with Wendy and Peanut.
Peanut leaped over Wendy and ran around in circles, smelling all the smells.
“Mama!” Wendy screeched. “We went to Odin’s house. He has a big ass bathtub. And a Big Ass Fan. The Big Ass Fan is actually the name of the fan. Can you believe that?”
Constance’s lips twitched. “No, baby. I can’t.”
“Then we got Peanut’s food. And we stopped at the store. We bought literally everything.”
Constance’s eyes sparkled. “Is that so?”
“That’s so,” I confirmed. “Half the store will need a restock.”
Black tilted his head. “You bought junk food?”
“All the junk food.” Wendy stopped in front of Black. “Who are you?”
“The sheriff,” he answered, holding out his hand. “Black’s the name.”
“You’re not wearing a uniform.”
“I’m off duty.”
She eyed the beer. “That explains the beer.”
Black’s brows rose. “Are you sure you’re five?”
“I’m six in a month,” she assured him. “But I’m smart. I have an excellent vocabulary. And I was supposed to be moved to the third grade, but Mama said I needed to experience kindergarten. I think I’ll stay. I like my friends.”
Black’s lips twitched.
