“Nothing. I’m fucking tired.”
It’s not a lie. I’ve barely slept this week.
Between worrying about the woman next door and the intrusive calls from Jackie with her mental health check-ins, my mind is working overtime.
Eric doesn’t press, already sidetracked by Christine, the pretty blonde working the diner. She bats her unnaturally long eyelashes at him, earning the Malone smolder in return.
My only complaint about Eric is that he’s a charmer. The guy can’t walk down the street without flirting with some random woman, attracting too much attention our way. It can be a hazardat times for a plethora of reasons relating to the job, but mostly, I’m not one for socializing. Eric makes it damn near impossible to have a simple meal without drawing a crowd.
The bell above the red door chimes, and I glance up in time to see Lanie strut in, still in her tight black leggings and neon green tank top, with her dark hair twisted in a messy bun on top of her head. She doesn’t look upset at all, which is good. Hopefully that means she and Alyssa have settled their issue.
Malone whistles low, earning an eye roll from me.
“Not a chance. She’s a bit old for you.”
He guffaws, playing at being offended. “I like my girls a little bit older.”
“Did I mention she’s also out of your league?”
He scowls at me, mumbling a series of curses under his breath, turning back to his plate. I grin, lifting my hand to wave back at Lanie, who’s spotted us.
The day that woman stepped into Knox Harbor, every eligible bachelor in town made their move. A former Kansas City beauty queen, she definitely turns heads. Not that I paid too much attention. Lanie’s beautiful, but not my type. She doesn’t hold a candle to the likes of Alyssa Mann.
Not that I’d ever admit that shit out loud.
“Boys,” Lanie coos, stepping up to our table with a take-out bag in hand. “Fancy seeing you two here.”
“Lanie,” I drawl. “Pretty sure I just saw you in here last week.”
She chuckles. “Appears this is the local hangout.”
Milly’s Diner is a local hotspot and for good reason. The food is incredible, and the owners are lifetime residents who are revered among the locals for the money they put back into the community.
“Not today, it would appear,” Eric says, glancing around the sparsely filled room.
It’s a ghost town for this time of day. The locals are off preparing for the annual fall harvest festival, which is a bigger deal than Christmas around here.
“All the Red Hatters are busy asserting their dominance by pushing their antiquated ideas onto the younger members of the council.” Lanie frowns, parroting my thoughts. “We need to step up and demand some new ideas for the festival. It’s bullshit the same people have their way every year.”
Lanie has never been one to remain quiet when she feels passionate about a subject. She’s taken on the Red Hatters on multiple occasions. She’s even won a time or two, which rarely happens.
In my days on patrol, I was called to several meetings that got out of hand. Those Hatters are a feisty group that don’t shy away from stirring up a good debate, mostly among themselves.
“What was going on across the street earlier?” Eric asks, earning a stern glare from me.
“None of your business, Malone. That’s what.”
Lanie chuckles. “Just a little misunderstanding.” She turns her attention to me. “Any news on the issue at Alyssa’s? I really don’t like how slow this investigation is moving.” Her dainty hands are perched on her curvy hips, and her full lips are pursed. “She needs to feel safe in her home, Nick.”
I swallow, recalling the events of a few minutes ago. Was all that because she’s scared?
“Not our jurisdiction, sweetheart,” Eric practically purrs, sounding like the Casanova he attempts to be.
“Fine. Point me in the direction of who is. I’ll start harassing them.” Lanie clucks her tongue and for a moment, I think she’s got more to say on the topic, but the bell on the door chimes again, drawing her attention just long enough to save us from Lanie Anderson’s wrath.
Mayor Dunbar strolls in with his obnoxiously contrivedswagger and pompous grin, staring far too long at Christine for a happily married man.
Lanie bares her teeth when she sees who it is and where his eyes are currently trained. “Ugh. Douche alert,” she calls out, not even trying to be quiet.
