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“Wonderful. Thank you, Hank. Um, so….”
“Yeah?”
“I was curious…”
Hank chuckled and shook his head as he gazed out of his windshield at the long expanse of road in front of his department SUV. Emma was fishing. “About what?”
“The pretty lady you and that hot game warden friend of yours were flirting with Saturday night. Grace told me she’s a visiting writer from Montana.”
“The game warden is Travis McDaniel. I’ll make sure and introduce him to you next time. And the pretty lady is Veronica Benedict.”
“I don’t mean to be nosey. She seems kind of shy.” He could hear the questions in her statement.
“She is until you get to know her. She’s a sweetheart, too.”
“The name sounds familiar. I’ll have to look her up. Well, I wish you the best of luck with her, if things…Well, crap.”
“Emma, just say what you want to say.”
“Okay. I’ve noticed over the last few years that you’ve seemed so solitary. Alone. I like seeing you with someone who puts the light in your eyes. I hope she knows what a sweetheart you are.”
“Careful, darlin’. I can’t have you damaging my reputation for intimidation.”
He couldn’t keep a straight face as Emma gigglesnorted into the phone. “Save that for the criminals and crazies because I know what a softy you really are.”
He was pretty soft where the ladies of Divine were concerned, Emma in particular. They’d nearly lost this fine doctor a couple of years before when she was shot and nearly killed by someone who’d been stalking the men she loved, Duke Rivers and Gage Randall. It’d been a miracle that she’d survived emergency open-heart surgery.
“Yeah, just call me marshmallow. I’ll get Veronica to help me and Travis put together costumes.” He grinned, imagining Travis’s reaction to finding out he’d be dressing in drag for a wheelchair relay race. His day was looking better all the time.
“I hope he doesn’t mind.”
“I don’t think so. He’s pretty passionate about education and helping the younger generation.”
“A game warden?”
“He’s done more than serve as a game warden. He’s worked with wildlife and game management programs, wetlands and agricultural programs, and volunteered at schools to talk to students about stewardship and career opportunities. I’ll tell him about the Hill Country Boy’s Ranch and I predict he’ll jump on board.”
“Then I’ll leave you to make that call, Hank. Have a great day.”
He disconnected and called Travis.
Travis’s voice came on the line. “Yeah.” He sounded like he was lying down.
Hank checked his watched and grinned. “It’s only nine o’clock. She’s already worn you out?”
Travis chuckled softly and Hank heard a rustling sound as though he was moving around. “We wore each other out. I think she’s making up for lost sleep.”
“Good. Let her sleep. Did you enjoy your morning so far?”
“You know I did. I’m glad you didn’t object to time alone with her.”
“Not at all. I go by what Jack, Ethan, and Adam tell me. If it works for them, maybe it’ll work for us. I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“How do you feel about wearing pink?”
Five minutes later after the shock had worn off, Travis had agreed to participate. Now all Hank had to do was find a costume that came in a size that would fit him and Travis…and Veronica, if she agreed.
He was looking for Cody Welsh’s phone number, to invite the bears to participate in the wheelchair relay race, when his phone began ringing. He swiped the screen and wanted to groan as he saw caller ID and put the phone to his ear. “Hank Stinson.”
“Sheriff Stinson, this is Tabitha Lester.”
“How are you this fine morning, Miss Lester?”
“Not very happy, Sheriff. Please tell me that what I’m hearing about you and that friend of yours are simply ugly rumors!”
Hank’s eyebrow shot up. “Excuse me?”
“You’re not involving yourself in a polyamorous relationship, are you?” She sounded horrified when she said it and the poly word sounded like it tasted bad on her tongue.
