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I head back to work and glance through the window into Rita’s. Callie sits at a table with Rory and Carmen Murphy, Brendan’s cousin.
That can’t lead to anything good.
Callie still doesn’t know about the fake gas leak. Carmen’s probably filling her in. Without thinking through my actions, I open the door to Rita’s. The bells jingle as I walk in.
“Hey, Don,” the sheriff greets me.
“Sheriff, Officers.” I nod and head to Callie’s table.
“Donny.”
I turn back toward the sheriff’s voice. “Yeah, Hardy?”
“Come here for a minute.”
“What?” My voice is harsher than I mean it to be. What does he want with me? I already texted him this morning asking about the investigation into my father’s shooting. He said they’d hit a bunch of dead ends.
“Sit down. I’ll buy you a coffee.”
I sit. When the sheriff tells you to sit, you sit. You respect law enforcement and the military. Straight from the Talon Steel Father’s Handbook.
Hardy Solomon went to school with Dale, though they weren’t close. Dale wasn’t close to anyone. Hardy’s a good guy, but Mom has always said he’s a lazy sheriff and that her office does more investigating than the police do.
“How’s Talon?” Hardy asks.
“He had a rough night, but he’s okay. Do you have any good news?”
Hardy trails his fingers over the grip of his pistol in his waistband holster. “Afraid not. Dead ends, like I told you.”
“What did you want to talk to me about, then?” I ask.
“Just wanted to check on your dad. That’s all.” He moves away from his gun and brings his fingers to his chin, where he massages his prematurely gray stubble.
Right.
As if I don’t have enough to think about, now the sheriff is acting strange. I glance at the other two officers sitting with Hardy. Neither meets my gaze.
“Thanks for asking,” I say. “Have a good day.”
“You too, Donny.” Hardy’s fingers go back to his pistol grip.
And something slimy slithers up my spine.
I push it to the back of my mind and head to Callie’s table.
She puts down her drink and gives me a radiant smile. “Donny, hi. I saw you talking to Hardy. Is everything okay?”
“For now, I guess. Hi, Rory, Carmen. Enjoying your lunch?”
Callie clears her throat. “Uh…yeah. Do you need me back at the office?”
Time for an attitude adjustment. I trample over the thoughts of John Lambert and Hardy Solomon and concentrate on the lady I love. A smile spreads across my face.
“No. Just thinking that when I see three beautiful ladies dining alone, I want to be a part of it.” I grab a chair, turn it around, and straddle it, still smiling…and thinking about what Callie and I were doing a little over an hour ago.
I swear to God, I can still smell her over the dark roast coffee.
“You want anything, Donny?” Rita calls from the counter.
“No thanks, I’m good. So, ladies… What brings all of you here?”
“Lunch?” Rory says.
Without thinking, I grab Callie’s hand.
Carmen raises her eyebrows. “Are you two…?”
“You mean the good news hasn’t gotten to you yet?” Callie smiles coyly as a blush spreads across her cheeks. “Lonnie Jefferson told me at Janae’s lesson.”
“Wow! Congratulations, you two. Snagged a Steel, huh?”
Callie gets redder. “We’re just…”
“In love,” I say boldly. “We’re in love.”
Callie’s jaw drops.
“What?” I ask. “Is it a secret?”
“No, of course not, but it’s still so…new.”
“I’ll say,” Carmen says. “Tell me the scoop.”
“I’ll stay out of the gossip.” I rise and kiss Callie’s cheek. “See you back at the office. No hurry.”
I walk out of Rita’s and back out onto the sidewalk. Callie’s still blushing like a lobster through the window. What the hell? Why shouldn’t the whole town know we’re in love? It’ll give them something to ponder while Dale and I do our digging. If there’s one thing the town of Snow Creek can’t resist, it’s gossip about the Steels. I’d rather they be gossiping about Callie and me than about why Murphy’s is closed down.
Mission accomplished.
Chapter Ten
Callie
“How’d you hook a Steel?” Carmen demands. “Not only a Steel but one of the Three Rake-a-teers.”
My cheeks are about to burst into flames. “It kind of just happened.”
“I guess I saw the two of you getting cozy at Dale and Ashley’s wedding reception,” Carmen says. “But then all hell broke loose when that woman’s poor husband collapsed.”
I twist my lips. It feels funny to talk about this, but I’m not sure why. “There’s not much to tell. Donny just told you. We’re in love. Now, about Pat Lamone…”
“Screw Pat Lamone,” Carmen says. “This is much more interesting.”
Rory clears her throat then. “Carmen, as distasteful as it is, we need to discuss this.”
Carmen takes a long sip of her coffee. “I know. I just don’t want to.”
“Trust me, neither do we,” I tell her. “But we don’t have a choice.”
“Why is he back?” Carmen asks.
