AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What the—?
I pulled on a shirt, rubbed the sleep away a little more, and moved to the motel room door. If the police wanted me, they could deal with me in my boxers.
A look through the peephole revealed that yes, there was a uniformed man standing outside my room. I opened the door. “Morning, officer. Is there a problem?”
He flashed his badge. “Sorry to wake you, sir. I’m Deputy Rohde Meier. We have a little girl in Two-oh-Three B who lost her octopus last night. Have you seen it?”
What? I stared at him blankly. “Beg pardon?”
“An octopus. Stuffed. Maybe about ten inches at its largest. Purple. Well-worn around the ears.”
“Do octopuses have ears?” Octopi? Octopods? “I’m sorry, did you wake me up to ask me about a child’s missing toy?”
“She throws fits without it. Her parents are in a panic. You understand.”
“Send them my sympathy.” I actually meant it, but there was no reason to let him see that. “I haven’t seen it though.” I swung the door shut.
Deputy Meier stopped it from closing completely. “Thanks for your help anyway, Mr…”
“Rawlings. Sawyer Rawlings.”
“Got it. And you’re in town for how long?”
Only as long as it took and not a second longer. “A week or two. I’ll be gone when my business here is done.”
“I see. Well, you enjoy your stay and be careful out there. People in small towns tend to talk. Oh.” He looked at my crotch. “Next time, keep the weapon holstered while talking to the police.”
I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of looking. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” I said flatly as I let the door swing shut again. A glance down confirmed that yes, my dick was hanging out.
Fuck.
I already knew I shouldn’t have egged Evie on last night, but when she hit that angry-enough-to-kick-your-ass point, her cheeks did a cute, puffy red thing and her mouth puckered in a perfectly kissable hard line.
If Deputy Meier was her way of pointing out whose town this was, she didn’t need to bother. I was happy to close this deal and move on.
That might mean apologizing to her, but we weren’t there yet.
Okay, maybe I could apologize for last night’s comment. If she had the power to send local cops after me, she may not be as dick-starved as I teased her about. Not that I thought she was anyway. Gage would worship every inch of her if she let him.
I forced myself awake through my shower, and made myself coffee in-room. This wasn’t The Four Seasons—the double queen beds were basic, and the kitchenette was a sink and a microwave. It was cleaner than a lot of four-star hotels I’d stayed in though, and the walls were thick enough I hadn’t heard my neighbors last night.
That was all I needed from anyplace I slept when I was on the road.
First stop this morning was the hardware store. Again. I walked in to see the same young man working as yesterday. He nodded toward the back of the shelves. “Evie’s stocking shelves, if you’re looking for her.”
“Thanks.” I liked this guy. Nicest person in town so far.
Up until five years ago, my father’s business didn’t matter. I’d been in real estate, but my husband and I were a team.
The memory—Tony’s face in my mind—ached. It always did, but not the way it used to. Now the reminder felt more like an empty void than the kind of gaping agony that made me practically catatonic after he pass— left me.
Hudson helped me climb out of that pit and offered me a chance to come back to the family business. Back then I didn’t care. I existed because there was no other choice.
How pathetic had I been?
I found Evie with the shovels, and the post hole digger in her hands was nearly as tall as she was. That didn’t stop her from wielding it like it was nothing when she turned to face me.
“What?” she asked.
