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“Me, too.” I laugh, watching her bounce around in her chair, clapping her hands in joy. “Let’s just hope Colt seals the deal this time.”
“I have faith in him. So, quiet night?”
“Same as always. You grew up in Magnolia. Nothing ever happens around here.” I chuckle softly. “Sometimes we get calls to head to Birch Cove or Rose Hill, but nothing else, mostly.”
Being a Magnolia County sheriff’s deputy means we get calls from all over the county, but it’s never anything eventful. The most that happens is we get a call to run some kids off Old Man Wynter’s property for drinking and tipping over his cows. What can I say? We live in a small town surrounded by more small towns. Teenagers have to find creative ways to have fun.
“I don’t know about you, but I hope that never changes.”
“I second that. Nothing really changes around here. It’s one of the main reasons I never want to leave.”
Sure, there’s always a chance of something dangerous happening, like anywhere else in the world, but mostly, we have nothing to worry about.
People move from the city, thinking that they want a quiet life, but soon realize that sometimes it’s too quiet. I kind of feel sorry for those people. They move here from Nashville or Knoxville, expecting a Hallmark movie, and they get that, for the most part. But adjusting can be hard, especially when everyone in town knows your business. We all try to make their transition a little easier, but most of the time, they just end up moving back to wherever they came from. It takes a special person to love a town like Magnolia.
“What do you think happened to her fiancé?”
“I don’t know, and I really don’t care. He was a douchebag of epic proportions, and I’m glad she came to her senses before she married him.”
“Yes, the rumor around town was that he didn’t even come to ask your father’s permission to marry her.”
“Yeah, my dad was pissed.”
Sutton had to do a lot of damage control after telling my parents she was getting engaged. I know it’s the twenty-first century, but my dad is old-fashioned. He wanted to meet the man his daughter was planning on marrying, to get to know him better than just what she told him.
Just as Dolores is opening her mouth to say something else, I notice a very expensive Mercedes, which I only know because of the hood ornament resting precariously on the tan hood, pulling into the parking spot directly in front of the door. The two-tone car sticks out like a sore thumb against the view of Magnolia behind it.
“Do you think someone is lost?” Dolores questions from beside me as I push to my feet, striding toward the door.
“I have no idea, but either way, I have to go out there and find out what they want.”
“Can’t we just wait for them to come inside?” Dolores questions, leaning to the side and attempting to get a glimpse at the newcomer.
“We could, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I don’t know who or what is in that car or what they want. Be ready to call in backup if things go wrong.”
Dolores nods her head as I inch slowly toward the door. “Make sure to lock this behind me,” I say over my shoulder as I unclip the top strap of my holster, resting my hand on my weapon, ready to draw it if needed. I wait for her to scurry around the counter before I step out the door, and I hear it locking quickly behind me. Once I’m sure she’s had enough time to get back to her desk, I approach the vehicle just as the door swings open and the last person I expected to see climbs out.
I’ve only seen my sister’s fiancé in pictures, but I’ve never had the displeasure of meeting him in person. Sutton never offered to bring him home to meet us, and my parents and I never could figure out the right time to go and visit her in the city. I wouldn’t say we hated him, but he was definitely not our favorite person for keeping Sutton away from home, or at least that’s how my parents felt. I, for one, know the truth. Sutton didn’t want to take a chance at running into Colt. A fact that’s 100 percent obvious after what happened at the bar last night. The only question is, why the hell is Maxwell here? Did she call him and break things off with him, or did he come after her?
“Can I help you, sir?” I bite out, trying not to sneer at him in disgust.
He isn’t a bad-looking man. His dark-colored hair and piercing green eyes remind me of another man in my life, but I shake those thoughts free. I need to focus all my attention on Maxwell and why he’s here, while also making sure he doesn’t find out where my sister is. Well, not until I’m ready to tell him.
“Where can I find the Floreses’ home?” he snaps, checking his watch. “I’m kind of in a hurry, but my fiancé is missing. She isn’t answering her phone or my texts.”
“Missing, you say?” I scoff. “Hold that thought.”
I turn on my heels and knock on the door, waiting patiently for it to open. Dolores pokes her head out, her eyes scanning her surroundings before landing on Maxwell standing a few feet away from me.
“Is that?” she questions, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Sure is.” I smile as she begins to giggle softly. “Can you call Colt and let him know I need to talk to my sister?”
“Your sister?” Maxwell’s eyes roam down my body before flicking toward my face. “I don’t see a family resemblance at all.”
“Yes, we get that a lot,Max.” I roll my eyes before pulling my phone out of my pocket and shooting off a text to Sutton.
“Oh, I wish I was a fly on the wall when you tell them her fiancé is here and wants to speak with her. Max doesn’t seem too happy with her.”
