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“You used them on your brothers?”
“I tried,” Kayleigh muttered as she backed out of her spot. “The worst part is that no matter what joke I might pull out, all of them would just laugh. Well, laugh and rest their arm on top of my head like I was an armrest.”
“Are you the shortest in your family?”
“Yeah. My mom and my sisters are all taller than me. At this point, the only people shorter than me are my niece and nephew, and that probably won’t last for long.”
“This is a very pretty part of the country,” Hudson said as she drove the winding stretch of road toward Serenity. “Even with the snow. I really like all the towering evergreens.”
“It’s a place that’s beautiful year-round,” Kayleigh said. “There are lots of outdoor places to hike in the summer, and there are rivers and lakes to go to as well.”
“Sounds ideal.”
“It can be,” Kayleigh agreed. “But no place is perfect, and winter holds its own dangers.”
“Danger on the slopes?”
“Yep. That, plus danger on the roads. My sister and her boyfriend were in an accident at the end of November that left Will badly injured.”
“Are they okay?”
“They are now, but it was a scary time immediately after it happened.”
“How big is Serenity?” Hudson asked as they neared the outskirts of the town.
Given her job was in tourism, Kayleigh had more information about Serenity and the surrounding area than the average person, which she was happy to share with him. They didn’t have time for too much chat about the town before they reached the police station.
After parking in the attached lot, they walked to the main doors leading into the reception area of the police station. There was a stronger than usual wind, and it made Kayleigh glad she’d wrapped a scarf around her neck before leaving the hotel.
As they walked into the small reception area, Kayleigh spotted a familiar face. She smiled at the woman as they approached the front desk.
“Hi, Tanya,” Kayleigh said. “How’re you doing?”
They chatted for a couple of minutes before Kayleigh mentioned their appointment with the Chief, then introduced Hudson.
“I’ll let him know that you’re here,” Tanya said as she picked up the phone.
Kayleigh stepped off to the side with Hudson as they waited.
“Do you know everyone in town?” Hudson asked.
Kayleigh laughed. “Noteveryone. But between my family owning the clinic and being part of the largest church in town, people know me, even if I don’t know them.”
“So being a Halverson means something around here, huh?”
Kayleigh wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The reality was that their family was well known around the town. The Halversons had been a part of Serenity for several generations, so yeah, their name represented something in the area.
“It certainly does,” Chief Lewis said as he joined them. “The Halverson family represents the best of Serenity. They’re pillars of this town, not just in the clinic, but in the church, the schools, and other places, like the resort.”
“You’re laying it on a little thick there, Chief,” Kayleigh said with a laugh.
“I don’t think so.” The chief turned to Hudson. “I’m Grant Lewis. Police chief here in Serenity.”
“Hudson St. James,” Hudson said as he shook the man’s hand.
“Well, let’s head back so we can talk.”
Kayleigh hoped they dropped the subject of her family. She didn’t want Hudson to think the chief was talking them up, which might make him think that anything the man told them was exaggerated.
