6. Dakota
The smell of melted cheese and garlic hit me like a warm hug the second I stepped into Crispy Crust for girls’ night. It was exactly what I needed after the bizarre day I’d had. Laney, Aubree, and Rory were already there, seated at our usual booth in the corner.
Laney gave me a little wave as I walked up, sliding over to make room as I took a seat. Aubree was busy digging into the basket of breadsticks on the table, and Rory was leaning back, sipping her soda with a knowing smile that made me instantly suspicious.
“I’m so glad we decided to do pizza. I need it.”
“Rough day?” Laney asked, handing me an off-white melamine plate from the stack under the pizza stand.
“Just… odd. I wish Hope wasn’t at work so she could back me up.”
“What happened in town square today?” she asked. “Did y’all really get shot at?”
“Ha! This town, I swear. No. A truck backfired. I wouldn’t have thought anythin’ of it if I hadn’t been swooped up by Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. Y’all should’ve seen it. He straight up used his body as a shield for me and Hope.”
“Oh, we heard plenty. Mrs. McClusky told everyone at the gym when she came in for her lunch-break workout,” Rory said.
Mrs. McClusky trading lesson plans for left hooks at the boxing gym owned by Rory and Travis Wilson still threw me for a loop, even though she’d been doing it for a while now. The woman was closer to one hundred than I was to my terrible-two’s, and she took her lunch breaks at a manly, Marine-Corps-themed boxing gym? But I guessed if anyone were the type to spend their time punching things and spreading gossip, it’d be Mrs. M.
“I’m sure she had a field day with it.”
“It was a hot topic right up until Travis walked in wearing that hundred-dollar scarf.”
Rory’s mention of the scarf had me grinning. Travis had been conned by Mrs. Abernathy into buying that it at the Caffeinated Squirrel when he’d been on the hunt for Rory. He’d blown in for info on her whereabouts and left with a hideous scarf—all because Mrs. A had worked her sweet, elderly magic. I had to admit, it was a little satisfying to see the guy who gives off motorcycle-riding bad-boy energy wrapped up in that colorful scarf, pretending he didn’t hate it.
“My, how the bad boy has fallen,” I teased.
“Oh, come on. He’s not a real bad boy. He’s a book-boyfriend bad boy,” she said with a laugh.
Laney and I looked at each other in confusion, but Aubree nodded. “I can see it.”
“It’s an archetype,” Rory added. “He gives off those vibes, but he’s got a heart of gold on the inside, and I’m a sucker for it, apparently.”
“Yeah, I guess every girl thinks she wants a bad boy until he’s really bad, then it’s like… where’d that other nice guy go? The one who said I should pick him instead? Is he still around?” Laney joked.
“Oh, he’s around. He’s usually waitin’ for her to see him,” Aubree said with a wistful sigh. “Happens all the time.”
“Which is why Travis is a fake bad boy, and I love him for it,” Rory said.
“I should hope so,” Laney teased.
I focused on my pizza with an inward sigh. I wanted what they had. Desperately. Lately, it seemed like everyone in my life was getting coupled up, and I was over here being “too much” for pretty much every guy I tried to date.
I wasn’t into books like Aubree—or like Rory, considering she wrote them for a living—but I was into rom-coms. So, when we had talks like this about archetypes and tropes, I referenced my version of the classics. But lately? All I had to do to keep up with their romance story chatter was look around me.
First, there was Laney and Everett, the high school sweethearts getting their second chance. Then, two best friends made an insta-family when Jackson, Bailey, and Phoebe became one big happy family, and Aubree’s unrequited crush on a famous country music singer actually turned into a high-flying romance for the ages.
And don’t even get me started with Rory and Trav and their adorable he-teaches-her moments. The man literally gave her the most amazing first kiss ever because he was appalled that she was a romance author who’d never been kissed. I mean, seriously?
Finally, we couldn’t have a trope-fest without the ever-popular enemies-to-lovers couple: Adam and Paisley. To be honest, I’d never thought that trope was very believable until I saw it on them. If two people hated each other, why would they suddenly mesh? But then when it turned out there was a reason for all of their fighting like cats and dogs and they had to work through it to get to the good stuff? I shipped them. Hard.
So, yeah, everyone around me was basically living out the rom-com movies of my dreams… and I was here, stuffing my face on pizza, wondering if maybe the only way to find what they had was to make myself a little less… a lot.
Was that a thing?
“What are you thinkin’ so hard about over there?” Laney asked. She reached across the table and used her finger to smooth the skin between my brows. “You’re gonna need Botox if you keep that up.”
I swatted her hand away. “I was thinkin’ about how lucky y’all are. I’m about ready to throw in the towel.”
I glanced up to find three pairs of eyes on me, all wide and frozen mid-bite like I’d just confessed to something scandalous. Aubree’s slice of pizza was halfway to her mouth, and Rory’s soda straw was still hanging in the air. Even Laney had her fork suspended over her plate, a piece of pepperoni dangling from the end like it wasn’t sure whether it was coming or going.
For a second, it looked like they were all waiting for me to say, “Just kidding!” but when I didn’t, they blinked in unison, clearly not prepared for my little pity party.
“That is not like you to say, Dakota Jolene,” Laney tsked.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Aubree said quietly. “You don’t throw towels, sweetheart.”
I lifted my chin. “Oh, no? What do I do with them, then?”
My sisters looked at each other and smiled as Laney said, “Oh, I dunno, tie them around your neck like Superwoman and jump off the top of the stairs?”
I rolled my eyes as I finished my bite of pizza, waving a hand. “That was one time.”
“We’re serious,” Aubree insisted. “I can’t imagine you givin’ up on anythin’ you want.”
Laney nodded. “Decidin’ you don’t want it anymore, sure. You’re always flittin’ from one thing to the next. Attention of a squirrel and all that. But you’ve never been the type to give up on anythin’ just because it’s hard.”
“Squirrels are actually really focused on their goals,” Rory chimed in. “They’re the ones that easily distract people, they don’t get easily distracted.”
“Thank you, Ms. Author. Dakota knows what we mean,” Laney said with a laugh.
Poor Rory never could help but chime in with random factoids. That girl’s wealth of random knowledge, thanks to all the research she did for her books, was bigger than a not-easily-distrated squirrel’s stash before winter.
“Anyway,” I said, sipping my Coke Zero to wash down the crust I’d just polished off, “I’m not sayin’ I’m givin’ up completely. Or that I’ll never find the guy for me. Maybe I just need to stop puttin’ so much pressure on it. That’s how I got myself into this mess with Dr. Dummy and Nurse Ratchett in the first place.”
They seemed to get it, nodding in understanding, but then Aubree put a hand on my knee as I sat cross-legged in the booth next to her. “Are they still givin’ you a hard time?”
“I still think you should let Gertie take a shot at ’em. That’ll put an end to it,” Laney advised.
I smiled at how different my sisters were when it came to their protective instincts. Aubree’s face was all concern and sympathy, looking like she was seconds away from hugging me and petting my hair. But Laney? She was ready to sic the family goat on the jerks who were giving me trouble. I loved both reactions.
“I don’t see her as much as him—thank goodness. But I’m pretty sure she tried to poison me the other day.”
“Uh, what now?”
Laney looked around, but not as if looking for a person. “That settles it. Where’s Gertie?”
We all laughed as I went on. “She brought in cookies, and when I went to grab one, she tried to tell me which one to take. She was blinkin’ all innocently and smilin’ bigger than a Cheshire Cat.”
“What did you do?” Rory asked.
“I didn’t wind up takin’ any of them. I didn’t need a cookie that badly. I just high-tailed it out of there.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t poisoned. If anything, maybe that one fell on the floor,” she mused. “That’s how I’d write it, anyway.”
“Well, that must be it, then,” I agreed with a laugh.
Laney leaned in, her eyes twinkling. “Speakin’ of Gertie, did y’all hear she followed Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious from the police station back to the B&B?”
I blinked in surprise. “What?”
Laney nodded, unable to hold back her grin. “Yep. Mrs. Abernathy said she saw Gertie trailin’ behind him like a little shadow, right down Main Street. And then get this—she sat herself down right outside like she was fixin’ to keep tabs on him wherever he went.”
“Oh, bless his heart,” Aubree said, laughing softly. “Did he know? I mean, he had to, right?”
“I don’t know, but word got back to Momma pretty quick, so she sent Phoebe to go pick Gertie up,” Laney added.
I shook my head, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. “Well, that tracks. Gertie’s got good instincts. She probably just wanted to keep an eye on him, make sure he didn’t get into any more trouble.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Rory said dryly. “Because Gertie hates trouble.”
“I bet she thought he needed some protection,” Aubree teased. “You know, from backfirin’ trucks.”
We all laughed, and I could just picture Gertie’s stubborn self, parked outside the B&B like some kind of furry, four-legged guard.
“I mean, he did just get shot. Can’t forget that,” I said, shuddering as the image of his bloodstained shirt popped into my mind.
“Does anyone actually know who they are or what they’re doin’ here?” Laney asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aubree glanced down at the table, her cheeks turning pink. “Well… I might’ve heard somethin’ through the grapevine.”
We all perked up, leaning in. “Oh?” Rory prompted.
“Norma at the diner mentioned her concerns about them to Riley, so he had his head of security do a little diggin’.” Aubree looked sheepish, but there was no stopping her now. “Turns out Tucker and his friend run a private investigation business out of Colorado. But Riley couldn’t find out what case they’re workin’ on here.”
“Private investigators?” I echoed, sitting back in my seat. That explained a lot… and yet, not enough. “That’s interesting.”
“I knew there was somethin’,” Laney said. “No way those guys were tourists who happened to get themselves shot at outside of Hope’s house.”
“I wondered where he was from since he didn’t have a trace of an accent,” I mused. “Colorado makes sense, I guess. Still, a PI? What could they be lookin’ for in Charlotte Oaks?”
Aubree shrugged. “Riley didn’t seem too worried, but I do wish we knew why they’re here.”
Rory tilted her head. “What’s the deal with the kid? Is he Tucker’s?”
“Oh, I know that one,” I said, holding up a finger. “I said somethin’ about him bein’ Tucker’s kid, and Colton set me straight real fast. He’s Tucker’s little brother, and he’s twelve.”
“We better keep Phoebe away from him,” Laney joked. “I’ve heard all too well how handsome the older brother is, though I haven’t seen him with my own eyes. If the little brother is the kid version of the way they’re makin’ Tucker sound, Phoebe will flip.”
“Is she gettin’ a little boy crazy these days?” Aubree asked.
Rory chuckled. “I don’t know if I’d call it that, but Jackson’s been picking her up from school so he could intimidate the boys. Middle school is a whole new world.”
The girls went on chatting about Phoebe and her middle school adventures, but my mind was still on the part about Tucker being a PI.
But after a few minutes, my silence was noticed, and Aubree bumped my shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just wonderin’ what their case has to do with Hope. What the heck could they possibly want with her?”
We all sat there for a second, chewing over the question and our pizza in silence, but no one had any answers.
I sighed, finishing the last of my slice. “Either way, too bad he’s not lookin’ into me, instead. Not just because he’s every bit as handsome as the rumor mill would have you believe, but then Hope wouldn’t be mixed up in whatever it is.”
“Uh, yeah, but then you would be,” Laney said.
“I know, but she’s been goin’ through it with her grandpa dyin’ and all. I just feel bad.”
Aubree’s face softened. “Paisley mentioned that Hope’s had to take a few calls at the dispatch center about older people passin’ away, and they’ve hit her pretty hard each time.”
“Are you sure that’s the reason you’d rather he was looking into you?” Rory asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “It’s not mostly because of how hot he is? I have seen him with my own eyes, and he really is. Objectively, of course.”
I felt my cheeks warm as I remembered the feel of his hard body against mine when he’d shielded me from danger in town square—well, apparent danger, anyway.
It definitely didn’t hurt that I was attracted to him, but at the end of the day, I felt protective over Hope. Kind of like how my sisters felt about me, only just like everyone else in my circle, she was older than me. Even as we added new members to our ever-growing family, apparently, I was destined to be the baby.
Rory’s eagle eyes didn’t miss my face’s reaction to those brick wall thoughts about Tucker, and she laughed, causing Laney and Aubree to shake their heads at me.
Laney cleared her throat. “Well, Kota, you’re barkin’ up the wrong tree with that one. He’s only here to solve whatever case he’s workin’ on. That won’t get you any closer to finding the right guy for you.”
I lifted a brow. “And why not? For all we know, I’ve been barkin’ up all the wrong trees so far because they’re planted right here in Charlotte Oaks.”
My sisters instantly slapped on matching looks of disapproval, and Laney put a hand on the table between us and tapped her fingers to get my attention. “Excuse me, you can’t fall in love with someone who doesn’t live here!”
I laughed. “You didn’t, fine, but you can’t agree with that,” I said as I turned to Aubree. “You fell in love with a jet-settin’ country singer, and look how well that turned out. He built your dream home in your hometown. He didn’t whisk you away.”
“I’m not sure a private eye makes as much money as Riley, though,” Rory piped in, ever so logically. “And he probably needs to go back to Colorado if that’s where his business is. He’s gotta have all kinds of licenses and stuff. He’d have to re-do all of that and start over if he were to move here.”
“Did you have a book hero who was a PI or somethin’?” I asked.
“Yep. And it takes a lot of work to build up a business. Doubt he’d want to move it across the country.”
“Blah, blah, blah. I didn’t say anythin’ about fallin’ in love with the man. Besides, he might only be in town for a case that might spell trouble for Hope. And that right there would prevent me from wantin’ anythin’ to do with that man, no matter how much I kinda wanna climb him like a tree.”
The girls laughed, but as the laughter died down, one thing was very clear to me: If a bonafide private eye was sniffing around Hope and her house when he’d gotten shot, Hope might be in real danger. What if that bullet was meant for my friend? And if no one seemed to know what the story was, and the people who did know refused to tell me anything, I needed to get the story on my own. Especially since Adam was clearly biased now that he knew his brother-in-arms from the past was Tucker’s partner.
“Y’all, I need to get to the bottom of this,” I said, interrupting whatever conversation they’d moved on to while I’d been thinking.
“Um, since when did you become the PI in this situation?” Laney asked.
“I’m not. But I am Hope’s friend, and I need to figure out what the actual PIs want with her. I’m stayin’ with her right now anyway, so maybe before I go inside tonight… I’ll just have a little look-see.”
“That is a terrible idea, Dakota,” Aubree chided.
I stuck my tongue out at her.
“I agree,” Laney warned.
“I’m sure you do.”
“I’d probably do the same thing,” Rory said with a shrug, causing us all to laugh again.
“I’m sure you would, bush girl, ” Laney teased, bumping her with her shoulder as she used the nickname once assigned to Rory when she’d first come into town.
It’d been under a similar level of intrigue for the gossip mill since Rory had snuck around town asking questions about Riley in an attempt to work up the nerve to tell him they were long-lost siblings. She’d literally hid in bushes to spy on him and Aubree while they were falling in love, and none of us would ever let her live it down.
At least, I hoped we wouldn’t. It was too good.
Rory copied me by sticking her tongue out at Laney, and I grinned. “That’s the spirit, Ror.”
“You—” Laney said, eyes on me now. “Get your butt to her house and go straight inside. No snoopin’.”
I saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“She’s not gonna listen to me, is she?” Laney asked Aubree.
“Does she ever?”