Chapter 2
BODIE
I gripped Lacey’s elbow a little tighter as I led her outside. I wouldn’t admit it, but I kind of enjoyed spending time with Idont’s new mayor—much more than I expected, and a lot more than I should.
“Stop, Bodie. I’m not taking another step until you tell me what’s going on.” Lacey planted her feet as she wrapped her arms around her middle. It was chilly, even for Texas. I should have grabbed her coat, but now I didn’t want to take the time to go back inside.
“Here.” I slid my jacket off then draped it over her shoulders.
“I don’t want your jacket.” She shrugged it off and tossed it back at me. “I want to know why you dragged me out here during my shift. Helmut’s going to pop a blood vessel over this. What’s so important?”
“There’s a protest down at the warehouse. Seems Jonah Wylder has chained himself to the front doors. Says he’s not leaving until someone gives him his job back.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She tilted her head back, giving me a full-on glimpse of the smooth ivory column of her neck.
When did the little girl who used to bug the hell out of me turn into such a beauty?
Seemed like she’d always been underfoot as a kid.
Her big brother, Luke, and I couldn’t go anywhere without her tagging along.
Since she’d been back, I hadn’t paid much attention to her—I’d been too focused on trying to figure out a way to get out of Idont myself.
But now with her taking on the doomed role of mayor, I started to wish I hadn’t ignored her for so long.
“So, what do we do?” With her jaw set, she leveled her gaze at me. “I suppose I need to try to talk some sense into him.”
I tried to suppress a smile. “Good luck with that. Jonah’s not exactly known for keeping a level head.”
“Let’s go. I’ll ride with you so we can talk on the way.” She didn’t give me much choice but to follow behind her as she crossed the parking lot to my truck.
Should I try to open the door for her or let her handle it on her own? I wavered as we got closer. I’d never treated Lacey as anything but a kid. But now, there was no trace of the freckle-faced teen. I increased my pace to make it to the passenger door before her.
“Thanks.” She barely glanced at me as I held the door while she climbed into the truck.
While I waited for her to get settled, I couldn’t help but notice the way her skirt rode up on her thighs.
Rubbing a hand over the scruff on my chin, I chastised myself.
This was Luke’s little sister I was undressing in my mind.
I needed to shut that shit down. Fast. I closed the door and stomped around the truck to get behind the wheel.
We rode in silence for the first few minutes, giving me a chance to sort out my thoughts.
“So how do you suggest I handle Jonah?” Lacey swiveled in her seat to face me.
“Let him sit out there and freeze his ass off.” I took a sip of water from my travel tumbler. “Jonah’s a hothead. He’ll make a scene, but once everyone goes home and the excitement wears off, he’ll slink back to the rock he lives under.”
“That’s one of my constituents you’re talking about.” Lacey adjusted the vent on the dash.
“Yeah, I feel sorry for you about that. He was an asshole when he was younger, and he’s grown into an even bigger asshole now.”
“Great. How long is my term again?” She twisted a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger as she gazed out the front window.
“Four years. But as long as you don’t get arrested, you’ll probably get reelected.
” I meant that as a joke, a little bit of humor at her dad’s expense, but Lacey didn’t smile.
I glanced back and forth from the road in front of me to Lacey’s profile.
Her pulse ticked along her jaw as she drummed her fingers on her knee.
“You know I didn’t mean anything by that, right? ”
Her breath came out on a long sigh. “I know. Wish I knew what Dad was thinking when he decided to go on a joyride.”
“If it’s any consolation”—I gave her an apologetic grin—“I really didn’t enjoy arresting your dad that day.” Her dad had been more of a father figure to me growing up than my own flesh and blood.
“Nope.” Her mouth quirked into a half-smile. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to run for mayor. What was I thinking?”
“You want me to answer that?” I could tell her if she really wanted to know. Lacey was a fixer. Always had been and always would be.
“No.” She closed her eyes and let her head roll from side to side, like she was trying to ease some tension. “I just wish I’d thought it through. Seemed like the thing to do when Dad had to step down.”
“Idont is lucky you stepped up. If you hadn’t, can you imagine where we’d be right now without a mayor?” I slowed the truck to make a right.
“Probably annexed into Swynton by now. I’ve heard Mayor Little works fast.”
I’d heard that too, and even experienced it firsthand. The mayor of Swynton had definite ideas about how things should be done. We’d had our fair share of run-ins during the few years I’d been working as deputy sheriff. Mayor Buck Little wasn’t someone to cross.
“Have you had time to think about what you’re going to do yet?” I asked.
“You mean in the fifteen minutes I had in between my dealings with you?” Lacey shook her head, sending her wavy hair bouncing.
I caught a whiff of something flowery. Had to be her. Although I didn’t recall her ever smelling like anything but horses when we were younger. Horses and the butterscotch candy she always seemed to have in her mouth. That’s what earned her the nickname of Sweets in the first place.
“Are you warm enough?”
“No.” She clamped her arms around her middle. “But I’ll be fine. What should we do with Jonah? A little ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine?”
“Sure, I’ll rough him up then you sweet-talk him into going home.” I slid my gaze her way to catch her reaction.
“Really? Does that kind of stuff work?”
“Only on TV.”
She let out a groan. “Maybe I should just let you handle it, then. I can wait in the truck while you take care of Mr. Wylder.”
“And miss out on the fun?” I’d known her all my life and had seen her in action time and again.
She’d no more be able to step aside in a moment of crisis than I’d be able to ignore someone purposely breaking the law.
The only difference was I got paid to maintain law and order while she spent her life trying to fix things whether it fell within her job description or not.
“Yeah, I suppose I ought to at least try to talk to him.”
“That’s the spirit.” I pulled the truck onto the long, tree-covered drive leading to the warehouse.
Once, the land had belonged to the founder of the town, my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
He’d built the giant Victorian house first. When he decided to become a printer, he put up an outbuilding just down the drive.
Over the years, the Phillips family had expanded until the outbuilding became the warehouse it was today.
“You mean him and the mob he’s got with him?” I asked.
“What?” Lacey turned toward me. “I can’t imagine Jonah inciting a mob.”
As I eased the truck to a stop, I pointed through the windshield. “Okay, maybe not a mob, but he did bring some friends.”
“Oh, come on. When am I going to catch a break?” She opened the door and climbed down, looking out of place in her slim skirt and blouse among the flannel-and-denim-clad crowd.
I grabbed my hat, prepared to provide backup.
“Well, if it ain’t our new mayor.” Jonah sized her up as she approached. He stood at the front door of the building, layers of metal chains wrapped around his torso.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Wylder?” Lacey offered her hand but must have thought better of it when Jonah struggled to work his arm free to take it.
“For starters, you can reopen the warehouse.” His eyes narrowed. A chorus of encouraging “yeahs” and “that’s rights” floated up from the small crowd. “And then you can give us all a nice, fat raise.”
Lacey crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m afraid I can’t make that happen.”
“Then figure out a way.” Jonah nodded, his head being the only part of his body that he seemed to be able to move.
“Look, Mr. Wylder—”
“Jonah,” he insisted.
“Okay, Jonah. I’d love nothing more than to open up the warehouse, give all of you your jobs back, and double your pay. But we both know that’s not going to happen.”
“Then I’ll just stay here until you find a way.” Jonah shrugged, making the chains clink together.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, waiting to see how the situation would play out. Lacey looked like she was about to cry. Her bottom lip trembled, and she tightened her grip around her middle. I couldn’t let them get the best of her, not on her second day on the job.
“You’re just going to stay out here all night, then?” I asked.
Jonah nodded. “If that’s what it takes.”
“And I suppose you’ve got a permit for that?” I took a step toward Lacey, sensing her focus shift from Jonah to me.
Jonah glanced at one of his buddies. “I don’t need a permit to stay out here.”
“This land is private property. If you want to hold a demonstration or a public gathering, based on city code, you need to ask for permission from the owners first.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Unless you’d rather I arrest you and take you in.”
“What are you doing?” Lacey whispered. “I’m handling this.”
I put a hand out, gesturing for her to be quiet. “Your call, Jonah, but I bet your wife will be real pissed if you end up with another offense.”
Jonah gritted his teeth, then muttered something under his breath.
Lacey glared at me. “I said I’ve got this.”
“Fine.” Jonah shook his head, the fight draining from him. “Boys, get me out of here. We’ll have to find another way to settle our differences.”
One of Jonah’s friends fumbled with a set of keys. While we waited for the men to disperse, I turned to Lacey, pretty damn pleased at the way I’d managed to break things up. No one got hurt, Lacey saved face, and it was a win-win all around.
But the look she gave me wasn’t full of the thanks I expected—the thanks I deserved.
“What?” I held my hands out, wondering what I’d done to incite such an angry response. “You’re welcome. Aren’t you going to say something?”
Fire blazed in those bright baby blues, burning hot and icy cold at the same time. “Oh, I’m going to say something, all right.”