Chapter 9
BODIE
Kinks. Why’d she have to say “kinks” out loud?
This business of having to work with Lacey made my stomach churn, made my pants feel a little too tight as well.
Up until about a year ago I hadn’t thought of her as anything but the toothy tagalong sister of my best friend.
She’d annoyed me, just like she bugged the hell out of her brother growing up. But we’d had some fun times, too.
Luke was a great shot, loved to camp, and could win any kind of race whether on foot or on four wheels.
But Lacey was the one who’d engaged me in long conversations.
Usually while we sat on the dock of Pappy’s Pond, fishing poles in hand.
Luke wasn’t patient enough to wait for the fish to bite.
He’d hand his pole over, then spend the rest of the afternoon swinging off the thick rope left over from other kids who’d visited the swimming hole long before us.
But Lacey and I would sit for hours with nothing but the sound of crickets and locusts between us.
Every once in a while we’d pick up a string of conversation.
But comfortable silence worked, too. I’d never felt awkward like I needed to fill the long stretches between us.
But I’d also never thought of her as a girl. Not when she’d dig around in the dirt for night crawlers to use as bait. Not when she’d chase snakes with us. And definitely not when she’d jump in the pond in her T-shirt and shorts, her chest flatter than the boards of the dock we’d sit on to dry off.
When I’d left for college, she’d still been in braces. But now, there was no escaping the fact that Lacey Cherish had morphed from the gangly girl I used to know into a confident, good-looking woman.
But business was business. The sooner I figured out a way to salvage the family fortune without rocking the boat, the sooner I could start looking for a job far from the family who always seemed to wedge me in between a rock and a hard place.
And far from the woman who could single-handedly ruin me.
I reached over to give Shotgun a pat on the head.
At least I had company tonight. With nothing stretching ahead of me but another lonely Friday evening, it would be nice to have a warm body to share the couch with.
Even if it was only a dog. For a moment I let myself imagine what it would feel like to curl myself around someone of the two-legged variety. Someone like Lacey Cherish.
“Dammit.” I slapped a palm on the dash before I cranked up the volume on my radio.
Shotgun let out a bark as she wagged her tail.
“That’s right. Time to change the subject. How about we stop in for some takeout on the way home?”
A giant tongue doused my cheek in doggie saliva, signaling Shotgun was most likely on board with that decision.
Fifteen minutes later, I sat on a stool at the counter while Jojo raced around the Burger Bonanza. “Don’t you have any help tonight?”
“Nope. Lacey was scheduled but she called in a bit ago.” Jojo clipped two order tickets to the window between the kitchen and the dining room. “I think that press conference about did her in.”
“You two are close, aren’t you?”
“If by ‘close’ you mean we can carry on a conversation about something beyond what the daily special is, then yeah, I suppose so.” She paused next to me, clamping her hands to her hips. “Why?”
I swiveled on the stool to face her. “Just curious. She’s had a rough first week on the job. I hope it’s not getting to her.”
“Lacey?” Jojo waved a hand. “That girl’s not made out of sugar, spice, and everything nice.
She’s got ice running through those veins of hers.
I’ve never seen someone able to stay so cool and collected.
And let me tell ya, working around Helmut,”—she nudged her chin toward the grill—“that’s really saying something. ”
“Good. I’d hate to think this thing with the import business had her rattled.”
“If you don’t mind me saying so, it’s probably about time your dad and pops found someplace else to settle down.” She leaned closer, whispering into the narrow space between us. “Lots of folks aren’t so happy with the way your family’s been doing business around here lately.”
I backed away, evaluating her expression to gauge how serious she was.
Jojo’s brow drew down, causing her forehead to crease. “I didn’t say nothin’, okay?”
“Nothin’,” I agreed.
The bell dinged and Jojo whirled around, snagging a brown paper bag from the window.
“Here you go. Double Banzai burger loaded and two patties on the side.” She passed the bag to me, but didn’t let go as my hand wrapped around the top.
“You’re not doing one of those weird high-protein diets, are you? ”
“No. The extra patties are for the dog.”
“You got yourself a dog?” Jojo let go of the bag and tucked her arms under her chest. “What did you get, a pup, or what?”
“It’s a rescue from For Pitties’ Sake. Lacey and I found it in a parking lot the other day.”
Jojo’s jaw clenched. “Those poor animals. Someone’s got to figure out where they’re coming from.”
“I’m working on that.” I stood, taking the bag with me. “Have a good night now.”
“You, too, Deputy Phillips.”
I pushed through the door, smiling as I caught sight of Shotgun standing behind the wheel on the seat of my truck. As I approached, the dog’s backside wiggled faster and faster.
“Brought you something.” I reached into the bag, pulling out one of the plain hamburger patties.
Zina had sent me home from the rescue center with a whole bag of dry kibble.
Based on the way Shotgun reacted to the scent of fresh-fried ground beef, she much preferred something hot off the grill as opposed to kibble straight out of the bag.
The dog gulped down the burger patty in one big bite. Then sat down on the passenger seat, wagging her tail in anticipation.
“We’re saving the other one until we get home.”
Shotgun must have sensed she wasn’t going to get another treat.
She curled up as best she could into a ball and lay down.
Her legs hung over the edge. She was going to be big, that was obvious from the size of her paws.
I figured I wouldn’t be able to keep the dog much longer.
But I’d enjoy the company while I could.
“Let’s go, girl.” I laid a hand on Shotgun’s head and pulled out of the parking lot. I had a long night ahead of me if I wanted to figure out how to handle the meeting between Lacey and my family tomorrow with minimal collateral damage.