11. Sophie #2
“I’ll take that as encouragement.” I scratched behind Theo’s ears. “You know what today was?” I paused thoughtfully. “Besides emotionally exhausting, physically humiliating, and strangely educational.”
Theo’s jaw moved in slow, lazy circles.
“My second full day pretending to be an event planner.” It still sounded ridiculous to say out loud. Like I’d accidentally wandered into someone else’s career, someone else’s life, and nobody had noticed yet.
Bandit flicked an ear.
“I’m still pretending.” I sighed. “Although… maybe a little less than yesterday.” Yesterday I’d been improvising, like I’d just watched half a YouTube tutorial. Today I almost resembled a functioning adult for several consecutive minutes.
The words surprised me because they were true. Today I’d actually solved things.
Okay… Sheriff Walker had solved a few things.
Fine. Several things.
But I’d solved some too. And I was good at it.
Theo nudged my shoulder a little harder, nearly tipping me sideways again.
“I know.” I smiled faintly. “I’ve had a lot of jobs.
” The words slipped out before I really meant to say them.
“Receptionist.” I ticked one finger. “Travel agency.” Another.
“Dental office.” Another. “Real-estate assistant.” Another.
“I even worked in a candle store for three weeks.” I looked down.
“Turns out scented wax isn’t really a long-term career path.
” Especially when you accidentally knocked over an entire display of vanilla bean candles and the place smelled like baked cookies for six months.
“Nobody ever says they’re going to grow up and become professionally unemployed.
” Yet somehow I’d managed to make it feel less like a career path and more like a recurring hobby.
Bandit started chewing on one of my shoelaces.
“Hey. Stop that.” I tugged my foot back. “I’ve already lost enough dignity this week. And I need those laces.” I’d like to leave here wearing both shoes, if that’s not asking too much.
The goat looked offended, as though I was being unreasonable by expecting to keep my own footwear.
“You know,” I sighed. “You would’ve liked my old bosses.” They probably would’ve blamed me for the shoelace too.
Theo rested even more weight against me.
“I wasn’t always fired.” I laughed to myself, like a crazy person. “Okay. Usually the firing came pretty fast. But it’s not like I didn’t try. I always showed up on time. I was polite. Respectful. And I did the job as best I could. It’s just… sometimes… my best was a disaster.”
The breeze stirred the café lights behind me, and somewhere in town music played.
The sound drifted across the quiet festival grounds, mixing with the soft rustle of hay and the steady breathing of a goat, a miniature donkey, and two alpacas who, against all odds, were becoming the most emotionally available friends I’d had in a very long time.
I leaned my head gently against Theo’s neck. “You know what the really embarrassing part is?”
The animals continued listening.
I blew a tuft of alpaca fur off my lips and said, “I actually think I can do this.” I looked out toward the glowing festival square. “Like maybe this was my calling. You know? Everybody gets a calling. Right? Maybe this is mine. You know what I mean?”
Bandit opened his jaw, and some hay fell out.
“Sophie Hartwell, professional event planner.” I beamed. “It does have a nice ring to it. And if it works out, I might eventually get my own place. You know? Keep an apartment. Have privacy in case I wanted to bring home a guy.”
My traitorous brain went straight to the sheriff’s ass.
I groaned. “Oh, don’t start,” I muttered to myself.
Theo hummed against my shoulder.
“I’m serious.”
He hummed again.
“I know he helped today.” I waved my hands around for emphasis. If anyone was seeing this, they’d think I was nuts. Or drunk. Probably both.
I looked absentmindedly toward the festival grounds, where the café lights glowed softly through the darkness. “But… why? Why even bother with me? He doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t owe me anything.”
That was the part I couldn’t figure out.
And why did he come back tonight and help me untangle myself from the lights? He wasn’t even on duty.
But he’d come.
And like a fool, I’d fallen... and he’d caught me.
And then there was the whole staring-at-my-lips thing. He had stared at them. That wasn’t a hallucination.
Still, it was almost like he was checking up on me. To make sure I didn’t screw up and accidentally electrocute myself. Could happen.
It was almost like he wanted me to succeed, which was really strange. Most people spent their time waiting for me to mess up. He’d spent his making sure I didn’t.
I frowned. “Maybe that’s just what sheriffs do.”
Bandit sneezed.
“I know. It sounds suspicious to me too.” I reached for Helen’s binder beside me and slipped my hand into the front pocket. My fingers brushed against stiff cardstock.
His business card.
I’d almost forgotten I’d put it there. I pulled it out and ran my thumb over the raised black lettering of his name.
Weird. Somehow, the simple white card suited him perfectly. No unnecessary flourishes. Just Sheriff Eric Walker.
A man of few words.
Unlike me.
Captain Competent probably alphabetized his spice rack and folded fitted sheets for fun.
I smiled to myself. “He’s annoyingly…” I searched for the right word. “Solid. With a great ass.”
Theo blinked.
“I know.” I shook my head. “It’s irritating. But he’s not half as bad as I first thought. I would even go as far as saying he’s a decent guy.”
Bandit pushed himself up and wandered closer.
I snorted. “Who knows. Maybe one day we can even be friends—”
Before I could react, Bandit stretched out his neck and plucked the business card straight out of my fingers and started chewing.
“Hey!” I lunged toward him. “Drop it. That’s not food! Give it!”
Bandit took two proud steps backward, happily working his jaw.
“Spit out the sheriff!” Yeah, that sounded weird.
He blinked and kept chewing.
“Damnit.” I reached for the card.
Bandit danced sideways.
I frowned. “You little shit. You think this is a game. Don’t you?”
The goat took another step. Another chew. He was doing it on purpose.
“Give. It. Back.”
Theo wandered over to watch. Daisy stayed exactly where she was. Smart girl.
I crouched low, ready to tackle the goat if he didn’t stay still. I wasn’t entirely sure why I was going to this length. It was just a business card. I could probably find Captain Competent’s work number online in under thirty seconds.
But he’d given it to me.
And I wanted it back.
Just as I shifted my weight to lunge, Bandit spat the card onto the hay, deciding it wasn’t nearly as delicious as he’d first thought.
I snatched it up and winced. “Great. Nice job with the goat drool, buddy.” I sighed. “Okay. I can still work with that.” One corner now bore unmistakable goat teeth. A tiny semicircle was missing. I held it up. “It has character now.”
Bandit looked ridiculously pleased with himself.
I pointed the soggy card at him. “If Sheriff Walker asks why his business card has bite marks, I’m absolutely blaming you.”
He wagged his tiny tail and gave one happy little hop.
God, he was cute. “Don’t look so proud of yourself.” I laughed despite myself. “I have a feeling you and I are going to be responsible for a lot of gray hair.”
I looked toward the festival lights again. Today hadn’t been the disaster I thought it would be. The lights were up. The vendors were ready. The animals were safe.
Tomorrow… Tomorrow Maplewood Falls would finally have its Summer Festival.
I smiled. Maybe I could actually do this.
Still grinning like a fool, I slipped Captain Competent’s half-eaten card safely into my back pocket.
Strictly for professional reasons.
My brain laughed.