by Dylann Crush
“Fine. Tell your dad and pops that I’d be willing to chat with them.”
He let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you’d both have something to gain.”
“I know.” Her hand passed over his as she gave Shotgun a scratch under the chin. The dog burrowed closer, finally turning circles then settling into her lap. “What are you going to do with her?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how she’d do home alone so I’ve been taking her with me everywhere. Someone must have worked with her at some point. She knows some basic commands.”
“Did Zina say when she’d be ready for adoption?”
“Nah. She wants to see how she does first. Somebody did wrong by her. I noticed she gets a little nervous around men.”
“But not you,” Lacey said.
“Just when I surprise her.”
“I guess she can tell you wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Bodie’s chest puffed out. “What are you talking about? I’m in charge of intimidating bad guys.”
“When’s the last time you had to catch a bad guy around here?”
His mouth screwed up. “Does Kirby Ketchum count?”
Lacey let out a laugh. “No, Kirby doesn’t count. He’s more of a nuisance than a bad guy.” In the few short days she’d been working as mayor, she’d already fielded a couple of complaints about the man. He had an address out west of town—a mobile home that sat in the middle of ten acres of dry land. But he seemed to spend most of his time poking around the center of town.
“Well, I’d catch a bad guy if we had any.”
Lacey caught the way his mouth drew into a line. Would his vow hold if it was one of his kin that turned out to be the bad guy? She’d like to think that Bodie’s sense of honor and duty would win over any family ties, but that was the thing about family. Oftentimes that was the only time exceptions were made to the rules.
“So when will this showdown take place?” she asked.
“Aw, come on, Sweets. It’s not like you’re going into a cage match with them.”
“I’d never agree to that. Your pops might be older than the hills but he’d be able to take down a man twice his size and a quarter of his age.”
That statement earned her a laugh from Bodie. He held out a fist and bumped knuckles with her. “That’s the honest truth. They just want to chat. Maybe over a nice, cold glass of lemonade. Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Fine. They can come to the house.”
“Your place? I figured you’d want a neutral location.”
“You’ll have your family in tow, I want to have some backup of my own.”
“Your dad?”
She shrugged. “I’d prefer to have Luke in my corner but his leave isn’t coming up for another few months.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”
“Too long.” She lifted her gaze to meet Bodie’s. Talk of her older brother was one of the few things that could make her tear up. Didn’t matter that the thought of seeing Luke again made her heart warm. She wouldn’t believe he was okay until she got to wrap her arms around him in a hug. He’d been out of the picture when everything went down with her dad so she’d had to handle it all on her own. Sure, they’d video-chat every once in a while but it wasn’t the same as knowing the one person who’d always had her back would be next to her.
“Can’t wait to see him for myself.” Bodie peered through the fogged-up windshield. “Never did understand why he felt like he had to become such a hero.”
Lacey almost pointed out to him that he’d done the same thing, just stateside instead of overseas. “How about tomorrow afternoon? I’ll make up a pitcher of that strawberry lemonade you like.”
“Might snow tomorrow.”
“You’re kidding.” Even in February, temps never fell below freezing. “Maybe hot cocoa instead?”
“Come on, Shotgun.” Bodie tugged on the leash. “We’ve got to make a pit stop at the feed store and pick up a new leash for you.”
“Not a fan of the hearts?” Lacey asked.
“Hearts are fine for her. But I wouldn’t mind something a little less, well, a little less pink.”
“There’s nothing wrong with pink. And you’d better get used to it. I read that it’s one of the most popular wedding colors this year.” She put her hands on either side of Shotgun’s muzzle, careful to avoid the sores left from the tape.
“You’re really going to pursue this, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. The town’s even going to change its name from Idont to Ido. It’s on the agenda for the next council meeting. Don’t you think that will go along better with the whole wedding thing?”
Bodie snorted. “You’re really something, Mayor Cherish. Come on, Shotgun.”
The dog gave Lacey a final look, her big brown eyes staring deep into her soul. Then her tongue swept over her face. Lacey couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “She’s a kissing monster.”
“Nah, she just knows you like getting a face full of tongue.” With a gentle tug on the leash, Bodie helped Shotgun scramble out of the truck. “Three o’clock tomorrow sound good?”
Lacey used her sleeve to wipe the remaining doggie spit off her cheeks. “Yeah. I’ll see you then.”
Bodie shut the door, then lingered in the open window. “So . . .”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. I appreciate you doing this.” The edges of his eyes crinkled, making her wonder how long it had been since he’d offered her a genuine smile.
She smiled back, glad she could help. Maybe she could work something out with the Phillips family. “I’m the mayor, it’s my job to try to work out any kinks with my constituents.” She owed it to herself and Bodie to try.
nine
Kinks. Why’d she have to say “kinks” out loud? This business of having to work with Lacey made his stomach churn, made his pants feel a little too tight as well. Up until about a year ago he hadn’t thought of her as anything but the toothy tagalong sister of his best friend. She’d annoyed him, just like she bugged the hell out of her brother growing up. But they’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 Bodie in long conversations. Usually while they 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 them. But Bodie and Lacey would sit for hours with nothing but the sound of crickets and locusts between them. Every once in a while they’d pick up a string of conversation. But comfortable silence worked, too. He’d never felt awkward like he needed to fill the long stretches between them.
But he’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 them. 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 they’d sit on to dry off.
When he’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 he used to know into a confident, good-looking woman.
But business was business. The sooner he figured out a way to salvage the family fortune without rocking the boat, the sooner he could start looking for a job far from the family who always seemed to wedge him in between a rock and a hard place. And far from the woman who could single-handedly ruin him.
He reached over to give Shotgun a pat on the head. At least he had company tonight. With nothing stretching ahead of him 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 Bodie let himself imagine what it would feel like to curl himself around someone of the two-legged variety. Someone like Lacey Cherish.
“Dammit.” He slapped a palm on the dash before he cranked up the volume on his 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 his cheek in doggie saliva, signaling Shotgun was most likely on board with that decision.
Fifteen minutes later Bodie sat on a stool at the counter while Jojo raced around the restaurant. “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 him, clamping her hands to her hips. “Why?”
Bodie 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 them. “Lots of folks aren’t so happy with the way your family’s been doing business around here lately.”
Bodie 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’,” Bodie 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 him, but didn’t let go as his 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.” Bodie stood, taking the bag with him. “Have a good night now.”
“You, too, Deputy Phillips.”
He pushed through the door, smiling as he caught sight of Shotgun standing behind the wheel on the seat of his truck. As he approached, the dog’s backside wiggled faster and faster.
“Brought you something.” Bodie reached into the bag, pulling out one of the plain hamburger patties. Zina had sent him 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 till 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. Bodie figured he wouldn’t be able to keep the dog much longer. But he’d enjoy the company while he could.
“Let’s go, girl.” He laid a hand on Shotgun’s head and pulled out of the parking lot. He had a long night ahead of him if he wanted to figure out how to handle the meeting between Lacey and his family tomorrow with minimal collateral damage.
ten
“Excuse me?” Lacey tried to summon a polite smile. However, present company made the task so much more difficult. “You want to do what?”
Mr. Phillips leaned across the kitchen table and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the coffee mug she’d set in front of him over an hour ago. “No harm, no foul. You let us take back our stuff and we’ll get out of your hair and not put up a stink about your new plans for the house.”
Did he really think he actually had the right to put up any kind of stink? She leaned against the back of her chair, trying to size up Bodie’s dad. “You realize you defaulted on the agreement you had. So legally everything in that warehouse is now the property of the town. Including all of the inventory.”
Bodie’s granddad reached for one of the cookies she’d set out. On her mama’s fine china, no less. “These cookies are really good. You make them yourself?”
“Yes—well, no. Actually, Dad made them.” Lacey glanced at her dad, who’d remained silent throughout the interaction.
The senior Phillips let out a chuckle. “So that’s what you’re doing with your spare time now, Wyatt?”
Dad’s face reddened but he didn’t say anything.
“My father’s very busy. He’s working as a consultant.” How dare they come into her home and insult her dad. If the Phillips family thought that was going to work in their favor they were sorely mistaken.
“Is that right? What kind of consulting are you doing now, Mr. Mayor?” Pops bit into the homemade chocolate chip cookie then wiped the bit of melted chocolate from his lip.
“Pops”—Bodie tilted his head in Lacey’s direction—“Lacey’s mayor now. Mr. Cherish is retired.”
Of course his pops already knew that. The slight was just another barb in his attempt to undermine her authority. He’d been taking potshots ever since they arrived.
“Oh, I know. Just trying to be respectful.”
Lacey bit back her response. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere. At least nowhere productive. “Maybe we ought to wrap up for today and give things more thought.” At that point all she wanted was to get the Phillips men out of her house. All three of them.
“Lacey honey . . .” Bodie’s dad leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “What’s it going to take to get you to see things our way?”
Prickles raised the hair on her arms. “You can start by leaving all that ‘honey’ bullshit at the door. Which, as you’ll recall, is right this way.” She stood, her chair scraping across the hardwood floor. “This meeting is over.”
“Look”—Bodie put his palms out—“can we all just take a deep breath?”
“That’s a great idea, Deputy Phillips. Why don’t you, your dad, and your pops go do some calm breathing exercises? When you’re ready to be reasonable, I’d be more than happy to get together again.” Her own breath came shallow and short.
“This has been a waste of time.” Bodie’s dad got up from his chair. “Wyatt, it was good to see you. We miss you down at the club. Hope you’ll be back to manning your barstool again soon.”
“Dad.” Bodie popped up and muttered something into his dad’s ear. His pops just sat at the table, his cool blue eyes never leaving Lacey’s face.
She wouldn’t have felt more exposed if he’d been trying to look at her under a microscope. What was it about the Phillips family that made them think they were better than everyone else? Her dad had gotten into multiple rows over the years with them. Evidently it was part of the mayor’s job. From what she could tell, they fought dirty and weren’t above doing what it took to
get whatever they wanted.
That would stop with her. They might be able to push other folks around, but when she’d taken her vow to work for the good people of Ido, she’d taken it seriously. No matter what they threw at her, she’d be up for facing it.
“You coming, Pops?” Bodie asked.
The older man’s eyes sparkled as he reached out and took two more cookies. “Yeah. But this conversation isn’t over. We all want the same thing, don’t we?”
Lacey’s hands clamped to her hips. “I don’t really see us working toward the same goals, Mr. Phillips.”
“Call me Monty, will you?” He put his cowboy hat back on his head and tipped it toward her. “Think about it, girl. We all want a fresh start. You give us our inventory so we can strike out new and you’ll have a clear way to start over with your harebrained scheme right here in town.”
“You can call me Mayor Cherish, Monty.” Lacey narrowed her eyes at him. “And based on the way y’all handled things here, I don’t think you deserve a fresh start.”
“Dad, Pops, let’s go.” Bodie herded his dad and grandfather toward the front door.
Lacey followed, more to make sure they actually left than to extend any additional hospitality. Once the front door shut behind them, she whirled around and leaned against the door.
“Dad, why didn’t you say anything?”
Her dad made his way from the kitchen to the front room, shaking his head. “I didn’t realize how bad this was. Just give them what they want and be done with it, honey.”
“What do you mean?” She’d never seen her dad look so defeated, so shaken. “They’re trying to bully me into letting them have something that doesn’t even belong to them.”
Her dad wrapped his hands around her upper arms and peered straight into her eyes. “Trust me, you don’t want to get involved in a standoff with the Phillips family.”
