“Oh dear, don’t do that,” Josephine said with disgust. “That place gives me anxiety thinking about the rat race that happens there every day. But, Sugar, I’m gonna warn you now. Darts here in Summerville is like NASCAR to a deep southern redneck. You do not interrupt it. No matter what.” Josephine hummed, “Mmm hmm.” And continued by saying, “Ya know that happened to the Meyers all the time, Darling. They were too cheap to get it fixed.” She let out a roar of laughter before she went on. “We always called their house the swimming pool, cause every time you turned around it was flooding.” Josephine roared again and started, “I used—”
“That was not disclosed during settlement, and as appealing as an indoor pool sounds, not in my kitchen. Is there someone who can come out here and at least shut the water off?” Arissa watched the water running out of her cabinet. “Though if we wait a little longer, there really will be an emergency, me drowning in my kitchen.”
“Ohhh, we can’t have that happening. No drowning in Summerville…” Josephine stopped and turned her attention to the tall man standing at her side. “New girl that bought the Meyer’s place, it’s flooding. Poor thing can’t find the shut-off valve.” She quickly said to him as his stare burned into her. “And you know that Billie’s playing darts today and—” She stopped mid-sentence when he walked away from her toward the station’s front door. “She needs beer too!” Josephine called to the retreating sheriff. She turned her attention back on Arissa. “The sheriff is on his way, Sugar.” She told her and added, “He’ll bring you beer too, honey, so don’t you worry.”
Arissa couldn’t stop the smile. Under different circumstances, she’d have enjoyed chatting with the woman. She was a hoot. Looking around her kitchen, she should be freaking out, but she was in shock. She definitely intended to have a chat with her realtor. Her house was called the swimming pool for crying out loud. “I’m sorry to bother him with this, but thank you.”
“You can thank me by coming to Moe’s in two weeks. Whoever wins today’s game plays the sheriff. He holds the title.” Josephine told her.
Going to Moe’s, she’d be tempted to throw a dart or two at Moe and Billie. “Is it a misdemeanor, throwing a dart at someone? How much jail time comes with that?” She looked around her kitchen. The cell would be a hell of a lot drier.
“Well,” Josephine cooed and continued, “Considering Hyacinth repeatedly throws them at Elmer when she’s at Moe’s and she’s still walking the streets, you’re good, Honey.”
“Then I’m there.”
“Wonderful!” Josephine expressed. “See you then, Sugar.”
“I look forward to it.” A knock at her door had Arissa jumping up. “I think the sheriff is here. Thank you again.”
“Oh, Darling?” Josephine called out quickly.
“Yes?” Arissa asked as she started for the door.
“Honey, brace yourself.” Josephine told her then hung up the phone.
It was becoming a habit, looking at her phone for answers, but what the hell did she mean by brace yourself? Arissa had just had the thought when she pulled open the front door to the sight of a back, a well muscled back by the way the tan cotton was stretched across it. And then he turned, and Arissa understood the dispatcher’s parting remarks. Holy shit. This was the sheriff? Tall, thick brown hair that stirred in the breeze, a mouth that was formed in a stern line and eyes she couldn’t see because they were covered behind sunglasses. He lifted his hand, her eyes moving to his bicep, before following the line of his arm to his face in time to see him remove said sunglasses. Dark brown eyes stared back. She leaned against the door because her legs didn’t seem up to the task of keeping her upright. Her mouth opened, but he was moving past her and into her house.
Hank took off down the hall in long strides toward the kitchen, tucking his sunglasses into his button down uniform shirt. “Jesus,” he grumbled when his boots were hit with the layer of water lying on the kitchen floor. He sloshed through the pool of water to the sink, crouched down, and reached inside the open cabinet. He found the knob, pushed it in and twisted it. The water stopped. He stood and turned. He saw her when she’d answered the door open, but he hadn’t seen her. Fuck. He took a step back and hit the counter behind him. She was gorgeous. Sparkling brown eyes. Light brown hair held up in a messy bun. Her flawless face was flushed from the excitement of her afternoon ordeal and the heat of the summer day. Lips. Jesus. Lips so perfectly plump and pink. His eyes moved down her body. Curves… curves he’d like to drive in the dead of the night. He shook himself from his thoughts. He wasn’t going there.
Moving from the kitchen, he joined her in the hallway. Slipping back into who everyone knew him as, he put out his hand and said, “Hank Weathers, sheriff.”
Arissa looked at his hand, hers shook slightly when she slipped hers into it but damn she really should have braced herself. “Arissa Haywood.” Her mouth was suddenly
