Dad was a master storyteller. Something about his tone of voice engaged even the most rambunctious boys.
“One time we were out on a walk, and he found one hissing away in the grass. He picked up that snake and shook it limp, but instead of dropping it he threw it at me.” His voice boomed. “Wouldn’t you know it, the snake—dead as a doornail—wrapped itself around my legs.”
Mom let out a gasp. The boys were on the edges of their seats. I could imagine Dad’s face looking something like what Seamus’s had when I’d thrown the snake at his feet.
“What’d you do Grandpa?” The oldest boy asked.
“After nearly soiling myself, I untangled my legs and ran all the way back home.”
“Did your dog still catch rattlesnakes?” I asked.
“Until the day he died.” Dad’s eyes hazed in remembrance, his mouth opening into a smile. “But thankfully he didn’t throw another one at me. I was lucky the fangs didn’t catch my skin, after all, since rattlers are still venomous after death.”
Venomous after death sounded like the name of a punk band.
We all sat in silence for a moment, taking in the details of Dad’s story and the warmth of Mom’s lasagna.
“So Luke,” Tom, Megan’s husband, spoke up. “How are things on the force?”
Tom’s construction company’s work was far different than Luke’s as a police officer.
“Not as exciting as they were earlier this summer,” Luke replied, his ease with my family gave me an irritated sense of happiness deep in my stomach.
A month ago he and I had worked together on a murder investigation. Usually, park rangers, especially summer park rangers, didn’t work on murder investigations. But since I was one of the rangers who found the body, I was happy to help. That is until it almost got me killed.
“Perhaps you and Rylie should find another body to investigate together,” Mom said.
“I’m sorry, what?” Megan sputtered, nearly spitting out her wine.
“I meant a dead body, Megan.” Mom’s face turned a deep shade of red. “Get your head out of the gutter.”
I fought the urge to laugh at my mother’s expense. It would do no good to hurt her feelings.
“How is a dead body any better? Are you hoping someone dies so Rylie will get her chance with Luke again?” Megan asked, her words coming between bursts of laughter.
“Megan!” I elbowed her in the ribs and glanced up at Luke who seemed mildly amused.
“What? It’s obvious what Mom is doing. Why else would she have invited Luke to join us for dinner?”
She was right, of course.
“Enough girls,” my dad said in his kind voice. “I’m sure your mother didn’t mean she wants anyone to die.”
Always the peacemaker. Mom shot Dad a thankful glance, and he smiled back at her. How had they managed to stay married and in love for so long?
“It has been rather dull without wondering what kind of trouble Rylie would be getting into next,” Luke said glancing up at me, his gaze flickering between my face and my neck. “Almost makes me hope for another dead body.”
Both Mom and Megan let out audible sighs.
I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Who in their right mind hoped for dead bodies?
“I have to go.” I stood from the table too quickly, nearly toppling my chair. “I promised Shayla I’d meet her.”
“Tell her I say hi,” Luke said.
I nodded. “Sure.”
“But can’t you?” Mom began, but I was out the door before I could hear her complete her objection.
Shayla wore tight jeans with more confidence than I’d ever seen. Her light hair was pulled into a bun like mine, and her face held more makeup than a trip to the wings joint warranted.
“You look pretty. What’s the occasion?” I asked taking my seat at the bar next to her. There weren’t nearly as many people crowded around as there would be when second shift got off and all the local police officers came in to wind down.
“I have to find some way to compete with you,” Shayla said blushing. “Plus, I went down another pant size today, and I felt especially pretty.”
Shayla had been losing weight since she’d become a summie. Her goal was to make it into the police academy and follow in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps.
“There’s no competition. It’s not like we even like the same guys. Well, anymore.”
Shayla and I both laughed.
When we had first met, Shayla had a huge thing for Luke, but it seemed to have faded.
“I meant to ask before but how was your shift on the trails the other day? I’m doing my first trail shift tomorrow.”
“It was pretty boring.” She shrugged. “Dusty and I drove around for hours. We didn’t see a single homeless person, rattlesnake, or drug dealer.”
“Were you hoping to?” I took a swig of the beer the bartender handed me with a wink. Maybe I’d been coming here too often.
“I don’t know, sorta, yeah. Mom thinks being a ranger is weak. If I had something exciting happen, maybe she’d take it more seriously. Take me more seriously.”
Her mom was a complete and total jerk-wad. “Maybe next shift?”
Shayla raised her beer. “To more interesting shifts to come.”
“Hear hear.” I tapped her glass with mine and took another pull. “You’ll never guess who my mother invited to dinner tonight.”
Shayla shrugged. “Peyton Elway?”
“No not Peyton Elway.” I sighed. I had been trying to teach her about football, but my efforts had been futile. “Peyton Elway isn’t even a person. Luke.”
“Of course she invited Luke.” Shayla shook her head with a grin.
“I hadn’t seen him since we’d solved the murder.” I glanced up at the TV showing highlights from the Broncos game. “He looks good.”
“When hasn’t he looked good?” Shayla smiled. “I think you might be out of luck, though. From what I hear, he’s been hanging out with Nikki a lot.”
Ugh, that was precisely what I hadn’t wanted to hear. I
