Unconsciously, Arissa lifted her hand and pointed. “I spoke to you?”
“Yeah, Honey.” She took Arissa by the arm. “Do you need to sit down?” But didn’t wait as she pulled her to a line of chairs. “I can get you something to drink? I keep a bottle of the good stuff in my bottom drawer.”
“No, I’m fine. I was just…” She looked back at the door to the encounter she’d just had with the two old men across the street, then looked at the woman who was a force of nature and momentarily forgot why she was there. Her mouth opened as she absently answered, “The lake is gone.” When the woman only stared at her expectantly she continued, “Billie not only came out and fixed the valve, he shopvacced the water and put out big fans to help dry it all up. He wasn’t there for more than a half an hour, but now I can use the water and everything is pretty much dry.”
The woman took the seat next to Arissa and eyed her from head to toe in the white halter sundress and hot pink flip flops, her dark hair pulled into a messy knot. “You’re a cute thing, aren’t ya?” Her focus landed on the brownies. “What’s that?” she asked.
Arissa looked down at the plate she held, completely forgetting she held it. “Oh.” She offered it to the woman. “I made these for you and the sheriff as a thank you.”
The woman didn’t hesitate to lift the plastic wrap and take a brownie. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head after she took a bite. “These are delicious.”
“Instant espresso gives them that extra chocolaty flavor.”
“Hmm,” she muttered before she leaned in. “And the sheriff?”
Arissa glanced down at her lap. Was she that obvious? “What about him?”
“Oh come on, Honey. You know what I’m asking?”
Arissa did know what she was asking but considering she was there with brownies, the answer was fairly obvious what she thought of their sexy sheriff. She deflected the question with one of her own. “What’s your name?”
“Where are my manners? I’m Josephine.” She leaned closer. “But you can call me Jo.” Then she smiled big and pretty. “Now that we’re friends, tell me your first impression of the sheriff,” Jo said, taking the plate of brownies and placing them next to her on an empty chair before turning her attention back on Arissa.
Between the lake in her kitchen, the visit from the ridiculously sexy sheriff of Summerville, the encounter with the two men out front and now the tornado known as Jo, Arissa asked, “Do you think I could have some of that good stuff?” Then added, “Maybe a double?”
Jo jumped up. “My golly.” She rushed over to the long counter and behind it. “Honestly, where are my manners today. Of course…” She paused, got herself and Arissa a red solo cup of coconut rum. Then made her way around the counter with speed. “Hope you like coconut? I can tell you do, you have that just off the beach look about you.”
Realizing her action of bringing in brownies wasn’t really all that subtle, Arissa was pretty sure she’d drink moonshine at the moment. “I love coconut.” Jo’s words registered, just off the beach look. Arissa thought about that and grinned. She liked that description.
“Darling,” Jo started and handed Arissa her cup. “You add diet coke to it and you got yourself a dangerous combo.” Jo took a hefty swig before she moved into Arissa and asked again, “Now, back to the sheriff? Cause, Sugar, I played dumb for a month, said I didn’t understand the computer system just to be close to him.” Jo chuckled at the memory.
Arissa held up her finger as she drank the entire contents of her red solo cup. It burned like acid down her throat and in her stomach. “This is good,” she choked out, but she was already starting to feel the calming effects. “Can I have more?”
“Oh dear,” Jo said, but she hurried back for the bottle, bringing it over, pouring some more and hiding it under the chairs.
Arissa drank that also before turning her attention on Jo. “My first impression of the sheriff was he’d make an incredible stripper,” Arissa said, then realized she said that out loud and covered her mouth with her hand.
Jo’s belly laugh was heard on the other side of the building.
“I mean, not like a stripper stripper, but…” Arissa moved closer. “I wouldn’t have stopped him if he did start you know, stripping.”
“Oh, Honey,” Jo said, dropping her hand on Arissa’s leg. “I wouldn’t have stopped him, either.”
Arissa leaned back in her chair. “He’s actually really… I don’t want to say nice, that’s not the right word, but coming to the house, turning off the water, bringing me beer. I wondered, being a small town, if he did so because there isn’t enough trouble in this town to keep him busy, and he doesn’t seem the type to be idle, but then I was almost run off the road by a lunatic, two men propositioned me right outside the station house and you…” Arissa looked over at Jo. “You’re a handful, I can tell. Even busy he made the time, so yeah, the man is just…nice.”
Jo leaned back in her chair, looked up to Jesus and said, “Hmm, mmm, the sheriff is nice.”
Arissa mirrored her pose, feeling pretty good, and said, “He makes me want to commit a crime. Not a felony, but a misdemeanor.” She glanced over at Jo. “Maybe get some jail time.”
“Darling, you aren’t the only one. And let me tell you…” She put a hand on Arissa’s leg again. “Many have done just that to get him to frisk them, but I don’t wanna
