“It’s that darn boot,” he growls as if it genuinely enraged him.
Shep nods. “You said you went back there to have a quick smoke.”
The mayor’s eyes take on the shape of hardboiled eggs. “Did I say that?”
“Yes.” I blink back surprise. “In fact, I was there.”
Shep’s chest pulsates with a silent laugh. “You weren’t smoking, were you?”
Mayor Wright’s expression darkens. “No, I wasn’t. Okay, fine. I was talking to Holly. Things got heated again over my brother, but I swear to you I stalked off. That’s when I stepped in the mud. And I left her there. Whoever did this to her did it after I took off. Do you really think I could have killed a woman I once swore to love for all eternity, then quickly put on a happy face for the crowd at the ceremony? Holly and I didn’t get along, but I’m no monster.” He expels a deep sigh before tossing his donut into the trash without taking a single bite out of it. “I’m sorry.” He nods to Shep. “You know where to find me if you need to ask any more questions.”
Shep and I watch as he takes off.
“He looks awful guilty,” I say.
“Yup,” Shep acknowledges. “But you’d be surprised. Sometimes the one whose hands look the dirtiest often didn’t commit the crime. It’s simply a case of wrong place, wrong time.”
Stephanie and Tilly head toward the checkout desk, each with an armful of books. And striding right past them is Carol Bransford as she stalks out of the library.
“Come on,” I say as I pull Shep over to the condolence book where I last left Carol. “I can feel my time here dwindling. Lola and Tilly are going to want to get home to gobble up their new batch of dirty books.”
We open the condolence book, and I scan the first few pages until we come upon Carol’s name. Rest in peace, my friend. No one deserves it more than you.
Shep twitches his head. “It’s the kind of thing that can go either way. I’d like to think she meant it in the genuine capacity.”
“I’m sure she did.”
But I can’t help but note the word you is underlined three times. It feels harsh, abrasive, and so very angry.
I guess deep down Carol Bransford still isn’t over the hurt.
They say time heals all wounds, I hope for her sake they’re right.
“You free tonight?” Shep asks as a crooked grin takes over his face.
“For you? Always. What do you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise. Wear something loose.”
“The easier to get me out of?” I’m only half-teasing.
His lids hood low. “Exactly that.”
He lands a kiss to my lips, and ten different women gasp and coo.
Much like Holly Wright, everything on the outside of my life would have the world thinking I’m so very, very lucky.
And much like Holly Wright, my world has imploded on the inside, with the exception of meeting Shep.
Let’s just hope that vision of him wanting to turn me in is nothing but a misunderstanding on my part.
Everything about Shep is perfect, almost too perfect.
And it leaves me to wonder if I’m lucky or unlucky in love.
I guess only time will reveal.
And I have no doubt it will reveal Holly Wright’s killer, too.
Chapter 12
It turns out, Shep’s idea of a surprise date involves gloves, a ladder, and getting intimate with the frozen bushes that run along the side of his cabin and mine.
“We’re almost done,” he calls out from up above as I do my best to hold his ladder steady.
“We’re not almost done,” I point out. “We still have an entire string left. We should run it along the border of the front windows.”
It’s dark as a crow’s armpit, cold as a glacier, and lightly snowing as we stand outside of my cabin putting up thick colorful bulbs that I used to call Snoopy lights when I was younger.
My mother only allowed for white twinkle lights back in Hastings. The entire house looked like a glammed up version for the holidays, but somewhere in my childlike heart I’ve always had a yearning for these fat colorful bulbs. There’s just something homey and adorable about them. And lucky for me, these are all that Shep happened to have on hand.
He climbs down the ladder just as Stephanie comes out of the cabin with a couple of steaming mugs.
“Come get your hot cocoa with marshmallows!” She hands us each a cup before the three of us head down to the walkway to admire our work.
“It looks amazing, Shep.” I hike up on the balls of my feet and land a kiss to his cheek.
“Thanks,” he says. “This is the first time I’ve put up lights in years.”
“Aww,” Stephanie coos. “Hear that, Bowie? This man risked his neck just to impress you. Now that’s romantic. You know what they say, the man who puts up lights for you, fights for you.”
“Nobody says that.” I take a sip of my hot cocoa and try my best to suck up a marshmallow.
“I’m saying it.” My sister doubles down on her efforts. “Besides, Enzo has already invited me to check out his place up in Scooter Springs. He’s renting a house until he can buy, and he hinted there might be mistletoe involved. My bet is, he’s going to invite me to have at his tree. When a man asks you to decorate his tree, you’re basically in line to be the missus. It’s practically a marriage proposal. We might even put up lights.”
“He’s going to invite you to have at something, all right.” I make a face. “I don’t think you should go. The guy is a gangster. And didn’t we leave Hastings for a better life? The guy totes a gun around in hopes to pop people off the planet. I’d steer clear of men who feel the need to haul around weaponry.”
“Oh? Like you did?” She averts her eyes.
“Shep is different.” I curl up next to him. “He’s
