Behind his back, Daisy bared her teeth at me, and I did the same back at her. We had a healthy relationship.
Behind us, more footsteps sounded as more officers and their dates climbed the gangplank. Soon we reached the deck and our footing leveled out. Not a moment too soon, either. It’d been a long time since I’d worn heels and I was still getting back into the swing of it.
Daisy’s dark eyes watched me, and she snorted. You look like a newborn foal, just learning to walk. Her mouth split into a panting grin.
I made a face at her. With the music and crowd louder now, I felt confident Peter wouldn’t overhear, and let out a couple of quiet woofs.
Yeah, well, at least I can brush my own teeth.
Her expression soured, and she snapped her jaws shut.
I drew myself up taller and grinned at the fellow partygoers we passed. Yep. Nothing made a girl feel like she had her life together like trading insults with a dog.
A few men and women, dressed in their finest uniforms, tuxedos, and gowns, strolled by on the deck or stood at the railing looking out at the moonlit sea. With the tide up, our home of Bijou Mer was once again an island, disconnected from the human mainland. The view on one side (I got my starboard and port mixed up) was of the mountain island, the lights of homes and businesses glowing against the sky. And out the other, the shimmering sea, lit by the bright moon.
The sea breeze rustled my skirt, and I grinned up at Peter. Despite all my (pretty legitimate) fears, I was glad I’d come with him. I pulled my lips to the side as I took in his expression. He held his shoulders stiff, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. What had his rope in a knot?
I nudged him with my elbow as we moved across the deck toward the open double doors to the cabin. “Still finding your sea legs, or…?”
He glanced down at me, his eyes far away, then shook himself. He plastered on a smile. “Uh… just feeling thoughtful, that’s all.”
I pinched my brows together. “Mm-hm. If you say so.” What had my normally peppy Peter so down in the dredges?
An older man in coattails stood beside the open doors to the cabin. He bowed as we approached, then held a white-gloved hand out to Peter. “Invitation please, sir.”
Peter slid a hand into the breast of his uniform. He withdrew a scroll of parchment and handed it to the doorman, who unrolled it and peered at the writing. “You are Officer Peter Flint, presumably?”
He nodded.
The older man’s eyes slid from the paper to me. “And this is your date?”
I held up a hand and grinned. “Guilty.”
The man’s bushy brows drew together as his gaze lingered on me for another moment, and then he looked up at Peter, perplexed. “And your partner?”
Peter stepped back and gestured at Daisy, who’d been hidden on his other side. “Daisy. She’s right here.”
The older man gave a dry chuckle. “Very amusing. Where is your real partner, officer?”
I raised a brow. The guy looked completely unamused, if you asked me.
Peter cleared his throat and glanced over his shoulder. A line of several couples had formed behind us. He grinned at the doorman. “I realize it’s a bit… unconventional, but Daisy really is my partner. See—she’s even got her own badge.”
I bit back a grin. “Really?”
Peter bent over and turned Daisy’s navy blue collar until a gold star came into view through her thick, tawny fur. “See?”
The dog held quite still, her nose lifted—a pose of perfect dignity.
I cackled. “Sea snakes! She really does have her own little collar badge.” I threw my head back. “That’s adorable.”
Daisy narrowed her eyes at me and snarled. What are you laughing at? I am an officer of the law. She huffed. I deserve to be shown respect.
I grinned and let out a quiet whine. Yeah, well, you also chase bunnies in your sleep, so…. I lifted my palms like I was weighing scales and Daisy bared her teeth.
“Yes, hm, very well.” The doorman curled up the scroll and handed it back to Peter, then ushered us inside, turning to the couple behind us.
We stepped through the double doors, and I let out a low whistle. “Wow.”
I guess I’d been expecting fancy (it was a masked ball after all) but this was a whole other level. A jazz band with an upright bass and a beautiful crooning singer played on a raised stage in the corner. Couples in masks swayed and twirled before them on the dance floor.
Across the huge space with its white-clothed tables and gently swaying chandeliers, an enormous aquarium took up most of the far wall, glowing blue. Fish, eels, and squids lazily drifted through the space. And in the center of the back wall, a raised podium stood. A banner hung on the wall behind the podium.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OFFICER of the Year, Dylan Davies!
A HUGE, magically moving photograph of the man spanned the wall. The blond with a buzzcut and stern look that screamed “cop” mugged with the best of them. He glared, lifted his chin and looked off into the distance, and pressed a hand heroically to the breast of his navy and gold uniform, cap in hand.
I smirked and nudged Peter to get his attention. “So that’s the Officer of the Year?” I chuckled. “And snakes, does he know it.”
He followed my gaze to the banner and paled. “I need a drink.” Peter spun on his heel and led the way toward the bar in the back. Daisy trotted along after him, sliding between all the glittering attendees.
I frowned at Peter’s back for a moment—what was that reaction?—before gathering up my skirt and following them.
THE BAR
I leaned my elbows on the wooden bar beside Peter, mimicking his position. He lifted a finger and caught the bartender’s attention. The mustached guy drifted over, drying a glass
