She scanned the bright yellow paper. “We’ve never had this sort of thing happen. Paintballing public spaces? What a mess. Do you think it will happen here?”
He shrugged. First, Alpine Springs. Now, Elginston. “I hope not.”
When he’d seen Christina Rivas’s name pop up on his phone this morning, he’d felt an instant pang of unease. Unlike Dennis Hobart, Christina Rivas was a levelheaded and community-focused mayor that served Elginston well. That was why she was so upset that one of the detailed historical murals lining Main Street had been peppered with bright orange and green paintballs.
“All we can do is get the word out and have folk on alert. With everyone on the lookout, we might figure out who’s doing it and stop it.” At least, that’s what law enforcement was hoping for. Since this was their area of expertise, he wasn’t going to question their advice. He stood. “I appreciate you staying late.”
“Not a problem.” She leaned against his desk. “Are you sure I can’t help distribute these?”
“I’m good. Thank you.” He glanced her way. She had a nice smile—but there was something about the look in her eyes that triggered warning bells. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” She pushed off his desk and sauntered slowly to his door. With a flutter of a wave, she left, pulling the door closed behind her.
He ran a hand over his face, finished typing the email he was sending to the Honey Chamber of Commerce members, and hit Send. Once that was done, he grabbed the fliers and headed out to canvass Main Street.
It was a surprisingly cool evening. There was a gentle breeze whispering through the trees that lined the lawn surrounding the courthouse. He glanced up, marveling at the shades of pink and purple feathering the wide sky. Evenings like this reminded him to take time to appreciate the town he called home. While he’d enjoyed his college years, he’d been eager to get back home. This was where he belonged—where he was happiest.
Honey had always embraced its name and the resource that put the little town on the map. Wherever you looked, bees and flowers and honey were found. But somehow each shop still had its own unique character. Bee Friendly Blooms had painted their window with a pastel rainbow of flowers, fat, buzzing honeybees, and butterflies of all sorts. The red brick face of the Greater Hill Country Bank was on the austere side, but the two oversize planters on either side of the chocolate-brown door were full of whimsical metal flower sculptures and beehive-shaped solar-powered lanterns. He was so caught up in exploring that he failed to see someone rounding the corner—until he slammed into them.
Instinct had him grabbing the person by the shoulders and releasing the stack of yellow fliers to rain down around them.
“Sorry. I should have looked where I—”
“Everett?” It was Rosebud, those green eyes staring up at him. “It’s you.” And she sounded so damn happy about it. “I thought I’d run into a brick wall. Have you gotten taller? You seem taller. All around bigger.” She smiled up at him, all welcome and enthusiasm.
“Just me. I’m sorry.” He held her shoulders—which didn’t send his heart into overdrive. There were no butterflies or nervous sweats. This was good. This was normal.
“Since it’s you, I’ll forgive you.” She held up her pointer finger. “This time.”
“I appreciate that.” Her smiles were contagious. And after today, it felt good to smile. “Hey, Rosebud.”
“Hey, yourself.” She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. “It’s so good to see you. You weren’t at Aunt Camellia’s wedding.”
His arms went around her. “You were looking for me?” It shouldn’t matter, but it did. And he’d be lying if he said she didn’t feel good in his arms. She always had.Dammit.
“Of course.” The look of disbelief she shot him was adorable. “I’ve missed you. Just like you’ve missed me. Don’t try to deny it.”
He shook his head. There was no denying it. He couldn’t stop himself from giving her a once-over. Still beautiful. Still Rosebud. With those flashing eyes and that slow sweet smile of hers.
“It’s so good to see you. Finally.” She was studying him, too. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were avoiding me.”
Which was exactly what he’d been doing. His chuckle was uncomfortable. “Me? No.”
“That’s a relief.” Her arms slid from his waist, and she stepped back, her gaze zeroing in on the fliers now littering the sidewalk. “What’s all this?”
He stooped, picking up fliers. “Just work.”
“Let me help.” She knelt beside him and collected more of the papers. “A town meeting, huh?” She scanned one of the fliers. “Oh. Well. This isn’t good.”
“Yeah. My thoughts exactly.” He sighed, collecting the last pages.
“Paintball.” Rosemary stood, reading the information. “They targeted the park in Alpine Springs? And Elginston’s murals? That’s awful.” Her brow furrowed. “Those towns rely on tourism as much as Honey does. How long has this been going on, Everett?”
“Not long.” But he didn’t want her worrying over it, so he teased, “About as long as you’ve been back in town... Hmm.”
“Ha ha. You’ve got me.” She laughed. “Any idea who’s doing this?”
“Not so far.” Her laugh made him smile. “Trying to get the word out. Have folk on alert. The more eyes and ears on this, the better. Libby emailed the Main Street Business Association, and I reached out to chamber of commerce members about the meeting. Hopefully, everyone will show.”
