I parked close to Jenny’s car, and feeling a little more excited than I wanted about seeing her, I walked inside.
“Chief, you haven’t been back for more doughnuts. Why not?”
Someone tugged on my shirttail, and I looked down to see Mary. “Because they’re so good I won’t be able to fit in my uniform if I come by every day. I’ll stop in tomorrow. Promise.”
The tiny, turquoise-eye-shadowed-today woman grinned up at me. “How many you want me to have ready for you?”
I had to laugh. “You’re quite the saleswoman, Mary. Three dozen. Assorted.” My cops were going to love me if for no other reason than I brought them the best doughnuts in the world.
“See you in the morning.” Her turquoise-colored hair bounced around her neck as she walked away with amazing grace on lime-green stilettos that should have toppled her onto her face. I watched her climb onto a bar stool in the lounge next to an elderly gentleman who seemed delighted to see her. I shook my head as I grinned. Crazy town.
“I’m meeting some people,” I said to the hostess, glancing past her. “There they are, in the booth by the window.”
She motioned for me to go in, then turned her attention to the couple waiting behind me. As I headed to where they were seated, I scanned my surroundings—the way any big-city cop would automatically do—noting who was sitting where and if anyone looked like trouble in the making. It was a habit I’d probably never be able to break.
My gaze landed on Jenny, sitting with her friends. Was she expecting me, or had Autumn called on the sly, hoping to play matchmaker? Jenny saw me coming toward her and smiled. Damn if my heart didn’t do a little dance at seeing her.
“Hello, Red,” I said, sliding into the booth next to her. “Autumn, Brian, good to see you again.”
Autumn grinned. “I was hoping you’d get my message.”
“It was a surprise, but a good one.”
“Well, Jenn wanted to call and invite you, but she has this weird idea that girls shouldn’t call boys.”
Jenny sputtered a laugh. “Autumn! I did not say that.”
“I’ve ceased being surprised by anything Autumn says or gets up to,” Brian said.
I glanced at Jenny and winked. “You have permission to call this boy anytime you want.”
She put her hand on my thigh. “Good to know.”
I liked the way her cheeks pinked in a cute little blush. I also liked the feeling of her hand on my leg, and when she removed it, I reached for her hand and put it back. She ducked her head, but I caught the pleased smile on her face.
“So, Dylan, when you going to come by and trade in that boy-toy car of yours for one of the best rides on the road? I can have you in a Lexus GS or LS in less than an hour.”
“When Jenny trades hers in, I will.”
Jenny shook her head. “So not happening.”
I gave Brian a shrug. “Guess that answers your question.”
“Speaking of cars, Stephanie’s Mercedes is at my dealership until the insurance adjuster comes to look at it. After that, it’ll go to the junkyard,” Brian said. “After seeing it, it’s hard to believe anyone survived.”
“Why your place? I would have thought it would go to the Mercedes dealership.”
“I’m the closest, and the car’s not salvageable, so it didn’t matter where it went.”
“Do me a favor and take some pictures of it from all sides. I took some at the scene, but I’d like some in full daylight.”
“Done.” Brian took out his phone. “Give me your e-mail, and I’ll send them over to you tomorrow.”
“You must think our little town is nuts considering what’s happened this past week,” Autumn said after I gave him my addy. “Usually the most exciting thing going on around here is when someone stumbles on another one of Hamburger Harry’s stills.”
“You’re forgetting that I came from Chicago, where there are over five million calls to 911 a year. Believe me, my first weeks on the job have seemed tame compared to what I was used to. I’m actually looking forward to seeing one of Harry’s infamous stills.”
The more time I spent with them, the more I liked them. Autumn was a riot, and Brian was a man I could hang with on a Sunday afternoon, drinking a beer and watching a ball game. And then there was Jenny.
