Holy mother of pearl.
“Sheriff, I got –” JD stopped in the doorway. “Sorry. Didn’t know you had company.”
Sam seized the opportunity to end the unnerving encounter and sprang from the chair, shrugging out of the thought-altering jacket. “I came to give my statement.” She hung it on the rack without looking at Delaney, who remained seated. “Dee said you’d take care of it.”
The deputy frowned. “Who’s Dee?”
It took a moment for the question to penetrate the desire-clogged recesses of her brain. “Oh, sorry. I have a habit of assigning nicknames to people without even realizing I do it.”
JD grinned. “Ahh, so, the sheriff here is Dee, for Delaney, huh?”
No. For danger, delectable. “Uh, yes, right. Delaney.”
The smile widened, emphasizing dimples in each cheek. “So, what’s mine?”
For some reason, repartee with the cocky deputy wasn’t the least bit unnerving. Some of the tension dissipated, and she chuckled. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Room Two is set up to get her statement.” Coop’s rough command abruptly ended the friendly banter.
The deputy stepped around Sam and handed a folder to the sheriff. “My report on things you wanted me to do.” He turned back to Sam and the grin reappeared. “This way, ma’am.”
“My friends call me Sam.”
“A beautiful woman shouldn’t be called Sam.” The charm meter pegged out. “I’ll call you Sunshine. Because you brighten up the room just by being in it.”
“Your charm is wasted on me.”
He winked. “Issuing me a challenge, Sunshine?”
The exaggerated eye roll didn’t appear to faze him.
He cupped her elbow and headed toward the door. “I like a challenge.”
The surge of jealousy blindsided him. Coop watched JD put a hand on Sam’s elbow to lead her down the hall, and wanted to punch him. He scrubbed his face—hard—with both hands and picked up Jane Doe’s folder. He thumbed through the contents but couldn’t concentrate. I’m just tired. I need some sleep.
He tossed the folder onto his desk and swiveled his chair to look out the window, gaze pausing on the framed accolades hanging on the wall. What would the townspeople think if they knew I heard voices in my head? He snorted. I’d be out of a job so fast I wouldn’t know what hit me.
The law was his life, and he prided himself on being good at it. For whatever reason, that no longer appeared to be enough. Something was missing though he could not precisely define what.
You have to stop him.
This time, the directive didn’t surprise him. In fact, he almost welcomed it. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “What do you want from me?” he whispered. “What do you want?”
Two hours later, Sam left the station, stopping on the way out to retrieve the plate and thermos from Coop’s office, refusing to be disappointed when he wasn’t there.
She deposited the items in the front seat, and looked around. The old courthouse sat in the middle of the town square, its beautifully landscaped front anchored by giant pecan trees, a small military memorial and several benches. The streets were cobblestone and well maintained. The buildings facing the front of the courthouse, some dating back to the mid-1800’s included a small drug store, Arnolds’s General Store, and Ruby’s Diner. Other businesses graced the remaining three sides, with a couple of empty buildings on one corner.
Light posts around the square appeared to be old, and, upon inspection, were indeed gas powered. She moved to an unoccupied bench under the nearest pecan tree and sat down, watching the ebb and flow of people as they went about their lives. A mild late-September breeze brought with it the faint aroma of flowers, no doubt from the delivery truck parked in front of the florist shop on the corner. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, savoring the gentle brush of air on her skin. Murder notwithstanding, Bakersville was a nice place to be.
“Mind if I join you?”
Coop’s unexpected question elicited a slight jump.
“Sorry.” He sat beside her, their hips a hair apart. “I didn’t thank you for bringing me food and coffee.”
She shrugged. “Eva worried about you not eating, so I told her I’d bring it with me.”
“I appreciate it just the same.”
“You’re welcome.”
The ensuing silence wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, for the first time since they met, she was actually comfortable in his presence.
“I grew up in a busy suburb of Houston. Moved to Dallas for work. I’ve always been surrounded by noise, lights, and people.” Sam looked around. “I never thought I’d be happy anyplace else. But here…”
Coop nodded. “I left Dallas PD when Jason was seven so he could grow up in my hometown. Best move I ever made.”
The groan of a loud motor had them both looking south. A dark blue, late model Cadillac rolled slowly up the street.
Sam squinted. “Is she the lady they call Big Mama Eva told me about?”
Coop sat up a little straighter. “Uh-huh.”
