A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(39)
“Oh yeah, Mr. Chicken Burrito Smothered in Green?”
“Yeah, Miss Green Chile Breakfast Burrito with Extra Salsa on the Side.”
“Okay, fine, what else do you order?”
A smile stretched across his handsome face. “A chicken burrito smothered in red.”
Sun snorted.
“Oh, it gets better.”
“No,” she said, waiting with bated breath, the anticipation killing her.
“Yep. Sometimes I go crazy. Sometimes I order a chicken burrito Christmas-style.”
Sun gasped playfully, the conversation proving to be the salve they needed after such a strenuous morning. “You know what you are?” she asked, keeping up the game.
“A chile connoisseur?”
“I was going to say a chile slut.”
That time, he gasped. “Who told? Was it Wanda Stephanopoulos from the Book Babes? I knew I shouldn’t have let that woman hump my leg.”
They burst out laughing as Sun let the levity of the moment overtake her. It felt good. Just like the image of that tiny lady wrapping herself around the massive deputy. The Book Babes were nothing if not entertaining.
They stepped inside the Shed, a miniscule place that always had more customers than chairs. Thankfully, Sun and Quincy were ordering to go. The crowded room went silent when they walked in, and all eyes landed on the law enforcement officers. Quincy, they were used to. Sun, not so much.
The pair stepped to the counter to give their order when an older man walked up, took her hand, and slapped her on the shoulder. “Congratulations on the win, Sheriff.”
“Thank you,” she said, more than a little surprised.
And the floodgates opened. Each patron stood and took a turn to offer her a hardy congrats before sitting down to their food again. Everyone seemed pleased and hopeful with her win. Everyone except the former sheriff, who sat seething in a corner booth.
Baldwin Redding had a thick body and thin hair, and both of those adjectives could describe his mental state.
Sun chose to ignore him and turned back to the waiting server. But when he stood as well, the room fell silent again. The server stepped back as though afraid. After everything Sun had heard, she couldn’t blame her.
“Sheriff,” he said when he stepped within earshot. He gave her a once-over, his face distorting as though on the verge of laughter.
“Former Sheriff,” Sun said in return.
The reminder wiped the smirk off the man’s face. “I’d hate for your election win to be called into question.”
“Not as much as I’d hate for your terms served to be called into question, but we all have our burdens to bear.”
He bit down, then let the smirk reemerge as he said, “I hear you’re having a really bad first day.”
“On the contrary. I’m glad I can actually be of use in these types of situations. I’m not sure what you could have done.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“Okay,” she said, adding a healthy dose of pep.
He gave her one more leisurely appraisal, as though that would unnerve her. Clearly, he’d never been a woman walking past a construction site. After he’d finished, he tipped his hat and then sauntered, actually sauntered, out the door.
“Tootles,” she called after him.
Quincy leaned into her. “Honestly, who names their son Baldwin? It’s like they set him up for failure from the get-go.”
Sun nodded. “Or, at the very least, male-pattern baldness.”
Quince snorted, then rubbed his own head, suddenly worried.
“Speaking of which, thanks for the backup.”
He laughed softly. “Yeah, like you need my help with the likes of that pile of shit.”
He had a point.
They got to the station just in time to eat one-tenth of their food before a call came in. A very interesting one.
Dispatcher Anita Escobar, the pretty blonde with masses of unruly hair pulled back into a thick ponytail, rushed into her office as they ate, almost bursting at the seams with the news. And yet she said nothing. She waited for Sun to address her, which took a moment because she’d just taken a huge bite.
“Yes?” she asked after swallowing.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
Sun chuckled. “Yes, you do. Spill.”
“We got a call from Mr. Parks. You might remember him? He owns the feedstore just off 63? Anyway, it seems a red-haired girl fitting Sybil’s description has been seen hanging out with that Ravinder boy. The young one with autism. Jimmy.”
Sun stilled. Jimmy Ravinder was Levi’s nephew. Though a few years older than Auri, he was born with a disability. From what Sun’s mother had told her about him, he was fairly high-functioning but would probably need at least a little assistance for the rest of his life.
She looked at Quincy, who knew how high the stakes had rocketed without her saying a word. Because there were few things members of the Ravinder clan liked less than a law enforcement officer questioning them about one of their own. Unless it was two law enforcement officers. No way was she going out to the Ravinder compound without backup.
10
Soup of the Day: Whiskey
—SIGN AT THE ROADHOUSE BAR AND GRILL
Auri had lost count as to how many times she’d entered a classroom late that day, so when she stepped inside her sixth-period classroom, late yet again, the students turned and watched her walk to the teacher’s desk with schedule in hand.