Need You for Keeps (Heroes of St. Helena, #1)(20)
“I’m not in the photos,” Clovis whispered on a sniffle, and Jonah wanted to head for the door. “That’s the problem, don’t you see?”
No, he did not see. In fact this entire conversation was starting to make him sweat. Or maybe it was the banana hammock display to his right. Either way he wanted to take the report and get the hell out of there.
“They’re all of the new swim teacher, Celeste, and her inflated floaters.” The woman looked so distraught Jonah did something he rarely did—he placed his hand on her meaty shoulder and gave her a few awkward pats.
“If you’re not in the photos, then why did you call the sheriff’s department?” Jonah asked, his patting keeping pace with her sniffles, leaving him feeling completely at a loss as to how to handle this situation.
Not a new feeling. He’d felt displaced and disconnected ever since he’d left San Francisco. Staying there hadn’t been an option. Dealing with kids killing each other over the wrong ball cap had slowly taken its toll, until Jonah had started making shit decisions. Decisions that made dealing with, well, pretty much anything impossible. So he’d quit, come home hoping to find a sense of peace. Instead being surrounded by his family and the town he loved only left him feeling more isolated. Lost, even.
The truth was Jonah had felt lost ever since his dad had passed, leaving behind boots Jonah just couldn’t fill. Wasn’t sure he wanted to. David Baudouin was a complicated man who’d loved his family, yet often confused control with love.
“He cut me out of them. Me!” She placed her hand on her chest with such force it caused a rippling effect that had Jonah looking elsewhere. Only elsewhere was worse, because his gaze fell on a basket of colored coins by the register and, aw hell, the woman who used to hand out popcorn balls at Halloween now handed out tropical-flavored condoms. “Clovis Owens, owner of the sexiest shop in town, isn’t sexy enough to be pinned on his Sexy and Single board. And that, young man, is discrimination, and I intend on pressing charges!”
And so went his day.
Giles refused to either take down his board or add Clovis to it, claiming his First Amendment rights. And Clovis, heartbroken over not being considered sexy and single, hired a lawyer. Later, Jonah caught a couple of teens stealing spare tires from Stan’s Soup and Service Station, ticketed a tourist who’d mistaken Main Street for a raceway, and spotted Shay parading a litter of dogs in nothing more than a pair of shorts and a yellow tank top that said WOOF ME across the chest, the WO and ME straining to be seen around her curves.
He couldn’t tear his eyes off her as she ran past, the little necklace she always wore bouncing up and down. It was more the ring that hung on the chain that caught Jonah’s attention. Or maybe it was the other bouncing that had him missing his green light.
When Jonah got back to the station he found Warren, who was supposed to be working the front desk, out front signing calendars for a group of ladies in Booty Patrol T-shirts. Which meant that Jonah spent the last hour of his shift fielding calls while trying to get caught up on the mountain of paperwork he’d been putting off all week.
Not that he got all that far, since all he could think about was Shay and how much he wanted her. It took him over an hour to write up one report because he was replaying that kiss over and over in his head until somehow the kiss led to Shay in his bed wearing nothing but panties—red ones.
The sheriff walked over to Jonah’s desk, taking a seat across from Jonah. He leaned back, making himself at home, then smiled. “Got a call from the judge a few minutes ago. Seems his wife’s all riled up over something about her neighbor.”
“What’s Estella claiming now?” Jonah asked, going back to his report and promising himself he was asking because he liked to be informed, not because he was going to get involved.
“Says the neighbor is running a puppy mill. Says there is barking all hours of the night.”
“I live across the street from her,” Jonah explained. “Sure, there is barking at times, but not any more than coming from Estella’s place.”
“Estella has one dog. She’s claiming the neighbor has more than four. Wants us to arrest her for animal cruelty.”
Jonah looked up at his boss. “Shay would rather become homeless than harm an animal.”
“Good to hear. Let me know how it goes.” The sheriff stood to leave and Jonah felt his palms start to sweat.
He was attracted to her, no question. Hell, with that body and mouth, what man wouldn’t be? Smart and sassy with a side of sweet. A tempting combination.
Thankfully, he and Shay were too different, and Jonah knew just how destructive the “opposites attract” situation could be. His dad and stepmom were proof of that. So it was imperative to keep his distance.
“I can’t go.” Not to mention, putting himself between the judge’s wife and the woman he couldn’t stop picturing in her intimates, with the election a few short weeks off, was not a smart move. And Jonah was a smart guy. “I’ve got a pile of paperwork to get through, plus, animal control handles those kinds of calls.”
“That’s what I told Pricket. He told me that if he couldn’t get his wife calmed down, then he’d have to cancel on our fishing trip.”
Jonah was hosed. The sheriff had been talking about this fishing trip for months, even dropped a few grand on a new rod and special hook for the occasion.