Fried Pickles and the Fuzz by Calico Daniels Page A

she didn’t know , but that was one thing she knew she could count on from Beth Ann… a full , uncensored account of anything and everything that was running through her mind.
    When the redhead failed to acknowledge Heather even though there was only a foot of space separating them, Heather reached out and waved a hand in front of Beth Ann’s eyes. Her friend started slightly, focused her gaze , and graced Heather with a beaming smile. “What had you a million miles away?”
    Beth Ann laughed. “I was just thinking ‘bout all the things I need to make sure and pack for later.”
    â€œI thought you were going home to do that when you left the café earlier?”
    â€œI got sidetracked.”
    Heather nodded but wasn’t entirely convinced. Beth Ann was nothing if not dependable and exact. Preparedness was one of her biggest pet peeves. It was, in fact, the only thing that she and Billy seemed to disagree about. The male half of the duo seemed to live by the motto that God would provide, while Beth Ann insisted that God provided them with a brain and the sense to use it. “Well, at least you look cute.” Heather motioned to her friend’s ensemble.
    The other woman was fearless when it came to clothes. Cutoffs, hot pink cowboy boots , and a teal sequ i ned tank - top. Her unruly auburn curls were pulled up into their usual messy pony and from her ears hung silver hoop s that were so big , they nearly touched her shoulders. “This town expects it from me. Besides, if they’re cacklin’ about what I’m wearin’ , then they’re leavin’ some other poor soul alone.” She assessed Heather from head to toe with a critical eye. “What’s your excuse?”
    Looking down at her pale blue t-shirt, faded jeans , and square-toed boots, Heather shrugged. “I’m not wearin’ anything different than what I normally wear.”
    â€œMm m- hmm. That’s my point. After everything we talked about a couple hours ago , and here you are, about to see el guapo , dressed in the same clothes you were cookin’ in all mornin’.” She shook her head. “I swear , woman, if I didn’t love you so much , I’d have to beat you with a fashion magazine.”
    â€œYou’re the clotheshorse , not me. And one of these days I’m gonna have you convinced that you need to pursue your passion.” Heather poked her friend in the side and scanned the crowd. Her gaze seemed to zero in on Bronson almost instantly. Tall and handsome, he walked slowly through the crowd, greeting citizens along the way to the gazebo where he would announce the beginning of the auction and turn it over to the ladies of the historical society.
    Stars above , but that man was gorgeous . Every time she caught a glimpse of him, even just in passing, her heart did a funny little stutter and her breath hitched a bit. There was no doubt that Bronson was a looker , even when he came dragging into the café at the end of a hard day, his uniform wrinkled and his jaw line covered with a day’s worth of growth. But freshly shaved and wearing a crisp uniform…
    â€œSpeaking of pursuing passion s .”
    Heather jerked her attention away from Bronson. Beth Ann giggled harder then linked their arms together. “Come on. Let’s go sit down and wait for your lunch to come up in the rotation.”
    ****
    Bronson watched the two women as they walked arm in arm to a nearby bench and s a t. Heather laughed at something the other woman said , and her face lit with joy. It amazed him how breathtaking she was when she laughed. Not that he didn’t find her attractive all the time, but there was something about her when she was happy. It made him want to do almost anything to keep a smile on her face.
    Not that he had done anything in the past few days to make her smile. Quite the opposite , in fact. It seemed that in the process of doing his job , he