Night Waves by Wendy Davy

acknowledge her, and then waved her toward his table. She wanted to ignore his gesture, to ignore his presence altogether. But, considering every other table was occupied, and she still owed him an apology, her conscience prodded her forward, one leaden step at a time.
    As she neared the table, Sheriff Justice stood and pulled out a chair. Her face warmed at the thoughtful gesture, which made her feel even more like her statement the previous night had been out of line. She took the offered seat and settled into it as he returned to his chair.
    “This is Deputy Owen,” Sheriff Justice indicated the officer sitting to her left.
    She turned to greet the deputy and shook the hand he offered. Arrogance showed through the flashy smile he produced. His palm felt cool against her heated skin, and his gentle grip lingered as he said, “It’s nice to meet you in person.” His smile temporarily widened his long, narrow face as his gaze darted to the front of her yellow tank top then back to her eyes.
    Cali recognized his voice as the one she had spoken to over the phone about Serena’s disappearance. He sounded pleasant enough over the phone, but something about him in person made her uneasy. She pulled her hand away, wary of the unusually long greeting.
    She glanced at Sheriff Justice. A crease formed across his forehead and his jaw tightened. He leaned forward in his seat. “You need to get back to the station, Deputy.”
    “But we haven’t ordered…”
    Sheriff Justice’s pointed look silenced the man’s protest. Deputy Owen retrieved his hat from where it rested on the table. “I’ll go and see if any new information has come in regarding Ms. Taylor’s case.” He looked at Cali. “Don’t worry ma’am. We’ll find her.” He took one more glance at the sheriff, stood and strutted away.
    “You didn’t have to make him leave,” Cali said, but felt a sense of relief that he had.
    “His pride will recover.” He held out a menu.
    Cali shook her head. “I’m not staying for lunch.”
    A challenge sparked in his eyes as he set the menu in front of her. “If you didn’t come here for lunch, then why are you here?”
    She swallowed a lump forming in her throat. He would not like the truth, but she found it impossible to skirt around. “I came to find answers.”
    Sheriff Justice leaned closer, crossing his arms and placing them on the table. “I told you to stay out of this investigation.” His determination showed through his unwavering blue-eyed censure.
    “I know.” Cali began to feel trapped. She set her jaw, shrugged her shoulders and defended herself. “But, someone has to do something.”
    A corner of his mouth lifted. “Your confidence in my abilities is overwhelming.”
    Taken aback at his direct appraisal, she said, “Look. I’m only being honest. I think you could be doing more to find her.”
    “More?”
    “Yes, more. How much time are you wasting here having lunch when you could be out looking for her?”
    “I’m not wasting time by being here.”
    A young, bleached-blonde waitress appeared at the table. Her mouth turned into a syrupy smile as her focus landed on the sheriff. She set a glass of water in front of him. “What can I do for you, Sheriff? I mean…get for you?” she purred sweetly.
    Good grief. Cali held back a sigh. The way the twenty-something woman fawned over him instantly annoyed her. She couldn’t pinpoint why it bothered her, but it did. She recognized the sheriff’s appeal, but the way the girl flirted with him was nauseating.
    He acknowledged the waitress then looked directly at Cali. Nodding his head he said, “Ladies first.”
    Cali shook her head and slid her chair back preparing to leave, knowing she didn’t have a way to pay for her meal. Sheriff Justice placed his large, warm hand on her forearm to keep her from leaving. “It’s my treat. Order what you’d like.”
    Finding no way to make a graceful exit without causing a scene, she relented. “All