urge to roll her eyes.
“Not for me. Cali?”
“I’d like a bottle of ketchup, please.”
Jillian walked away without a word.
Cali took a bite of her fries then reached for the salt. “Do you come here often?”
“Not usually. Why?”
“The waitress seems to be rather fond of you.”
A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest and a striking smile landed on his face. “I’ve been in here a few times recently, and she’s been my waitress more than once. She’s never acted like this before, but this is the first time I’ve been here with a woman. I think she’s jealous.”
Cali wasn’t sure why that statement sent a spiral of satisfaction through her veins, but it did. Looking for a diversion from the unexpected emotion, she took a bite of her croissant. After swallowing she asked, “So, how did things turn out with Old Man Kingsley?”
His eyebrows lifted. “How do you know…? Oh, Helen,” he answered his own question as if he should have known to begin with. “It wasn’t so bad. This time I didn’t even have to arrest him.”
“Did he shoot at you?”
“No. He’s mostly talk.” He ate a French fry before taking a bite of his thick, layered sandwich.
“Mostly? How did you calm him down?”
“I gave him what he wants.”
“You’re removing the speed bump?”
He grinned. “No. He just wants someone to listen to him. Really listen.”
“That’s all?”
“When he gets upset about something, he spouts off about his latest annoyance, and I listen. By time he’s done talking, he’s burned his own aggression out. I usually don’t have to do anything else.”
“You must have a lot of patience.” She lifted her napkin and patted her lips.
His gaze followed her motions. “It takes a lot of patience to do what I do.”
“I imagine it does.”
Cali had barely eaten a third of her sandwich before Sheriff Justice finished his and dug into his fries. Between bites he commented, “Brookstone isn’t too far from here. I’m surprised you haven’t come here on vacation before.”
“How do you know I haven’t?”
“Your dad told me.”
Cali choked on the food in her mouth. She looked for a glass, but since Jillian had conveniently forgotten her drink, she had nothing to help ease her spats of coughing.
“Take mine.” He scooted his glass over.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking several sips of water. When her coughing eased she asked, “My dad told you? When?”
Finished with his fries, he set the napkin on his plate and set it aside. “When I called him this morning.”
“You called my father? Why?”
He shrugged. “I was hoping to talk him into bringing you home to Brookstone.”
She straightened, and her muscles tensed. “And?”
“And, he says he’s always encouraged you to make your own decisions and stick by them.”
Grateful for the support, her tension eased, and she beamed. “That’s my dad.”
His expression turned serious. “Even though he also wishes you would come home.”
Her smile faltered. “You both can forget it. I’m not leaving.”
He started to say something when Jillian magically appeared with the bill. “I hope everything was all right.” She set a bottle of ketchup in front of Cali and then immediately took both plates from the table.
“You have impeccable timing.” The words slipped from Cali’s lips before she could filter them.
“I’ve been told that before.” Jillian turned her syrupy smile on Cali.
“I’ll bet.”
Sheriff Justice gave a loud cough. “Thank you, Jillian.”
The woman stepped to him and set a hand on his shoulder. “You’re more than welcome. I’m just sorry none of us here could help you find any of the women that have gone missing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “At least the others showed up eventually. This one probably will, too.”
His gaze shot to Cali a second after the waitress spoke the words.
She stared at him. Any of the
women?
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter
“Not for me. Cali?”
“I’d like a bottle of ketchup, please.”
Jillian walked away without a word.
Cali took a bite of her fries then reached for the salt. “Do you come here often?”
“Not usually. Why?”
“The waitress seems to be rather fond of you.”
A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest and a striking smile landed on his face. “I’ve been in here a few times recently, and she’s been my waitress more than once. She’s never acted like this before, but this is the first time I’ve been here with a woman. I think she’s jealous.”
Cali wasn’t sure why that statement sent a spiral of satisfaction through her veins, but it did. Looking for a diversion from the unexpected emotion, she took a bite of her croissant. After swallowing she asked, “So, how did things turn out with Old Man Kingsley?”
His eyebrows lifted. “How do you know…? Oh, Helen,” he answered his own question as if he should have known to begin with. “It wasn’t so bad. This time I didn’t even have to arrest him.”
“Did he shoot at you?”
“No. He’s mostly talk.” He ate a French fry before taking a bite of his thick, layered sandwich.
“Mostly? How did you calm him down?”
“I gave him what he wants.”
“You’re removing the speed bump?”
He grinned. “No. He just wants someone to listen to him. Really listen.”
“That’s all?”
“When he gets upset about something, he spouts off about his latest annoyance, and I listen. By time he’s done talking, he’s burned his own aggression out. I usually don’t have to do anything else.”
“You must have a lot of patience.” She lifted her napkin and patted her lips.
His gaze followed her motions. “It takes a lot of patience to do what I do.”
“I imagine it does.”
Cali had barely eaten a third of her sandwich before Sheriff Justice finished his and dug into his fries. Between bites he commented, “Brookstone isn’t too far from here. I’m surprised you haven’t come here on vacation before.”
“How do you know I haven’t?”
“Your dad told me.”
Cali choked on the food in her mouth. She looked for a glass, but since Jillian had conveniently forgotten her drink, she had nothing to help ease her spats of coughing.
“Take mine.” He scooted his glass over.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking several sips of water. When her coughing eased she asked, “My dad told you? When?”
Finished with his fries, he set the napkin on his plate and set it aside. “When I called him this morning.”
“You called my father? Why?”
He shrugged. “I was hoping to talk him into bringing you home to Brookstone.”
She straightened, and her muscles tensed. “And?”
“And, he says he’s always encouraged you to make your own decisions and stick by them.”
Grateful for the support, her tension eased, and she beamed. “That’s my dad.”
His expression turned serious. “Even though he also wishes you would come home.”
Her smile faltered. “You both can forget it. I’m not leaving.”
He started to say something when Jillian magically appeared with the bill. “I hope everything was all right.” She set a bottle of ketchup in front of Cali and then immediately took both plates from the table.
“You have impeccable timing.” The words slipped from Cali’s lips before she could filter them.
“I’ve been told that before.” Jillian turned her syrupy smile on Cali.
“I’ll bet.”
Sheriff Justice gave a loud cough. “Thank you, Jillian.”
The woman stepped to him and set a hand on his shoulder. “You’re more than welcome. I’m just sorry none of us here could help you find any of the women that have gone missing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “At least the others showed up eventually. This one probably will, too.”
His gaze shot to Cali a second after the waitress spoke the words.
She stared at him. Any of the
women?
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter
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