CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The next morning Dixie and I were at the Darling Investigation office two hours before our call time. News had broken that I’d helped bring down a dirty Sweet Briar policeman due to my PI work, and my manager, Justin, had set me up with several morning news programs to talk about it. I had agreed as long as Dixie was allowed to sit with me. Since we already had a film crew, it was decided that they would hook their cameras up to the live feed and handle it themselves.
When we walked in, the crew was already there waiting for us, with the exception of Bill and Lauren.
Bill was currently in the Sweet Briar Hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to his chest, but thankfully the bullet hadn’t hit anything vital, and he was expected to make a full recovery.
I hadn’t spoken to Lauren since the night before, but during all the questioning with the sheriff’s department, it had come to light that Bill had taken a lot of video of our side investigation, including the showdown in the back room of the cotton mill. Bill had left his camera running the whole time. The footage wasn’t the best, but Bill, bless his heart, had held the camera at an angle that had gotten most of Cale in the shot. Even after being shot, he’d still made sure the camera was capturing the standoff, and me taking Cale down. Surely he deserved some sort of award for that. And they had my phone as a backup recording.
The crew started clapping as Dixie and I walked in, and someone shouted, “Thanks for pulling this show out of the shitter.”
I grinned. “Never doubt that I fully commit to my work.” Then I looked around. “Where’s Lauren?”
Tony grimaced. “Schapiro flew in last night. She’s got a morning meeting with him.”
I wondered what that might be about, but I didn’t care. With all the interest over our investigation of Otto’s death and the footage—even if it was bad—of Cale’s takedown, we were guaranteed to have good enough ratings to make sure I got paid my salary, and possibly the bonus too. The farm was safe.
“Our first interview is in less than ten minutes,” Karen said. “I thought we’d have you and Dixie sit in the client chairs.” She’d angled them so the name of our investigation company was directly behind us, even if it read backward.
“Good idea,” I said, giving her a smile.
She smiled back, then turned to the crew to work out a few logistics.
I snuck a glance at Dixie while Chuck hooked up our mikes. “Are you still doin’ okay?”
She grinned. “As good as can be expected after leavin’ my brother and cousin and friend at the mercy of a man I’d always trusted.”
“Everyone trusted him, Dixie. Even Luke.”
Her grin turned mischievous as she glanced at the door. “Speak of the devil.”
Luke stood in the doorway in his police uniform, staring at me with an intensity that sucked my breath away. He and Teddy had spent most of the night with the sheriff’s deputies. Turned out Teddy had discovered Ryker was a drug dealer a couple of months before, and after the last time Dixie had gotten mixed up with a guy and drugs, he’d approached the sheriff’s department about becoming an informant to bring him down. Teddy had spoken with Otto in that alley, but only to try and convince him to help out. Otto had refused to tell him when he was making his next courier run (by then Cale had already waylaid him) and had hidden the drugs in his barn instead.
The sheriff’s office had started suspecting there was a dirty cop in Sweet Briar, and Teddy had found out from them. Soon after, Cale had started feeding them false information about Luke, which had only made Teddy more suspicious of him. Mayor Sterling had caught wind of the rumors, which had given him a major case of buyer’s remorse about welcoming us to town with open arms. Cameras were everywhere, after all, ready to catch the slightest bit of tension, and besides, some of our “cases” had encouraged small-scale feuds. Becky MacDonald had lit Nettie Peabody’s rose bushes on fire. And as for why he’d met Ryker behind the café my first day in town—Luke had been right. Mayor Sterling said he’d been discussing a zoning issue over Ryker’s bike shop.
Teddy still had no love for Luke, but earlier that morning, my cousin had admitted that not only was Luke clean, but it was obvious he still cared about me.
And now Luke was here, watching me as though we were the only two people in the room. He strode toward me with purpose before he gathered me in his arms and kissed me in front of everyone.
I kissed him back, clinging to his neck and showing him how scared I’d been over possibly losing him, and it occurred to me that he was showing me the same.
Several people catcalled and clapped, but for once I didn’t care.
Luke lifted his head and cupped my cheek with his hand. “I’m sorry I’m just now seein’ you. We didn’t finish until early in the mornin’, and I—”
I reached up and gave him a soft kiss to quiet him. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain.”
“You have to know that I wanted to be with you, Summer, makin’ sure you were really okay. I wanted to be the one reassurin’ you.”
“I know.”
He breathed in as he searched my face, his hand lightly caressing my cheek. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“You scared the shit out of me too.”
“But it’s my job.”
“Apparently it’s mine too.”
He scowled at that. “At least until you finish shooting.”
I didn’t answer.
Dixie and I had talked about my options until early in the morning. According to Justin, this exposure was like a shot of adrenaline to my dying career.
Staring into Luke’s warm brown eyes, I knew he deserved to know the truth. “I’ve got some possible jobs lined up for when we finish shooting next week. A movie, even. My manager says it’s like my whole career just got a reboot.”
He tried to look excited. “That’s great. No more money problems, then, right?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Is that what you want, Summer?” he asked softly.
“I need you in your chairs, ladies,” Karen said, grabbing my arm and tugging. “You’ve messed up your lipstick.”
I let her guide me to the chair, my gaze still on Luke.
What did I want? When was the last time someone had asked me that? When was the last time anyone had cared about the answer?
Karen handed me a mirror, and sure enough my lipstick was smudged, but I glanced up at Luke.
Sorry, he mouthed.
I’m not, I mouthed back with a grin.
Dixie handed me my lipstick tube. I quickly repaired the damage, then handed the mirror and lipstick to someone as Chuck checked our sound levels. Someone had set up a monitor next to Tony’s stationary camera, allowing Dixie and me to see the person interviewing us.
Karen counted down, and a popular national morning host’s face appeared on the monitor. His voice came through my earpiece as he introduced our segment. The host smiled and said, “Summer, welcome to our show. You’ve had a busy week there in Sweet Briar, Alabama. Is it usually that crazy?”
“Thanks for having us, Matt, and no, Sweet Briar is usually a calm, friendly town. I suspect that Mayor Sterling sees me as a tornado that swept into town and exposed the town’s secrets.”
The host took on a serious expression. “You’re there to film a reality TV show with you acting as a private investigator, and yet you found yourself investigating a real case.”
I pulled out my Southern charm and said, “Not acting as a private investigator, Matt. I am a private investigator. I even have a license to prove it.” Then I gave him a huge smile.
“You really consider yourself a PI?” he asked in disbelief. “The only experience you have is portraying your teen character, Isabella Holmes.”
“And taking down a dirty cop,” I said, still smiling but injecting a hint of attitude into my voice. “Along with solving three murders.”
“She literally took him down herself,” Dixie said. “Stared down the barrel of a gun and knocked it out of his hand.”
“All in a day’s work,” I said with a laugh as I turned to her. She winked as though to say, I’ve got your back.
And I knew she did. Just like I had hers.
Movement by the door caught my eye, and I realized Lauren had just walked in. She made her way over to Karen.
The host continued. “So you’re in your hometown, filming this reality show, and suddenly your face is everywhere. Everyone is talking about Summer Butler. What do you plan to do once you get this wrapped up? What projects do you have lined up?”
I glanced past the camera at Luke.
He offered me a smile of encouragement, and I knew he’d changed. He wasn’t threatened by my career. He wouldn’t like it if I left, but he wouldn’t pressure me to stay. It made my answer so much easier.
“Well, Matt, I plan on staying right here in Sweet Briar for a while,” I said.
Surprise washed over Luke’s face, quickly followed by joy.
“And what will you be doing in your small hometown?” the host asked.
Lauren held up a piece of paper, and a mixture of relief and dread washed through me. I’d revel in the first feeling and deal with the second later.
“Why, I’ll be continuing my new career as a private investigator,” I said, then read the sign again.
WE GOT PICKED UP FOR A SECOND SEASON.
REAL CASES THIS TIME.
“Darling Investigations is open for business. And who knows,” I drawled with a broad smile, “if you hire us, your case just might be on season two.”