CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
When we wrapped up for the day, Dixie drove up to Eufaula to pick up the photo. Although we had a working printer in the office, we didn’t have any photo paper. So she sent several photos to the Walgreens in Eufaula and left as soon as she could get away . . . which was sooner than I could. Lauren had insisted on keeping me late to show me some of the footage they’d been sending to LA to use for the show.
It didn’t take long to realize it was a joke. It ranged from boring to downright campy.
“I had to up our promotion game,” Lauren said, her mouth turned down. “I thought it best to give you warning . . . and show you why.”
My heart fluttered with fear. “What does that mean?”
She didn’t answer, only shook her head and walked away, but I saw what looked like worry in her eyes.
Oh, God. What had she done?
She’d sent Bill off to get B-roll of several of the places we’d gone, so I headed to Maybelline’s Café while I waited for Dixie to come back with the truck.
I slid into a booth and pulled a small notebook out of my purse to organize my thoughts. I’d already written down several points when I heard a man say, “Are you really investigatin’ Otto’s death?”
I looked up into Mayor Sterling’s worried face.
I nonchalantly moved my hand over what I’d written. “Mayor Sterling! What a wonderful surprise. How’re you doin?”
Maybelline appeared at the table with a glass of tea in her hand. “Good evenin’, Mayor. You’re not usually in here for dinner.”
“Myra’s not feelin’ well, so I thought I’d pick something up and take it home. Why don’t you give me two of your meat-loaf specials?”
“Sure thing,” Maybelline said with a grin. “And what about you, little miss? Your usual?”
I couldn’t stop my grin. She’d always called me little miss when I was a kid. “As tempted as I am to say yes, I’m gonna have to go with your house salad. Too much good food is making all my dresses snug.” I patted my waist to prove my point.
She laughed. “Then I’m doin’ my job. You’re too damn skinny. I’ll have it right out.”
As she walked away, I realized the mayor was still standing next to me. I could definitely use this opportunity to talk with him. “Mayor, would you like to sit with me while you wait?”
He looked surprised. “Yes, thank you.” He sat across from me, and seconds later, Rachel, the young waitress from a couple of days ago, brought him a glass of water.
I was scrambling to figure out how to ask my questions, but he said, “Tomorrow night’s the parade. Are you excited?”
I’d completely forgotten about the parade. “Of course!”
“It starts at five sharp, but we’ll need you at your float by four thirty. Your float will be the last one, of course.” He grinned, but it was shaky. “The best for last.”
“Mayor Sterling? Is everything okay?”
He reached for his water, but when we both saw his quivering hand, he shoved it under the table. Then he looked up at me. “Are you really lookin’ into Otto’s death?” he asked again.
I wasn’t sure how to answer, but there was really no point in lying. People talked in this town. “I’m askin’ some questions for Gretchen.”
He nodded, his mouth pressed into a grim line. “I’m sure she appreciates that.”
“Did you know Otto very well?”
He looked surprised. “We all knew Otto, but I don’t think anyone really knew him. He was a troubled man.”
“Sounds like he got a new job before he died.”
His eyes widened. “Otto?”
“He told Maybelline he was a courier.”
His head jutted back, and he gave it a slight shake. “Otto didn’t drive.”
“On his bike.”
He blinked and picked up his glass, his hand tremor free. “Well, good for him. I always told him he needed a purpose.” He took a sip of water before lowering the glass. “We all do, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your purpose, Summer? What do you want deep down?”
I wasn’t planning to bare my soul to this man, especially since I didn’t trust him. I flashed a grin. “Isn’t that the eternal question everyone asks themselves?”
He frowned. “Such a California answer. Maybe there’s nothin’ left of Sweet Briar in you.”
I gasped at his bluntness.
His gaze held mine. “Are you involved with Luke?”
I bristled. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“There’s no doubt he’s still very interested in you. It’s all over Maybelline’s Facebook page.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t seen her post anything new about it.”
“Not Maybelline. The posts the townsfolk have been putting up.”
Crap. I hadn’t thought to look at those.
“Just be careful,” he said.
“What’s that mean?” I asked. Was he threatening me?
“Yeah,” Luke said, sliding into the booth next to me. “What does that mean?” His question felt ominous.
How much had he heard?
The mayor looked flustered. “Nothin’. We’d just hate for her to get injured again. She gave us all quite a scare.” Then he slid out of his seat. “If Maybelline shows up with my food, could you tell her I had to go to the restroom?” With that, he disappeared down the hall.
I turned to look at Luke, trying not to gawk. He was dressed in snug-fitting jeans and a T-shirt that clung to every muscle of his upper arms, shoulders, and chest. Damned if the bad-boy look didn’t suit him every bit as much as his uniform.
Rachel was openly gaping at him. Poor girl.
Fighting my own urge to throw myself at him, I said, “What are you doin’? Why are you here?”
“Getting dinner. Of course.” He didn’t seem phased by me in the least, but he cast a suspicious look at the mayor.
My temper was rising. “Why are you sitting next to me?”
He grinned, that sexy grin that had always made me melt, and just like Pavlov’s stupid dogs, I was practically a puddle. “I can’t believe you,” I said in a whisper-shout, refocusing all that heat to my anger. “You accuse Teddy of murder, then you think you can just sit next to me and pretend like everything is okay?”
But it also reminded me that I still hadn’t talked to Teddy. He’d texted earlier and said he was tied up and would call me later. I was still waiting.
Luke lowered his head next to mine. “I never accused him of murder, Summer. I said he was a person of interest, and I needed to talk to him. Did you tell him?”
“Why are you here?”
“I want to tag along with you and your film guy.”
I snorted. “No. No way.”
“Come on. This way I can make sure you’re safe and suggest any follow-up questions.”
“Really?” I asked, turning in the seat to face him. “So you can take what I find and twist it into something you can use against Teddy?”
“Summer.” He said my name in a husky voice that sent a shiver down to my toes. “Did you ever stop to think maybe I really do want to help Teddy?”
I wanted to believe that, but I wasn’t sure I could take the chance. Even if I did, there was no way I could bring the chief of police with me to buy a Schedule II controlled substance. But I decided to change the subject in the interest of avoiding an argument.
“Do you have a house in town?”
He grinned. “You wantin’ an invitation to see it?”
“Maybe,” I answered honestly, to my chagrin. Dammit. I could not start something with Luke Montgomery. But I’d always found him so hard to resist. “So, do you?”
“Yeah. I like bein’ closer to the police station.”
“How long have you been chief?”
“A couple of years.”
“You, Cale, Willy . . . none of you are much older than thirty. That seems . . .”
“Strange? It’s no wonder. The job doesn’t pay much. Hard to raise a family on our salary. All three of us have to find ways to supplement it.”
That sobered me. While all the money I’d made hadn’t defined me, I’d never been a fan of scraping by. “Especially if you insist on your wife stayin’ home to raise your kids,” I said with a hint of attitude.
He looked surprised, then laughed. “Jesus. I knew that conversation would come back to haunt me.”
“You remember that conversation?”
“How could I not?” he asked, his gaze firmly on my mouth. “That was the night I first kissed you.”
A wave of lust washed through me.
He paused. “Wait. You don’t think I still believe that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I was a seventeen-year-old idiot trying to impress you. Hell, you’d just confessed to how much you hated living in LA, but you said you had to do it to earn money for your momma. I was trying to prove that you wouldn’t have to keep working out there if you were with me.”
I gave him a dubious look. “You seriously expect me to believe that?”
“Okay . . .” He grinned. “So maybe I did believe it, but my momma stayed home, and my dad was damn proud of it. You know most families around here scrape by on two incomes. So saying my wife would never work was my way of trying to show I could take care of you.”
I shook my head. I was treading on dangerous ground.
Maybelline appeared with a big bowl and a white bag. “What happened to Mayor Sterling?”
“He said he had to go to the restroom. He’ll be right out.” But I had to admit he’d been back there awhile. Luke looked like he was thinking the same thing.
“Huh.” She set the bowl in front of me. “I made a batch of shrimp and grits tonight. I remembered how much you loved ’em, so I couldn’t bring you a salad. But I’ll bring the salad if you try ’em and don’t want them.” She turned to head back into the kitchen before I could stop her.
Luke laughed. “Maybelline.”
“She didn’t take your order.”
“I suspect she’ll be bringing me a bowl in a minute. She knows how much I love ’em too.”
I picked up my spoon.
“So who are you planning on interviewing next?” he asked.
I snorted. “Do you really think I’m gonna tell you?”
My phone vibrated on the table next to me, and I picked it up when I saw Dixie was calling. I considered letting it go to voice mail since Luke was sitting next to me, but I knew she’d worry.
“Did you get it?” I asked.
“And a few extra copies . . . just in case.”
“I’m scared to death to see which one you picked.”
She laughed. “It’s not like I had a ton of options. Are you still eatin’?”
“I’m almost done. Do you want me to get you something?”
“I picked up Popeyes in Eufala. How about I text you when I get there?”
“Perfect.” That meant I’d have a chance to ditch Luke.
“Dixie?” he asked as I set the phone down. “What did she pick up?”
Rather than answer, I scooped up a spoonful of grits and a shrimp, took a bite, and moaned.
Luke lowered his mouth to my ear, whispering, “You used to moan like that for another reason.” His warm breath on my neck sent a shiver through me.
I blushed. “We were underage minors, so I’m not sure you should be talkin’ about that. Especially in public.”
“I was talkin’ about when you used to eat Momma’s peach cobbler. Get your mind out of the gutter, Summer Baumgartner.”
Just for that, I scooped up another spoonful and placed the tip of the spoon on my lip, licking the edge of it. “Mmm . . .” Just like I’d done for a yogurt commercial promoting good bowel health about two years ago. But Luke didn’t seem to make the connection. Okay, so maybe I’d put a little bit more innuendo into this performance. Or a lot more.
His eyes darkened as his gaze fell to my mouth.
I slowly slid the spoon into my mouth and released a slightly louder moan.
Luke’s breath turned shallow.
Leaning closer, I pulled the spoon out. “I bet you want some now.”
He shifted in his seat, but his gaze didn’t stray from my mouth. “You have no idea.”
I knew he wasn’t talking about the grits. He started to lean toward me, and I was sure he was about to kiss me when Maybelline came back out with his plate. “Here you go, Luke. Gotta keep you big and strong.” Then she winked at me as though to tell me, Congrats on snagging your man again.
“We’re not together,” I called after her, but she lifted her hand and waved it in dismissal.
“Is it such a terrible idea?” Luke asked as he picked up his spoon.
“Luke . . .” My heart skipped a beat, and my body flushed. Part of me was fully on board with this idea.
“I’m serious.”
“We’re not the same people. You just said so yourself.”
“But from what I can see, we’re not all that different either.”
“Luke.”
“I know you’re goin’ back to California, so I’m not lookin’ for something long term here,” he said, ignoring the food in front of him. “Aren’t you curious to see if we still have chemistry? From where I’m sitting, we have enough to provide the Fourth of July fireworks show.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How many times had I fantasized about getting back together with Luke, moving back to Sweet Briar, and trying again? So to hear him say it like that—to cheapen it like all the other guys who’d wanted a fling with Summer Butler just to say they had—made me sick to my stomach.
I scooted closer to the wall in disgust. “Let me get this straight—you’re looking for . . . what? A one-night stand?”
“Summer,” he said defensively, “it’s not like that. More like a fling. You know, until you leave.”
“So a meaningless fling?” I said, devoid of emotion.
Luke was missing my reaction, instead forging on to convince me. “We’d avoid the mistakes we made before, and there’d be no hurt feelings when you leave again.”
I grabbed my now-lukewarm bowl of grits and dumped it on his head.
He stared at me in shock while the grits dripped down his face. “I take it that’s a no.”
“That’s a hell no. A no-fucking-way no.” I gave him a shove. “Get the hell away from me.”
“Summer.”
Willy Hawkins walked into the restaurant, and surprise covered his face when he realized his boss was wearing a bowl on his head.
The whole reason I was back in Sweet Briar was because of my bad behavior in a restaurant, and here I was again. Maybe I needed to start eating in more often.
“Officer Hawkins,” I called out to him, “can I file a complaint with you about someone in your department?”
I gave Luke another shove, but he still refused to budge. He took the bowl off his head and put it on the table, but grits clung to his hair and dripped down onto his shoulders. “Summer, wait. That came out all wrong.”
“You’re only saying that now because you didn’t get the reaction you were hopin’ for.” I glanced up at Willy. “Officer Hawkins, this man is harassing me.”
“Summer.”
Willy looked torn but said, “Chief, the lady wants you to move out of her booth.”
“Summer,” Luke pleaded.
Willy’s expression looked so conflicted I almost felt sorry for involving him, but he gave Luke a stern reprimand. “Chief.”
Luke started to slide out of the seat, but he stopped and said, “Summer, I don’t want you leavin’ like this.”
“You had your chance.”
He stood next to the table. “Are you talkin’ to anyone else tonight?”
I scooted across the seat, thankful he hadn’t dripped grits onto the vinyl. “Where I go and what I do is none of your business.”
“You’re in danger.”
“Then you should have thought of that before you insulted me with your proposition.”
“Summer, I swear to you. I didn’t mean it as an insult.”
I leaned closer and looked up at him. “You said we’re basically the same people, so let me ask you this: Would the Summer you knew before have settled for a fling?”
His face fell. “No.”
“Well, there you go, you moron.”
I glanced past him and saw Maybelline standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching us in disbelief. “Maybelline, Chief Montgomery has graciously offered to pay for my dinner.”
“You hardly ate any of it,” she protested.
I gave Luke a hard glare. “I suddenly lost my appetite.”
I half expected him to protest when I walked out. Instead, I heard him grunt and looked back to see Maybelline pull back her hand from slapping him on the back of the head.