Page 4 (1/2)

Lance’s gaze slid to the retreating stiff shoulders of Todd and Jarabbed his hand "You promised to stay and try out my chest rub to see if it helps you breathe easier, remember? I’ll drive you home after"

When Tucker left without another word, Lance squeezed her hand, then dropped it "I’ll be inside," he said, and with one last look at the still silent Sawyer, vanished into the cottage

Chloe turned to the sheriff The shi-like Nor was it going to disappear anytime soon, which ht it

Because Saas the last et involved with, option nuaze evenly, he waited He never spoke more words than absolutely necessary, and this drove her batshit crazy "What happened out there?"

"I ticketed Todd for the illegal bonfire"

"Just Todd?"

"He was the one who started it"

She paused Todd was one of those guys who could talk his way into a bank vault with nothing but a s the bank er happy to have been ripped off He was also a native Lucky Harbor guy, and the residents were very fond of their own, troubled son or no

Saas native too, and just as well liked, if not al bonfires out there?"

"Not in a high fire hazard season, they don’t," he said

"It’s almost October"

"Fire season," Sawyer repeated

"So…if I lit a campfire, you’d arrest me?"

"Ticket," he corrected "Not arrest Not for a first offense"

What rong with her that the stern cop thing he had going on was doing it for her? Huh Maybe she didn’t want to fight this attraction so much as test its boundaries "What if it was my second offense? Would you frisk and cuff me then?"

His eyes darkened "What is it with you and my cuffs?"

"Well, if you don’t know," Chloe said as demurely as she could, "I don’t want to corrupt you" She ed her back

"Not so fast," he said and studied her, giving nothing of his thoughts away "You’re playing with ames, Chloe"

No shit She’d known him for nearly a year now, and yet she didn’t know hi extremely close to the vest, which she could admit made her quite envious, as she was co the same

"What were you and Lance up to earlier?" he wanted to know

"Popcorn Chatting Stuff"

"I as to be e to understand"

"Try ht, you know?"

"It’s probably the wood and joints settling"

"Yes, but it’s the ‘probably’ part that gets ht, it’s…loud"

"And you sleep here alone now"

"Yes" Maddie hadhim in two months Tara had moved out as well to live with her boyfriend, Ford The three sisters worked out shifts when they had overnight guests, but for thethat came up because she was the one without a life "Sohost" She waited for hiht hurt him if he did, but he didn’t

He just looked at her meditatively "You could tell your sisters you don’t like sleeping here alone"

Hell, no She’d alreadymore chaos "They haveto add worry or grief to it by telling them I’ hi deal It’s just that I read one Stephen King too et a little freaked is all Lance knows that and cohost"

"Stories"

"Tonight we decided the ghost died here at age ninety-nine A virgin"

"A ninety-nine-year-old-virgin ghost"

"Hey, it’s not as unlikely as you o on to her afterlife until she has an orgasht Lance wished for a long, norhtened because Lance could wish all he wanted but it wasn’t going to happen for him And God, how she hated that, hated it so da about it "So assurants his wish," she said softly, "in return, ere trying to give her the orgasasm"

"Yes, well, it’s the best we had" She didn’t kno she felt about Sawyer catching her silly show, or what the hell he could have possibly thought when he’d heard her screa

Or why she cared…

But she did And in return, he nodded in understanding It didn’t exactly go with the tough, unflappable cop iuy who followed the rules and a set path for life like aBlack and white, always