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"Hello, Officer," I said, turning my head to look up at him Whee! The room spun and my vision blurred

"Hello," Sa, judging, inti "Is that car with the Florida plates yours?" he demanded, very bad-cop Unfortunately, his question epito, co out as Is that cah with the Flarrider plates yaws? And Lorenzo, the asshole, shts on, buddy Battery’s dying" With that, Sam left the table

"Whoops," I said, pleased beyond belief "I’ll give you a jump Well, your battery, anyway"

Katie came over with our cheesecake and coffee She tossed down the little bowl of creaht cream--and quickly left Lorenzo picked up his fork and watched her go

"Boy," he said "That waitress is a real bi--"

"Okay, hotshot," I interrupted, s up "Get out"

"Excuseanywhere"

"That bitchy waitress," I ground out, "happens to beeveryone around you, co about how nobody likes you, and I’ll tell you why Because you’re an ass Now go I’ll pay for dinner It will be worth it just to get rid of you"

The restaurant had fallen absolutely silent

"Well, too bad," Lorenzo said, glancing around at the frozen patrons and leaning back arrogantly in his chair "I’ anywhere"

What to do but pull out the tru h for o, pal," Sa Lorenzo’s arainst the law," Lorenzo stammered I enjoyed a thrill of appreciation as Sauided hi Katie As they left, the custo through an to burn Had I really just…Was everyone really…? There was Joe, clapping along with the rest of the drunkenly "I’ll be here all week"

And then I plopped back intoas the applause died down Katie ca a clean fork fro my honor," she said dryly "Christ, what a jerk"

I s with drunken love She took a bite of my cheesecake

"Dinner’s on the house, Millie!" called Chris More clapping I waved my thanks When Sam came back in, there was yet another round of applause He came over, pulled up a chair and helped himself to Lorenzo’s untouched cheesecake

"I think I deserve this," he said, grinning

"Taste better than donuts?" I asked "And thank you for saving me, Officer Sam"

"Got yourself a spine, there, Millie," he answered "And you’re welcouessed it, Joe Carpenter ca up a chair "What did he do?"

"Joe," I said, pretending to be casual thoughAre you one of thehed "Not ht, Sam?"

Sam just nodded

"Joe, I saw your truck at Mrs Bianco’s house the other day," I said casually, carefully enunciating "Are you doing some work for her?" Mrs Bianco, an ancient little old lady who used two canes to get around, lived around the block fro his head bashfully, "not really I was just fixing her back stairs They looked a little wobbly"

Oh, he eet! Fixing a little old crippled lady’s back steps! The warmth in my chest bordered on painful How I loved Joe Carpenter!

"Okay, see you guys later," Joe said, rising froht," we called after him

Sam drove me home, as I was in no shape to operate a vehicle more sophisticated than a tricycle My moet

As I unbuckled ood tonight, kiddo," he said

"Thanks, Sa You’re such a natural"

Saonna do?" I climbed out of the cruiser and tripped inside

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A WEEK LATER, MY THRILL at putting Lorenzo of the Crabs in his place had significantly faded Sure, it had been a moment, and Joe had seen me in that moment Beside that, I had stuck up for Katie and my other fellow Cape Codders But I was still alone No interi Joe

I had lost count of how long it had been since I’d been properly kissed A long time More than…I hated even to think it…more than a year It had been in Boston A first date with a nice radiology tech We’d had a really great tiood night at my apartment door Kissed me very well, as aa nurse in the ultrasound room, and that was that