Page 20 of Mine to Dominate

Carol hugged her. “If you’re still not feeling good, call me, and I’ll come in for your shift.”

“I’ll be fine. But thank you.”

Kayla sat down at the desk, went through the few notes left for her, and saw nothing that needed her attention.

“Hey, hun. What’s up? You look sick?” Lance said.

She looked up at him. “It’s a woman thing, but if you want to hear about my period, I’d be happy to share.”

Lance’s hands came out to ward her off. “No, it’s fine. Thanks, though,” he murmured, turned, and walked off like the Devil was after him.

She stood. She needed coffee in the worst way. She didn’t want to go past Zeke’s open door, but she had no choice. She picked up a file to pretend to read as she walked back. She knew he saw her immediately, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything.

How could his rejection hurt so much when they hadn’thad a date, unless she wanted to count the picnic?

She started a new pot of coffee. She jerked around when the door closed behind her. A spike of pure fury went through her when she saw Fletcher leaning against the door with his arms crossed.

“What the hell do you want?”

His eyes widened. She’d never talked to him in that tone before, and it shocked them both.

“What’s wrong with you?”

She tried to laugh. “Like you don’t know.”

She saw the confusion but didn’t believe it.

“Did that bastard hurt you?” he asked.

“No, I’d look closer to home.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Don’t play stupid, Fletcher.”

He threw his hands out. “I have no idea…”

He was pushed out of the way when the door opened. She almost groaned when she saw Zeke standing there.

“What’s going on in here?” Zeke asked.

She turned around and faced the coffee maker. “Nothing, Sheriff. I made some fresh coffee if either of you wants some. I’ve got to get back to work.”

She poured her cup, walked past them, and flinched away when Zeke tried to reach for her. Kayla ignored both men’s confusion and shock and returned to her desk.

Lunchtime came and went, and she tried to eat some crackers, but she couldn’t get them past her throat unless she drank water after each bite.

Thankfully, people were leaving her alone unless they had a question. She tried to ignore the way Fletcher watched her, and sometimes she caught Zeke studying her from his office doorway. She just wanted to make it through her shift and go home.

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief when Betsy walked in the door to take over. She hurried out the door without saying goodbye and made it home within a few minutes. She locked herself in, then relaxed on the sofa with her eyes closed.

The phone rang in her purse, and she snatched it up and then groaned when she saw it was the sheriff. He was one of the few calls she couldn’t ignore.

“Hello.”

“Kayla, you left before we could talk.”

“If it’s something that needs to be done right away, ask Betsy. If not, put it on my desk for tomorrow.”

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