Page 44 of Exposure of Murder

He gave a little smile. “Good morning.” Ethan looked around. “Here by yourself or meeting someone?”

“I’m meeting a couple of friends. They should be here any minute.” Jane gave him a once-over. He looked sexy as all get-out in his sheriff’s uniform. The brown tactical cargo pants fit just right. His long-sleeved shirt emphasized his muscular chest. The gold shield glittered under the lights. He pulled on a dark navy bomber jacket, looking every bit the badass lawman.

“Oh.” He frowned, then slapped the table and turned to head out. “Okay then.”

He stopped, then turned and glanced at her. “If you have time, why don’t you stop by the station? I’d like to give you an update.”

Well, that sure wasn’t what she expected him to say. “I’ve been curious. Will you still be there in an hour or two?”

“Yup. Unless an emergency comes up.” He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head. “So I’ll see you then?”

Jane nodded and watched him walk away—back straight, uniform pressed and looking undeniably sexy. Why did women find men in uniforms so appealing? A better question was why was she ogling the sheriff when he was usually disapproving of her?

“Hey, girlfriend.” Leah slipped into the booth, followed by Emily as they slipped off their fleece jackets. “Chilly out there today.” Leah shivered.

“I guess we can’t complain, though. Snow will be here soon enough,” said Emily.

Jane wondered what the winters in Vermont were like. She moved here during mud season. Who knew there was a mud season? Not her.

She quickly learned it was the period between winter and spring. When the snow melts and the ground thaws, you get mud. And boy, did she. It was impossible to keep the floors clean, and the sheep looked like they’d been dipped in it. It lasted from late March to early April or as late as early June.

Flo stopped by to take their order, and then she, Emily, and Claire spent a little time rehashing the party. Everyone agreed it was a hit and they couldn’t wait to get together again.

“I heard Sean was in town,” Leah said, looking at Emily. “Was he able to stop by?”

Emily blushed and smiled. “Yes, but not for long.”

“Who’s Sean?” asked Jane.

“Sean McQueeney. He lives in Burlingham and runs Champlain Security Solutions,” Leah replied.

“Pshaw,” Emily muttered. “We’re just friends. Friends with benefits. We’re not looking to be each other’s anything.”

“I didn’t know Ethan had another brother,” said Jane. “How many does he have?”

“There’s Tanner,” Leah said and crinkled her forehead. “You’ve met Dylan, haven’t you?”

Jane nodded.

“Sean is the oldest, and then there’s Dylan’s twin, Kane, who is a mountain guide in Stowe.”

Wow. Jane was impressed. Five boys. Ethan’s parents must have had their hands full. She turned to Emily. “Soooo, you and Sean, huh?”

Emily shrugged. “We’ve been seeing each other on and off for a while. It’s nothing serious.” Sighing, she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “He’s too busy.”

Jane reached over and patted her hand. “I’m sorry. Relationships are hard enough, but when you’re in separate towns and have busy schedules, it’s tougher.”

“So true. But seriously, we’re just friends.” Emily leaned forward on her elbows, staring at Jane. “Okay, enough about me. Tell us about your new man.”

“Not much to tell. He called yesterday and invited me out to dinner at the Rustic Table.” Jane was surprised Victor wasted no time calling her. She was impressed by his promptness. She liked a man who didn’t play games—just straight to the point. Mike had been like that, too.

“Ohhh, I see a budding romance,” exclaimed Claire. “What does he do?”

Hmmm. What did Victor do? He told Jane he was in investments and looking for land, but that was all she knew. Washe a real estate broker? Agent? Did he represent builders? Build himself? She’d have to ask.

Jane shrugged. “He’s a land investor. That’s all I know right now.”

“Well, you’ll have to tell us how dinner went. The Rustic Table is romantic, and the food is great,” exclaimed Emily. “Maybe you’ll get lucky.”

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