Page 68 of Trouble Comes in Threes

Jed shot a glance to Neely Kate, then me. “What kind of meeting?”

“Good Lord, Jed!” Neely Kate hollered. “She’s a grown woman capable of making her own appointments.”

He didn’t look convinced, so I said, “I’m meeting Randy Miller, who happens to be a deputy sheriff, at Merrilee’s.” I gave him a smug look. “Can’t get much safer than that.” Then I walked past him to the door.

I expected Neely Kate to get up and follow, but she stayed seated.

“I’ll try to knock out this design before my two o’clock meeting,” Neely Kate said. “Jed can get me something for lunch.”

I gave her a sympathetic smile, although I supposed I should have given it to Jed since he was still in whatever doghouse Neely Kate had put him in the night before.

Merilee’s was directly across the square from my office. When I walked through the door to the restaurant, Randy was already seated at a two-top table in the back. He was wearing his uniform, and he lifted his hand in greeting. He looked relaxed and settled. He’d come a long way from the young deputy I’d met nearly six years ago. I headed back and slipped into the empty chair across from him. Two glasses of water were already on the table.

“I’m so glad you could meet me!” I said, meaning it. “I haven’t seen you in months.”

He shot me a grin. “You and Joe have had your hands full.”

I swiped at a drop of water on the table. “Especially since Joe became sheriff.”

The waitress walked over, her ponytail swishing against her neck. “Hey, Rose. What’s it gonna be today?”

I ordered a club sandwich with tomato soup, and Randy ordered a burger and fries.

“So what’s new in your life?” I asked Randy as the waitress walked away. “You look happy. Dating anyone?”

He chuckled as his gaze dropped to the table. “I’ve started seeing someone, but it’s too soon to know if it’s anything.”

“Anyone I know?” I asked playfully.

“Nah, I don’t think so. She’s from up by Magnolia.”

“How’d you meet? A dating app?”

He laughed. “Now you sound like Neely Kate.”

I shrugged with a grin. “I guess she’s rubbed off on me.”

He laughed. “I pulled her over for a broken taillight.”

“And she agreed to go out with you?” I asked with a snort.

His face flushed slightly. “I let her off with a warning.”

“Well, I hope she’s lovely,” I said. “You deserve someone wonderful.”

The pink of his cheeks turned more crimson. “I don’t know about that.” He shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the topic at hand, and said, “I hear Mikey’s playin’ soccer.”

I told him about Mikey’s game and then told him about the situation Ashley was dealing with at school.

He frowned. “I hate that for her. She’s a sensitive kid, so I know how hard that must be for her.”

“We’ve both told her and Mikey that their daddy made a mistake—a bad one—and that he’s sorry. But we thought they were too young to know the full details.”

“You’ve changed your mind?”

“No… maybe?”

Randy sat back in his seat. “I wish I was wise enough to give you advice, but I do know that keepin’ secrets from kids never ends well. They always seem to find out.”

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