Page 91 of Sweet Home Louisiana

George laughed.“I was doing well,” he admitted.“But, she’s definitely making my day a little more interesting.”

“This is the first thing since I’ve been home,” Maddie protested.

Owen smiled along with everyone else, but he didn’t miss her use of the wordhome.God, he fucking loved that.But he needed to keep his grip on reality.Her finally acknowledging that this was home didn’t mean she was staying.

“You’re not arresting her for what went on out there,” Owen said.“It’s her word against that guy.”

“And everyone else on the boats,” George said.

“You talked to everyone else?”Owen asked, knowing he hadn’t.

“Not yet.But I could.”

“Sure, I’ll get you some names and numbers,” Owen said agreeably.“And I’ll give a statement.I’m a witness, too.”

“Let me guess,” George said mildly.“Your statement is that nothing even happened and you’ll get me names and numbers of people who will say what a fabulous tour it was and that they had a great time, felt totally safe, and don’t even remember a pretty blonde with a gun.”

“Well if you already know what they’re going to say, you don’t need to talk to them, do you?”Owen asked.

“Lying to law enforcement is a misdemeanor,” George told him.

“Huh,” Owen replied noncommittally.

“That could put you in that cell next to her, too.”

“Huh,” Owen said again.

George sighed.“It really diminishes my authority that the threat of jail does nothing to you.”

“You mean yourfeelingsof authority,” Leo said.“Let’s be honest about how much power you really have with people who know you’re addicted to jelly beans and who saw you shit-faced on your birthday.Three years in a row.”

George rolled his eyes, but he didn’t argue.

Owen felt a little better.Basically, the local cop had just acknowledged that Owen would go to jail for Maddie.That was good.He could say that these people had no idea what all he would do for Maddie, but he thought that they really just might.

“Listen,” George finally said.“No one was hurt and I know Maddie won’t do it again.But the guy was making a huge stink and he’s outside waiting to see what happens.”

Owen pivoted toward the door again, but Leo stepped in front of him and George grabbed his arm.

“Whoa,” George told him.“No fuckin’ way are you going out there to talk to him.”

“I wasn’t really intending to do muchtalking,” Owen said.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t totally over the urge to take a swing once in a while.At least not when Maddie was involved.

“No,” Leo said to Owen firmly.“You’ll make it worse.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Owen told him.

Leo shook his head.“All he needs is tothinkthat she’s in trouble for it,” Leo said.He turned back to George.“He’s not from here.He’ll never know what you really do about it.Take Maddie down to the station.Let the guy see her sitting in the back of your car.Then get her a cup of coffee, pull the Oreos out of your bottom drawer, and spend a little time catching up.I’ll haul this guy back to N’Awlins and drop him at the Hilton and everyone will be happy.”

Owen sighed.Fuck.He’d rather punch the guy in the face.What was his problem?But he glanced over at Maddie.“You okay with that?”

She shrugged.“Better than an arrest.”

“Okay then.”George let go of Owen and gestured toward the door.“Let’s go.”

Maddie started forward.

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