Page 18 of Loving My Enemy

“One damn year,” he muttered and jumped out of the driver’s seat. Tyson was already jogging up the stone pavers by the time I stepped from the car. As I caught up with him near the porch, he and Elka were deep in conversation. “Need some help?”

She eyed Tyson suspiciously and when her gaze landed on me, it was equal parts suspicion, heat, and fear. “Nope. I’m good,” she said breezily. “But thank you for the offer.”

The damn thing was a dresser or maybe an armoire—one of those big-ass wooden things that held a lot of crap. It was as wide as Elka was tall, with about a hundred different drawers in all sizes. “What in the hell is this thing?”

She whirled around and cocked a strawberry blond brow at me. All I could see was the swell of her creamy cleavage peeking above the top of her thin white shirt and damn near nonexistent cutoff shorts. “It’s none of your concern,deputy.” The glare she sent me would have made a lesser man wilt, but I stood taller and took a step closer.

“I’m making it my business.”

“Since moving furniture is not a law enforcement matter, you don’t have the power to make it your business.” She turned toTyson and her expression softened. “Thanks for your concern, sheriff, but I’ve got it. Really.” Arms crossed, she leaned against the wooden monstrosity and stared at us. Waiting. Impatiently. When neither of us moved, Elka rolled her eyes with a growl. “Okay, now you’re just trespassing.”

Tyson knocked his head back and let out a long, loud laugh that would have drawn the neighbors if they weren’t already out sneaking a look. “Goodness, but you are a spitfire, little Elka.”

She was unamused and that only made it harder to suppress my own amusement. “See you around.” Elka turned back to the wooden monstrosity and began to push with all her might. It budged but only barely. Elka was, of course, undeterred. She grunted and groaned, moving one side and then the other, an inch at a time.

Tyson looked at me and his eyebrows rose in question as if to ask, “Are we really gonna watch her do this?” I just shrugged and nodded, willing to enjoy the view for a little while longer.

“You sure you don’t want our help?” Tyson asked after a long wait, his voice low and soothing just in case she decided to yell.

“Positive.” There was a hint of excitement that she’d gotten it up another step. “Almost there.”

“This is ridiculous. Where is this thing going?” As nice as the view was, I didn’t want to waste all damn day watching her struggle to get the oversized box inside her house.

Elka glared at me over her shoulder. “Inside my house, deputy.”

I looked to Tyson. “You get the left and I get the right?”

His gaze slid to Elka and the box and then back to me before he flashed a look that said, “it’s your funeral,” and stepped up to the left side of the box. “Excuse me, sweetheart.”

“Stop! I didn’t ask for your help and I don’t want it. Step back, please.” Her hands shook right along with her voice and we both stopped.

“We just want to help,” Tyson attempted to soothe.

“I know. I know but … I’ve gotten it this far on my own.” Her gaze slid to mine and then back to Tyson’s. “But thank you,” she added again, polite as ever.

Tyson looked at me with that decision-maker look on his face and my shoulders slumped forward. “Go give dispatch an update and get a status on the others, will ya?”

I knew exactly what he was doing. It churned my gut that Tyson had to get rid of me just to possibly talk some sense into Elka. Instead of giving him shit like I wanted to, I nodded and turned on my heel, walking slowly to the cruiser so I could hear the next part of the conversation. Tyson clocked my behavior right away and arched a brow to hurry me along. Damn him.

Waiting for the other cars to check in with dispatch took some time and I refused to turn back to Tyson and Elka, not even when her laugh floated on the breeze. I swear she was taunting me and I refused to let it happen, especially in front of Tyson who would never let me live it down. But I knew I couldn’t stay in the cruiser forever, so I took a deep breath and made my way up the familiar set of steps.

“Hey, where did you go?” I asked.

“Down here,” Tyson called out. “Make it fast.”

His voice was thick and strained and I was on the move. “Where?”

“Make a left inside the kitchen,” Elka called out, her voice filled with annoyance. “It’s the open door.”

As much as I wanted to, I didn’t take my time to scope out Elka’s place. There would be time for that later. For now, Tyson needed my help. “How did this happen?” The wooden monstrosity barely fit in the stairwell and Elka was having a hell of a time hanging on to it so it didn’t squash Tyson.

“Explanation later, deputy.” Her attitude was in tact and if not for the fear and strain swimming in her eyes, I would have given her hell. “Some help would be appreciated.”

“Would it?”

She arched a brow. “I imagine the sheriff would be grateful for it.”

“She’s right,” he bit out, voice full of strain.

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