Page 118 of Call it Reckless

“Thank you, Lexi. Well done,” Mrs. Thompson said after the applause.

Reid and I listened to the last few reports, including Lucas’s, the little twerp with the old-fashioned idea of what girls could do.

After the presentations, there were cookies and punch served. The kids were excited it was the last week of school and chatted animatedly with each other about their plans for the summer. It was with a little bit of smugness that I watched as Lucas did his best to get Lex’s attention. I guessed he’d had a change of heart after hearing her speech. True to her upbringing, she was polite, but no matter how many times he asked her a question, she answered him briefly, then redirected her attention to one of the many other kids who wanted to talk to her. Lucas’s face really fell when Lex and the other boy exchanged numbers and a promise to talk over the summer.

I had to grab Reid’s arm as he started to growl as he caught on to what was taking place.

“She’s only ten,” he protested. “I don’t want boys calling her already.”

“Relax, Deputy. It’s harmless. He just wants to see her soapbox car.”

“It all starts somewhere. She can’t date until she’s thirty,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” I answered, laughing as I followed him over to where they stood. The poor boy glanced at Reid’s uniform and swallowed hard, but he smiled bravely at the man who glared at him.

Lex, on the other hand, wasn’t intimidated at all. “Hi, Daddy. Hi, Bristol. This is Benjamin. He and his dad are building a soapbox car, too. We thought maybe we could race each other for practice this summer. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” I answered.

Reid tensed beside me.

I stood on my toes to whisper in his ear. “What better way to keep an eye on them?”

“Yeah, sure, I guess,” Reid muttered.

Considering Reid had momentarily forgotten his manners, I introduced us to Benjamin’s parents, both of whom seemed quite nice.

“We really appreciate the tips you passed out at the last town hall meeting about building a soapbox car,” Benjamin’s dad said to me. “I know you’re trying to get some sponsors to build a safe track so the kids don’t have to practice on the road. My business would like to make a contribution.”

“That would be wonderful,” I said enthusiastically. “The more local citizens participate, the more others will be open to making this happen and participating in all kinds of ways.”

“I think you’re right. And I know some other people who want to contribute, as well. It’s a great thing you’re doing for our kids. We want to support it.”

He turned to Reid. “And I’m really hoping we’ll see you on the ballot in November.”

That finally earned a smile. “I appreciate the thought.”

I’d been worried that the arrest of my employee would damage business again. But to my surprise, Agent Wilson showed up at the town hall meeting last month. He didn’t linger, but he spoke to the citizens to reassure them that our community was safe, and there was no reason to believe there was further illegal activity taking place. He thanked Reid for being so intuitive and quick thinking and taking control of things until they could arrive. Then, to my surprise, he thanked me for my role in being so supportive of his agency and offering my home and business for them to work out of for the very short time they were in town.

When I thanked him after the meeting for his words, he winked and said Griff sent his best wishes. From wherever Griff was, he was making sure there was no blowback on me, the business, and therefore, those I cared about.

It worked. The town rallied around me. People dropped by all week to thank me for doing my civic duty and to schedule appointments. We were booked out for a full month.

And at the town hall meeting last week, my idea for a temporary track that could be put down and taken back up had been wildly successful. Even Rich Bowen didn’t try to stall it.

“Ready to go home?” I asked Reid as the school day drew to a close.

“I need to make a stop first.”

“Oh? What for, Deputy?”

“Well, I’m hoping by this fall you won’t be able to call me that anymore.”

I stopped in my tracks, nearly causing someone to run into me. I cocked my head. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

He nodded. “I’m going to pick up the petition I need for signatures. If I get enough, then I’ll start the campaign.”

I smiled. “Oh, you’ll get enough,” I said. “You’ll be a shoe-in.”

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