Page 15 of One Whopper of a Love Story

“I was talking to my cousin just before I left the house. There was a wedding on the ranch this evening.”

She gasped. “No way! Garrett didn’t waste any time.”

“He did not.” I had a pretty good idea of where they might be spending their honeymoon, but I didn’t plan on sharing that information with anyone. “I’m sure news will spread quickly, and I figured you’d want to know.”

I pulled into the parking lot, not ready to end the call.

“So, you’re in uniform?”

“Yep.” I leaned back in my seat, reminding myself I’d only known her since Sunday evening and that she hadn’t seen me in my work clothes. “What all deputies wear: uniform, boots, and a hat.”

The sigh from the other end of the line, which I guessed wasn’t supposed to be loud enough for me to hear, made my night. I’d definitely be stopping for doughnuts in the morning. In uniform.

“Are you at the station?”

“I am. Just parked.” But I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get out of my truck even though my shift started soon.

“I’ll let you go then. Thanks for calling me.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Layla.” I pocketed my keys. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Once my shift ended, I’d stop somewhere and buy a wall calendar. What was happening with Layla was worth marking off the days.

Getting my thoughts focused on work, I walked into the station and nearly ran into Edward.

He patted my shoulder. “Must’ve been a good fishing trip.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard you caught a mermaid. That has to be one whopper of a story.” Edward Bettis laughed. “One I’d really like to hear.”

“Nothing to tell. And what happened to medical privacy?” I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

He kept pace. “My mom mentioned that you’d walked in carrying a mermaid. There is nothing medical about that.”

“I suppose. Yes, I carried a mermaid into the hospital on Sunday night. Happy?”

He laughed. “I’ll leave you alone. For now.”

I didn’t want to think about what else his mom might’ve told him. Living in a small town had its perks and downfalls. This was definitely the latter.

My phone rang and I strode to the end of the hall before answering. “Hello.”

“Nico, it’s Brian. Just wanted to make sure all was good with the car. Did my guys get it delivered without issue?”

“They did. Thank you so much.”

“I owed you. Speaking of that, my girlfriend’s cousin is coming back to town. Any chance you’d take her out again? Double date. I’ll pay for everything.”

“Sorry. Can’t do that.”

“I’ll throw in a free oil change.” Brian sounded a little desperate.

I felt for the man, but that wouldn’t change my answer. “Not this time. I’m sure you can find someone else to round out the double date.”

“She’s taller than me, and she doesn’t date short guys. You’re the only one I know who fits her criteria.” He sighed. “But I won’t pester you. If you change your mind, let me know.”

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