Page 2 of One Whopper of a Love Story

For instance, the lobster purse was perfect with this outfit. It added to the theme. Besides, who didn’t love lobster? I liked mine with butter and served beside a steak.

Going to breakfast with the older hottie I’d met in the grocery store was a mistake. Dating someone in their fifties was a bad idea in general. But I’d ignored his age because he was tall and broad shouldered, and I had a thing for tall and broad-shouldered men. He’d also had steaks in his shopping cart, but no lobster.

Because I was short, tall included a lot of men.

At least the old guy had been a gentleman, and he was a fabulous cook. Best steak I’d ever had. That shouldn’t have been surprising since he was a chef, but because he looked like a rancher, I’d been shocked. His friends were nice though. I saw them from time to time around town. I saw him too, but he’d only nod then find someplace else to focus.

It was obvious he thought inviting me over had been a mistake.

Thinking about my bad decisions would only depress me. And considering I was waddling along the side of the road in a mermaid costume, I didn’t need that right now. This was an all-around bad day.

Good decisions. I needed to think about my good decisions. Brightening the lives of children was a great thing, but that hadn’t ended well. I needed to think about a good decision that didn’t include a downside.

Working at the doughnut shop.

Applying to work at Sweet’s was a great decision. I’d been there a month, and it was going really well. Not only did I enjoy the job, but I met new people every day.

The sun sank closer to the horizon, and I kept walking. Hopefully it wouldn’t be completely dark by the time I made it to a house.

Who would I call when I got to a phone? That was limited to the phone numbers I could actually remember. My mom rattled off numbers and amazed us all. But back in her day, speed dial wasn’t really a thing.

Lettie was out of town. My sister was too. My boss would probably help me, but I didn’t know Tessa’s number. Plus, she was probably locking lips with her hot boyfriend in the hot tub. I wouldn’t call her.

I’d just have to call a ride share service. Did they even pick up in places this far out of town?

As the sun hovered just above the horizon, I trekked down the road, trying to avoid the puddles left over from yesterday’s rain. I wasn’t always successful. Walking in a mermaid costume was more difficult than I anticipated, and now I’d have to pay to have this thing cleaned.

Pain stabbed at my ankle, and I swiped at my leg before looking to see what was causing the pain. But then another stab jolted me. This time I looked for the culprit. No! An ant clung to my ankle biting me and stabbing with his butt. Fear rippled through me. I did not need this right now.

In the fading light, I slapped at my ankle and scanned the ground. When I spotted the mound, I jumped away from the ants I’d just disturbed with my tail. Then I noticed them all over my tail. Flicking them off, I turned to make sure they weren’t getting on my other leg. Twisting and turning, I fell over and landed with a thud. Stupid mermaid tail. My elbows were scraped up, but at least I hadn’t landed in the mud.

Pushing up, I looked around for my purse. Where was it? I needed it.

My skin started to itch, and I made a conscious effort to keep my breathing slow and steady. The panic clawing at my skin didn’t help. Why did I have to be allergic to ants? And where was my lobster purse that contained my Epi-pen?

Stupid frat boys.

Chapter 2

Nico

After two days of torrential rains, the clear sky was a welcome sight, and it coincided perfectly with my time off. Tomorrow was supposed to be sunny and glorious, which would be perfect for a day of fishing.

Yawning, I rolled my neck from side to side. Sleeping during the day was never as restful as sleeping at night, but working nights didn’t give me much choice. After getting a few hours of shuteye and then running a few errands, I needed dinner.

Best barbeque around was in Stadtburg, and I headed that way.

With the radio blaring, I sang along with Queen, but I didn’t quite have the same range.

I did a doubletake as my headlights lit up something at the edge of the pavement on the opposite side of the road. I knew we’d had a lot of rain yesterday, but enough to wash a mermaid so far inland? That was unlikely.

After easing off the road without getting too close—I didn’t want to scare her—I grabbed my flashlight as I jumped out. “Hey. You okay?”

She shook her head.

When I shined the light on her, I understood. She was covered in hives. I didn’t bother turning off the flashlight before shoving it in my back pocket and scooping her up.

“Let’s get you to a hospital. Just keep breathing for me, all right?” Working in law enforcement, I’d seen a few allergic reactions and knew how serious they could be.

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