Page 21 of Wild Card
Chloe stiffened, her jaw tight.
Oh, geez.
“Are you saying I’m not pretty, Sheriff?” I asked to divert everyone’s attention before Chloe rightfully lost her shit. “I’m hurt.”
Hale’s eyes narrowed, but Deputy Zach Larson laughed and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Harvey. You’re the prettiest deputy of them all.”
“Why, thank you, Zach. I was feeling unappreciated.”
“As I was saying,” Hale ground out. “Deputy Parks should help us better balance the workload. We’ll spend the week showing her the ropes.” He glared at me. “Harvey, take her on a ride-along so she can gaze at yourprettyface all day.”
“What about Lawson?—”
“Lawson’s about to clock out,” Hale said. “Sing’s on jail duty. You’re patrolling. So roll out.”
Hale headed for his office. I dogged his steps. “Hold up, Sheriff. Maybe she should get a tour of the office today. Hold off on the fieldwork?—”
Hale turned around. “Are you questioning my orders?”
I dropped my voice. “You know I prefer to work alone.”
“Too bad. You’ve gotten too big for your britches lately. Time to remember I’m the sheriff here, and you’re not.”
He shut the office door in my face.
Damn it. Sheriff Hale knew what had happened in Phoenix. He knew my partner, just a rookie, got shot on my watch. I didn’t want to be responsible for a deputy on her first day on the job.
“Is there a problem, Deputy Harvey?” Chloe asked in a clipped voice behind me. “I assure you that I may be a woman, but I’m just as capable?—”
I turned. “Let me save you the trouble, Deputy. I don’t like to drive with anyone, male or female. It has nothing to do with you being a woman.”
She dipped her head. “All right. Then suck it up, pretty boy. We’ve got a job to do.”
She passed by a smirking Ava and headed for the glass doors leading to the parking lot.
I snorted a laugh as I followed her. “Pretty boy?”
“Well, weren’t you the one bringing up your pretty face to the whole department?”
“I just did that because…” I trailed off, unsure if she’d be more or less offended to know I’d rushed to her rescue.
“I know why you did it,” she said. “I’m not a damsel in distress. I can handle myself.”
“And I’m not a white knight,” I said. “I was just trying to protect the guys from an ass-kicking.”
She shot me a surprised glance.
I shrugged. “I have a sister who doesn’t put up with anyone’s shit.”
Chloe laughed, her face relaxing for the first time since she’d come out of the office. “Thank you for saving me the trouble, then.”
“No problem.” I pulled out my keys as we neared my patrol car. It was a dark blue SUV with a yellow badge emblem painted on the door, with the words Elkhorn County Sheriff’s Office emblazoned on it. “Just do me a favor and listen to every word I say today. I don’t care if we’ve encountered a rabid raccoon or a sweet-looking old lady. I make the call on how to handle it.”
I expected her to push back about her qualifications, but she nodded. “You’re in charge.”
I unlocked the doors, and we got in. I started up the engine and reversed out of the parking lot.
