Page 71 of Love Bank
“What the—” Addi’s voice came from behind me. I ignored her yet again.
I began digging in the rubble, pulling up the chief first and letting him deal with his flap of hair sticking straight up instead of nicely greased to his scalp. Next came Poppy, cursing like a sailor. Yedda was next, giving me a pat on the head and a sweet smile.
Lucy, dressed in casual clothes, lay on the ground, staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to the universe. I leaned over her, relieved to see her in one piece, that lovely face of hers a balm to all that ailed me.
The moment held clarity for me. She was my everything.
I needed to make sure she knew that.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
At my question, her gaze swept over to me, her eyes wide with shock.
I gave her my hand and, to my relief, she took it. Once she was back on her feet, I put my arm around her waist to steady her. The chief, Poppy, Yedda, and Addi all stared back at us.
“What’s going—”
“Who called a meeting and didn’t tell me?” the mayor thundered from the open doorway.
“Am I stuck in a dream?” I whispered to no one in particular.
“Like a nightmare, isn’t it?” Lucy whispered back.
I looked down at her and she looked up at me. We had a moment. A very public moment of talking with our eyes. Mine said I was sorry and I loved her and please make all these damn people go away so I can rip your clothes off and have my way with your body. Hers agreed.
“What in Sam Hill is going on here?” The mayor flapped his arms, looking ridiculous in his gray three-piece suit.
“It’s Auburn Hill,” Yedda told him helpfully.
“Nah, it’s most definitely Hell,” Poppy disputed at full volume.
The mayor’s face turned a lovely shade of red while the chief chuckled.
Lucy cleared her throat and we all looked at her. “I called the chief here this morning because we have a situation on our hands.”
“I’ll say!” Addi interjected.
“That’s enough out of you, young lady. One situation at a time,” Poppy reprimanded Addi.
Addi gasped, most likely not used to the acerbic way the mail delivery lady went about communicating. If she wasn’t gossiping, she was cutting you down to size. Just the way she was.
“As I was saying, we have a problem. Sperm samples have gone missing. I fear they may be stolen.”
“We think the Jizz Whizz thief might be Nikki Quinnly.” Keva popped up from behind the front desk and then slapped both hands over her mouth like she couldn’t believe she’d spilled the beans.
I, for one, was impressed with Keva’s creativity. Jizz Whizz thief. I’d have to work that into conversation from time to time. Lucy must not have been as impressed since her cheeks flushed bright red and she shook her head slowly.
The chief took his little notebook out of this breast pocket and wrote down some notes while the two older ladies twittered back and forth in hushed tones. Lucy elbowed me in the gut, and for a sharp guy, I wasn’t cluing into what she was trying to tell me with her eyes darting back and forth.
Another poke in the ribs and I shot Lucy a look. “What?”
“Maybe that’s why Addi is here,” she said out of the side of her mouth.
The light went on upstairs the same time Addi gasped.
I pinned her with a squinty-eyed look. “Did you steal my swimmers?”
“Wait, do you have sperm to swim?” Poppy shook her head violently and tried again. “Did you have a sperm sample here at the clinic?”
