Page 4 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
She put up her window. With a huff, she watched in the rearview mirror as he got into his cruiser with the lights still flashing, as if enough people hadn’t noticed that she had been pulled overagain.This was humiliating.
Her fingers drummed on the steering wheel. What was he doing? Running her plates? Checking her ID for any outstanding warrants?
She’d have gladly told him that he wouldn’t find anything. The only place she had any tickets was in Kringle Falls. And the only officer who insisted on pulling her over was him. It was like he had it out for her or something.
At last, he walked back to her car. He was just about to hand her license and registration back to her when her phone rang. A quick glance at the screen on her dash let her know it was her boss.Oh, boy. This is not good.
“You can have these.” He handed over her cards.
As she put them away, she caught him writing something. Probably how much she now owed city hall or whoever collected the fines.
He tore off the ticket but before he handed it to her, he said, “You really need to get that light fixed as soon as possible. With the bad weather that’s supposed to blow in, you don’t want a tail light out. It isn’t safe.” Then he handed her the ticket. “Have a good day.”
A good day? Is he serious?He wrote her a ticket, and she was late for work. What was good about any of that?
Without taking the time to read the ticket, she tossed it onto the passenger seat with the heap of napkins. She put the car in drive and resisted the urge to tramp the accelerator. Instead, she put on her turn signal and then calmly merged into traffic.
When she reached the boutique, she drove around to the back, where there was a small parking lot. She turned off the engine, and since she was already late, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. She was still steamed over the fact that Sheriff Bishop had pulled her over and proceeded to write her a ticket for her tail light being out. Couldn’t he have just let her know and let it go at that?
Now that she was late, Mavis would give her a hard time about leaving for lunch. And she had to step out because she had the puppy at home counting on her to give him a potty break. With a sigh, she grabbed her purse and phone. She got out of the car and closed the door.
She turned and took a step. Her foot landed on ice. In the next instant, her feet slipped out from under her. It happened so fast the next thing she knew, her backside smacked the ice.Ouch.
She groaned. This day was totally against her. What was it her mother used to say? That bad things came in threes. She was late for work. She got pulled over. So, did this make her third bit of bad luck? She hoped so.
A car door closed in the alleyway. Before she could get to her feet, she heard a familiar voice.
“Belle, are you all right?” Sheriff Bishop rushed to her side. “Do you need an ambulance?”
He was the very last person she wanted to see, especially in this awkward situation. She frowned at him. “I’m fine.”
When she tried to stand up, her feet slid across the ice. It appeared the whole parking lot was nothing but a sheet of ice. The cold and dampness seeped through her skirt. Not only was she late, but she was going to look like a mess too. It appeared her bad luck just kept rolling along.
The next thing she knew there were capable hands wrapping around her and helping her to her feet. She was grateful to be off the ice, but she wasn’t happy for his help. They weren’t friends. They weren’t even friendly.
“What are you doing here?” She pressed her hands to her hips, ignoring the tender bruise forming on her left side. “Are you following me?”
He frowned at her. “I didn’t really expect a thank you, but I don’t deserve that accusation.”
Her gaze searched his. She refused to acknowledge the way his intense stare made her heart beat faster. Instead, she focused on her suspicion that he’d followed her. But why? She’d noticed he hadn’t directly answered her question.
Her gaze narrowed on him. “Why are you following me?”
A lopsided smile formed on his lips before he shook his head. She hated the way her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him. He was undeniably handsome. But it wasn’t enough to overcome the way he’d irritated her since they were kids. And she wasn’t going to think about the time he’d gotten her disqualified from a school track meet because her foot had accidentally been over the start line.
“I wasn’t following you.” His tone was matter of fact. “As you know, I patrol the town, and it’s a small town. We are bound to run into each other.”
It was true this was a small town. At times like this, it was too small. She had no choice but to accept his words.
“Fine. I have to go to work.” She paused. “Unless you plan to give me another ticket.”
His brows lifted high on his forehead. “No. No ticket this time. But make sure you get that light fixed.”
“I will.” And then she straightened her shoulders and carefully walked away.
She slipped a couple of times, but she remained upright. And though she didn’t look over her shoulder, she sensed him staring at her as she walked away. She was tempted to glance back at him, but she refused to let him know that his presence got to her.
She opened the back door and let herself inside. Over the speaker system, she could hear “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” This morning, she didn’t know if she agreed with the song.
