Page 3 of The Sheriff's Mistletoe Bride
“Guess I will just have to be imperfect because the answer is still no way.Nice try, Jilliebean.”
“And Dad, we need to discuss you using that name for me when we’re around others.”
“Others?”
“My friends and stuff.”
He cast a sidewards glance at his daughter.“Stuff would be boys?”
“Dad!I didn’t say that.”
“I did.And just remember, you are not dating until you’re thirty.”
The famous eyeroll appeared.“By thirty, you will be really old and won’t know what I’m doing anyway.”
“Well, you will always be Jilliebean to your family and we…”
“And we’rehere, Dad.Stop and let me out.”She pointed out the fact while grabbing up her bag and unsnapping her seat belt.He managed to pull to the curb and the door opened to let her exit, her usual can’t-wait-another-moment to be off and running to the next item on her schedule.In this case it was choir practice at the church.“Bye, Dad, and yes I know Aunt Tori will pick me up.”That was thrown over her departing shoulder with a fast wave and then she was halfway up the steps of the side door of the building.
What had happened to his calm, little, angelic baby girl?His ten-year-old was going on twenty at times.And that meant the aforementioned infamous thirty wasn’t far behind.He grimaced at the thought.He needed coffee.
The bell above the door jangled as a countrified butler of sorts to alert the arrival of yet another guest into the welcoming atmosphere of Tillie’s Café.The small country diner had been in this same building, same location on the corner of a street bordering the town’s square, across from the courthouse, in view of the sheriff’s office, for over five decades.Matt never knew a time when opening that door that the bell didn’t jangle, that the aroma of fresh-baked bread didn’t rouse the stomach, nor that the smiling shout of welcome that the owner met each guest with whether they might see you a few times each day or not didn’t greet him.No one was a stranger in Tillie’s.
Before Matt could take his place on one of the red leather swivel seats lining the long Formica-covered bar, there was a steaming mug of hot coffee poured and sat in the spot for him.The woman smiled as he took his seat.“What’ll it be today?Biscuits and gravy or a freshly baked cinnamon roll?”
“I had breakfast at home this morning, Tillie.”
“Right.I’m sure you fixed a real nice one for Jilliebean and yourself.And again, I will ask—biscuits and gravy or cinnamon roll?”The smile on her face told him that she had this conversation so often with him over the years that they both knew it was just an old habit by now.
“Roll, please.”He knew when to call it quits and he responded with a sheepish hint of a grin.A sip of the still-hot coffee made him set the mug back down.At the same time a slap on his back brought his attention to the man who slid into the seat beside him.Matt nodded at his brother-in-law, Cade Lockwood.
“What brings you into the big city here?”
“The auction over at the Scotts’ place.Your sister has her eye on Mary’s china cabinet.And I thought I might check out that new combine he was so proud of.”
“Thought you already had a couple of those?”Matt asked, already knowing what was going on with this sudden interest in the new equipment.
“And that’s about the same interest you have in that workbench and tools you already told Spence you wanted to be sure and get a bid on.”He dished it right back to the uniformed man beside him.
“Well, I just hope there’s a good turnout at the auction of townspeople who are like-minded.With Dave’s sudden death, Mary needs all the extra funds she can get.And hopefully, she’ll get a real good price on their land.She’s moving to Dallas to be closer to her daughter, so she’ll need a good start over there.”
“Here you go, Sheriff Parker,” the waitress said, placing the plate with the sweet confection in front of him and refilling his coffee mug from the pot in her other hand.He recognized her as one of Tillie’s newest hires.Probably just over eighteen with a penchant for tight blouses and heavy makeup.Matt smiled his thanks and picked up his fork, ignoring the fact she continued to linger in front of him.A few seconds later, a napkin went beside his plate.He was about to reach for it when his glance caught the fact that something had been written on it.It was numbers and then he heard the low grunt of laughter from the man beside him.Matt drew his hand back and instead picked up his mug.He finished the last couple of sips and then reached for the check.
“You’re forgetting something, aren’t you?”The innocent look on his brother-in-law’s face was not lost on him as being totally fake.The man nodded toward the scrap of napkin with the numbers.
“I’m not forgetting that I don’t date teenagers.”He reached for it and wadded it up and very nicely placed it in the trash bin by the cash register.This was noted by the waitress, and she gave him a look that told him exactly what she thought of him…and it wasn’t complimentary.
Tillie accepted his check and payment with a shake of her head.“Sorry, Matt, but you’re just—”
“Don’t say it if it’s catnip,” he stated with a shake of his head.“My daughter already told me the latest gossip she has heard about her bachelor father and that was the operative word.”
Tillie laughed and so did the man who stood ready to pay his check next.“It must be tough to be you, Sheriff Parker.So very in demand with the ladies.”
The look he left them both with told them what he thought of the comment and their laughter.He paused briefly to check the street and traffic and then bounded across to the other side, throwing up a hand in response to one being sent his way out the window of a resident from his passing truck.Matt just needed to make it to his office, shut his door and find some peace and quiet.
“Here he is now, Mayor.”His deputy spoke up as he stepped through the door and found his sister, the mayor of their town, standing in conversation with his chief deputy.
“Just one of the two people I want to speak to,” he responded, leaving the obligatory good morning off the sentence.“Come into the office.”He did not stop to see if she followed.Once behind his desk, the door clicked shut, and he looked up to see her poised in front of him, hands on hips.
