Page 93 of The Harborer
Shane high-fived her. “Nice! Wait. If you’re working up there, I won’t be able to just stop by and get a refill whenever I want.”
“You will when my store opens back up.” She moved in a little closer and dropped her voice. “In the meantime, we’ll have to take care of those ‘refills’ before I leave in the morning.”
His mouth curved with a wicked smile. “I like how my girl’s dirty mind works. It runs on the same track as mine.”
Holt Gunderson and one of the SAR team members tapped him on the shoulder. Relinquishing her hand, Shane sent her a wink before he swiveled to talk to them.
Hailey slid her a fresh glass of champagne. “Sorry, but Dewey’s a little backed up in the kitchen. Your order should be coming up soon.”
“Good, because I’m getting hangry,” Amy snorted.
“I could tell.” Hailey made the universal sign of “I’m watching you” and turned to fill a different drink order.
Amy tipped the flute to her lips and sipped. When she set the drink down, she inhaled the smell of grilling onions and meat, and she was reminded that living in an apartment equipped with a hot plate and a twenty-year-old microwave was not a great long-term plan, even if the place did come equipped with its own Deputy Shane. That alone made the cramped quarters completely worth it.
Dixie delivered their stacked burgers and piles of fries, and Amy dug in without waiting for Shane, who was now hailing Charlie to talk about installing the security cameras at Amy’s store. It was in these countless little ways that Shane let her know she was always top of mind for him, and her heart swelled to bursting.
God, she loved him! No, it was more than that. She was head over heels.
She was munching on a fry and staring at the back of his head with googly eyes when Dixie began tapping her long fingernails on the bar top. Hailey had reappeared and looked on, a smile quirking her lips.
Amy dabbed burger juice from her mouth with a napkin and glanced between the two women. “What? Haven’t you seen me eat before?”
Hailey gave her the big innocent eyes. “My mind was wandering, and my eyes just sort of landed on you. You’re like an anchor point.”
“Gee, thanks?”
Unamused, Dixie leaned the heel of her palm on the bar and leveled Amy with alook. “Winona says you haven’t been staying at your new place. She’s worried you don’t like it, and after her getting it nice and fixed up and all.”
Amy hadn’t exactly written the place off, but she would forever associate it with the trauma of her kidnapping and Dalton Brown, even though the apartment never figured into any of it. If she moved past her block, it would have to be by force, and she didn’t relish that idea either.
“Um, well, I didn’t realize how small it is, and honestly, I’ve been staying at, um, Shane’s.”
Dixie’s painted eyebrows arched into her brassy blond bangs. “His place is evensmaller!”
Amy dragged a fry through catsup, giving herself something to do beside fidget. “Yes, but it’s closer to my work.” True, though the difference in distance was minimal.
Hailey bounced on her toes. “Are you guys moving in together?”
Amy’s butterflies flapped with force, but she kept her voice even. “We’ve talked about it.” To Dixie, she said, “And if we do, I don’t think Winona would let him move into her rental. The lease forbids firearms, and well, he’s not giving those up. He kind of needs them for his job.”Whenhe got reinstated, which of course he would. Amy was thinking positive thoughts.
Now Luanne poked her head into the conversation. “Is Winona putting her cute little place back up for rent?”
Dixie pulled back and stared at her. “Why? Do you want to rent it?”
“I was interested, but it went so fast, I never got a chance to apply.” She gave Amy a pointed look.
“Ain’t it kinda small for you and Cade?”
“Cade’s moving into the office at Micky’s garage until he can find his own place”
Dixie looked all kinds of put out—probably because she wasn’t the first to learn the latest town gossip on the hot sheets. “Why is Cade moving into Micky’s garage?”
“Micky’s going to be locked up for a while, and he asked Cade to take over so he doesn’t lose his business,” Luanne explained matter-of-factly, but her casual words fired an arrow of sadness that pierced Amy’s heart.
Locked up for a while.A mild way of putting it.
Dixie turned her blue-eye-shadowed gaze on Amy. “Didyouknow this?” Amy nodded. Dixie hmphed.
