"Fair trade."
"Speaking of trades, did you ever find homes for the rest of Caleb's puppies?"
I took a sip of my Coke. "Four of them. He kept the last one. Named it Scout."
"The quiet one, right? The one who just sat in the corner?" Lucy's grin widened. "Of course he did. That man and his strays."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." But she was still smiling. "Just that he's got a type, you know? Quiet, watchful. Needs someone patient."
I felt my face warm. "He kept a dog, Lucy. Don't make it weird."
"I'm not making it anything. I'm just saying… he's been coming by the clinic a lot lately. And he always brings you coffee."
"He's got one of the puppies. I'm just making sure he’s healthy."
"Uh-huh. And the coffee?"
"Is just coffee."
"Right." She took another bite of her burger, eyes sparkling. "So when are you going to admit you like him?"
"I'm not…" I stopped. Rolled my eyes. "It's not like that."
"But you want it to be like that."
I looked down at my plate. "He's been helpful with the puppies. That's all."
"Mm-hmm." Lucy was still grinning. "Well, for what it's worth, I think he's nice. And I think he?—"
"Lucy." I gave her a look.
"Fine, fine." She held up her hands. "Subject dropped." But she was still smiling as she took another bite of her burger.
I was about to respond when a sheriff's car rolled past the diner window. Lucy's attention snapped to it immediately.
"Oh my God, is that the new guy?" She craned her neck to look. "I heard they finally filled the deputy position."
I glanced out the window. "Did they?"
"Yeah. Margie told me yesterday. Apparently he's from out of town. Used to be a detective somewhere." She turned back to me, eyes bright with the thrill of new information. "Bill Reeves' son. Can you believe it? I didn't even know Bill had a son."
The fries on my plate blurred slightly. I set down my Coke, very carefully, and didn't say anything.
"Margie said he's really good-looking. Tall, dark hair, you know the type. He's been staying with his parents for a couple weeks, getting settled." Lucy grabbed another fry. "Apparently his mom's sick. Alzheimer's or something. So sad."
My throat felt tight. Mrs. Patterson had mentioned it a few weeks ago, while I was checking on one of her horses. Carol Reeves isn't doing well. Forgetting things. Bill's having a hard time. I'd said I was sorry to hear it, because I was. Carol had never been anything but kind to me, even after everything. I just hadn't let myself think about what her getting worse might bring back to town.
"He starts officially tomorrow, I think. Or maybe he already started? I can't remember what Margie said." Lucy was still talking, oblivious. "Anyway, small-town gossip. You know how it is. Everyone's going to be talking about the new deputy for at least a month."
I should say something. But my tongue felt thick, and the words wouldn't come. Lucy had only been in Millbrook a couple of years, moved from somewhere upstate for reasons I'd never pried into, and sometimes I forgot how much town history she'd missed.
"Do you know him?" Lucy asked, finally looking at me. "Since he's from here originally?"
The diner felt too bright. I could hear the clatter of dishes from the kitchen, the low hum of conversation from the other tables, the jukebox playing something old and familiar.
"He's my ex-husband," I said.
