"You should take a breath." Candy is turning on the computer sitting on the desk. "I think those are old school;they've been kept as a bit of history. We've entered the digital age." Right, that makes sense.
“Won’t there be a password?” We might turn it on and not be able to do shit once we do. I didn’t think about needing a password.
“Let’s see.” Candy sits down in the chair in front of it. I watch as the screen lights up, praying for a Christmas miracle that Shelly hasn’t set one. If there is one, it better not have anything to do with the sheriff if Shelly knows what’s good for her.
“I bet the password is SheriffHudson69.” Candy turns her head toward me. “No spaces, obviously, and maybe an exclamation mark at the end.” She snorts a laugh, turning back to the computer screen.
“Looks like we are in,” Candy says.
“No password?”
“Guess we got lucky.” She beams up at me with a giant smile.
“No, it’s Shelly that’s lucky. This library was almost roasted marshmallows." I pace behind Candy as she does her thing.
“I found him!” Candy does a small victory dance in her chair. “Let's see these books.” I lean down, wanting to get a look for myself.
“Ahh!” I scream when all the bright lights of the library flick on, blinding me.
“Oh my gosh, we’re busted!” Candy squeals.
The steps on the old wooden floor are loud and drawing closer.
“Get down!” I whisper way too loudly. We both drop under the counter.
My heart is beating a mile a minute. Not in fear, but in anticipation of being caught by a certain someone. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s him. He’s probably salivating, thinking he finally caught me red-handed, but I’m not going down that easy.
“Follow my lead,” I tell her, making Candy’s eyes grow impossibly wide. She nods but presses the palms of her hands to her cheeks.
Shit, she’s going to fold on me like a cheap chair, and I kind of love her for it. As long as I can see that interrogation tape, I’m okay with it.
Chapter Three
SHERIFF HUDSON
If I can count on one thing in this town, it’s Kindred getting up to something in one way or another. The town adores her. Not that I can blame them. It’s impossible not to. She is the heart of this town.
Hollis walks beside me. I’d spotted him across the street at the diner, his attention fully on the library. The second I walked toward it, he was headed my way. He didn’t say a word.
We still aren’t super chatty. I’ve never been a giant fan of his. He was already the mayor by the time I fully moved here and became sheriff. I hated him. He hadn’t done shit to me, but he was close to Kindred. He became mayor solely because of her influence.
Kindred might act like a goofball, but she owns this town. If she didn’t want Hollis to be the mayor, she would seriously run in the next election. It doesn’t matter how rich he is. He couldn’t buy the residents of New Hope if they had Kindred in their ears.
At one point, I thought I might have to kill Hollis. Then I watched him and Kindred together, and I never saw a trace of attraction or romance. I even observed her hit him in the back of the head. She appeared more bothered and sisterly than sheeven did with her own brother. I thought I could let it go until I heard they were engaged.
It was at that moment I knew Hollis had to die. The only thing that saved him in the end was Candy and the truth. There was no engagement. Well, not between Kindred and him but between Hollis and Candy.
I should have known. The source going around telling people about the engagement was Mary, Hollis’s mother. The same woman who is always poking me about Kindred. The woman really does have a broad set of interrogation skills. She would have made a hell of an operative.
Once Hollis and I cleared that up, he asked for my assistance. I was inclined to help, not only because I was the sheriff but also because I understood the expression on his face when he spoke of Candy.
That only made it all the more clear there was never anything between him and Kindred. Which I was thankful for. It's midwinter, and it would be a bitch to dig a hole this time of year.
We could hear the girls the second we stepped through the library front doors. Not to mention their bright flashlights were hitting every window in the place. I’d known the second Kindred slipped down the walkway between the post office and library that she was up to no good.
Also, my girl was in all black. That in itself stood out like a sore thumb, letting me know her intentions weren’t on the up and up. She left Town Hall early today to return in sneakers. I didn’t know she owned any. Kindred loves her heels and would wear boots when needed but change out of them when she got to her office.
She is always dolled up. She lights up the room brighter than any star on top of a Christmas tree. I could simply watch her flit about town and be pleased. I'm a simple man when it comes to clothes and day-to-day shit, but I’ve enjoyed the fuck out ofevery outfit she's put on. A few might’ve pissed me off, but that was just me being jealous.
