“Who?”
“Tala.”
He smiled. “Nice. Yeah, if you see her, send her my way.”
“So that’s nice.” I waved my finger at the light tan jacket he wore over a coral shirt, both of which put rose undertones in his dark complexion and made his blue eyes pop. The outfit was finished with casual jeans and Chucks, but somehow that worked perfectly.
“Bertie asked us to fancy up a bit,” he grinned, and held his hands out to the side, then did a slow turn.
“Very nice.”
“You’re looking…official.” He nodded.
“I would hope so. It’s my uniform.”
“Sure, but Jean and Myra are changing for the crowning.”
I just raised my eyebrows.
He laughed. “Yeah. Bertie put her foot down. She wants a certain look for the reporter coming in to do the article about it. Something about good advertising.”
“Everything’s about good advertising for her.”
“Maybe not everything. Nice tat, by the way.”
I rolled my arm, unable not to look at the ocean wolf. I loved it. More than I thought I would. “Thanks. Wolfes gave it to me.”
“Yeah, I can tell.”
“Delaney?” Bertie popped out of a trinket shop. She was draped in a smart, square-neckline ruby dress that flowed below her knees in an explosion of lacy gold and peach flowers. “We need to speak.”
“Good luck,” Hogan murmured.
“Coward,” I whispered. “Hello, Bertie. You’re looking lovely today.”
“Yes, I am. As are you, Hogan.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
“Delaney your clothing is an insult.” Those hard eyes narrowed. “Are you on duty?”
“Everyone’s on duty during your events. You know that.”
She slid a look toward Hogan. He shook his head just slightly.
“All right,” I said, drawing out the word. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on is the crowning at six o’clock,” she said.
“I’ve heard about that. A lot.”
She gave me another scathing once over. “I would prefer you in your dress uniform. Lacking that, I fully expect you to be there in a dress. You do own a dress?”
“I’m not going to be a part of your advertising, Bertie.”
She stilled, and her head lifted up, her shoulders went back. “Delaney Reed, you owe me a debt.”
“Pretty sure we settled that.” I lifted my hand where the cut was quickly healing and scabbing.
