“What situation?” I asked, already reaching for my hat.
“That New York wedding planner is in my diner causin’ a scene. Says my coffee tastes like ‘burnt sadness’ and wants to know if I’ve ever heard of a French press.” She paused. “I’mabout two seconds from pressin’ him right out the damn front door.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my mouth. “I’ll be right there.”
“You better be. And bring your handcuffs in case I need to be restrained from committin’ a homicide.”
The line went dead.
I grabbed my hat and keys, almost grateful for the distraction. Dealing with a difficult city boy was easier than dealing with the mess in my head. I headed out of my office, nodding to Mrs. Baxter, my middle-aged secretary, as I passed through the station.
“Everything alright, Sheriff?” she asked, looking up from her paperwork.
“Just headed to Dolly’s. Apparently, we’ve got a situation.”
She grinned. “A situation Dolly can’t handle alone? Seems unlikely. Last I remember, she led a wanted fugitive to the front door of the police station with a shotgun.”
“Yeah, but he wasalive,” I corrected. “And this wedding planner from New York is apparently driving her to think twice about pulling the trigger.”
“Someone got under Dolly’s skin that much, huh?” she laughed, straightening her glasses. “That’s talent.”
“More like a death wish,” I said, settling my hat on my head. “But I’ll see what I can do.”
The drive to Dolly’s took all of three minutes. One of the perks, or drawbacks, depending on how you looked at it, of living in a town this size was that everything was within spitting distance. I pulled my truck into a spot right in front of the diner and killed the engine.
Through the big front windows, I could see the situation Dolly had mentioned. There was a man standing at the counter, and even from outside, I could tell he wasn’t from around here.He was wearing tight jeans that probably cost more than my monthly mortgage payment, a mesh crop top that showed off his smooth, tanned stomach, and his dark hair was styled in a way that definitely required product. Lots of product.
This had to be the wedding planner, Xavier. And… my god… he wasgorgeous.
He was gesturing animatedly at Dolly, who stood behind the counter with her arms crossed and that look on her face that usually preceded someone getting thrown out. A few of the regulars were watching the exchange with varying degrees of amusement. I recognized Frank and Jack at their usual booth, both of them grinning like they were watching the best entertainment Sagebrush had seen in months.
I took a deep breath and headed inside.
The bell above the door chimed, and several heads turned my direction. Xavier didn’t notice. He was too busy making his point.
“Girl, I’m not trying to be difficult,” he was saying, his voice carrying that sharp East Coast accent. “I love your retro vibe here and your getup. The nails are incredible, by the way,” he added, gesturing to Dolly’s bright red acrylics. “But I’m just saying that your coffee game needs some work, that’s all.”
“Thank the Lord,” Dolly said, her eyes coming to rest on me. “Sheriff, arrest this man.”
Xavier looked between me and Dolly. “For what?!”
“For insultin’ my coffee, that’s what,” she barked. “And being, excuse my language,unpleasant.”
Chapter 4
Xavier
“But I complimented your nails!” I scoffed, looking Dolly up and down. “And I said I like your vibe!”
“After you told me my coffee tastes like a burnt sock and that my hair was a fire hazard,” she shot back.
“Okay, okay,” I nodded, holding up my hands in mock defeat. “I’m sorry about the hair comment. It’s just a lot of hairspray.”
“Well, it ain’t gonna hold its shape with a prayer, now is it?”
“Alright, Dolly,” the sheriff said, his shadow falling over me as he stepped up beside us.
I didn’t realize how tall he was until just now. And…damnhe was muscular. Not gym-rat muscular, but like…working manmuscular. His forearms were thick and vascular with dark hair coating the tops. He looked like he needed a shave, but his jaw was sharp, giving him a rugged handsome vibe that made my knees weak. My eyes traveled down his body, taking every last bit of him in.
