Page 11 of Rogue Wave

Kevin likes you the most. I’d hate to see what he would have done to us!

Gale:

Live on a farm, they said. It’s magical, they said.

Her eyeroll emoji made me chuckle again, but I knew she loved it. Gale was the dictionary definition of an introvert. She also had a very traumatic past that made it difficult for her to be in public places, especially with a lot of men. She connected with animals more easily than people, so living on that farm was actually perfect for her.

I filled Dottie and George in on the situation, explaining that Bob and Larry were our resident llamas, and we all enjoyed a good laugh before playing a few more rounds of Uno.

I finally called it a night around seven, and George insisted on walking me back to my place.

Before we got all the way there, I saw Hank and Dougie sitting on his porch. I wanted to ask about the investigation. About whether they’d learned anything new. But I also realized I’d had enough peopling today and just needed to go home and get a good night’s sleep—if I could.

George, however, felt differently.

“How goes it, gentlemen?” he yelled out as we walked by the front of Dougie’s house.

“Hanging in there, George,” Dougie hollered back. “How ’bout you?”

“I’m still alive and walking a pretty girl home, so my day is going just fine.”

Dougie chuckled. “How about you, Hazel?”

“Good, considering all the weirdness from earlier,” I told him truthfully.

“You two wanna join us and have one of these?” Dougie asked and held up a beer.

Sensing my hesitation, he held up a plastic container that I was all too familiar with. “I’ve also got chocolate chip cookies if you’d prefer that.”

“Now you’re talking my love language,” I said, and it was true. I’d never met a chocolate I didn’t like.

Just as I started to walk up toward Dougie’s porch, George put his hand on my shoulder and nodded his head in the direction behind him.

“I’m headed back to Dottie’s, but if you need something, darlin’, call Hank, ‘cause Dottie and I are gonna watch a movie,” George said, and I knew damn well those two weren’t going to watch a movie.

I’d learned over the last few weeks that those two had developed a friends-with-benefits type of relationship, and I was happy they had that with each other.

“Come get some chocolate therapy, Hazel,” Dougie called out, holding up the package of cookies again. “I think after a day like today, you deserve it.”

“I think I deserve a lot more than chocolate after a day like today, but for now the cookies will be plenty,” I told him as I climbed up his steps and walked over to him to grab one—okay, two—cookies.

“How you holding up?” he asked me, putting the rest of the cookies back on the small table between him and Hank.

“I’m good. It could have been worse. It’s not like I found a dead body or anything. And the people who were responsible for the drugs I found were nowhere in sight, so honestly, I’m good.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Dougie told me.

I felt Hank’s stare on me, and when I looked over, his gaze was so intense, it likely would have incinerated a normal person. I was a strong woman, though, and I’d had more than my fair share of dealing with pricks like him.

Seemed Sheriff McSourpuss and I were having ourselves a good old-fashioned staring contest.

Bring it on.

What he didn’t know was that I had no problem stooping low to win a battle.

“Your fly is open, Hank…or were you trying to show me your sausage?” I teased.

His eyes strained for a brief second before his paranoia won out, and he glanced down.