Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

JOY

T his isn't going to work, but I don’t have much of a choice. I can’t sit on my ass and do nothing. Not when this is my fault. If Devin had never tangled his life with mine, he’d be home right now. Not only that, it has been all drama for him since I entered his life. I never even had that much drama before I started working for him. If you can call what I do “working.” I haven’t done much of that either. Gah!

The second I turn into Bronte’s driveway, she comes rushing out of her tiny house. Despite its small size, the house exudes charm and is distinctly Bronte-esque. The girl painted her shutters and door pink and chose holiday lights to match.

Bronte freezes as she approaches the truck, then turns around and retreats into her house. I wait because I know she’ll be back. Bronte can be a bit scattered. She can do five million things at once but also forget random small things. When she reappears a minute later with her coat on and knitted hat to cover her wild curls, I know why she went back.

“Sorry!” she apologizes as soon as she opens the truck's passenger door.

“You’re doing me the favor, Bronte, no need to apologize.”

“How do you get into this thing?” I bend over and grab a few books and an iPad from her, allowing her to climb inside. Bronte is tiny in every way.

“It’s all I had.” I hope Devin doesn't mind that I'm using his truck. This thing is a beast.

“You do look pretty cool in it.” Bronte shuts the door behind her. “Damn it.” She pulls off her glasses when the heat inside the truck fogs them over. “I knew I should have gotten the anti-fog option, but it was fifty dollars. That's the equivalent of five sugar-cookie coffees." She holds up her hand, wiggling all five of her fingers at me. "Crap, I forgot my gloves."

I don’t think Bronte needs coffee, but I keep that to myself. She is helping me out, after all. When she left for a couple of years to finish her paralegal degree, I missed her like crazy. I honestly didn’t think she would come back, but she has, and I’m selfishly thrilled. She said the big city wasn’t for her and something about a jerk boss.

Now that she is working from home, I believe she primarily conducts research. I was surprised when she didn’t apply at the new law office that moved into town.

“I tried to call that fancy new lawyer in town, and it went to voicemail,” I tell her when I pull out of the driveway. I wasn’t surprised. It’s the holiday season and after hours.

“Really?” Bronte scrunches her nose.

“What? Should I not have called them?” I haven’t been working at the diner for long, and I’m already missing gossip.

“He’s good.” Bronte lets out a small huff, as if this is a bad thing. I want to ask her more, but right now it doesn’t matter. “Now.” She puts her glasses back on. “Go over everything one more time.”

Bronte isn’t a lawyer, but I’m hoping she can help. She’s wicked smart when it comes to things she’s interested in.

While I drive to town, I give her a more detailed rundown than I did when I’d called her earlier. When I told her everything before, I was too worked up and forgot a few things.

“He spanked you?” she asks, and heat rushes to my face.

“I was letting you know because Deputy Dumbass might have seen it through the window.”

“Right,” Bronte whispers.

I glance over and see her teeth sink into her bottom lip. I might not be the only one that enjoys it, but who would be spanking Bronte? I don’t recall her dating, but she’s been away for a few years, so maybe it was someone out of town.

“My aunt is full of shit,” I finish as I pull the truck into the police station.

“It’s a load of crap because I saw Judge Quill earlier. He was three sheets to the wind when he was leaving the Christmas party they had over at town hall. No way did he write up an arrest warrant.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” I say, more to myself.

“Plus, you know Sheriff King would have been the one to make the arrest if there was an arrest warrant issued.”

“I hadn’t thought of that either!” I’m kicking myself for not catching that sooner.

“Yeah, you’re in love, and your man was being arrested. Pure panic mode.”

“I didn’t say...” I trail off.

“Like I said, in love.” Bronte pulls off her knitted hat, which I’m pretty sure she made herself, and tries to get her curls under control. “Gotta look professional.”

Her coat is unzipped, and I can see she’s wearing a sweater that has Allegedly printed across the chest. It’s tucked into a skirt that has kittens on it, and I wonder if she made that herself too.

“I think you look great.”

“Really?” Bronte perks up. “My old boss always glared at my outfits.”

“You’ve got your own style. Don’t let anyone take that from you.”

“Thanks.” Her face lights up with a bright smile.

I follow Bronte into the station, and when we enter, I see Davey speaking quickly to a flustered and annoyed Jill. Both their heads swing in our direction, and then Jill gets a knowing smirk. Her expression tells me what I need to know. Davey is full of shit.

“Bronte.” Davey is already shaking his head. “You’re not a lawyer, so don’t start. I’ll be forced to report you.”

“How about you worry about your eyebrows and not my job?” Bronte tosses at Davey, and the cut makes all of us shut up. Bronte doesn’t curse and never has a bad thing to say about anyone. If she does, they must have really fucked up. “Now I’m here about a warrant. The one I know you don’t have.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Davey.” Bronte sighs dramatically. "Do we really have to make this worse?" He rolls his eyes at her, but she’s not deterred. “Keep looking in the back of your skull and you might eventually find a brain.”

I snort a laugh.

“That's it. Both of you out.” Davey points a finger to the door behind us and starts heading in our direction. “Or I’ll put the both of you in a cell.”

“That’s not happening,” a deep voice says from behind me and makes me jump. The sound scares the crap out of me because I hadn’t heard anyone come in.

“Mr. Xander,” Davey says and stops his approach. I don’t blame him. The guy is towering over all of us.

“I was here first.” Bronte glares at the only lawyer in town. The one who hadn’t answered my call.

“And I’m here now.” He looks down at her and there’s a smile playing at the corner of his lips. When he tucks one of her curls behind her ear, she smacks at his hand.

It’s like I’m in an alternate reality as I watch the interaction unfold.

The man chuckles, and I shake my head. I’m really out of touch with the town gossip, but that is for another day.

Right now I need to worry about my own love life.