Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
How the hell he’d managed to become a Deputy, Jeb had no clue. The guy was like a big retriever puppy. Eager to please and seriously clumsy.
Jeb actually had to hold out his arm to stop the guy from mowing right into Casey.
“Oh, thanks, Jeb. I always find that hill tricky, my feet get away from me.”
Both Jeb and Casey glanced behind him. At the very flat ground.
“Um, what hill?” Casey asked.
“That one.” He waved behind him. Then he scowled down at her. “You the person acting drunk and disorderly and harassing people?”
She pointed at herself while Jeb sighed. Why him?
“I’m drunk and disorderly? I don’t think so.”
“You sure?” Happy asked her. “Because you look like you’re swaying. You feeling unsteady on your feet? What did you take?”
“I didn’t take anything,” Casey said indignantly. “And I’m not the one swaying, you are.”
“Are you sassing me, girl?” Happy asked.
Jeb rolled his eyes up, searching for patience. “Happy, she’s not sassing you. You are the one swaying.”
“Oh, right.” Happy peered closely at her. “You were right, Jeb. Her pupils are large. She’s definitely taken something.”
“He didn’t say anything . . .” Casey turned to him. Then something flashed through her face. Something that looked like betrayal.
Although he had no idea why she’d feel that way. They didn’t know each other. And he definitely wasn’t a fan of hers.
Still, there was this weird sense of guilt in his stomach.
“You messaged him, huh?” she asked.
“Well, not him,” Jeb said. “I messaged his boss.”
“Because you think I’m on drugs. You think I took something to get high and then came to a playground where kids hang out while high. Wow. You think a lot of me, don’t you?”
All right, he really didn’t like that his sense of guilt was growing. Especially since he shouldn’t feel bad. She was the one hanging out in a playground. On his son’s favorite swing.
And she had been talking weird.
“Is this because I said your aura was out of whack? Because that’s not my fault, it’s yours.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Jeb told her stiffly. “You need to move on.”
“Right. Sure. Move on.” The life seemed to drain out of her and she looked suddenly older.
Fuck.
What was he doing?
He was being a jerk. Maybe he’d been a bit too hasty to message Tex.
Fuck. Yep. He was a dick.
“Happy, I should—”
“You shouldn’t be mean to Casey, Papa!” Wyatt interrupted him. “She gave me candy.”
Right.
He’d forgotten that part.
She was a stranger, hanging out in the playground, giving candy to children. On second thought it was probably best that Happy move her on.
“Happy, are you going to do your job?” Jeb snapped. “Because I’d like Wyatt to be able to enjoy playing without being accosted.”
“Accosted?” Casey said, her mouth dropping open. “Wow, you really take the cake, you egotistical rude asshole!”
“That’s enough of that!” Happy said to her. “You need to leave before I arrest you.”
“For what?” Casey asked.
“For disturbing the peace,” Happy said. “Now, go.”
Casey glared up at him, then at Happy. When her gaze moved to Wyatt, her face softened and a defeated look replaced the glare. “Nice to meet you, small man-child. Sorry I can’t stay.”
Wyatt nodded. “Sorry my dad is being a poopface.”
“Dads can be like that.”
Jeb ground his teeth together.
Wyatt doesn’t mean it.
No, Wyatt was a child who was upset. However, this girl should know better. But Jeb managed to refrain from saying anything as Happy guided the girl away.
“Why’d you do that?” Wyatt asked him.
“Do what?”
“Get rid of my friend. Why don’t you want me to have friends?”
What the hell? Where did he get an idea like that from?
Jeb leaned down. “Wyatt, of course I want you to have friends. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You just called Happy to come take her away.” Wyatt scowled up at him. “You’re just mean! I don’t want no new nannies! And I don’t want you to be mean to my friends!”
Wyatt stomped off and Jeb sighed. He really wished that things could go back to the way they had been.
Jeb walked over to the sign with Elise’s name on it. “You should have been here, Elise. He needs you. But as usual, you were too selfish to think of anyone but yourself.”
Chapter Three
Casey stared down at the engine of her car with a groan.
What the hell?
Why wasn’t it starting?
Stupid freaking car.
Stupid freaking town.
Tears filled her eyes. It had been so humiliating to be escorted to her car by a bumbling, idiotic deputy sheriff.
Who the hell did that asshole, Jeb, think he was calling the cops on her?
He’d thought she was on drugs? Why? Because she’d offered his son candy?
All right, maybe she shouldn’t have done that. But he was the one who’d lost his kid. Wyatt was so cute. A mini version of his father, who was not cute.
Shit.
Who was she kidding?
She was lonely and when Wyatt had appeared, she’d just wanted someone to talk to. Pretty pathetic that she had to make friends with a kid to stave off her loneliness. And she probably shouldn’t have been hanging around a playground. It was just that she’d loved swings ever since she was a little kid.