Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Once my last taco was eaten, I flagged down the waitress and gestured her over with a flick of my fingers. “I need to pick up the to-go order for Tyler. I also need to get the check for my meal and the to-go order.”
The waitress, who looked like someone I knew, nodded her head and rushed to the counter to do my bidding.
“Rude,” came a muttered reply in front of me.
My brows rose and I said, “What was?”
She gestured with her head to a table behind us and I saw an annoyed-looking woman with three kids at her table holding up her credit card with her check, glaring daggers at the waitress’s back.
I got up and walked to the woman, smiling at her. “Can I take it to the waitress? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cut in front of you.”
The harried woman smiled. “That’s all right.”
I recognized this woman, too.
Then again, that was quite easy to do when the population of the town you were working was as small as ours.
“I really don’t mind,” I paused. “How’s Erica?”
Erica, her eldest daughter, was around nine years old and had some trouble at the school with bullying. Once I’d heard about it, I’d gone for a little visit to the school and explained to a class of third graders why bullying was bad. I gave Erica a plastic badge and told her to hold her head up.
“She’s good,” the woman replied. “She’s at a birthday party right now at the gym.”
I grinned. “That’s good. I’m glad she’s doing well. Want me to take that?”
She handed it over to me and I walked up to the waitress who was twirling her hair and staring at the cook through the window.
“’Scuse me. This is the ticket from that woman over there.” I pointed at the mother with a thumb over my shoulder. “You can add her ticket to mine. Here’s my card.”
I reached for my wallet and extracted my credit card, handing it over.
The waitress took my credit card, the check for the mother, and breezed away.
“That’s sweet, Chief Cree,” the waitress cooed.
I smiled tightly. “How’s that to-go order coming?”
The cook, who’d obviously heard my question, dropped his head and looked like he was very busy all of a sudden.
I narrowed my eyes for a few seconds, then waited for the waitress to run my card.
She gave it back moments later and I pocketed the card and the receipt. I’d need the receipt to turn in to the accountant—something I had to do once a month to be reimbursed for the food that I was forced to eat out while on duty—or treat my officers to when I was forced to make them work overtime, which was more often than not.
I really needed to hire another officer, but with the budget what it was, that wouldn’t be happening until at least after the next election. Hopefully the next mayor would allot more money to the police department that protected his ass.
“Have a good day, Chief.” The waitress smiled.
I didn’t bother to look at the number on the receipt that she’d surreptitiously written while she hoped I wasn’t looking.
Instead, I tucked it into my wallet next to my money, then put the wallet back into my pants.
“Here you go,” the cook said, handing me my food.
I thanked him with a nod and walked back to the table, relishing in the way that Reagan stiffened more and more as I got closer to the table.
By the time I was standing at my seat and reaching for my tea, her scowl was downright ferocious.
My lips twitched.
After downing my glass of tea, I set the empty on the table and gestured to the table at large. “I gotta go. Work calls.”
I vaguely noticed that Coke and Cora had disappeared sometime after I left, but didn’t give it much thought as I made my goodbyes to the rest of the table.
Saving Reagan for last, I leveled her with my best cop look.
“No more trespassing.”
She bared her teeth at me. “You don’t know me.”
The thing was, I had a feeling that I did.
And I wouldn’t put it past her to try again for whatever moss she was going for earlier in the day. Which was why I shared with her what I did next.
“I have camera feed on my property.”
She stiffened.
“Y’all have a good night.”
I turned and left, but I didn’t miss the way her eyes stayed on me nearly the entire way.
When I looked up as I was leaving, I saw her staring at me through the plate glass window.
I gave her a chin lift and she lifted her hand.
Not to wave, though. To flip me off.
I snorted, then pulled out and headed to the station.
Her flipping me off was, unfortunately, the highlight of my night.
Who knew a town this size could get up to so much trouble?