When We Kiss

“Right.” Even with ibuprofen, my head’s still a little achy.

I carried ten bottles of beer to the recycling bin this morning, and I’m pretty sure I drank nine of them. On top of tequila. No more drinking games.

We did get to know each other pretty well… Skinny dipping, phone sex.

The hangover’s worth it.

I tune back in for the end of Robbie’s monologue. “I want you to add checking on these places to your weekly rounds. Make sure bums aren’t sleeping in the boat houses, make sure all the doors are locked.”

“I’ll head over there today.” As soon as I grab breakfast at André’s.

He’ll want to know about last night as well—or at the least, he’ll make that face and laugh.

Small-town living.

Shaking my head, I’m on my way out the door when it opens in front of me, and in storms a clearly pissed off Jimmy Rhodes.

“Sheriff Cole?” His voice is loud, and when he sees me, he skids to a stop, standing straighter, almost like he’s puffing out his chest.

Jimmy is about five-nine or five-ten, and probably weighs about one hundred and forty pounds. I’m six-two, two hundred pounds, all muscle. I stop, curious to see what this is about.

Robbie doesn’t look up from his paperwork. “What’s on your mind, Jimmy?”

“Is it appropriate for a certain deputy to be getting so drunk on a Friday night he can’t drive his date home?”

My jaw clenches, and I’m not sure if I want to laugh or snatch him up by the neck. “It’s illegal to drive if you’ve been drinking, Jimmy.” My voice is low, and his bravado wavers. He takes a few steps back and moves closer to Robbie’s desk.

The sheriff leans back in his chair. He puts his hand over his mouth, and his blue eyes narrow, moving back and forth between Jimmy and me. “Your uncle told me you’re driving for Uber now.”

“Yes, and I got a call from upstairs just before midnight last night. Tabitha Green.”

“Well, I bet that just made your night, now, didn’t it.”

I give Robbie a glance, and his hand is covering the curl of his lips, his eyes are twinkling with mischief.

“It did not. She was coming out of his apartment, dressed in nothing but an old tee and some boxers.”

Robbie’s brows shoot up, and I take a step toward Jimmy. “Her clothes had paint on them. Don’t be talking about us around town.”

“Probably too late for that,” Robbie mutters through an exhale.

“Anyway, aren’t you

going to reprimand him or something?” Jimmy glares at me. “Strip him of his duties?”

Robbie sits forward in his chair, eyes on his desk. “That Uber service. That’s to help people get home who might’ve… had a little too much fun to drive themselves, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Jimmy steps closer to the desk.

“Odd name, Uber. Is that German for something?”

“I don’t know.” The boy’s growing impatient.

“Never mind. It sounds like you did a good job last night, Jimmy.” Robbie relaxes back in his chair. “What Chad does on his own time is none of my business. Or yours.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say to him?” Jimmy turns to face me, eyes blazing. “You’d better watch your step, Tucker. Tabby’s not like what they say. You’re not going to mess around with her like she’s some kind of… Jacinda.”

Robbie clears his throat. “Jezebel.”