Making It Right (Most Likely To #3)

“You sound annoyed.”


“I’m not annoyed.” Annoyed wasn’t a strong enough word.

“I don’t think you’re telling the truth. I would have called the Millers, but Zoe and Luke took them to Los Angeles. The auto shop is closed for the first time in years.”

“Zoe isn’t there? I just talked with her last night.” Jo had spilled all her guts and never even asked about her friend.

“They’ve been in LA for two days. Did you call her cell?”

“Yeah.” Jo shook her head. “Why would you call the Millers about the dog situation? And what situation is that?”

“Cherie’s rottweiler mix had puppies again.”

Cherie Miller, Luke’s single aunt, lived about a half a mile outside the main streets of River Bend and had at least eight dogs that Jo remembered counting the last time she’d called on the woman.

Eight adult dogs plus a litter equaled a whole lot of noise for the neighbors, even if the closest one was a quarter of a mile away.

“I had three messages waiting for me when I came in this morning. None of them wanted to call Deputy Emery.”

Yeah, Jo wouldn’t want to call Karl Emery either. The man really didn’t like animals. Jo looked up to see Gill walking toward her.

“Listen, Glynis, I’ll call Karl. And I’ll call Cherie.”

“Good luck, she isn’t answering her phone. Probably doesn’t want to hear the complaints. It isn’t like she can’t hear the dogs going on and on.”

Gill stood over Jo. “Is everything okay?” he asked in a low voice.

Jo shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“I’ll take care of it, Glynis.”

“I knew you would. I’m sorry to bug you at your special camp.”

“It’s not camp.”

“Deputy Emery said it was camp.”

Jo wanted to growl. “I’ve got to go.”

“Okay, Jo. Sorry I had to bug you. You know—”

“Glynis, I’m hanging up now.”

“Oh, okay . . . of course. Have a great day.”

Jo disconnected the call and leaned against the wall.

“What was that all about?” Gill asked.

“Glynis runs my office. Dispatch.”

“One person?”

Jo wanted to glare. “It’s a small town.”

Gill smirked. “So what was the emergency?”

She started to say something about the puppies, realized how stupid it would sound, and stopped herself. “Nothing,” she said instead.

“Had to be something.”

“Nothing important.” She pushed away from the wall and started back to the arena.

Gill followed behind. “If you don’t want to tell me, fine, but you don’t have to lie about—”

Annoyed, Jo stopped and turned. “Dogs, Gill. Barking dogs.” The absurdity of it had her laughing with tears threatening. “I’m called out of a tactical lesson where we’re learning defense techniques against a dozen possible suspects because one of the neighbors in River Bend thinks she’s running a dog breeding program. And my deputy hates dogs. Hates them, so Glynis thought calling me to solve the problem from three thousand miles away was a viable option.” Jo acknowledged the tear on her cheek by swiping it away with a fisted palm.

“Hey . . .”

Jo glanced toward the door leading back to the training grounds. “I shouldn’t be here. I’m never going to use any of this stuff in River Bend. Resolving neighborhood disputes and escorting the occasional drunk from R&B’s is the scope of my practice.” Her anger built as she spoke. Anger at herself.

Anger at River Bend.

Anger at the universe.

“If you knew that, why did you sign up for this?”

Even though Gill’s question came out soft, her response bordered on violent.

“Because I can’t seem to find my father’s killer doing what I’ve been doing for the last eight years of my life. And doing this for the next eight years sounds like my worst kind of hell.”

She felt another tear, shoved it away with a fist, and stared at the door.

Instead of joining the team, she turned in the opposite direction and walked away.





Chapter Nine




Gill kept pace beside her.

The woman walked fast for someone with legs so much shorter than his. She stepped out of the building and into the light. Jo reached for her sunglasses and said without looking, “You don’t have to follow me.”

Gill covered his eyes from the glare, too. “I don’t have to do a lot of things.”

He didn’t invade the place she was inside her head with questions, even though he had a million running through his.

It was obvious she was walking off steam. And from the way she was muttering under her breath, she was battling several demons all at once.

“Don’t you have to be training someone on how to be badass?” Jo threw out over her shoulder.

“Nope. I’m technically done for the day.”

“The day just started.”

He didn’t need to be there at all, he came for the company.

The company that was storming around the building on a mission. He’d been having a hard time getting her out of his head since she walked in the bar in DC. This morning’s little show from the doorway to her bathroom just about undid him. She’d offered him everything the night before, and that morning did her best to show him exactly what he’d said no to.

He had to admit, Jo pissed off was turning him on. He’d rather see her pissed than teary eyed. Seeing a strong woman break down was his Achilles’ heel.

The East Coast sun was doing a good job of heating him up; the humidity had him pulling the collar of his shirt from his neck in search of air.

Jo rounded the building and walked toward the parking lot.

She stopped in front of what looked like a rental car and patted her back pocket. Her lungs deflated in frustration.

“Damn it.” She pounded on the roof of the car and rested her head on her arm.

She was looking a little too weak for his taste.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, was a little surprised she didn’t pull away. “Jo.”

“You know what the kids that ride skateboards call the kids that don’t but who still wear those skinny jeans?”

Her question came out of left field. “I have no idea.”

“Poseurs.” She lifted her head, nodded toward the building across from the lot where her group was training. “That’s what I am in there. I’m wearing skinny jeans and pretending to be something I’m not.” Jo turned her back to the car, dislodging his touch.

Gill leaned against the car across from hers and didn’t try and touch her again.

“You’re not a poseur, Jo.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Have you ever been to River Bend?”

“No.”

“You might think differently if you had.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “I have every intention of seeing River Bend. I’ll let you know my verdict when I do.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. “What’s this about your dad?”

The thoughts derailed. “Forget it.”