Page 5 of Riding the High

“I can’t wait until you get here,” I say smugly. He has no idea what it’s like to have your heart walk around outside your body every damn day.

“We’re going to watch the movie now, Daddy!”

“Okay, buddy,” I tell her. “I love you, Mabey Baby.”

“I love you, Sir Peanut Butter Cups,” Mabel replies in her best monster voice, calling me by the nickname I earned after I held two peanut butter cups up to my eyes to make her laugh when she stubbed her little toe in the kitchen last winter.

We say goodnight and moreI love yous, so that when I hang up, the silence is deafening. I clear up the room and draw the bed covers back. I never fuck a stranger between clean sheets—on top of the bed only, or on a chair, wherever, but not between my clean sheets.

I hop into the shower, and a million thoughts run through my mind as the hot water soaks my skin.

I’m officially the sheriff of Laurel Creek as of Monday, although my swearing-in ceremony isn’t until mid-June. Which means my shenanigans with different women need to stop. Our county is old-school. Really old-school, and even though I’ve been elected, all the public needs to oust me within the first ninety days is a reason to claim I’m unfit. After the way my predecessor was pushed out when he got caught stealing money, the older sticklers in town will be watching me like a hawk. One small scandal and they’ll have my head. Not to mention my deputy sheriff, Brent Wilson, is Gemma’s on-again, off-again boyfriend and would happily throw me under the bus if he thought he had a chance at my job.

When I’ve finished my shower and I get back to the main room, I hear the TV through the walls.

I grin and naturally decide to disrupt her. She has a love/hate relationship with scary movies, so I search for cheesy ghost sounds on YouTube and crank my phone’s volume up to full blast, pressing it to the hollow door between our rooms. I wait. Sure enough, my phone buzzes in my hand seconds later.

VIXEN

You have my attention, Michael Myers. I’m currently hiding in the closet waiting for my demise.

I can just hear the sassy little tone she’d use.

You watch your TV at a ridiculous volume.

VIXEN

Well I had to be on the safe side. Didn’t know if you’d be hauling in the next conquest.

I’m on a break. What are you doing, smartass?

VIXEN

Eating skittles and thinking about room service.

They got 99? Wanna come over?

VIXEN

Ew no. Not stepping one foot in that pussy scented love den.

I blow out a breath. Fuck, why can’t I ever just keep it in my pants?

VIXEN

You come here. Hose yourself down and bring your wallet. You can buy me a late night snack. These skittles aren’t cutting it.

I toss on a hoodie with a chuckle.

Deal.

VIXEN

Try to make it without picking some poor unsuspecting girl up on the way.

Well, if I’m late you know why.

VIXEN

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