Page 47 of Renard's Deliverance

“What happened to it?” Jake asked.

“It broke.”

“It was smashed on the ground,” Renard added with a frown. “Seems strange.”

“Very strange,” Tanner agreed.

“Was it secured well? Could a strong wind have knocked it off?” Jake asked.

“I installed it myself,” Tanner told him. “It was secured just fine. What about a kid?”

“Or was it someone else?” Raid glanced across the street.

“Mrs. Gingers wouldn’t have done this,” Opal protested.

Jake ran his hand down his face. “If anything like this happens again, let me know. If you have any issues with her, I want to know. Understand, Opal?”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because it’s my job to keep everyone in this town safe. And that includes you. Now, I’m going to go chat with Mrs. Gingers. I don’t want any trouble from any of you.”

Turning, he strode back down the driveway.

“He’s such a spoilsport,” Beau said.

“Always trying to ruin everyone’s fun,” Tanner agreed. “Don’t know how Molly hasn’t died of boredom being married to him.”

“Well, we did offer to extract her from that situation and she refused,” Raid said.

“Extract her?” Opal asked. “Situation?”

“They mean they were going to kidnap her from her marriage,” Renard said dryly.

“Kidnap is such a strong word,” Beau said.

“That light shouldn’t have smashed,” Tanner said seriously. “You sure everything is okay, Opal? You want to come stay with me and Lilac?”

Crap.Crap. Crap.

The last thing she needed was the Malones circling wagons around her. She liked being on her own.

Or at least she liked to pretend that she liked being on her own.

Same thing, right?

“I’m good,” she told him. “I like living here even with the neighbor from hell across the street.”

“I don’t like it,” Raid said. “Maybe we should go talk to Mrs. Gingers.”

Alarm filled her. “No! Nope. You stay out of my business, Raid Malone.”

“Pretty sure your business is my business, since you’re one of us,” Raid countered.

“How many times do I have to keep telling you that I am not a Malone. You guys cannot tell me what to do.”

“She still hasn’t got it,” Raid said to Tanner.

“Nope, she sure hasn’t,” Tanner agreed. “She will.”

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