Page 6 of Pixie Problems
“Where's your thick jacket for accidents and road rash?” Finn asked, voice loud enough to carry over the sound of my motorcycle's engine.
I laughed. “In my backpack. Thanks, Sheriff.” I waved to him and Chance and sped out of the parking lot, heading toward a hotel I'd seen a few blocks over. When I got there, I got a text letting me know the PNW council meeting with me had been pushed to the next night, and I almost cheered at the news. I'd have gone, of course, but I was exhausted. I wanted a shower, a meal, and a nap. In that order exactly. Maybe the hotel had room service . . .
Chapter2
Dice
The hotel was a decent one. It was three floors high and was done in white, blue and oak. I secretly thought it was adorable but would never say so out loud. After getting some much needed sleep, I got ready and left the hotel. I had to fill out more paperwork at the Sheriff's Office and take a small firearms proficiency test so I could get my concealed carry license. I didn't technicallyneedit, but I figured I could use all the help I could get at the moment.
The Sheriff's Office was busy. Lucky was standing behind her front desk in the waiting area, and three men surrounded her, speaking all at once, their raised voices overlapping each other’s. Poor Lucky looked like she was both frustrated and overwhelmed.
“You sent me a ticket from a traffic cam. We don't evenhavea traffic cam!”
“I should be able to dress how I want to dress!”
“Lucky, you knocked your trash cans over into my driveway on your way to work this morning! I can't park my car in my own garage!”
I was just opening my mouth to try to sort some of the confusion when I felt a presence behind me.
“Len, we have a traffic cam in town. By town law I can keep it pretty inconspicuous. It's not my fault you haven't seen it. Obey the laws and you won't have a problem. Trace, you are of course free to walk around more naked than a jaybird, but you'll have to deal with getting a ticket for indecent public exposure, and you'll have to deal with the hate mail from protective parents. Gary, park on the street and let Miss Lucky do her job. We'll be by later to pick it up. All of youout!”
Lucky sighed in relief when they left.
“Looks like the crazies are starting bright and early, Miss Lucky,” Finn said.
“You guys have to deal with this crud every day?”
Lucky sighed and slumped into her chair. “Several times a day,” she said mournfully.
I shook my head. “You guys are saints. I would have put bullet holes in the floor at their feet to encourage them to complain elsewhere.”
Finn eyed me. “I think we need that proficiency test sooner rather than later.” Finn dumped what looked like a gym bag onto his desk and then scooted me out the door. “Miss Lucky, we'll be an hour or two. Miss Hart will be with me at the shooting range taking a proficiency test,” he called behind us. “Lock the front door if the crazies come back!”
“That's not legal,” she called back to him, and he laughed.
I had my gun duffle, but my gun case was in my hand, being carried because I couldn't put itinthe duffle. I shook my head at the dilemma. I was determined to stay on the right side of the law, though, so I did the dance needed to keep my gun in plain sight.
The sheriff just laughed as we both piled into his work SUV. The sheriff was looking particularly fierce this morning, and I was curious what his morning had been like. And it wasn't that I was too polite to ask, it was that if I asked questions, people always felt like they could reciprocate. I was not, by nature, a sharer. I'd had to for safety's sake with Sheriff Finn, but that was the extent of what I was comfortable with.
“Sorry the town meeting was postponed. You ready for tonight?”
“I guess. I'm not a fan of meeting new people, or talking to people, or . . .”
“People?” he said with a laugh.
I sighed. “Yep. I'm not a people person. I'm antisocial, and I have a generally bad attitude when I have to be around a ton of strangers.”
Finn looked curious. “Any particular reason why? You just an introvert?”
I licked my chapped lips, which reminded me to put on lip balm. I dug it out of my jean's pocket and sighed as I smoothed the balm over my lips. My lips were hitting that dangerous territory right before the cracking and pain stage. I had to keep remembering to re-apply.
I sat for a minute trying to figure out how much I wanted to say about myself. In the end, I decided the sheriff should probably know now how little patience I had with stupid people, because he would most likely be called to the scene if I popped someone in the face for being a jerk or hurting someone else. Iknewyou couldn't just punch anyone who was being a jerk. I mean, if I did that, I'd be punching idiots all day. It was only the real doozies that infuriated me. And it wasn't a temper issue, because I stayed calm and collected.
I hadpeopleissues.
“Miss Hart?” Finn asked in a you'd-better-spill-now tone of voice, and I sighed.
“I'm not a people person, Sheriff. And it’s not just that some of the guys are ape-like and jerks when it comes to girls. Some women can be just as bad, maybe worse because they can be really catty. I hate that. It usually escalates with some of the ape guys when I call them on their crap.”
