Page 140 of Moonshine Kiss
The lieutenant cracked her first smile. “Tomorrow’s Christmas. Why don’t you take the day? We’ll see you on the twenty-sixth. I have a forensics lab to talk to about a car.”
Cassidy nodded and then kept nodding. “Thank you, sir. Ma’am. Lieutenant.”
“It looks like you’ve got some fans,” the lieutenant said, nodding toward the windows.
There were faces of all ages pressed up against the glass.
“Guess I’m calling the window cleaners again,” Bex joked.
“Go on, Cass,” Sheriff Tucker said. “Tell ‘em the good news.”
Cassidy tucked her holster into the waistband of her pants and held her hand out to me. “Comin’, Bow?”
I took her hand and followed her outside. The clouds were heavy with snow yet to fall, but the cold couldn’t fight its way through the crowd.
Without saying a word, Cassidy held up her badge, and the crowd lost its damn mind hooting and hollering.
She looked over her shoulder at me, and I couldn’t not be kissing her for another second. I pulled her to me and brought my mouth to hers. It sounded to me that the din of the crowd got even louder.
This was right where we belonged. Surrounded by Bodines and Tuckers and Bootleg. I saw my brothers and sister in the crowd celebrating right along with the rest of them. This was the beginning of something beautiful, something forever.
“I love you, Bowie. This sure beats a pair of pajamas.”
I grinned down at her. “I’d do anything for you. I love you, Cassidy Ann. And someday not too far into the future I’m going to put a ring on your finger.”
“I’ve loved you since forever, Bowie Bodine. We’re gonna make one hell of a team.”
The snow fell soft and quiet, and I kissed her hard and hungry.
* * *
“Didy’all see Scarlett hit that Shelby with a snowball?”
“One second we’re all standing there, watching Cassidy and Bowie makin’ out, and then Scarlett’s yelling ‘Back away Jonah! You’re fraternizing with the enemy!’”
“Poor guy. That Shelby flirted him up good.”
“Never would have guessed that sweet thing was a journalist. Just goes to show you, you can’t trust a friendly stranger.”
“Have to admit, she held up real well when Scarlett tried to scratch her eyes out.”
“That Devlin’s got quick reflexes when it comes to his girlfriend. He caught Scarlett mid-air.”
“Rumor has it Shelby didn’t move out of the B&B. In fact, she ordered room service. I think she’s planning to stick around.”
“Takes guts.”
“Wonder where Jonah will live now since the lovebirds will probably want to spread out in their nest?”
Epilogue
Cassidy
“Wait!” Bowie waved his hands in front of me as I teed up with the sledgehammer. “How do we know you’re not going to hit some kind of plumbing or electrical?”
“Because your sister already did some exploratory hole poking. That’s why there’s a big ol’ X on the wall,” I explained patiently.
I eyed up Mr. Bodine. He was studying the plaster wall over his second cup of coffee. His pajama pants, a black and red-checkered lumberjack pattern, hung low on his hips. The untied drawstring was mighty distracting.
