Page 61 of Under the Lights
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Something had changed in Kelly between last night and being seated at a quiet family restaurant about fifteen minutes south of town. Chase couldn’t put his finger on it, but her smile seemed a little strained, and there was tension in her body.
“Rough day?” he asked, wondering if maybe something had happened at work. Although, if something happened in Stewart Mills of a magnitude to cause a bad day for the police department, he probably would have heard about it. Unless it was a domestic issue. He knew there had been a few of those calls since he got into town, and they weighed on her.
“Not really.” She picked up the menu. “Early morning, though. I could use a nap.”
“Instead you had to drive down here just for lunch.” Maybe that was all it was. “It seems like everybody knows—or at least thinks they know—what’s going on. We could have just met at O’Rourke’s.”
“It’s one thing to know people are talking about us. It’s something else to have them all staring at us while we eat.”
“I guess. It’s not a big deal, though. I mean, you being seen with me.”
“Tell that to Edna Beecher, who showed up at the station today with a member of the board of selectmen to accuse me of police corruption for allowing you to run stop signs and break into the high school because I’m having sex with you.”
He knew his jaw dropped open like a cartoon character’s, but he couldn’t even make sense of the words coming out of her mouth. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not. Never underestimate the determination of a small town to start a scandal if there’s sex involved.”
“Holy shit, Kelly. You’re not in trouble, are you?”
“According to the chief, no. He knows they’re being ridiculous. And it’s Edna. Very few people take Edna seriously.”
“According to the chief? So that means you could still be in trouble with somebody else?” He couldn’t believe this was happening. When she’d first mentioned the possibility her reputation could be damaged by sleeping with him, he’d thought it was a joke.
“It’s fine. The worst that could happen is that Edna or Judy actually brings it up at a meeting, and then it’s in the minutes and I’d probably have to make some kind of statement. But I’m not going to lose my job or anything.”
“No wonder we left town to eat.”
She smiled at him over the top of her menu. “I picked this place before that happened so, no, I’m not hiding you from anybody. I just wanted to have a nice meal with you without being interrupted by a bunch of people.”
And without the good people of Stewart Mills staring at them, as she’d said. And not staring at them, apparently, but taking notes to be used against her. Anger made him tighten his grip on his water glass, so he set it down and picked up his menu.
“You won’t be able to eat anything with your jaw all clenched up like that,” she said, her voice light and teasing.
“It’s stupid,” he said.
“Yes, it’s stupid, but I knew it could happen. The slight on my reputation, I mean. I didn’t see the accusation of police corruption coming, though, because I didn’t know three of you would decide to do a little breaking and entering.”
“I’m really sorry about that.”
She laughed. “I was kidding. Like you said, the whole thing is stupid.”
“You know she’s going to call the FBI, right?”
“Of course she will. Even though they’re just going to blow smoke at her until she goes away, there will be an official record buried somewhere that states Officer Kelly McDonnell of the Stewart Mills Police Department had sexual relations with one Chase Sanders of New Jersey.”
That struck him as nothing short of horrifying, but she looked amused, so he chuckled. “If you do have to give a detailed statement, it’ll make for good reading.”
“It would make some bored, low-on-the-totem-pole agent’s day, for sure.” She grinned and he let go of the anger. As long as she was okay, there was no sense in spoiling the time they had together.
“So what did you do today?” she asked after they’d ordered burgers. “Weren’t you guys being roped into judging the decoration contest?”
“We did that this morning, and one of the kids emailed the results to Jen, so that’s done. I talked to Hunter a little bit.”
“Really?” Immediately, he saw the change in her expression and was struck again by the depth of her feelings for their hometown. “How’s he doing?”
“Good.” He told her about his conversation with the boy, watching her relax again as he assured her things were looking up in the Cass household.
