15

BABY FOR THE DEPUTY

Chapter One

Julie pushed her way through the crowd of partiers fleeing the underage drinking party hosted by Benji Shultz. She hoped he didn’t get in too much trouble with the cops and his folks, but she was more worried about her best friend. She and Sera had gotten separated shortly after their arrival at the party. She’d allowed Eric Foster to drag her off to a darkened corner for a lot of flirting and a little touching, and Sera had drifted away.

Cutting through the woods proved to be a smart move, as she managed to avoid the milling deputies. Her heart thudded with dread at the idea of running into her father, who would be Sheriff Robinson in those circumstances, not Dad. With only a few scratches from low-lying branches and moderately tangled spots in her brown hair, she emerged onto the county road a few minutes later.

Biting her lip and wondering what she should do about Sera, she approached her car. It was on the side of the road where she had parked it, a