Four months later . . . Matt Kirby worked on next year’s budget when someone knocked on the glass of his office door. “Come in.” The door opened. It was Mindy Pandock. She had golden blonde hair and the biggest smile in town. “Hi, Sheriff, I hope I’m not disturbing you. Deputy Williamson said it was okay for me to come on back.” “It’s fine. Come in,” Matt said. Mindy was a lovely woman. When he had come home from the hospital four months ago, Mindy, along with some other neighbors, helped him change his bandages. They had also brought him food at the station and at home. When he had fully recovered, Mindy continued to bring him food once a week. Mindy carried her trusty brown, wicker picnic basket. She closed the door behind her. “I brought chocolate chip cookies for the deputies, but I saved some for you,” she said and sat the basket down on the desk. She pulled out a Ziploc bag full of cookies. She also pulled out two sandw
Mindy took his hand and led him upstairs, talking the whole way. She talked about how Cindy got the bedroom at the end of the hall. Then she talked about the décor in her bedroom. She was babbling because she was nervous. Matt thought it was cute. Yet, he wasn’t going to let a couple of old dolls and teddy bears get in his way. Mindy struck a match and lit a white scented candle on her nightstand. “You don’t mind, do you? The smell relaxes me.” “Not at all,” he said and gently pulled her into his arms. Her breath caught.Matt placed one hand on her face and moved it into her hair. She swung her neck back and exhaled. “Feel good?” “Yes,” she sighed. “Turn around,” he whispered. She did. Matt shoved his hands into her thick blonde hair and gently massaged her scalp. He nuzzled his face against her hair. It smelled like strawberries. The smell drove him wild. She was like a delicate flower that was begg
It had been four weeks since Rita brought Jodi home to Garvey’s. Jodi had been in her room the whole time. She barely ate. She barely spoke. Jodi slept all the time. There were times Barbara, Garvey’s front desk manager, would walk by her room and hear Jodi crying. Every time Barb entered the room, Jodi would stop crying and act like she wasn’t crying. Jackie struggled to cover for Jodi. No one knew she had been pregnant when she had left town other than Jackie and her now ex-boyfriend, George. Trina, the head bartender, Daniel, the head chef, Barb, and the waitresses had flooded Jackie with the same questions. Why was Jodi so depressed? What happened while she was away? Jackie had said she couldn’t tell them anything until Jodi was better and to keep quiet about her being back in town. The last thing Jodi needed was news of her return getting back to Matt Kirby. Jackie was afraid Matt would rush Garvey’s, and tear the place apart to see her. Jodi couldn’t take
Two weeks later, Jackie and Barb were reviewing reservations when Jodi and Billy walked into the hotel lobby. They had gone out for a swim. Billy wore checkered swim shorts. Jodi wore a green one-piece bathing suit.They were breathing heavy, but they were smiling.“You didn’t overdo it out there, did you?” Jackie asked with concern.“No, Mom. I didn’t,” Jodi joked.Jackie and Billy had taken Jodi to her old doctor in Phoenix two days ago. He had told her light exercise would do her good, but Jackie didn’t want Jodi to push herself. He had also renewed her medications and put her on the pill. Other than going to Phoenix, Jodi hadn’t left the hotel.“She’s fine. So much so, Jodi wants to go into town for a party. The town’s anniversary is it?” Billy asked.Jackie’s eyebrows shot up. Oh no, Matt will more than likely be there. Even though Jodi is a lot better than what she was, she can’t handle seeing him, yet. Knowing Matt, he’ll approach her and fire off questions like a pop gun.“It
Jackie, Trina, Barb, and Daniel sat at a table at Garvey’s. They were kicking around ideas for Saturday night. Their brainstorming session was interrupted by Jodi bursting the doors open. She strode to the back of the bar. Billy was behind her, but he stopped to sit on a bar stool.“I need a fucking drink!” Jodi yelled.They all got up from the table and went to the bar.“Careful. The claws are out,” Billy said lazily. “Meow.”“What happened?” Trina said.Jodi found her bottle of choice. Tequila. She slammed two shot glasses on the bar in front of Billy and started twisting the cap off the bottle with a purpose. Jodi hadn’t had a drink since she had found out she was pregnant. She was getting back on the horse.“You ran into Matt, didn’t you? I knew this would happen,” Jackie groaned.“Did you know he was fucking someone else and didn’t tell me, too?” Jodi barked and sloppily poured tequila in the two shot glasses.“Wha . . . what?” Jackie stuttered. She knew some of the ladies in tow
Billy had taken the soft top off of Jodi’s red jeep. Trina and Billy had put posters on the front and back bumper of the vehicle to promote Red Light Special night at Garvey’s tonight. Trina and Billy waited for Jodi in the lobby. She finally came down in a red string bikini. It showed off a prominent amount of her breasts because there were only patches that covered up her nipples. A red patch covered her vagina and C-section scar. A string ran up the crack of her butt. She had curled the ends of her hair. “Oh, my,” Barb said as she stood at the front desk. “You said you wanted some attention,” Billy stated with a grin. “Not to give a hard-on to every man on the street.” Jodi laughed. “I don’t think there will be that many people out at 8 am on a Saturday. But, hopefully, Matt will be. If not, he’ll hear about it.” “If you still want to do this, let’s go,” Trina stated. “Are you sure you remember ho
Matt had left Mindy’s house around 2 a.m. Cindy had spent the night at a friend’s house, which gave Matt and Mindy time alone. Needless to say, he was pretty tired when he left. Yet, he had a good night’s sleep. So, good that he had overslept. He didn’t get to the station until 9:30.He parked his black truck at the side entrance to his office. He unlocked the door and walked in. He fired up his computer to check his email, and then he heard boisterous laughter.“What the hell?” Matt murmured. He walked to his office door and opened it.The talking and laughing was louder.Matt wanted to know what was going on. He quietly snuck down the hall and stopped a few inches from the corner of the wall - a foot away from the reception desk.“Carter, you still looking at that video?” Goldman asked.“I’m showing it to Patty and Dalton,” Carter said.“I’m sticking around to look at it again,” Lawrence stated. “I’m not ashamed to admit it.”“Oh my goodness,” Patty said in a high-pitched tone. “It
For the last fifteen minutes, Matt laid on his couch in his office staring at the ceiling. Six weeks. Jodi had been back for six weeks, and she hadn’t called him or tried to see him. She had to have been at the hotel the whole time. Garvey’s was at least three miles from the rest of town. No one would have seen her unless she wanted to be seen.Boy, was she seen today. Matt felt his blood warm with anger again at the thought of men gawking at her, whistling at her - desiring what was his. What he wanted to be his. There was a tap on the door.“What!” he roared.Williamson opened the door. Matt figured it was him. Anyone else would have been too afraid to disturb him, now, and they should be.Williamson closed the door. He pulled a chair around to face the couch. “I see you haven’t cooled off, yet.” He sat down.Matt didn’t say anything.“I’ve been talking to the guys. They honestly didn’t think you would care. You two broke up months ago. Plus, you’re seeing Mindy, now. What’s the big