A murmur of voices lifted around me along with the honking of a few car horns and the distant sounds of boats on the water. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the Cove. People were out and about enjoying the day.
All too soon, winter would roll off the lake, and we’d all be buttoned up in our houses. But today was truly perfect.
The ideal day to do something crazy.
Heck, I’d been playing the crazy card since summer. Like this was any different. Okay, so the street was more crowded than I’d counted on.
I nibbled on my lower lip. A lot more crowded.
People were coming out of the diner and café to see what was going on. Foot traffic along the storefronts was getting backed up as people craned their necks to see what the commotion was.
Lucky was in the middle of the road, holding up his bear-sized paws to stop traffic while he dropped construction cones in a strategic pattern only he seemed to know. His hair whipped around his head and shoulders like sun-bleached ribbons. He waved people around his make-shift causeway with a booming laugh as he told everyone to hang out
for the show.
It wasn’t a show, dammit. It was my life. And was he making a video?
Goddess, what did I get myself into?
I laid my hand on my belly. “Okay, little one. We’re going to go get Daddy back. I’m sorry in advance about your Uncle Lucky. He’s a bit crazy. But we’re stuck with him now.”
At least I hoped we were.
Tish pulled up, her arm hanging out along the car window. She snapped her fingers at me. “All right, hop in so we can get this over with.”
I thought about being offended for a second then decided today was only about positivity. That and her aura was crackling red. I probably shouldn’t poke the dragon.
I leaped into the backseat. Not bad agility for a newly pregnant woman, if I did say so myself.
“No shoes on the leather.”
I slipped off my ballet shoes and sat up on the top of the seat. We rolled out onto Main Street. Lucky was on top of his truck with a megaphone.
Seriously, this town was so unreal. I had a flashback to another day when the sheriff had proposed to Gina in this same spot.
Would it be tacky to do the same? Even tackier to do the asking?
I gripped the headrests as Tish pushed the gas to get us around the throng of people. I waved with an embarrassed laugh.
“Jesus, what is this, a parade?” Tish muttered.
I stopped doing the pageant wave.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there’s the star of our show,” Lucky said through the megaphone.
Deputy Brady was standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed and an indulgent smile on his face. The honking had stopped, and people were getting out of their cars.
“Lucky, I need that!”
“What?” he shouted at me through the megaphone.
I stood up on the backseat. “I need the megaphone, you dork!”
“Oh, right. Let me get things started for you.” He turned toward the apartments. Caleb had a front-facing apartment, and we were right below him. “Yo, Caleb! Come to the window, dude!”
Nothing.
I twisted my fingers. Goddess, this would be insane if he wasn’t even home.