Teddy clicked his tongue. “It’s a damn shame about those Shirleys, too. For some reason, that clan is a thorn in those gorillas’ sides. Not sure what those hillbillies ever did to the Fury for them to be such enemies.“
Her smile fell in confusion. Clan? Hillbillies? Enemies?
This info was much more interesting than his previous diatribe about Helen’s sister’s cousin’s nephew getting caught messing around with Margaret’s neighbor’s daughter and now they were expecting twins.
“Who are the Shirleys?”
He flapped a hand around in the air. “Oh, that group of crazies who lives up on the mountain.”
She blinked. The mountain? “On Copperhead Road?” Where she broke down?
“Oh yes! It sounds like they’re infesting that mountain again after the feds came in and cleared them out once already. I haven’t seen them around town yet, but it’s just a matter of time if they’re repopulating that damn place. Just like roaches.” He did an exaggerated shudder. “Guuurl, I only heard about their return because my very handsome hubby is a cop in this town.” He cupped a hand around the side of his mouth and whispered, “He’s a scrumptious cake in uniform, I have to add.”
“Are they trouble?” Didn’t Whip say the town was no different than most small towns when it came to safety?
Teddy paused and his head tilted again. “Who? The cops? No, my whole family is part of the force, well except for Jet and—”
“The Shirleys.”
Wait… Was Teddy related to Jet, Rook’s ol’ lady?
Now her mind was definitely spinning. While she was interested in learning more about Jet and Teddy’s connection, she wanted the 411 about the mountain clan first.
It might explain why Whip was a bit cautious when she broke down along Copperhead Road and why he didn’t want to leave her waiting alone with Agnes. It might also explain the look on his face when he glanced up the very same mountain that morning.
Could she have been in danger if he hadn’t come along? “Are these Shirleys dangerous?”
He leaned in close and lowered his voice dramatically. “Honey, any group of people sharing the same DNA, one tooth and two brain cells are dangerous. That clan doesn’t follow the same laws as you and me. They were also making moonshine, meth and had a huge stash of illegal weapons up there. It was a huuuuuge kerfuffle around here when the feds came in to clear them out and dismantle their production. We all sighed in relief when the clan was gone. They’re a threat to any government official, including my hubby. Now, word is, they’re back.”
“Feds?”
“Oh yes, FBI and the ATF were swarming the area for a while. Good thing I’m already taken or I would have been a very, very busy boy opening those closed closet doors and peeking inside.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Some of them had some very big… guns.”
“But if the feds removed them once, won’t they come back and remove them again?” If they had violated federal laws, wouldn’t the FBI be monitoring them?
Teddy shrugged. “As long as they’re not doing anything illegal, I’m not sure if they can. I’ll have to ask the hubby to see if he knows.”
A bell over the door rang when it opened.
“Speak of the handsome devil…”
A very good-looking, very fit man walked into Manes on Main wearing perfectly-fitting jeans and a snug dark gray Henley over his broad shoulders, making Fallon’s mouth drop a little. She snapped it shut since she might be ogling a gay man’s husband. If she was, he was not only taken but played on the wrong team.
Though, that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate him from afar.
“He’s yours?” Fallon asked under her breath, still checking out the man carrying an infant.
If that didn’t make her ovaries tap her on the shoulder and remind her that her clock was ticking, nothing would.
She silently told her ovaries to shut up and sit down.
“Oh yes, girl. That man there is all mine. Every last inch of him.”
Teddy was not lying when he said the dark-haired, crystal blue-eyed man was handsome. “You’re very lucky,” she whispered.
“Well, Whip’s a hot one, too. Mine just has a little more seasoning.”
“You know I can hear you, right?” the man said as he stopped next to the chair, leaning in to give Teddy a quick peck.
Teddy’s husband adjusted the baby in his arms, and glanced down at Fallon.
Teddy whispered loudly, “He’s wondering why he doesn’t know who you are since, like me, he knows everyone in this one traffic light town.”
“I’m Adam.”
Fallon smiled up at him through the mirror. “Hi, Adam. I’m Fallon.”
“Young Whip’s new squeeze,” Teddy whispered with a grin.
One of Adam’s dark eyebrow lifted. “Whip.”
“You know, from—”
Adam rolled his eyes. “I know who Whip is, T. Hello, Fallon. Nice to meet you.”
“Same. So, you’re a police officer?”
His eyes sliced to his hairdresser husband. “Yes.”