“Hey, there’s also the people we help who pay us in beignets,” Roxie pointed out.
“I don’t mind that,” Armie admitted. He turned to Major. “Now what is this I hear about a wild-eyed blonde with a mean dog who stole not only Harry’s truck, but also Major’s virtue?”
Major groaned. The damn grapevine worked faster than the speed of light. “I had some problems while I was out for a run and she helped me. No virtue was lost, and she’s staying at the B and B. You know how generous Harry can be. She was looking for light or something.”
“Light?” Armie asked.
“I think it’s a Hollywood thing.” Though she seemed so down to earth. He had to wonder what would have happened if he’d met her in a more normal way. If she’d been a woman from two towns over he’d gotten set up with, he likely would have enjoyed talking to her. Normally he would have been amused at the fact that he’d had to stop a water war between two octogenarians. When had that gotten annoying?
“It’s an artist thing,” Roxie countered. “She’s a painter. She’s good, too. Don’t look at me that way. I can like art. Everyone likes art. Major has lots of paintings all over his place.”
“My mom painted them.” He’d walked out after showering and changing and found Brynn studying the one over his mantel. It was a painting she’d done of the trees in the backyard of their home outside of Houston. It was done from the perspective of a person lying on their back looking up at the canopy of green and the sunshine coming through it. He’d lain under those trees so many afternoons that he could close his eyes and still see them, still feel the soft grass beneath his body, still know that any moment he would be called in for supper.
He’d wanted to tell her all about that painting. The instinct had been there to share not only what he loved about it but how it also made him ache inside.
Instead he’d brusquely told her he was ready, and they’d left.
He still wondered what she’d thought about it.
“I didn’t know that.” Roxie’s expression softened. “She was good.”
“I did know.” Armie leaned on Major’s desk. “I remember when your dad first moved down here. He bought that house and he and Lynn had a housewarming party and your dad showed off the paintings.”
He remembered the day well. It was the day he’d met Armie LaVigne and talked about taking the job here. He’d made the decision to move to Louisiana because his father was the only family he had left. He was the only child of two only children. He’d thought he would come to this small town, find someone to settle down with, and give his dad a couple of grandkids.
He’d thought he had more time.
“She was a good artist. I’m sure she would talk about light, too.” He’d seen the sketchpad sticking out of the bag in the back of the truck. Was he being obtuse because he didn’t want to admit he was attracted to her? Nothing could come of it because he’d given up short-term flings a long time ago. “So, what do we have planned for this afternoon?”
“Well, first off we need to get down to the bog near the B and B because I’ve gotten a report of a lost item,” Armie said, his lips kicking up in a grin. “Someone lost their dignity, and we’ve got to find it.”
Major groaned again. “Who the hell told you that? I know it wasn’t Brynn.”
He rather thought she would keep quiet about the circumstances of how he’d come to be sans pants.
Roxie winced. “Uhm, did I mention that my husband has this new initiative about wildlife? He put up wildlife cams all over the parish.”
He was going to have a heart attack. “The one that streams various outdoor spaces on the Internet?”
She gave him an apologetic smile. “Yup.”
Armie gave a hearty laugh. “I can’t believe your pants came off that way. I’m sorry. I was about to send someone out to help you but the pretty blonde showed and Lila forbade me from breaking up the obvious chemistry.”
Landon Price looked up from his desk across the station house. He’d only been on the job for a few months, but he had the sarcasm thing down. “I managed to download the whole thing, Deputy. We’ve already had a couple of calls asking if you’re willing to do calendars or bachelorette parties. Should I forward those to you?”
Major let his head find his desk. It was going to be a long day.
chapter three
Nine hours, another shower, and another change of clothes later, and Major still couldn’t stop thinking about Brynn Pearson.
He sat on the deck at Guidry’s waiting on this week’s mystery date who may or may not show up if she believed the gossip about him and had the deep investment in his virtue that her grandmother believed she should have.