Unfortunately, the county supervisors weren't on board with any of it. The Narcan Mac had used that day had been the last free sample Doug had been able to get his hands on. He'd begged, borrowed, and offered his soul in exchange for as many doses as he could get, but they were all designed to be trials that led to the department purchasing a supply. When the supervisors had seen the line item in his budget last year, they'd rejected the entire thing and passed their own version of the budget that gave them oversight and approval over every category and line. His officers had new, fully loaded vehicles but couldn't revive an overdose. He wondered if it would be different if there were a doctor on the board instead of the owner of a car dealership.

  "You look beat, man," Mac said to him as he strolled into his office. "Are you off this weekend? If not, maybe you should be."

  "Fuck you. It's been a long week." Doug had hired Mac only a few months ago, but his Army experience had him rising to the best deputy in the department faster than Doug could have dreamed. He'd heard the guy had a temper, but Mac proved over and over that he could and would control it to calm situations. They'd become friends.

  Mac's voice shifted to a more serious tone. "Are you really working this weekend?"

  "No," Doug admitted. "I know I need a break."

  "You should get laid or go fishing or do something to let off some steam and relax."

  "Maybe tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to walk in my front door, shower off the day, and collapse into bed."

  "Fair enough. I'm planning to take Cora out to Colton's tomorrow night if you want to join us," Mac offered.

  Doug just raised his eyebrow. He wasn't sure hanging around the local bar with half the town was exactly how he wanted to spend his Saturday night. "I'll think about it."

  "Yeah, that means no. Just go out long enough to eat dinner. It's always good for you to show your civilian face in town, you know?" Mac was hitting below the belt. Doug would do a lot for the good of his community.

  "Fine." He'd need to eat anyway. It wouldn't hurt to have someone else cook for him.

  Later that night, Doug wasn't feeling any more excited about socializing, but he was hungry, and his kitchen was empty. He really needed to do some grocery shopping. For now, Mac would get his wish though. Doug would go out for dinner. He’d rather do it tonight when he could sit by himself and be anti-social instead of being the third wheel on Mac and Cora’s date night anyway. It had been too long since he'd joined everyone as a regular person. Maintaining those casual relationships made his job much easier. Huh, did that mean he could consider tonight's dinner a work thing? How sad was that. Okay, he could do this. He didn't need to go nuts, but maybe swapping the sweaty T-shirt he'd been wearing all day while working in the yard would be a good idea. As he pulled it over his head, he inhaled and realized he needed a shower, too.

  That was how he ended up arriving at Colton's later than he'd planned and dressed better than he had since sometime before his recent memories. They served dinner until eight o’clock, so he had plenty of time to order, but the lights were already dimmed, and the music had been turned up.

  It was just as he finished eating that the stranger walked in.

  She had long dark hair that poured down her back like the ocean at midnight. She was lean but had curves in the best places and captured Doug's full attention even though she was wearing jeans and a plain green T-shirt. Rachael stepped over to collect his empty plate, so he took the opportunity to ask who the new woman was. He knew Stephanie was more likely to be caught up on the local gossip, but after their break-up, she avoided him as much as possible, which was just fine with Doug. With a little luck, maybe Stephanie had shared details with Rachael.

  "No idea. Never seen her before. Though I heard some lady bought the old Sampson place. Maybe that's her." Rachael didn't appear interested in digging into other people's business. It made her a good person, but it would also force Doug to get more creative to learn more.

  Then again, he was the sheriff. It was part of his job to keep up with people in town. With that thought, he waved the woman over. "If you'd be willing to join me, I've got an empty seat," he offered. The place was busy enough, she'd have to wait for something else to open up.

  Still, she looked around to confirm that for herself before sitting across from him. "Are you sure I'm not intruding?" she asked.

  "Nope. Not at all. You familiar with small-town life?"

  "Can't say that I am, though I'm hoping to get familiar with it."

  "Does that mean the rumors about you buying the Sampson place down off Route 56 are true?"

  "Uh. If you're referring to the place with a trailer and a few cabins, then yes." Her eyes sparkled when she smiled as she spoke, and she was sitting on her hands. It made Doug wonder if she usually waved them about while talking and was trying to stifle the urge, or if it was just nerves that had her hiding them away.

  "That would be it. It's nice to meet you. I'm Doug." He had no idea why he didn't introduce himself as Sheriff Riley. That was his standard intro, but then, he was usually in uniform, too. Maybe this was a good night to play civilian and take a break from being the sheriff.

  "Beth. It's a pleasure to meet you, Doug." She extended her hand to shake with him. "So, is the food here any good?"

  "As long as you like it greasy and fried, it's excellent," he assured her. "Though you'll want to order quick. The kitchen closes in about 30 minutes, but Greg gets twitchy and sometimes starts shutting it down early."

  "Good to know. What do you recommend?"

  "The chicken fried steak is excellent."

  She gave him a blank stare. Did she not like that? Was she a vegetarian? He knew lots of city people had specific preferences about their food. Out here, people ate animals they hunted, mushrooms they foraged, and vegetables they grew. Doug didn't know how to ask for more information without looking like a stupid redneck.

  Thankfully, Beth broke the awkward silence. "I, uh, I can't say I've ever heard of chicken fried steak before. Is it chicken or steak?" she asked.

  Doug couldn't hold back his laughter. He hadn't really thought about it, but she was right. It was a terribly named dish. "It's not really either," he confessed. "Sometimes, it's even pork or veal."

  She smiled and laughed with him, and a whole cloud of mosquitos took flight inside his gut, buzzing around in circles and tickling him from the inside out.

  "You should try it. They usually make it out of thin cuts of beef here. Occasionally, they use pork instead, but tonight it's beef. I had it myself, and it was excellent."

  "Oh, you already ate?" Beth asked him.

  "Yeah," Doug suddenly realized just how awkward the whole situation was. "Um, I guess I can get out of your way if you want the table to yourself."

  "You've still got most of your pint left. I'm sure not going to run you off after you were nice enough to offer me a table before dinner service ends."

  Rachael chose that moment to wander over and ask what Beth wanted to drink while letting her know she'd need to order fast if she wanted dinner.

  "I'll have the chicken fried steak." Beth winked at Doug before continuing, "and whatever beer he's drinking." The wink was more than he'd expected, and he almost spit his mouthful of beer across the table. But he didn't.

  "Vienna Lager and chicken fried steak coming right up. You okay with mashed potatoes and green beans?" Rachael asked.

  "Sure. Sounds good," Beth agreed. Once Rachael left them, Beth turned back to Doug and asked, "Are you sure you don't mind me eating in front of you? I'm sure I can steal a spot at the bar or something."

  "No, no. I'd rather you stay here. For one thing, Stephanie's tending the bar tonight, and she's the biggest gossip in town. She'll pump you for information all night long, and then she’ll announce all your business in the local paper. For another, well, I guess the company is kind of nice."

  "You don't get out much?" Beth asked.

  "I work a lot. It's nice to not work this evening and just be me. Sometimes I wonder if I even remember who I am when I'm not working."

  "I get that."

  "So where are you moving here from?" Doug wanted to steer the conversation away from his job.

  "Oh, I was in the Richmond area."

  "What brings you out this direction?"

  "Uh, I'm just looking for some peace and quiet. A change of scenery if you will."

  He lifted his glass expecting her to spend some time responding, but he barely managed to swallow during her short answer. Beth had returned to sitting on her hands and was looking down at her lap. She didn't want to talk about why she was moving here. Doug thought back to when Mac's girlfriend, Cora, had shown up here, trying to escape her abusive ex. Was this something like that? Did he need to brace himself for another asshole showing up and looking to cause trouble? Fuck, why couldn't he just have one night where he wasn't trying to keep everyone he cared about safe?

  "Okay, so neither of us is in the mood to discuss anything of any consequence. Let's talk nonsense." He would have one normal night if it killed him. Mac had been right. Doug was teetering on the brink of burnout, and a real night off was exactly what he needed. Plus his response had made Beth smile, which was a massive win in and of itself.

  "And just what kind of nonsense do you have in mind?" she asked.

  "Let's start with our most awkward teenage moment. Really get crazy right from the start," he suggested.

  "Oh, no! If that's what you're looking for, you'll need to answer first."

  Doug debated. He didn't want to make himself look like a fool, but Beth had laughed while asking him to go first. He glanced around the bar and realized he had the perfect story. It was one everyone knew, so Beth would likely hear it from someone eventually anyway. He might as well be the one to tell her about it.

  "Fair enough. So, when I was in high school, I was on the football team."

  "That does not surprise me."

  "Don't interrupt."

  "Sorry." Beth mimed zipping her lips shut.

  "Anyway, the high school has a big storage room for all our gear. The doors aren't on spring-loaded hinges, so you have to close them. Otherwise, they will just stay open. We'd open them when practice started and leave them open until we were done with everything. Coach would come behind us and close them after everyone left."

  "Okay."

  Doug paused to let Rachael deliver Beth's beer and assure her that the food would be out momentarily. When she pointed at his almost empty glass, he decided it would be nice to have another to sip on while he chatted with Beth.

  "I'll be right back with another beer for you. Are you planning to go wild on us tonight?" Rachael asked him.

  "Ha, no. I'm just enjoying an evening off."

  "Well, you certainly deserve it. Ben was just telling me how grateful his whole family is for you and Mac this week."

  "It's my job." Doug was relieved when Rachael walked away instead of trying to continue the conversation.

  "She's gone now," Beth pointed out. "You can tell me all about how you ended up locked in the closet, now."

  "What? How did you know?" Was this woman a mind reader?

  "Uh, there's only one reason a person offers to tell a funny story and then spends five minutes describing a closet." Beth laughed as she pointed out the obvious conclusion. "I just want to know how long you were stuck in there, who found you, and how embarrassing it was when someone finally let you out."

  Doug mock-glared at her. "Well, that takes the wind out of my sails."

  "Oh don't be a grump. Tell me what happened, and then I'll tell you about the time I got my hair caught in my locker and was forced to get an exceptionally awful haircut."

  "I suppose that's fair," he agreed.

  They both nodded at Rachael as she delivered Doug's beer and Beth's plate. "Can I get you two anything else?" she asked.

  "No, we're good. Thank you. Doug was just about to finish telling me about the time he got stuck in the football closet," Beth smirked at Doug.

  "Oh, that's a good story," Rachael agreed. "I'll leave you to it."

  "I'll eat while you talk, yeah?" Beth was not shy or timid.

  "Fine." Doug felt the odd pull in his cheeks and realized he was smiling while he said it. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to just relax and enjoy himself. He proceeded to tell her all about one of the nerdiest kids hearing his pounding and thinking it was a ghost. He'd run through the halls screaming about the school being haunted until everyone, and Doug did mean every single one of the three hundred fifty students and forty faculty at the school, ended up in the gym, watching him be released from his confinement. Unfortunately, no one had considered that Doug had been stuck in there all night with no access to a bathroom.

  At that point, Beth had to set her food aside to avoid choking. She was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. As embarrassing as the story was, Doug loved seeing the light sparkle through the moisture on Beth's face.

  When she finally caught her breath and was able to speak, she gasped out, "Oh, you were right. That was so much better than anything I could have conjured up or predicted. How did you ever recover from that?"

  Thank goodness for that question. It was a point of pride Doug never left out. "The next night was a home game against one of our biggest rivals. I didn't care that much about football, so I usually treated it like a game and just had fun. But that night, I wanted more. I needed to overshadow the closet debacle, so I went all out. I played harder than I've ever played in my life. Not only did we win the game, but I scored the winning touchdown. It was enough for people to laugh about the closet while still being respectful."

  "Thank goodness you're athletic." The way Beth's eyes roamed over Doug's body as she said it gave him goosebumps. What would her skin feel like against his? He wouldn't have to be careful or gentle with her. She could obviously hold her own. He started to envision wrestling for control as they stripped naked but shook himself before the vision could fully form.

  He refocused on her and prompted, "Your turn. Please expand on the haircut."

  "Well, it's not nearly as good as your story, but I've always worn my hair long. So, when I leaned against my locker as the person next to me opened theirs, it got caught in the hinges. The guy, because of course the person opening the locker beside me was one of the hottest guys at school, looked horrified and tried to untangle it. Hair doesn't work like that though. The more he tried to pull it loose, the more entangled it became. By the time a teacher noticed, my head was pulled tight to the locker."

  "Oh no."

  "Yeah, they got an administrator to see if they had any ideas. Oh, and the teacher's entire class had followed her out to the hall to see what was happening. Then the administrator had to go get the school nurse, who didn't have any bright ideas either. Eventually everyone agreed—they'd have to cut me free."

  "Tell me it wasn't up against your scalp." Doug tried to picture the beauty before him with her hair trimmed to a military buzz cut. It didn't sit right with him.

  "Oh yeah. All the way to the skin, but only in the one spot."

  Maybe it had been the back of her head, so the rest of her hair could cover it. "Where?" Doug asked with bated breath.

  "Right here." Beth pointed to her temple before confirming Doug's fear. "There was no way to hide it."

  "What did you do?" Doug asked.

  "I got a 'cute' pixie cut with a chunk missing." Beth rolled her eyes and used her hands to make air quotes around the word cute. "I refused to let anyone take my picture for almost a year. To this day, there are no pictures of most of my ninth-grade year of high school.”

  “Oh no! It was your freshmen year?” Doug couldn’t imagine having that follow him all through school. His had happened during the fall of his senior year, and that had been bad enough.

  “Yep. Though I get the feeling we went to very different high schools. My graduating class had seven hundred kids in it, so I was pretty anonymous."

  Doug swallowed his beer wrong and had to cough to clear it before he could respond. "Seven hundred? How is that possible? That's massive."

  "That's how it is in the city."

  "Damn. There were eighty-seven kids in my graduating class, and we were a big group."

  "Wow. What was that like?"

  By the time Doug finished his beer, it had gotten warm. He and Beth had been too busy swapping stories for him to drink steadily. He had laughed more than he had in a very long time, and when she tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a sly grin, the tightness in his jeans reminded him how long it had been since he'd enjoyed a full night with a woman.

  When Rachael raised a skeptical eyebrow and asked if they wanted another round, Beth surprised Doug by declining before he could.

  "I'm good. I'm hoping this guy will offer to take me home."

  Rachael chuckled before both women turned to look at Doug.

  "I might not always be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not dumb enough to say no to that. My place or yours?" he asked.

  "Yours, please. Mine's a disaster right now."

  "That's right. You just moved into the Sampson place, didn't you?" Rachael asked.

  Before Beth could answer, Doug pulled out his wallet and redirected the conversation. "Yep, and she can tell you all about it later, but right now, you should go run my card." Then he shoved his credit card toward Rachael.

  She smiled at them and darted away.

  "You don't have to buy my dinner, you know." Beth looked every bit the modern, successful woman. Doug was sure that paying for her own meals was normal for her, but he wanted to do better than that.

 

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