better talk.”
Andi pulled out the small bag she kept in a drawer for campaign emergencies. She never spent much time worrying about anything more than mascara on most days. Plain sheriffs seemed a whole lot easier to support than glamorous ones.
Tammy walked around the desk and sat on the edge of it as she dug around in the bag. She pulled out powder and blush and quickly applied those before she started working on Andi’s eyes. “I want to know everything. What brought on the bangs?”
Andi closed her eyes. “Maybe I’m getting tired of the way things are, doing the same thing day in and day out. Maybe I’m thinking about making some changes.”
Tammy hummed. “That doesn’t sound like you. What prompted this adventure?”
Andi smiled. Then she braced herself. “I think that would be Mark Taylor’s fault. Unless you count Jackie’s robbery as the real beginning, Mark is the source.”
Tammy paused and Andi blinked her eyes open. She closed them again when Tammy headed back toward her with a small brush. “We ran into each other at dinner last night and he said some things.... I finally told him what I thought about his news reporting, he apologized and offered his help with the case. Today I couldn’t figure out how to say no to his dinner invitation so I said yes, and now I think we have a working date on Saturday.”
Andi expected to be blinded by brilliant rays of sunshine from Tammy’s huge smile. Instead, Tammy bit her lip. She worked carefully with the mascara then leaned back. “Andi, that’s great. He’s seriously cute.”
“That wasn’t quite the reaction I expected. Aren’t you the same girl who signed me up for an internet dating service?”
Tammy sighed. “If I thought this was going to be an actual date, I’d be dancing on the desk. The fact that you can take anything and turn it into work worries me—you know that.”
“I have to prove myself. As my campaign manager, you ought to understand that. Besides, it’s dinner. Out. At night. That’s a date, right?” Andi told herself it didn’t matter what Tammy thought. But it did.
Tammy shook her head, worry clear in the tiny frown on her forehead.
A knock rattled the window in Andi’s office door and Tammy opened it to let Peter into the tiny room. “Girl, there’s more to life than work, even in Tall Pines.”
Peter raised an eyebrow as he kissed his wife but he didn’t ask. He had a lot of experience walking into the middle of their conversations.
“Hey, Peter, thanks so much for taking the time to seize this chance.” Andi picked up the single lipstick out of the bag and carefully applied it. When she looked up, Tammy and Peter were communicating with their eyes. Andi couldn’t hear a single word, but she knew she was the subject of the conversation. Again. And she heaved a quiet sigh.
Tammy worried about her. To her, the keys to happiness were a strong marriage and lots of time for her family. She just didn’t understand Andi’s need to prove herself. Why should she? She’d never been the town’s favorite subject of discussion, she ran one of the most popular businesses in town and she had a husband who’d love her until the end of time. Tammy didn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
“All right. Where do you want to do this?” Andi asked.
Tammy looked around the office and went to open the blinds for more light. “Let’s try for one shot in here then head outside to get one by the sign and maybe one or two with your car if the heat doesn’t kill us.”
Peter saluted and started giving direction. Andi did her best to follow all of his instructions, but something about having a picture taken made her more uncoordinated than normal. She lost count of how many times Peter had to say, “No, your other left.”
After roughly one thousand photos, Tammy was satisfied, and Peter was on his way back to work. They’d escaped the heat as quickly as they could. Andi and Tammy were reviewing her “strategy
Andi pulled out the small bag she kept in a drawer for campaign emergencies. She never spent much time worrying about anything more than mascara on most days. Plain sheriffs seemed a whole lot easier to support than glamorous ones.
Tammy walked around the desk and sat on the edge of it as she dug around in the bag. She pulled out powder and blush and quickly applied those before she started working on Andi’s eyes. “I want to know everything. What brought on the bangs?”
Andi closed her eyes. “Maybe I’m getting tired of the way things are, doing the same thing day in and day out. Maybe I’m thinking about making some changes.”
Tammy hummed. “That doesn’t sound like you. What prompted this adventure?”
Andi smiled. Then she braced herself. “I think that would be Mark Taylor’s fault. Unless you count Jackie’s robbery as the real beginning, Mark is the source.”
Tammy paused and Andi blinked her eyes open. She closed them again when Tammy headed back toward her with a small brush. “We ran into each other at dinner last night and he said some things.... I finally told him what I thought about his news reporting, he apologized and offered his help with the case. Today I couldn’t figure out how to say no to his dinner invitation so I said yes, and now I think we have a working date on Saturday.”
Andi expected to be blinded by brilliant rays of sunshine from Tammy’s huge smile. Instead, Tammy bit her lip. She worked carefully with the mascara then leaned back. “Andi, that’s great. He’s seriously cute.”
“That wasn’t quite the reaction I expected. Aren’t you the same girl who signed me up for an internet dating service?”
Tammy sighed. “If I thought this was going to be an actual date, I’d be dancing on the desk. The fact that you can take anything and turn it into work worries me—you know that.”
“I have to prove myself. As my campaign manager, you ought to understand that. Besides, it’s dinner. Out. At night. That’s a date, right?” Andi told herself it didn’t matter what Tammy thought. But it did.
Tammy shook her head, worry clear in the tiny frown on her forehead.
A knock rattled the window in Andi’s office door and Tammy opened it to let Peter into the tiny room. “Girl, there’s more to life than work, even in Tall Pines.”
Peter raised an eyebrow as he kissed his wife but he didn’t ask. He had a lot of experience walking into the middle of their conversations.
“Hey, Peter, thanks so much for taking the time to seize this chance.” Andi picked up the single lipstick out of the bag and carefully applied it. When she looked up, Tammy and Peter were communicating with their eyes. Andi couldn’t hear a single word, but she knew she was the subject of the conversation. Again. And she heaved a quiet sigh.
Tammy worried about her. To her, the keys to happiness were a strong marriage and lots of time for her family. She just didn’t understand Andi’s need to prove herself. Why should she? She’d never been the town’s favorite subject of discussion, she ran one of the most popular businesses in town and she had a husband who’d love her until the end of time. Tammy didn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
“All right. Where do you want to do this?” Andi asked.
Tammy looked around the office and went to open the blinds for more light. “Let’s try for one shot in here then head outside to get one by the sign and maybe one or two with your car if the heat doesn’t kill us.”
Peter saluted and started giving direction. Andi did her best to follow all of his instructions, but something about having a picture taken made her more uncoordinated than normal. She lost count of how many times Peter had to say, “No, your other left.”
After roughly one thousand photos, Tammy was satisfied, and Peter was on his way back to work. They’d escaped the heat as quickly as they could. Andi and Tammy were reviewing her “strategy
Similar Books
