vehicle wherever I see fit.”
One, two, three, four.
Pivot.
One, two, three—
“You know, I’ve always thought Mr. Miller’s pond was a nice place for a swim,” a familiar voice says from behind me, halting my pacing and self-reflection. Glancing up, I see my cousin Cole standing a few feet away, hand on his holster as he gives me his signature smile, dimples on full display. How any criminals ever take him serious is beyond me.
Fighting back a smile, I turn to face him. I should’ve known he’d be on duty tonight, or if he wasn’t, once he heard my name on the police scanner he’d be here. “I don’t need your smart mouth tonight, Cole Cassidy. I’ve gotten enough of a lecture from my daddy, who, by the way, left me to rot in this damned jail cell.”
“Aww, now. It’s not that bad. Sheriff James just had the beds upgraded last month and I can have Anna bring an extra piece of meatloaf when she drops by later to bring me supper.”
Spinning on my heel, I grip the bars and stare him down. “Oh, no. Don’t you dare tell her I’m in here,” I warn. That would be even worse than my daddy leaving me here or my mama calling her prayer chain.
Cole shows a sign of zipping his lips and tossing an imaginary key over his shoulder. “Your secret's safe with me.” Walking over to the desk, he perches on the edge, crossing his big arms across his chest.
“How long are you holding me here for, anyway?”
Giving me a small smile, he shakes his head and glances over his shoulder before turning back to answer. “As long as no charges are pressed, you should be free to go in the morning.”
Letting out a deep, resigned sigh, I walk over to the cot and plop down.
“So, you really drove that truck right off into Mr. Miller’s pond?”
I take a second to make myself as comfortable as possible, seeing as though I’m going to be here for the night. Kicking my shoes off, I place them neatly on the floor and then lay back, staring up at the ceiling. “Yeah, drove it right past the dock and straight into the pond.”
“Holy shit,” Cole replies with a chuckle. “I always knew you were a little crazy. It was just hidden down under all your cardigans and china patterns.”
“Shut up,” I tell him with a laugh. “I’m not crazy. Just pissed the hell off.”
“So, what made you want to do that?” Cole asks and I sit up to look at him.
“Is this Cole the deputy asking or Cole my cousin?”
“Always Cole, your cousin.”
“Asher called me today and said since the truck was in his name, he was gonna sell it. At first, I told him fine and that he could come and get it, because I don’t want anything of his anyway. The divorce will be final in another few weeks and I’m ready to be done with it, you know? But then, after I hung up the phone, I really started thinking about, thinking back on when we bought the truck and how happy I was… how happy he was. He wanted me to have something nice to drive. We were happy…” I drift off, unable to finish for a second as my memories bring up fresh emotions. It’s not Asher I’m sad about; it’s the possibilities… my future. “I just couldn’t let him take one more thing from me.”
We both sit in silence for a few minutes until Cole’s walkie talkie starts rattling off some mumbo jumbo I don’t understand. I hear him shift and then clear his throat. “I’ve always got your back. You know that, right?”
I offer a small, sad smile to the ceiling. “Thanks, Cole.”
“But no more truck swimming,” he says, tapping the wall on his way out.
It’s strange to think that I, Tempest Cassidy, am in jail.
I’m not your typical criminal. I didn’t drop out of school. Actually, not only am I a high school graduate, I also graduated from college… with a degree in culinary arts… that I use.
Which brings me to my other contradictory quality: I’m a hard-working, contributing citizen of society. I take my job very seriously. I’m passionate about muffins, well, baking in general, but since I got hired on at the Donner Bakery and put in charge of the muffin making, I’ve owned it … taken it to a new level … revolutionized muffin making and given them flair.
If Jenn is the Banana Cake