“You sure can pick ’em. You’ve got a thing for men in uniform. Chris, Jim, and now this guy.”
“Deputy Cameron,” Darcy supplied as Nadine bumped shoulders with her.
They’d gone to school together, from kindergarten through high school. Like Darcy, Nadine had fled Lion’s Bay as soon as she graduated, then came back. They joked that the town was like a vortex, inexorably sucking natives back into it.
“All I did was call in the cavalry.” Darcy shrugged. “I can’t take any credit for his hotness.”
“And you snagged him straightaway. I can see it in the way he looks at you. If I thought you were purposely grabbing all the sexy men, I’d hate you. You’ve always been the biggest guy magnet. Makes me pea green.”
“You’re way prettier than I am, Nadine. Always have been.”
“Doesn’t matter. You have this vibe that drives men wild.”
“That’s not always a good thing,” she muttered as a patrol car parked behind her truck.
Miller grabbed his hat off the passenger seat and unfolded from behind the wheel. His gaze was on Darcy as he set the hat on his head and shut the door.
“Hey, Chris,” Nadine greeted with a wave. “How are you this fine early afternoon?”
“I’ve been better.” He glanced at Nadine long enough to manage a smile. “How’s the store?”
“A little worse for wear, but open for business. The insurance adjuster will be out later to take a look.”
“Good.” He nodded and came to a stop before Darcy, his warm brown eyes shaded by the brim of his hat. “Everything all right with you?”
“Yes, sir, Sheriff. Deputy Cameron is just checking out the scene.”
Nadine backed away. “I’m going to head back to work.”
Darcy shot her a look that said, Don’t you dare, but the other woman just grinned mischievously and backed away.
Chris leaned back against the truck next to her. Too close. When he crossed his arms, his biceps brushed hers.
“Where’s Deputy Morales?” Darcy asked.
“She was making some phone calls and Jim was helping her out with some things. So I thought I’d find you and see if you needed anything.”
She exhaled softly, feeling that tiny twinge of discomfort that came with knowing someone’s interest was deeper than could be reciprocated. She and Chris had dated in high school. He’d been prom king to her prom queen. They’d had fun together, been wild and reckless as kids usually were, and she’d enjoyed being with him, but it had never been serious for her. He was a good guy in a lot of ways. Plus, he kept himself in prime shape and was great looking. But he didn’t get to her, not the way she needed.
“I’m set,” she answered. “I’ve turned everything I have over to Deputy Cameron.”
“I’d heard that.” The intimation in his tone put her back up.
Darcy straightened away from the truck and faced him from the sidewalk. “Watch it, Chris.”
“I think we need to talk about this. Why are you always going for a dead end? First Jim, then this guy—” He gestured toward Jared with a flick of his wrist. “I’m right here, Darcy. We’re good together. You know that.”
“Seriously? We dated when we were kids for chrissakes.”
“We have history,” he argued. “Who knows you better?”
“Honestly, Chris, you don’t know me at all.” She thought back to when she’d woken up to Jared in her bed. The things she’d said to him…the raw sexual things she’d demanded of him…She could never say such things to Chris. It didn’t matter how long she’d known him. The connection she needed to be so open wasn’t there. “Where is this coming from anyway?”
“I’ve been patient, Darcy.” Pushing off his hat, he ran a hand through his thick mahogany hair. His eyes were hot with frustration. “I mean, you’re back in Lion’s Bay. I figured that was the big step. I knew you had some adjusting to do so I’ve kind of hovered on the side.”
“Come on, Chris. Are we going to have this conversation now? Here? Really?”
“I know you’re going through a rough time. You need someone solid, Darcy. Someone who can anchor you. Not Jim and not some fly-by-night outsider.”