Spooning Leads to Forking (Hot in the Kitchen #2) - Kilby Blades Page 0,14

charges, a federal warrant may be issued. Federal, because you crossed state lines. A traffic stop could land you in jail until we sort things out. Whatever you do, don’t get in trouble with the law.

7

The Helicopter

Dev

“This is completely unsustainable.”

Delilah’s curt words were delivered at the same moment she pushed forth Dev’s steaming cup: a quadruple americano, light on water, heavy on cream. His first long sip gave him time to swallow the kind of hot retort that came out when he operated on too-little sleep.

“Know what I love most about this place?” he managed as he slid a twenty into the tip jar. “The coffee’s pricey but the lectures are free.”

“You look like shit,” his sister continued matter-of-factly. There was plenty of love between them but “tough” was Delilah’s middle name.

“It’s just ‘til Duff recovers,” Dev reasoned at the end of another rejuvenating gulp. At that moment, it tasted better to him than his green juice.

“What time did you say you had to be at The Big Spoon again?” he asked. His voice was innocent but his eyebrow arch was not.

Delilah was stretched every bit as thin as him, between running her bakery and picking up slack at The Big Spoon. Hell, she might have even had it worse. Delilah had bread in the oven by five in the morning. At least he got to sleep later.

“Maybe if my boss wasn’t such a cheapskate, he’d hire me some help…" Her comeback didn’t have much bite.

“If your boss wasn't such a cheapskate, he wouldn’t be so good at what he did.” Dev smirked. “And if you keep calling him a cheapskate, he might just rethink your bonus.”

The reproachful frown Delilah had sported moments before metamorphosed into repent. “You wouldn’t.”

“You don’t know what I’d do,” he challenged, standing to his full height and crossing his arms.

Because stubbornness ran in the family, Delilah had refused to take his money for helping at The Big Spoon, so he’d booked her on a dream vacation: a master class at some fancy school for pastry chefs in Paris followed by a monthlong culinary tour. God bless her, did his sister love cheese.

“No one’s complaining about your spending priorities.” Delilah hedged, bringing her hands up in a universal show of peace. “All I’m saying is, you’re burning the candle at both ends. How’s Duff coming along?”

Dev was grateful for the change in subject. He’d just returned from the house of Kate Duffy, who was technically now Sheriff Duffy but still known as “Duff” by half the town. When she’d been promoted to Sheriff, she’d deputized Dev. That had been six months back, when things in Sapling had been calm. It had been more a precaution than anything else—a need for an extra hand in case of emergencies. The department was three men down and they were still in the process of hiring three more staff deputies after a five-year run with a bad predecessor.

The Sheriff before Duff was the one who had succeeded Pete—Dev’s surrogate dad and Evie’s late husband. The year Pete passed away, Duff had lacked the seniority to be considered for the job. The other guy had received so many complaints, the commissioner finally promoted Duff. He’d driven away ten deputies over the years, which meant Duff was understaffed. She’d tapped Dev because people knew him and trusted him and, having shadowed Pete the way he once did, he understood procedural policing.

Most things that ever happened in Sapling could be dealt with by Jack and Brody. Only, Jack and Brody were young. Both had more training than Dev, having graduated the academy, but both were new to Sapling. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that some odd event might happen that would be outside their depth.

No one had anticipated the spate of vandalisms that had happened on River Road. Real vandalism—not kids with too much time on their hands and a can or two of paint. Though there was always a facade of theft, an underlying element of destruction was continuously present, seemingly designed to leave the mills themselves in ruin.

Duff had gone to investigate a call three months back and arrived just in time to catch a side full of shrapnel. She’d shattered her elbow after being thrown by the blast of a suspicious explosion. Had she been closer to the source, she would have been killed.

“Her body’s healing fine, but that’s about it.” Dev lowered his voice, even though the store wasn’t open yet and they were alone. Delilah resumed