here. Honest, Allison. I never would have let you go in there if I'd known."
That excuse annoyed her; maybe Jimmy wasn't different after all. “You mean everyone knows but the Sheriff? Why is it he doesn't know?"
Jimmy shrugged. “Well, he's a little possessive of the women he's seeing."
That confirmed her suspicions about the Sheriff and why the clerk still worked there despite her incompetence.
"Are you one of her many...extracurricular activities?” As much as she liked the guy, she couldn't date someone with tastes that led them to women like Bonnie. She wasn't that desperate for a man.
"As you well know, Bonnie, my darling woman, isn't my type."
Relieved by his answer, she grinned when he got up and approached her.
"Just checking, so how long until diner? I'm starved."
* * * *
* * * *
After walking in on the woman he'd spent the evening with and his lowest-ranking officer in the file room, Drew was angry; his pride had been bruised. He'd thought for sure that Bonnie had been satisfied when she'd left his bed. Knowing he'd been wrong stung.
To walk out of the filing room after dealing with that indiscretion and see Allison flirting with Jimmy pushed him over the edge into jealousy. That reaction stopped his feet in surprise. Why should he care if she flirted with Jimmy? He wasn't even attracted to the woman...much.
Watching Jimmy say something amusing and Allison respond by placing her hand and head against his chest was more than he could take. He fought against the irrational jealousy and failed miserably when Jimmy slipped his arm around her waist to give her a quick hug.
"Ms. McKay, can we please finish this audit. I don't have all night."
Allison sighed. “Guess it didn't go well, after all. See you in two hours, cutie."
"How...?"
The grin she flashed his friend made his bad mood worse. Damned woman! “Ms. McKay!"
"Coming, Sheriff.” Pushing away from the desk, she stopped one last time to look at Jimmy. “Think I should let him have his chair back?"
Drew gritted his teeth and walked into his office. She'd meant for him to hear that, and Jimmy was loving every minute of his humiliation today. It was almost as if Allison didn't want to be alone in Drew's office with him. Now he definitely wasn't letting Jimmy go on that date alone.
He passed her the files as she walked into the office. “Here are your files, Ms. McKay, let's finish this so I can go home."
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Two
"I hope you like this place, Allison."
Allison smiled, slipped her arm through Jimmy's, and drank in the atmosphere. “I'm sure I... Please, God, no!"
Jimmy looked up, immediately on alert. “What is...I swear, Allison, I had no idea."
Taking his arm, she started to turn away and make her escape. “Maybe we can escape before..."
"Allison? Sweetheart, I thought that was you. Who's your friend?"
Biting back a groan, she plastered a smile to her lips and turned toward the man who had addressed her. “Uncle George, this is Deputy Jimmy O'Toole. What are you guys doing here?"
"Your mother told us you'd be working up here, and we thought we'd surprise you. It's been too long since you sang with us."
Allison shook her head and started backing away from him. “No way. Forget it. It took me years to get out of the band. I'm not going back. I have a new job and a new life now. I'm here as the county auditor. Who in their right mind would take me seriously if I start singing with the bar band?” Jimmy slipped his arms around her waist in a show of support, and she appreciated the gesture until he opened his mouth.
"I will—I love to hear you sing. The only other person you need to worry about is the Sheriff, and he rarely comes to the Honky Tonk,” Jimmy pointed out, receiving a conspiratorial grin from her uncle.
Laughing sarcastically, she leaned into the security Jimmy offered her. “Great. Just what I need—for the sheriff to take me even less seriously than he does now. My