Jarod's Heart (King Brothers Stories #2) Read Free Page A

lowest points in their lives, even some folks she’d known since she was a child, was mentally and emotionally draining. It was killing her soul little by little. When you add in the normal office backstabbing and gossip that came with any job she was just done. If she had to spend one more moment with Marguerite she thought that her head might pop.
    Marguerite was the stereotypical bossy, ambitious Queen Bee. She’d been captain of the cheer squad and homecoming queen. She had graduated in the same class as Lauren and Julie, who had always been on the fringe of the popular crowd. To Lauren’s dismay, Marguerite had been hired on at the department not long after Lauren had been promoted to current position as administrative assistant to the Sheriff. It had been a living hell ever since.
    She was a notorious flirt and Lauren suspected that something was going on between Marguerite and Deputy Brad Anderson, as well. It wouldn’t be so bad if Marguerite wasn’t so obnoxious. In Lauren’s opinion, Brad could do a whole lot better.
    Brad was around the same age as Jarod but he’d been with the department a few years longer. When Jarod joined the department, Brad had taken him under his wing, so to speak. And then Brad had shocked everyone when he passed up the opportunity to run for sheriff. He’d claimed that it wouldn’t suit him and thought the community could do better with someone like Jarod. Both Brad and the old sheriff had endorsed Jarod for the position. With no other candidate on the ballot, Jarod became the youngest sheriff to be elected in Timbisha County.
    Lauren thought it odd that Brad would pass up such an opportunity, but he remained a good deputy, backing up Jarod when he needed it while giving him enough space to be a great leader. She would have to check but it was possible that Brad held the record for most drug arrests in the department.
    She looked at herself in the mirror and allowed herself to pout for a second. There was nothing more she could do to tidy herself up. It was going to be snowing later anyway so she brushed out her long, blonde hair and pulled it into a neat ponytail. Her shirt was damp but no longer as transparent as it had been when she’d first walked through the door. She wiped the rest of her make-up off and reapplied her lip gloss.
    It ’ ll have to do.
    She took a fortifying breath and walked out of the ladies room to face what was left of the day.
    Pulling out her desk chair to sit, she noticed Marguerite smirking at her from the reception counter. Of course, she was perfectly put together from head to toe, not a hair out of place or make-up smudge to be seen, the hag.
    Lauren calmly sat down, logged onto her computer and began her work. There were people waiting at the counter, so Marguerite turned on the professional mien and addressed their needs. That was the only compliment she could offer to the dominatrix; she was professional to the point of sickening. Unfortunately, there was nothing in Marguerite’s professional record that would lead Jarod to let her go, much to Lauren’s dismay.
    “Lauren! Are you okay?”
    Deputy Eli Wallace wore a sincere expression and looked genuinely concerned. He was new to the department, the county finally having the funds to hire an extra deputy to handle the rising crime in Timbisha County. Methamphetamine was the number one culprit, which led to petty theft and property damage, along with the ruin of lives and families.
    “Yeah, I’m good, Eli. I just got caught with a flat tire this morning. How are you?”
    He frowned at her. “Why didn’t you report it? One of us could have helped you. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that by yourself.”
    “I didn’t want to bother anyone. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person having trouble this morning. Besides, I know how to change a flat,” she said with a smile to erase her dismissive attitude. Ever the gentleman, she could see he was about to argue with her so she quickly