The Accidental Sheriff Read Free Page B

exact title because he did a little of everything—fell in step beside her.
    “How was the wedding?”
    “Wonderful. Perfect. The happy couple are leaving today for a ten-day cruise of the Caribbean.”
    “I heard you smashed your new car.”
    “My niece did, actually. It’s not too bad.” At least that was what she kept telling herself. “I have an appointment at the body shop after work.”
    “Hey, listen.” Adrian turned suddenly shy. “My brotherscored a couple extra tickets to the jazz concert at the casino October sixteenth. You want to go?”
    Carolina flashed him a wide smile, hoping it would help ease the letdown. “Sorry, Adrian, I can’t.”
    “Other plans?”
    “Yeah.” Her plans didn’t involve a date but rather step two of her life-redirecting plan.
    As recently as last week, she might have accepted Adrian’s invitation, despite the six-year age difference. Carolina wasn’t bound by convention and had dated men both younger and decades older than her.
    Today, however, marked a change in policy. Henceforth, she refused to go out with anyone who didn’t genuinely appeal to her—which made Neil Lovitt the only candidate.
    Until yesterday she’d considered him a lost cause. But then he’d smiled at her and told her he was looking forward to seeing her again. Carolina recognized interest when she saw it. Whether Deputy Sheriff Lovitt would act on it was another thing.
    Not that she was planning to wait and see. Carolina had every intention of eliciting another smile from him and finding out how far it would lead.
    Her boss, the news director, poked his head around his cubicle. “Carolina. Good, you’re here. I need to see you.” His head promptly disappeared.
    “Catch you later, Adrian.”
    “Sure.” He lumbered off, eyes glued to the carpet, the bounce gone from his gait.
    For an instant, she regretted her actions. Maybe later she’d offer to bring him back some lunch. That should help restore his good mood and reestablish that their relationship was strictly platonic.
    “What’s up, Ward?” She sat on the visitor chair squeezed into a narrow space between her boss’s desk and the cubicle wall.
    “I need you to pull double duty today. Melanie called in sick.”
    “Oh, okay.” Carolina periodically covered for deejays. While the position was considered senior to hers, she didn’t think it was anywhere near as enjoyable or challenging as the one she had in her sights—roving announcer. No being shut in a control room four hours at a stretch for her.
    “We have an important interview this morning. You’re going to sit in with Rowdy.”
    Rowdy Rodgers was the station’s popular morning show host. He’d been lured away from one of Phoenix’s big five in an attempt to boost KPKD’s ratings and steal the number-one slot from their closest competitor.
    “No problem.” Carolina perked up. Coanchoring an interview with Rowdy wasn’t exactly the meaty assignment she longed for, but it was a darn sight better than reading traffic reports. “Who’s the guest?”
    “The new acting sheriff for Gila County.” Ward stared at his computer monitor while he talked, clicking his mouse and scrolling through Web pages. “We have an exclusive, so this is huge stuff.”
    “What happened to Sheriff Herberger?”
    “He had a heart attack.”
    “No!”
    “Yes. I want you to head over to the hospital the moment he’s allowed to have visitors and interview him.”
    Carolina barely noticed she’d gotten her first big break. “Will he be all right?”
    “That’s the latest. He’s having surgery today.”
    She made a mental note to call her cousin Jake. The family would want to send flowers.
    “Who’s taking his place?” she asked.
    “Neil Lovitt.”
    “Really!”
    “He’s here now. They’re prepping him.”
    Carolina suppressed the small thrill that coursed through her at the prospect of seeing Neil again so soon.
    “I’ll get right over there.” She stood. “Thanks for the