I Shocked The Sheriff. Mara Fox

was almost a balm to her ego, so she forged ahead. Best to get this over with—she was sure to run into him as long as she stayed in town. The long arm of the law and all that. “Hello, Luke. You ready to order a drink?” Luckily the drinks in this restaurant were all nonalcoholic.

      “Hello, Miss Adams,” he stuttered. “How are you feelin’?”

      “I’m fine.” Roxy’s smile went even wider. He looked like a little boy with a handful of forbidden cookies.

      “What are you doing here?” He rushed on. “Didn’t you get the wire?”

      “I got the wire, but I had some time on my hands and Lisa needed help. I dropped the twenties at the police station. Thanks for the loan.”

      The blonde’s head went back and forth between them like a tennis ball. “Luke, care to introduce us?” she asked impatiently.

      Maybe she wasn’t as blond as she appeared.

      Luke gestured toward Roxy. “Carla Rae Sweeny, this is Roxanne Adams. She had a medical problem yesterday morning and I drove her over to the clinic.”

      Carla gave Roxy a smile which didn’t meet her shrewd eyes. “He’s always rescuing strays, aren’t you, darling?” She put a possessive hand on Luke’s arm.

      Roxy noticed Carla’s long beautiful nails were painted a nice pale pink. Insipid. Still, if this was what he wanted… “I guess you’re the fiancée?”

      There was a sudden silence all around them. Carla sat as if stunned. Roxy wondered why. The girl had staked her claim, so why did she look as if her world had just tilted.