Page 19 of Justice for Samara

“Almost thirteen months. She’ll be walking pretty soon. She’s been pulling up and standing for at least four months, but she just won’t turn loose and take those first few steps,” Carter said from behind the rim of his beer bottle.

“Awww, she’ll start soon enough and you’ll wish she was still six months old so she’d stay where you put her,” Samara said, laughing.

Sharla laughed. “Oh, I know that’s right.”

Michael clapped his hands loudly. “Okay, what can I do to help?”

“You can come with me and be the assistant grill master,” Carter said, handing him a beer.

“No matter what I do, I’ll always be one step under you, am I right?”

Carter laughed. “Yep. I plan to keep it that way until I’m old enough that I just don’t care.” Both men were laughing as they disappeared out the back and when the storm door closed, she got the full aroma of whatever was cooking on the grill. The growl her stomach let out would’ve been embarrassing if anyone had been close enough to hear.

“So how are you liking it here?” Sharla asked, never turning around.

“I like it. Everybody’s been really nice?coworkers, members of the community, everybody. And finding that trailer was some luck.”

“Yeah, that’s what Michael said. Good thing he asked Marjorie. That woman is like a dog on a bone when she wants something. I bet she called everybody around here who has so much as a porta-potty.”

Samara laughed. “Yeah, probably.” Should she?Oh, what the hell. Go for it, she told herself. “So, how does Carter feel about his employees seeing each other?”

“Uh-oh. Who’s fooling around with whom?” Sharla asked, spinning to look at Samara. “Oh, you’re talking about yourself. Ah. Sorry. Um, he doesn’t care as long as it doesn’t affect their jobs. And that’s a tough tightwire to walk.”

“Yeah.”

“Who is it? Justin? Oh, the new guy, what’s his name… AnandChadha? Indian, right?”

“Yeah, uh, no. It’s not him. He’s married.”

“Oh. That’s right. There are only eight more officers. Who in the world is it?” Samara cut her eyes toward the back door. “But Carter…” She could tell the moment it dawned on her hostess. “Michael?”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously?”

Samara wrinkled her brow down and dropped her chin. “Well, yeah. What’s wrong with Michael?”

“Nothing! I mean, nothing is wrong with Michael. I’ve just never known him to, um, date.”

“What does that mean? Does he hire hookers?”

Sharla giggled. “Not that I know of.”

“Yeah, well, I heard all about his ex-girlfriend.”

Sharla leveled her gaze at the younger woman. “Is that so? Because nobody knows that story. Nobody. Nobody’s ever said anything.”

“Well, if you’ve known him this long and he hasn’t confided in you, I don’t feel like I can say anything.”

“No, no. I wouldn’t want you to betray his trust. He has an ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah. And apparently she hurt him pretty badly.”

Sharla sighed and leaned back against the countertop. “So that’s why he doesn’t date. How long ago was this?”

“I don’t know. I just know it’s been more than three years.”

“Probably much longer than that.” Sharla turned back to the sink, rinsed a spoon, and placed it on the drying rack. “Poor guy. Probably why he’s stayed with his mom all these years too.”