Page 33 of Professional Consult

“Luke mentioned we could stop off at Goodwill?”

“Hate to say this, but I have a welfare call that’s going to take a while. Old Lady Kline ran off again. Silver alert.”

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Every couple of months or so. I usually find her wandering through the woods.”

“Are we going to call the others to help?”

“Not right away. The weather is fair, and I have a good idea of where to look.”

For the next three hours, we walk through the forest, yelling out, “Cindy, it’s snack time!” Thankfully, Mrs. Kline is found safe, and we accept a cup of tea offered to us by her sister.

Nothing about the situation is terrible or torturous, but I can’t help but feel that I’m not getting the training I need for my role.

My phone buzzes, and I look down to see a text from Luke.

Luke:How’s patrol?

Lexi:How am I supposed to learn my role doing Silver Alerts?

Luke:Helping people like Old Lady Kline is a big part of the job.

Lexi:Her name is Cindy, and I need better training than this.

Luke:We’ll discuss what you need tonight. I’m about to head to the general store. Need anything?

Lexi:Toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, underwear-medium or 5/6, however it’s sized, tampons-regular.

Luke:Any dinner preferences?

Lexi:No, but heads up, we’re having dinner with Diner Tiffany tomorrow.

Luke:Diner Tiffany? You mean Tiffany Allen.

Lexi:Your brother’s ex—that Tiffany. And I’m delighted to say that I don’t think she thinks very highly of him.

Luke:I can’t imagine she would.

Lexi:I’m going to take some clothes off her hand now that she’s knocked up.

Luke:She’s pregnant?

Lexi:Crap, should I have kept my mouth shut?

Luke:No, but I’m a little annoyed that you’re suddenly all in the know with Pond Spring when you’re only supposed to be here for two weeks.

Lexi:Pond Spring will be the recipient of the Lexi Dash Library, so it’s important that I leave more of a legacy in the town.

Luke:You’re seriously naming the damn library after yourself? How Hollywood of you.

Lexi:Maybe I’ll build a school too. Lexi Dash’s Haven for Learning.

Luke:Haven for Learning? For being a creative type, your naming skills suck.

Lexi:We’ll talk about it over dinner.

I look over at Barb,who’d just said goodbye to Cindy and her sister.