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H ow was this her life?

After the shitshow with Stefan, not to mention the crappy years before him, all she’d wanted was to live a simple life in a quiet street in a crazy town filled with weirdos.

Was that really too much to ask for?

But it seemed that some of those weirdos were also judgmental and mean.

You get that everywhere .

She’d just been stupidly hoping for a respite from it. That she could put her past behind her and be a normal, boring person.

Living a normal, boring life.

“Don’t worry about this,” Renard said, jumping off the chair. “I’ll take care of it.”

He actually stepped between her and Jake. As though . . . as he was protecting her?

Damn it.

There went her insides again, growing all fuzzy and warm.

Shit.

She had to stop this. He wasn’t her hero. He wasn’t anything but a . . . a friend.

“Sheriff, how can we help you?” Renard said formally.

Jake sighed. “Will you just call me Jake? We’ve known each other for years.”

Renard crossed his arms over his chest. “Yep. But I’m guessing you’re not here to ask for a cup of sugar.”

“Considering I live across town, no I’m not,” Jake said dryly.

“Good call,” she told Jake, stepping around Renard. “Because I don’t have any sugar.”

Renard stepped back in front of her before he turned to give her an incredulous look. “You don’t have sugar?”

“Why would I need sugar?” she asked.

“For your coffee?”

“Don’t take it. Just creamer.”

“What about on your oatmeal?” he asked.

“Urgh, why would I want to eat that?” She made a face.

“Baking?”

“Darlin’, do I look like I know how to bake?”

“Renard, could you move out of the way?” Jake said with exasperation in his voice.

“Nope, don’t think I could.”

“Do you really think you need to protect Opal from me? I’m the sheriff.”

“Doesn’t mean you won’t hurt her,” Renard said.

“It should mean that,” Jake replied. “It does mean that. I would never harm any woman, Opal included.”

Renard didn’t move.

Dear Lord.

Reaching out, she pinched his back. Or she tried to. There was no excess fat or skin to pinch.

Damn. The man was built. Wasn’t he a chef? Did he not sample his own food?

So instead of pinching him in the back, she tugged his arm. “Move.”

Renard turned again to give her a look. “I’m protecting you.”

“I don’t need protection from Jake.” She stepped to the side again.

This time, finally, Renard didn’t move.

Maybe he could learn.

But when she tried to step closer to Jake, Renard flung out his arm to stop her.

Well, hell.

The man needed to chill in a big way.

“Put your arm down,” she ordered.

“Then you stay where you are,” he countered.

“This is the sheriff.”

“Yep, and you still don’t need to be getting close to him.”

“Dear Lord, what is wrong with you? Have you taken a hit to the head or something?”

“That’s something we’ve all wondered about from time to time,” Jake told her.

She moved closer to Renard, her voice growing quieter. “Don’t you know better than to rile up a cop? You don’t want to end up in the slammer on trumped-up charges that will see you doing five to ten.”

Now both men were giving her an incredulous look.

What was wrong? Did she have something on her face?

“If I have something on my face, you could have told me,” she said to Renard.

“There’s nothing on your face. And why would you think you have to do whatever he wants?” Renard pointed at Jake.

“Because he’s the sheriff.” And he had the power to make her life difficult. Especially in this town.

Alec might be acting as her guardian, but Jake had the power to get her kicked out of town.

“Have you met a bad cop before?” Renard asked.

She snorted. “Honey, where I grew up they were all bad cops. And in case you didn’t know, I’ve got a bit of a mouth on me. But I learned real quick not to mouth off to a cop.”

Too bad she hadn’t learned not to do it to anyone else.

“That’s not how it works in this town,” Jake told her.

Uh-huh. That’s what someone who drinks the Kool-Aid regularly would say.

“Look, I’ve probably just watched too many bad-cop movies, okay?”

Damn it.

She could tell from the look on their faces that they didn’t believe her.

Idiot, Opal.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Opal,” Jake said slowly. “My job is to look after every citizen of Haven. Especially the women and children.”

Uh-huh. Sure.

Until it served his purposes to not follow the rules.

Or the power got to him and he started to think he was a God.

Invincible.

Yep. That’s what would happen and she didn’t want to be on the wrong side of him when it happened.

She didn’t want Renard to be, either.

“Listen, sorry that you got called out here and wasted your time,” Opal told Jake with a fake smile.

Jake spent a moment studying her. “Not a waste of my time and I’m not here to punish you, Opal. In fact, the complaint was about you, Renard.”

About Renard?

Had the Grackle really called Jake about Renard.

“Ahh, yeah, the old bat took offense to my plain speaking, huh?” Renard drawled.

Jake sighed. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call Mrs. Gingers an old bat. And she was offended by your vulgarity and defamation of her character. Also, she said that you were stripping in public.”

“She wishes I would strip in public,” Renard muttered. “That would be the most excitement she’d had in years.”

“Renard,” she scolded. “Just say you’re sorry.”

“Me? I’m not saying sorry to the Grackle.”

Oh God.

She was really regretting using that nickname in front of him. What the heck was she going to do now?

“Who?” Jake asked.

“Look, Sheriff, this isn’t Renard’s fault. It’s all mine. I’ll sort it. You can leave now.”

Jake sighed. “I’m not an asshole, Opal.”

“I didn’t say you were,” she replied quickly.

Things were going downhill fast.

Fix it. Quick.

“I’m sure you’re a great guy. Renard’s not in any trouble, is he?”

Renard made a scoffing noise. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“No one is in trouble. I just told Mrs. Gingers that I would come talk to you both about what happened. Did you really swear at her, Renard?”

Renard shrugged. “Just told her the truth. She called Opal a trollop. So I told her to stop acting like an old shrew.”

Jake ran his hand over his face. “Why me?”

Opal glanced over as a truck pulled up at the curb.

Uh oh.

Three doors opened and out stepped Beau, Raid, and Tanner.

Oh hell.

This was just what the situation needed.

Malones.