He drove back to town, thinking about what he would bring her for dinner. He was just about to pass by the grocery store when he noticed the red SUV. He braked hard, then cringed, looking behind him to see if he'd caused any problems with other vehicles. Thankfully, no one was behind him. This time. He shook his head, amazed that Halley could make him so crazy that he would do something so stupid.
Regardless, her SUV was right there in the parking lot. What the hell?
Making a hard left, he pulled into the grocery store parking lot, right next to her sporty SUV. Tapping his finger against the steering wheel, he looked at the car, then at the grocery store. How the hell had she gotten from her house to the grocery store? She'd been out running through the woods! Unless … wait, the barking dogs. That hadn't been Elf or Midget. The sound had been too deep. Now that he was thinking straight, the barking dogs had come from too far away. Something wasn't right!
Had that been Halley he'd seen out in the woods? It had certainly looked like her but … .
Only one way to find out. He stormed into the store, glancing down each aisle until he finally found her. She was innocently selecting different flavored yogurts. And she definitely wasn't wearing running gear!
He didn't realize that the other customers were watching, staring, and trying to figure out what was going on. But they were all avid spectators as he stormed up to Halley, their eyes agog as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the grocery store. He didn't care that she dropped the yogurt or that her grocery cart was now abandoned with all of her selections still waiting to be purchased. He didn't give a damn! Something wasn't right and he was going to figure this out!
Betty leaned over to Joann, whispering, "She doesn't look to be resisting all that much."
Joann snickered. "About time the sheriff finally did something about that! They've been lusting after each other for far too long!"
Nora walked up to join the other two. "I heard that he's investigating her."
Joann and Betty both looked out the front windows of the grocery store, their mouths almost hanging open as their sheriff stuffed the local beauty into his SUV.
"Oh yeah," Betty said with a laugh and a knowing nod of her head. "There's definitely some investigating going on there."
Nora tsked, but there was an eager smile on her elderly features. "Do you think we should start planning?"
The three women turned to look out the window, two of them covering their mouths to hide their amusement when their sheriff peeled out of the parking lot, an offense he would never allow any other town resident to get away with.
"Yeah," Nora said, answering her own question. All three of them snickered as they noticed Halley glaring angrily at their sheriff as he turned right, heading up the mountain where his house was located, instead of left, which would take him towards her house. "We definitely should start planning."
Betty and Joanna nodded. "I'll call Samantha tomorrow. She'll want to start the cake."
The three women bowed their heads together, almost talking over each other, as they pushed their grocery carts down the aisle, all of them making plans, offering suggestions, and coming up with ideas.
Meanwhile, the subjects of their machinations were sitting in the truck, both of them fuming, but each for different reasons.
Mike knew Halley was furious with him but he didn't care. She was wearing a red sweater, a jean skirt, and boots. Definitely not the black leggings and black shirt he'd seen … someone … wearing less than a half hour ago near her cottage. Damn! He should have gone after that person! "Where the hell have you been all day today?" Mike demanded.
Halley was so furious, she could barely speak. "You drag me out of the store with everyone watching and then expect me to answer your questions? As if you have the right to ask me anything!"
He wasn't taking that. "Halley! Answer the damn question! Where have you been?"
"None of your business!" she yelled right back, turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest, staring out the windshield. "Take me back! I need my own car and I'm not going anywhere with you!"
He pressed down on the accelerator, ignoring the speed limit in his efforts to get her to a safe place, and a place where he could demand answers. "Yes you are!"
She was so furious with him, she couldn't even speak. She wanted to yell and scream, to pound her fists into something … something soft like a pillow or a mattress. She didn't like hitting things. It hurt!