She pulled the Tupperware container full of brownies out of her purse and held them out to him, making a sad face. “Everyone says that city girls can’t cook. Even the sheriff wouldn’t try one.”
Sheriff Armstrong sighed, but nodded. “Yep. That’s true. I don’t believe city girls can cook.”
Cletus took the container of brownies, bit into one, and his face lit up. “City girls sure can cook! Wow. I got to find me a city girl.”
“See? I told you!” Ginger flashed an ingratiating smile at the sheriff.
“Okay, I believe you. In fact I think I’ll try one.” He reached for the Tupperware container.
“You had your chance!” Cletus walked off quickly, shoveling two brownies into his mouth at the same time.
“Nice one,” the sheriff said in a low voice. “You have a way with people, Miss Ginger. You really do.”
“Sometimes.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Yep, sometimes. When you put your mind to it.” Was it her imagination, or did he look a little hurt when she said that? Like he wished she’d put her mind to it for him?
His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the number and scowled. He grabbed the phone and answered it. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Ginger, and turned and walked to the edge of the yard.
Ginger walked over to Cletus. “So, is everything else going all right?”
“Sure is. I’m saving the other brownies for my brother and sisters.” He smiled shyly. “You sticking around town, then?”
“Ahhh…” Ginger felt a sudden flash of guilt. She had a feeling that Cletus and his family really needed a friend. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Really?” His face lit up. “That would be nice. Not too many people around here will talk to me.”
Crud. She’d gotten his hopes up. Why had she lied? She couldn’t stay here. She had a job waiting for her back home – maybe. She had an overpriced apartment with a view of another apartment building’s air conditioning unit. She had an aversion to walking in fields full of cow patties.
“You know, when I put those coins back in the fountain…I made a wish,” Cletus said, staring down at the ground.
“Oh? What kind of wish?”
“I can’t say or it won’t come true.” His face wrinkled anxiously. “You think the wish will still work if I was using stolen coins?”
“Well, you were actually returning those coins at that point, so, uh…maybe?” Ginger’s heart ached for Cletus. What would he wish for? Clothing without holes in it? Food in the refrigerator?
“I better get back to work.” He set the box of brownies down on the bench and grabbed the hoe.
A couple of well-dressed women walking by glanced at him, and one of them clutched her pocketbook closer to her chest.
“Isn’t he that dirty Arbuckle boy?” one of the woman said loudly.
“Certainly is. I don’t think he’s had a bath in his whole life.”
Cletus’ face fell and he turned and began raking the dirt again, without a word. His eyes glittered with hurt and humiliation.
“Of course he’s dirty, he’s working in a freaking garden! Where there’s dirt! Maybe if you ever did a day of work in your life, you’d have room to talk!” Ginger yelled after them.
They flashed her a shocked lock. “What are you looking at?” she snapped, and they turned and hurried off.
“Don’t tell the sheriff I said that,” she told Cletus. “I’m already in enough trouble with him.”
“Join the club.” Cletus was smiling now.
The sheriff strolled over to them, tucking his phone in his pocket.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Cletus said.
“What he said,” Ginger added. He gave her the skeptical eyebrow raise, but didn’t say anything.
Ginger followed him to his car. “You looked a little perturbed by that phone call.”
“It’s nothing. Call from the council.”
“The shifter council?” The wolf shifter council was a big deal. They oversaw all matters for wolf shifters in their respective state.#p#分页标题#e#
“Yes, that’s right. Nothing to worry about. Anyway. We got to head out. There’s trouble at the dig,” he said.
Chapter Seven
To reach the dig, they drove down a joltingly bumpy country road for a mile and a half, until they finally reached a clearing by an old, dried up creek bed. There were several tents set up there, and outside the tents were tables and folding chairs, and a cluster of SUVs.