Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“You got that right,” Josh agreed. “The whole squad is upset about it. I wanted to get here and give you a firsthand account before you started getting phone calls.”
“It happened this morning?” I asked and looked him up and down, reminding him he wasn’t in uniform.
“I had to pick something up at the station, an excuse, of course, since I wanted to be there when the mayor showed up. Dad called him yesterday and asked him to come in so he could talk with him about the Carson case.”
“Does Mom know?”
“Dad called her as soon as the mayor left.”
“Wise move on his part,” I said.
“Yeah, but it caused a little tiff between them,” Josh said with a cringe.
“Mom and Dad don’t argue,” I said, and I shook my head. “Don’t tell me… Mom has decided to run for mayor.”
“She claims she has no choice,” Josh said. “And Dad did something I never heard him do.”
“What?” I asked anxiously.
“He forbid her to run for mayor.”
I gasped. “He actually used that word with her.”
“Heard it clear as day since I was in the room, and he had it on speaker phone and he used his sheriff’s tone.” Josh did his best to mimic our dad. “Sally, I forbid you to run for mayor. Forbid. Do you hear me?”
“Twice he said forbid?” I asked, too shocked to believe it.
Josh nodded. “He did.”
“What was Mom’s response?”
Josh did not attempt to imitate Mom. “Warren Andrew Madison, we will talk when you get home.”
“Did Dad say anything after that?”
“He said he was in deep sh—” Josh shook his head. “Mom may not be here but I’m not taking the chance. She’s already angry with Dad, I don’t want her angry with me for not minding my tongue.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said, understanding. “It’s as if Mom has eyes and ears everywhere in town. Everyone talks with her and tells her everything. It’s the reason she would make a good mayor. She knows everyone and everything that goes on in the town.”
Josh turned to Ian. “Are you sure you don’t want to run from our family?”
“Not a chance,” Ian said. “It’s never a dull moment with the Madison family.”
“True,” Josh said and looked to me. “So, tell me what you found out about the owner of Yesterday’s Treasures.”
“Kate Meadows. Her family is local to Barnsville, though her part of the family moved away about thirty years ago. Found her attractive, didn’t you?”
“I did,” Josh admitted.
“Then go find out about her from the source herself,” I said. “Besides, she’s got some great stuff I think you’d like.”
“Kate told me she has new things coming in all the time,” Ian said.
“You’re on first name terms,” Josh more accused than asked.
“Jealous some?” I asked with an annoyed quirk of my brow.
“Your boyfriend is a cover model for romance books. A hot hunk as the women refer to him. How do I compete against that?”
“Boyfriend is the main point of your remark. Ian is taken. He’s off the market. He’s not interested in Kate,” I said and looked at Ian, who was smiling broadly.
“Your sister is one hundred percent right. I am off the market.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s not interested in you,” Josh argued.
“I can read women fairly well,” Ian said. “Kate was not interested in me. She’s looking to establish herself in the community which means getting to know her customers. And it was clear that Pep and I were a couple.”
“Put a cork in your insecurity and go find out about Kate yourself,” I said.
I was relieved to hear Ian say what he did. I hadn’t even given the idea thought that Kate might be interested in him until Josh had pointed it out. Not that I should feel jealous, since there was nothing to feel jealous about, but drats if I didn’t. And drats on my brother for putting the pointless thought in my head.
“Actually, Josh, I was going to ask if you’d like to do some photo shoots for me,” Ian said.
“Oh, good Lord, don’t tell him he’s handsome enough to be a hero on the cover of a romance book.” I groaned. “There will be no living with him.”
Though I hated to admit it, Ian was right. Josh would make a good cover model. He was the handsomest out of my three brothers, and he kept himself in great shape.
“It wasn’t only my thought. The female models that met Josh at the Halloween party suggested it,” Ian said.
“They did?” Josh asked, a huge smile spreading across his face.
“Aye, they did,” Ian confirmed. “Think about it and let me know.”
“What about, Kate?” I reminded.
“There’s enough of hot hunky me to go around,” Josh said and laughed when I punched him in the arm, a hard muscled arm.
We all turned our heads when we heard a key turn in the lock.