Tempting the Light: Legends and Myths Police Squad (L.A.M.P.S. Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter 18

The magic store closed on Fridays so Abby decided to help Pepper unpack her stock order. How convenient for them, she thought, since they sold her a faulty candle.

“Where should I put these?” She asked Pepper. She held up two plastic packages with pictures of dogs on the front of them.

“I’m only selling one of them. It can go over here.” Pepper pointed to an empty hanger on the display of collars and leashes. “The other is a surprise for you.”

She flipped the package over. “What is it?” Inside was a gadget connected to a collar.

“That is a camera collar. I figured if the spell didn’t work, we could monitor what you do when you’re the Jersey Devil.” She smiled, only it was more than a smile. The smile displayed hope, the kind of hope that a lighthouse provides on a foggy night to ships hopelessly lost at sea. Pepper’s smile signified to Abby that Pepper had her back even if she really had become some sort of a monster.

“You mean you’ll be able to see everything I do?” Technology was awesome.

“Everything you do. Everything you eat. Everything, even what it looks like to fly. Seriously, I can’t wait. I even splurged for the special one that will record in the dark. I think it’s some sort of night vision or infra-red technology.” Pepper took the package from her and turned it back and forth with a perplexed look. “I hate all this plastic they use for packages.” She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut around the collar to open the heavy plastic encasement. “I bought the extra-extra-large size in your favorite color. See it’s
Pink
.” Pepper pulled out the contents and flung the empty package into the garbage.

“How does it work?” She hesitated before she plucked the collar from Pepper’s hand.

Pepper exhibited her I’m-so-smart expression and pointed to the collar. “You sync it to the computer and wear it. It’s really not rocket science, but I thought the idea was pretty clever.” Her eyebrows arched and Pepper thrust her chin out high.

Abby unbuckled the collar and placed it around her neck. “It’s way too big.” She hooked her thumb up under the woven collar and held out about five inches of excess.

“That’s because when you’re the Jersey Devil your head gets bigger. It needs room to expand.”

She unlatched the collar and placed it on the table. “Hopefully my mom’s neighbor will mail me my grandmother’s journal so I won’t need to wear it.”

Pepper’s smile drooped, and she gently patted Abby’s hand. “This is a backup plan.”

She flashed the biggest smile she could muster. “It’s a good idea. Thank you.” Abby didn’t intend to hurt Pepper’s feelings. After all that Pepper had sacrificed for her, she really appreciated having her as a friend. She tugged on Pepper’s arm and pulled her into a big hug. “It’s a brilliant plan.”

Pepper pulled back, and then pointed her finger at her as if giving her an order. “You just have to remember to wear it when you get your period.”

“Okay.” She stuck the contraption in her purse. “I don’t think our spell worked last night.”

“I don’t either. I’m so sorry. How much do you think River and Ottar saw?”

She threw her arms in the air. “I’m guessing they pretty much saw the whole thing. I heard something before we started the spell but I thought it was one of your dogs.” She couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.

Pepper shook her head. “No, I had the dogs locked up.”

“Exactly.” That meant River and his down-under mercenary or whatever he was, saw the whole disaster. Including the red-eyed possums. She wrinkled her nose. He must think she’s nuts.

“How come they didn’t stop us?” Pepper asked.

“Would you have stopped us if you were a guy? Those perverts watched us dance naked. For over an hour.”
Shame on the two busybody voyeurs for sneaking around in the dark hidden by camouflage paint.

Pepper’s eyebrows pinched together. “They shouldn’t have been spying on us. Isn’t it against the law to peep on people?”

Abby shrugged. “Who knows? My guess is they can cover their butts with some
sheriff law
or something.” She was sure River could say they had probable cause or suspicion to back him up. This whole darn thing was taking a turn from bad to horrible. Ripping open the top of another shipping box, she stacked more dog toys near the front door display.

Pepper piped in. “Hey. You didn’t tell me that Ottar was super-hot.”

She rolled her eyes. What? Was she attracted to him or something? That’s all she needed to hear right now. “I said he was good looking if
Rambo
is your type. Which it usually isn’t.”
Good God, I hope Pepper doesn’t get the hots for this guy. The two would mix like fireworks and gasoline.

“Yeah, well,” she paused as if she’d changed her mind. “He better have my dinosaur repaired by next week.”

Ding.

Abby looked up from the box.

The bell above the door rang, and suddenly in walked Sheriff River and Hercules the He-Dog of all dogs.

“Hello, ladies.” River touched the brim of his hat but didn’t tip it up.

“Sheriff?” Abby and Pepper both said at once and looked at each other.

“You owe me a six pack,” she said to Pepper. Abby looked back at the sheriff and her face felt like it was on fire. Darn. She hated the sensation when she blushed. She even told herself that if she saw him again she wouldn’t blush. Now here she stood in broad daylight, Miss Red Face.

“Abby, may I have a word with you?” the Sheriff asked. He drew his chin to the side asking for a private conversation.

She walked over a couple of aisles through the store, and River followed.

“I’m sorry about last night.” He looked down at his shoes.

“Sorry because you lied? Or sorry because you assumed the guise of a Peeping Tom?” Abby vowed to stay firm. No way did she want him to think he could get away with either. He should be ashamed of his behavior, and if he didn’t realize it she was sure going to call him on it.

“I’m sorry I lied. I was watching you because of the . . . Never mind.”

She stepped in closer. “Wait. What were you going to say? Was it because of the Gnome?”

“You saw it?” River’s expression looked like he’d just been slapped across the face.

Abby stepped in even closer. She invaded his space and stared into his eyes. “Of course I saw it. Do you think I’m an idiot or something? A little man bounced off my car and left a huge dent, for Christ’s sake. But you knew that. Didn’t you? Because you were hunting it. You and Ottar. Just like you’re hunting the Jersey Devil.”

River didn’t say anything. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other before he nodded once.

Abby slammed her hands down on her hips. “You’re some kind of
monster hunters
, aren’t you?”

He looked away, then confessed. “Something like that.” River’s words seemed to drop off a cliff when he spoke them.

Abby couldn’t believe it.
Well, she could
. She’d seen the evidence. Tried to fool herself despite it all. The guns. The books detailing the Jersey Devil. She hoped beyond all hopes that she’d assumed wrong.
Darn him.

“Do you and Ottar go after a lot of monsters?”

He gave one more nod, his face marble hard and serious. His features didn’t move. She’d hate to go up against him in a hand of poker.

“Do you belong to some secret monster hunting club? Wait, let me guess. Something like that. Right?” She smeared her lip balm on her lips and paced four steps and turned.

Another nod with a serious expression.

She cleared her throat. “Are you any good at what you do?”

“The best.” His chest raised up, and the muscles in his jaw hardened to indicate pride.

Great. Just freaking great.
Now she had some super-duper monster-busters hunting her, and she couldn’t even remember what she did when she changed into the Jersey Devil. For all she knew, she could be a stupid beast and fly right into one of their traps. This was
So. Not. Good.

She backed away from him. “Well I hope you catch that nasty Gnome.” She deliberately left out the Jersey Devil. She didn’t want to jinx herself.

“Oh we’ll catch the Gnome and the Jersey Devil, even if we have to kill them.” The determination in his voice was like a knife slicing across her chest.

She tried to swallow, but it felt like a large rawhide bone stuck sideways in her throat. “What if they don’t mean us any harm?”

River assumed his Sheriff stance. “Listen, Abby. They are both extremely dangerous. You and Pepper should not be out at night. Especially making a lot of noise and dancing in the nude. It’s not a joke. There’s real danger here, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

A joke?
Clearly he had no idea what they had been up to. “What we were doing last night wasn’t a joke.” She turned and walked away. She didn’t have to put up with this. No matter how cute or sweet he was.

“Wait.” His voice almost had a desperate tone to it. She stopped, but refused to turn and rubbed the knot forming in the back of her neck.

River rushed to her side and with gentle hands, lifted her elbow. “I came over here to apologize. To see if you’ll go out to lunch with me.”

She pivoted to face him.
Why does he have to be hunting me?
Why did he have to have such a sweet side? “No. I have to work.”

“She can take her lunch now.” Pepper called out from the front of the store. Apparently her best friend had bionic supersonic hearing.

Abby wrinkled her forehead. “I have to finish unpacking the stock order. And what about Kazoo?” She’d brought him to work with her today.

“You can bring him, too. I made a picnic lunch.” River’s smile lit up his sculptured cheekbones making him look even more rugged and man sexy.

“I can finish the stock order.” Pepper’s voice carried out over the aisle, releasing Abby from her responsibilities.
Why did she keep pushing me toward River? What good would come out of it?

“There. See. It’s all settled. Let’s go.”

“Okay. Let me get a few things.” She picked up her purse and then attached a leash on Kazoo’s collar. “Your dog won’t eat my dog on this picnic, right?”

Hercules walked up to Kazoo. His big wet tongue slurped across the little dog’s face. Kazoo nipped at the huge dog’s nose and wagged his tail.

River let out a chuckle. “I guess that answers your question.”

“He could be tasting him.” She wouldn’t mind a taste of River. Darn she needed to get her thoughts under a splash of freezing water to cool the erotic pictures streaming through her mind. For some reason she was attracted to River like dogs were drawn to smelly things. She pictured herself rolling around on River’s body to rub his scent all over her. This had to be part of the curse. Never before had she been attracted to someone so quickly or so strongly.

He held the door for her as they walked out. His squad car waited for them in a space in front of the store. He put Hercules’ blanket in the back seat, then opened the passenger door for her and Kazoo. The glass was smudged and foggy with dried doggy drool.

“Sorry about the slobber on the window.” River let out an embarrassed laugh.

She sat in the passenger seat with Kazoo on her lap. The tiny brown and black pup seemed up for the adventure, and while he shivered, he kept looking at the massive Hercules pouting in the back seat. Kazoo stretched his neck with his button nose in the air. He’d taken Hercules’s seat, and he knew it.

River sat in the driver’s seat and turned to pet Hercules. “You can sit in the back for a while, big guy. It’s not going to hurt you.”

Abby liked the fact that River really cared for Hercules. He seemed to be a good doggy parent. She wondered how he would treat his kids when he decided to settle down. Not that she wanted to marry him, or have his children, or anything. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and looked around the patrol car.

A tan reusable grocery sack sat in the front seat between them. Kazoo stuck his black and brown head inside the bag.

“Hey, get out of there. That’s not for you.” Abby pulled his three-pound body away from the bag.

“That’s our lunch.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise.” He pulled the car into the police parking lot next to the ATV. “Are you ready for the next leg of the trip?”

“I guess so.” She looked over at the ATV. “Where’s Hercules going to sit?”

“I’ll let him follow us. He loves the exercise.” They got into the vehicle and River drove at a slow wandering pace through the forest. Hercules trotted along the side of the vehicle.

Kazoo sat on Abby’s lap, watching the bright colored blue birds flying about in the treetops. She stroked his soft fur so he wouldn’t get scared. Beautiful scenery passed by the ATV, and the leaves on the trees waved in the slight breeze of the amazing day.

“We’re almost there.” River drove up and down a few small hills until they came to the waterfall. “Remember this?”

The rush of the falls lent a soothing babble to her ears while the sun reflected off the sparkling blue green water.

“Of course I remember. It was our first date.” Abby snickered quietly at her own joke and stepped out of the vehicle. She put Kazoo on the ground and watched him chase a butterfly. He didn’t roam far.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that.” He lifted the lunch bag from the ATV and pulled out a bowl and filled it with water for the dogs. “I hope you’re hungry. I didn’t know what you would like.”

He set out a bright colored hodge-podge quilt with a bohemian flare and spread it over the moss-covered ground. He placed three different sandwiches and two salads, along with two bottles of water and a couple of apples on the quilt. They both sat down on the blanket with the food in between them.