Snakes Among Sweet Flowers (3 page)

Since there were already four cars in the drive-thru line, Cam opted to go inside the restaurant to order and found the counter clear of any customers. The employee working the register looked to be fresh out of high school, a nice-looking guy with wavy brown hair sticking out from under his uniform cap.

“Good morning, sir. What can I get for you?” Sean, according to his name tag, asked.

“Hey, man.” Cam nodded while checking out the menu, even though he had been there enough times that he didn’t really need to. “Give me two sausage biscuits, a large hash rounds, and the biggest coffee you have.”

Sean paused before ringing the meal up and leaned over to Cam. “You know, if you order two of the sausage biscuit breakfast meals, it’s cheaper. You get the two biscuits, two small hash rounds, and two small coffees. Two smalls in both the coffee and the rounds combine to more than one large in either, and it’s less expensive.”

Cam frowned through this long speech, then canted his head in curiosity. “Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you supposed to be making money for the business?”

“Well, yes, sir, but I’m just offering what’s on the menu. It’s only neighborly to make sure you get the best deal.”

For some reason, Cam didn’t like the guy. Why would someone want him to spend less money in their business? It just seemed suspect. “All right, give me two of the meals, then,” Cam conceded after a moment, digging in his pocket for his money. “And no scrimping on the cream and sugar for the coffee.” He smacked a twenty on the counter and took his change and his food once it was ready.

Cam left the restaurant with a grumble at the unexpected customer service. Sean called out a sincere “Have a great day!” as the door was swinging closed behind him. What was wrong with these people? Not that it wasn’t great to have an entire town full of suckers who thought being neighbors meant they should be neighborly. But did they have to be so nice about it?

When Cam parked his pickup in front of the pumps at his station, he was surprised to find a local police cruiser waiting by the closed garage door. A tall blond cop leaned leisurely against the front bumper, staring directly at him as he took his time getting out. The frown on the policeman’s face was at odds with his stance, and although Cam didn’t think he had much to worry about, he couldn’t help the hammering in his heart, the constricting of his chest.

He’d dealt with cops and guards enough to know there wasn’t a one of them that wasn’t a sadistic asshole. They thrived on making people like Cam suffer. Cam had yet to deal with the local law and had hoped his lucky streak would continue. He had to admit the officer knew how to wear a uniform, though, with broad shoulders and slim waist accentuated nicely. Too bad he couldn’t sit in the truck all day and ogle the man instead of having to deal with whatever he wanted. With a sigh, Cam gathered his wits and opened the truck’s door, stepping out, then turning back to grab his breakfast. Well, shit. Wasn’t this morning starting off with a bang.

Instead of walking toward the officer, he aimed for the front door of the gas station. He’d turned the area attached to the garage into a waiting area with mismatched office chairs and an old coffee table from the Goodwill. Cam had to jiggle the key in the lock a few times before the cylinder turned, and as he opened the door, he heard footsteps approaching.

“What can I do you for this morning, Officer?” Cam asked as casually as possible. “Your cruiser giving you trouble?”

Cam sat his breakfast on the counter that ran along the back wall, then stepped over to the window-unit AC and pushed the button to get it going. It wasn’t that hot yet, but it wouldn’t take long to get there. When he still hadn’t gotten an answer from the cop, he turned to find him doing a thorough visual inspection of the area, then stepping over to the glass door leading to the garage and doing the same, canting his head to get as much of a view as possible without entering. Cam frowned.

“Is there a problem, Officer?” Now he had a reason for concern. What was the cop looking for? Cam had a sudden itch to run for it, although he had no idea what he was running from.

The officer turned, and Cam squinted to read the name Jackson Rhodes above the pocket of his uniform. When Officer Rhodes’s hand came to rest on the butt of his gun, it was all Cam could do not to flinch. “Who is the second coffee for, Mr. Sanders?”

Cam glanced over to his breakfast and back to Rhodes, his nervousness kicking up a notch. “I… uh….”

“Is anyone else here, Mr. Sanders?” Officer Rhodes took a step forward.

Shit!
Cam was going into a full-out panic. His gaze darted around the room, looking for some way out of the situation, but then just as suddenly, his subconscious gave him a metaphoric kick in the ass.
What the hell?
Was he going to let this asshole come into his place of business and fuck with him? He had nothing to hide. Well, okay, that wasn’t exactly true, but he wasn’t going to simply crumple over one question.

Cam slipped into his I-give-not-one-fuck persona and looked Officer Rhodes in the eye. “I don’t see where that’s even a little bit of your business, Officer. Want to tell me what this is about?”

Officer Rhodes took a few more steps closer, until he was crowding Cam against the counter in front of his food. “I’ve been hearing tales on your methods of auto repair. From changing the winter air out of tires to replacing dissolved halogen crystals in headlights or the deoxygenized water in a radiator. A quick background check shows you’ve served time in the past.”

Fuck it!
Cam thought. He took a step forward too, coming chest to chest and nose to nose with the officer. “Yeah, I done time, and I paid my debt. I’m here making a fresh start and I won’t have you bad talking my business. I have a logbook of work done, signed off by the customers. It shows I did legitimate work, no matter what you hear.”

“I’d like to see this log, if you will,” Officer Rhodes responded. Damn, the man was fine. Light brown eyes sparking with challenge, blond hair cut short in a crew cut.
He looks so clean-cut, you’d think he would squeak when he walks.

Instead of pulling out the log, Cam turned toward his breakfast. “Coffee, Officer? I do have two. Might as well share. It was like I knew I was going to have company this morning.” He busied himself by pulling out the creamer and sugar packets from the bag and placing them where Rhodes could get to them, then pulling out the rest of his purchase and divvying up the food as if he’d meant to buy the cop breakfast.

When Cam glanced over, Rhodes was looking around again as if making sure no one else was in the shop. Then he shrugged and started doctoring his coffee to his satisfaction. Cam did the same and took a sip before opening one of the cabinet doors below the countertop. He pulled out a receipt book and pushed it over to the officer, then scooped up his breakfast and coffee and settled into one of the chairs to eat.

While Officer Rhodes leaned over the counter and flipped through the receipt book, Cam took the opportunity to admire the fine backside on display. The cop was built like a brick shithouse and would make a great addition to his spank bank. No doubt Rhodes had a gaggle of cheerleader-esque girls in town who giggled when he walked by. And that was too bad. Cam wouldn’t mind giving the fine officer a strip search.

The sound of a throat clearing brought Cam back from his thoughts. He glanced up to find Officer Rhodes staring at him with a frown on his face.
Oops.

“Everything in order, Officer?” Cam smirked. He had made sure the work he’d noted on the receipts was legit-sounding, even if his sales pitch to the customer might be questionable. “Check and service headlights” instead of “replace dissolved halogen crystals,” “oil change” instead of “correct oil pH,” etc.

Rhodes leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee before answering. “For the moment. Tell me, Mr. Sanders, what brings you to Hog Mountain? Your record notes you have a few known confederates. Did they make the move with you?” Rhodes glanced down at the counter and added, “Is this for me too?” He gestured to the biscuit and hash rounds.

“Of course they are, Officer. It’s only right to be neighborly.” Cam gave him a greasy smile, then took another bite of his own biscuit, chewed, and swallowed before answering his other question while picking at the wrapper.

“You should know that the worst thing an ex-con can do is fall back in with his old crowd. I’m out here changing my ways, and I hope those sons of bitches have no idea where to find me.” That last was more truth than he probably should have told, but it was the God’s honest, for more reasons than he planned to share with the local law enforcement.

“Mm-hm,” Rhodes agreed sarcastically around a mouthful of biscuit. “I get the distinct feeling you haven’t changed one stripe. And you are in my jurisdiction, scamming the residents of my town.”

Cam narrowed his eyes. “So what’s next, Mr. Law? You gonna get a warrant? Come in here and tear up the place I bought with hard-earned money? Maybe turn the community against me? Some late-night hooded visits? Odd accidents until I up and leave? You think I don’t know your kind?” Cam was getting louder, thinking back to the way guards had taken care of anyone they didn’t like. How police treated men like him. He stood up and stepped toward Rhodes as he continued, his anger making him tremble. “You think it’s easy for an ex-con to find a job? Find a place to live? Find a way to go straight? Not when assholes like you take the law in your own hands, decide who is innocent and guilty without the need for any evidence. And who is going to stop you? Who is going to believe a two-time ex-con over the town golden-boy cop? HUH?”

Cam had only paused for breath, his passion blinding him until he heard the sound of a gun cocking in the silence. He froze, eyes widening as he looked up at Officer Rhodes in true abject fear.

“I’m going to need you to step back and take a seat, Mr. Sanders.”

The gun wasn’t pointed at him; Rhodes simply held it at his side, ready if needed. Cam realized how close he had gotten to the officer and quickly did as directed, taking a deep breath and blowing it out.

“Look,” Officer Rhodes continued, “I don’t know what kind of law enforcement you have dealt with, but they sound unsavory. In Hog Mountain, we don’t take the law into our own hands, but we do protect our citizens. Right now, you are one of them, but don’t think I won’t be watching you. If you’re cheating people, I
will
catch you, Mr. Sanders.”

Before Cam or Rhodes could say more, there was a sharp rap at the service station door. Both of their heads quickly swiveled in that direction. At the sight of a customer, Cam stood and Rhodes quickly holstered his gun. Hesitantly, an older gentleman opened the door and peeked his head around the frame.

“Am I safe to come in?”

Cam nodded and Officer Rhodes smiled and said, “Hey, Jim. Come on in. I was just having breakfast and a chat with Mr. Sanders here.”

Jim glanced between the two. “With your gun out?”

Cam dove into the conversation then, ready to be done with the officer and get his balance back. “Welcome, Jim. I’m Cam. What can I do you for this beautiful morning?” Cam glanced out the front door and added, “Ain’t that fine ol’ truck, is it?”

When Cam walked outside, both Jim and Rhodes followed him. “No, not the truck. I was just checkin’ to see if you fixed bike tires. I got one in the back needs air and a patch.”

“Sure thing,” Cam said. “Let me take a look.”

From the truck bed, Jim pulled a blue boy’s bike, a colorful flag on a long flexible pole attached behind the seat, and handed it to Cam, who set it down and went to open the garage. While he was jiggling the lock on this door—it had become such a regular occurrence that he was sure he would automatically start jiggling the key in any lock he tried to turn—he heard footsteps and turned to see the officer and Jim close in on each other.
Great!
Rhodes was even going to ruin a cheap tire repair.

“Taking up biking, Jim?” Rhodes quipped.

“Nah,” Jim said with a chuckle. “I been collecting old bikes I see at garage sales and secondhand shops, then taking ’em over to the Arcadia House. Ain’t much I can do for those kids, but….”

“That’s awful nice of you, Jim. I’ll keep an eye out too. Maybe I can get the department to do something for them.”

Cam kept an eye and an ear on the pair as he patched the tire and then filled it with air from his compressor. Their chatting never moved to a warning about Cam’s business practices, and Cam wished the officer would just leave if all he wanted was to stand around and gossip.

“It’s holding air now, and no signs of dry rot on either of the tires,” Cam announced as he carried the bike back out to Jim.

“How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house. Just remember me if you ever need some repairs done on that fine vehicle.” That should show Mr. Lawman a thing or two. In fact, Cam turned to the officer and lifted a brow. Rhodes returned the expression, then scooped up the bike and placed it in the back of Jim’s truck.

“Will do, young man. And thank you.” Jim shook Cam’s hand and patted Rhodes on the shoulder. “Thank you too, Jackson. See you at church on Sunday.”

As Jim drove off, Cam turned to Rhodes. “What is Arcadia House?”

“It’s a home for kids out on 365. Mostly deaf or blind.” Rhodes steered the subject back to Cam. “Don’t think that freebie changes anything, Mr. Sanders. I have my eye on you.”

Still standing in front of the garage, Cam watched Officer Jackson Rhodes get into his cruiser and drive off. When he looked down, he found Tom rubbing against his leg and smirked. “Nice timing. I guess you’re allergic to the cops too, then, huh?”

BEFORE OFFICER
Jackson Rhodes pulled out of the small parking lot in front of Camden Sanders’s garage and took a left toward town, he drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in a whoosh of air. Jackson might have attempted calm while Jim Barnes had been there, but in fact, Mr. Sanders’s outburst and his own reaction had really done a number on him. The way the man’s ice blue eyes had burned with hatred in them had honestly frightened Jackson, but the things he’d yelled, what he’d expected to happen… from a man of the law, at that. It made Jackson wonder, that was for sure.