Tempting the Light: Legends and Myths Police Squad (L.A.M.P.S. Book 1) (24 page)

“Crikey! Damn that stupid dinosaur. I forgot. I just took on another assignment,” Ottar growled over the phone.

“Well, give it to someone else. You promised, and you know Pepper will call you daily until that statue is repaired.” He winked at Abby.

“She will? How would she get my phone number?”

River laughed.

“No. Don’t give it to her. If I give you the money, will you repair it for me?” Panic hit his voice.

“Ha ha, bro. You broke it, you fix it.” He hung up.

Abby sat on his desk with her legs on either side of River in his chair. Kazoo lay curled up in her lap and Hercules panted next to her with his tongue dripping drool on the floor. It had been a long time since he could say he had a family, but now he had living proof.

“It’s official. I resigned my position from L.A.M.P.S. I’m going to stay here with you and work as a small town sheriff.”

“That’s great.” She bounced up and down on the desk.

“I want you and Kazoo to move in with me.” His words came out unsteady but it wasn’t because he was unsure about her moving in. He was afraid of how she would answer.

Abby tilted her head and stared at him. “Okay. I’m sure Pepper can get along without me. I’ll just be down the road anyway. Are you sure?”

He leaned in and kissed her cherry scented lips. “Of course.”

She’d just made him the happiest man in the world.

The next week Abby packed all her belongings including her grandmother’s journal.

“I’m going to miss you.” Pepper sat on her bed next to her.

“I’ll miss you too.” She gave a giant grizzly bear hug to her best friend. “I’ll still see you all the time in the pet store.”

Pepper stuck out her bottom lip. “Yeah, but it won’t be the same.”

“I know what you mean.” She folded a shirt and laid it in a box. “I’m really happy, and I haven’t had any bad luck since we got rid of the genie. I also got my period yesterday. I didn’t turn into the Jersey Devil last night.”

“Oh my gosh. That’s awesome, girlfriend.” Pepper patted Abby’s knee and bounced up from the bed. “Oh, by the way, your video from the collar has over two hundred thousand views on line.”

“You put my Jersey Devil video on that video web site?”

Pepper grinned. Wide. “Yep. I have companies that want to pay for advertising on it. I haven’t decided who to accept yet.” Her finger tapped her face like she was in deep thought.

“You did not.”

She laughed and carried a box to the door. Abby followed with her hands full. River hovering on the other side.

“You’re going to come and visit.” He locked eyes with Pepper.

“Until you get tired of me and throw me out.” Pepper joked back.

“You sure you won’t get too lonely?” It saddened her that Pepper would be alone again.

“Na, I have Bob, remember?” She gestured to her blow up doll sitting in the passenger seat of her truck.

They put the boxes inside River’s car. Kazoo jumped into the front seat, wagging his tail with joy. Abby wrapped her arms around Pepper and squeezed her in a big hug.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Stay out of trouble.” Pepper pointed her finger at her.

They pulled away in River’s car. She looked over at her handsome sheriff. Somehow she knew she wouldn’t find a better guy anywhere in the world. A tickle of desire to snuggle in his strong protective arms fluttered in her chest.

He was definitely a keeper.