Pulling back slightly, I said, “I love you, Marco. If anything happens to you because of—”

His lips cut off my words, as they became more insistent.

My whole body flushed. I wanted him naked, but we were on the side of the road, and he was going to be late for work.

He was the one to pull back, but the hunger in his eyes said it wasn’t by choice. “Let’s head back into town.”

“Okay.” But I didn’t let go of his hair.

He grinned. “You’re gonna make this hard on me, aren’t you?”

I lifted a brow. “You want me to make it easy?”

“No,” he said, giving me another kiss as he gently pulled my hand from his head. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but good things come to those who wait. Tonight. After you get off work. I hope you’re not too tired, because I have plans for you.”

I sucked in a breath at the thought.

“So let me get back to the station so I can finish my paperwork.”

“Okay, but maybe we can get a few days off soon and go away.”

“I really like that idea. We both know Max will give you time off if he knows we’re going away for a romantic getaway.”

I laughed, because it was true. “Okay.” Happiness washed through me, but it scared me. I kept wondering when it would be snatched away.

I pulled back onto the road and continued on toward town while we discussed where we could go. Marco said he had someplace in mind in North Carolina that was secluded and cozy.

We were almost into town when I finally brought up Ashlynn again. “She acted pretty weird when Jonathon told us Jim’s wife didn’t go to the meetings.”

“She acted weird about him in general,” Marco said. “And she definitely didn’t want Jonathon to think he was the baby’s father.”

“Do you think Jim Palmer’s the father?” I asked.

Because we both knew what it meant, or what it probably meant, if he was.

“I don’t know. We need more information.” He gave me a pointed look. “But I meant what I said. Let’s give it a rest for a few days, then maybe we can talk to some of the kids in the youth group. Or maybe you can talk to her brother again.”

“Yeah.”

“But not today and not tomorrow.”

It felt like we were wasting time, but he was right. We’d been stirring hornet’s nests, and we needed to let things settle for a day or two.

I turned into the sheriff department’s lot and pulled up to the curb.

“I’ll see you after I get off work,” Marco said. “And try to talk Max into letting you go early.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to do much convincing. He’s all for us being together.”

“Good.” He gave me a kiss, then reached for the door handle. “Be safe, okay?”

“Of course.”

It was him I was worried about.

I decided to skip seeing Miss Thelma and headed to the grocery store to get the hamburgers, buns, and potatoes. While I was shopping, Max called and asked me to get hot dogs and buns along with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, multiple bottles of ketchup, and at least three hundred paper plates.

“Are you feeding an army?” I asked with a laugh.

“Close enough. Can you also stop by the Dollar General and get some outdoor Christmas lights? White? And get back as soon as you can.”

“Sure…” What in the world was he up to? I was about to ask, but he hung up before I could.

I had to go to both grocery stores in town to get all the food, then to Dollar General and the thrift store to find white outdoor Christmas lights. It was nearly four by the time I got back to Drum, and I was surprised to see the side street leading to the back parking lot blocked off with cones. I parked on the street in front of the tavern and walked around back to see if I could get help with the groceries. Max had moved his pickup truck down the street, and Ruth and Tiny’s cars were down there too. The road was blocked off about thirty feet from the corner—between the vacant lot behind the tavern and the abandoned dry cleaner across from it—and a couple of wooden picnic tables were sitting on the side of the road, with another in the middle of the parking lot.

Max, Tiny, Ruth’s boyfriend Franklin (whom everyone else called Tater), and a few of Franklin’s friends were in the parking lot, pounding tall wooden posts into the strip of grass at the back edge.

“What’s goin’ on here?” I asked lightheartedly as I squinted up at Franklin, who stood on a ladder held by two of his friends, hammering in what had to be a twelve-foot post.

“Max got a wild hair up his ass.”

“He decided to make a really tall clothesline?” I asked, shooting Max a grin.

“Aren’t you the funny one?” Max said sarcastically, but his eyes were dancing. “And you were the inspiration for this, so you’re welcome.”

I shook my head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You waltzed in this morning wearing that pretty sundress, lookin’ like you were headed to a picnic or a summer festival, so I decided to take an unfortunate situation and turn it into an advantage. We’re having a summer block party. I’ve got a few bands comin’ and everything.”

“What?”

He laughed. “We’re gonna string the Christmas lights and plug ’em into the generator. And we’ll have dancin’, and Tater knows a guy who makes balloon animals for tips.”

I propped my hands on my hips. “You’re amazing, Max Drummond.”

He grinned from ear to ear. “About damn time someone figured that out. Now where’s the beef?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s in my car. I’m gonna need some help bringing it all in.”

“On it.” He called over several of Tater’s friends, and they followed me to my car and unloaded as much as they could and carried it through the unlocked front door.

I took the lights around back and handed them to Max with an apologetic look. “I’m not sure I got enough.”

“Ruth had a bunch and so did Ginger. With the boxes you got, I think we’ll be fixed up. Not to mention the tiki torches we rounded up to put along the sides of the street.”

“This is pure genius, Max.”

He laughed. “I have my moments. Oh, and by the way, I don’t want you or Ruth wearing your uniforms tonight. We’re gonna serve food buffet style from six to eight, and customers will come up to a bar we’re setting up. I dug some warming trays out of the storage area, so they can grab what they want and pay you and Ruth at the end of the line.”

“Where’s Ruth right now?”

“I sent her to Costco in Greeneville to get some cans of soft drinks and bottles of water. They’ll be easier to sell. She’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“How will people know this is going on?” I asked.

He laughed again. “Just when I think you’ve acclimated to Drum, you up and say something like that. Gossip, my girl. Gossip. No one will want to miss it. We’ll see people who haven’t stepped foot in the tavern in years.”

I couldn’t help wondering who might show up, then I remembered someone who wouldn’t.