A Minute on the Lips

by Cheryl Harper

  Andi perched on the edge of the leather chair opposite her former boss. She’d never been quite comfortable in his office. Or in his presence. He was the picture of a company man with his dark suits and ties, conservative haircut and stern face.

  But he’d given her a chance. And she was certain he appreciated the work she did.

  “Lost the election, did you? How soon can you start? I need somebody with your focus, drive.”

  Andi smoothed sweaty palms down her pants leg. “Sir, thank you for taking time out to meet with me. I wasn’t sure what my plan was until I sat down in your chair.”

  He tapped one finger on his desk twice. That was his only reaction.

  “But I think... I think the time I spent as sheriff showed me that—while I loved my work here—my home...it’s in Tall Pines.” She almost couldn’t believe how easily the words rolled off her tongue or the feeling of rightness she got in the pit of her stomach.

  “You had to come all the way here to make the decision?”

  Andi nodded. “Yes, sir, and I do appreciate your time, but...until I came back, I couldn’t really decide between the now Tall Pines and the now Atlanta. Before I went home, I thought Tall Pines would always stay the same, but it’s changed so much. I needed to know if Atlanta had changed, too.”

  “Has it?”

  Andi shook her head. “Not at all. But the way I feel about it...yes.”

  Marcus Hightower huffed out a breath. “So you’re saying you’ve changed.”

  Andi smiled. “Yes, sir, I absolutely have.”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Nothing I can do to change your mind? New desk? Need help getting your husband a new job? Kids...” He frowned. “Do you have kids?” Then he shook his head as if he realized how ridiculous the question was.

  And that was enough. The person who knew her best in Atlanta had just asked if she and her imaginary husband had kids. Andi stood and held out her hand. “No, sir, and I won’t waste any more of your time.”

  He shook her hand. “Anything changes, you call me, Jackson.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Instead of a poker face, Andi fought to contain a relieved smile as she left the building. When she slid into the cab, she thought about calling Gram or Mark or both of them, but she decided against it. She still had a little thinking to do.

  “Where to?”

  Andi had an early flight home but she could get a lot done with the rest of the day. “Lenox Square Mall.”

  If she was headed back to Tall Pines, now was a good time for some retail therapy and a nice restaurant meal or two. Andi leaned back against her seat and tried to figure out just what she was going to say to Mark.

  She pulled out her phone to text him.

  I heard you’re stepping out with another woman tonight. Should I be worried?

  She stared at the phone until he answered.

  Heard you’d left town. Should I be worried?

  So maybe this wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d hoped.

  Just doing a little shopping. I’ll be home tomorrow. Lunch at Jackie’s?

  The cab was rolling to a stop when she saw his answer.

  Meet you there at 1. But are you supposed to be shopping without Gram?

  Andi smiled. No, and don’t tell her! As soon as she hit Send, she wished she’d added...

  I’ve missed you. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow. xMark

  Mark had beaten her to it. Andi handed cash to the cabdriver and slid out before she answered.

  Not as much as I’ve missed you. I hope you’re ready to see a whole lot more of me.

  She froze on the sidewalk while she waited for his answer.

  When she read it, she laughed out loud.

  Now THAT sounds promising. Get here. Try another skirt. Wear your hair down. I am so ready to see more of you.

  She shook her head. Might as well go for it.

  I’m on it, handsome newspaper editor. xAndi

  For the first time in so long, Andi was happy. Not content. Or even just satisfied with her work, but hold-on-to-your-stomach-giggle-out-loud happy. She’d left Tall Pines a long time ago, desperate for her own escape. Now she couldn’t wait to get home.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “GOOD AFTERNOON, beautiful sheriff.”

  When Andi walked over to her usual table, Mark Taylor was sitting in her spot—the one that allowed her to keep an eye out for the unexpected. Since she was a short-timer now with so much less to fear from surprise visits by the mayor or Ray Evans, she slid into the booth across from him.

  “Hey, good afternoon—” she lowered her voice after a quick glance around the diner “—handsome newspaper editor.”

  Mark batted his eyelashes. “Now that is music to my ears.” He dropped a folded paper in front of her as Jackie walked over with two glasses of sweet tea.

  “Good to see you, Sheriff. Y’all want your usual?”

  “Yeah, thanks, Jackie,” Mark said.

  Andi picked up the folded paper. She was too nervous to meet his stare so she scanned the front page. All the election results were listed as well as her concession speech and Ray’s.

  “Not so hot off the press,” he said as she flipped it open. “Seems you were hard to track down. I mean, even before you hopped a plane and left the state.” Andi looked up for a moment. He didn’t seem angry exactly, but his face wasn’t nearly as warm as she’d hoped. To buy time, she reread her concession speech. If she’d written any more, she might have stepped off the high road and down into the gutter. She hadn’t been willing to do that to win the race. It made zero sense to do it now, even if she was tired of Ray and his inscrutable face.

  Underneath her short speech was a longer note from Ray Evans. Andi studied his photo and decided he looked like a sheriff should. He didn’t have to worry about the effect bangs would have on his ability to be taken seriously. Lucky dog.

  * * *

  “I’D LIKE TO thank you for voting me back into the sheriff’s office. I’ve learned a great deal the last two years and I think I will do a better job for it. Sheriff Jackson has done an outstanding job of keeping us all safe and has recently shown me personally the value of both fairness and grace. It is my hope that she will stay on as a deputy for the department, but I understand completely that a law officer of her experience and talents has many choices. I thank her for choosing to serve here and hope that she will continue to contribute her expertise to my office.”

  * * *

  THE WHOLE RESTAURANT was watching her read Ray’s note. She carefully folded the paper into as small a pile as she could make. When she looked at her hands, Andi noticed the ink smudges and held them up to show Mark.

  The smile slid off her face at the look on his.

  All he said was “Wow,” but Andi whipped her head around to see if anyone had heard him say it. Most everyone was pretending to go about their business. Except for Jackie. He was snickering and shaking his head. Andi blushed and shoved the paper across the table.

  She leaned forward. “Would you focus on something other than the awe-inspiring sight of newspaper ink, you weirdo?” She wet her hands on her sweaty glass and wiped the ink off on a napkin as Ralph slid two plates in front of them.

  “Sheriff, Mark, I hope you enjoy your lunches.” He stepped back. “Can I get you anything else for now?”

  Ralph’s trial service must have worked out. Mark smiled up at him. “Hey, Ralph, I’m going to bring my camera back and get a picture for next week’s story, all right?”

  Ralph smiled. “You bet. The boys are looking forward to seeing the paper next week.”

  “What kind of story?” Andi asked.

  “Mark wants to write about what it’s like to live and work in Tall Pines when you’re a newcomer. Jackie gave us the okay
to take a shot at the grill. And Lori...well, she smiled like she hasn’t in a while when I mentioned it to her.” He wiped his hands in his apron. “Sheriff, I know not everything worked out like you intended, but I owe you sincere thanks for getting me this job. Things are looking really good now.”

  “You’re off to a great start, Ralph. Keep up the hard work.” As Ralph walked away, Andi thought he seemed taller. She’d made a huge difference in his life with one inspired suggestion. Maybe Mark had been right all along. She could change Tall Pines for the better. When she turned around to face Mark, one corner of his mouth was tilted up. “So, Sheriff, tell me about this shopping trip.”

  Andi sipped her tea. “Well, it’s like this. I went to try on my old life for size, but it didn’t fit me anymore.”

  Mark nodded. “It had changed, huh?”

  Andi shrugged a shoulder. “I think I changed. Atlanta seemed just as crowded and busy and full of good things and bad things all at once, but for some reason, it bothered me to think I could work there every day for years and still not know more than two or three of my coworkers. No one there can bring me my usual drink or sandwich. I can’t run into the teacher who set me on the path to everything I’ve always wanted.”

  Mark reached for her hand. “But you can wear a short skirt without explaining yourself to the nosy ladies in the beauty shop. Or kiss a handsome newspaper editor on the street in front of everybody without causing a stir.” He stroked his thumb across her knuckles and Andi felt the spark. “Those are pretty nice perks.”

  Andi turned her hand over and threaded her fingers through his. “Even better, I realized I can do all those things here. With a handsome man to hold my hand. And my grandmother to back down the critics. And my history and my skills and my experience and my plans to make this place better.”

  Mark groaned. “Losing the election didn’t convince you to take it easy?”

  Andi laughed. “Maybe a little, but I also have a list of things to talk to the new sheriff about. Grants I want to go after for new programs at the high school.”

  His forehead wrinkled as if he was imagining all that work. “But...you’re going to do that as part of Ray Evans’s department, right? You aren’t about to take on the mayor or something? Because I’m not sure either of us is up for another election.” He held up a finger. “Scratch that. I know I’m not.”

  Andi paused. “Mayor... I could be good as mayor.” She hadn’t even thought of that. She pictured Ray Evans’s frown if she ran and won and decided maybe it was something to consider. Andi shrugged and took a bite out of her club. “Yes. Probably. I mean, yes to working for Ray, but it bugs me, you know? He didn’t even ask, really. And this public request is nice, I guess. People are going to think he’s a magnanimous winner when it took all this to make him see I could do a good job no matter where I lived for the past ten years. Why would I want to work for him?”

  Mark put both elbows on the table. “Maybe you forget about what Ray Evans wants or what the people of Tall Pines think about it—” he smiled slowly “—and do what you want to do.”

  Andi took a deep breath. She knew he was right. Part of her wanted to shove Ray’s offer/order in his face, but she knew the department would be fine without her so the only person that would hurt was her. And as far as Tall Pines went, she understood exactly what Mark had tried to tell her. It wasn’t a jail. She was free to come and go as she wished. It was home. There were people here who loved her and whom she loved.

  While she went in circles on the hamster wheel of her mind, Oscar silently approached to refill her glass. Instead of disappearing when he was done, he cleared his throat. There might have been a smile on his face but it was hard to tell. “Sheriff, I voted for you.”

  And then he was gone. Andi choked on her sandwich and looked to Mark for help. He laughed. “I think that was Oscar’s attempt at encouragement. Maybe he wants you to stay, too.”

  Andi rolled her eyes. That could very well be, but who would know that besides Oscar? Jackie clapped him on the back when he went around the counter.

  Miss Margaret and Edna appeared beside the table without any advance warning, and Andi shot Mark a glare of doom. If she’d been in his seat, she’d have been ready. Instead, Andi had a fry hanging out of her mouth when Edna muttered, “We thought you did a good job, Andi. I hope you’ll stay on. The county needs good officers.” And then she spun on her heel and marched across the diner to slide into a booth.

  Andi chewed and swallowed the fry as Miss Margaret patted her on the shoulder.

  When she left, Andi looked back at Mark. He smiled. “I think you’re going to have to figure out what to do quickly, Andi.”

  She fidgeted with the collar of the sweater she’d chosen to go with her short skirt. Which he hadn’t even remarked on. “So, say I stay... I mean, I’ve been knitting away on the perfect Christmas gift, working to overcome the boyfriend curse, risking life and limb with too many double-pointed needles—” she licked her lips “—I wouldn’t do that for just anyone.”

  Mark nodded thoughtfully. “I could always use another pair of socks.”

  Andi snorted. “You haven’t even complimented my skirt, the one I bought for you in a very nice shop in Atlanta and wore at your request.” Andi reached up to twirl her finger in her loose curls and blew out a sigh that ruffled her bangs.

  Mark reached over to clutch her hands in his. Then he leaned forward and winked. “Maybe I was a little preoccupied with the results of your trip. And a little annoyed with how you took it. But now—” he squeezed her hands “—I will say I like the look. A lot.”

  Andi felt the blush heating her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Mark. I just wasn’t sure what to say before I left, but I promise not to do that again. I’m not going to run away. I was really worried. Maybe you’d think I was too much trouble. Too wishy-washy. I get that, so no matter what, I’m coming home. I want to spend time with you but I understand if you...maybe don’t.”

  Mark pursed his lips. “Well, let me ask you this...are you willing to give up sheriffing forever?”

  Andi raised her eyebrows. “Forever? I mean, forever is a really long time.”

  Mark’s lips twitched. “Sure, but you’re going to have to ask yourself if you can live with being Sheriff Andi Taylor.”

  Andi groaned at the idea of sharing a name with television’s favorite sheriff and then she realized what he was saying. Marriage. At some point. To him. And she wasn’t sure what to say. Mark’s eyes were warm when he sighed. “Just letting you know what’s on my mind. I want to think about the future but only with you.”

  Andi answered him with a jerky nod and a tentative smile. Now it was safe to tell him what she really felt. “Maybe I love law enforcement and someday I’ll probably love Tall Pines as much, but I’m always going to love you more. Besides, if I happen to be Andi Taylor and lose my mind and run for public office again, there’s always mayor.”

  Mark groaned but squeezed her hand. She had nothing else to say so they finished their lunches.

  “I don’t want to move from this booth.” Mark said, sighing, “but I need to get back to it.”

  Andi shook her head sadly. “The news never sleeps.”

  He tangled his fingers with hers to pull her over to the cash register. Jackie was perched on what had to be a very high stool, and he wore his usual frown, but he looked less angry and more pleased than anything. It was unnerving.

  While Mark pulled out cash to cover the bill, Andi wandered over to stand in front of the trophy case. Jackie had given everything a nice polish so the shine was nearly blinding. He’d added a second lock to make sure everything stayed exactly where it was.

  “Looks nice, doesn’t it, Sheriff?”

  Andi nodded. “I know you’re glad to have everything back, Jackie.” She pointed at the tallest and shiniest trophy that was front and center
. “And a new one to boot.”

  He sniffed. “Yeah, the newspaperman’s mama got close, but not close enough.” He shot a narrow-eyed glance Mark’s way. It looked like he was telling Mark not to get any funny ideas about entering next year. And from the look on Mark’s face, Andi thought he might be doing just that. She was doubly glad the Fall Festival and cook-off were going to be another sheriff’s problem. And the idea that it was Ray Evans who’d be navigating those choppy waters pleased her twice over.

  Jackie handed over Mark’s change and said, “Can’t thank you enough for working things out, Sheriff. Your solution was inspired.”

  Andi wanted to ask Jackie to say it all over again. Mark was shaking his head, which gave her the idea that it would be poor form.

  “You’re welcome, Jackie. You’ll need the help. I hear Mrs. Taylor’s moving to town. She’ll be stiff competition next year.” Jackie’s face puckered as if he was choking on a lemon, and Andi smiled benevolently and followed Mark out to the sidewalk. Ray Evans was leaning against her SUV at the end of the block.

  Andi turned back to Mark and heaved a put-upon sigh. “One public apology and sincere request is supposed to fix everything?”

  Mark scratched his forehead but did not call her on the irony. Her single apology had been all it took to bring Ray around. Mark cleared his throat with what sounded like a laugh, and asked, “So what are you going to tell him?”

  Andi shot Ray an evil glare over her shoulder before she flashed a small grin at Mark. “I’m going to take the job, but not for a while yet. He needs to sweat.”

  Andi could feel his lips twitch as he gave her a quick kiss there on the sidewalk in front of Ray Evans, Jackie and all the diners in the Country Kitchen, and whoever might be watching in the town of Tall Pines. They were right back where they’d started, but everything was different now and so much better.