Read Online NOT What I Was Expecting by Tallulah Anne Scott - Free Book Online

she
whispered back, “but did you see that new officer at the desk?  I’ve never seen
her before.  She’s very pretty.  Too pretty.  He sees her every day.  This is
bad.  This is very bad,” CeCe practically hissed.
    “Calm down,” I
said softly and soothingly.  “A police officer would never want to marry
another police officer.  Deputy Ben would want someone at home or in a
maternity shop waiting for him to return safely.  Besides she’s too young for
him.  Probably still wears a training bra.”
    “I hope you’re
right,” CeCe said.  “Our relationship is at a very vulnerable stage right now. 
He doesn’t need the temptation.”
    I never realized
nonexistent and vulnerable could mean the same thing.  Huh.
    Deputy Ben Simpson
walked into the waiting area looking very much like the actor Jenson Ackles in
a blue police uniform.  He had sandy blonde hair, blue-green eyes, broad
shoulders, and a small splatter of light freckles on his cheeks.  He smiled at
us and said, “Good afternoon, ladies.  You can follow me back to my office.”
    It turned out his
office was a desk in the corner of a big room with five other deputies’ desks. 
We sat in the two chairs in front of his desk.
    “How can I help
you today?” he asked as he attempted to straighten his desk by shuffling papers
into a consolidated stack.
    I smiled and said
nothing.  This was all CeCe’s show.
    “Well, our mothers
live in The Lakes subdivision.  You may already be aware that about 90% of that
community is of retirement age.”
    Deputy Ben nodded
to show that he was aware of that fact.
    CeCe continued,
“After the recent murder in town, our mothers are feeling kind of vulnerable
and a little nervous.  They asked us to check into how to organize a
neighborhood watch program for their area.  I happen to know that you’re an
expert in that area,” she said coyly.  “So here we are.  Can you help us?”
    I was so proud of
her.  Not one stumble, stutter, or incoherent sentence, but why was she squirming
like that?  She must have changed positions four or five times already.  I got
a sinking feeling when I realized those were poses meant to have an alluring
effect on Deputy Ben.
    Deputy Ben
smiled.  “You came to the right person.  Setting up a neighborhood watch
program in The Lakes would be my pleasure.  It is definitely needed there.  I’m
surprised they didn’t organize one before now.”  While Deputy Ben was talking,
CeCe was still striking poses.  “If that chair is uncomfortable for you, ma’am,
I can get you a different chair.” Ben suggested.
    CeCe froze,
realizing she’d been too obvious.  “No, no,” she assured him.  “These shoes are
just hurting my feet, but it’s so kind of you to offer.  You’re quite a
gentleman.”
    Speaking of too
obvious.  She could just throw herself at his feet and be done with it.
    Now hold on.  Do
my eyes deceive me, or is he eating up these compliments?  This is like a bad
old movie.  Oh well, this is what she wanted – things to go well with Deputy
Ben.  Behold her success.
    “You can tell your
mothers to rest easy.  Our crackerjack team of deputies is hot on the trail of
this murderer, so he’ll soon be behind bars,” Deputy Ben declared with a warm
smile for CeCe.
    I looked around
the room.  Crackerjack team, huh?  Well, they must all be taking their
afternoon naps before the crackerjack team gets crackin’, because there was a
definite air of absolutely nothing crackin’ right then.
    Deputy Ben reached
across his desk and handed CeCe a bag of information on neighborhood watch
programs.
    “Just have your
mothers call to set up a time for me to come out and speak to the community,”
he instructed.  “In a short meeting I can tell them everything they need to
know to get things started.  They’ll be feeling a lot safer real soon.”  Once
again he gave us the reassuring smile.  “Oh, and please be sure to tell them
that if they ever feel