page3 (1/2)

“My apologies, Lieutenant,” she countered stiffly “And that’s y for the day”

Ginger gave hi a hint of aave a damn

The cell phone in her front pocket vibrated for the umpteenth time today She kneho called and why She also knew she wouldn’t answer, or listen to the subsequent voice ot, she’d cancel the plan and get new cell phones for herself and Willa

With a nod in her sister’s direction, they picked up the table with the intention of continuing into the apartment

“What the hell is that?”

Ginger dropped the table and faced the questioning lieutenant,His annoyed green gaze flicked to Willa before inclining his head toward the statue propping open the door

Both she and Willa looked toward the statue, then back at him

Ginger answered slowly, as if speaking to the town idiot who also happened to be hard of hearing “I assume you meant, ‘Who the hell is that?’ and to that question I say, who are you? Who are any of us?”

“I don’t follow”

“That, Lieutenant, is the Sbird herself”

“The Backwoods Barbie,” Willa chirily

The er decided to take pity on him “Dolly Parton”

“DollyParton”

“Language, Willa Honestly”

Ginger waited for a reaction and felt far froed his broad shoulders as if to say, “Should I knoho that is?”

And that was the final straw

“Willa, darling, youfor me inside the apartment?”

She felt rather than saw her sister’s eye roll, but heard her coer stood alone in the brightly lit hall with the scowling Lieutenant Von A-hole

Twice he’dher the once-over, shot her little sister a dirty look, and then shrugged, shrugged at the mention of the Queen of Nashville And this was after he’d yelled at them like a lunatic from his upstairs

Ginger couldn’t let it stand

She sauntered forward, co to a stop a foot away fro his eyes narroarily Up close, she saw his green eyes were riover when she saw one Having skimmed his starched, navy blue uniform all the way up to his ruthlessly shorn, dark brown hair, soular basis No, despite his overtly ested he would be the type to order a glass of milk at the bar

That offended her as a bartender and as a recreational drinker

She took a deep, cal, she’d woken up happy and optier couldn’t remember the last ti the sky above her head in Nashville and had coo for a new start For her For Willa Adios leaky roof and questionable future

After spending a week in a cheap, dingy hborhood with a good high school nearby, close enough to don Chicago and potential work for herself Then she’d sweet-talked the landlord into a double security deposit in lieu of the mandatory credit check And bam! They now had themselves a sweet two-bedroom with new appliances and hardwood floors Auage She and Willa had picked out furniture at thrift stores and yard sales throughout the week, pretending to be college students living off-campus They’d had fun, dammit Without a time limit