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Bernie and Jim.
Ken and Barbie, Bernie thought.
“Evening, Sheriff.” Scotty Joe smiled, showing a set of perfect white teeth that practically glistened against his leather brown face.
Not for the first time, Bernie thought what a handsome guy he was. Tall and muscular, with bright blue eyes and golden blond hair. And to add to his good looks, the young deputy had a warm, outgoing personality. Everyone who knew him liked him.
“Hello there, Captain Norton.” Holly flirted quite openly with Jim, smiling up at him as she stroked his arm.
Scotty Joe didn’t seem to mind in the least that his date was ogling another man, but why should he? It wasn’t as if he and Holly were an item. They both played the field, apparently neither of them interested in a serious relationship with each other or with anyone else.
“We heard y’all went over to Jackson County today,” Scotty Joe said. “I sure was relieved that the body those hikers found in the woods wasn’t Thomasina. She’s such a sweet lady. Nice and friendly. I still can’t believe that anybody would want to hurt her. Not even Dr. Kelley, even if he did break her heart.”
“You know Dr. Kelley didn’t send those gifts to Thomasina,” Jim said. “She just thought he was leading her on when, in reality, it was whoever stalked her and later abducted her.”
“Did y’all find out who the woman was that the hikers found?” Holly asked.
“We have no idea,” Bernie said. “They’ve sent her badly decomposed body to Huntsville. The Jackson County coroner said she’d probably been dead at least a year.”
“Could she be another victim of our serial killer?” Scotty Joe asked in a hushed tone, knowing the sheriff’s department didn’t want the term serial killer used publicly in reference to the recent murders.
Bernie shook her head. “We don’t think so. This woman wasn’t naked and her body had been buried in a very shallow grave out in the woods, not posed in an open area where it could be easily found.”
Robyn sauntered up behind them and slipped between Scotty Joe and Jim, then placed her arms around their shoulders. “Can’t you lawmen stop talking about murder and mayhem, even at a gala event like this?”
“Well, hello, beautiful,” Scotty Joe said. “Aren’t you looking especially sexy tonight.”
Robyn giggled softly. She loved for men to notice her. She lived off of attention and praise. Bernie figured most extremely beautiful women were like that. Robyn always had been, even as a little girl. Odd thing was Bernie thought of her sister’s narcissism as part of her charm, a large part of who and what Robyn was. A beautiful woman who knew she was beautiful. What was wrong with that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Aren’t you just the sweetest thing.” Robyn leaned over and kissed Scotty Joe on the cheek, then raked her gaze over Jim. “Hello, Captain Norton. I’m a little disappointed.” She puckered her lips in a seductive pout. “I was hoping to see you in a tuxedo.”
“I don’t own one,” Jim said.
Robyn tsk-tsked and wagged her index finger at him. “You could have rented one.”
“Jim’s been busy,” Bernie said. “He’s had more important things on his mind than tuxedos.”
“Why didn’t you just ask Dad to pick one up for you when he got his?” Robyn removed her arm from around Scotty Joe’s shoulders and clung to Jim’s arm with both hands. “He got your son one today and you should see the kid. He’s a doll. One of these days, Keith will be a real heartbreaker … just like his dad.”
Frowning, Jim glanced down at his feet and cleared his throat. “Where is Kevin?”
“Oh, right, his name is Kevin. But then Kevin and Keith are practically the same name, aren’t they? He’s somewhere around,” Robyn said. “Probably with Dad. Those two have certainly become great pals.”
“If y’all will excuse me, I’m going to find Kevin.” Jim glanced at Bernie as he dragged Robyn’s hands down his arm and broke free. “Don’t forget to save me a dance, Sheriff Granger.”
Bernie’s heart did a wild flutter. Idiot! She offered him a fragile, closed-mouth smile before he wandered off in search of his son.
“And you save me a dance, Miss Robyn.” Scotty Joe winked at Robyn, then led Holly off toward the buffet tables.
Robyn huffed. “I’m going to have that man if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I assume you are not referring to Scotty Joe,” Bernie said.
Robyn guffawed. “Hell no. I could have him by snapping my fingers. I meant Jim Norton. That man is playing hard to get for some reason. I even asked him if there was another woman in his life and he said there wasn’t.”
Bernie’s stomach tightened. “Why don’t you just leave him alone? If he’s not interested—”
“Oh, stop playing mother hen. Just because he’s your new chief deputy doesn’t mean you have to look out for him and protect him from your wicked little sister. Jim’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
“You’ve got every single man in town panting after you and a few married ones, too,” Bernie said. “You just want Jim because, for once in your life, you’re having to do the pursuing instead of the other way around. If he had hit on you first thing—”
“We’d be lovers by now.”
Bernie’s stomach muscle knotted painfully. “Look, I’m going to find Mom and Dad and wish them a happy anniversary.”
“I suppose I should find Paul and play nice with him,” Robyn said. “Just in case.”
“Just in case?”
“Just in case I can’t persuade Jim to take me home tonight.”
For the first time in her life, Bernie actually hated Robyn. Damn it, I’m jealous of my own sister. And all because of Jim Norton. I’m a fool. Jim and I are friends. He’s not the least bit interested in me as a woman.
“Hmm …” Bernie couldn’t manage to say anything else. At the moment, it took all her strength to keep the emotion lodged in her throat from bursting free into tears. If she knew her sister—and she did—Robyn would get what she wanted. Jim Norton in her bed. Tonight.
Bernie found her parents, but wished she hadn’t when her mom hauled Raymond Long away from his mother, Helen, and practically threw Bernie into the man’s arms.
“You two young folks get out there and dance,” Brenda said.
“Don’t they look wonderful together?” Helen Long smiled as she gazed proudly at her son, who stood stiffly at Bernie’s side.
Bernie glanced pleadingly at her father, who gave her an I’m-sorry-honey-but-what-can-I-do? look.
“Would you care to dance, Bernie?” Raymond asked, in a tone that implied he’d rather have a root canal.
“Yes, thank you. That would be nice.”
He didn’t take her hand as they walked side by side onto the dance floor. When he put his arm around her waist and she placed her left hand on his shoulder and her other hand in his, she tried to smile.
“I’m sorry about this, Bernie,” he said.
“It’s okay, Raymond. Really. Our mothers mean well.”
He led her into the dance, his movements slow and steady, as if he was afraid he’d step on her toes.
“It’s not that I don’t like you,” he told her. “Heck, we’ve known each other all our lives and we used to be friends, back in high school. But I’ve never thought of you as