"Mack, wake up! You're snoring again," Dave laments, poking James with his right index finger. "I can't hear the music. How can Madison sleep next to you with all of that racket? Jeezus."

  James sits up in the passenger seat, wiping his right hand down one side of his face. The young detective yawns and glares playfully at Dave.

  "I'll have you know, Madison and I sleep just fine together. She says I almost never snore. Except when I'm dog tired. I didn't sleep a wink last night. Between getting ready for this trip and worrying about Maddie."

  "Whose fault is that? I slept just fine. Octavia came over after you left. She's gonna watch the house while we're gone. Russo is keeping her company. She really loves that dog."

  "Same with Maddie. She's crazy about Titus. Makes me a little worried about when the baby comes. I don't want Titus feeling ignored. I hear corgis are really sensitive about that stuff."

  "It's a good thing Titus is a mutt and not a real corgi. Maybe he won't be so bad."

  "Haha. Maybe. Never thought of it like that," James chuckles.

  "You worry too much, Mack! Titus will be fine. Madison will be fine. And we're gonna have us some real good times. Bet I catch a crap ton more fish than you do."

  "I'll take that bet," Mackey challenges the larger man with a crafty grin.

  -

  -

  "Get a load of this place," Detective Mackey exclaims with disappointment. "Is it just me, Dave...Or does this place look nothing like in the brochure?"

  Dave heaves a deep sigh of solidarity with his cop companion. He studies the ramshackle buildings on either side of the street. This is a tourist attraction? Good grief?

  "Nothing...Is ever like in the brochure. Or the online tour. Or the recipe book. Ever tried making a Maple Robins cake according to the recipe? Never works out. I knew it was too good to be true, Mack. A cabin like they were describing usually goes for three times as much. Easily. The photos and that video must be at least ten or fifteen years old."

  "We may be turning around and getting our money back, Dave. This is ridiculous."

  Dave slouches in the driver's seat. More than three hours of driving with Mackey--all for nothing? No way. Dave solemnly shakes his head.

  "No way. We're staying. We'll just have to make the best of it. Maybe the cabin is nice. Tourist attractions aren't any good if they don't actually attract visitors. We should give it a shot."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Okay, Dave," James says, unconvinced.

  Dave checks the street signs for the correct road to turn down. Sheriff Pendergrass steps out of the feed store just as Dave's head is swiveling forward again. Dave does a double-take, slowing the Titan almost to a crawl. The deputy's eyes narrow and he whispers almost to himself.

  "Why...Hello there."

  "What?" Mackey says, glancing sideways at Dave.

  Dave softly repeats himself, using the approaching intersection as an excuse to stop the vehicle. He watches Sheriff Pendergrass as she walks around the back of her Jeep. The small igloo cooler in the attractive woman's hands looks awful heavy. Maybe she wouldn't mind some help.

  "Hello there. That is one fine looking deputy."

  James looks back over one shoulder, finally catching sight of what has grabbed Dave's sordid attention. He shoots Dave a disapproving glare.

  "Uh...Excuse me, Dave. If memory serves me, you already have a lady friend at home. Her name is Octavia. You do remember her?"

  "Oh, stop being such a stuffed shirt, Mack! I'm only looking. Even you have to admit, she is very fine. I simply have no idea how she even got those trousers on. Sweet Jeezus."

  "Stop it, Dave. You're being disloyal."

  "How's that? I'm not gonna make love to the woman right here in the street. I'm just paying her a compliment. Besides, how would Octavia find out? You gonna tell her, Mack? What about the bro code?"

  "The bro code? There is no bro code! Not as far as I'm concerned. There's loyalty. And then, there's disloyalty. You're my best friend, Dave. But Octavia is my friend too. Don't do anything around me you don't want her to find out about. Octavia's a smart lady. All I'd have to do is leave enough breadcrumbs."

  "Haha. Breadcrumbs!?! That's cute, Mack. And no, I don't plan on cheating on Octavia. Gawd. Sometimes, I feel like you are just way too vanilla. Makes me feel rotten through and through."

  "You are rotten, Dave. I put up with you because...I guess I like rotten. And I like making fun of you."

  "What the hell? Making fun of me? How so?"

  "I love watching you ogle every short skirt and tight blouse which navigates in your direction. You try to hide it in so many funny ways. Adjusting your mirrors, putting on a pair of sunglasses, adjusting your sunglasses, pretending to cough or sneeze, pretending to bite your nails. I've even learned to gauge exactly when you're going to do it and who you're ogling at. Ogle all you want, Dave. You're not as slick as you think. I'm sure Octavia notices too. You have no idea what that can do to a woman's self-esteem."

  "Now, wait a damn minute!" Dave roars, putting the Titan in park. "I did not come all this way for a lecture on manly etiquette."

  "Granted. I wasn't giving one," Mackey calmly states, using one fingernail to clean under another.

  "Then why all the talk about cheating on Octavia? Can it, okay? I was simply admiring the pretty deputy. If you've seen me looking before, you know I'm not a cheater. Otherwise, my list of womanly companions would be more than a mile long. I'd never hurt Octavia."

  "Fair enough."

  Sheriff Pendergrass' Jeep pulls up beside Dave's truck, which is blocking the right-hand lane. Leeta gives Dave a questionable glance and then goes around him, crossing the intersection. Dave shifts out of Park.

  "See. I told you she was good looking," Dave says smugly.

  James rolls his eyes as Dave slowly rolls through the intersection. The man is truly insufferable.