Page 29 of Wag More Bark Less

“I’ll take time off next month.” As soon as Maggie leaves town.

“This isn’t a negotiation.”

“How about after Golden Days, then?”

“I allow you to run your department the way you see fit,” Rosalyn said. “I keep my nose out unless you ask me to butt in. But for this, I’m exercising my mayoral authority. This leave isn’t optional. So, like it or not, you’re officially off duty until the conclusion of Golden Days.”

“That’s two weeks.”

“You’re lucky I’m not making you take a whole month.”

Fuck, I hated this.

“You have good officers, Luke. You’ve mentored them well. It’s time to take off the training wheels you keep strapped to them and let them show you they’ve got this. They can’t shine if you keep hovering over them, blocking out the light, like some kind of helicopter mom.”

“Helicopter mom⁠—”

“Take the time off, and I won’t bug you about it again for four years,” she said, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.

“You have to get reelected,” I pointed out.

“You forget who appointed you.”

I shook my head. Fuck. She had me cornered. I wasn’t getting out of this office without complying, but that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it.

“But Margene Miller⁠—”

“Margene Miller’s sitting in a jail cell in Mexico City awaiting extradition. From what I’ve been told, that process isn’t going to go too quickly for her.” I wanted to argue, but before I could form the words, Rosalyn added, “I want justice for your mother’s bookstore and the harm she caused your family as much as you do. But you and I both know these things take time. But if there’s anything pertinent to that situation you need to know, I won’t keep it from you.”

“Have you been talking to Pauline?” I asked of my buddy’s grandmother who’d hired the bounty hunter who caught Margene.

“Yes. And before you get any ideas about bothering her during your leave, don’t. She’s out of a town for a couple of weeks anyway.”

I let out a slow sigh. Fuck, she had me. “If there’s a true emergency, I’m not standing idly by.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. But only a true emergency.”

Reluctantly, I snatched the pen from the desk and scribbled my signature on the dotted line.

“Happy?”

Rosalyn had the audacity to widen her smile. “Very.”

I pushed out of the chair, ready to fall into my bed. Hell, now that I was forced to keep my nose out of police business for two whole fucking weeks, maybe I’d sleep for three days. It still wouldn’t be long enough to avoid Maggie Holland.

ELEVEN

ELLIE

My nose tickles.

Open eyes, Ellie Belly.

But go slow!

Tickle, tickle.

It’s a funny winged creature.