Page 22 of Rogue Wave

I couldn’t exactly yell at him with my scuba mouthpiece in, so I just pulled out my second scrub brush I’d brought for this exact scenario.

I moved to the windows to try to clean them as quickly as I could.

He changed color slightly, from red to white and red to full bright red again as he slid himself directly between me and the glass I was trying to clean.

We had now moved on from general curiosity to intentional obstruction.

Thankfully, I’d come prepared. I opened my zippered fanny pack and pulled out his favorite orange hamster ball with a crab inside. As much as he loved to play with me, he couldn’t resist his favorite snack.

The crab did the trick. I was finally able to finish cleaning the glass distraction free—well, mostly.

I had just exited the tank, helped the intern close up the barn doors on top so Nigel couldn’t escape, and was changing out of my wetsuit when I heard my phone ping with a few new messages.

I dried off and made my way over to my phone.

I was quite surprised to see Hank’s name pop up.

Had something new developed in the investigation?

Swiping to read the text, my curiosity turned to frustration immediately.

Hank:

Your front porch light has been out for two days now. You need to fix that.

Ugh. I know that, Hank!

I didn’t have the correct lightbulb replacement and hadn’t been to the store yet to get another, but I would. Jeez, this man was something else.

First, Nigel’s stubbornness, and now Hank was adding his own version.

Why did all the males in my life insist on testing my patience?

7

“Are you an aquarium exhibit? Because I could stare at you all day.”

—It’s Sea-duction

Hazel

It was just before noon, and I was on my way out the door to go to work. After I locked my place up, I trotted down the front steps and took notice of Hank’s Sheriff SUV that had just pulled up and parked in the street, blocking his own driveway…and mailbox.

I wasn’t missing this opportunity, so I started to walk over toward him just as he was climbing out of the driver’s side door.

“Uh, Sheriff, you can’t park there. You’re blocking a mailbox,” I yelled, throwing the words he’d given me a few days ago right back at him.

His only response was to turn and growl at me. That’s when I saw the blood on his shirt and his face. From this distance, I couldn’t tell if he was still actively bleeding or if it was just dried blood.

I gasped and started to rush over to him. “You’re bleeding!”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” he muttered under his breath, but I still heard it.

He never stopped moving toward his own front door, so I followed behind him and Shadow, whose head was like a bobblehead going back and forth between looking ahead of where she was walking and back up at Hank, obvious concern in her eyes.

“Are you okay? Why are you bleeding? What happened?” The questions tumbled out of me as I rushed to follow him and Shadow into his house, pushing past a closing door.

“I’m fine. Go home,” he growled, but I ignored his command.