A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

“Hopefully, he won’t have to.” Sun sat back on her heels. “So, this is really happening. Clay is going to try to kill Levi, take over the distillery, and help Redding remove me from office.”

“Yes. And from what I heard, it’ll happen soon.”

Wonderful. “Hailey, are you being very, very careful? If Clay finds out …”

“I know the risks, Sun. I knew them when I came to you.” Hailey squeezed her hands. “I have to go. Please be careful.”

“You, too, sweetheart.”

They both stood just as Sun got a text.

She checked her phone. “Uh-oh. The wife needs me back at the office ay-sap.”

“Quincy?” Hailey asked with a soft chuckle.

“Yep. Are you good?”

“I’m good.”

“You know I can put you and Jimmy in protective custody.”

Hailey shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ll be careful. And I’ll let you know what else I find.”

Sun turned to leave and came face-to-face with an irascible redhead, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly ajar. Since Auri—as well as everyone else in town—believed Sun and Hailey were mortal enemies, standing in a dark storeroom holding hands with her could look odd.

Richard and Ricky screeched to a halt behind her, their faces panicked. They didn’t know who Hailey was or why she and Sun met in secret in their storeroom, but they knew no one could find out. Absolutely no one. Sun had stressed that ad nauseum when she set up the meets.

“Auri,” Sun said, then she turned on Hailey. “And don’t let me catch you back here again, Ms. Ravinder, or I will have you arrested.”

“You’re the sheriff,” Auri said, hardly biting.

“Right. I’ll arrest you myself. Because I can.” She nodded toward Auri. “Because I’m the sheriff.”

“At least now I know where I get my acting prowess from,” Auri said. She went in for a hug. “Hey, Ms. Ravinder.”

Hailey wrapped her up. “Hey, beautiful. Your mom and I were just discussing—”

“Coffee!” Ricky said. “We just got a shipment in from Ethiopia. Best coffee ever.”

Auri’s expression turned dubious. “And you call yourself a thespian.”

That did it. Ricky stood thoroughly offended. “This coming after that Academy Award–winning performance with your boyfriend.”

Sun’s phone dinged again. “I have to go. Quincy’s lost without me.” She put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and sobered. “You know how sometimes what I do is life or death?”

She nodded.

“This is one of those times, bug bite.”

A knowing smile spread across her lovely face. She looked from Sun to Hailey then back. “Got it.”

“Good girl. Now why aren’t you in school?”





14


Arrested for holding hands in public

because they didn’t know you and made a scene?

We can help!

—SIGN AT DALE SAUL, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW




Of all the crap she put on her daughter, now she had to entrust the girl with a secret certain members of society would kill for. She would talk to Auri about it later. Right now, Quincy was screaming at her. Metaphorically, as he’d used three exclamation points in his text.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she walked into the station a little worse for wear.

“Why? Don’t I look okay? I did have a Thin Mint I found in my car that tasted sketchy.”

He shook his head.

“What’s so urgent?”

“That.” He pointed to her office.

She stepped closer. Levi was inside, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. He stopped and turned toward her, his expression angrier than normal. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t care if he was angry. Or why. Her heart skipped a beat with the knowledge that he was still alive.

“He seems agitated,” she said to Quince.

“He is,” Levi responded, waiting for her to come to him. Apparently, he wanted some alone time in her office.

A frail voice drifted toward her. “Howdy, Sunshine.”

Mrs. Fairborn. Sun waved at the elderly woman who’d set up shop at Quincy’s desk. “Hey, Mrs. Fairborn. How’s the confession coming?”

“Fantastic. How do you spell bloodcurdling?”

“I’ll help you with that, Mrs. F.,” Anita said, scooting up a chair beside her.

Sun gave her another wave, then entered her office where she got a better view of Levi’s battered face than she had that morning. It looked worse than she’d hoped it would. Not that he wasn’t still ragingly handsome, but the deep blacks and blues around his left eye, not to mention his mouth, were troubling. Thankfully—and astoundingly—there wasn’t much swelling, but the subconjunctival hemorrhage had completely discolored the white of his left eye, leaving it a bright blood red.

“Please tell me you had that checked out.”

“Please tell me you found them.”

“Can you answer my question?”

“As soon as you answer mine.”

“You know, you’re still under arrest.”

“I’ve been under arrest for months. What makes today any different?”