“I figured as much. I wanted to milk this opportunity for all it was worth. Grab your cell phone. Posting some selfies from jail will help your cause when you beg for bail.” He chuckled.
“Please tell me I get to put some decent clothes on too? Otherwise, there’ll be no selfies happening.”
Sheriff Ronnie’s gaze dropped to Gil’s Empire State Building boxer shorts. Gil had bought them two summers ago when he’d gone to the Big Apple to see friends. They were fun, but no one else was supposed to see them. “Hmm. Nice. I kind of pegged you as a guy who’d sport boxers with a puppy print.”
“I have a pair of those too.” Gil hiked a thumb behind him. “So, can I have a few minutes to change and maybe make a cup of coffee first?”
“Clothes, yes. But to get the full lockup experience, you’ll be drinking jailhouse coffee. Best hurry up. Next stop is Moira’s house.”
Gil narrowed his gaze. “We’re picking Moira up after this?”
“Mm-hmm. Miles is doing the honors of arresting Denise.”
Gil looked past the sheriff to the cruiser outside. “You have your lights flashing? You’ll wake up half the neighborhood.”
“And they’ll all know that their favorite mayor is being dragged down to the town jail.”
Gil frowned. Everyone on his street would be talking for sure. His parents lived next door, and he hadn’t thought to tell them he was participating in a jail lock-in this weekend. “Do I get one call once I’m at the station?”
Ronnie laughed. “I see you know your rights. We’ll see about that one call. The phone lines might be a little busy.”
Gil sighed. “I think you’re enjoying this way too much, Sheriff.”
“True. And I plan to take a lot of pictures to reflect fondly on this moment every time we bump heads on town issues in the future.”
Gil opened his front door wider and gestured for Ronnie to step inside. Then he quickly walked back to his bedroom and changed. He texted his mom from his bedroom and told her about the fundraiser. Then he asked her to take care of Goldie for him. Thankfully, this was the first time his parents had ever gotten word that one of their children was being taken to jail, and it was for charity.
After changing into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and brushing his hair and teeth, he grabbed his cell phone and met Ronnie back in the living room. “All right, Sheriff. Let’s go.”
Sheriff Ronnie held up a pair of handcuffs and jingled them proudly.
Gil stopped in his tracks. “You’re not serious.”
“Oh, but I am. It’s for charity, Mayor Gil.”
* * *
Ten minutes later, the deputy cruiser pulled in to Wimberly Court. As it slowed at Moira’s house, Gil had a sudden thought. This wouldn’t be the first time she had been taken to jail. She’d been through this before. Would this be hard for her? Traumatic even?
Ronnie pulled the car into her driveway and put the engine in park. “You stay here. I’m giving her the same wake-up call that you just got.”
Gil leaned forward in the back seat. “Uh, Sheriff, maybe you should let me do the honors.”
Ronnie twisted his body around to look at Gil. “Why’s that?”
Gil knew Ronnie was just having fun, but he was suddenly worried about Moira. She was a good sport, but this might be harder for her than Ronnie would understand. “Because, well, being woken by law enforcement was a bit of a rude awakening for me. I don’t want you to startle Moira.”
“And seeing you at her door would be less startling?” Ronnie asked, raising a wary brow. “I thought you two rubbed each other wrong.”
“Yeah, well, we kind of made a truce the other night. And I’m not wearing a badge and jingling handcuffs. I’m also not her boss. You are.”
Sheriff Ronnie seemed to consider this. “You’re taking all the fun out of this, you know?” He pointed at Gil. “She doesn’t get homemade coffee though. Jailhouse coffee.”
“Got it. She only gets to change clothes and brush her teeth. Like me.”
Ronnie frowned. “I’m timing you. No trying to escape,” he warned.
Gil gave him a questioning look. “We volunteered for this. Why would we escape?”
Ronnie shrugged. Then he reached into the back seat and unlocked Gil’s cuffs, setting him free. “Five minutes. Then I’m coming in.”
* * *
Moira was having the best dream. She was on Gil’s boat with him under a starry sky. She hadn’t said no this time. She’d said yes, and she was so glad she did. The air was cool and crisp on her skin, and when she shivered, Gil took off the lightweight jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around her shoulders.
The unexpected touch of his fingers brushing over her skin made her belly flutter with anticipation of more. The dream was a blur, but there was a familiarity between her and Gil. They were comfortable around each other. The awkward tension that was always vibrating in the air between them was gone, and all that was left was this warmness along with something more. Something completely satisfying and addictive. She and Gil kept making eye contact and laughing, but she wasn’t even sure what they were laughing about. They were just having fun.
Something knocked against the side of the boat, making a loud bang.
“What was that?” Moira asked in the dream.
Gil smiled and shrugged.
The knock came again until Moira stood and walked over to the sidewall of the boat to see where the sound was coming from.
“Do you hear that?” she called behind her.
Before Gil could respond, the boat rocked, and she went tumbling forward. Just in the nick of time, Gil reached out and grabbed her, pulling her against him before she fell overboard. For a moment, she stopped breathing. They were so close. Close enough to kiss, and some part of her had always wanted to kiss Gil.
The knock came again. Harder this time. Then the boat rocked, and both of them went tumbling forward into the cold ocean with a startling splash.
Moira sat up and gasped for air, blinking the view of her bedroom into focus. She ran a hand through her hair and realized someone was knocking on her front door. Her doorbell was broken. She needed to get that fixed. What time was it?
She eyed the bedside clock. Six thirty a.m.? Who in their right mind would be at her door this early on a Saturday morning? Grabbing a robe, she headed toward the door and peered out the peephole. Gil’s face came into view, and all the heat and memories of the dream she’d just been enjoying came rushing back to memory.
She was dreaming about him? And now he was on her doorstep? Maybe she was still dreaming.
He knocked again.
Moira wished she’d taken the time to at least brush her hair. She tightened her robe and finally opened the door for him. “Hi. What are you doing here?” Her gaze caught on the flashing lights in her driveway, where a sheriff’s car was parked. Her heart immediately took off racing. “What’s going on?”
“The lock-in that we agreed to,” Gil explained. “Sheriff Ronnie got it in his head that he’d arrest us first thing in the morning. He’s being a bit dramatic, if you ask me.”
Moira took a breath. “Oh. I see.”
Gil’s brows lowered. “Why? Did you think you were actually in trouble?”