In Cahoots with the Prickly Pear Posse (A Jackrabbit Junction Mystery--Book 5)

come to this? He rubbed his eyes, weary after the two-hour drive in the dark. How long could he continue working and living in Tucson during the week, going home night after night to an empty house and a lonely bed?
He leaned his head back against the seat rest, closing his eyes. He could still see the road’s broken yellow centerline behind his closed eyelids. Something had to give.
But it was Claire.
And her eyes.
The sweet smell of her hair.
That flirty smile.
Those soft lips.
Her curves … Yeah, he really liked her curves.
And then the sex. Sweet Jesus, the amazing sex. If she made him feel any better, he could be arrested.
Somebody knocked on his window.
It turned out to be not just anybody.
Speak of the devil. The sheriff of Cholla County motioned for him to roll down his window.
Grady Harrison stood there in his sheriff’s uniform, complete with cowboy hat and jacket. Shadows added more ridges and creases to his face than usual. Mac felt as tired as the sheriff looked.
He rolled down his window. “Evening, Grady. Please tell me Claire’s not in jail again.”
“She’s out for now.”
Mac cocked his head to the side. “For now?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” He sat forward. “I was at a jobsite south of Tucson all day and just rolled into town.”
Grady crossed his arms. “This morning at the grocery store in Yuccaville, an altercation occurred involving one of my deputies. He called it into dispatch as an AWDW and took it upon himself to jail the so-called guilty parties.”
“AWDW?”
“Assault with a deadly weapon.”
“Oh, shit.”
“According to my deputy, he made a comment on Kate’s weight gain due to pregnancy. Things escalated from there.”
“Kate? But you said Claire was in jail.”
“By association.”
Of course. Claire claimed repeatedly that Kate was the reason for the last several times she’d landed in one cell or another both here in Arizona and back where she’d grown up in South Dakota.
“What was the deadly weapon Kate used?” Mac asked.
“A shopping cart.”
“That’s a ‘deadly weapon’?”
“No. My deputy needs to go through some remedial training on the law and what charges are appropriate.”
Mac shook his head. “Well, at least it wasn’t her car this time.”
“Lucky for my deputy.”
“So what was Claire’s part in all of this? She didn’t play keepaway with your deputy’s handcuffs again, did she?”
Months ago, Grady’s deputy had tried to handcuff Kate during another altercation. Claire had grabbed the cuffs from him and thrown them into a grassy field. As far as Mac knew, those cuffs were still missing in action.
“No, but she did give him a bloody nose.” Grady sighed. “In the paperwork, he claims Kate assaulted him via multiple threats to his person and Claire battered him with her elbow.”
Mac cursed under his breath. “Who posted bail?”
“Nobody. I let them out on a promise from Veronica that they’d behave until I could find some time to clear up this mess and convince my deputy to drop the charges.”
“Crap. The three musketeers are at it again.”
“You heading inside?” Grady asked, thumbing toward the bar.
“Yep.” Mac planned on sticking around to help Claire and her sisters close the place up later.
“Good. You can be my backup when it comes to corralling Kate. She gets itchy feet when I’m around.”
“I think all three of them are allergic to the law.”
“That is the nitty-gritty of the matter right there. Veronica cringes at the sight of my badge like a vampire near a cross.” Grady frowned toward the bar. “I’ll make a deal with you. Help me get to the bottom of this morning’s dispute and I’ll buy you a drink.”
“It sounds like I owe you a drink for letting my girlfriend out of the slammer for free.”
Mac rolled up the window. He grabbed his keys and joined Grady, pulling his coat tight around him. The wind had a definite bite to it tonight. He sniffed in the cold. The aroma of grilled meat in the air woke up his stomach.
They rounded the side of the building. “Does Butch know about Kate’s trip to jail today?” Mac asked. The bar owner wasn’t supposed to return for another couple of days, if memory served him right.
“No. Veronica asked me not to contact Butch. Kate doesn’t want to disturb him while he’s with his family.”
“I call bullshit. She doesn’t want him to find out she’s back to her Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine.” At least that was what Claire and Ronnie liked to call it when Kate acted sane one moment and then flipped into crazy-mode the next.
Grady grunted. “Back? When did she stop? She’s been sipping on that madwoman potion since she moved here.”
Mac reached the door first. When he opened it, a blast of warm air and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” knocked him back a step. He held the door wide for the sheriff.
The crowd inside The Shaft was so thick Mac couldn’t have stirred them with a stick. The smell of burgers was stronger inside, joined by the scent of hops and malted barley. His mouth watered as he searched for Claire.
“I’d like to have his job,” Grady said, scowling toward the pool tables.
Mac followed his gaze, seeing a familiar face lining up a shot at the eight ball. Special Agent Brown was on duty tonight, apparently. “You want to work for the FBI?”
“No, but I’d rather spend my day watching Veronica and playing pool than writing up accident reports and busting drug dealers.”
“You’d be bored within a week and start harassing the wait staff.”
“Harassing?” Grady grinned. “Depending on Veronica’s mood, she might call it that.” He returned Agent Brown’s nod in their direction with a quick wave.
A path cleared to the bar. Mac spotted Claire pouring drinks on the other side. “I see a couple of seats at the bar.”
“Lead the way.”
They parted the sea of bodies, settling onto the stools at the end of the bar near the swinging batwing doors dividing the kitchen and Butch’s office from the rest of the place.
Claire did a double take when