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

she saw him, her flirty smile matching the sparkle in her dark eyes. She finished topping off a glass of beer and then strolled his way, wiping her hands on a towel. “What can I get for you, handsome?”
“Are you talking to me or the sheriff?”
She grabbed Mac’s coat collar and pulled him toward her. “I’m talking to the smoking-hot devil who will be sharing my bed later.”
Her warm kiss tasted like home sweet home and melted away his chills. Judging by her pink cheeks, rolled-up sleeves, and glistening skin, she was steaming at the moment.
“Be right back.” She filled a glass with beer and returned, placing it in front of him.
“Is that the shirt Chester gave you for Christmas?” Mac asked, pointing at her yellow T-shirt sporting a grizzly bear with the words, “WARNING! Will bite if poked.”
She nodded. “He should have given it to Kate. She’s been a real bear since this morning.”
“You mean before or after you two were caged in the Cholla County coop?”
She snapped him with the towel. “That was not my fault.” She turned to Grady with a grin. “Would you look at that? All this talk of smoke and bears conjured up the real deal. What’ll you have, Sheriff Harrison? An iced tea?”
He took off his hat and set it on the bar. “I’m off duty.”
“I’m liking you more by the minute. Pick your poison.”
“I’ll have the same as Mac, served with a side of truth about the events that took place this morning at the grocery store.”
Claire grimaced. “Am I going to regret not having an attorney present?”
“Off the record.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
She grabbed another glass and filled it, setting it down in front of Grady. “Okay, I’ll spill. Mac, you’re my witness in case the sheriff is crossing his fingers under the bar.”
“I have your back, Slugger, but you should know from the get-go that Grady is paying for my drink.”
“Son of a cocka-doodle-doo.” She hit Mac with a mock glare. “Look at you, cozying up to the law so easily. Breaks my outlaw heart.”
“Don’t worry,” Mac told her with a wink. “You can seduce me back to your bandido lair later tonight to cozy up with you instead.” He tipped his glass of beer, swallowing several gulps to take the edge off that long, lonely trip from Tucson. The beer tasted good, but Claire tasted better.
Ronnie stepped between Mac’s and Grady’s bar stools, rattling off an order of drinks to Claire.
“How was the drive in, Mac?” she asked as Claire walked away.
“Long and dark.” A glance in her direction turned into a full on stare. “What’s with the dress? You heading to a 1950s sock hop with Archie and Jughead after the bar closes, Veronica?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Aren’t you a crack-up? Don’t give up your day job yet.”
Unfortunately, quitting looked to be his only option if he wanted to spend more time with Claire.
Grady caught Ronnie’s wrist and tugged her his way. “You look nice tonight.”
“Just nice?” she teased, letting him pull her closer.
“Pretty enough to blind me and break my heart with one slow blink.”
She tapped a red fingernail on his badge. “Are you still on duty, Sheriff Hardass?”
Grady scowled around her at Mac. “See the sort of disrespect I put up with from these Morgan women?”
“You might as well save yourself time and throw them all in the clink.”
Ronnie slugged Mac’s on the shoulder. “Bite your tongue, Garner, or I’ll tell my new grandmother you’re threatening her kinfolk.”
Ronnie’s grandmother was Mac’s aunt Ruby, which made Claire his … something in-law. As glad as he was to see his aunt happy with Claire’s grandfather, he would have preferred to keep the limbs of their family trees less tangled. At least there was no DNA shared between them.
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Grady said, laughing as Ronnie threatened to wallop him. “Seriously, Veronica. It’s a lot safer in jail for Claire and you right now than out at the RV park.”
Mac sobered at the reminder of the killer on the hunt for the diamonds Ronnie and Claire had found. Yet another reason he hated being so far away from Jackrabbit Junction. He’d woken up too many times in Tucson covered with sweat thanks to a nightmare involving Claire, a loaded gun, and blood—hers.
No amount of hot air on his part had convinced her to return to Tucson with him where she would be safer. She refused to leave her sisters behind while a killer followed breadcrumbs that led to the RV park.
Claire brought over a tray of drinks, holding it out for her sister to take.
“You sticking around for a while?” Ronnie asked the sheriff, reaching for the tray.
“I’m off duty,” he said, his hand sliding over her hip in a sly caress. Mac would have missed it if he hadn’t been looking their way. “Maybe I could take you home later, if you’re available.”
“Whose home?” she asked, shouldering the tray.
“I’m easy. You pick.”
“I’ll think about it.” She blew him a kiss before heading off to deliver the drinks.
“Damned sassy woman,” the sheriff said with a grin.
“FYI, Grady,” Claire said. “Natalie is staying in Gramps’s Winnebago with Ronnie.” She left them to deal with a young pup in a Sun Devils cap farther down the bar who was hailing her.
“Who’s Natalie again?” he asked Mac.
“Ronnie and Claire’s cousin. She’s here from South Dakota to help Claire build my aunt a new back deck.”
“Right. The cousin. I met her once before. It was here at The Shaft, I’m pretty sure.” Grady sipped his beer, looking up at the television in the corner. A Coyotes hockey game was on the screen, the second period almost over. “Is Natalie allergic to the law, too?”
Mac smirked. “Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?”
“Christ.” Grady shook his head. “I’m going to worry my hair white by the next full moon because of these women.”
“Hey, Mac,” Kate said from behind him. “Glad you made it back again in one piece.”
Mac and