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and the insurance company agree that it’s time for my car to go to the great junkyard in the sky. Even if he could repair the front fender, he started calling junkyards to see about a rear fender and gave up when he got to New York area codes.”
    “Sorry to hear it. What’s next?”
    “I need a copy of the report, of course, to send to them. And then I wait for a check from them and start watching the classifieds.”
    Drew leaned back in his chair and tried to think of anybody he knew who was selling something decent for a reasonable price, but came up blank. “You can drive the Mustang as long as you need to, you know.”
    Pink tinted her cheeks and he knew she’d prefer not to have to rely on his help. “Josh said I could drive the lodge’s pickup. The older one they plow with.”
    “The Mustang’s a bit of a gas hog, but nowhere near as bad as that truck. You may as well have Paige write your paychecks out to the service station if you take him up on that offer.”
    “It shouldn’t be long, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”
    He didn’t. “I like seeing it go down the road. When I do get a chance to take it out, I’m inside, so I don’t get to see how awesome it looks on the move.”
    “She does like to move.”
    He tried to give her a stern look, but it dissolved into a chuckle. “Officer Durgin has his eye on you, just so you know. He’s pretty outraged I lent one of those Kowalski kids a fast car.”
    “Did you tell him—”
    “No.” He shook his head. “He doesn’t need any more fuel in his fire when it comes to you guys.”
    “I wonder if my mom knew he had the hots for her? Rosie said they never dated as far as she knew, and she knows almost everything.”
    “I don’t know. But I guess wanting a woman and not being able to have her sticks with a guy.”
    The second the words were out of his mouth, he wanted them back. Wanting Liz and not being able to have her was sticking with him, that was for sure. But she didn’t seem to read anything into what he said.
    The department’s secretary stuck her head into his office. “Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but you have a meeting at the town hall in ten minutes.”
    “Thanks, Barbara. Hey, can you get a copy of the police report I left on your desk this morning? Kowalski, Elizabeth S.”
    “That sounds very official,” Liz said once Barbara returned to her desk. “It’s still a little weird to me that you’re not only a cop, but the chief of police.”
    “Sometimes it’s still a little weird to me, too. I think Mitch and I were voted Most Likely to Be Felons back in high school.”
    Barbara came back and handed the paper to Liz. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt, honey.”
    “Thank you.” She had very vague memories of Barbara as a child, but she couldn’t quite place her.
    “Elementary school secretary,” Drew supplied helpfully once Barbara was gone again.
    “That’s right. I think I liked her.” She gave the paper a quick scan and then stood. “I’ll let you get to your meeting. Thanks again.”
    “It’s my job.”
    She gave him a warm, genuine smile that made him feel like a mini marshmallow dropped into a mug of hot chocolate. “I think the car goes above and beyond.”
    “Not for you.” The words hung between them, and he waved them off before she could question his meaning. He hoped. “You know, being Mitch’s sister has to have some perks to make up for what a pain in the ass he is.”
    For a fleeting second, he thought she looked almost disappointed, but then she laughed. “As perks go, that car’s pretty sweet.”
    After she was gone, he took a second to put his thoughts back in order. He had a meeting to go over a grant he was trying to get to buy the department an ATV so they could help, along with the ATV club’s unofficial trail patrol, police the influx of riders they’d seen lately.
    Instead, all he could think about was what a dumb thing he’d said. Not for you. It was pretty sappy, and he could