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I don’t even get to look over at Adeline before a pie is promptly shoved into Lucy’s face, blue filling oozing out from behind the pie crust before it’s mercilessly dropped to the ground.

Sunflower immediately comes alive, chomping and eating every bit that fell onto Lucy and him, while I finally pull in Adeline.

And she’s furious.

So furious that another pie is shoved into Lucy’s face and, this time, Lucy screams as whipped cream and banana or coconut filling sticks and mixes with the previous assault.

And technically, it is assault.

And technically, I just witnessed it front row center.

And I can’t let it slide when Adeline just did it in front of a whole damn audience.

“Adeline,” I grind out, because what in the actual hell is going on with her lately? “C’mere.”

Adeline’s heated glower comes over to me, but when our eyes connect, it softens just a bit, and it isn’t going to last long.

Because I’m detaining her.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” I order, hearing a few women gasp in shock that I’m going to take in and book Adeline.

Not going to do all that unless Lucy wants to press charges.

However, just in case she has another pie somewhere hidden on her, I’d like to control the situation.

Adeline doesn’t fight me, handing over the semi-empty pie containers to one of the men in the crowd, and places her hands behind her back.

Unhooking my cuffs, I lightly clasp them around her wrists before I give her a light shove forward to get the hell out of here.

“Will someone please help, Miss Valor?” I prompt as I navigate Adeline through the crowd. “She needs to get cleaned up, and her eyes wiped off, at least.”

“Got it, Sheriff,” a gentleman calls out from behind me, Mr. Redding, I think, and I continue to move Adeline through the space while everyone gawks.

Some in shock.

Some in bewilderment.

Some looking at me like I’ve gone and lost my mind that I would arrest Adeline Kerrigan for anything because she’s Adeline Kerrigan.

The perfect staple and character of what Magnolia Ridge is and stands for.

Or was.

Not that anyone in this town would change their mind about that. Folks here love Adeline. This actually may cost me more than it’s going to cost her with my reputation and what I uphold, which is the law.

But, here it is like we have our own bylaws that trump the laws that allow people to get by the law and slide through without repercussion.

Small towns work differently.

This one is no different.

“Sheriff Abbott,” Mrs. Simpson says as we pass. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Not Adeline, no.

She only shoved two pies in someone’s face, but I’m the villain here.

I’m going to have to kiss ass to stay in the good graces of the town after this.