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Amanda waved back and then opened the bag. A note rested on top of a small newspaper-wrapped bundle, and she picked it up.

Thought this would give you something to look forward to until your car is fixed. The undercarriage was fine, so I had it moved to a local body shop. Here’s Nick’s number—he’ll take good care of your baby.

Nearly dreading what she was about to find and looking forward to it at the same time, she pulled the small object out of the bag and unwrapped it.

“That insufferable jerk!” She glared at the blue, die-cast 1970s Corvette in her palm. So this was how he wanted to play it? Fine. She was more than happy to oblige. “Argh! This means war!”

She dropped the car back into the bag and did her best not to throw it on the ground and run over it with Edith’s truck. A couple of deep breaths later, she was a bit calmer and determined to get even with the cocky bastard. It was time to raise the stakes.

The next day, Grady dragged his ass to work, clutching his coffee like a lifeline and groaning as he dropped into his desk chair. For some damn reason, he’d tossed and turned most of the night, getting no more than an hour or two of sleep at a time. Whenever he woke, his brain immediately kicked into gear.

Sometimes he’d thought about the early-morning meeting he had scheduled with the county commissioners to discuss the growing number of unsolved burglaries across Rockland. Other times, his thoughts had wandered to Amanda and what she might send in retaliation for his latest gift. At least those musings had been far more entertaining.

Taking that first glorious sip of coffee, he sighed in pleasure, trying to figure out how he could leave early today. A knock at his door made him nearly whimper. It was too damn early for problems to pop up.

“Come in.”

The door swung open. “Delivery came for you this morning, Sheriff,” Olivia announced, holding a familiar-looking brown gift bag.

He perked up slightly. “That was quick.”

“She offered to pay me more to toss your gifts in the garbage instead of delivering them.” She crossed the room. “I turned her down because this is too entertaining, but maybe I should get you two into a bidding war.” She set the bag on his desk, right in front of him.

“Maybe you should.” He pulled it closer, but before opening it, he looked at Olivia expectantly.

It took her a moment to realize he was waiting for her to leave. “Oh, right. Give me a holler when you’re ready to send something back. This is fun!”

He didn’t reply. Once the door closed behind her, he opened the bag and pulled out the contents.

His exhaustion disappeared, and a laugh burst from his chest as he set Amanda’s gift on the desk. It was a bright pink stuffed pig dressed in a classic policeman’s uniform, complete with a tiny badge and hat. A note was pinned to its round belly. Carefully freeing it, he flipped the paper open.

Thanks for the car—here’s your own reminder of my day from hell.

“Oh Lord, this woman has balls—I’ll give her that.” Still chuckling, he pocketed the note and gave the pig a place of honor on the bookshelf behind him.

Chapter Fourteen

It was Monday afternoon, and Amanda still hadn't heard a peep from Grady since sending him the stuffed pig on Friday. Nothing over the weekend, and Olivia hadn't shown up with another delivery today either. Not that Amanda had been watching for her or anything. Maybe the sheriff had finally gotten tired of their little game. She refused to examine why that possibility disappointed her. Somewhere along the way, their ridiculous little war had become one of the highlights of her days in Antelope Rock.

She pulled into the school parking lot, found a spot, grabbed her bag, and headed inside. It was her third day assisting the drama department, and much to her surprise, she was enjoying it. The kids were excited about the production and worked harder than some of the professionals she dealt with. Being around them brought back memories of her own teenage years, when she’d helped with her high school’s plays. She hadn’t thought about those days in a long time.

Walking through the halls toward the auditorium, she mentally cataloged everything she wanted to accomplish with the group that afternoon. They were making excellent progress and would be ready for opening night in plenty of time. The drama teacher and chorus director were amazing with the kids and made the whole community-service experience a pleasure. She was beyond impressed with their abilities and dedication to the program. What started as a court-ordered obligation had become something she already looked forward to. Opening night was only three weeks away, so she would probably still be in Antelope Rock and could attend.

While she worked with a group of students earning art-class credits by helping with the sets and costumes, those with roles in the musical practiced their lines, songs, and dance routines. Three hours flew by, and before she knew it, it was time to head back to her aunt’s.

Her stomach growled. She’d eaten lunch too early and forgotten to bring a snack.

She packed her bag and waved goodbye to the kids as they left. After double-checking she had everything, she followed them out, leaving the teachers to turn off the lights and lock the doors.

By the time she arrived home, she was starving but too tired to cook. Maybe Aunt Edith would have some ideas.

Lost in thought, Amanda carefully climbed the wobbly porch steps, wondering how many more times she’d climb the damn things before remembering to find someone to fix them, and went inside.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Edith greeted her from her seat at the kitchen table. “You’re just in time. Dinner’s ready.”

A delicious aroma teased her nose, and her stomach protested its emptiness once more. “Wow, it smells amazing in here. You didn’t cook, did you!? You know you’re not supposed to be up that long.”

“Don’t grouch at me, girlie. No, I did not cook. But someone else sure did.” Edith pointed to an unfamiliar-looking Crockpot on the table next to two clean plates and some utensils. “The sheriff made it himself and then delivered it not more than five minutes ago. Told me to give you this too.”