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She smiled. “You didn’t think I did all this by myself, did you? I’d have dropped dead from exhaustion years ago.”

“I was beginning to wonder when you slept.”

“Not nearly enough.”

By the time their entrées arrived, Amanda realized she’d told him more about her career than she normally shared on a first date—the few she'd been on in recent years. In return, he told her about becoming sheriff and some of the differences between running the department and being a deputy. He carefully avoided anything confidential, but his stories about county bureaucracy and local politics made it clear that catching criminals was sometimes the easiest part of his job.

She cut into her steak and nearly moaned when she tasted it. “Okay, the cow can forgive me. This is fantastic.”

“I told you this place was good.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I thought I did. Well, at least I was going to.”

“Doesn’t count.”

Grady snickered and returned to his meal.

As they ate, the conversation wandered from Antelope Rock to Los Angeles and back. She told him how strange it felt to visit Antelope Rock again after more than two decades and find that some things were exactly as she remembered, while others had changed completely.

Eventually, he asked about the school and her community service.

She swallowed a bite of potato and dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “I hate to give you and Judge Johns the satisfaction, but I'm actually enjoying myself.”

He beamed at her. “Is that so?”

“Don’t get excited, Sheriff Not-Charming. I still maintain that fifty hours was excessive.”

He chuckled at the nickname. “I see that one’s sticking.”

“It suits you.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“Anyway, as I said, the fifty hours is excessive, but the kids are great.” She told him about the sets they were building for Footloose and some of the students’ ideas. “A few of them are getting art credits for helping, so I’ve been working mostly with that group. They’re talented. Really talented. And they actually listen, which is more than I can say for some adults I work with.”

Grady laughed and asked her about the production, and before Amanda knew it, she was describing the work they’d accomplished that afternoon, the costumes they still needed to finish, and how impressed she was with the drama teacher and chorus director.

She paused, fork suspended above her plate, when she noticed the expression on his face. “What?”

“You really like it.”

She thought about arguing on principle, but it wasn’t worth it. She’d just spent several minutes enthusiastically telling him about fake scenery.

“Fine. I like it.”

“Careful. Sounds like Judge Johns might’ve accidentally sentenced you to something you enjoy. I don't think that's the point of community service.”

She pointed her fork at him. “If you tell him that, I’ll deny every word.”

Grady raised his beer in a mock toast. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

"Thank you."

She'd come tonight intending to make Sheriff Grady Minor regret asking her out.

Instead, she was sitting in a crowded steakhouse dressed like an eighties reject, having one of the best first dates she could remember.