She wasn’t quite sure why the woman had begun speaking of her brother, and the loss of his wife, and where things stood in the community as far as his marriage eligibility.Maybe she was just bolstering her argument in the belief of how it might help the family’s stress levels…given the timing of things.At any rate, she wasn’t going to fixate the advent of the offer.It would allow her to get her life back under control after the accident and the complications it brought to her life and the plan.She would be able to regain her momentum and to follow through on Annie’s last wishes.The money she would save on lodging would be an answer to a prayer itself and along with the salary for helping with Jillie’s care…that should tide all of it over until the sale of the apartment and funds would be available for her to move on with her life.What that life would look like, she had no idea, but possibilities were always just around the corner as Annie would often say.She would hold on to that thought.
*
“You did what?”Matt’s office door was closed, and he was glad of it.The sheriff raising his voice to the mayor might not play well among those on the first floor of the courthouse.
“Calm down, Matthew,” she responded, settling back in the chair across from his, placing a wide expanse of oak desk between them.“Sit down and take a breath.You really should be careful of your blood pressure.You aren’t getting any younger.”
“Cut the blood pressure BS and explain why in the blue blazes you would think of such a scheme.You don’t really know anything about this person.And you decided that she would be good to take over after-school care for Jillie?”
“Do you seriously think I don’t know the answers to my questions before I ask them?I do my homework.You should try it sometime.But Ally was kind enough to offer up a contact that I could call…in fact three…but it only took me one to learn more about her than I wager you have.I am comfortable with having her stay in Primrose Inn, and more than secure in the fact that her experience with children in the choir at her church in New York and childcare settings will be just what we both need for peace of mind—and Jillie certainly already likes her.Besides, she’ll keep the wolves at bay from your doorstep.What do you call it when all roads come together and make a grand intersection of chance?Perfection?”
“More like the Bermuda Triangle.”
Tori shook her head and stood.“Honestly, little brother, sometimes I marvel that we’re related.You can be so obstinate and shortsighted.”
Matt stood also.“I marvel at it, too.But I call it being thorough and clear-minded.You might take lessons.And to remind you, I am the sheriff.I have a lot of access to information that most do not.To think that I have not already done a deep dive into our visitor shows how little you should assume you know.That was done before the sun rose on her second day here.”
“I did knock but Deputy Grover said I might want to borrow a SWAT helmet.Your voices were raised a bit, so I waited a couple of minutes.”Caden Lockwood, Tori’s husband, peeked around the doorway with a grin on his face.
“Please come in,” Matt invited with a sweep of his hand, “but only if you plan to take your wife someplace else.”
“Very amusing.”Tori made a grimace at her brother but stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on her husband’s cheek.“I would say maybe you can talk some sense into him, but that requires him to have a brain.Let’s go, dear.”She gave a tug on his arm and he had just enough time to shoot a look of commiseration in Matt’s direction.“I’ll take one for the team.Have a good afternoon.”The pair shut the door behind them.
Matt launched the pencil still in his hand onto the far corner of his desk and slumped back into the chair’s seat.He spun around to fix his gaze out the window where it was a perfect fall afternoon, with sunshine and trees turning leaves into muted greens, burnt oranges, and pale yellows.But he wasn’t really enjoying it.His brain was going over the half-baked idea his sister had just lobbed like a grenade into the peace of his office.
Yes, they needed someone for after-school duties to help with Jillian while Tori was out with a new baby.And yes, the pickings were turning up slim in the small town.Either too old, too young, or too single.Even some of the married ones had been marked off the list due to more interest in the dad than the daughter.But Tori had overstepped.It should have been him who found a suitable answer and set things in motion.But Tori had, as usual, gone right ahead and organized everyone’s life and then let him in on it.But just because he didn’t plow ahead like a bull in a china closet, did not mean he wasn’t doing due diligence.He preferred to do things quietly and his way.He was looking at both sides of the situation and the answers were swirling in his brain.When he was ready to make his decision known, he would.
Was she wrong?His brain wasn’t quick to answer that one.And that might be what irritated him the most.Looking at it all objectively, without being so closely involved as he was, he might have jumped on the bandwagon and checked off the list and marked it done.So, what was stopping him?He was just irritable.Why?The usual job issues?Nothing new there.Something amiss about the new visitor or her arrival?Well, he couldn’t really put any blame on her when it was his daughter’s fault, and Ally Jones hadn’t planned to have an accident and be stranded for any amount of time in Destiny’s River.So, what was the issue?
Think positives and not negatives.Sage advice he had used over the years from being raised in the foster care system with his siblings, to trying to raise a child on his own, and keeping a whole county safe at the same time.Positives about Ally Jones?She was nice.She had responded with warmth and kindness with Jillie.He hadn’t seen a moment of feeling sorry for herself but rather concern for others…including her dog.He had been pleased by what Tori had mentioned about her involvement with children back in New York.She had a heart for kids and animals.And even his interfering sister.She would have wanted to help a woman expecting a child—that was something he would bet on.A person’s soul could be glimpsed in their eyes.And there was a time or two he had been drawn to them.But it was from concern.And why did that seem to be something he was trying to convince himself of?Strange.
But his sister was going too far by suggesting that the female sharks in the town would be put off by Ally’s appearance in their lives.When sharks smelled fresh blood, they circled closer.Waiting for the moment to strike.Ally Jones was not bait.And he wasn’t about to let anyone harm her.And with that thought he envisioned his sister and knew she had done it again.Drew him in just like any other unsuspecting fly to her web.
Chapter Eight
“Well, you hitthe jackpot.You must have been born under a lucky star,” the nurse said, breezing through the doorway with a folder of papers in her hand, allowing the door to close behind her.
Ally paused in brushing her hair, trying to get some order to it without the help of much of her makeup or other sundries that were in a suitcase in a storage room.“Jackpot?”
“You’re being released a day sooner than first thought and that is good.Second, you get to stay at the Primrose Inn…which is just gorgeous and romantic as all get out.But the real prize is that you’re being chauffeured to your new digs by none other than our hunk of a sheriff himself.In fact, he’s waiting just outside at the nurses’ station for you.Too bad you don’t need a private duty nurse to come along and help you out, because it would be an honor to jump right in and raise my hand to volunteer.”
Ally gave a knowing smile.“I’m sure it would be a hardship to volunteer and all.But I don’t think it would have much to do with me.Besides, you’re a happily married woman or so the nurse on duty told me last night.”
“Too true.You got me there.My Roy is a pretty good guy…have him all broke in and don’t have the energy to do that all over again even with someone as gorgeous as Matt Parker.”She grinned.“If you’re ready, we’ll go over your discharge papers and appointments for checkups in a week or so.”Ally perched on the side of the bed and Taylor went over the papers and answered any questions.
There was a knock on the door.Taylor gathered the folder and walked over to open it.The sheriff stood there, his hands on the handles of a wheelchair.“I told Jimmy, the orderly, that I would take it from here.He didn’t seem to mind.Hope neither of you object.”
“No objection here.”The nurse grinned again and looked over to Ally, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed.
“None here,” Ally agreed, while wishing that she had been able to do a bit more with her appearance.The bruise was smaller but purpling even more.It didn’t exactly go with the dark green pullover sweater she had arrived at the hospital wearing, coupled with the same jeans.Taylor had supplied shampoo and other toiletries so at least she’d been able to shower and look a little presentable.She bent to try to get her remaining tennis shoe on her foot but it was slow going with her head still sore.A grimace replaced the smile.
“Here, let me.”The sheriff was across the room and taking the sneaker from her hand in a swift move.He went down on one knee, his hand taking control of her sock-covered foot.
“A real Prince Charming there.You’ve been practicing, Sheriff Parker?”Taylor was watching from the doorway, and she shot a quick wink over to Ally.
To his credit, Matt didn’t look up but took care of the task at hand.Only once the shoe was on and the lace tied with a small flourish did he glance up from his kneeling position, and Ally felt the full force of a Matt Parker smile…for a couple of seconds…and then it faded behind the countenance of a sheriff who became all business again.He pushed into a standing position, turning to move the wheelchair closer to her side of the bed.
“Thank you for your help with the shoe, but I don’t need for you to push me in a wheelchair.Save it for the patients in here who might need it.”
