“Please, call me Amy.” She cleared her throat and told him a brief version of her car breaking down and how she found herself in a difficult position financially. When she mentioned Ben taking her to the diner for breakfast, the sheriff’s eyebrows shot up.
“He ate breakfast with you?”
Taking a stranger to the diner was obviously not normal behavior for Ben.Rightly so, since he’s married.Which made all the diners’ encouraging smiles that much more confusing.
“Notwithme, no. But he paid for my meal.” Despite Charity’s generosity, Ben had dropped some money on the table on their way out.
“Still...” the sheriff said, a grin splitting his handsome face.
Amy wasn’t sure what to make of his comment, so she remained silent.
“And you’re staying with the Youngs?”
“Yes.” She thought about Hope’s desire for Ben to stay for dinner. “I get the feeling they’d do anything for Ben.”
“We’dalldo anything for Ben,” he said with a fierceness that surprised her. Then he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Tell me, what type of previous work experience do you have?”
Could she leave out the last six months without raising the sheriff’s suspicions? Amy pasted on a smile. “I’ve worked in the same restaurant and bar since I was fifteen. Initially, busing tables, then as a hostess. I’ve waited tables for the past seven, and I was the day manager for a year.”
“Do you have any experience with computers?”
Kallie made sing-song noises in the stroller beside her, and the sheriff’s gaze shifted to her. When Amy first arrived, she’d apologized for bringing a baby with her, but he’d brushed it off like it was no big deal.
As the interview continued, his gaze repeatedly returned to Kallie. After a few more minutes of conversation, the sheriff leaned forward and planted his elbows on the desk. “I’d like to give you the job.”
The knot of tension in Amy’s shoulders released, leaving her feeling light and hopeful. She fought the urge to pump her fist in the air. “Great! I can start right away.” Then her spirits sank as quickly as they had risen. “But I need to find a babysitter.”
He rubbed his jaw for a moment, deep in thought. “I might know someone who could watch her. Give me a few minutes to make a phone call.” As he led her to the foyer, he handed her an application. “It’s merely a formality, but I do need references. And I’ll need to do a background check. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
She had plenty of skeletons in her closet, but nothing that would show up on a background check. Who should she list as a reference?
“No, but the restaurant where I worked was sold six months ago, and I didn’t exactly get along with the new owner. Is it okay if I list the previous owner as a reference?”
Sheriff Winter’s brown eyes remained on her face. “That’s fine, but did your issues with your most recent boss have to do with your work ethic?”
“More like his work ethic,” Amy said, hoping he’d let it go.
The sheriff scratched his jaw. “List him as a reference and I’ll be sure to take anything he says with a grain of salt.”
Before returning to his office, the sheriff crouched to play with Kallie., studying her face intently.
A ripple of unease shot through Amy, making her stomach churn.What is it with people in this town and my daughter?
* * *
Adrenalin tightenedSheriff Winters chest as he returned to his office. Amy seemed nice, but before he officially hired Amy, he needed to make sure she wasn’t a kidnapper.
He pulled a file from his desk. He’d retrieved it after Uncle James called. He didn’t need the file in front of him—he had every detail of this particular case memorized. Turning to his computer, he opened the age-progression software and uploaded the image of the missing baby from the file.
He held his breath as hope surged in him.Will I finally be able to close this case once and for all?
He studied the result.
Stomach sinking, he let out the breath he’d been holding. The baby in the photo, despite the blue eyes and curly, blond hair, was not the one out in the foyer. He let out a deep sigh, pulled out his cell phone, and texted Uncle James.
The baby is not Cassey.
