“Well, his family is one of the most influential families in town.”
“Let me guess, the other influential families are the Knights and the Youngs?” It made sense that the three sisters, who were so generous, would have an impact on the small community.
“Bingo! I’d list a few other families too, but yes, we affectionately call Faith, Hope, and Charity the three matriarchs. Robert’s father’s family has lived in Providence for generations too. His uncle, Dawson Winters, was the previous sheriff and groomed Robert to take his place. He retired from being sheriff to be the local justice of the peace.”
“Did Faith, Hope, and Charity grow up in Providence?”
Exactly how closely is everyone related?
“No, they’re transplants. I don’t know all the details, but I think Dr. Young and Miss Faith worked at the same hospital in some big city, and when he decided to come back to Providence, she came too.”
“Were they dating at the time?” Amy asked, curious. She remembered the smile Hope and James shared when Hope saidProvidence was a good place for a fresh start.
“I don’t know. I think they were just friends. When Faith decided to stick around, her sisters came to visit, and they ended up staying too. Anyway, Robert had been sheriff less than a year when Melanie Young died in the car accident and her daughter disappeared. He did an amazing job, processing the scene of the accident meticulously. The sheriff worked harder than anyone to organize searches and get the baby’s picture distributed to every law enforcement agency and media outlet throughout the nation. He personally followed up on every lead and refused to give up searching and doing everything possible to find Ben’s daughter, even after the other agencies withdrew.” Rudy paused for a moment before continuing, “I’m not sure he’ll ever get over the fact he couldn’t solve that case.”
A now-familiar pain twisted Amy’s heart every time she thought about all Ben had lost. Dealing with such a difficult case must have been hard for Robert. Being the sheriff in such a situation would have been stressful enough, but Cassey was his cousin’s daughter.
Just like every other time she thought about Ben, Amy wished there was something she could do to help him.
* * *
Ben broughtAmy’s car to a stop in front of his parents’ house as Amy unbuckled Kallie from the stroller. Today was Wednesday, and he hadn’t seen them since Sunday evening. It had been all he could do to keep from dropping by to check on them every day. Instead, he’d spent long hours rebuilding her car’s transmission, so he would have an excuse to come over.
He didn’t understand the draw to be near them, but he was glad they seemed to be doing well.
Amy waited on the porch with a smile so big it reached her eyes while he walked up the driveway.Is she happy to see me or her car?A part of him hoped it was the former.
He dangled the keys in front of her. “All fixed.”
In addition to rebuilding the transmission, he’d changed the oil, replaced the air filter, checked the tires, and topped off the fluids, including the gas tank. But she didn’t need to know all that.
“Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.” Her fingers brushed his when she took her keys.
An electric jolt shot through his hand and up his arm. He jerked back and shrugged off her compliment. “It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it, I guess.”
“Seriously, Ben. I could kiss you.” Amy’s eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks turned crimson, making her even more attractive.
“Excuse me?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. “Sorry, I didn’t... mean to say that. I tend to speak without thinking.” She opened her eyes again but didn’t meet his gaze. “I meant to say... I did a little research online about rebuilding transmissions, and I appreciate how hard you worked to fix my car... for me.”
Last Saturday, she grabbed his hand when she expressed her gratitude and now she wanted to kiss him for the same reason?
It’s just a figure of speech.
Of course, she didn’t really want to kiss him. But the thought of kissing Amy sounded very appealing. His gaze dropped to her lips. He liked how her bottom lip was a little fuller than the top.
Ben shoved his fists in his pockets.Why on earth am I thinking about kissing Amy?
Kallie took the keys from Amy’s hand and jiggled them, pulling him from his crazy thoughts.
Amy’s brow furrowed. “How much do I owe you?”
Ben waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I appreciate your help, but I have every intention of paying my bill in full. It’ll probably take me months, but I’ll pay every penny.”
The woman’s self-esteem may have taken a hit when she caught her boyfriend cheating, but she had spunk.
