Chapter 7
Robert leaned against the corner of Amy’s desk and folded his arms across his chest. “So, how do you like the job, Amy?”
Her gaze lingered on the way the sleeve of his uniform stretched around his bicep. Averting her eyes, she cleared her throat. “I like it.”
The more Amy worked at the sheriff’s office, the more she enjoyed her job and this small town. She missed the hustle and bustle of waiting tables, but she didn’t miss drunk or belligerent customers and their lewd comments. Dale and Brady, the other two deputies, who’d taken turns helping her the last two days, were both friendly, but not as talkative as Rudy. However, like Rudy, they both had a deep respect for Sheriff Winters, despite being older than him.
“Are you comfortable with everything?” Robert asked.
“I think so. I still get nervous every time the emergency line rings.” She’d only answered half a dozen non-emergency calls all week. She dreaded the day a true emergency came through.
“We all get that feeling of dread at the possibility of an emergency. It’s usually followed by a burst of adrenaline.”
When Robert lingered, Amy realized he’d be taking his turn hanging around the office to make sure she could handle anything that came up. She chewed her bottom lip. Would he be scrutinizing her performance?
It wouldn’t be a big deal if she didn’t find him so attractive. Tall, dark, and handsome. He was almost as attractive as Ben.
Oh brother, I’m as bad as my mom.
“Great. I look forward to it.” Robert stood and walked to his office, calling over his shoulder, “Let me know if you need anything.”
Amy let out a deep breath and brushed her hair back when he walked away.Look forward to what?She had a feeling she’d missed something Robert said before he walked away—while she was distracted by his biceps—but she was relieved to have him gone.
Four hours later, Amy greeted Rudy when he walked through the front door.
Robert stepped out of his office within seconds of Rudy’s arrival and stared at Amy. “Are you ready?”
Ready? For what?
Rudy stood by her desk, waiting for her to vacate her chair. Then it dawned on her. It was lunchtime, and he was here to cover her lunch break. But what was Robert waiting for? Had she agreed to go out to lunch with him when she’d been distracted by his muscles?
Robert pulled his keys from his pocket and stared at her.
Apparently, she had. Pulling her purse from her desk drawer, she followed Robert out the door.
Five minutes later, she sat across from her boss at Charity’s diner at the same table where she ate breakfast less than a week ago. This was awkward.
This isn’t considered a date, is it? No. It can’t be.She couldn’t date. Not for a very long time.We’re just co-workers having lunch. That’s all.
Robert’s charm and skill at making conversation set her at ease, and she laughed and shared snippets of information about herself she didn’t easily share with people.
Her gaze repeatedly drifted to the repair shop across the street, hoping for a glimpse of Ben. When she went to pick up a few necessities after work yesterday, she noticed Ben had washed, vacuumed, and gassed up her car.
When he showed up after dinner last night to mow his parents’ lawn, she’d watched for him to finish, so she could thank him. But he took the riding lawn mower to Debbie Wheeler’s house to mow her lawn as well.
Did he mow for the widow to supplement his income? She had no clue how much mechanics earned, but she’d learned he lived in the apartment above the repair shop. His rent probably wasn’t very high, since his aunt owned the apartment. The same aunt who refused to let him pay for his meals at the diner.
When the mower shut off, she glanced out the window to find Debbie handing him a glass of lemonade, which he accepted with a smile. Perhaps Janice was wrong. Ben did seem to be deep in his grief at times, but the Widow might get him to surface after all.
The thought made her stomach drop and her chest tighten. She was attracted to Ben, and it didn’t help that thoughts of him and all he’d lost were never far from her mind. Her heart hurt for him.
Pulling her eyes, but not her thoughts, away from the repair shop, she turned back to Robert. “Rudy said you hadn’t been sheriff long when... Ben’s wife... died in the car accident. Was that difficult to deal with?”
Robert’s eyes narrowed then clouded. He laid his fork on his plate and pushed it aside. His eyes remained on the table in front of him.
She’d caused him to lose his appetite.Good thing he was almost done.
All joviality disappeared from Robert’s face. He cleared his throat. “At the police academy, they teach you how to be tough when dealing with criminals. Then they tell you to be compassionate when breaking the news to someone who has lost a loved one. But they never prepare you to have to break such news to your own family.” His voice lowered as he spoke. “Telling my best friend his wife died in that car accident was hard but having to turn around and tell him his baby had vanished was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
