She envied the other woman’s svelte figure. Short blond hair brushed against her neck and jaw and framed a heart-shaped face and gray eyes.
Hannah had had all three of her children in school. They were just as easygoing, and as frighteningly self-confident, as their mother.
“Hello, Mae.” The hazards of a small town, Hannah thought. She knew just about everyone.
“Come on back, dear,” Mae hooked her arm with her own and began leading her back. “Are you enjoying the summer without all those kids yelling back and forth?”
Summer vacation had just started the week before.
“I’m still missing them.” Hannah shook her head with a laugh. “Those are my kids, too, Mae. Their parents have all taken them away from me for the summer.”
In pa
rt, it was the truth. There were days she prayed for summer vacation, but once it arrived, she missed all those young minds and amazingly adept personalities.
“Lord, child, you should remarry and have your own kids,” Mae told her as they reached the sheriff’s office. “You’ll change your tune.”
They were still laughing as Mae opened the door and they stepped in. Hannah almost came to a hard, pulse-pounding stop at the sight of the sheriff, dressed in his customary jeans and dark gray shirt as he laid a file on Mae’s desk.
He had a brooding, wary look as his eyes narrowed on Hannah. The golden-brown gaze was disconcerting, probing, and she often feared it saw more than she ever wanted it to see.
“Hannah.” He nodded shortly.
“Good morning, Sheriff.” She clutched her purse tighter. “How’s Kent doing?”
Kent had been in her class two years before, just after his mother’s death. He’d been well adjusted, happy, laughing. He hadn’t acted like a child that had just lost his mother.
“Doing fine,” he answered as he leaned against Mae’s desk, his gaze intent. “Mona browbeat me into letting him take another of those summer trips with her. Stole him right away from me about an hour ago.”
There was an attempt at humor, but she could sense the vein of discontent, as well. He hadn’t wanted to lose his son for the summer, but evidently Mona and Kent had outvoted him. Kent, charmer that he was, was good at getting his way.
“I hope he enjoys himself,” she stated as she drew in a long, slow breath and glanced at Mae. “Could I speak to you a moment alone, Sheriff? I promise not to take up much of your time.”
She didn’t dare.
He glared at her, his eyes narrowing as though she were indeed putting him out.
“Come on.” He nodded toward the office. “Would you like coffee or a soft drink?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head and entered the office.
The door closed forcefully behind her, causing her to jump and turn in surprise to face the glare that had turned into brooding anger.
“Since when the hell do you call me sheriff, Hannah?” he growled as he stalked to his desk before turning back to her, his expression dark.
“Well, you are the sheriff.” She hooked the strap of her purse over her shoulder before crossing her arms mutinously over her breasts. Mostly to hide the fact that her nipples were hardening in his presence.
His frown deepened. “You didn’t call me sheriff last summer.”
“Last summer we had two dinner dates and I never heard back from you.” She smiled sweetly to cover the fact that it bothered her. A lot. He hadn’t even kissed her. Two wasted evenings, two wasted weeks waiting, hoping, fantasizing. For nothing.
The bastard.
“So we’re strangers because I never took you out again?” If anything he seemed angrier.
Hannah sighed wearily. “No, Rick, I’m not here because of a dinner date or as a friend. I’m here because I need your advice in an official capacity.”
He didn’t move, he didn’t even seem to breathe. He turned to ice. She watched the transformation in fascination. Pure ice. Icy golden eyes, expressionless face, stone-cold.