Perhaps Liz was right. Could it be time to put his heart on the line again? Was it worth it?
She’d been telling him for almost a year that he needed to brighten his life, find something new to be interested in, if not a woman, something else. But his job took precedence over everything. What woman was going to accept that?
Was that why Liz brought someone from afar to be his companion? He gnawed at his upper lip, staring at himself. He wasn’t a bad man. He tried very hard to be a good man.
“Lord, what do I do?” He asked aloud. “I don’t want to get another woman killed, especially one that I love.” He was quiet for a moment, hoping God would speak to him through the mirror. He pulled in a deep breath. It wasn’t going to happen. “I’ll see her tonight.”
His chest became tight with anxiety for a moment before it released and he felt peace fill him.
Maybe everything would turn out all right if he just kept his cool and talked to her to see what kind of woman she was.
And prayed.
Chapter Four
There were more people at the party than Hettie expected. She sat in a garden chair, watching them all. They talked and laughed, milling around the garden, admiring Liz’s fine work in such an arid atmosphere. The grass under their feet was green. Bushes and trees had been planted. Liz and John had placed stone tablets along the garden area and around the yard, so visitors didn’t need to step onto the grass or disrupt the vegetation.
“Aren’t you hungry, Hettie?” John asked, stepping over to where she was sitting. “You spent a lot of time preparing this food for everyone. You must have some, too.”
Hettie nodded. “I will. Don’t worry.” She smiled, reached over to the small white table next to her and picked up a thinly sliced carrot stick. She took a quick bite and chewed, still smiling at him. He nodded and laughed.
“Good for you.”
“John! Who is this lovely young lady?” An older man had approached and was leaning toward Hettie to take her hand. Hettie lifted it, and the man kissed it gently. “You are a refreshing breeze here in this dusty town, young lady.”
Hettie blushed. “Thank you, sir.”
“You must call me Charles!” The man announced. “And what might your name be?”
“This is Hettie, Charlie,” John answered, giving Hettie a look over the older man’s shoulder that made Hettie drop her eyes to keep from giggling.
“Hettie! It’s good to meet you!”
“Charlie runs the Little Boar Inn,” John explained, stepping a little closer so that the older man needed to edge away from Hettie. “Hettie is here to meet with James.”
Charlie raised his thick eyebrows and stood up straight, looking up at John. “Oh, I see!” He paused. “I take it this was an idea that came from Liz?”
John nodded.
Charlie looked back down at Hettie. “Well, young lady, let me tell you a few things about our Sheriff.” His voice had changed but not in an unfriendly way. “He is a good man. He’s taken good care of this little town, even after Annie was…killed, poor girl. It was a terrible tragedy and it hurt James greatly. But if he lets you in, you have a good chance of being with a good husband.” Charlie leaned back down and said in a low voice, “I do believe you are beautiful enough to catch his eye, I must say. If he doesn’t give you the chance, you will not have trouble finding a husband, should you want one.”
“All right there, Charlie.” John laughed. “Let’s go talk to Mary and Liz. You can quiz them about the social next month to see what plans they have made so far.”
The two men made off into the small crowd. Hettie watched them. Charlie seemed an amusing old man. As he and John walked off, he began talking excitedly about the social next month. Apparently, social gatherings were something this little town enjoyed frequently. With so few people populating the area, most knew each other. She had been greeted by each person at the party with open arms though she was a stranger and an outsider. She had the sneaking suspicion Liz had warned them all ahead of time that she would be there and had bolstered their opinion of her with her own opinion before they even met her.
She wondered if they had been told why she was here. John didn’t seem to have any trouble mentioning it. She had to assume they all knew what her purpose was. They were still kind and hospitable to her. She took that as a sign that they all cared about their sheriff as much as Charlie had implied.
She was brought out of her thoughts when she saw James come around the corner of the house. He was dressed in blue jeans, a well-fitting flannel shirt and had brushed his hair, from the looks of it. She pulled in a breath and held it for a moment. He was certainly a good-looking man. He stopped for a moment when he saw her. Before he could continue walking, Liz caught sight of him.