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“Really?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah.” He nods. “I didn’t want to give up patrol. I loved being out with the people and helping them directly.”
“Don’t you still do that?”
“No. I mostly do paperwork and oversee the deputies. I don’t get to get out there and get my hands dirty as much as I’d like. I mean, some days I do. I can’t sit behind a desk day in and out. I’m not built that way.”
“Then why did you run for sheriff? Didn’t you have to be elected?”
“Yes, but I was pushed into it by my family and the people of Pine Cove. When the position opened, my dad suggested it, and then all of a sudden, the whole town was stopping me in the streets to tell me to run and that they didn’t know a single person who wouldn’t vote for me. I saw it as an opportunity to finally be something greater in the eyes of my family, I guess. So, I ran, and I won.”
“You’re a hero in their eyes. You make a difference, Ryan.”
“I still wish I could do more for the people. Face-to-face. But I love being sheriff more than I ever thought I would.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You take care of the people of this town. You’re important. You keep them safe. You matter. And, in my eyes, your family doesn’t even compare to you.”
“Now I know you’re just being nice.” He smirks. “Chris is a doctor in the military, and Tyler is a fireman. I mean, I guess I’ve got Jake beat.” He smiles. “He just builds boats. But then again, he was in the Navy before.”
“You all have your place in this world, and you all make a difference in the lives of those around you. You’re lucky you have a family, Ryan. Not everyone is that blessed.”
“I know,” he says softly, mulling my words over in his head. Turning off the stove, he pours the soup into two bowls. “Grab two spoons and that sleeve of crackers there, would you?”
“Sure.” Hopping down form the island, I gather the items, and then follow him out into the living room.
Taking a seat on the couch, I cross my legs, and place the blanket from behind me over my lap.
Handing me a bowl, I smile my thanks, and he goes to start a fire. Sitting next to me, his knee touches mine, and I feel the connection flowing between us with just that simple touch.
“You meant that?” He asks, looking into the fire instead of at me. “What you said before?”
“Yes,” I say honestly. “I think you’re amazing, Ry. And being sheriff was obviously what you were meant to be, even if it didn’t start out that way. That doesn’t matter.”
“You think I’m amazing?” He smirks, his eyes darting to mine as he eats a spoonful of soup.
“Yes. Professionally. Don’t get a big head about it.”
“I could give you some big–”
“Don’t finish that sentence, sheriff.” I laugh, knowing where he was going.
“How do you know what I was going to say?”
“Because you have a one-track mind.”
“That’s not true. I saw an opening, so I thought I’d take it. But since you closed it”–he smiles–“I’ll just ask you some more questions.”
“Alright.”
“What’s your biggest fear?”
“Is this a job interview?”
“Yes, Ms. Ames, it is.” he says, rolling his eyes. “Just answer. Honestly.”
“Fine.” Clearing my throat, I think about it for a few seconds, and decide to actually answer truthfully.
“Before he died, my dad made me promise I would never settle. He made me promise I’d wait for what he and my mom had. But then he died. He was gone, and my mom was a shell of the woman she used to be. It’s been eight years, and she’s still broken. And even though that scares me, I’ve realized recently that I still want that. So, that’s my fear. Never finding that person, or being too stupid to know when I do. And then I’m alone.”
