“You can spare a minute.” She reached over her desk for a handshake. “I’m Monica Blair.”
“This is Kelsey Graham,” Ethan introduced. “Fresh off the bus.”
Kelsey took Monica’s hand, noting a trace of recognition, but detecting nothing mean or judgmental in the woman.
“What brings you to town, Monica?”
“As it happens, Loretta Evensen is my cousin. When she lost her husband to cancer a few years ago, she invited me to come stay awhile. I did and decided to make it permanent. I’m sure you’re wondering, why’d she leave the bright exciting city of San Francisco? Aside from the smog and high rent, I was lonely. Believe it or not, there are actually more straight middle-aged guys around here to choose from.”
“She says all that strictly for effect, Kel,” Ethan mocked. “She got here, spotted Mr. Hinkie, confirmed he owns the hardware store free and clear, then went straight back to Frisco to pack up her possessions.”
Monica grew haughty. “The locals never call it Frisco.”
Kelsey followed Ethan into his glass-enclosed office with some relief. No jarring memories for her in here. Sheriff Norton had kept this space mostly to himself during his tenure. Judging by the huge jar of red and white jelly beans on the steel-gray desk, the number of chairs stashed in every corner and the cork board full of kids’ crayon pictures of him performing various duties, it appeared Ethan was a friendlier lawman.
He now gestured to a nearby chair, a metal one with a molded red plastic seat and back. After her journey by both plane and bus, it didn’t look particularly inviting. But Ethan was now riding the front edge of his desk facing the chair, looking remarkably pleased with the arrangement. Fearful that any resistance would put their renewed alliance at risk, she sat down.
Clasping her hands in her lap, Kelsey smiled, taking her first close look at him. He’d certainly matured in the best possible way, lean and rugged, strong and sexy, his narrow mustache and neatly clipped brown hair adding to his good looks.
There were times…Times when she thought about Ethan, their lengthy history, their intimate knowledge of one another. Being next-door neighbors from birth left very little room for pretense. For a short while during their fifteenth summer, she had even figured Ethan could be the guy for her.
How fortunate that they hadn’t gotten too carried away. It would have made his ultimate brush-off degrading and unbearable. Not that the rejection hadn’t been painful. Suddenly their whole friendship had been devalued, their bond of trust weakened. Kelsey had managed to move on and soon ended up with Brad. But she had never forgotten how important it was to her to save intimacy for a truly solid relationship. Even with marriage plans in the works—for the summer after their freshman studies at UW–Madison—she’d made it clear to Brad they wouldn’t be consummating their love ahead of the vows.
“A penny for your thoughts, Kel.”
At the sound of Ethan’s smooth warm baritone, she straightened on the crummy chair and gave a faint grin. Would he think her memories worth a penny? Had he even thought of her over the years? She wasn’t emotionally prepared to handle fresh rejection, so she raised an entirely different issue.
“I was thinking about your career choice. You originally intended to major in business administration, didn’t you?”
“That was my major. Then I settled back here after college not sure which direction to take. I juggled different jobs for a few years to make the rent, did some bookkeeping, sold insurance policies at Dad’s agency, and worked evenings as a deputy under Roger Norton. When Norton announced his retirement near reelection time last year, it occurred to me that I liked the law-enforcement job a lot more than the others. So I ran for sheriff and won.”
“Are you happy?”
“I find the job very satisfying. I enjoy the contact with people and they seem to respond to me well.”
A small silence followed, both of them looking around as if not sure what to say next.
“Jelly bean?” Ethan abruptly swung his jar of red and white ones under her nose.
Realizing she hadn’t had more than an English muffin and yogurt all day, she took a handful and popped some into her mouth. “These taste like the gourmet ones your mother used to buy.”
“They are.”
“So, how are your parents doing? Mom wrote me when they moved to Phoenix a few years ago.”
Ethan nodded. “They left mostly to escape the snowy Wisconsin winters. They love the desert climate, the rock-garden yards. I’m concerned about them, though. The highways there are always clogged and the drivers extremely aggressive. Nothing like this sleepy town.”
“But your dad spent years on the road selling insurance, so he’s probably comfortable with it.”
“So he says. Along with the reminder that they’re only in their fifties—like your mom.” Folding his arms across his chest he shook his head. “I’m probably overreacting but can’t seem to stop myself, and figure it’s just our turn to do the worrying. Some sort of karmic revenge.”
And worry Kelsey did about her mother. “Is Clare doing all right, Ethan? I mean, really all right?”
“What exactly are you asking me, Kel?”
“Are people kind to her?”
He hesitated slightly. “Like all of us, she has her allies.”
“Gee. I don’t remember it ever coming down to allies.”
“Nothing new, really. Kids just don’t see it.”
Of course. Adult life was all about friends and enemies.
“As far as I know, she’s getting along,” he assured kindly. “ I’m in there almost every day—”
“Really!” she rejoiced.
He looked startled then pleased. “My favorite place for morning break.”
Kelsey stared out the window, as if seeing a new ray of light on the horizon. “She claims to have her regulars, like she used to before the accident. But I’ve always been a little doubtful.”
“She appears content, that’s all I can be sure of.” He looked at the floor now, as if self-conscious. “So, are you okay? Are you happy in Philly?”
Suspecting she’d be questioned over and over by classmates at the reunion, she’d prepared a cheery stock response about her life. But sitting alone with this once-cherished friend was enough to bring the plain truth of her situation bubbling to the surface. The loneliness, the disappointments, the depressing realization that her college friends had gone on to fulfill their own dreams of marriage and children. While she…
But these were hardly confidences to share with the first guy to dump her! Her pride wouldn’t allow her to show dejection then, and still wouldn’t.
“What’s the matter?” he prodded. “The term Philly as offensive to you as Frisco is to Monica?”
“Nope. Philly’s fine all around.” She crossed her legs, mentally retrieving her original spiel. “My life is pretty hectic. I teach at a rather posh elementary school in the city and own a condo within walking distance. It’s a tiny place that would cost a fraction here in Maple, but the location is so convenient, I don’t even need a car. Great restaurants, parks and theaters are all within easy reach.”
“Sounds this side of perfect.”
She shrugged and smiled.
A surprising pinch of distress furrowed between his dark brows. But surely he’d wished her safe and well all this while. Hadn’t he?
She