Lacy stopped by the store the next afternoon. “Hey, Liz, I heard about your window. Is everything okay?” She looked at Liz with concern and glanced around the store. The window had already been fixed and the store looked perfect. White Christmas lights decorated the windows, and green garland and red bows hung elegantly around the store. Soft music played within the store.
“Yes, it’s all fixed now,” Liz answered with a smile. She was relieved she could get it fixed so quickly. Once she turned in the police report to her insurance company they would reimburse her.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the station to sign your report. I have to deliver Ryan his lunch,” Lacy offered with a smile. “It’s too cold to walk. It should snow soon, and Ryan would groan if he heard me say this, but I can’t wait. It’s so beautiful, especially for Christmas. I plan on making him help me build a snowman, too.”
“I agree with you. It’s not Christmas without snow. If Ryan builds a snowman, take some pictures because no one will believe Sheriff Serious would do that.” Liz laughed, grabbing her coat and purse and following Lacy outside. Lacy’s soon-to-be husband was a very serious man, but with Lacy he was all smiles.
“I know.” Lacy laughed, getting in the car. “I have to hurry back. Poor Stella has been so sick with the smell of the food, and I told her as soon as I get back I’ll cover her shift so she can go home. Being pregnant sounds rough. She is either throwing up or aching somewhere. Thank God Ryan wants us to have time together before we have kids. Watching Stella is making me nervous.”
Liz laughed, checking her makeup in the car mirror, a habit she picked up from her mother. “Yeah, I hear you, but I guess once she holds that beautiful baby it’ll all be worth it.”
Helen, the receptionist, greeted them warmly when they walked into the sheriff station. “Hello, girls. Ryan’s in his office and I’m going home for lunch. Adam made homemade chicken soup, perfect for this cold day,” she said, eagerly putting her coat on. Adam was her husband and he took care of the farm while Helen worked in town.
“The perfect man, one who cooks. Hang on to him, Helen,” Liz teased her. Helen was one of her faithful customers and Liz liked the elderly woman a lot.
Helen smiled warmly. “Oh I am.” She grabbed her purse. “I am sorry to hear about your window, Liz, terrible news. Let Gabe get a hold of those kids and he’ll scare the daylights out of them. He is good at that.”
Lacy and Liz walked into Ryan’s office. Ryan was sitting at his desk, looking over some papers. “Lunch delivery, Sheriff,” Lacy announced dramatically, opening his door and setting his lunch down on the desk. Whatever it was smelled delicious. Lacy held her hand out playfully as if expecting a tip.
Ryan stood up and kissed Lacy passionately instead. “I am starving.” He winked at Lacy then turned and hugged Liz warmly. He had gotten to know Liz through her friendship with Lacy over the last few weeks. “I heard you had a rough night, honey, and I got all the details from Ethan on how you went to investigate all alone in the dark and how you could’ve gotten hurt.”
Liz rolled her eyes and sat down. “That man needs to come into the twenty-first century. I lived alone in Chicago and can take care of myself without some big he-man tagging along.” Her dad had made sure that Liz took self-defense classes since she refused a bodyguard.
Lacy laughed when Liz rolled her eyes at Ryan. “You tell them, Liz. Ryan could update his thinking, too.” Lacy gave Ryan a smug smile when he frowned at her remark. “I’ll see you both later. I have to hurry back since Stella is going home sick.”
Ryan looked at his homemade roast beef sandwich and offered Liz half. “No thanks. I’m going to the diner for lunch after here,” she said. “Should I be worried? I’ve never had any problems since I’ve been here and I don’t think I’ve pissed anyone off lately. Well, Ethan and Gary,” she confessed. “So I’m hoping this is just a random act by some bored kids.”
Ryan got a surprised look on his face and asked her, “Gary Peters, the bank manager?”
Gary was snobbish, which hadn’t made him very popular in a small town filled with farmers and hardworking citizens. Despite Liz’s family’s wealth she was a very down-to-earth girl. Liz nodded and confessed, “I had one date with Gary and that’s it. Stella set us up. She thinks he is nice, but in reality he is very conceited. I wouldn’t go out with him again but he keeps telling Stella we hit it off and makes it sound like we are a couple, very annoying.”
“I can ask him where he was last night but I doubt it was him. He looks like he wouldn’t dare do anything to mess up his hair or suit.” He chuckled, writing Gary’s name down. That man always looked too perfect. “The report can be faxed to your insurance company once you sign it. Just be on alert, anyway. It’s always better to be safe.”
“I can take care of myself, Ryan. Being raised in big cities teaches you to be cautious, especially for a woman,” Liz assured him confidently, signed the report, and got up to leave.
“I’ll have Ethan drive you to the diner,” Ryan said and before she could refuse he went out the door to get Ethan. Ethan appeared a few minutes later. “Ready?”
Seeing no way out, Liz gave in gracefully and went out the door with Ethan. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of Ryan. Once they were in his jeep and driving in an uncomfortable silence, Ethan looked over at Liz. “Are you still upset with me, Liz?”
“No, I am over it, Deputy. I don’t understand why you kissed me if you don’t even like me,” Liz answered, staring out the window. Being around Ethan always threw her off balance emotionally and she didn’t like the feeling.
“Who says I don’t like you? I thought we were friends?” he stated quietly as he drove.
The friend part stung. Liz wanted to be more than just his friend, but she put on a brave face and acted like it didn’t matter. “You don’t act l
ike much of a friend. You always ignore me and barely nod my way.”
Ethan answered her honestly. “I just wasn’t sure what to say to you, that’s all.”
“You didn’t have a problem talking to me at the dance. I thought we connected that night but obviously I was wrong because after that night you acted like you couldn’t stand to be near me.” Liz couldn’t hide the hurt she was feeling although she tried. Liz didn’t want him to know how much he had hurt her feelings, but she could no longer bottle it up either. She had never believed in love at first sight until that night. But she couldn’t deny that when she looked into Ethan’s eyes she had fallen in an instant. It was just her luck Ethan didn’t feel the same.
Ethan stayed quiet for a moment as if thinking of a reply and took a deep breath and decided to be honest. “I had a great time with you at the party. I am attracted to you, Liz. You are a beautiful woman, but you and I have nothing in common. I just figured it would be best not to start something that wouldn’t work out and save us both a great deal of pain.”
Liz looked over at him, giving him a puzzled look. He looked like he was gripping the steering wheel tightly. “How do you know we would never work out, Ethan? You didn’t even give me a chance or try to get to know me besides a few dances. It doesn’t seem fair to make a judgment like that on a few dances.”
“I’m thirty-five but most days I feel older. I’ve spent most of my life in the military. I know I like having everything my own way. I already have one failed marriage behind me because of that and I know I can’t change. You are a lot like my ex-wife. You need things I can’t give you like gentleness, romance, and money. I can’t be that man, Liz. I’ve been down that road before and it’s not me,” Ethan explained with regret, not looking at Liz but at the road ahead. He was afraid if he stared into Liz’s pretty blue eyes he’d just kiss her until she stopped looking at him with that wounded expression. “Trust me, I’d only end up shattering all your illusions. I was trying to save us both from being hurt.”
Liz stayed quiet for a minute, trying to process his words. The more she thought of his words the angrier and more hurt she got. “So you’re saying you took one look at me and how I dress and because I run my own business you judged me and found me lacking?” she said quietly, feeling hurt by his words but trying to keep her emotions in check. Ethan’s judgmental attitude made her angry. “I really thought you were different, Ethan, but you’re just like every other man I’ve met. You judged me by how I look not who I am. You never even took the time to get to know the real me before judging us incompatible, and that’s your loss,” she said, wanting to yell at him, but she held it together, swallowing her tears back. If she cried in front of him she was afraid she wouldn’t stop. Ethan was a dream to her and it hurt now that she realized it was an unattainable dream.