all these weirdos hanging around every corner. You can’t do that anymore. You should have called someone to come help you.”
I sighed. “I didn’t walk home alone,” I admitted. “Robert saw me and stopped.”
Mary Anne froze and looked up at me. “Cortell?”
“Yes.”
“I see,” she said, before busying herself again. I knew she had about fifty burning questions. Mary Anne never kept anything to herself, except on the subject of Robert. She didn’t know what happened between us, but she knew that I was broken up over him.
“Go ahead, I know you want to ask.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“No, we are not together. He happened to be passing by to go see his brother.”
“And did he walk you into your house?”
I pursed my lips. “What do you want to know?”
“Nothing,” she insisted.
“Yes, he saw my house. No, I don’t care that he knows where I’m living. Yes, I made sure that he stepped in mud puddles and ruined his expensive, pretentious suit. Yes, I laughed when he had to walk back to his fancy car, and I smiled knowing that he probably got that car all dirty.”
She smiled, but did her best to chide me. “You know he worked very hard to get where he is today.”
“Yes, and I’m sure he’s happy living his happy life in the city. So, there’s no reason that I have to see him again.”
“And you’re okay with that? Seeing him again didn’t bring up any…feelings?”
“By feelings, do you mean did I want to stab him and toss him into a wood chipper and then watch in glee as I scattered his remains along my back yard, then no. I didn’t have those feelings.” I tilted my head in thought. “Although, now I kind of am.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” I turned to see Sheriff Jack Harding and his deputy, Carter Roy. I grinned at them both, though my smile lingered slightly on Carter. I went to school with him, but I only ever spoke with him a handful of times. I was too caught up in Robert to notice anyone else. He was handsome and tall, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He had a muscular build that I found way too appealing, and the way he looked in his uniform was distracting. In fact, Jack looked pretty good in his uniform too. I wasn’t sure how there weren’t more women calling the police for assistance on a daily basis. You would think their days would be booked.
“Sheriff, I was just saying what everyone else thinks.”
“Yes, but those thoughts should stay in your head, if you know what’s good for you. One of these days, I’m gonna find a body, and you’re gonna be my first suspect.”
I grinned at him mischievously. “Well, I’ll be sure to let Carter cuff me and take me in.”
Carter smirked, his hands resting on his belt. “Always a pleasure to serve, ma’am.”
“Anna,” I corrected. “I’m too young to be called ma’am.”
His grin sent shivers down my spine. For the first time in a very long time, I was attracted to another man. His eyes weren’t as intense as Robert’s and he didn’t look at me like he wanted to eat me alive, but I still felt something for him.
I turned and grabbed my order from Mary Anne, ignoring her frown at my blatant flirting with Carter. When I walked past him, I gave a little wink. I could see in the glass of the front door that he was watching me walk out of the shop. Maybe I would be hearing more from Carter Roy.
I walked into the office with a huge grin on my face. It had been years since I had been interested in anyone. Carter was handsome, and from what I heard around town, he was very charming. Ever since I moved back here, I mostly kept to myself. My life had been in such turmoil that the thought of finding someone to date was too overwhelming. I had picked up a guy at a bar a few years back, but after I took him home, I felt so dirty that I never did it again. Yes, I had slept with two whole men in all my life, and both turned out to be a disaster. Well, Robert had ended in disaster, but it hadn’t been that way from the start.
But the way Carter was looking at me this morning gave me hope that my life was finally kicking into high gear. My phone rang,