The SARE meeting encountered a few bumps the following day. Zach was nursing bruises to both his ego and his ass as a result of his collisions with the Georgia peach. His colleague from Montrose had to leave halfway through the morning meeting due to a family emergency, and Ginger called Zach away from the afternoon meeting to work a single-vehicle accident just south of town. Nevertheless, they managed to get their work completed and plans finalized for the upcoming summer program.
Zach had thought long and hard before declining to serve as a program leader for a week in August. Two new deputies had accepted his job offers, but he couldn’t in good conscience leave a rookie department still in the midst of their first tourist season. Too many strange things happened in Eternity Springs during summer. He would miss his week camping with the kids, but maybe if today’s interview went well, he could make it up next year. Maybe volunteer for two weeks.
With that positive thought on his mind, Zach heard a laugh in the front office and he glanced up from his paperwork.
Well, well, well. His eleven o’clock interviewee had arrived early. Denver policewoman Gabriella Romano and Ginger were chatting and neither woman noticed him, so he took the opportunity to study his visitor through the window in his office door.
She shared a family resemblance with her brothers, he decided. Her hair was dark, and she was tall for a woman, with a sleek, runway model build. He couldn’t see her eyes, but her smile was big and bright. She was a pretty woman. And single.
That fact had given him pause. He’d wanted to add some diversity to his department, but he didn’t want to deal with on-the-job romances between his deputies. As far as he was concerned, workplace romantic attachments were off limits. If he hired Gabriella Romano, everyone would need to be clear about that. The last thing his department needed was a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Getting ahead of yourself, Turner. Go in and interview the woman first.
He opened the door to his office and stepped out. Both Ginger and Gabriella looked in his direction. Zach upgraded his opinion of her looks from pretty to gorgeous. Her eyes were a clear, brilliant blue, and in that moment, they studied him like twin blue laser beams.
“Officer Gabriella Romano, I presume?” he asked. “You’re early.”
Following a moment’s hesitation, she stepped toward him, her hand outstretched. “Gabi Romano, Sheriff Turner. Yes, I am early and if that’s a problem, I’m happy to leave and come back at eleven if you’d prefer.”
“No, not at all,” Zach said, accepting her firm handshake. “That was an observation, not a complaint. Welcome to Eternity Springs.”
“Thank you. I’m already in love with the town. I drove in after my shift yesterday and spent the night in one of Angel’s Rest’s creekside cabins. Was up before dawn and caught three trout for my breakfast.”
“So you like to fish, do you?”
“Honestly, not so much. I only went so I could call my brothers and give them grief about it.”
Zach laughed. “I like your style, Officer Romano. Why don’t you come with me to my office and we can talk about the job.”
Zach knew within the first five minutes that he wanted to hire her, so he skipped right to the tougher questions. Finally he asked. “Why do you want to leave Denver?”
“My brother told you about my mother’s situation, and I admit that’s part of it. Frankly, I’m not so sure that my brothers will convince her to come to Eternity Springs. I’ll be honest—I’m trying to move beyond a bad breakup, but I’m having a difficult time, since I see the jerk every time I turn around.”
Oh, crap. “He’s a cop?”
“Worse. A firefighter. I’d sooner date a priest than a cop, and I’m a good Catholic girl.” She flashed that smile, then added, “When I talked to Celeste Blessing about Eternity Springs, she sold me on the idea that this is the perfect place to put old ghosts to rest. Then when Max figured out that you had an opening in your department …” Gabi shrugged. “It seemed like fate.”
He nodded. He’d been a resident of Eternity Springs, and acquainted with Celeste, too long to argue with the notion.
“All right, then,” he said. “What questions do you have for me?”
She took a moment and considered her response. “I’d like to know a little more about the department