how horrible that can be.”
She wondered if he was talking about the situation with Ava and Sarah, but before Kristen could ask, he continued, “Just promise you’ll exercise some caution.”
What did that mean? “Caution?”
He nodded grimly. “I don’t know why your mom didn’t include your dad in your life, but it’s possible she had a good reason.”
Kristen had already thought of that. What if he’s mean? Or an alcoholic? Or— She halted her spinning thoughts. She could think of so many bad things.
Aware the sheriff was still watching, Kristen said, “I’ll take that into consideration.”
“Good. And if you ever want to talk about things, or—and this is just hypothetical, you understand—but if you need to find out if someone is safe, let me know. I might be able to find out if they have, say, a long rap sheet or a history of violence or anything like that. So long as we stay within the letter of the law, I’m here for you.” His deep green gaze locked on her. “You understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
That was more than she’d hoped for. A lot more. She wondered how much she could trust him. Do I really have a choice?
She took a calming breath. “There’s only one man left on my list. Do you know Jack Lind? He does property management or something like that.”
The sheriff smiled. “I know him well. His family and mine are close.”
“And?”
“He’s a good one. And yes, he was close to your mom at some point. I don’t know their timeline, but I suppose anything is possible.”
That has to be it, then. Jack Lind is my dad. She waited to see how she felt about it, but other than an odd flicker of dread, she had no reaction. Shouldn’t I be excited? At least a little?
“Are you going to talk to him soon?” Sheriff McIntyre asked.
She nodded.
“That’s going to be some conversation. If you want someone to go with you, call me. Like I said, I know him and I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks. I think I’ve got it, though.” The sheriff was being kind, which she appreciated, but she was stretched so thin that she feared that if she tried to smile one more time, her face would crack.
Still, she felt as if she should reciprocate in some way. So before she left, she said, “Can I tell you something?”
His gaze narrowed, some of his smile disappearing. “About?”
“Ava.”
His mouth hardened. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
“I understand. And look, I don’t know what happened. The rumors are… well, they’re stupid.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen Sarah, so I don’t know about her. But I see Ava every day, and I can tell that whatever happened, she regrets it.”
“Kristen, don’t—”
“Please. You did me a favor. So now I owe you one. I know Ava really well. I’ve worked for her for over two whole years. People are canceling tea and landscaping orders, and she’s devastated. I doubt anyone will come to the tearoom when it opens now. She’s not sleeping and hasn’t been for a while. She was talking on the phone today, and her voice was shaking so bad that I worried she might…” Kristen stopped, out of breath from talking so fast. “I’m worried about her.”
As she spoke, the sheriff’s gaze had dropped to the top of his shoes. He was quiet for a long time. Finally, he sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk to Dylan and see what’s up. He’s there most days, so he’ll know.”
“He’s worried too.”
“Great.” The sheriff raked a hand through his hair. “She still shouldn’t have done what she did.”
“Whatever it was, I’ll bet it was an accident or a mistake or something like that.” Kristen shrugged. “I’d hate to be judged just on my mistakes.”
He managed a smile. “It’s not that easy.”
“Nothing is,” she replied honestly. “Life sucks.”
He laughed and threw his hands up. “Okay, okay! That’s dark, but I know where you’re coming from. Thanks for telling me about Ava. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the information, but I appreciate your honesty.”
“You’re welcome.” She waved and, feeling as if she were escaping an interrogation, she left. As she walked out into the cold, she was suddenly so exhausted that she felt as if she could sleep for a hundred days.
She found Josh and Missy waiting beside the car.
“What did he want?” Missy asked.
Josh’s gaze searched her face. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Kristen rubbed her face with both hands. “He was just checking on me.”
Josh