CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Nick was having all sorts of flashbacks to his youth. First, the homecoming dance last night. And tonight, the Fall Festival. It was an annual event, and as a kid, he’d never missed one. The premise was that it was a welcome to fall, but the locals knew the real reason. It was a celebration the tourists were gone.
Not that they didn’t like them. Tourism kept the town alive. But these few weeks in September were a chance for everyone to catch their breath before the masses flocked back in late October for the famous New England falls. Until then, half the shops in town closed or drastically reduced hours.
Tess had gone to find her friends, and Nick stood alone, people-watching when the sheriff approached.
“Evenin’, Nick,” Sheriff Hayes greeted. “How’s things goin’?”
“I’d say I can’t complain. But I’ve been doin’ a lot of that lately, so that’d make me a liar.”
The old lawman guffawed. “What’s the word on you headin’ back to Boston?”
“Soon. Real soon.” And by “real soon,” he meant tomorrow. He wasn’t broadcasting that information though.
“Any thought of movin’ home and takin’ my spot as sheriff?”
“What? No, that never crossed my mind. No offense.”
“Seein’ you the other day—when you picked up Hope Sullivan—got me thinkin’. I’m goin’ on seventy and am about done with sheriffin’. It’s time for the next generation to step up.”
“You have deputies for that, don’t cha?”
“They don’t know anything but small-town policing. If somethin’ big ever happened, they wouldn’t know what to do. I spent twenty-five years on patrol in Philadelphia before we retired here.”
“Ever need any of that experience?”
“Every once in a while. Look, you don’t gotta decide right this second.” He slapped Nick on the back. “Just plantin’ a bug.”
“All right,” Nick said. “I’ll keep it in mind.” Not! No way was he coming back here for good.
Max slid up beside him. “Hayes tryin’ to get you to take over the sheriff’s department?”
“How’d you figure that?”
“The I-just-sucked-on-a-lemon look on your face.” Max laughed. “Would it really be so terrible?”
“It would go against everything I’ve been working toward for the last decade.”
“It’s not so bad here, you know?”
“I know,” Nick said. He couldn’t insult the town without insulting its inhabitants. And he didn’t want to hurt Max’s feelings. “Just not for me.”
Tess and her posse had gathered at a picnic table and were deep in conversation. He wondered how they could always have so much to talk about. They saw each other constantly and lived in this tiny town. What new news could they possibly have now that they didn’t have yesterday? He didn’t realize he was staring until Max spoke again.
“So, you and Faith Sullivan, huh?” He nodded to where the friends huddled.
“What? No! Why would you say that?”
“You know there are no secrets in this town. Plus, I doubt you’re lookin’ at your sister like that.”
“I’m not lookin’ at anyone ‘like that,’” Nick said, turning away and hoping his cheeks weren’t reddening.
Thankfully, Max’s daughter approached. “Up, Daddy.” She threw both chubby little arms in the air, and Max scooped her up.
“Hey, sweetheart. Where’s your momma?”
“I’m here,” Jenny said, popping up behind them. Jenny had graduated the year after Nick and Max, but they’d run in the same circles, and Nick had been pretty good friends with her. She’d followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a real estate agent.
“Cookie,” Lilly demanded.
“What do you say?” Max said.
The little girl thought for a second. “Two cookies.”
“How about ‘please’?” Jenny prodded.
“Oh, yeah,” Lilly said. “Cookie, please.”
“I’ll take her,” Jenny said, and Max handed her the baby. Jenny gave him a quick kiss before heading off.
A strange feeling passed through Nick. Not really jealousy, but perhaps a mild envy. They seemed to be so in love, and love was something that eluded Nick. He pictured himself married someday. Even having kids. But the path to get there was blurry. How did one go from a set-in-their-ways bachelor to a wedding and a family?
“How’d you know Jenny was the one?” Nick asked. He’d had a lot of girlfriends over the years, but none that made him consider proposing. What if it was him? What if he lacked the gene that told you when you were in love?
“Ah,” Max said. “The age-old question. You’re not going to like the answer.”
Nick waited.
“I just…did.” Max shrugged. “Plain and simple. We were friends, and then, all of a sudden, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“How’d you know she liked you back?”
“Even worse answer. I didn’t. I had to bare my soul. Go out on a limb, put my heart on my sleeve, and tell her how I felt. Then hope and pray she felt the same.”
“You’re right. I do not like any of those words. Wanna get a beer?”
Max laughed and nodded. “And some of your mom’s chili. She makes the best.”
“Green Valley Falls chili cook-off champion, ten years running,” Nick said.
On the way to the chili, they passed the table where Tess and her friends sat.
Nick limped more when he didn’t use the cane, but it was a trade he was willing to make. As they approached, he locked eyes with Faith, and an involuntary grin spread across his lips. She wore a short, black dress and pink cowboy boots. There was a lot of long, tan leg in between. She returned his smile, but he sensed a hint of melancholy. Was that her trying to hide their relationship? Or sadness he was leaving the next day?
He stared a second too long, and Tess swatted his arm. Everyone laughed, giving him the impression that he and Faith were failing at discretion. Max invited them to come for chili, but they’d already eaten.
After they scarfed down two bowls of chili each, Max ditched Nick to be with his family. The sun set, and the park lights came on. The square dance competition was in full swing, and old folks were getting tipsy on hard cider. With no friends of his own, Nick went to find Tess. She sat with her gang at a bingo table, cards laid out in front of them.
“I thought you had to be over fifty to play this,” Nick teased.
“Laugh all you want. I’m gonna win the hundred bucks,” Alex said. “Just watch.”
“You win money?” Nick asked. “Why didn’t you lead with that? How can I play?”
“You don’t have time to buy cards,” Tess said. “Here, take one of mine.”
“Here’s one of mine too,” Juliet said.
Alex and Faith were peer-pressured into reluctantly passing him one of their cards too, giving them each four.
“B-six,” the announcer yelled.
“Oh, perfect timing,” Tess said.
He’d parked himself next to Faith, but the announcer called numbers so fast there wasn’t much time to talk. He settled for occasional arm bumps and innocent leg touches.
Alex won the first round. Edna from the diner took the second. And the third went to Rudy, the town’s only cab driver. The fourth game descended into chaos when Mrs. Baker accused Mrs. Shaw of cheating.
Nick jumped up and pulled Faith out of the way, narrowly dodging the giant floppy bosom of Mrs. Baker, who tried to vault the table in an effort to strangle Mrs. Shaw. Unable to bear the extra weight, the table came crashing down, and amid the shrieks, bingo cards and felt markers went flying.
“Well, that was fun,” Nick said, dusting off his hands.
“Let’s get out of here,” Tess suggested, and they walked away laughing.
“Damn it,” Alex said. “I was one away from getting bingo again. Curse you, Mrs. Baker.” She shook a fist at the sky.
“Of course you were,” Juliet said. “You always win at everything.”
“Hey, Faith, isn’t that your dad?” Nick asked.
Faith turned to where he pointed, and her jaw dropped. “Holy crap, he’s here. And without any prodding. Maybe there is light at the end of this tunnel.”
“Looks like he’s makin’ time with the widow Hickman,” Tess said under her breath.
“I think Irene’s been meddling,” Faith said. “Mrs. Hickman has come by the house with food a few times too.”
“You think Irene’s trying to set them up?” Juliet asked.
“It’s too soon for that,” Faith said. “Even so, I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Mrs. H. does make a mean chocolate cake,” Alex said. “He could do worse.”
Faith looked away. “I’m just glad he has a friend.”
And Nick was just happy to see Faith smile. Since telling her he planned to go home soon, she’d started pulling away. Which he expected. It stung, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. His life was in Boston. Spending time with Faith had been fun, but it was time to get back to work. Which also meant dealing with the Gary Jeffreys situation.
He’d found the man online but couldn’t nail down a physical address. He was counting on Faith to lure him out, but needed her to do it without knowing she was helping.
Jeffreys was a bad guy. He’d eluded arrest for years, and it was long past time for him to pay for his crimes. Unfortunately, it fell to Nick to make that happen. He tried to reason that the ends justified the means but was still racked with guilt, knowing there was no way around using—and betraying—Faith to get what he needed.