okay. We might never be good friends again, but I think enough time has passed for me to go to his coffee shop every now and then.”
“And maybe one day you’ll like broasted chicken. I mean, you don’t have anything against chicken, do you?”
To his delight, she laughed. “Not a single, solitary thing. You’re right, I need to give broasted chicken another try.”
He flipped his hand over so that he could grasp hers more securely. This was nice, talking about their pasts, about things that mattered. Teasing her just enough to make her smile.
Still staring at their linked hands, she murmured, “So, Connor, have you ever been in a situation like mine?”
“Dating an Amish man? Never.”
She chuckled. “Connor, you know what I mean.”
“You’re right, I do,” he replied, turning more serious. “And the answer is no. I mean, not really. The last serious relationship I had ended when I decided to enter the police academy. My girlfriend didn’t want to date a cop.”
“I’m shocked! You’re in such an honorable profession.”
“I think so . . . but being a cop’s wife wasn’t the future she had in mind.” Her rejection still stung, so he covered it up with a grin. “Don’t know why—long hours, little pay . . . me spending my days dealing with drug addicts and criminals . . .”
As he’d hoped, she smiled. “Put that way—”
He shrugged. “The job is hard enough without having no support at home. It all worked out for the best. Some women don’t want to date cops. Not even sheriffs or deputies.”
“I don’t mind it. Actually, I kind of like dating a deputy. Don’t forget, my dad was a cop.” Looking almost shy, she added, “You make me feel safe.”
He squeezed her hand. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He was going to say more when the door opened and Jayne lit right up. “Oh, excuse me, Connor,” she said before she rushed over to the four newcomers.
Connor leaned back in his chair and watched her scurry over, exclaim, then start hugging both women and beaming at the men. Then she pointed at him. He waved.
“Let me introduce you,” she said to her friends, then brought them over. Connor stood up when they approached.
“Connor, this is Lucy and Calvin Weaver, and Mattie and Graham Weaver. Ella is married to Calvin and Graham’s brother.”
He shook hands with them all. “Nice to meet you.”
Jayne smiled. “Ella had a little girl! She’s naming her Katherine after our little Katie.”
He laughed. “That’s wonderful news. Now, Katie I’ve definitely met.”
One of the men shook his head in mock frustration. “Who hasn’t met my little sister? She could run the whole town if she had her mind set on that.”
Jayne shook her head. “She’s not that precocious. Not yet, anyway.”
“Well, congratulations to you all. Would you like to join us? We’re just about to have coffee and pie.”
“ Danke , but we’re only picking up pies to take home,” Calvin said. “It’s been a long evening.”
When they left, Jayne grinned at him. “I’m so happy everything went well for Ella.”
“Me too.” He was about to say more when his phone beeped, just as his partner, Trey, wandered inside. “Connor, I thought that was your truck outside. Come on, if you can. We got problems.”
He was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out his billfold. “What happened?”
“It’s that darn nativity again.”
Surely Trey hadn’t come to get him because another plastic figure had been stolen? “What happened?”
“Well . . . it seems that another piece has gone missing . . . and was found on the property of Mrs. Jensen.”
“Isn’t she the woman who was injured?” Jayne asked.
“Yep,” Trey answered. “And this little story gets even worse.”
With a sinking feeling, Connor waited for the details. “What happened?”
“Someone came forward and told us that he’d actually seen Mrs. Jensen steal some of the nativity pieces. When
“And maybe one day you’ll like broasted chicken. I mean, you don’t have anything against chicken, do you?”
To his delight, she laughed. “Not a single, solitary thing. You’re right, I need to give broasted chicken another try.”
He flipped his hand over so that he could grasp hers more securely. This was nice, talking about their pasts, about things that mattered. Teasing her just enough to make her smile.
Still staring at their linked hands, she murmured, “So, Connor, have you ever been in a situation like mine?”
“Dating an Amish man? Never.”
She chuckled. “Connor, you know what I mean.”
“You’re right, I do,” he replied, turning more serious. “And the answer is no. I mean, not really. The last serious relationship I had ended when I decided to enter the police academy. My girlfriend didn’t want to date a cop.”
“I’m shocked! You’re in such an honorable profession.”
“I think so . . . but being a cop’s wife wasn’t the future she had in mind.” Her rejection still stung, so he covered it up with a grin. “Don’t know why—long hours, little pay . . . me spending my days dealing with drug addicts and criminals . . .”
As he’d hoped, she smiled. “Put that way—”
He shrugged. “The job is hard enough without having no support at home. It all worked out for the best. Some women don’t want to date cops. Not even sheriffs or deputies.”
“I don’t mind it. Actually, I kind of like dating a deputy. Don’t forget, my dad was a cop.” Looking almost shy, she added, “You make me feel safe.”
He squeezed her hand. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He was going to say more when the door opened and Jayne lit right up. “Oh, excuse me, Connor,” she said before she rushed over to the four newcomers.
Connor leaned back in his chair and watched her scurry over, exclaim, then start hugging both women and beaming at the men. Then she pointed at him. He waved.
“Let me introduce you,” she said to her friends, then brought them over. Connor stood up when they approached.
“Connor, this is Lucy and Calvin Weaver, and Mattie and Graham Weaver. Ella is married to Calvin and Graham’s brother.”
He shook hands with them all. “Nice to meet you.”
Jayne smiled. “Ella had a little girl! She’s naming her Katherine after our little Katie.”
He laughed. “That’s wonderful news. Now, Katie I’ve definitely met.”
One of the men shook his head in mock frustration. “Who hasn’t met my little sister? She could run the whole town if she had her mind set on that.”
Jayne shook her head. “She’s not that precocious. Not yet, anyway.”
“Well, congratulations to you all. Would you like to join us? We’re just about to have coffee and pie.”
“ Danke , but we’re only picking up pies to take home,” Calvin said. “It’s been a long evening.”
When they left, Jayne grinned at him. “I’m so happy everything went well for Ella.”
“Me too.” He was about to say more when his phone beeped, just as his partner, Trey, wandered inside. “Connor, I thought that was your truck outside. Come on, if you can. We got problems.”
He was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out his billfold. “What happened?”
“It’s that darn nativity again.”
Surely Trey hadn’t come to get him because another plastic figure had been stolen? “What happened?”
“Well . . . it seems that another piece has gone missing . . . and was found on the property of Mrs. Jensen.”
“Isn’t she the woman who was injured?” Jayne asked.
“Yep,” Trey answered. “And this little story gets even worse.”
With a sinking feeling, Connor waited for the details. “What happened?”
“Someone came forward and told us that he’d actually seen Mrs. Jensen steal some of the nativity pieces. When
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