business,” he quipped.
She frowned. “Now that’s just being mean.”
He grinned and gave her a quick recap. “I grew up in Oklahoma. Went to college in Florida on a basketball scholarship.”
“You played college basketball? Really? I did, too. Not in Florida. I played for Connecticut.”
“They have a great ladies’ program.”
She nodded. “They do.”
“Good family genetics for athletics, obviously.”
“We’re all sports fiends.” Then she gave her head a shake. “And after college? Did you go straight into law enforcement?”
“Yeah. I originally thought I wanted to be an attorney, but when a friend of mine was killed during a convenience store holdup during our freshman year, I changed course. Guy was high on crack and murdered three people for seventy-eight dollars.”
“Man, that sucks. Drugs are evil.”
“They absolutely are.”
“Did your parents mind the switch?”
His mouth lifted in a wry grin. “They weren’t thrilled.… I was their beloved son, and they worried.”
“Do they still worry?”
“If there’s such a thing in heaven, then I expect so.”
“They’re both gone? I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. They were great people and wonderful parents. I miss them.”
“I have to say that losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, but I’m thankful I have a big family who are my support system. What about you? Big family? Small?”
Zach had begun to feel like he was the job seeker andshe the job giver. “Is that your way of asking if I’m married?”
“No. Celeste already answered that question for me.” Her grin was bright and unapologetic. “You don’t need to worry, Sheriff. I give you my solemn oath that I have absolutely no romantic interest in you or any of your deputies. If you hire me, you don’t need to worry about on-the-job flirtations. Any flirtations at all, for that matter. I’ve sworn off men.” Wincing, she added, “And I’m only into women as friends. My question about family is because I’m looking for some common ground here. I was asking if you had siblings or aunts and uncles. See, I have a huge extended family, with all the blessings and curses that includes. You’ll understand me better if you have walked in my shoes, so to speak.”
“I was an only child. If I hire you, you’ll just have to educate me on the issue.”
“Count on it. I won’t be able to avoid it.” Gabi Romano’s grin went serious. “I’d like the job, Sheriff Turner. I’m a good cop, and I’ll make you a good deputy.”
“Good. I want to offer it to you.”
She beamed, and her smile lit up the sheriff’s office. Looking over her shoulder, Zach saw Ginger give him a thumbs-up. He sighed, stood, and shut his office door so that they could hammer out terms and agree on a start date in private. When Gabi left the building half an hour later, Ginger gave her a hug on the way out, then made a beeline for Zach’s office. She hugged him, too. “Thank you, Zach. She’s wonderful. She’s a woman! Do you know how thrilled I am at the thought of having a woman around the office? What a happy coincidence that her brother happened to stop by when you were doing a phone interview with your door open right when Gabi decided she needed a fresh start and justafter Celeste had primed her to think kindly about Eternity Springs! Gabi called it fate; I say it’s angel dust.”
“I won’t argue with it,” Zach replied. A person couldn’t live in Eternity Springs for long without coming to appreciate the special properties of angel dust.
He thought about coincidence and fate, angel dust and Eternity Springs as he drove home later that afternoon. Celeste claimed that the valley had a unique energy that made it a place where special things happened to those who opened themselves to the healing powers of love. Four years ago he would have rolled his eyes at the notion, but he’d since witnessed the phenomenon himself too many times not to give it
She frowned. “Now that’s just being mean.”
He grinned and gave her a quick recap. “I grew up in Oklahoma. Went to college in Florida on a basketball scholarship.”
“You played college basketball? Really? I did, too. Not in Florida. I played for Connecticut.”
“They have a great ladies’ program.”
She nodded. “They do.”
“Good family genetics for athletics, obviously.”
“We’re all sports fiends.” Then she gave her head a shake. “And after college? Did you go straight into law enforcement?”
“Yeah. I originally thought I wanted to be an attorney, but when a friend of mine was killed during a convenience store holdup during our freshman year, I changed course. Guy was high on crack and murdered three people for seventy-eight dollars.”
“Man, that sucks. Drugs are evil.”
“They absolutely are.”
“Did your parents mind the switch?”
His mouth lifted in a wry grin. “They weren’t thrilled.… I was their beloved son, and they worried.”
“Do they still worry?”
“If there’s such a thing in heaven, then I expect so.”
“They’re both gone? I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. They were great people and wonderful parents. I miss them.”
“I have to say that losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, but I’m thankful I have a big family who are my support system. What about you? Big family? Small?”
Zach had begun to feel like he was the job seeker andshe the job giver. “Is that your way of asking if I’m married?”
“No. Celeste already answered that question for me.” Her grin was bright and unapologetic. “You don’t need to worry, Sheriff. I give you my solemn oath that I have absolutely no romantic interest in you or any of your deputies. If you hire me, you don’t need to worry about on-the-job flirtations. Any flirtations at all, for that matter. I’ve sworn off men.” Wincing, she added, “And I’m only into women as friends. My question about family is because I’m looking for some common ground here. I was asking if you had siblings or aunts and uncles. See, I have a huge extended family, with all the blessings and curses that includes. You’ll understand me better if you have walked in my shoes, so to speak.”
“I was an only child. If I hire you, you’ll just have to educate me on the issue.”
“Count on it. I won’t be able to avoid it.” Gabi Romano’s grin went serious. “I’d like the job, Sheriff Turner. I’m a good cop, and I’ll make you a good deputy.”
“Good. I want to offer it to you.”
She beamed, and her smile lit up the sheriff’s office. Looking over her shoulder, Zach saw Ginger give him a thumbs-up. He sighed, stood, and shut his office door so that they could hammer out terms and agree on a start date in private. When Gabi left the building half an hour later, Ginger gave her a hug on the way out, then made a beeline for Zach’s office. She hugged him, too. “Thank you, Zach. She’s wonderful. She’s a woman! Do you know how thrilled I am at the thought of having a woman around the office? What a happy coincidence that her brother happened to stop by when you were doing a phone interview with your door open right when Gabi decided she needed a fresh start and justafter Celeste had primed her to think kindly about Eternity Springs! Gabi called it fate; I say it’s angel dust.”
“I won’t argue with it,” Zach replied. A person couldn’t live in Eternity Springs for long without coming to appreciate the special properties of angel dust.
He thought about coincidence and fate, angel dust and Eternity Springs as he drove home later that afternoon. Celeste claimed that the valley had a unique energy that made it a place where special things happened to those who opened themselves to the healing powers of love. Four years ago he would have rolled his eyes at the notion, but he’d since witnessed the phenomenon himself too many times not to give it
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