The Deputy's Perfect Match (Love Inspired)

by Lisa Carter

  She winced. Best to keep that bit of geekiness under wraps. Her passion for all things Star Trek didn’t exactly cause men to line up at her door.

  Nine-year-old Izzie Clark bounced up from the reading rug. “Mom, you’ll love the books I got this week for us to read together.”

  Caroline’s eyes softened at the sight of her stepdaughter. Evy had arrived in town a few weeks before Caroline returned to her estranged family. Caroline and Weston Clark’s romance first began in the library. And through a series of events involving sea creatures, Caroline, Weston and Izzie found their happily-ever-after with each other in a restored lighthouse.

  Evy bit back a sigh. Minus the fairy-tale ending, she and Caroline had far more in common than the oldest Duer sister imagined.

  There was a brief flurry of activity as parents started arriving. The children in the oceanside fishing community brought much-needed excitement not only to the library but also to Evy’s life. She loved children. And story hour was the highlight of her week.

  “Goodbye, Miss Shaw.” Izzie waved. “See you next week.” The solid oak door shut with a decisive click.

  Someone cleared a throat. Evy nearly launched into outer space and grabbed hold of the counter. Who—

  A pair of piercing hazel eyes studied her. The dark-haired, broad-shouldered young deputy. She’d forgotten him while dealing with the Duer sister. This unaccustomed subterfuge was playing havoc with her nerves.

  She put a shaky hand to her throat. With his height and build, the deputy was a former high school or college football player. Probably both. He’d be intimidating to someone on the wrong side of the law.

  Or someone with something to hide. Like her. On a quest to find her long-lost brother.

  When he’d placed the Smokey Bear hat on his head earlier, he’d been on his way out the door. Until Caroline Clark arrived. The hat—Evy craned her neck—added another five inches to his already imposing stature.

  “Can I help you, Deputy?”

  He removed the hat. The muscles underneath his fitted uniform shirt flexed. Her attention skittered. Did he wear a Kevlar vest? How dangerous was the life of a deputy sheriff in peaceful Kiptohanock?

  Mind your own business, Evy.

  The deputy positioned the hat next to a stack of books on her desk. “I need a library card.”

  “I thought you didn’t...”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “I mean, you don’t seem the type to...”

  He folded his arms across his chest. Which, for her, was eye level. His gold badge gleamed in the light of the green banker’s lamp atop her desk. Deputy Sheriff, Accomack County, it read.

  “Is getting a library card going to be a problem, Miss... Miss...?”

  “Shaw. Evangeline Shaw.” Was it suddenly hot in here or just her? “Getting a card will not be a problem, Deputy.”

  “It’s Deputy Pruitt.” Hand extended, he reached across the counter. “Charles Everett Pruitt the Third.”

  Her eyes flitted to his hand.

  The deputy’s gaze caught hers and held steady. “I find it amazing that in as small a place as Kiptohanock, our paths haven’t crossed until now.”

  She took his hand. His hand engulfed hers. Her heart stutter-stepped at the touch of his strong, warm fingers against her skin.

  “Pleased to meet you,” she whispered.

  Why was she whispering? Goose bumps tingled up and down her arm.

  His lantern jaw tightened. Frowning, he extracted his hand from hers.

  She angled toward the monitor and hit a button on the keyboard. “There are a few questions for you to answer on the application.”

  “Fire away.” He crossed his arms again, tucking his hands out of sight beneath impressive biceps. “I meant that in a figurative sense, mind you.” His lips twitched.

  She’d always liked men with a sense of—

  Evy jerked her eyes to the screen. “Name? Oh.” She swallowed. “You told me already.”

  She concentrated on typing the information. “Pruitt... Charles—”

  “Friends call me Charlie.”

  She stopped midkeystroke. Was that an invitation to be his friend, or was the deputy just being chatty? He didn’t strike Evy as the chatty sort.

  “Address?” She was whispering again...

  He rattled off an address belonging to one of the Victorian homes on a side street close to the town square.

  The deputy unfolded his arms and planted his elbows on the wooden counter. “And how about you?”

  Evy’s mouth went dry. The corded muscles of his forearms gave her pause.

  He leaned toward Evy. “Where do you live, Miss Shaw? Turnabout is fair play, don’t you think?”

  With his chiseled countenance, Mr. Law Enforcement bore a striking resemblance to Clark Kent aka Superman. He’d probably be very handsome if he ever relaxed his rigid features. With effort, she wrenched her gaze to the computer.

  She poised her fingers over the keyboard. “I’m boarding with Pauline Crockett off Seaside Road. Near—”

  “I’m familiar with Miss Pauline’s farm.”

  “You’re a ’been here then. Isn’t that what the locals call themselves?” She focused on the screen. “Which makes me a ’come here. What’s your telephone number?”

  “Why? Are you planning to ask me out, Miss Shaw?”

  Her heart palpitated. She was unused to—and unsettled by—the oh-so-masculine attention.

  She gestured at the computer. “It’s for th-the form.”

  He laughed. “Turnabout is fair play, remember, Miss Shaw?”

  She pointed at a tray of business cards with the library’s website and phone number. “I think I have enough information to process the application.”

  Was he flirting with her? Or mocking her? She lifted her chin.

  He straightened, his hazel eyes going serious. “I didn’t mean to... I thought we—”

  “It will take me a minute to create the card. If you can’t stick around, I’ll mail it to you.”

  He shuffled his big feet. “I can wait.”

  “In the meantime...” She shoved a welcome folder at him. “Here’s information about the services available at the library. And a schedule of upcoming events.”

  She gave him a nice view of her back. Better to get this over with ASAP. “In the packet are the conditions and privileges granted to you as a borrower.” She worked quickly to laminate the card.

  With the card hot off the machine, she faced him once again. “I should’ve asked for your ID first. Saved you the trouble of answering unnecessary questions. But per library regulations, I’m going to have to see some picture identification.”

  A muscle ticking in his jaw, Mr. Law Enforcement fished his wallet out of his pocket. He extracted his license and passed it to her. She skimmed it for a split second.

  She pushed his new library card and his license across the counter. “Here’s your card.” The less contact, the better.

  Mr. Law Enforcement had a curious effect on her nerve endings. “There is a one-dollar replacement fee if you lose the card.”

  “I won’t lose it.” The deputy inserted the cards into his wallet. “I don’t lose things I go after.”

  She opened her mouth, thought better of it and clamped her lips together.

  He smiled.

  She caught the edge of the desk. The flash of those even, white teeth could blind a person. When he smiled like that, his stern countenance became almost handsome.

  Evy placed her palms flat against the wood to steady herself. No almost about it. Deputy Charles Everett Pruitt the Third was quite handsome.

  Heart-throbbingly handsome. He should smile more often. She wondered why he didn’t. Not that he and his smile—or lack thereof
—were any of her business.

  That was the problem with small towns like Kiptohanock. Especially small Southern towns. Everybody was into everybody else’s business. And the nosiness appeared to be contagious. She needed—to quote the stalwart Captain Kirk—to raise her shields.

  Maybe local law enforcement made it a point to get to know newcomers. But Evy couldn’t afford anyone prying into her background. Not when she had so many secrets to keep.

  * * *

  When Evangeline Shaw’s expression transformed at the sight of Caroline, Charlie’s instincts kicked into gear. With her guileless blue eyes not so guileless anymore, he’d changed his mind about leaving the library.

  Maybe the Duer sisters weren’t as off base in their suspicions as he’d imagined. Something was going on with the librarian.

  He witnessed firsthand the melding thing the Duer sisters insisted she did with people. Practically blending into the background. Undercover agents could have learned a trick or two from the quiet librarian.

  Exiting the library with Izzie chattering nonstop, Caroline did an admirable job of not blowing his so-called cover.

  So he’d invented the need for a library card. Any excuse to justify his continued presence in Miss Shaw’s hallowed hall of books. But he’d embarrassed her with his mild stab at flirtatiousness.

  Either she wasn’t the sort of girl who played games or, worse, he’d lost his appeal to women since Honey. Maybe Miss Shaw wasn’t into his type. Not every woman liked a guy in uniform.

  “Was that everything you needed, Deputy?”

  It hadn’t escaped his notice she’d misdirected his attempts to call him by name. He found her reticence intriguing. He found the touch of her hand disturbing.

  Which might have been the most troublesome warning sign of all.

  “I—I...” His gaze darted around the reception area. Searching for a reason to see her again. On behalf of the investigation, of course.

  Charlie jabbed his finger at the purple poster tacked on the wall behind the librarian. “I want to register for the book club.”

  Her brow puckered. “What book club?” As if unsure of his meaning. Or stalling.

  “Do you have other book clubs?”

  “No...only this one, which meets every Thursday night.”

  “Then that’s the one I want to join.” He widened his stance, hips even with his feet. “It says you’re the facilitator.”

  She turned and scanned the notice as if not trusting her memory. “Yes, I guess it does.”

  “Okay then.”

  She blinked.

  “What do I need to do for Thursday? Just show up?”

  She pursed her lips. Beautiful lips, he decided.

  He scowled. Stick to the case, Pruitt.

  Evangeline Shaw nudged her glasses higher onto the bridge of her nose. “Showing up is the least of what we do in the book club, Deputy Pruitt.”

  She gave him a prim look he remembered an English teacher or two bestowing on him during high school a decade ago. “You need to read the book first. With today being Monday, I’m not sure you’d be able—”

  “You don’t think I can read a book in three days, Miss Shaw?”

  He also decided to make it his personal goal to be on a first-name basis with Miss Shaw and vice versa by Thursday.

  “I don’t know if this particular book selection...” Again with the blush.

  She wound a strand of her hair around her finger. “I mean, I don’t think this book would be your cup of tea.”

  He grinned. “Good thing the only tea I drink is sweet.”

  The blush deepened, and she stepped sideways. Barricading herself behind the stack of books?

  He rubbed his chin. “How bad could it be? It’s not War and Peace, is it?”

  “No...not exactly.” She toyed with the gold chain dangling around her neck. “It is a classic. Not your kind of book.”

  Charlie cocked his head. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Miss Shaw, seeing as we barely know each other. Yet.”

  Her eyebrows rose.

  Charlie’s cell suddenly warbled.

  The librarian’s eyes narrowed. “Is that the theme to...?” She hummed a few bars.

  His turn to flush, he pried the cell out of his pocket. Caller ID indicated Caroline Clark’s home number.

  Those Duer sisters. Couldn’t even wait for him to get out of the line of fire before they wanted a report. He’d had police academy sergeants less demanding. He clicked the phone off.

  She propped her elbows on the desk. “Bonanza?”

  “I liked Westerns as a kid. Still do.” He waited for the usual derisive comments.

  Instead, she favored him with a genuine smile. And his gut flip-flopped.

  “Me, too, Deputy.” She motioned toward the second story. “We have an entire section devoted to Western historicals.”

  “Is that what the book club is reading this week?”

  She fluttered her lashes. “Why no, it’s not.”

  From underneath the counter, she drew out a thick, heavy paperback and plunked it in front of him. “This week we’re reading and discussing another classic.”

  She smirked. “Welcome to the Jane Austen Reading Club, Deputy.”

  Chapter Two

  Tuesday evening, Evy was just about to lock up when—

  “I’m in over my head, Miss Shaw.”

  Evy shrieked. The key dropped out of her hand and fell with a clatter onto the library porch. Spinning around, she fell into the doorframe.

  Stooping, Deputy Charlie Pruitt retrieved the key lying between their feet. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

  Her breath came in short spurts, and she clutched the strap of her purse. “No thanks to you. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  The deputy nudged the brim of his hat higher onto his forehead. “I thought you saw me through the window when you set the alarm.” His brow creased. “You’re a nervous sort of gal, aren’t you?”

  She drew herself to her full height—all five feet three inches. “When somebody creeps up on you in the dark? You bet I am.”

  “I didn’t creep up on you.” He handed her the brass key. “And it isn’t dark.”

  “Not yet.” She fisted the key. “The sidewalks here roll up at five o’clock. Anyone would be nervous.”

  “Depends on what you’re used to, I suppose.” His eyebrow rose. “Kiptohanock’s a pretty safe place. Where was it again you said you were from?”

  Her mouth tightened. “I didn’t say.” She stuffed the key into a voluminous tote bag.

  “So you didn’t.”

  Arms folded across his chest, he leaned against one of the brick pillars bookending the veranda steps. His long legs blocked her exit. Or did she mean, her escape?

  “Was there something I could help you with, Deputy?” She gestured at the darkened building. “As you can see, the library is closed.”

  She tapped her foot against the wide-planked boards. “Or are you stopping by to let me know you’ve decided to drop out of the book club?”

  He smiled.

  Evy’s heart ratcheted up.

  “Actually, Miss Shaw, I did want to talk to you about the book club.”

  “I’d be glad to return the book so you don’t have to make another trip.” She took a step toward him. “Did you leave it in your patrol car?” He didn’t take the hint to move out of her way.

  His smile, if anything, grew wider. “I appreciate the personal service—”

  She flushed.

  “—but I’m not dropping out of the book club. On the contrary, I’ve managed to read through the novel twice.”

  “Twice? Really?”

  Charlie Pruitt broadened his shoulders and removed h
is hat. Which he placed over his heart.

  Her heart did a minuet.

  “Fact is, Miss Shaw, there are a few parts I’m having trouble digesting, and I wondered if you’d be willing to give me a few pointers so I’ll be prepared for book club on Thursday.”

  “I’m—I...”

  “How about over Chinese at the Four Corners Shopping Center?” He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m on my dinner break.”

  Suddenly the space between them felt extremely intimate. As if there weren’t enough oxygen. Was he asking her out?

  Of course not. He was asking for her help, her expertise. She was unused to male attention. Especially from someone so... She bit her lip. So male.

  His mouth drooped. “You’re probably too busy. I didn’t mean to impose.” He ducked his head. “Or presume.”

  She caught hold of his uniform sleeve. “I’m not busy.”

  His eyes snapped to her face.

  Evy let go of his arm. Could she have sounded more pathetic? “I’m mean, I’m never too busy for a library patron.”

  Now she sounded like a cross between Mary Poppins and Margaret Thatcher. “I mean...might as well. We’ve both got to eat.”

  Stop talking. She closed her eyes. Just stop talking.

  “Great.”

  She opened her eyes to find those long-lashed hazel eyes of his smiling at her. Her heart did a tango.

  By sheer willpower, she dragged her gaze to the cleft in his chin. Maybe not a safe place to settle, either. Another blush mounted from beneath the collar of her white blouse.

  “I’m an old-fashioned chow mein guy. How about you?”

  She realized he was talking again. To her. “Umm... I like sweet and sour.”

  “Of course you do.” He swept his hat across the length of the steps. “I’ll follow you there, Miss Shaw.”

  “A police escort?” She smoothed the cuff of her blue cardigan and gathered her wits. “Should I be nervous?”

  His eyes glinted. “Only if you’ve got something to hide.”

  The deputy’s words felt like a kick in the gut. She quivered on the edge of the step. Perhaps this was a bad idea.