The Deputy's Perfect Match

by Lisa Carter

  Before she was a librarian. When she was just Jane. Cotton-headed Jane.

  And places long raw inside herself were assuaged. Like the balm in Gilead she’d heard about in church. Soothing wounded souls.

  Questions she’d been afraid to ask were answered. As for the other empty places she’d attempted to fill with her books, God was doing work there, as well. For that, she felt a tremendous awe that somebody would do that for her. And she also felt an immense gratitude.

  In the glow of the bonfire, Sawyer read the children another story. About a father who wasn’t good to his children. About all the things a boy wished his father would do. About the boy who decided to grow up to be the father he wished he’d had.

  Sawyer’s gaze cut across the flames to Honey. Her hand rested atop her belly over their child. He teared up. As did Evy, and yes, even Mr. Keller. Honey, however, kept her gaze on the ground.

  As for SuperDeputy Charlie? Since her unexpected reunion that morning, she’d not had the chance to talk to him. If she was at the corral with Sawyer, Charlie seemed to be needed on the boat with Felicia and Mr. Keller. While Evy served lunch, Charlie prepped for crafts.

  A sliver of doubt inched its way into her otherwise perfect evening. Was Charlie avoiding her? But unable to think of any good reason why he should, she dismissed the discomfiting thought.

  Their time would come. Charlie had been the best kind of friend these last few months. The best, truest friend she’d ever had. Standing by her side while she went through this experience. Today was probably about Charlie giving her and Sawyer space to get reacquainted.

  After the children went home Sunday afternoon, she’d make sure Charlie understood how much she appreciated his unconditional support. A smile played around her lips.

  Maybe dinner over wonton soup and egg rolls. Followed by some light reading in that window seat of his... Her toes curled in her Keds just thinking about it.

  As sparks drifted upward, blinking and vanishing against the blue velvet night sky, her attention drifted to Honey. Standing alone outside the light cast by the fire. In the shadows.

  Evy didn’t like how things had ended between them when Sawyer stumbled upon the truth. She and Honey needed to talk. She needed to apologize again for causing Honey to worry. They needed to come together for Sawyer’s sake. For the sake of family.

  Family. Her family and Sawyer’s. It was important that she and Honey go forth with no more misunderstandings between them. For Sawyer’s sake. For the future.

  Evy exhaled. So many wonderful and mixed up feelings all at the same time. Knees pulled to her chin, she basked in the warmth of the fire on this chilly October night. At the thought of a future full of bright possibilities. For instance, she’d be an aunt.

  She almost laughed aloud. An aunt. She vowed she’d be the best aunt in the world.

  Evy smiled thinking of celebrating a real Eastern Shore Thanksgiving this year. At Christmas, foil-wrapped gifts around a tree. If she had to guess, she’d guess no artificial, frosted trees for Kiptohanock homes. The Duers and Pruitts probably cut their trees from the woods.

  She gave a happy sigh. Easter egg hunts. Birthday parties. Building castles on the sandy beach of a barrier island next summer. She felt dizzy with delight. Exhilarated. Happier than she’d ever been.

  She never could’ve imagined the good gifts God had placed within her reach. God was so good. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep tonight. Everything had changed for her today. Love had changed everything for Evy.

  Because love—her breath caught—love always changed everything.

  It was the final night of the final weekend of foster camp. So Evy closed their time together with a particular favorite of hers—Goodbye. The book was about how sometimes family had to live in different homes, but that didn’t mean goodbye forever. Just goodbye for now.

  Looking back over the last few months, Evy reflected on the privilege of taking part in Sawyer’s foster kid ministry. The blessing she’d received by sharing in the lives of children like Latasha, Rayna and Blake far outweighed anything she’d done for them.

  It was late when she left the farm. With her relationship restored with her brother, she hoped to see the children again next summer. She’d not dared dream of staying in Kiptohanock until today. And she lay awake pondering how she could forge a new relationship with her sister-in-law, too.

  The next afternoon, Evy passed the van driven by Mr. Keller with Felicia and the children returning to their foster families. They spotted Evy in her car, and a flurry of waving erupted from inside the van.

  Anxious to make amends, she parked beside Sawyer’s truck in the yard. And arrived to the sound of angry, raised voices coming from the barn. In the middle of a heated argument, Honey and Sawyer faced each other on opposite sides of the barn.

  Evy was preparing to tiptoe away—when she heard her name.

  “I can’t believe you’d do that, Honey. To me. To my sister, Evy.” He took off his hat and flung it into the dust. “How dare you! That’s outlandish even for you.”

  Evy hung back in the shadows. What had Honey done?

  “But I didn’t know she was your sister.” Honey closed the distance between herself and Sawyer. “I believed I was protecting you.” She seized hold of his denim-clad arm.

  He shook off Honey’s restraining hand. “You were protecting yourself.” He started for the other end of the open barn.

  “Where’re you going?” Tears rolled down Honey’s cheeks. “Please, let me explain.”

  Sawyer didn’t break stride. “I can’t talk to you about this. Not when I might say something I’d regret. I’ve got fence wire to restring.”

  “Please, Sawyer...” Honey reached in his direction. Her hand dropped to her side.

  Evy was devastated at what she’d witnessed. This was her fault. Honey and Sawyer were at odds. Because of her.

  She backtracked to her car. This was exactly what she’d feared. She’d never wanted this. She crawled inside her vehicle.

  The glowing future she’d dared to envision for herself and Sawyer over the last twelve hours dissipated like morning mist over the tidal marsh.

  Resting her forehead against the steering wheel, she sobbed for what her coming to town had cost all of them. Her worst fears had come true.

  Somehow she had to make things right between Honey and Sawyer. Unearthing a tissue in the glove compartment, she wiped her eyes and went in search of Honey.

  Evy found Honey on the ridge overlooking the creek, which meandered out to sea. “I’m sorry, Honey.”

  “What’re you apologizing for?” Honey stared over the water. “For not telling us sooner?” Shoulder muscles taut, she cradled her hands over her protruding stomach. “For telling us at all?”

  Maybe she was apologizing for existing. And Evy understood then that, despite all the wishing in the world, she and Honey would never be friends. As she’d once predicted, each piece of Sawyer’s life would be jealously guarded by Honey and shared with Evy only with reluctance.

  And Evy couldn’t—wouldn’t—put Sawyer in that difficult position between his wife and his sister.

  Yet something inside Evy refused to be sorry that at last she and Sawyer had met again. They’d had yesterday together to be brother and sister, if only that once.

  She let the breath trickle from between her lips. “I’m sorry I ruined everything.”

  Honey jerked around. “What?”

  “If I hadn’t come here...” Evy chewed at her lower lip.

  “Sawyer once said the same thing to me,” Honey whispered. “About ruining everything he touched.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t true.”

  Honey’s brown eyes took on a fierce glow. “I told him to never say it again.” She lifted her chin. “And he hasn’t. Because of me and my dad and what
everyone in Kiptohanock has helped him see about himself.”

  “I’m glad he has you and your family. I should’ve stayed away.” Evy fought to control the tremor in her voice. “I’ve never brought anyone anything but trouble. I’m so very sorry, Honey, more than I can say, for spoiling everything.”

  Honey’s brows drew together in a frown. “What kind of place did the two of you come from that you both grew up feeling like that?” She closed her eyes. “What kind of people do that to children?”

  When she opened her eyes, Evy was startled by the moisture welling in Honey’s brown eyes. And remorse. “No, Evy. I should be the one apologizing to you. I’m no better than them for making you feel like that. You haven’t ruined anything.” Honey’s lips quivered. “I’m always a little slow on the uptake. I don’t deal well with change. We each battle our own wounds. Our own insecurities.”

  “Wounds? You?” Evy fingered the frame of her glasses. “Delmarva’s Hostess with the Mostest? Kiptohanock’s sweetheart?”

  “All of us have hurt places inside us that scar over but never completely go away, Evy.” Honey rubbed her forehead. “Someday I’ll tell you about my losses. About my mom and Caroline, who only came home to us last spring.”

  “Someday?”

  Honey’s gaze bored into Evy. “We’re family now. You, me, Sawyer and Baby Kole.” She made an expansive gesture. “And you haven’t really lived, Evy Shaw, until you’ve lived through a Duer family Thanksgiving.”

  Evy’s heartbeat elevated. Was she hearing Honey right? “You’d want me to stay here? In Sawyer’s life?”

  Honey touched Evy’s arm. “Family sticks together. You and Sawyer have a lifetime of catching up to do.”

  “But—”

  “You don’t spoil things, Evy.” Honey’s voice hitched. “You’ve brought such peace and closure to his life already. And I love him too much to keep that from him.”

  Evy took a quavery breath.

  “Would you forgive me for the last few months?” Honey swallowed. “Would you give me a second chance? I’d like for us to get to know one another, too. To find our way to friendship.”

  “You and me?”

  “We can’t be that different if Sawyer loves us both.” Honey smiled. “And the fact that we both love him so much gives us the greatest common ground of all, don’t you think?”

  “But what about the problems I’ve caused between you and Sawyer?”

  “Trust me, when you know Sawyer Kole the way I know Sawyer Kole, he blows hot but he doesn’t stay mad long.” She cut her eyes at Evy. “He’s had a lot of practice forgiving me. Would you forgive me?” Honey extended her hand. “I’d love for us to start over.” Honey squared her shoulders. “Hello, my name is Honey Kole, and I’m so pleased to meet you, Evy Jane Shaw.” Her cheeks lifted. “Sawyer’s beloved little sister, Cotton.”

  Tears burned Evy’s eyelids as she took Honey’s hand. “If you’re sure you want me to stay, I will.”

  Honey squeezed Evy’s hand. “I’m sure.”

  “Okay.” Evy lifted her chin. “Hello, my name is Evy—” she moistened her lips “—Evy Jane Shaw, and I’m so pleased to meet you, Honey Duer Kole.” She smiled through her tears. “Sawyer’s beloved Kiptohanock sweetheart.”

  Then they embraced.

  Dashing tears from her eyes, Honey broke away first. “Sorry, but I need to sit down.” She put a hand to the small of her back. “This standing is killing me.”

  Evy held her arm. “Let’s go find Sawyer.”

  Honey nodded. “About that ruined business, though?”

  Evy cocked her head.

  A mischievous smile lit Honey’s face. “If you’d never come to Kiptohanock, it’s no secret that one particular deputy sheriff’s life would’ve definitely been deprived of knowing you.”

  “You think he feels that way?” Evy bit her lip. “Really?”

  “Trust me. One female to another. I know these things.” Honey slipped her arm around Evy’s shoulders. “This is going to be great. I always wanted to pass the Youngest Sister baton to someone else.” Honey gave Evy a sly sideways look. “And guess what, little sis? Tag, you’re it.”

  But her laughter changed into a groan. Honey’s face went white. She clutched her belly.

  Evy gripped Honey’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

  Sucking in a breath, Honey’s eyes darted to her feet. “My water.” She gasped. “It just broke.”

  * * *

  Hammer raised, Sawyer fisted his other hand. “I ought to punch you in the face, Charlie Pruitt.”

  The ex-Coastie radiated with anger. Bareheaded, his short blond hair—a darker version of Evy’s—stood up on end as if he’d been raking his hands through it.

  Close to the end of Charlie’s shift, Honey’s text had brought him to the farm posthaste. Warning him that she’d told Sawyer about what she and Charlie had done. Charlie was ashamed of what they’d done.

  The dishonesty. The conspiracy against Evy. The disloyalty.

  He hurried over to the farm only to spot several vehicles, including Evy’s Mini Cooper, but no one in sight.

  Charlie found Sawyer along the fence line. Pounding the barbed wire in place like he wished it was Charlie’s head. And he didn’t blame Sawyer for his reaction. This man wielding a hammer was Evy’s only true family.

  “I deserve a pounding,” Charlie said. “And worse.”

  He and Sawyer had formed an uneasy truce over the last month. Broken now by Charlie’s duplicity.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To provoke me into taking a swing at you. So you can charge me with assaulting a police officer.”

  “This has nothing to do with me being a deputy.”

  Charlie removed the badge pinned to his uniform and stuck it inside his pocket. “This is you being Evy’s brother. And me, deserving to be knocked flat in the dust.”

  Sawyer held Charlie’s relationship with Evy in his hand. One word from her long-lost brother and Charlie’s chance with Evy would be forever destroyed. And with it—Charlie realized with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach—his entire future.

  Her brother’s eyes hardened. “I thought you liked Evy. That you were her friend. That you might even be falling for her.”

  “I do. I am.” It was true on all counts. “I have.”

  Sawyer shook the hammer in the air between them. “How could you do this to her? Betray her trust?”

  What could Charlie say? He refused to take the easy way out. To explain that once he’d grasped his true feelings for Evy, he’d called off the investigation.

  Sawyer beat the hammer into his palm. “She’s my sister!”

  “I know,” Charlie whispered. “You’ll never know how much I regret how I handled things.”

  “You, Charlie Pruitt, are a real piece of work.” Sawyer pointed the end of the hammer at him. “Playing her. Letting her believe in you. Taking her trust and trampling on it.”

  “There’s not a name you can call me I haven’t already called myself.” Charlie braced, broadening his shoulders. “Bring it. I won’t fault you.”

  Sawyer flung the hammer to the ground. “This is going to kill Evy when she finds out.” He folded his arms across his chest. “And make no mistake, she will find out what you’ve done.”

  He raised his arms shoulder-width and let them drop. “This is Kiptohanock.” Sawyer grimaced. “You can’t flush a toilet at one end of town and not expect everyone at the other end to hear about it soon.”

  Exactly what had kept Charlie awake until the wee hours each night since he learned the truth about Evy’s identity.

  “Why didn’t you tell her when she revealed her big secret?”

  “Because...” Charlie slumped. “Because I was afraid of losing her.” He gulped. “And I can
’t stand to see her hurt.”

  “That makes two of us.” Sawyer’s mouth thinned. “But she’s going to hear about it one way or the other. Better that she hears it from you.”

  Charlie lifted his gaze from the ground. “You’re not going to tell her?”

  “Not my secret to tell.” Sawyer rolled his neck, working out the kinks. “I do appreciate, however, you trying to stop my wife from making everything worse by walking away from it when you did.”

  “You know about that, too?”

  “Honey and I don’t make a habit of keeping secrets from each other. Once the floodgate opened on this one, she didn’t hold anything back.”

  Sawyer jutted his jaw. “We’ll get past this. We always do.” He shook his head. “Life with Honey Duer Kole for sure is never boring.” He smiled. “I knew what I was signing up for. No regrets.” He shrugged. “What can a guy do when he loves a woman like that?”

  What indeed?

  Charlie needed to come clean with Evy. Before she heard the truth from someone else. He’d beg for her forgiveness. Grovel. Plead. And pray for a second chance to rebuild her trust in him.

  Whatever it took to make sure the best thing that ever happened to him didn’t walk away from him for good.

  Leaving Sawyer sweating in the noonday sun, he headed toward the barnyard, determined finally to admit the truth to Evy.

  But everything else was forgotten as he spotted Evy—her arm slung around Honey’s waist—struggling up the incline from the tidal creek around the corner of the house.

  “Charlie!” Evy’s face brightened in relief. “We need your help. Honey’s gone into labor.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Clinging to Evy’s arm, Honey took a sharp breath as if someone had socked her in the gut.

  Evy took an automatic glance at her wristwatch. “The contractions are coming so close together.”

  Charlie gaped.

  “Did you hear me?” Evy growled. “Don’t stand there with your mouth hanging open. Help me, Charlie.”

  As the contraction eased, Honey went limp against Evy’s side.