by Maggie Ryan
He took her to the grocery store and they took their time going up and down each aisle, as he suggested they might see something she’d need that they weren’t thinking of now. She agreed, and by the time they made their way through the store, she had a pretty full cart. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever bought this much at the grocery story at one time in my life,” she said, as she was putting things onto the conveyor belt once at the cashier’s.
“And you probably won’t again for some time,” Matt agreed. “Before she left, Louise threw away everything from the refrigerator that wouldn’t last at least five months, and all the bread and things like that. She was afraid of flour and sugar and rice and things like that drawing bugs, so she got rid of all those things, as well. Basically all she kept was some canned food. You’re basically starting from scratch.”
“Yeah, you’re right. My next trip I won’t need nearly this much.”
He leaned in closer so no one else would hear. “Elsie, if needing to buy this much at once creates a money issue, I’ll be happy to help you out.”
She was shocked at his generous offer, but once she thought about how he’d been all evening, it didn’t really surprise her that much. “Thank you, Matt, for your concern, but I’m okay. I’ve got some money saved up or I wouldn’t have come here hoping to stay a little while.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am. Thank you for the offer, though.”
After relaxed conversation between them on the way back to her grandmother’s, he helped her carry the first load of groceries into the house. “Why don’t you start putting them away while I bring the rest in?” She nodded and started emptying bags.
Once he had them all inside, he handed her things as she placed them in cupboards or the refrigerator. Working together, they soon had everything in its place.
Matt looked around the kitchen. “We’ve got the water turned back on and the hot water tank’s on. I turned the furnace up higher, but you can adjust it to your liking. Is there anything else you can think of you may need?”
“Not that I can think of. Thank you for doing those things for me, and for dinner and the tour of town, and helping me get the groceries. I do appreciate all you’ve done.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to head back home now so you can unpack and settle in. I’ll leave my phone number for you here. I put both my home and cell numbers on there. If you need anything else, please give me a call.”
“Thank you.”
After Matt left, Elsie started to unpack, but her mind kept wandering back to Sheriff Matt Byler. He was very handsome, and it wasn’t just his six-foot frame with broad shoulders, or his dark brown hair that had just the right amount of wave in it, or the beautiful brown eyes you could get lost in, or even his chiseled features. No, he was handsome on the inside, as well.
She sighed, surprised that thought even entered her mind. She’d never been one to fall for a man quickly, or even feel comfortable around one this soon, so it was a little disconcerting. She’d also never met a man with old fashioned values, as he’d called them, and had never had any idea how attracted she would be to such qualities in a man. But mostly she was surprised that she was even thinking any good thoughts about any man. She’d come here to try to forget about the awful man who had led her on and then dumped her. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to trust or like any man again. So how was Matt able to have her thinking like this?
She went to bed still thinking about him. She realized that one thing that was different, and refreshing, about him was that he wasn’t trying to impress her. He was very genuine. Maybe that was why he was so easy to talk to. She found herself anxious to get to know him better while she stayed here.
Chapter 2
Matt went back to his house and checked his messages on his home phone. People often called him on his land line to tell him about a problem they had, or a situation they felt he needed to be aware of as the local sheriff. He was a little surprised when he heard a message from Louise. She generally called him on his cell phone, knowing he just about always had it with him. He was more surprised when he heard her message. “Matt, would you please call me when you’re alone and have a minute? I won’t be going to bed tonight until close to midnight. Thank you.”
He listened to the other messages, making note of a couple of them, and then thought about Louise’s message. He had to assume whatever she wanted to talk to him about involved Elsie, but she’d already asked him to watch out for her, so what else could it be? He took out his cell phone and called.
“Thank you for calling me back, Matt. Are you alone?”
“Yes, I am. I’m home and Elsie’s at your house. I took her out for dinner and to the grocery store.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated just a moment before going on. “How did your evening with her go?”
He chuckled. “It went really well. Louise, it’s not at all like you to beat around the bush, so why don’t you come right out and say what’s on your mind? First, though, let me thank you for asking me to look out for her. I enjoyed myself this evening, and I’m hoping to get to know her better. Thank you for giving me an excuse to stop in to visit. So, did you want to warn me about something, like her temper, or what’s on your mind?”
Louise laughed. “You’ve seen that already, I take it?”
“I have,” he assured her.
She sobered when she could tell how serious he was. “Actually, Matt, that is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I was serious when I told you earlier that Elsie’s a good lady.”
“After spending the evening with her, I wouldn’t argue that point, but—”
“I know,” Louise said with a bit of a chuckle. “That but is what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“That but got my attention this evening, for sure. It made me want to do something to her butt.” Louise laughed again. “Don’t worry, though. I reminded myself she’s your granddaughter, and I was a gentleman.”
“She really is a wonderful lady, but she’s not without faults. Her temper is one of them. She also tends to follow her heart, without listening to what her head is trying to tell her.”
“Act first, think later?”
“Act first, yes, but she doesn’t always even stop to think about what she’s doing at all. Then she finds herself in trouble, and instead of taking some time to think things through, she panics and does the first thing that comes to mind.”
“So has she learned things the hard way at times?”
“Not really, and that’s the problem. When she gets herself in a fix, her parents have always been able to get her out of it. I love that little lady to death, but she’s an only child, and her parents have spoiled her badly. I’ve talked to my daughter about it on numerous occasions, but she feels they’re just helping her out of a fix, like any good parent would do. I’ve tried to make her see that they’re not doing Elsie any favors, but she doesn’t see it that way. She says they love her and they’ll do whatever they can for her.”
“That’s a shame. It sounds like she needs to learn that actions have consequences.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Matt. I couldn’t agree with you more, and I think you’re just the man to teach her that.”
“Me? Why me?”
“The same thing that makes you such a good sheriff makes you exactly the kind of man Elsie needs in her life. You don’t take any nonsense from the people causing trouble in your county, and she needs to know you won’t take any nonsense from her, either.”
“How do you propose I do that?”
“You told me earlier you didn’t do what you’d considered doing because you were a gentleman. I think you’d be really good for her, but I don’t think Matt, the gentleman, is what she needs. I think she needs Matt, the sheriff, who won’t take nonsense from anyone.”
Matt was quiet for a period of time while he thought about what she was saying. Finally, he cleared his throat. “I think maybe I should
make sure you’re completely clear about what I was saying earlier.”
“What I assumed you meant was you wanted to do exactly what my parents did to me when I needed it while I was growing up, and what my husband and I did to our kids when they were growing up. When they needed it, we got their attention with a good spanking. It worked then, and I think it would do wonders now.”
Louise probably would have been surprised to see the big smile spread across Matt’s face. Just as quickly, though, the smile was gone. “I think it would, too, but I’m not sure she’d agree with us. If she’s upset, she could report me, and my own office would have to conduct an investigation. I could end up in trouble.”
“I know what you’re saying, but that won’t happen. Elsie listens to me, and respects me. She knows I think a lot of you. She’d never do anything to hurt me. Once I explain to her that the investigation would include pictures of her injured bottom to use as evidence, she won’t want to pursue it, either.” She sighed. “I honestly don’t think it would even get that far, though, Matt. We’ve talked several times after she’s done something she knows she shouldn’t have, and it bothers her. She always feels bad about it afterwards.”
“So she does feel some guilt?”
“Always. That’s why I think it’s exactly what she needs. I’m not proud of it, but I was a lot like her when I was younger. My husband used to take me to task, and as much as I hated it, I knew I deserved it, and I actually felt better afterwards. There’s no better way of dealing with the guilt.”
“Do you think she’ll feel that way, though?”
“Honestly, yes, I do. If she doesn’t, you call me, and let me talk to her.”
He was quiet again for several moments. Eventually, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Louise, I’m going to give this some thought. After the time I spent with her tonight, and hearing what you told me about her past, I’ve got to tell you, it’s very tempting. Thank you for trusting me enough to give me your permission. I’m very serious, though, about wanting to get to know her better, and I would hate to do this, only to have her tell me to leave and never come back.”
“I understand,” Louise assured him. “I’d hate for that to happen, too. I honestly don’t think it will, but I understand what you’re saying. Take some time to think about it, and in the meantime, thank you for looking out for her. I do worry about her being alone. She’s a smart lady, but she doesn’t always use her common sense.”
“After spending just one evening with her I already care about her, so I will definitely watch out for her.”
“Thank you, Matt. That’s all I can ask of you.” Before hanging up, she took a moment to tell Matt a little bit about the man Elsie had been dating, but apparently broke up with. “He was a user. I’m not sure if he thought Elsie or her family had a good amount of money or what exactly he was after, but he was a real charmer. He appeared to be very mannerly, but I could see right through him. His manners were too forced, not natural, and were aimed only toward her. It was obvious to me he wanted something from her. He was smart, though. He was very attentive to her, and I’m sure that’s what she saw in him.”
“Thanks for the heads up, Louise. I’ll give this whole thing some thought.”
After his call, he spent some time thinking about his evening and the spunky little lady he’d been discussing. He laughed to himself as he remembered the first time he saw her, hanging out a window, wriggling that cute little butt, trying to get inside. He frowned a little as he remembered her attitude at first. He wasn’t sure what that was all about, but suspected it had something to do with the reason she came to stay with her grandmother. Maybe the man she’d broken up with meant more to her than Louise realized, or perhaps it was a difficult breakup. Whatever the situation, she seemed to recover and was very pleasant and fun to be with when they went to dinner.
He’d heard Louise talk about her granddaughter, Elsie, in the past, and he knew she thought a great deal of her. Knowing that made him very anxious to get to know her, as well. He would definitely do as his friend and neighbor asked, and watch out for her while she was here. As far as teaching her that actions have consequences, he would have to give that some thought, maybe see how things go.
Elsie woke up the next morning, still thinking about Matt. He was so different from any man she’d ever met. Not many men would have shown her around town last night, and taken her to the grocery store. Out to dinner maybe, but not grocery shopping. She decided she would ask him over for dinner soon so she could thank him. She still wasn’t sure she was ready for any kind of relationship, but she was anxious to get to know him better and hopefully they could at least be friends. Thinking back to last night, it was refreshing to realize he never did anything that could be considered flirting.
The next day, she called her grandmother to thank her again for letting her stay in her house, and they talked for almost an hour. Elsie always felt better after talking to her, and today was no different. She spent most of the day getting familiar with her grandmother’s house, and where things were located. Then she took her grandmother’s advice and enjoyed a long, hot bubble bath, which was very relaxing. She fell asleep on the couch while she was watching a movie.
She told herself the next morning she was going to spend the day relaxing. With that in mind, she took out a book she’d brought along, and spent time reading. Her mind occasionally wandered to Paul, the man she’d just broken up with, and she allowed it. Until she’d gotten here she wouldn’t let herself think about it. It was too painful, and she was afraid her emotions would get the best of her. Now it didn’t matter, so she took the time to do some thinking.
To her surprise, she wasn’t as hurt and disappointed as she thought she would be. Instead, she found herself angry, and not just at Paul. She was angry with herself for allowing the whole thing to happen. She should have seen through his smoke screen earlier and prevented it. She couldn’t do anything about it now, so she was determined to not only put it behind her and move on, but to learn from it.
Feeling better about that whole situation now, she took a long walk, going extra slow past Matt’s house, admiring how neat and well kept it looked. She didn’t realize how late it was until she saw Matt’s car coming down the road. He waved, so she stopped to talk to him. He pulled in and parked, then came back to her. “Hi, Elsie. Taking a walk to acquaint yourself with your new neighborhood?”
“Yes, I was, but I didn’t know it was this late. I’m glad I ran into you, though.”
“Why is that; is there something with the house I can help you with, or something I can help you find in town?”
“No, nothing like that. I wanted to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night so I can thank you for what all you did for me the day I got here.”
“You mean like not arresting you for breaking and entering?”
The sparkle in his eye easily told her he was kidding, and she smiled. “Yeah, that, too,” she admitted, turning red. “I wasn’t in a very good mood that day, either, so I’m sure I didn’t make that decision any easier.”
“You seem to be in a better mood today,” he said with another smile that told her he wasn’t upset with her. “Is your stay here helping you sort things out?”
“Yeah, I think it is. Plus, I’ve talked to Grandma every day, and she always has a way of making me see things in a different light.”
“I can believe that. Louise is a very down to earth, sensible lady who you can’t help but like.”
“Yes, she is. I’m lucky to have her. She’s always telling me I have to look beyond the end of my nose so I can see the whole picture.”
Matt laughed. “Yeah, I can almost hear her saying that. I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better.”
“Thank you. Now, are you free for dinner tomorrow night? Maybe I should ask, are you willing to chance my cooking?”
He looked worried. “Are you trying to warn me about your cooking? Would we be safer if I ask you out for dinner, like I’v
e been planning on doing?”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “I’m no gourmet chef, but my food’s edible. Well, usually,” she added. “There have been a few times I’ve attempted something new that I think I must have done something wrong, but if you come for dinner I promise I won’t try anything new.”
“Then I’d love to come over. What time would you like me there, and what can I bring?”
“Is this when you usually get home?”
He had to smile a bit. “If nothing comes up, I usually get home between 5:30 and 6:00.”
“Then how about if we plan it for 6:30? Will that give you enough time?”
“That’ll be fine. I can come home and shower and change out of these clothes before I come over.”
“Okay, but you look awful handsome in uniform.”
She immediately looked away and started turning red. He was sure she didn’t mean to say that, or at least not out loud. Not wanting to embarrass her, he quickly changed the subject. “Okay, I’ll be there at 6:30, unless something comes up. If it does, I’ll try to call you and warn you. I should apologize in advance, though, because if an emergency comes up, I don’t always have a chance to make phone calls.”
“I understand,” she assured him. “Is there anything you don’t eat; any allergies or anything you don’t like?”
“Red beets,” he said, making a disgusting looking face. “My mom always said they were good for you and made me eat some. I swore when I got old enough to be out on my own I wouldn’t eat another red beet, and I haven’t.”
Elsie laughed. “Does Grandma know that?”
He looked perplexed. “That I don’t like red beets? I don’t think so. Why?”
“Because she makes a red beet salad that she swears she hasn’t found a person yet who doesn’t like it. She says people who hate red beets take seconds of her salad. If she finds out you don’t like them, she’ll look at it as a challenge.”
“Really? Then don’t tell her, please. We get along really well, and I’d like to keep it that way.”