Page 26 of Shelter for Sharla

“About five thirty?”

“Um, okay. See you then.”

“Yep. I’ll be there.” Carter hit END and sat there, wondering what she’d say when she figured out what he was doing.

He swapped his cruiser out for his pickup truck and dressed in slacks and a button-front shirt, a nice blue plaid that he’d gotten on sale at the mall area in Paducah. To his delight, he passed a ChristianCounty Sheriff’s Department cruiser on his way into Sharla’s neighborhood, and he was pretty sure they were checking the house. Good. Glen was holding true to his promise. He’d barely gotten the truck parked when he looked up and saw her standing there in the open doorway, leaning up against the jamb and smiling with her arms folded across her chest, and he couldn’t help but smile back. God, she was beautiful! As soon as he stepped out and closed the truck door, he heard her say, “You’re certainly a punctual kinda guy, CarterMelton.”

“I am. Makes it easier when I’ve got something to look forward to.”

“You’re awfully dressed up.”

Carter looked down at himself. “Yeah? I guess I clean up okay.”

“You clean up more than okay. Come here.” The door barely closed behind him before she leaned in and kissed him?hard.

He was laughing when he pulled back. “Whew! That’s a helluva greeting!”

“You’re a helluva guy! So what’s this big secret?”

“Ready to go?”

“Would help if I knew where I was going,” she answered, hands on her hips.

“Trust me?”

He knew that was a loaded question, and he grinned when she said, “Absolutely. Okay. You want to surprise me, I’ll let you. Let’s go.”

They chatted as he drove along, her about some of the patients she’d had that day?no names, of course?and him about JudgeMichaels’ visit. Boy, he dreaded the conversation he’d be having with Edwards, but now it wasn’t coming just from him. It was coming from the judge too, so it would carry a lot more weight. They’d driven more than twenty-five miles from the interstate exit when Sharla said with a grin, “We’re going to Paducah!”

“Nope. We’re not. You’ll be surprised, I promise.” Glancing at her there in the truck, his chest warmed at the smile on her lips as she watched out the truck window. She was excited, and that was exactly what he wanted.

He got off at the CalvertCity exit and headed east until he came to the spur that sent him over to the state park. “Oh! I’ve never been here!” Sharla exclaimed as he turned into the drive.

“The food is really good. I’ve been here several times. They actually have a buffalo dinner here once a year.” Carter wheeled into a parking spot in the oval parking lot and shut the truck off. “I always enjoyed that.”

“I probably would too. I like to try things I’ve never had before, and I don’t think I’ve ever had buffalo. Can we come back for that?”

“Sure. It’s after the first of the year, so it’ll be a while.”Will she still be interested in me after the first of the year?he wondered. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d still be interested in her.

The dining room was almost deserted. Most of their business came in the summer, being a state resort park, and that was one reason he’d chosen it. “Could you seat us by the window?” he asked as the hostess greeted them.

“Sure! Right this way.” Pointing to a table in the back corner at the huge plate glass window, the server left them and Carter helped Sharla into her chair. It was great to be able to sit there and look out over the enormous man-made KentuckyLake, and they had a good view of the pedestrian bridge, the breakwater jetty, and the marina. Carter had never been interested in having a boat, but it sure looked inviting down there.

They talked and laughed through dinner. She ordered a Kentucky hot brown, which she declared delicious, and he ordered a steak with a baked potato. Their salad bar was fresh and plentiful, and before long both diners were stuffed. “Whew! I’m tight as a tick!”

Sharla laughed. “Me too. I think I need to walk some of this off. Could we…”

“Sure can. Let me take care of the check and we’ll go out and walk around a bit.”

The early fall air was warm, but when they headed down the hill and toward the shoreline, a cool breeze wafted up from the water. Sharla reached for his hand and smiled. “This is really nice.”

Carter took hers and squeezed it. “It is. Very nice. The company’s better than the food and the scenery though.” She didn’t get a chance to speak before he drew her hand upward and kissed the back of it.

She stopped dead, their hands still clasped. “Can this really go anywhere, Carter? I don’t want to be played with.”

“This morning, when my deputy found out I was going to the funeral and he questioned my judgment, I told him it was none of his business. And it’s not. As long as I don’t compromise the investigation in any way, it’s nobody’s concern. Do I think it would be best to keep it on the down low? Yeah, until it’s all over. If somebody finds out, am I going to be ruined? Nope. We don’t need to flaunt it, but I’m not going to run away from it forever. We’re building something here, Sharla, something good, and I don’t want to mess that up because I’m afraid of what other people think.”

“I feel the same way. People can think what they want. Besides, there’s probably nothing to any of this, just a huge mistake on Tam’s part.”

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