Page 11 of Mistletoe Dreams
"Let me see that," she said after she snapped a pair of latex gloves on her hands and held her hand out for Gordon's hand.
If Ben had a reaction to her words, he didn't let on. And she wasn't going to rub it in. So he didn't recognize her—that was fine. Didn't remember her either—that was fine as well.
"Were you looking at the graffiti on the gazebo?"she asked casually as her eyes roved over the cut, figuring out exactly how she was going to stitch it. It seemed pretty straightforward, but it definitely was deep enough and big enough that it needed stitches.
"Yeah. Someone's been doing a rash of vandalism in town. Normally, we don't have to worry about it, do we, Boss?" Gordon said, glancing at Ben.
She took out her tools and began to stitch up Gordon’s hand.
She wasn't sure whether that was to bring him into the conversation or whether he was trying to get Ben to talk. Whatever it was, Ben just shrugged his shoulder. "Whoever it is is getting away with it. As soon as they stop getting away with it, it will end. Once people see that we punish vandals, the vandalism will end. It's just a matter of catching them." His eyes narrowed at Hannah, as though he were still considering her a suspect.
"I can take pictures of my whereabouts and send them to you if you're concerned that I might be involved in this spree of vandalism. Although if it started before I moved to town on Friday, then you can cross me off your list of suspects."
"We're not suspecting you of anything," Gordon said, looking at Hannah like she'd lost her mind. "You're a doctor. You're not going to go around spray-painting profanity on town property." He huffed out a breath. "Plus, we've got surveillance video, and it looks like a teenage boy. No one thinks it's you." He repeated, just in case Hannah had any lingering doubts.
So Ben had surveillance video. Did he know that when he was accusing her earlier that day? Was he just giving her a hard time, or was he seriously just naturally suspicious of everyone? Surely he didn't go around accusing the townspeople of vandalizing their town without just cause?
Ben's eyes met hers for a second, and then his gaze slid away, as though he were guilty.
That's exactly what she thought. He'd just been giving her a hard time.
But why?
She didn't have an answer to that question, and she probably wasn't going to get one, so she snipped off the last suture, murmured a few words, then turned and walked out, leaving the door cracked just a little, as she walked to the computer and started typing some information in.
She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the deputy's voice came from the open door.
"Do you think it was Mason?" he asked, as Hannah tried to figure out who in the world Mason was.
"I hope not."
The reply was short, but it had emotion in it that tugged at Hannah's heart, even though she didn't want it to. Obviously, whoever Mason was, Ben loved him.
"I hope not too," Gordon said, although his words seemed fatalistic, like he'd already reached the conclusion that it was Mason.
A police officer, along with the rest of America, was supposed to hold people innocent until they were proven guilty. But sometimes crimes were so obvious that it was hard not to come to that conclusion. It felt like common sense.
Who was Mason?
"I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy," Ben muttered. "The divorce did not help."
Could Mason be Ben's son?
"I know we always feel guilty about the things that happen to us and how they affect our children. But you can't help what your ex did. If she had been faithful, if she had kept her vows, if she had done what she was supposed to do, Mason probably would be the straight-A student he was before everything happened."
"I know. I just wish there was something I could do to get my son back."
So it was his son.
Hannah's eyes opened wide, and her fingers stilled on the keyboard. Ben's son was having issues?
It made her feel a lot more sympathetic to Ben's situation. Howterrible would it be to be a sheriff in charge of keeping law and order in your jurisdiction and to have your own son be the top suspect in a vandalism crime? She couldn't even imagine how devastating it must be.
"I think I have everything entered," she spoke to Cassie as she finished up the information. "Would you mind taking a look at this?" It wasn't the first one that she'd done by herself, but it was still her first day, and she wanted to make sure she was doing everything correctly.
Cassie smiled, not seeming to be put out at all, as she pushed back away from her chair.
"Of course," she said, looking as cheerful and sunny as the bouquet of flowers on her desk.
