Page 46 of Plentywood
“I’ve heard wonderful things about Mark,” he said. “I bet you miss him very much, sheriff.”
“I do,” I confessed, thinking of just how far I’d come since his death, but obviously not as far as I’d thought a minute ago. “Geesh!” I exclaimed, embarrassed by the last minute or two. “Wow!” I added, fumbling with the knobs on the dash. “What about the glove box?”
“I might have left it open,” he confessed.
I reached in front of him and shut the small door, waited a moment, and then reopened it. “See that small lightbulb?” He nodded. “It’s not lighting up any longer. Your battery is dead.”
“Can it live again?”
I wanted to laugh out loud at his innocence, but I needed to stop the painful memory tour I was on, making comparisons between him and Mark. The new doctor was everything I thought I needed in my life. The odd thing, I’d swore that I’d never fall for another man as long as I lived. I figured I couldn’t survive love a second time.
“I’ll jump you,” I announced. I swear he jumped back in his seat, eyes as wide as a dinner plate. “What I meant was that I’ll jump yourcar batterywith my rig’s battery. You’ll be able to start the car in a bit.”
He smiled once he understood me. “Thank you, Hunt. I’m going to Missoula this weekend to sell my car and I thought this was a bad sign. I’m so glad I came out to put this pink paper back after signing it,” he said, grabbing what appeared to be the car’s title and waving it at me. “Charlie said I needed to sign this title thing. You saved me because when he comes tomorrow the car wouldn’t have started. You’re a savior, sheriff.”
“Charlie Brewster?” I asked, shaking my head to dislodge the shock of hearing Charlie’s name.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “Agnes’s grandson. He found a guy in Missoula to buy my car, so we’re driving there tomorrow. Charlie said we’ll have to stay overnight because of the distance. I guess Missoula is a long way away. Is that right?” he asked.
I heard him explaining the plan, but I was still a few words behind, as I imagined him with Charlie. “Overnight?” I asked, balling my fists on my lap.
“Is Missoula that far?” he repeated.
“Yeah, it is,” I muttered. “Too far for a quick turnaround unless you drove all night.”
My internal rage simmered just below the surface. Charlie had managed to worm his conniving way into the doctor’s good graces. I’m sitting here dying over the doctor because of his fucking eyes and the fact that I’m crazy about him, while Charlie had decided to take his own shot.
I got out of the car, struggling to contain my displeasure, and went to my SUV, popped the hood, and then connected jumper cables to Ben’s car. I stood near my engine and waited a few moments. All the while, my mind imagining Charlie and him in some hotel, getting closer and falling in love.
“Please go to the driver’s seat,” I instructed. Ben got out and moved to the other side of the car, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Push the start button, please.”
In two seconds, the car started and I unattached the cables, tossing them into my SUV before shutting the hood of his car. I jumped into my rig as fast as I could. I wanted to cry or punch something and needed to be gone as fast as I could escape.
Ben hurried out of his car and stood by the door of my rig. “Thank you, sheriff.”
“It’s my job, doc,” I muttered, firing my rig up and placing it in gear. I needed to get the fuck out of there before I embarrassed myself further. The sixth grader in me was on the verge of rearing his jealous head.
“What do I do now?” he asked. “Leave the car running? Will it start tomorrow when Charlie gets here?”
“How the fuck do I know?” I hissed.
Ben stepped away from my window, a wounded look on his face. “Sheriff?”
“I don’t know,” I repeated, turning away from him and backing out of the parking lot.
Ben stood in the driveway and watched as I tore away from the clinic. I covered my mouth as a sob overcame any control I had left.
Fucking eyes. I hated his fucking eyes.
Once out of view, I pulled in front ofRexall Drugsand switched the lights off on the SUV. I leaned into the steering wheel, my heart racing. For some reason, I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I couldn’t catch my breath. A strange feeling that he belonged to me and had rejected me, overcame my sensibilities. Truthfully, Ben had no idea what I was feeling for him because, unlike Charlie, I was a chickenshit.
The last time I’d felt like this was several weeks after Mark had died. Once friends and family had resumed their normal lives, it had dawned on me I was truly alone. The panic was overwhelming. The despair practically unbearable.
As my breathing leveled off, the anger surfaced. What the hell was Charlie up to? He knew what he was doing and had used an event he could control to convince Ben to let him help. Charlie had figured out how I felt about Ben, so his scheme felt like a slap in the face. Pulling my cell out of my vest pocket, I scrolled for Charlie’s number. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my chances with Ben.
“Hey, sheriff,” Charlie greeted after one ring. “You calling for a hook-up, stud?”
“Stay the fuck away from Ben,” I hissed. “I mean it, Charlie.”
