Page 14 of Riverbend Gap (Riverbend 1)

“Oh! Thank you. I was going to call the sheriff’s office tomorrow and track it down.”

“No need.” Obviously. Duh. His eyes drifted to the faucet and plumbing under the sink. He could probably fix it for her. But no. That wasn’t his place.

“Guess I’d better call a plumber, huh? Know a good one around here?”

“Gavin’s not a licensed plumber, but he can probably fix it for you.”

“Oh yeah.” Her smile lit up the room. “He handles those cabins. This kind of thing must come up from time to time.”

“Right.” He grabbed the pail. “Where’s the bathroom? I’ll water your plants before I go.”

“It’s that way.” She pointed down the hall. “But I can do it.”

He slid her a warning look, then went to fill up. She followed him out the front door.

Now that the emergency was past, he remembered the way she’d invited him in earlier. He tipped the pail over the flowers, and water sprinkled from the spout. “You know, you shouldn’t invite random visitors into your home sight unseen.”

“I thought you were Gavin. He’s supposed to stop by.”

“You should be more careful. And you should lock up at night, in case no one told you.”

“Yes, sir.” The impish light in her eyes gave her away. “I’ll be more careful.”

“This might be a small town, but thousands of strangers hike the AT every summer, and they all traipse right through town. Most of them are good folk, but you can’t count on that.”

“Point taken.” She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “Are you always trying to keep people safe?”

“That is my job.”

“And you’re running for sheriff... You didn’t mention that little tidbit when we were having our chat out on the cliff.”

“Slipped my mind.”

“That’s a big deal. You have to fundraise and campaign and all of that.”

“It’s small-town stuff.”

“Are you running against the current sheriff?”

“He’s retiring. I wouldn’t try to unseat him—he’s done a good job. I’m running against another deputy.”

Sean Curtis was a competent fellow deputy, and he was a lot more sociable than Cooper. He hoped he wasn’t wasting his time, but he’d always wanted to be sheriff, and with Roy Gilmore retiring, this was Cooper’s chance.

“Well, you have my vote.”

He glanced at the Robinson for Sheriff sign in the yard. “I see that.”

“Avery asked me to put it up.”

“Sounds about right.” He emptied the pail and handed it to her. “I should get going now.”

She beamed up at him. “I can’t thank you enough for your help. I’d probably be swimming in my kitchen if not for you.”

Her smile made his breath catch. He glanced at the bandage on her forehead, and he couldn’t stop the words. “Take it easy today. No more gardening.”

Humor lit her eyes as she gave him a little salute. “Yes, sir.”

7