his better judgment, he began walking towards her.
“Miss Winters!” He called.
She looked up to see who was calling her name, and he saw she was stunned when she spotted him.
As he got closer she looked around, and he had to smile to himself, because she was considering getting into the truck and driving off. The color drained from her face, but she didn’t move, thankfully.
He kept a safe distance for a moment as he stopped on the sidewalk.
She was beet red, but she lifted her chin defiantly, which surprised him, because the first time he met her, she kept putting her head down trying to hide her emotions on her face.
“ Hi Sheriff,” she said in greeting.
“Good evening, Miss Winters,” he replied with a smile.
For once her hair was down, and fell to her shoulders. She looked so much better with it down. He noticed she did not wear the typical style of the eighties; lots of hairspray and teased to death.
She’s just a kid, he thought trying to suppress the thoughts that kept nagging at him regarding how pretty she was, even though he guessed she didn’t think of herself as a pretty girl.
“Can I help you with something?” She asked hesitantly.
She seemed to be in a hurry, but he wanted to talk to her for a moment.
“Is everything alright?” He asked, eyeing the roses.
“Huh?” She was confused and then realized he noticed the roses.
She laughed uncomfortably, and said, “Oh yes. My Mom wanted some for the dining room table, we’re having guests.”
Mark nodded and said, “As long as everything is fine.”
“Yes it is,” she said, finally deciding to get into the truck.
Mark walked closer, and Jessica sat there staring at the steering wheel. He knew he was making her nervous, and thought this would be the last time he bothered her.
He coaxed her to roll her window down, and she did, but did not look happy about it.
“Jessica, you didn’t have to lie to me about the fire…..”
Jessica looked at him sharply and asked, “Am I under arrest? I know my rights.”
Mark chuckled amused by her sudden outburst. “No, I just want the truth from you. Did you and some friends do something that night that you couldn’t tell me?”
To his surprise Jessica snorted. “I don’t have those kinds of friends, Sheriff.”
“Mark,” he corrected.
“What?”
“Call me Mark,” he responded, not knowing why he wanted her to call him by his first name so badly.
He also didn’t know why he kept asking Jessica about the fire, but knew it gave him an excuse to keep talking to her. He knew he should just let it go, but he wanted the truth from her.
“You were alone?”
“Yes, very much so,” she said, getting flustered, her face turning bright crimson. Whether it was from just him or the questions, he didn’t know.
She finally turned to him and looked him straight in the eye. He knew she was finally going to tell him the truth.
“I like to take walks in the woods behind my house, and just prefer to be alone sometimes. I did see the smoke, but nothing else. When I ran out of the woods, I ran into you,” she explained, anxiously.
He could tell she was a little embarrassed about her so-called walks alone in the woods. It was obviously something she liked to keep private.
“And then?”
“I made up the bear story, because I didn’t want you to think I started the fire,” she finished.
She was still keeping something from him, but she was telling the truth about the fire. At least he got that out of her.
“That’s all I needed to know. I never even thought the fire was your fault. Besides, it was reported, but whoever did it, must have put it out anyway. I was just concerned because of our wildfire problems,” he said, accepting her explanation.
That seemed to relax her a little. She turned and smiled slightly.
“Thank you,”
“Miss Winters!” He called.
She looked up to see who was calling her name, and he saw she was stunned when she spotted him.
As he got closer she looked around, and he had to smile to himself, because she was considering getting into the truck and driving off. The color drained from her face, but she didn’t move, thankfully.
He kept a safe distance for a moment as he stopped on the sidewalk.
She was beet red, but she lifted her chin defiantly, which surprised him, because the first time he met her, she kept putting her head down trying to hide her emotions on her face.
“ Hi Sheriff,” she said in greeting.
“Good evening, Miss Winters,” he replied with a smile.
For once her hair was down, and fell to her shoulders. She looked so much better with it down. He noticed she did not wear the typical style of the eighties; lots of hairspray and teased to death.
She’s just a kid, he thought trying to suppress the thoughts that kept nagging at him regarding how pretty she was, even though he guessed she didn’t think of herself as a pretty girl.
“Can I help you with something?” She asked hesitantly.
She seemed to be in a hurry, but he wanted to talk to her for a moment.
“Is everything alright?” He asked, eyeing the roses.
“Huh?” She was confused and then realized he noticed the roses.
She laughed uncomfortably, and said, “Oh yes. My Mom wanted some for the dining room table, we’re having guests.”
Mark nodded and said, “As long as everything is fine.”
“Yes it is,” she said, finally deciding to get into the truck.
Mark walked closer, and Jessica sat there staring at the steering wheel. He knew he was making her nervous, and thought this would be the last time he bothered her.
He coaxed her to roll her window down, and she did, but did not look happy about it.
“Jessica, you didn’t have to lie to me about the fire…..”
Jessica looked at him sharply and asked, “Am I under arrest? I know my rights.”
Mark chuckled amused by her sudden outburst. “No, I just want the truth from you. Did you and some friends do something that night that you couldn’t tell me?”
To his surprise Jessica snorted. “I don’t have those kinds of friends, Sheriff.”
“Mark,” he corrected.
“What?”
“Call me Mark,” he responded, not knowing why he wanted her to call him by his first name so badly.
He also didn’t know why he kept asking Jessica about the fire, but knew it gave him an excuse to keep talking to her. He knew he should just let it go, but he wanted the truth from her.
“You were alone?”
“Yes, very much so,” she said, getting flustered, her face turning bright crimson. Whether it was from just him or the questions, he didn’t know.
She finally turned to him and looked him straight in the eye. He knew she was finally going to tell him the truth.
“I like to take walks in the woods behind my house, and just prefer to be alone sometimes. I did see the smoke, but nothing else. When I ran out of the woods, I ran into you,” she explained, anxiously.
He could tell she was a little embarrassed about her so-called walks alone in the woods. It was obviously something she liked to keep private.
“And then?”
“I made up the bear story, because I didn’t want you to think I started the fire,” she finished.
She was still keeping something from him, but she was telling the truth about the fire. At least he got that out of her.
“That’s all I needed to know. I never even thought the fire was your fault. Besides, it was reported, but whoever did it, must have put it out anyway. I was just concerned because of our wildfire problems,” he said, accepting her explanation.
That seemed to relax her a little. She turned and smiled slightly.
“Thank you,”
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