“I will.” Her brain was too busy trying to process that brief, enticing glimpse of playful roguishness to concentrate on the conversation. “But after I, um, finish the report on Mavis Templeton, I want to review an autopsy I did a few months ago.”

He squinted at her, any lingering traces of levity vanishing. “Is that usual?”

Drat again.

Bringing up her afternoon plans had been foolish. As Max had implied, her conjecture that the two deaths with seedlike objects in common could be connected was a major stretch. Once she compared them, she’d probably come to the same conclusion.

If she could ditch her annoying niggle of suspicion without wasting a Saturday afternoon, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

But she did not need to share her propensity toward zealousness with the sheriff.

“No, it’s not.” Grace swatted away a fly intent on thwarting her efforts to keep it outside. “But I want to satisfy my curiosity about a question that came up today.”

“During Mavis’s autopsy?”

“Yes.”

“Because there’s a connection?”

“Possibly.”

“Want to clue me in?” His discerning gaze locked on to her.

The man’s ability to pick up nuances was impressive.

But until—or unless—she had concrete grounds for concern, she wasn’t going to waste any more of his day.

“Let’s just say I’m toying with a theory that has about as much likelihood of panning out as you have of getting through your next autopsy without emptying your stomach.”

He winced. “If the odds are that low, I won’t ask any more questions. Remember to call if you have any concerns.”

“I will. Thanks again, Sheriff.”

“Make it Nate.”

Without waiting for a response, he descended the two steps from her back porch and disappeared around the side of the house. Less than a minute later, an engine revved to life . . . then slowly faded away.

Taking a long, deep breath, Grace closed the door and locked it.

What an intriguing turn of events.

For years she’d been complaining to her sisters about the lack of romance in her life. And for years Eve and Cate had been telling her that hanging out with dead people was the major contributing factor to her dilemma.

Yet thanks to those dead people, a very appealing man had entered her orbit.

Meaning there was hope for her yet.

While Nate might not be The One, the mere fact that she’d met a seemingly eligible man because of her profession rather than despite it was encouraging.

As for what the future held for her and the sheriff, who knew?

But two things for sure.

She was going to stop worrying that her career was putting a curse on her social life.

And if she and Nate ever did happen to go out on a date, she was not going to describe her day over dinner.

Dear God.

Another one had died.

Fighting back a wave of nausea, Dave Mullins stared at the obit that had popped up in the latest online edition of the County Examiner. This was the second sudden death—that he knew of—and it had to be more than coincidence.