She evaded his gaze and rummaged through her purse. Extracted her keys. “I just have a busy schedule today. I imagine you do too. I should go.”

A partial truth, at best.

That left him two choices.

He could let her walk away—or lay it on the line and possibly set himself up for a fall.

But if he’d misread her signals, if the attraction was one-sided, may as well find out now, before any of the romantic fantasies he was harboring sent down deeper roots.

“I do have a full plate today, but I can make time for you. Always.” He offered her his warmest smile.

She didn’t return it. In fact, the creases on her forehead deepened. “May I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

At the unexpected query, a red alert began beeping in his brain. With all the harassment charges being filed these days against people in public positions, he couldn’t afford to have any female colleague misunderstand his intentions.

“I was being honest.” He phrased his response with care. “You’re an interesting, appealing woman, and I’ve enjoyed our conversations. I hoped you felt the same, and that we could continue to get acquainted. But I’m not trying to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. Nor would a rejection by you have any bearing on your position with the county.”

Short of a direct harassment reference, he couldn’t be any more transparent about his concerns.

But to emphasize his point, he stepped back and put the table between them while he waited for her to respond. A new sheriff couldn’t afford to give anyone the wrong impression.

Even a woman who didn’t strike him as the type to overreact and interpret a straightforward expression of attraction as slimy manipulation.

As Nate retreated, barricading himself behind the table, Grace’s stomach dropped to her toes.

He was worried she thought he was hitting on her and was going to report him for unwanted advances.

Mercy.

Concerns about harassment had nothing to do with her decision to leave. She simply needed space to try to figure out why a man she’d judged to be true blue, with a boatload of integrity, would flirt with her if he had a girlfriend.

Somehow there’d been a major breakdown in communication between them.

First order of business? Clear up his legal concerns.

“Let me put your mind at ease. Your behavior has been well within the bounds of propriety, based on signals I’m sure I sent. I’m not planning to report any sort of inappropriate advances.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Nevertheless, he stayed behind the table, fingers gripping the back of a chair.

His wariness was no surprise after her attempt to make a fast escape and the revolting charges splashed all over the media every day.

Since he’d been honest with her, why not broach the subject that was top of mind?