There wouldn’t have been a right time for him to get out had he not gotten hurt. He’d planned to be a lifelong military man.

“You looking to stay around here?”

Bodie shook his head. “I’ll be moving on as soon as I finish at Hamilton House.”

“Too bad. I’m looking for someone to replace one of my officers.” Sheriff Roscoe shook his head in disappointment. “Donnie took a desk job with the state. He’s better suited for that, anyway.”

“Donnie left the sheriff’s department?” Sarah exclaimed, pausing in her snowflake wrapping to gawk at the sheriff.

“Don’t worry, Sarah. Your speeding ticket still stands.”

Sarah gave him a beatific smile and went back to wrapping while she said, “If Donnie’s no longer with the department, shouldn’t that old ticket be torn up?”

Sheriff Roscoe laughed. “That’s not how the law works. You go too fast, you get a ticket and you pay the price. Next time, make sure there isn’t a next time.”

Sarah gave an exaggerated sigh.

“It was worth a try.” She smiled at her customer. The woman chuckled.

“Now,” the sheriff turned back to Bodie. “As I was saying before Lead Foot there interrupted,” he jerked his thumb in Sarah’s direction, “I’m looking for a good man to take Donnie’s place on my team.”

“Are you trying to hire Bodie?” Sarah was obviously not through with the conversation.

“I’ve got to replace Donnie to make sure someone’s around to write little speed demons’ tickets.”

“Oh.” Claudia joined in from where she was helping a customer. “You should hire Bodie. He could write Sarah tickets when she drives too fast.”

“I do not typically drive too fast. If I didn’t know better, I’d think there was a conspiracy to make sure I keep my car going at a snail’s pace,” Sarah accused, winking at her customer as she put her tissue-wrapped snowflakes into a bag. “Oh, the joys of living in a small town.”

“Isn’t it grand?” her customer asked.

“That it is. Wouldn’t live anywhere else,” Sarah agreed, handing the woman the paper bag. “Thank you so much for shopping with us. We hope everyone loves their snowflakes again this year and that we’ll see you next year, minus the discussion on my driving habits.”

While Sarah collected the woman’s money, Bodie regarded the sheriff.

“Think about it, son,” the sheriff suggested. “Be hard to find a finer place to live than Pine Hill.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I really am just passing through. I have a job lined up I’ll be starting in January.”

With Lukas at iSecure. He’d be back to making the world a safer place and helping his friend have more time with his wife and baby once Kelly delivered.