Lisa Carter - The Deputy's Perfect Match

His Librarian Sweetheart

Still nursing old heartache, deputy sheriff Charlie Pruitt vowed he’d never get close to another woman again. But that’s easier said than done when librarian Evy Shaw arrives in his small coastal Virginia town with a secret—one Charlie’s determined to uncover. When Charlie joins Evy’s all-female book club, he gets more than he anticipated when the romantic reads stoke a real attraction to Evy. Falling for the pretty librarian wasn’t part of the plan, but when the truth behind Evy’s suspicious behavior comes to light, will love be enough to bind them together?

“I’ll pick you up Saturday. It’s a date.”

“Okay.” She tucked a loosened strand of blond hair behind her ear.

He followed the motion of her hand, his heart beating rapidly. Should he trust his first impressions of Evy Shaw? Sweet, smart, very pretty. Was his initial instinct about her correct?

“You don’t have to wait for me, Charlie.”

“Of course I do. I’ll walk you to your car.”

She slung the purse strap over her shoulder. “Another Southern-gentleman thing?”

He followed Evy to the front door. “So let me be one, okay? And for the record, I want to walk you to your car.”

Evy worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she set the alarm. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. Before he did something stupid.

Suppose he was wrong about Evy? Could she be hiding behind a mask, the image she wanted him to see? And if so, why?

Who was the real Evy Shaw? Was seeing believing in her case?

Maybe… Maybe not. Only time would tell.

LISA CARTER and her family make their home in North Carolina. In addition to her Love Inspired novels, she writes romantic suspense for Abingdon Press. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys traveling to romantic locales, teaching writing workshops and researching her next exotic adventure. She has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball. She loves to hear from readers. Connect with Lisa at lisacarterauthor.com.

Dear Reader,

As soon as I turned in Coast Guard Sweetheart to my wonderful editor, Melissa Endlich, she said, “You’ve got to bring Sawyer and his sister together again.” And so, two books later, I have.

Readers often ask whom I model characters upon. My characters aren’t based on just one person, but an amalgamation of several people from whom I borrow certain physical or emotional characteristics to create a wholly fictional “person.” There is also some truth to the idea that there is a little part of the author in each character, as well.

Like Evy, I’ve loved books since before I could read. One of my great childhood memories is finally getting my own library card when I was five years old. I still remember the first book I checked out—Thumbelina. The library has always been a haven for me. I get a happy feeling wandering among the stacks.

When I was in the sixth grade, I had a friend named Tina. She and her brother were living with their grandmother after the death of their parents. When Tina’s grandmother died, she and her brother were sent to separate foster homes. I will never forget the sadness and fear on Tina’s face their last day together at our school. I never saw or heard from Tina again. I’ve always prayed that she and her brother found each other one day. And so was born Evy and Sawyer’s story.

The theme of this book is wounded hearts. Is there a balm that can soothe hurting souls? There is—and His name is Jesus. It is the love of God and the blood of Christ that makes the wounded whole.

I hope you have enjoyed taking this journey with me, Charlie and Evy. I would also love to hear from you. You may email me at lisa@lisacarterauthor.com or visit www.lisacarterauthor.com.

Wishing you fair winds and following seas,

Lisa Carter

The Deputy’s Perfect Match

Lisa Carter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

—Jeremiah 8:22

Dedicated to Billy & Kathy Davis—thanks for your friendship over the years.

This book is also dedicated to those separated from people they love by circumstances outside their control. May you truly find the balm of Gilead and may the years the locusts have eaten be restored a hundredfold in your lifeas if those hard years had never been.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Janet Morley and the

library specialists—Brandy Hamilton,

Daphne McLawhorn, Trish Preston—

at the East Regional Library for taking me

through “a day in the life of a librarian.”

Thanks to Sonny, who strolled into the library

that morning and allowed me to “practice” issuing

him a pretend library card. It was so much fun

pretending to walk in Evy’s shoes—ahem,

high heels. Any errors are, of course, my own.

I’ve taken a few literary liberties with the

sheriff’s department for the sake of the story line.

I hold all of you at the highest regard

for the challenging yet essential work you

perform every day on our behalf.

A big thank-you to the dedicated men and women

of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Department,

and to deputies everywhere for their

commitment to serve and protect.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Dear Reader

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

In the corner booth of the Sandpiper Café, Accomack County Deputy Sheriff Charlie Pruitt stared at the three Duer sisters.

“Let me get this straight—you want me to arrest the new Kiptohanock librarian?”

Watercolor artist Amelia Scott fidgeted on the cracked green vinyl upholstery. “Not arrest. Investigate.”

Her sister, Caroline Clark, nodded. “Technically speaking, Miss Shaw hasn’t broken any laws.”

Charlie raised one eyebrow. “Then technically speaking, this sounds like a waste of taxpayer dollars and the department’s manpower.”

Amelia moistened her lips. “We’re asking you, as an old family friend, for a favor.”

His attention cut to the youngest sister, sandwiched between Amelia and Caroline. She’d been uncharacteristically silent during the morning meeting. Everyone in Kiptohanock had always believed he and his childhood sweetheart, Honey Duer, would marry one day.

Everyone, including him. Until a certain Coast Guardsman by the name of Sawyer Kole arrived on the Eastern Shore four years ago. Charlie had been cast aside like yesterday’s fish guts.

Until Sawyer Kole abruptly left the Shore. Then Charlie played the fool by taking up with Honey Duer again. When Kole returned as suddenly as he’d left, once more Charlie had been jettisoned from Honey’s life like so much flotsam.

He grimaced. Charlie was all too aware that in the love department, the town of Kiptohanock considered him a laughingstock.

Charlie grabbed his regulation hat off the seat beside him. “If we’re done here—”

“Something’s not right about that woman.” Honey placed her hands on the sticky linoleum tabletop. “She’s hiding something.”

The fluorescent lighting caught the sparkle in the diamond ring on Honey’s finger. He squared his shoulders. Honey was lost to him forever. She was now Sawyer Kole’s wife and pregnant with their first child.