Sarah and the Sheriff

The first time Sarah saw the name on her class roster, she felt shock unlike anything she'd felt in years roll through her. Elijah Scalise. Not that daunting of a name, really. It surely suited the dark-haired eight-year-old boy who'd soon be joining her third-grade class. She had made a point of not looking at the boy's picture, even though she was perfectly aware that there was one. It was framed in a plain gold frame that sat on his grandmother's desk in the classroom right next to Sarah's classroom. Genna Scalise often talked about her grandson, Eli. Sarah hadn't expected to ever be the boy's teacher, though. She set aside the roster on her desk and went to the window that overlooked the playground. Frost still clung to the exterior corners and she could feel the coolness of the pane radiating from it. Outside, the bell hadn't yet rung and children were clambering over the swings and jungle gym. Winter scarves flew in the breeze and boots crunched over the crispy skiff of snow scattered across the playground. Despite the cold, they were enjoying the last few minutes of freedom before they had to settle down into their seats. Until they broke for recess in a few hours, that was. Nothing like feeling carefree. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt as carefree as they looked. Which wasn't strictly true. She could probably pick the exact date on the calendar when she'd stopped feeling carefree. Her gaze slid to the class roster. "So, why didn't you tell me the news?, The chipper female voice drew her attention to the doorway of her classroom. "Hey, Dee. What news?" "About the new deputy." Deirdre Crowder was the sixth-grade teacher and at five-foot-nothing, she was about as big as a minute. Her blue eyes were mischievous. "He works foryouruncle, girl, but you could have shared the wealth. A new, single man suddenly in town and all that. If it were the week before Christmas rather than Thanksgiving, I'd consider him to be our very own Christmas present!" Sarah now had years of practice under her belt at keeping her true thoughts to herself. "Go for it," she said with a smile. "He's my new student's father. And you know I don't get involved with my kids" fathers." Dee's eyebrows lifted as she sauntered into the room. Her shoulder-length blond hair seemed to crackle with the energy that kept it curled in loose ringlets. "I may have only come to Weaver a year ago, but as far as I can tell, you don't getinvolvedwith anyone. What's with you?, She joined Sarah at the window. "If I had your looks I'd be dating every available man in town." "There is nothing wrong with your looks," Sarah countered. She'd heard Dee's opinion plenty in the months since school had begun in August. "Deputy Tommy Potter thinks they're about perfect." "Oh, Tommy." Dee shook her head, dismissively. "Unless he was going to arrest me for something, or wants to spread a little gossip, that boy moves about as slow as molasses in winter. He has no gumption." She pushed up the sleeves of her bright red sweater and pointed out the window. "Since it might as well be winter, with all that snow on the ground, you can just imagine the snail's pace I'm talking about." Sarah's lips curved. "You're the one who moved to a small town, Dee. Could have stayed in Cheyenne where the pickings were more varied." Dee pressed her nose against the cold windowpane, looking not much older than the children playing outside. "Have you met him? The new deputy, I mean? I heard he comes from Weaver." If Sarah hadn't been prepared to see that name on her class roster, she definitely wasn't prepared to discuss her new student's father. "He left Weaver a long time ago." "Yeah, but youdidknow him, right? Most everyone in Weaver seems to know everyone else." "Maybe by sight," Sarah allowed. Though the Clay family had its history with the Scalise family&aLeigh, Allison is the author of 'Sarah and the Sheriff ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373248193 and ISBN 0373248199.