A smile that slowed his mental gears for a moment.
It looked nice but…there was something else there.
Though, maybe that was just Price still off his game from his earlier fight. Or the fact that some strange man was standing at her door.
Price hoped the smile he tugged on was a reassuring one. He took a small step back and jerked his thumb over his shoulder to the car.
“Hey, I’m Winnie’s dad,” he said in greeting. “I’ve been sent to help with some car trouble?”
JJ surprised him with a little laugh.
“I was actually about to start googling things. So I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited at the help.” She held out her hand. “I’m JJ. Sorry for the trouble.”
Price accepted her hand and shook. There were a few callouses on her palm. It was an odd contrast to the cheery dress that made his own outfit look dark.
“I’m Price, and it’s no trouble,” he responded. “There’d really be trouble if I didn’t come. Winnie talks highly about you.”
JJ stepped back into the house a little to slip on some sandals. They were strappy and made her taller. He had to adjust his gaze a little to meet her eyes again. She averted that gaze quickly as she spoke.
“Oh, that’s sweet of her. We haven’t had many shifts together yet, but I have to say she’s a fun one when we do sync up. And I’ve definitely heard good things about you. From Corrie too.”
She pulled her keys off a hook on the wall and stepped outside. Price made room for her and then some as she walked over to the car in the drive.
“I’m afraid to know what Corrie has to say about me,” he admitted. “One time, I accidentally stepped on the back of her shoe and the next day she had the whole school calling me Big Foot. That name stuck for years.”
She laughed again but kept her gaze ahead.
“Well, she hasn’t been calling you any names around me,” she said. “All I hear are stories about your work. You’re a sheriff’s deputy, right? That must be exciting work.”
It hadn’t been for years, not until the current sheriff had stumbled upon a homicide after Blake had returned to town. Since then, there had been a shift in the workforce, as with the residents of Seven Roads. It was like they had all been given a wake-up call that said while their town was sleepy, that didn’t mean it couldn’t also be dangerous.
Price had gotten involved in the last bit of danger, and so had Winnie. It was another reason his earlier scare upset him so much—it worried Winnie. Most likely more than she had admitted.
“It has its moments,” he replied.
Where others might have asked more, JJ changed topics to the mission at hand. She gave Price the keys and let him roam around to try and figure out why it wouldn’t start.
A few minutes later, he was thankful that he knew enough about cars to notice a spark plug cable had come loose. He put it back, happy with himself, and asked her to try and start the engine.
She obliged but was slow getting into the driver’s seat.
When she noticed his attention, she looked a little embarrassed.
“I’m in the middle of renovating a house and it weirdly always makes me sore,” she explained.
“You’re renovating a house?” He hadn’t heard that news.
She paused, a slight wince crossing her face, and nodded.
“It’s why I came to town.”
Where he expected some more, JJ gave him less.
She settled into the driver’s seat and started the car. Which succeeded.
Price gave a thumbs-up.
“Looks like that was our issue,” he said when she was back out of the car.
