Sharon took a deep breath, wiped a stray tear from her face, and she stepped toward the hardware store. It was now Monday morning, and her mission here was twofold. She gripped her casserole, praying she didn't slip on the icy sidewalk. It was going to take some getting used to the ice and snow again, and she was quickly realizing her beautiful black boots were impractical and going to be covered in salt if she didn't start wearing something more appropriate for the area.

"Morning," she politely mumbled to an older gentleman as he stepped outside and held the door for her. Sharon brushed a stray hair out of her face and stepped inside, loosening the grip on her casserole as she did.

"Sharon," she heard and looked to the sound of the name. She now knew that sound, and she smiled and walked toward him. She almost slipped on her shoes, and as she fixed her balance, she silently cursed the beautiful boots. He was working behind the counter,

"Good morning, Sheriff, I mean, Andy," she said with a smile. She deposited the casserole onto the counter as she addressed him. "This is for you and your staff to thank you for clearing my driveway. Jake did a fantastic job, and he left before I could even offer him coffee. This is the least I can do."

Andy tilted his head and eyed her, a smile forming on his face, "You didn't need to do this at all. Really, it's part of what we do for the community, but thank you."

"You're welcome. Please thank Jake as well. It's a baked ziti," Sharon explained. She pointed to the foil, "Directions are written on the top."

He nodded, "Sounds wonderful. Being Italian, I can't say no to a baked ziti."

"Oh gosh," she held her hand to her face and shook her head, "I never should have made you something Italian. I'm sure it will be very sub-par to anything you normally eat."

He chucked, "Not at all. Just know it's not necessary every time we plow. I'm sure the guys will appreciate it. Now, I can't help but notice that your mascara is running, either that, or you got punched. If that's the case, I can take care of that too."

Sharon raised her hand to wiped at her face, "Oh, I didn't think my mascara was running."

"Bathroom is behind me," Andy said hooking his hand. "Please feel free to freshen up." Sharon looked at him, almost said something, but she decided not to. She silently nodded, walked behind him, and she disappeared into the bathroom. She returned a couple minutes later, shaking her head.

"Sorry about that," she sighed.

"No apology necessary," he said with a small, warm smile. "Say, where is the munchkin?"

"Hmm," she pointed to where the mascara had been running, "part of the reason for the mascara running. I got her enrolled at school. She was begging me to start right now. I know it's silly, but it made me tear up. She's not been excited about school for some time, and it was very encouraging to see. To be honest, with the move and all, I had almost forgotten she had to start school. Silly, I know, seeing how I will be teaching, but it's just been so hectic. She started asking me on Thanksgiving, and we spent some time this weekend getting her all set. I decided a fresh start called for a new backpack, so we found one after church yesterday. I just hope she has a great day. I'll miss her, but I have plenty to do myself."

"Ahh," he said with a nod. "You two seem very close, and with a big move, I'm sure it is a little unsettling sending her to school. I know she will have a great day, and that reminds me," he said gesturing with his hand. "I might just have to go check on things over at that elementary school today. If I happen to see a certain little California girl, maybe I'll give her a high five."

Sharon bit her lip and looked at him, "Thank you. Thank you for being so kind. It's refreshing and something I'm trying to get used to seeing here."

"Anytime and anything. It's what we do here. So, I have a question for you," he looked to her.

She gave him a puzzled look, "What's that?"

"Have you heard about the town Christmas bazar that the fire station puts on? I mean, the sheriff's office helps too, but they pull out the fire trucks and use the building for tables and all. It's nice, and there are tables with hot drinks, holiday food, Santa visit, and all that."

Sharon smiled and chuckled, "No, I had not heard about that. When is it?"

"It's this Friday. You and Evie should come and check it out, that is if you aren't doing something else," he told her.

"We are not, so thank you. We will definitely plan to come. That should put us in the holiday spirit, something I haven't felt for some time."

He noted her comment, but he didn't ask more about it. Instead, Sharon looked up as he opened his mouth to speak again, "Any plans for Christmas? Going to visit family? Family coming to see your new place?"

Sharon's face turned slightly red, and she could feel it getting almost hot. She cleared her throat and looked down, "Umm, no. Evie is my family. It's just the two of us."

"Right," Andy said, "so the Mrs. Raydor-"

Sharon folded her hands on the counter, looked him in the eye, and she just blurted out everything that seemed to be building, "Divorced. Thank goodness. I was a detective for the LAPD, actually pretty high up in the LAPD. Anyone with a brain would ask why I would leave such a good gig. My ex-husband, Jack," she said with a hiss almost in her voice, "embezzled money from his law firm. He committed fraud, big time fraud, and he destroyed everything about us. I've spent the last several years as the laughing joke of the LAPD, oh, and almost destitute as well while all of our finances were tied up and seized during the entire investigation. Jack got what was coming to him-prison time, and I got a divorce. Once free of him, I left as quickly as I could, and honestly, if I ever have to see him again, it will be too soon. I found out at his sentencing he had also been sleeping with one of the office secretaries, so that was just icing on the cake. I gave him 10 years of marriage, and that's what he did with it. I supported him through law school, didn't attend myself so we could have an income, and yes, that's where I'm at now."

Andy's expression changed as Sharon explained everything. She took a deep breath as she finished talking and gave him a nod.

"I'm so sorry to pry-" Andy said and cut off.

"No, you're not," Sharon said with a small smile and a chuckle. "I mean, I know you have probably wondered my story, and there it is, drama and all. So, I'm just glad to be here, even in the dead of winter, even in a rundown old house that is charming, even making very little as a teacher now. It's all better than anything I've been dealing with all this time."

"Sharon, I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what to say," he said, almost fumbling over his words.

She hummed and nodded, "Yes, most people don't, or they talk about me behind my back."

"I can see why you got as far away as you could. I can't imagine what you have been through these last years, you and Evie. Oh gosh, does she know what her dad did? Does she miss him? I'm sorry," he stopped and put up his hand. "None of my business."

Sharon pursed her lips and smacked her hand on the counter, "All cards on the table, and really, I don't know why I am pouring all of this out to you right here, right now. I didn't come in here with this in mind."

"You don't owe me anything and certainly don't have to say more," Andy said. "I'm sorry I asked. I should respect your privacy."

"Oh, here's the kicker for you-Evie doesn't miss Jack. He's not her dad." Andy's eyes widened, and his mind started racing, going through what Sharon had told him. Evie was seven, she just said she'd been married to this dirtbag for 10 years, and wait, what?"

Sharon had paused as Andy's mind drifted. He looked to her, and she nodded, "It's not what you think."

He shook his head and closed his eyes, "I'm not sure what to think."

She gestured with her hand, "Mmm, you were there doing the math, trying to sort the details, just as others have done so too, others who don't know the story. Evie is my niece. My brother, his wife, and my parents were all headed home from the symphony when they were hit by a drunk driver. The car was pushed into a tractor trailer, and she paused and looked down, "No one survived. Evie was a baby. She was home with the sitter. Enter Jack and myself, the aunt and uncle, the parents before we had planned to be parents, taking on this precious baby, grieving the loss of my entire family, and within a year of all of this, Jack is arrested for embezzling money and fraud. So, yes, take that. I'm Sharon Raydor, a divorced mom to a wonderful little girl, a little girl who has only known me, and I'm here starting over. This is the first time in years I haven't had grief of all kinds hanging over me, and I'm trying to just move forward."

Andy, who had thought today was a slow morning, stood there behind the counter, stood there, staring at this woman, this remarkable woman who had just unloaded every bit of her awful past on him-well, not every bit, he was sure, but the bulk of the last few years of crap, and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Umm, ahh, thank you for trusting me to tell me all of that. I truly have no words. You have been through a lot, and I will tell you that coming here, starting over, well, it's the best place you can be. Knowing all of that now, the least I can offer is to drop off a Christmas tree because it sounds like you need some hope, some assurance that there are good people in this world."