Interview with Cole Donovan

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.

I’m 25 and recently returned to my hometown of Stalwart to take a sheriff’s deputy job, and more importantly, to help my brother kick his drug habit. I left town seven years ago to go to college and never came back, because my parents split and my mom moved to Seattle where I was. My brother chose to stay with our cheating father. Anyway, I got caught up in trying to find the guy whose been terrorizing Sherri after catching my brother holding her at knifepoint in her ambulance. He was looking for drugs and her partner immediately assumed my brother had to be behind all the incidents. Admittedly, we did have a connection to Sherri. Our families had been neighbors all our lives. In fact, not being able to see Sherri’s smiling face every morning had been my biggest regret about leaving Stalwart. Not that we’d been dating or anything. She was three years younger than me, which seemed like a big age difference in high school. Not so much now. But now…I’m not exactly a great catch, considering I’ve got a drug-addicted brother and a father who cheated on his wife.

2. That’s tough, but if she loves you, she’ll be able to look past that right? Tell us a bit about your former neighbor Sherri Steele. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?

She’s dedicated. Most people would’ve happily taken a leave until the police figured out who was targeting them. Not her. She’s determined to get the hours she needs to qualify for a flight paramedic, and to not let the bad guys win. She’s also been incredibly forgiving toward my brother, considering. I think I was already a little bit in love with her way back in high school after she treated the hand I cut up punching the fence between our yards after learning about my parents’ divorce. When she had to treat me again, all these years later, the old feelings came rushing back.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness?

I’m a good cop. Push for action. Tenacious. But I guess that makes me stubborn, too, which kept me away from my brother and unable to talk to my father for too long.

4. What scares you?

The thought of failing my brother or Sherri. If I’d stayed in touch with my brother, I don’t think he would’ve gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd, gotten into drugs. And I realize now that I really hurt Sherri, too, when I left town without ever looking back.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d stop avoiding facing the people I need to forgive.

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?

I’ve finally found my way back to God, but I don’t think I deserve a happy ending, and I’m still struggling with whether I’ll ever be able to forgive my dad for his part in that.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?

I’m able to forgive my father and finally believe that maybe I’m not so bad for Sherri after all.

8. What is the one thing you would never do?

Abandon the woman I love.

9. What is the most unusual thing about you?

I guess that I turned out as honorable a guy as I’d like to believe I am, considering my family’s track record.

10. What do you hope people will learn from your experience in this story?

Don’t shut out the people you love. Be honest with them. Be there for them. Forgive them.