People find love anywhere — at events, church or even online — but two Pike County sheriff’s deputies found love at work.
On Saturday, Lt. Benedict “Bena” Williams and Deputy Jerry Jones Jr. will tie the knot at the Pike County Fairgrounds.
The two met when Jones joined the department in 2016. Both said they weren’t looking for anyone, but a connection happened naturally for them.
“For seven months, we would just speak to each other,” Williams said. “One day, I asked him if he wanted a part-time job as a security officer at Edgewood Mall and he said yes.”
She said that question led to the pair talking for hours at a time about everything, mostly about work.
“We would talk on the phone for six or seven hours. When I saw his number pop up on my phone, I would get butterflies,” Williams said.
She said one day while working security at the mall, a woman asked her about Jones.
“She asked her did he have a girlfriend and I said, ‘Yeah.’ We didn’t have a title or anything, I just said, ‘Yeah,’” Williams said, laughing.
“People would come up to me, ‘I didn’t know you and Bena were together,’ ” Jones said. “At the time, I didn’t either.”
But Jones never denied Williams was his girlfriend and the two went from being best friends to wedding planning in a short time.
Jones said he finds Williams attractive because she is a strong woman who also has a softer side many people don’t see.
Williams said Jones’ best quality is that she can talk to him about anything.
In a way, the two are opposites: Williams is more spontaneous and outgoing, while Jones is reserved and observant. But their personality differences make them a great match.
“He has to have a plan. He’s structured. I’m not,” Williams said. “If we’re going to the store, we have to go the store and get in and get out. I can’t take him shopping.”
Jones countered, “No, I research everything I need. I make a list and get only what I need. I can’t do that going in and out the store.”
Williams said she thought Jones was really quiet at first, but he opened up to her.
“He never really talked to anyone during shift change. I just started talking to him. I asked him if I never would’ve spoken to him would he have said anything to me and he said, ‘Unless it was work-related, no,’ “ she said.
Pike County Sheriff Kenny Cotton said the couple are the first — that he knows about — under his administration to fall in love.
“It’s not uncommon for people to meet and fall in love. It can happen anywhere, even in the workplace,” he said.
Williams, a lieutenant — or shift supervisor — runs her own crew. But, Cotton said Jones won’t be on it.
“Not under my watch. That can cause confusion and bring outside emotions into the job and we don’t want that,” he said.
Williams said it’s nice being with someone who understands what an officer goes through daily.
“If you date someone not in law enforcement, they don’t understand,” she said. “We work long hours and can be called any time. A lot of people don’t get that.”
The relationship can also lead to professional development.
“I’ll call her and tell her about a call and ask her if I made the right decision,” Jones said.
“I do the same with him,” Williams said. “I’ll tell him about a call and ask was it the right thing to do and he’ll tell me yes or no.”
The job carries unpredictability and can bring some scary moments. The couple experienced their first when Jones and Lt. Mark Thompson responded to a call on Mount Zion Road in November.
The two were in the area responding to an unrelated call, when a man allegedly shot his ex-wife.
“When I’m out at night, he worries about me, and when he’s out, I worry about him,” Williams said.
This is the second marriage for both Williams and Jones, but for Williams, it will be a bigger ceremony.
“My first marriage, we just got married,” she said.
“My first wasn’t a wedding, wedding either,” Jones said.
“This time, I wanted a Cinderella wedding because he makes he feel like a princess. He knows how to treat a woman,” Williams said.
But, given that the two have distinct personalities, are both law enforcement officers and share a love of motorcycle riding, wedding attendees can expect the ceremony to be unique.
Jones, who isn’t the biggest fan of dancing, is a little concerned about the reception.
“He wants a plan for dancing,” Williams said.
“I just want to know how many dances I have to do,” Jones said.
The two said they have disagreements from time to time but they resolve them and never let it interfere with work.
“I’ve been so stressed over this wedding, but when I pull out of the yard, nothing else matters,” Williams said.
“You have to leave it all behind. You can’t take your problems to work with you,” Jones added.
When promotions are available at work, they apply and wish each other luck.
Williams said they both applied for an investigator position but neither got it. When the lieutenant position became available, both wanted to apply but Jones encouraged Williams to go for it.
“He told me that it was my time now and it’ll be his later,” she said.
Cotton said he plans to attend the nuptials and wishes the couple the best of luck.
“I wish them nothing but happiness and I hope they can make it work,” he said.
