LITMIR.BIZ

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blanched. “Are you kidding? I’m already working full-time and going to school part-time. And somehow I have to make extra time for the twins every day. If I was going to do anything else, it would be outside. I can hardly take care of my own garden.”

      Which Kristen knew was important to her sister, who was studying to be a horticulturist, specializing in sustainable landscapes.

      “Relax, already. I was kidding, Heather. Like you say, we can get more teachers.”

      “There are several women who come here who have been quilting forever.”

      “Then why do they keep taking classes?”

      “To socialize. They’ve turned it into more of a quilting circle. Everyone brings potluck. So the women eat and talk and work on their quilts. Sometimes they choose to work on group projects. You know, if someone is having a baby or getting married.”

      Reminded of Jason, the man she’d thought she would marry, Kristen turned away, saying, “Sounds like they have a good time.”

      If not her idea of a good time, she thought, walking back to her desk. Before her personal financial crisis, she’d enjoyed going to plays and museums and dinners with her friends. Which went to prove how much she didn’t belong in a small town. She didn’t mind observing a few classes but she didn’t want to be part of a quilting circle—she wanted her old life back.

      And right now, she wanted to eat. It was lunchtime, and she wasn’t about to miss another meal. Grabbing her shoulder bag, she set off through the store to the front door. “I’m going to grab some lunch,” she told Heather. “You want me to bring something back for you?”

      “Thanks, but I brought a sandwich.”

      Kristen knew she should have done the same, but she hadn’t even thought about it. A holdover from her old life where she’d had lunch out every day. She couldn’t afford to keep doing that, so she needed to make sure the fridge was stocked with things she could eat. And no more mac and cheese for her or she wouldn’t fit into her secondhand designer suits, which she would need to wear on interviews. In the meantime, she decided to check out the family restaurant directly across the street.

      Thinking she should have a salad, Kristen mused about what kind of dressing she would get as she checked the street for moving vehicles before crossing in the middle of the block. A siren went off nearby, but she paid it no mind as she tried to decide if she should eat in or take her meal back to the shop.

      “Miss Lange, wait a minute!”

      Her foot froze on the curb.

      She knew that voice.

      Turning, she saw Alex Novak getting out of his patrol car. He’d switched off the siren, but the light bar was still flashing. Her pulse fluttered at his approach.

      “Chief,” she said, responding in kind to his calling her Miss Lange. “What can I do for you?”

      He was pulling out an official-looking pad and a pen. “You can cross at the corner next time.”

      “What?”

      “You were jaywalking.”

      He had to be kidding. “This isn’t the big city!”

      “No matter. There’s a town ordinance against crossing in the middle of the street. That’s why we have those nice white lines at every corner, to give you a safe place to cross.”

      “But I was safe,” she said reasonably. Maybe if she kept her voice moderate and friendly this time, he would back off. “There weren’t any vehicles coming. I checked. In fact, there aren’t any now.” Town traffic was moderate at its worst.

      “I’m afraid you’re going to have to pay a one-dollar fine anyway.” He started filling out the ticket.

      “One dollar?”

      “Yep.”

      Reason lost out to irritation. Why was he doing this? And how did he happen to be here at the exact time she went out to get lunch? Was he trying to persecute her because she wouldn’t go out with him? Is that why she’d seen his patrol car crawl by so often over the past week? So he could find a way to irritate her for refusing his invitation to dinner?

      Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “I won’t pay it.” She wasn’t going to throw away even one dollar because he had an issue with her decision to not see him. “This is ridiculous.”

      “Let me get this straight. If I write a ticket for one dollar, you won’t pay it?”

      “Absolutely not.”

      “You’re sure?”

      “Positive!”

      “All right, then.” He actually smiled as he pulled out his handcuffs and indicated she should hold out her hands.

      “I will not.”

      “Right now, you’ve only committed an infraction subject to a small fine by jaywalking. But unless you cooperate, I’ll have to add resisting arrest to the charges. Then you’ll have to go before a judge.”

      “Oh! I never—”

      “Me neither.”

      Kristen was horrified. Townspeople were stopping to watch the spectacle, and they were tittering at her plight. She recognized several people she knew, including Emily Auerbach. Undoubtedly the mayor’s wife would make a big deal of this. And Heather was standing in front of Sew Fine, her expression alternately shocked and amused.

      Indignant, Kristen held out her hands, and Alex locked the handcuffs around her wrists, then said, “Now if you’ll come with me...”

      She tucked her chin into her chest so she wouldn’t have to look at any of the bystanders and rushed toward the patrol car. He opened the back door and put his hand on her head. She ducked away from him and clunked the side of her head on the metal frame.

      “Ouch!”

      “I was trying to avoid that happening,” Alex said, but he was grinning at her.

      Refusing to be baited, she slid into the backseat of a police car for the second time in less than a week. She couldn’t believe he thought this was funny. Or anyone else. She heard the chuckles and joking comments around her. Small towns were supposed to be friendly. Kristen choked back a sound of frustration as the patrol car moved down the street, past residents who were trying to get a better look at her.

      She simply wasn’t feeling the love.

      * * *

      HE DIDN’T KNOW what made him do it.

      Alex knew he was going to hear about this—probably from everyone, including the mayor—but he didn’t care. He hadn’t been able to figure out another way to get to know Kristen better, and when he’d seen her cross the street illegally he just hadn’t been able to help himself.

      “Comfortable back there?”

      Kristen made a rude noise in response.

      “The jaywalking infraction and fee are listed on the town books,” he told her, lest she think he was making this up.

      Owen had explained that it was to protect seniors and kids, the violators most vulnerable to getting hit by a moving vehicle. Neither seniors nor kids wanted to part with their dollar, so jaywalking had gone way down after the possible citation went on the books. Alex had never enforced the law before, but he hadn’t been able to resist doing so. Now, at least, he had Kristen’s full attention.

      “Where were you going when you crossed illegally?” he asked.

      “To the restaurant directly across from Sew Fine. I had no idea you had a rule against it.”

      “It wasn’t a rule against your getting something to eat.”

      “Well, you didn’t let me, did you?

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