LITMIR.BIZ

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father as he spun her mother around the ballroom dance floor. Her relationship with her mother, Leticia, had become somewhat strained, since her mother refused to accept the fact that she wanted to become a country doctor instead of setting up her own practice in Dallas.

      Twenty minutes after retreating to Denise’s bedroom, Mia walked out with a leather tote containing her ticket and a carry-on bag. Dressed in jeans, Doc Martens, an Irish-knit pullover sweater and ski jacket, she left the house through a rear entrance.

      The driver sitting behind the wheel of a town car got out and opened the rear door upon her approach. He touched the shiny bill of his cap before he took her bags. “Mr. and Mrs. Eaton are on their way.”

      Mia nodded, ducking her head as she got into the limo. She was dog-tired—exhausted. After working a double shift, her flight had arrived in Philadelphia just hours before the wedding rehearsal, followed by the rehearsal dinner at a popular restaurant.

      The next morning was spent at a full-service beauty salon and spa. A facial, massage, waxing, manicure and pedicure, followed by a midday snack and then hair and makeup, had left her more out of sorts than relaxed. Much to her mother’s chagrin, she’d opted to have her hair styled in a low-maintenance pixie cut. The shortened strands would save valuable time because she wouldn’t have to set and blow-dry her hair.

      Settling back on the leather seat, she closed her eyes. Mia stirred when she felt Selena and Xavier join her in the rear of the limousine, but she didn’t open her eyes. She was wide awake, however, by the time they arrived at the regional airport and went through security. Almost as soon as she fastened her seat belt, she fell asleep again before takeoff.

      “We’re here.”

      Mia’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to get her bearings. They were on the ground, and the small aircraft was taxiing to the gate at the small terminal. She smiled at Selena Yates-Eaton, owner of Sweet Persuasions, a Charleston, South Carolina pastry shop. The pastry chef had made the most beautiful wedding cake for her sister-in-law. The detailed flowers on the cake matched those in Denise’s wedding bouquet.

      Stretching her body like a cat, she rolled her head from side to side. “How long will it take to get to your home town?”

      Selena smiled, scrunching up her nose. “It’ll be long enough for you to take another power nap.”

      Mia massaged the back of her neck. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch up when it comes to sleep.”

      “Treating patients in Mingo County will be a lot different than seeing those in a big city. I’m not saying you won’t have your share of patients with health problems, but it will mostly be sick kids and their mothers. Most men don’t put much stock in seeing a doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary. Speaking of men, I’d better turn on my cell phone and see if my dad called. He said he would come to pick us up.”

      Mia liked her cousin’s wife. Although she found Selena friendly, Selena also possessed a certain shyness that Mia found endearing. And, she knew Selena had to be quite special if Xavier had been willing to give up bachelorhood. Mia had lost count of the number of women who’d asked her to introduce them to the one-time career military officer. But she usually told them he was involved with another woman, to avoid any hurt feelings. Most of her med school classmates were looking for husbands, and what they hadn’t known about Xavier was that he wasn’t the marrying kind—until now.

      The aircraft had come to a complete stop and the seat-belt light was extinguished. Xavier unsnapped his seat belt and moved toward the seat facing Mia’s. He smiled. “Feeling better?”

      She returned his smile. “Like a new woman.” Mia felt better than she had in days. The flight was just long enough for her to get a little shut-eye.

      Xavier patted her head as he’d done when they were younger. “You’ll get to sleep in late, because Selena’s folks usually stay up late on New Year’s Eve and then sit down to celebrate later in the afternoon with a traditional Southern dinner.”

      “Daddy isn’t going to pick us up,” Selena said, listening to her father’s voice-mail message.

      Xavier looked at his wife. With her youthful appearance she looked like she was still in high school. “Let’s hope we can rent a car.”

      Selena shook her head. “Kenyon’s coming to pick us up.” She stared at Mia, remembering Kenyon’s remark at her wedding reception. He thought Mia was pretty, but he also thought that she was stuck-up. And she was looking forward to seeing the sheriff of Jonesburg’s reaction when he was formally introduced to Dr. Mia Eaton, the town’s new doctor.

      Mia waited with the others in the biting cold January night, while their luggage was unloaded from the plane’s cargo compartment and left on the tarmac for passengers to retrieve. She smiled. There was no moving sidewalk, no elevator, no escalator or monorail to the baggage claim area. It was de-board the plane and pick up your bags. Xavier grasped the handle to Mia’s luggage, while shouldering his own. Minutes later they walked into a warm terminal. There were at least a dozen people waiting for arriving passengers, hugging and kissing their loved ones, greeting one another for the New Year.

      Kenyon Chandler saw his cousin, her husband and a woman he was sure he’d never see again. It had been a little more than a month, but he’d remembered everything about her as if it had been minutes before. Taking long, smooth strides, he closed the distance between himself and the trio.

      He noticed the difference in Mia Eaton immediately. She’d cut her hair, the style accentuating her incredibly beautiful face. He felt the full force of her gaze, meeting and fusing with his. The recognition was barely perceptible, but she’d lifted her chin, staring at him along the length of her delicate nose. He was unsure whether she was staring at him with aloofness or icy disdain.

      Reluctantly, he pulled his eyes away from the tall woman in a pair of jeans that hugged her hips and long legs like a second skin, and he smiled at Selena. “Happy New Year, cuz.” Bending his head, he kissed her cheek.

      Looping her arms around Kenyon’s neck, Selena pressed a kiss to his smooth jaw. “Same to you. What’s up with my dad?”

      “He had a little too much holiday libation,” Kenyon whispered in her ear. Reaching up, he eased her arms from around his neck and extended a hand to Xavier. “Welcome back.”

      Xavier shook his hand, slapping Kenyon’s shoulder. “Thank you. I don’t know if you were ever formally introduced to my cousin at the wedding.” Turning slightly, he reached for Mia’s free hand, pulling her to his side. “Mia, this is Kenyon Chandler. Kenyon, Mia Eaton. She’s going to be Jonesburg’s new doctor.”

      The expression on Kenyon’s face spoke volumes. As sheriff of Jonesburg he hadn’t been informed by the mayor or any of the trustees that they were getting a new doctor. Recovering quickly, he offered Mia his hand. “Even though we’re in Kentucky, I’d like to be the first one to extend a warm welcome to Jonesburg, West Virginia.”

      Mia stared at the large hand as if it were a venomous reptile. Seconds later her hand disappeared into his warm grasp. She detected calluses on the palm, which told her Kenyon was no stranger to hard work. She felt as if she were lost in a fog when she stared into a pair of large, deep-set dark gray eyes ringed by long, thick black lashes. His eyes were a startling contrast to his dark brown coloring.

      “Thank you so much.” Mia’s smile and voice was filled with sincerity.

      Kenyon reached for her luggage and Selena’s carry-on. “I’m parked outside.” Turning on his heels, he led the way out of the terminal to the parking lot. Pressing a button on a remote device he started up a dark blue SUV with West Virginia license plates. A placard in the windshield identified him as Mingo County law enforcement. He opened the passenger-side door. “Mia, you can ride up front with me. That way you can tell me why you decided to practice medicine in Appalachia instead of in the big city.”

      Mia went completely still. Had she heard him right? Was there a hint of derisiveness in Kenyon’s voice? She squared her shoulders.

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