LITMIR.BIZ

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need to get her.”

      Dottie was grateful she hadn’t passed out at the onslaught of the conversation. Instead, it was so shockingly comical, she chuckled.

      “Why’s that funny?”

      Biting back the last of the giggle and feeling like Lucy, she blinked at Esther. “Well, ma’am. I’m not here looking for a husband. I’m just passing out—I mean through.”

      “And—what’s your point?”

      Dottie looked at the other two ladies, who had given up trying to contain their friend. “Well, I—”

      “Me and my Hank, it just took a look and a wink and we were together for life.”

      “I thought it was a kiss?” Norma Sue said.

      “Well, that, too. But I knew before that.”

      “Okay, Esther,” Adela said, smiling. “Let’s do like Brady asked and give the poor girl a little room. If it’s to happen it will.”

      “Honestly, I’m leaving,” Dottie blurted. These women were serious about their matchmaking. Give them an inch and wham!

      Then it hit her. Again. Brady Cannon had known.

      He’d known exactly what he was doing when he’d left her to fend for herself!

      And the wink! Winks!

      Ohhh, he was devious. The man had set the hounds on her on purpose. But why? What would possess him to do such a thing?

      Looking from one pleasant-faced woman to the next, for the life of her she couldn’t understand why he would do this…unless he was just being funny.

      Funny, my foot! She’d get him for this.

      Back at his office, Brady was hoping something would come up fast and the case would be a snap. A database search was the place to start.

      He knew it was too much to hope for that she’d simply run away from home because of something trivial. He knew the odds were against it. On the flip side, he hoped she wasn’t on the run because of something she’d done. It was a logical possibility.

      For all involved, the sooner he found out the facts relating to Cassie the better. The last thing he needed was for her to win the hearts of all the townsfolk only to do something to harm them.

      And then there was Dottie. It wasn’t like he went around winking at women all the time. It just happened. He had nothing to gain by it.

      Besides, for all he knew, Dottie’s story could be false. Hey, she and Cassie could be involved in something together…con artists came in all shapes and ages. And the good women of Mule Hollow would be easy game.

      Clenching his jaw Brady picked up a pen from his desk and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. His gut tightened and he told himself he was being ridiculous. He understood where the tendency came from, a man who’d seen it all and heard it all grew cynical.

      He gave the pen tip three hard strikes to his desktop.

      You’re not that guy anymore. Remember.

      For a while, in the city, he’d lived on the excitement. The fast-paced rhythm of the precinct, the city lights, the adrenaline rush that came with every bust…

      He closed his eyes, tightening his fingers around the pen…

      I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

      Dottie’s words…good, open-hearted Dottie. Just thinking of her prompted a smile. He was a cop. His duty demanded that he check all details. Pick up on all possible angles.

      In his old life, everyone was a suspect—he closed his eyes—but not anymore.

      Dottie Hart was the real deal. He knew it and he refused to allow his fight with his past taint what he knew was true.

      He opened his eyes. So why had he flirted with her? Because you couldn’t help it. Something about her, the inner beauty that radiated from her reached out to him.

      Leaning back in his chair, he stared up at the ceiling and refocused on the problem at hand. Cassie.

      It was true there could be any assortment of horrible reasons that the girl had been hitchhiking yesterday. But there was still a small ray of hope that everything she’d told Dottie was true. That she’d really come to Mule Hollow because of Molly’s articles.

      He prayed that this was the case.

      Not to mention how happy it would make the matchmaking posse of Mule Hollow.

      Chapter Five

      The welcome committee had grown to include several other women by the time Lacy and Cassie came rolling back in the Caddy.

      “We’re not gonna let you girls leave here,” Esther Mae declared as Dottie set a pan of fresh fudge on the table that now had a rug beneath it and flowers in its center. “You two fit in with us like peas in a pod.”

      “That’s right,” Norma Sue agreed. “Why, the moment Sam told Adela you were here and Adela called me, I had a good feeling.”

      Dottie laughed. “I thanked the Lord for letting me break down in such a nice place.” She was trying not to think about what was cooking in their one-track minds.

      “I think that’s so neat the way you followed Molly’s stories, Cassie,” Lilly Wells said, giving the girl a thumbs-up. “You just might find yourself a cowboy, if you really want one.”

      “I’m glad my articles are making an impact,” Molly Popp added, flipping her rust-colored hair over her shoulder before placing a piece of fudge on her napkin. “I’m having unbelievable fun writing those stories. And the response has been overwhelming.”

      “The post office has never seen so much mail,” Esther Mae added. “Hon, this fudge is so good my hips are expanding just smelling the stuff. And I don’t even give a hoot.”

      Lacy’s nail tech, Sheri Marsh, paused before shoving a huge piece of extra-dark fudge into her mouth. “Where did you learn to make this? You need to know that I might be skinny, but I’m training to be a professional eater. And I think I just discovered my competitive food category.” She laughed and finished off the hunk of candy.

      Dottie was amazed. Lacy had introduced her as the only woman she could think of who would’ve dropped everything to drive five hundred miles for a cup of coffee and the chance to share an adventure with her.

      Dottie had a vivid picture in her mind of the two of them riding cross-country in the Caddy. It wouldn’t have been boring, of that she was certain. And for the life of her, she didn’t know where all that fudge was going! Sheri was about the size of Olive Oyl and she’d put away at least six pieces of the rich stuff.

      That in itself was a testament to her grandma Sylvia’s candy-making talent. Dottie was embarrassed to accept all the praise the fudge was getting. She loved to cook, and had loved having her shop. Its reputation had grown so that she’d been able to make a nice profit from its sale. The money was enough to get her set up in California, but she still felt like an impostor when people complimented her cooking abilities.

      “My grandma and Mom passed their talent and love of cooking down to me. And their recipes,” she said, giving credit where it was due.

      “Really,” Lacy said, tapping her tangerine fingernails on the tabletop. “You know, Mule Hollow could use a good restaurant. Have you thought about that possibility? Just don’t do an all-you-can-eat buffet— Sheri’d bankrupt you.”

      Dottie tugged at her earlobe, perplexed by their inability to hear any phrase resembling “no.” “Well, um, like I said, I have obligations to fulfill elsewhere. Though I dearly love Mule Hollow, I really do. I’m opening an old-fashioned candy store in California.”

      Конец

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