* * *
“So how about my new neighbor, huh?” Matt winked at his brothers as they all sat in his living room.
Shane heard laughter from the kitchen. Maggie was in there with her best friend, Liv, making up some nachos and, he also suspected, gossiping about the evening.
“She’s something else, huh? It’s not like I haven’t seen pretty women before but this one is up there in the top five. Did you get a load of her legs?” Matt laughed. “Biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Pretty lips. And that voice. Holy shit that voice. Made me hard just hearing it.”
“She’s hiding something.” Shane wanted Matt to shut up about Cassie’s body.
Kyle and Matt looked at their oldest brother. “Yeah? What makes you say so?” Matt asked.
“I’m a cop. I know what it looks like when people have something to hide. Her hands shook. She avoided eye contact. She wanted us out of her house pretty darned bad.”
Maggie walked in and put food down on the coffee table with a stack of paper plates. “Of course she was shaking, Shane. She’d just had a car accident. She didn’t know any of you and hell, I know what she must have felt like with all these giant handsome men in her living room. Give the woman a break. But she was nervous. Really nervous. Could just be her nature, though.” Maggie looked up at her brother-in-law. “But I don’t think it’s a prosecutable offense to be nervous.”
“She had some considerable scarring on her scalp and the back of her neck. I felt it when I checked her over. It could be that she’d been in another bad accident before. I’ve seen victims at the scene with major trauma from past accidents,” Matt said around his nachos.
“Maybe. But I’m gonna watch this woman. I don’t trust her. I don’t like people coming into my town carrying trouble.”
“Jeez, Shane, cut the woman some slack. Do you need to go from zero to the Terminator in three seconds? Not all women are out to hurt people,” Kyle said.
“It’s my job to watch people and I never said all women were out to hurt people,” Shane growled at his brother.
“Okay, this needs to stop before it gets started. Kyle, lay off. Shane, give her the benefit of the doubt. And anyway, I saw you watching her. Did you think she was hiding something in her bra? Maybe her back pocket?” Matt snorted.
“Okay, so she’s easy on the eyes. But I don’t know what she’s bringing into my town and I’m not going to be comfortable until I figure it out.”
Chapter Two
When Cassie opened her eyes the next morning, it almost felt like she was a new person as well as living in a new place. Sun streamed into her bedroom and she heard the birds singing just outside. Peace. How long had that been?
As she got dressed she contemplated the importance of where she was at right then. She wasn’t on the verge of taking the first step into her future. She’d taken it. And she was still moving ahead. For so long it had been about just surviving. It seemed monumentally scary to have her life be about living again.
Cassie decided to walk to Main Street, have breakfast and then deal with the car situation. Get to know the town a bit better.
While she was out she’d also look for a place with wi-fi so she could email Brian and check in. Or at the very least call him on a payphone. She hadn’t spoken with him since she left the hotel the morning before and she knew he’d be worried.
After she got some makeup on, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and made sure her shirt collar hid the scars at the back of her neck. It wasn’t until she’d locked the door that the heat hit her. Like a thick, wet blanket. If it was this bad now, she knew she needed to get out and finish her errands before noon.
The trees cast nice, cool shade as she began to walk. People out working in their yards actually waved hellos at her. And taking a deep breath, she waved back. She had to claim her life again.
Once on Main Street she crossed over to a little diner she’d seen the night before, The Sands. It was everything she’d imagined a small town diner to be when she walked inside. Crowded and full of people talking and laughing, waving to folks as they came and went. Steeling her nerves, Cassie slipped into a spot at the counter and grabbed a menu.
“Hiya, sug. You must be the pretty girl that Polly Chase ran into last night.”
Surprised, Cassie looked up into the face of a woman behind the counter. Big brown eyes sparked with good humor. Cassie couldn’t help but smile back.
“That’s me. I suppose this is my introduction to how fast news travels in a small town?”
The woman laughed and patted Cassie’s arm. “Now you’re catching on. I’m Ronnie Sands. I own this place.” She put a coffee cup in front of Cassie and filled it.
“I’m Cassie Gambol. Nice place you have here. I like it. Looks like I’m not the only one.” She ordered the pancake special and complimented Ronnie on the fresh juice.
Ronnie grinned. “Be right back with your pancakes. Welcome to Petal, Cassie.” Ronnie bustled off to help another customer.
“Well, you’re looking a mite better today.” Cassie turned to see Maggie Chase hop up into the chair next to her. “Although I don’t like those dark circles under your eyes. How are you feeling after last night?”
“I just need a few good meals and some rest. Thanks.” Cassie felt torn between the idea of actually making new friends and the vulnerability that created in her.
Damn it, she used to be so good at this. She had friends and a vibrant social life. She used to be a lot of things before Terry.
The woman who’d come in with Maggie leaned forward and smiled. “You must be the Cassie everyone is talking about. Hi, I’m Liv Davis. Nice to meet you.”
Ronnie came by, put a heaping plate of food in front of Cassie, took Maggie’s and Liv’s orders and hurried away.
Cassie waved back at Liv before digging into her breakfast. She’d forgotten what this kind of cooking tasted like. Terry had insisted on a cook to prepare low-fat meals based on his menu plans and when she wasn’t eating at home, she ate what she could grab at work. Hospital cafeterias weren’t known for their delicious meals.
“What brings you to Petal, Cassie?” Maggie asked.
Cassie knew the question would be asked again and all the way out from her brother’s she’d worked on the answer.
“I got tired of the big city. I wanted a change.” She shrugged. “One of my friends was here a few years ago, on his way through to Atlanta and he’s always gushed about it. So I checked it out on the internet and ended up talking to Chuck and rented the apartment.”
“I admire that. You just up and moved? Changed your life because you wanted to, that’s pretty amazing.” Maggie’s smile was genuine.
“Don’t. It’s not a big deal really. The city was killing me.” Or rather, someone in the city wanted to.
Maggie frowned a little before brightening again. “Well it’s most certainly admirable. What city did you come from?”
She and Brian decided it was good to keep close to the truth. Los Angeles was big enough that it shouldn’t ring any alarm bells. “LA.”
“And what are you going to do here? Do you have a job lined up?”
Well, she couldn’t be a surgeon anymore. Two of the fingers in her right hand had had the bones shattered so severely she’d never have the range of fine motor skills she’d need. Hell, she could barely hold a fork in her right hand for nearly half a year after she’d gotten out of the hospital. On top of that, she couldn’t practice under her new name without a whole lot of hassle and paperwork. Hassle and paperwork that would expose her. Futile rage swamped her for a moment. Terry had taken away her greatest love as well as her safety and nearly her life.
“No. I need to start looking.” She shoved it all away, not allowing him to own her fear or her anger. Her days of letting him control her were over.
“Well, what can you do? Any special t
alents? Maybe we can give you suggestions.” Maggie buttered her toast.
“Clerk, secretary, bookstore? Coffeeshop?” Cassie shrugged, trying not to resent Maggie’s apparent ease with herself and her surroundings.
“You know, I think Penny is looking for someone over at Paperbacks and More. You should pop in. She’s really nice, our age, I think it would probably be a really fun place to work. And wow—” Maggie leaned in close to Cassie “—where did you get those earrings? They’re gorgeous.”
Smiling, Cassie touched them. “Thank you. I made them.”
“You made those? Well they’re beautiful. You’re pretty talented, Cassie. Have you ever thought about selling them?”
“Funny you should mention that, I was thinking about it on the way here. Is there a craft market or flea market around here? I have a supply of things I’ve made that I’d love to sell on the odd weekend here and there.” At least she could still make jewelry with her hands.
“As a matter of fact, yes. There’s a Sunday Market. This is the first year for it but it seems to be doing pretty well. They close down Fourth Avenue, which is just a few blocks down. As it happens, our friend Dee is on the organizing committee. Here.” Maggie dug through her bag and pulled out a pen and paper. “This is her number. Give her a call and let me know because I’d love to buy some of your stuff.” Maggie grinned.
“Thank you, Maggie. I appreciate this.” Cassie paid for her breakfast, a little bit of hope in her belly along with the great food. “Ronnie, breakfast was excellent and the juice made me feel a lot better. I’ll be seeing you.”
“Wait, Cassie. Do you need a ride somewhere?” Maggie asked.
She’d had just about all the small talk she could take. Cassie just needed to be alone to think. “No, thanks. I noticed from the card that the mechanic is only a few blocks away. After I check in there I need to run errands. Nothing I can’t walk to and I need the exercise anyway. Thanks for the tip about your friend and the Market. Oh and do you know if there’s a place in town that has wireless internet access? My phone won’t be in until Monday and I haven’t even thought about internet service.”
“The Honey Bear. It’s a bakery at the other end of Main. We’d be happy to give you a lift.” Maggie’s friendly nature was earnest and unvarnished. Cassie had to admit to herself she liked that. There didn’t seem to be anything fake about her. The gorgeous best friend seemed nice too. But she wasn’t ready for hanging out with the girls just yet.
“Oh thanks, but I’d like to get to know the town a bit. I appreciate it.” Cassie backed away toward the door. “Have a great Saturday afternoon.”
And she was free again. Free to do whatever she wanted. The walk down Main Street was quite nice. There were a number of little businesses along the way. A few cafés and specialty shops dotted the sidewalk. The town seemed to be thriving.
The mechanic shop was busy but when she walked in one of the men stopped what he was doing and came over to help her. “You must be Cassie. I’d shake your hand but I don’t want to get you dirty. I’m Art.”
Okay, so it was odd but she was getting used to everyone knowing who she was. Definitely not something she experienced a lot back home. “Yep, I’m Cassie. Nice to meet you. Just came in to check on my car. How is it?”
“Well, that big old Caddy is a menace. She’s whacked your rear axle out of alignment and it’s cracked. I’ve called in an order for the parts but I won’t see them until Monday. The rest isn’t too bad. The body work shouldn’t take too very long and we can do the paint job here. But I wouldn’t count on having a vehicle for another week or so. Do you need a rental? We have two on site. Polly’s insurance will cover it.”
Cassie laughed. “Everyone in town seems to be familiar with her insurance and what it covers.”
“Well yes.” Art blushed. “She’s gotten into a few fender benders. But she really is a nice woman.”
“So I’m told. And yes, I’ll need a car if I won’t have one for at least another week.”
He completed the paperwork and she drove off half an hour later to the grocery store. But when she parked, she saw the small bookstore just a few doors down and decided to head over and check out the job lead.
“Miss Gambol.”
Shit. The giant hottie of a sheriff came walking toward her. Stalking, like something big and bad but graceful too.
“Sheriff.”
His eyes didn’t miss anything on their slow circuit of her body. She knew that he knew she was holding back. “Please, call me Shane. How are you doing today?”
She resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot. “I’m all right. Just a bit sore. But I’ve got a rental and Art is taking care of my car.” She shrugged. Cassie tried not to think about how his skin was so work-hard and firm and nicely sunkissed. She smelled him from where she stood. A bit of cologne, man and clean sweat.
Cassie doubted she looked as good. The heat made her skin feel clammy and her hair most likely hung like a limp rag. She chewed her lip, knowing the lipstick she’d applied first thing was gone. And then she smacked herself for even thinking it. No way. No more controlling men with power issues. And clearly this one had that in spades. He took up far more of the sidewalk than he physically occupied. His presence was overwhelming. And certainly he’d be hot in bed, but she was not going to find out. Oh no. Not her. She wouldn’t even think about how he’d look naked and laid out on her sheets waiting for her. Damn. Were vibrators legal in Georgia? Yeah, she’d need to look that up online.
He was talking and she blushed when she realized she’d lost half of what he’d said. “I’m sorry. I missed part of that.”
He smiled, with white predator’s teeth. Oh my. Okay, thinking about sex again! Stop it!
“I was saying that you should be on the lookout for a visit from my mother. She’s still upset over what happened last night and she wants to make it right. Which means she’ll hound you until you let her. I suggest you don’t try to resist. It’s pointless anyway. She might be small but she handles four very big sons with one hand tied behind her back.”
Suddenly he was so charming he totally disarmed her and she laughed. “I see. Like the Borg? Only with big hair and a bigger handbag?”
He cocked his head and grinned. “You got it. You settling in all right? Can I help you with anything? You shouldn’t move any of that furniture so soon after the accident. I’d be happy to help.” Her heart sped up as his gaze pulled her in. He was thinking something naughty wasn’t he? Or maybe she was projecting.
Wetting her lips nervously, she shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll be all right. Thanks.”
His long pause alarmed her until he blinked slowly and cleared his throat. “Uh, okay. Well, I have to go. It was nice seeing you again. You be sure to call me at the station or go and get Matt if you need anything, all right?”
“Thanks again.” Stepping back from his body made her feel a bit better. She could breathe without smelling his skin. It had to be the heat that made her feel so lightheaded.
With a wave she steered around him and headed into the bookstore, leaving him standing there, watching her.
Shane unfisted his hands as he took in her sway before she disappeared into Paperbacks and More. Nervous as a cat that one. Why? And where in hell did the persistent need to protect her come from? She was in his town carrying something she didn’t want him to know about with her. That made her a threat. But he didn’t see a threat when he looked at her.
He saw the shadow of fear in her eyes. He saw the lines of stress around her mouth. And what a mouth. That mouth of hers was made for kissing and other things he shouldn’t be thinking about doing with a woman like Cassie Gambol.
He’d done a quick check on her that morning when he’d gotten to work. Not much to be found and that made him nervous. No one got to be their age without something. No speeding tickets, no fingerprints on file, he di
dn’t find anything about her in any newspapers from Southern California either. It was like she just came into being a few weeks before. A woman built for a hell of a lot of naughty fantasies, made from smoke with fear in her eyes.
In his town. And if he had any say in it, he’d find out who the heck she was and what she carried so close to the vest.
* * *
Cool air hit her skin as Cassie walked into Paperbacks and More. Being away from Shane and out of the heat, she found she could finally breathe again. Wandering through the store, she noted the cozy seating areas in the different sections and a good variety of genres. It was bigger than she’d thought it would be. The kind of bookstore she’d have found herself in every payday back in college.
Finally, she sighted the counter and smiled at the woman standing behind it. “I’m looking for Penny.”
“You found her.” The woman, dressed smart in a lightweight summer skirt and blouse, looked Cassie up and down. “Hmm, you don’t look like an IRS agent and my personal relationship with the Lord is my business.”
Cassie laughed and put her hands up in surrender. “I’m Cassie Gambol and I’m not peddling anything. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m looking for a job. I’m new here in Petal and Maggie Chase said you might be looking for someone.”
“You ever worked in a bookstore before?”
“Back when I was in high school and then later when I was in college.”
“Who’s your favorite author?”
“What a question. How can I just name one? That’s impossible.”
Penny grinned. “Well, I must say that’s a very good answer to start with. Okay, who are your five favorite authors?”
“Margaret Atwood, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Nora Roberts—and I’ll snag JD Robb while I’m at it since they’re the same person—and Barbara Kingsolver.”