Главная страница | Современные любовные романы | Bride Of Dreams

Bride Of Dreams
Linda Randall Wisdom


We all know newcomer Caroline Benning's got more than her share of secrets. And now Deputy Cooper Night Hawk's making it his personal mission to find out who the woman really is…and what she's doing in Tyler. But rumor has it, the new waitress has been dishing up more than good cooking to Cooper. Can delicious kisses and spicy nights break down our deputy? Not if Cooper can keep his mind on the law and his hands on his belt. Gun belt, that is!








You’re invited to…




Return to Tyler


Where scandals and secrets are unleashed in a small town and love is found around every corner….

Walk through the town square where towering oaks shade young children playing together.

Come into Marge’s Diner, where everyone meets for coffee and company.

Visit the Quilting Circle at Worthington House for the latest romantic gossip.

Spend the night at the Breakfast Inn Bed….

And discover the secret identity of the mysterious new girl in town.

Return to Tyler and stay awhile. You’ll be glad you did!


Dear Reader,

Welcome to Mills & Boon American Romance…where each month we offer four wonderful new books bursting with love!

Linda Randall Wisdom kicks off the month with Bride of Dreams, the latest installment in the RETURN TO TYLER series, in which a handsome Native American lawman is undeniably drawn to the pretty and mysterious new waitress in town. Watch for the Tyler series to continue next month in Mills & Boon Historicals. Next, a lovely schoolteacher is in for a big surprise when she wakes up in a hospital with no memory of her past—or how she’d gotten pregnant. Meet the last of the three identical sisters in Muriel Jensen’s WHO’S THE DADDY? series in Father Found.

Bestselling author Judy Christenberry’s Rent a Millionaire Groom launches Mills & Boon American Romance’s new series, 2001 WAYS TO WED, about three best friends searching for Mr. Right who turn to a book guaranteed to help them make it to the altar. IDENTITY SWAP, Charlotte Douglas’s new cross-line series, debuts with Montana Mail-Order Wife. In this exciting story, two women involved in a train accident switch identities and find much more than they bargained for. Follow the series next month in Mills & Boon Intrigue.

Enjoy this month’s offerings, and make sure to return each and every month to Mills & Boon American Romance!

Wishing you happy reading,

Melissa Jeglinski

Associate Senior Editor

Mills & Boon American Romance


Bride of Dreams

Linda Randall Wisdom






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


LINDA RANDALL WISDOM is a California author who loves movies, books and animals of all kinds. She also has a great sense of humor, which is reflected in her books.




Books by Linda Randall Wisdom


MILLS & BOON AMERICAN ROMANCE

250—WE GIVE THANKS

284—LADY’S CHOICE

293—APPEARANCES ARE DECEIVING

310—CODE OF SILENCE

325—SINS OF THE PAST

350—A MAN FOR MAGGIE

372—O’MALLEY’S QUEST

382—VOICES IN THE NIGHT

401—FREE SPIRITS

422—SOMETIMES A LADY

443—THIS OLD HOUSE

457—UNDER HIS SPELL

470—A MAN FOR MOM

487—THE COUNTESS AND THE COWBOY

515—NO ROOM AT THE INN

541—VEGAS VOWS

561—HE’S A REBEL

596—COUNTERFEIT HUSBAND

608—MOMMY HEIRESS

627—TWIST OF FATE

641—DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN…

671—NAUGHTY ’N NICE

681—MR. & MRS….& MRS.?

707—BELLS, RINGS & ANGELS’ WINGS

751—SHE’S HAVING HIS BABY

774—THE LAST TWO BACHELORS

831—MY LITTLE ONE

865—BRIDE OF DREAMS




Who’s Who in Tyler


Cooper Night Hawk—His dreams are haunted by a woman some say will be his bride.

Caroline Benning—Falling in love wasn’t in her game plan when she came to Tyler.

Laughing Bear—His Sauk wisdom and the Spirit guides have served him well.

Brady Spencer—He wants the truth about Caroline…no matter what.

Delia Mayhew—A town librarian can tell a lot about people by the books they read.

Anna and Johnny Kelsey—There’s no hanky-panky going on in their boardinghouse!

Brick and Karen Bauer—This cop couple will bring peace back to Tyler, even if they have to handcuff Cooper and Caroline together.

Henry Farris—He has a roving eye for Caroline—even if he is ninety!

Lieutenant Steve Fletcher—His beat is the local lovers’ lane.

Tyler Quilting Circle—Whose wedding quilt are these matchmaking women working on now?




Contents


Prologue (#ud7ab3df9-4e3c-51d0-b8d1-c57f4fc112b8)

Chapter One (#uec990960-4c83-534b-8b0e-ae5166ea6ce0)

Chapter Two (#uaa2452b3-4d2a-517a-a6a1-078abc4cea51)

Chapter Three (#u3350f8b3-cc79-5782-bb71-e28f28970ed0)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)




Prologue


“I wasn’t ready for you to go just yet, Dad. I wanted you here so you could hold your grandchildren. Remember what you said you wanted to do? You were going to spend all your mornings on the golf course and avoid all those widows trolling for a new husband. The ones you claimed talk endlessly about taking cruises, and want a partner to go with them. Hopefully, you.”

Caroline Bennedict folded the last piece of clothing and carefully placed it in a box. Her movements were economical as she sealed the box with packing tape and marked it for one of the charities.

“I’m only twenty-two years old, Dad. I still need you.” She began clearing off his chest of drawers. She knew if anyone heard her talking out loud to her father, who’d died the month before, they’d think she was losing it. They had no idea that talking to him as if he was still there made the pain more tolerable. Plus she believed, in a sense, he still was with her.

Now she was involved in a task she hadn’t looked forward to but knew needed to be done—packing her father’s personal items. Tears pricked her eyelids as she emptied each drawer, then moved on to the closet.

Caroline frowned when she discovered a large box set back in the far corner of the top shelf. She stood on a chair and carefully maneuvered it forward so she could get a good grip on it. She carried it over to the bed. When she opened the box, the faint scent of Chanel wafted upward. Her dad always said Chanel reminded him of Mom. Caroline’s mother had died having Caroline, so she’d never had a chance to know her, and had to rely on stories from her father. Now she didn’t even have that.

The box held a quilt. She stared at the lively pattern of blue, white and green and gathered up the heavy fabric, allowing it to spill over her lap. She carefully smoothed it across her legs.

“Where did this come from?” she whispered to herself, picking up one corner and examining the tiny stitches.

Even her inexperienced eye could tell the quilt was handmade, put together with a great deal of care and love. She knew right away it wasn’t designed for her father’s navy-and-burgundy bedroom. As she turned the quilt over, additional colors in one of the corners caught her eye.

She pulled it toward her so she could examine it more closely. Her brows knitted in a confused frown as her fingernail traced the names embroidered in one corner of the quilt.

Violet and Elias Spencer

Seth, Brady, Quinn

Violet Spencer? The same Violet Caroline knew of as Violet Bennedict? The woman who’d died seconds after Caroline’s birth?

“Mom?” she whispered. “Who are these men? And what do they have to do with you?”




Chapter One


He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was beautiful. The mist wrapped around her in the way a lover would protect her from outside forces. Even though her face was shrouded by the mist, he instinctively knew she was looking at him. Her slim figure was garbed in a cotton gown that clung to her form.

The mist swirled around her as she lifted her hand and reached out to him. She didn’t speak a word, but somehow he knew she was beckoning to him. Asking that he take her hand.

He didn’t move from his spot. Somehow he knew that taking her hand and allowing her to lead him into the mist would mean changes to himself and to his life. Changes he wasn’t ready to make. Instead, he stepped back. Once. Twice.

He still couldn’t fully see her face, but he knew she was disappointed.

Oddly enough, so was he.

But not enough to take her hand.

Cooper Night Hawk awoke a good two hours before his alarm was ready to blast him out of bed. Sleep was something he treasured because he knew there was always a chance it would be interrupted.

Tyler might not be the crime capital of the world, but mischief still happened. And some nights he was the one selected to settle it.

He left his bed and headed outside. He filled his lungs with the chilly, clean air in hopes it would clear his head. Cooper settled in one of the chairs by the back door. The wood creaked softly under him as he leaned his head back and looked up at the sky. He liked the idea of counting stars instead of counting sheep.

“You worked so many nights that your body cannot understand why it has to sleep now.”

Cooper cocked a dark eyebrow. “Look who’s talking, old man. You need your rest more than I do.” His voice was filled with gruff affection toward his visitor.

The silver-haired man shook his head, his braids swinging gently. “The time will come soon enough when all I will do is sleep. Until the time comes, I will enjoy what the night has to offer.” Cooper’s grandfather, Laughing Bear, walked slowly over to the chair next to Cooper’s and carefully lowered himself into the seat.

“You’ll still be around telling all the old stories when I’m in my grave,” Cooper argued good-naturedly. “What are you doing up this time of night?”

“The stars are only good when everyone else is asleep,” Laughing Bear informed him in a low, even voice.

Cooper stretched his legs out in front of him, bare feet crossed at the ankle. “How come you’re not sitting by your own house looking at the stars?”

“I do not see them as well up there. That is why I come down here to sit on your porch. The view is nicer down here,” he said calmly. “The Spirits like it better down here, too.”

Cooper shook his head. He knew enough not to voice his disbelief about the Spirits who allegedly accompanied his grandfather wherever he went. Any time he even hinted his doubt of invisible beings, his grandfather would give him that long silent look that spoke volumes. The elderly man never told him how disappointed he was in his grandson’s refusal to accept the legends he grew up with. The sorrow in his eyes was telling enough.

“She is here,” the man said.

Cooper stifled the sigh rising in his throat. Damn him! He wasn’t going to say another word.

No way. No how. This time he wasn’t going to ask. In all the years he and his grandfather had done this form of one-upmanship, the older man always won. Just for once, Cooper wanted to win.

He continued sitting back with his laced fingers resting on his bare abdomen, enjoying the chilly air on his skin. He didn’t have to turn his head to know his grandfather wasn’t looking at him. That was part of the battle of wills that grandfather and grandson had waged over the years.

“She will take a heart while she is here,” Laughing Bear said, breaking the silence once again.

Cooper bit the inside of his cheek. Anything to keep from asking.

He would have been better off talking to one of his grandfather’s spirit friends.

“I can’t imagine she’d want yours. It must be pretty leathery by now,” Cooper said.

Laughing Bear slowly turned to face his grandson. “The heart she takes will be a younger one. A strong heart and more succulent.”

Cooper cocked an eyebrow. “Succulent? Are you reading romance books again, old man?”

Laughing Bear showed no displeasure with Cooper’s irreverent manner of speech. They understood each other only too well. In the beginning, the grandfather had taken care of his orphaned grandson, dealing with his pain and anger at the death of his parents. Now the grandson took care of his grandfather, making sure he saw his doctor on a regular basis and had enough firewood during the winter. With Laughing Bear’s small cabin only a hundred yards away, he was close enough for Cooper to feel as if he could look after him and far enough away so that Laughing Bear could have his privacy and feel a measure of independence. It was a comfortable arrangement for both men.

Every day Cooper saw the stiffness increasing in his grandfather’s body, his eyes dimming with age and his steps growing slower. Cooper didn’t want to think about the day the older man would no longer be here.

“Mrs. Riley brought me one of her peach pies today,” Laughing Bear said.

Not at all what Cooper expected to hear. The faint smile on the older man’s lips told him he knew that.

“Funny. I thought her specialty was blackberry pies.”

“Her blackberry pies are very good, too, but she knows I like her peach pies best.”

Cooper tightened his lips. No sir. Not one word. A declaration that flew right out the window at the prospect of needling his grandfather.

“I heard Mrs. Riley used to put one of those sexual potency drugs in her pies for her husband up until he died,” Cooper said, in the same casual tone his grandfather used. “Some say she’s looking for another husband. I bet the man who shows the most appreciation for her ‘pies’ gets her in the bargain.”

“Mrs. Riley is a nice woman, but she continues to mourn for her husband. She had never allowed his spirit to rest.” Laughing Bear tilted his head back, looking upward. “Another man cannot share a life with her until she decides it is time to let him go.”

Cooper chuckled. “My grandfather, the philosopher.”

“No, a man wanting to stay free.” The older man slowly rose to his feet. “And now a man who is ready to seek his bed.” He shuffled off a few paces before he stopped and turned around. “She will capture your heart, Grandson. It will do you no good to fight the Spirits’ wishes.”

“Are you sure you haven’t been reading vampire stories?” Cooper asked.

Laughing Bear stared at him with dark eyes that may have dimmed over the years but had lost none of their power.

“I wonder what your grandson will say to you when you tell him about the Spirits and their wishes.” Having said his piece, he turned around and slowly walked up the well-worn pathway to his cabin.

“DEPUTY NIGHT HAWK, are you listening to me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said obediently, pen racing across his pad. “You want whoever did this to be charged with vandalism and anything else we can think of.”

As owner of Gates Department store in Tyler, Nora Gates Forrester was used to people deferring to her. That Cooper wasn’t giving her the attention she felt due her left her irritated.

“I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate,” she said angrily. “I’ve even heard that people claim it was Margaret Ingalls. The woman is dead!’

“Yes, ma’am,” he said obediently.

Cooper wished he hadn’t answered the phone this morning. He wasn’t even due to go on duty yet. Then Hedda, one of their dispatchers, had called and asked if he’d stop by Mrs. Forrester’s house on his way into work.

“Mrs. Forrester…” He paused, well aware that whatever he said wouldn’t be welcome. It hadn’t been appreciated the last four times he’d been out here. He stepped carefully through the verbal minefield. “So far we haven’t been able to come up with any tangible clues as to who is destroying your things.”

The scent of Shalimar invaded his nostrils as she leaned closer. “When personal property is deliberately vandalized, you call the police. That is what I have done, and I expect results.”

Cooper mentally vowed to never answer the phone first thing in the morning. At least not before he had his breakfast.

He looked around the neatly kept yard. He knew a neighbor’s teenage son mowed the lawns every other week, and Mrs. Forrester tended her flowers with the same care a mother gave to her child. As he looked around, his gaze swept across the clothesline that occupied a corner of the yard. Underneath, pieces of brightly colored silk and lace dotted the green lawn—victims of the heinous crime.

He took a deep breath. “There have been some complaints about a goat wandering around in this neighborhood. You’ve got that hole in the back part of your fence and maybe the goat got inside the yard. They’re known for eating anything.”

Mrs. Forrester flashed him a look that implied she thought his idea of an underwear-eating goat ranked right up there with idiocy.

“I cannot imagine a goat would wander in here to steal and destroy my clothing,” she insisted.

“I don’t know. My grandmother had a goat who liked to eat dish towels.”

Mrs. Forrester glared at him. “Just find out who did this.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He put away his pad and allowed her to escort him through the house and outside. He climbed into the Blazer and fingered the radio. “Dispatch, this is Cooper,” he announced. “Finished at the Forrester house and rolling out.”

“Is Nora’s complaint of vandalism the same as always?” Hedda, the dispatcher, asked.

“Got it in one.”

“I heard that Margaret Ingalls might have done it. What are you going to do if it does turn out to be Margaret?”

“What do you think? Call Ghostbusters.” He signed off before his laughter joined hers.

He’d driven barely halfway along the street before he was flagged down. He stopped and rolled down his window.

“’Mornin’, Mrs. Gray,” he greeted the woman who’d been his fourth-grade teacher and still kept nine-year-olds in line at the grade school.

“Good morning, Cooper. Tell me, does Nora think Margaret Ingalls is destroying her underwear?” she asked.

“I think she’s starting to think that, ma’am. Do you have anything new that might help the case?” Such as seeing a ghostly Margaret Ingalls slipping into the Forrester yard.

“Nora’s a sensible woman except when it comes to this,” she said bluntly. “If she truly wants to settle this, she should see about holding a séance. If someone can conjure Margaret up, Nora could then tell Margaret to her ghostly face to steal someone else’s underwear.”

Cooper coughed into his curved palm.

Mrs. Gray narrowed her eyes and gave him a look that still froze him down to his toes. “That tactic didn’t work back then, Cooper Night Hawk, and it doesn’t now.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said soberly.

Her usually stern features relaxed in a smile. She rested her hand on the windowsill. “Did I ever tell you you grew up just fine?”

“Last week.” His dark eyes twinkled.

She slapped the windowsill with her hand. “Just so you remember. Of course, I knew once you and Freddie Martin stopped hanging around together, you’d do all right.” She stepped back, her own way of saying the conversation was over. “I understand Freddie is up for parole in two years.”

Cooper nodded goodbye and drove on.

He knew becoming a sheriff’s deputy in Tyler, Wisconsin, meant he would be dealing with people he’d known all his life. In a small town it was a given.

There were pluses and minuses in his job. Here, he knew everyone and they knew him. There’d been a time when all he thought about was getting out of Tyler for good. But that was when he was young and stupid. Now he knew this was where he belonged.

Life was predictable here but never boring. He knew many people wouldn’t like predictable, but there were many times when it was pretty nice. Such as now when he was heading for Marge’s Diner for his breakfast of blueberry pancakes with hash browns, sausage, orange juice and plenty of coffee.

No wonder he felt the town of Tyler gave him all the nurturing he needed.

“HEADS UP, DARLIN’.”

Caroline automatically ducked as a heavily laden tray swept over her head. Alice, the other waitress in Marge’s Diner that morning, flashed her an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, sweetie. I had a head of steam going and didn’t want to conk you on the noggin like the last time,” she said over her shoulder as she sailed across the room.

“Thank you. Mashed potatoes weren’t exactly the best conditioner for my hair,” Caroline admitted, swapping the empty coffeepot for a full one.

Breakfast was a busy time in the bustling diner, and coffee was the all-important staple for the hungry diners. She’d barely finished refilling coffee cups before she had to return for another pot.

After almost ten months on the job, she was feeling more confident with her duties as one of the waitresses at Marge’s Diner in Tyler. Everything here was a far cry from her life in Santa Barbara, California.

In Tyler, she didn’t play tennis, laze by the pool or head for the beach with her friends. She wasn’t “Caroline Bennedict” any longer. Now she was Caroline Benning—a stranger who’d driven into town, liked its looks and, since the diner was advertising for a waitress, applied for the job. Luckily, her lack of experience didn’t seem to matter. Marge, the owner, warmly assured her she’d pick it up in no time.

Caroline had lost track of the number of broken dishes and incorrect orders she was responsible for—though she hadn’t forgotten that time she gave Ray Hickman crab cakes instead of the fish sticks he’d ordered. She’d had no idea he was allergic to shellfish.

Caroline knew that in any other restaurant she would be history by now. Luckily, Marge was a great deal more patient with her fledgling waitress than most bosses would be. It didn’t hurt that a majority of the men in town had asked that she be given a second chance. And a third. And a fourth. Caroline was learning that small towns were very much a world unto themselves.

When Caroline had decided to seek out her mother’s other family, she’d had no idea the trail would lead to Wisconsin.

She hadn’t found anything in her father’s papers about the Spencer family’s involvement with her mother. It was pure luck there was a small note with the words Tyler Quilting Circle, Tyler, Wisconsin on the bottom of the box holding the quilt. Caroline hadn’t stopped to think whether it was a good idea to just throw clothes in a few suitcases and take off for Tyler. She’d just done it. So far, she hadn’t regretted her decision.

While she was eager to know her half brothers, she knew she couldn’t just walk up to the Spencer front door and announce she was their half sister. It wasn’t long after her arrival that she learned the Spencer family was well regarded in Tyler. The father and three sons were known as men not to be toyed with. They were wealthy, and she guessed they would naturally be suspicious of anyone suddenly appearing with the claim of being related.

Having grown up in a moneyed community, Caroline understood the caution they would undoubtedly display. She didn’t need to watch the daytime dramas to which Alice was addicted to know she would have to get to know the Spencers first. Especially since she wasn’t sure if Elias Spencer, head of the family, would accept her as his sons’ half sister.

Her first thoughts were to stay in town for a while and see what she could find out about the Spencers. Then perhaps get to know them on a casual basis. She began by renting a room at the Kelsey Boarding House and looking around town for a job. In no time, she had a job where she was guaranteed to meet just about the entire population of Tyler at one time or another.

At first, she’d pretty much kept to herself. Then she’d stupidly tried to see into Elias Spencer’s house and had ended up in the rose bushes, much to her embarrassment. Not something that would happen to the quiet, almost mousy Caroline Benning she’d been portraying. No wonder, since as Caroline Bennedict she’d devoured mystery novels and convinced herself she could do anything those heroines could do. After picking the thorns out of her skin, she’d decided it was time to act more like herself. She’d even dug out her own clothing, and now wore it instead of the drab, nondescript things she’d been wearing.

It wasn’t long before people started to talk to her more. Marge took Caroline’s sudden transformation in stride and told her she was glad to see she was settling in.

“Caroline.” Marge’s voice interrupted her daydreaming, and the owner flashed her eyes in the direction of the booths that were Caroline’s responsibility.

Caroline felt the skin on her face turn warm. Not because of embarrassment that her boss had caught her daydreaming, but because a pair of dark brown eyes watched her with an intensity that unnerved her.

Deputy Cooper Night Hawk.

She was positive he’d looked at her and deemed her an imposter. She feared the time would come when he would reveal her lies to the town. And they would promptly run her out of town on a rail.

Until then, she would suffer while, every morning, he settled in one of her booths and ordered his usual blueberry pancakes, sausage and hash browns, coffee and orange juice.

She snagged a cup on her way over to him.

“Deputy.” She greeted him with a warm smile as she set the cup on the table and filled it with hot coffee.

She was a coward, but she wasn’t going to drop to her knees and beg him to understand the reasons for her lies about her name and why she was here. After all, what if she was wrong and he didn’t know who she was?

Caroline vowed to stop reading mysteries. They had her believing she could get away with anything the heroines in the books could. They were getting her into a lot of trouble.

“Good morning, Caroline.”

The way he said her name in his low, husky voice was enough to send shivers down her spine. Not to mention the way he looked at her, as if she was the blue plate special of the day. She managed an impersonal smile as she held her order pad in one hand and pencil in the other.

“Let me guess,” she said. “The usual?”

He nodded without returning her smile. “I’d say that sounds like a plan.”

“I’ll be back with your juice.” She whirled away and headed for the counter to drop off the order slip, although she knew Marge would have already started Cooper’s breakfast.

SHE WILL STEAL YOUR HEART and give you her own.

Cooper hated the thoughts provoked by his grandfather’s words that swirled inside his head. Especially when he was looking at a lovely young woman who was about as off-limits as a woman could get.

Caroline Benning was new in a town that boasted few newcomers. No one knew all that much about her other than she was twenty-two, had lost her father not long ago and had been traveling because she felt the need to get away. Cooper wondered if that need to get out of town had anything to do with a boyfriend.

His cop’s eye gauged her to be about five foot eight and too thin, at around one hundred twenty pounds. He was certain the blond highlights in her light brown hair weren’t real, but the dazzling green eyes were, since he didn’t see any hint of contact lenses. For work, she kept her just-past-chin-length hair back in a barrette. The pink-and-white-striped, short-sleeved shirt she wore with a short denim skirt made her look younger than her twenty-two years.

She seemed a little shy, uncertain about people, but around him she actually appeared wary. He couldn’t think of a reason why he’d cause that reaction in a young woman he barely knew.

Unless she had something to hide.

He didn’t want to think that was the case. He liked looking at her too much.

“Hey, Cooper, heard Margaret Ingalls stole more of Nora Gates Forrester’s underwear,” Henry Farris called out from his usual perch at the counter. His cronies, not one of them under the age of seventy, surrounded him. Leathery fingers, gnarled by time and arthritis, wrapped themselves around coffee mugs or held on to a rich breakfast pastry. “When ya goin’ to bring her in for questioning?”

“It hasn’t been easy to find Margaret. I thought I’d call on Psychics R Us for help,” Cooper called back.

The elderly men cackled their appreciation of his joke.

“Maybe Nora needs to put those special tags on them. You know the ones I’m talking about,” Barney Metzger interjected. “Like the ones she puts on clothes in the store.”

“I’ll let you make that suggestion, Barney.” Cooper lifted his coffee cup in a silent salute.

When Caroline set his glass of orange juice on the table, he inclined his head in a thank-you. The moment she was gone, he returned to reading the morning paper, until she returned with his food.

THE SCENT OF BLUEBERRIES and sausage, mixed with something light and floral, alerted him before she stood by his table.

“Have you ever ordered anything different for breakfast?” she asked curiously, setting the plate in front of him.

Cooper studied the stack of five pancakes, the golden surface dotted with blueberries he knew to be fresh. His mouth was watering in anticipation of that first bite.

“Not for the past sixteen years,” he replied. “When you find something good, you tend to stick with it.”

“Some day you ought to go wild and try them with bacon,” she whispered as she refilled his coffee cup. She moved away as Marge called an order for pickup.

Cooper settled back to savor his breakfast. And visually savor Caroline. Some would say his interest in the young woman was because she was pretty. No, there was more to it than that. He just wasn’t sure he was ready to further explore those thoughts.

“That’s what I like to see first thing in the morning. A member of our esteemed law enforcement team sitting here stuffing his face with blueberry pancakes instead of out there fighting crime. Makes me feel downright safe.”

Cooper looked up. “Up yours, Spencer. I do this to keep my energy level up, so I can catch all those bad guys you’re worried about.” He waved toward the empty seat across from him.

Brady Spencer slid into the seat across from Cooper. He made a face as he stared at Cooper’s plate. “One day a breakfast like that will catch up with you,” Brady pointed out.

“You’re just jealous because I have a better metabolism than you. Comes from being more active than your average sedentary surgeon.”

Brady’s retort was interrupted by Caroline’s appearance.

“Would you like a menu, Dr. Spencer?” she asked.

Cooper noticed that Caroline’s usually bright smile appeared a bit strained. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was nervous.

Brady looked up and flashed the smile that quickened many a woman’s heart. “Just coffee, thanks, Caroline.”

She quickly set a cup down in front of him and filled it. She topped off Cooper’s cup before leaving.

Brady glanced at her. “Lovely woman.”

“You don’t want Eden to hear you say that,” Cooper advised him. “She’d have your hide for sure.”

Brady’s smile broadened at the mention of his new wife. “Nah, she wouldn’t damage anything serious. She’d just make sure I never looked at another woman again.”

Cooper thought of the Spencer men and the women who’d enriched their lives. He admitted, only to himself, that he wouldn’t mind finding a woman who could do that for him. He didn’t hold out much hope for it.

The last woman he’d had a relationship with had told him he was too serious. She couldn’t imagine him going out and cutting loose. He told her that wasn’t him, and if she cared for him, she’d take him the way he was.

She took herself out of his life the next day.

“So what brings you here?” Cooper asked.

Brady shrugged. “Just wanted to talk with an old friend. Anything wrong with that?”

“Depends on what that old friend wants to talk to me about.”

Brady glanced toward the counter, where Caroline was taking an order from old Henry Farris. He had to be at least ninety, but it didn’t stop him from trying to look down her blouse as he ordered his usual oatmeal and a bran muffin.

God love them, nothing ever changed in this town.

“What do you think the Woman of the River looks like?” he asked suddenly.

Cooper refused to rise to the bait. He used the side of his fork to cut off a bite-size piece of pancake, and brought it to his mouth. Brady, used to his evasion tactics, patiently waited.

“Laughing Bear knows more about that story than I do,” he said finally. “Why don’t you ask him?” He flashed a mock-threatening stare at Brady as the other man started to reach for a sausage. Brady shrugged and backed off.

“I would think the woman in the legend could have blondish hair and green eyes. What do you think?”

“I don’t think about it,” Cooper lied as he took another bite. He didn’t want to think about Caroline. He wanted his life to go back to the way it was. He especially wanted to consider his pancakes, which had fresh blueberries folded into the batter, the best pancakes in the world. As far as he was concerned, he rated them right up there with his first taste of coffee in the morning.

Brady leaned across the table. “I need to talk to you about something,” he said in a low voice.

Cooper read the gravity in the other man’s eyes. “How serious are we talking?” He also kept his voice low, so no one could overhear their conversation.

“Caroline came to the wedding with Marge,” he began. Cooper nodded, silently urging his friend to continue. “Sometime during the reception, Dad went inside the house. While there, he noticed Caroline standing by his desk, looking at a family picture.” His glance slid sideways to ensure the object of their conversation wasn’t nearby.

“Since she must have been invited, I can’t arrest her for trespassing.” Cooper said. “Do you have another reason for telling me this? Did you ever stop to think she might have been admiring the Spencer boys? Although with all of you falling into the marriage trap, the odds of her landing a Spencer are now zip.”

Brady shook his head. “Not likely. This one was taken when we were boys.” He paused and looked down at his hands, which were cupped around his coffee mug. “All I’m asking is that you see what you can dig up on this woman. Nothing heavy-duty.” Brady looked up at Cooper. “Dad wouldn’t ask you. You know how he is.”

Cooper certainly knew Elias Spencer. The older man and his three sons were like family.

And more than anyone, Cooper knew the story about Elias’s wife and how she’d left him and their sons. After all, it had been last fall when Brady’s brother Seth had asked Cooper to find information on their mother, Violet. The sad part was her leaving them in order to be with another man. Elias had never spoken her name again, until recently, and the Spencer brothers likewise acted as if they’d never had a mother. They had, however, discovered they had a half sibling out there somewhere. Apparently Violet had died in childbirth.

Still, Cooper balked.

“Why me? Why not ask her yourself?” he asked. “It still could have been something innocent. Lots of people like to look at family photographs.”

Brady shook his head. “Dad said there was a look on her face that had nothing to do with idle curiosity.” He glanced at his watch and quickly finished his coffee. “I’ve got to get to the hospital.” He started to rise, then stopped and looked at his friend. “Will you see if you can find anything out?”

Cooper didn’t tell him he’d had a few suspicions of his own about Tyler’s new resident. “There’s no reason for me to do it through official channels.”

“Hey, she’s single. You’re single.” Brady arched an eyebrow. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to get out a little more.”

“Now you sound like my grandfather,” he muttered into his orange juice. “Go on. I’ll do whatever I can.”

Brady nodded and headed for the front of the diner. He stopped at the register and talked to Marge for a few moments before leaving.

Cooper envied people like Brady, who could talk to anyone about anything. As for him, he was never much for small talk, so the idea of finding out about Caroline Benning wasn’t going to be easy. Too bad she hadn’t stolen something at Elias’s house. Then he’d have a good reason to haul her in for questioning, and he’d have a chance to find out everything he needed to know.

He guessed he’d have to let the good ladies of the town do some of the work for him. He was certain they’d do a hell of a more thorough job of it, too.

He’d wondered about Caroline more than usual. Part of it had to do with the fact that during the short time she’d been in Tyler, she showed more interest in the Spencer men than was normal for a newcomer.

It had Cooper asking why.

His cynical side said it could have something to do with the fact that the Spencer brothers were each successful in their own right. Along with being good-looking.

Cooper had returned to his newspaper when Caroline came by to refill his cup. He shook his head and placed his hand over the top. “No more for me, thanks. In fact, I’ll just take the check.”

“You’re in luck, Deputy Night Hawk,” she told him. “Dr. Spencer paid for your breakfast. He said it’s your retainer.” Mild curiosity darkened her eyes.

He tamped down the curse that threatened to erupt, and swallowed the last of his coffee. “No matter how it looks, we’re not talking bribery here. The good doctor is regretting he can’t eat blueberry pancakes any longer. Delicate digestion,” he confided, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

Caroline shook her head. “Dr. Spencer left a tip also.”

Cooper picked up his newspaper and folded it. “Have a good morning, Caroline.”

“You too, Deputy.”

His departure was slow but steady as he left the diner. People stopped him, some voicing mild complaints. It was nothing new to him, and he listened to the usual tales of dogs barking late into the night, kids riding their skateboards over lawns and little Rocky Edwards teasing Miss Smythe’s nasty-tempered cat, Orlando. Cooper assured Miss Smythe he’d have a talk with Rocky.

With a full stomach and a feeling of contentment, Cooper walked past the town square as he headed for the police substation, located just beyond.

“Mrs. Forrester called,” Hedda told him the minute he entered the building. She waved a pink message slip decorated with a vivid purple ink. Hedda believed the more colorful the note the easier it was to remember.

Cooper closed his eyes. “She’s missing more underwear?”

“She wants to file a complaint against Mrs. Gray,” Hedda explained, slipping her reading glasses on. The brightly colored frames highlighted her face, which was expertly made up.

Cooper couldn’t remember ever seeing Hedda without makeup on. Her graying brown hair was pulled up and back in a bouncy ponytail tied with a colorful turquoise-and-pink scarf. She said if she had to wear a black uniform, then by God, she’d wear color anywhere else she could. No one dared ask her where else that color might be. A good idea, since they all knew if they asked she’d be only too happy to tell them.

Cooper always felt he needed sunglasses when facing her.

“Do I want to know why?”

Hedda smiled. “It seems Mrs. Gray told her she was tying up the local law office with nonsense when they could be doing something better suited to their talents. Mrs. Forrester insists there was a threat in there somewhere. I have no idea where that threat is, but I’m sure you’ll find it.” She beamed as she handed over the slip.

“I guess I should be grateful she’s not insisting aliens are behind the so-called thefts,” he muttered.

“Be careful, that just might be next.”

Cooper headed for the rear of the station.

After the way his day had begun, the rest of it should turn out to be a piece of cake.




Chapter Two


Caroline liked the idea that she could walk anywhere she wanted to. Since she’d arrived in Tyler, she’d only taken her car when she wanted to explore outside of town.

She ignored her tired feet as she left the diner when her shift was over. She was grateful the Kelsey Boarding House was only two blocks away. The late afternoon sun was still warm on her face as she walked down the sidewalk.

This was what she liked best—the chance to watch the townspeople interact. She’d never thought of herself as a people watcher until she came here.

“Good afternoon, Caroline.” Ed Martin greeted her with a grimace that she knew was his way of smiling. Rumor had it the video store owner had a fear that too much smiling would cause his dentures to slip out of his mouth. He stood in the doorway to his store as if he planned on dragging in customers off the sidewalk.

“Mr. Martin.” She smiled back and stopped. “We didn’t see you today for lunch.”

“Had to unpack and set out the new releases. They arrived late today. But you’ll see me tomorrow,” he promised. “Can’t go too many days without having Marge’s meat loaf.”

“You’re not the only one.” She walked on.

When Caroline reached the walkway leading to the boardinghouse, she noticed one of the sheriff’s department vehicles cruise by. As it slowed down, she realized Cooper Night Hawk was in the driver’s seat. He nodded a silent greeting toward her before driving on. She managed a jerky nod as she turned to walk up to the house.

“It’s about time he noticed you as more than the one taking his breakfast order,” Anna Kelsey said from the porch, where she sat in a rocking chair with a bowl of snap beans in her lap. A fat ginger-colored cat lay nearby.

Caroline felt her cheeks heat. “I thought you said you didn’t believe in matchmaking.” She glanced down at the cat. “Hey, Sam. Are my feet safe today?” She kept a wary eye on the cat as she dropped into the rocking chair next to Anna. She released a sigh as she kicked off her denim flats and stretched her legs out in front of her. She still kept a close eye on the cat, which was known to attack feet when the owner least expected it. “It’s so nice to sit down for more than five seconds.”

“Busy day?” Anna asked.

“Uh-huh. I think the entire population of Tyler, with the exception of you, came in to the diner today.”

“Even Cooper Night Hawk?” she inquired in a mild voice, continuing to snap beans. Caroline studied her feet.

“Deputy Night Hawk comes in every morning for breakfast,” she replied.

“The way I hear it, he always sits at one of your booths. He never did that before.”

“Do you need my room so badly you’d throw me to any man who drives by and acknowledges me?” Caroline joked, trying to keep the conversation light. She was still feeling that strange sensation in the pit of her stomach when he looked at her. Nothing she’d want Anna to know about.

“Didn’t you know? Matchmaking is our largest source of entertainment here in Tyler. My mother would say that you ended up here for a good reason.”

“Or maybe I ended up here because I liked the looks of the town, you had a spare room and Marge needed a waitress,” she said, moving the chair back so she could prop her feet up on the railing. “I really like this.”

Anna shot Caroline a look of amusement. “Changing the subject?”

“No, just talking about something more interesting.” She waved her hand to indicate the street in front of them. “You can sit out here all day and everyone passing by is someone you know. I lived in a city that was considered small by some standards, but it was nothing like this.”

“For a city girl, you’ve settled into small town life like a fish takes to water.” She smiled. “As if you were meant to be here all along.”

“Long lost daughter returning to the fold,” Caroline sang out, holding her arms out wide. She froze. “Listen to me. I sound like someone in a soap opera. Next thing you know I’ll suffer a debilitating disease and lapse into a coma.”

“Brady will be your doctor. He’ll tell us he has no idea what caused your illness.” Anna continued the fiction. “We could have Cooper ordering Brady to do whatever he can to cure you.”

“I thought comas were an automatic death sentence for the actress,” Caroline said, going along with the script Anna was happily writing.

“Not in our show, dear. Tyler’s Own will be an Emmy-winning show,” she insisted. “That’s why we need you in a coma.”

“The coma might be a good idea, since it was strongly suggested I drop out of drama class in high school,” Caroline confessed.

“Honey, every woman has a bit of actress in her,” the older woman soothed. “That’s how we take those men and wind them around our fingers.”

“So that’s how it was done.” Johnny Kelsey walked out of the house and kissed his wife’s cheek. “Don’t listen to her, Caroline. If you want to catch a man, you need a man’s advice. So who are you plotting against? And does he have any idea his days are numbered?”

“No one,” Caroline firmly stated, at the same time Anna offered, “Cooper Night Hawk.”

Johnny raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you just throw her to the wolves, Anna? Couldn’t you have started her out with someone easier?”

“You didn’t see the look Cooper gave her when he drove by a few minutes ago,” she replied.

“He was just being polite,” Caroline explained. “Nothing more.”

Anna smiled knowingly. “Yes, dear. And that’s why you’re blushing right now.”

Caroline pushed herself out of her chair and headed for the front door. “I am not blushing,” she declared haughtily as she made an escape worthy of a dramatic actress.

Husband and wife exchanged looks that said it all.

“You’re really going to try to match her up with Cooper?” he asked.

“I don’t think I’ll have anything to say about it. You know how romance works in this town. It’s all up to the quilting circle,” she answered, thinking of the brightly colored quilt that had been presented to them at their wedding, and since then had adorned their bed.

Johnny shook his head in fatalistic agreement. More than one single man cringed when they learned the Tyler Quilting Circle was beginning work on another quilt. Their success with the wedding quilts was the stuff legends were made of.

“God help them both.”

CAROLINE WAS INDULGING in her favorite form of relaxation: a bubble bath.

At the moment, she was the only boarder in the house, so she didn’t need to worry about anyone else needing the bathroom. She could take all the time she wanted.

She set her towel by the tub next to her CD player, stepped into the large, old-fashioned claw foot tub filled with hot water and floral-scented bubble bath, and slid down until her neck was resting against the edge of the tub, where she’d set a rolled-up towel. She turned on her CD player, slipped the headphones on and adjusted them to her ears.

Now she could truly relax. She closed her eyes, waiting for the music to flow through her body and complete the mood.

Except her body didn’t calm down. And her eyes refused to remain closed. If she didn’t know any different, she’d swear the music that usually soothed her now sounded downright annoying.

“Take deep calming breaths,” she directed herself. “Your body can’t relax if your mind won’t relax.”

Caroline wished her body would listen to her, but she could tell this time of relaxation wasn’t soothing her as it usually did.

But how could she, when Cooper Night Hawk was firmly planted in her thoughts?

Why now? She’d been waiting on him since that first day she worked at Marge’s. She’d even managed to serve him his breakfast without dropping it into his lap or scalding him with coffee.

From that first day she was aware of the intensity that surrounded him like a blanket. She didn’t need to see his badge to know he was in law enforcement. He had that air about him. He was a man dedicated to protecting the people.

She sensed a dedication like his would not hesitate in protecting the Spencer men from her if he felt she posed any kind of threat to them.

There was another, more elemental reason why he unnerved her; he was the most attractive man she’d ever met.

Coal-black hair pulled back and tied with a leather thong. Eyes so dark a brown they were almost black. Copper skin stretched tightly over a face that could have been carved from granite. And a body that could inspire many a fantasy.

Caroline recalled she and friends in high school reading popular historical romances where the hero was a Native American. They’d giggled over the descriptions of men she always thought came strictly from the author’s imagination. After meeting Cooper she was positive the books were nothing compared to the cold hard reality of the man.

“Caroline, dear, dinner in half an hour.” Anna’s voice filtered through the door.

“Thank you,” she called back. Instead of waiting another twenty minutes before climbing out of the tub, she leaned forward and pulled the plug. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself as she stepped out.

So much for relaxation.

“THIS IS WHEN I HATE CARS,” Caroline muttered between clenched teeth as she turned the ignition key one more time. As before, the engine refused to turn over. She slapped the steering wheel with the flat of her hand as she leaned back in the seat.

It was clear she wouldn’t be going any farther. She grabbed her small backpack, which doubled as her purse, and climbed out of the car. After locking the door, she walked down the road in the direction of town. With luck, someone might drive by and pick her up.

Caroline hadn’t gotten far before she realized the sandals she’d put on that morning weren’t meant for walking along a dusty road covered with gravel. Not to mention it was starting to get dark, and sounds she hadn’t noticed before, coming from among the trees on either side of the road, seemed to grow louder.

“Lions and tigers and…” she whispered, looking left to right. She tried to pick up her pace, but the rocky road hampered her steps. “Oh, boy. Okay, no lions here. Wrong country. Tigers, no. Bears, could be. Bigfoot is in the Pacific Northwest. And I’m not.”

She stopped to empty pebbles from her sandal for what felt like the twentieth time. Her balance was precarious as she stood on one foot, slipped off one shoe and brushed off the dirt. She wobbled when a truck slowed down and stopped by her.

“I heard Californians liked to walk, but I thought you’d be wearing something a bit more…sporty,” Cooper said, eyeing her black tank top, which skimmed the waistline of her white-and-black-print capri pants molded to slim, tanned legs. Black thong sandals displayed feet gray from road dust. He could smell a light floral scent coming off her skin, sweeter than that of the colorful flowers growing alongside the road.

Caroline just stared at him. “You know, right now I would love nothing more than to come up with some witty little comeback, but I’m too tired to think of one,” she admitted. “My car died down the road.”

He leaned over and pushed open the passenger door. “Get in. I’ve got a tow hook in the back, so I can tow your car to the garage if it’s something that isn’t a quick fix, like a loose wire or you ran out of gas.”

“Unfortunately, I know from personal experience what happens when you run out of gas, and that wasn’t it. I have no idea about a dead battery.”

She climbed up into the cab and dropped onto the seat. She noticed the earthy aromas of horse and man mingling companionably in the small interior. Instead of his black deputy’s uniform, Cooper wore a denim shirt with the cuffs rolled back to reveal dark forearms, and jeans that had seen better days. His boots were scuffed and dusty. His aviator-style sunglasses hid the eyes she sensed never displayed any emotion. An equally battered hat perched low on his forehead.

He looked as imposing as he did in uniform. Now she understood about a man with presence. Cooper Night Hawk had it in spades.

“I was beginning to think I wouldn’t run into anyone,” she admitted. “I heard that country roads are quiet. They’re more than quiet. They’re downright empty. I guess I should feel lucky my car didn’t break down after dark. Who knows what I might have run into?”

“The only critters you’d find around here after dark are horny teenagers,” Cooper said. He glanced at her lap. “Put your seat belt on.”

She secured the harness and sat back against the door so she could face him. She slipped her sandals off and rubbed her feet. “What were you doing out here? Planning to pick off the teenagers when they show up?”

“We only come out here every so often,” he replied. “That way they don’t know when to expect us. We look around, see which car has the most steamed-up windows and tap on them. The area usually clears out within five minutes.”

“What a spoilsport you are, Deputy.” She grinned.

“That’s my job.”

“Right now you look more like a cowboy who’s been out on the range.”

He shook his head. “More like helping my grandfather with his garden. Which means he stands there and directs while I do the heavy work. He claims he’s the one doing the work through my hands. Yet I always seem to be the one with the blisters and muscle aches.”

“It sounds as if your grandfather knows how to delegate,” Caroline pointed out. “It’s considered a highly prized skill in the corporate world.”

“I don’t know if the corporate world could handle Grandfather and his insistence of consulting his spirit guides before making important decisions.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know very much about Native American culture,” she confessed. “But I have heard of spirit guides. Are your spirit guides your ancestors or just someone who appears in your life?”

He drove with lazy confidence, one hand on the steering wheel, the other arm braced on the open window. A glance in her direction showed him she was genuinely interested. “Everyone has different guides. Your guides can be an ancestor or someone from your tribe. Animals are also spirit guides.”

She studied him closely. “But you don’t believe in them.”

Cooper took his time answering. For a while she wasn’t sure he was going to say anything. “My grandfather clings to the old ways. He uses herbs for healing, asks for guidance before planting, goes off to commune with his guides before making any important decisions. I believe in antibiotics, I check the almanac, and usually just flip a coin before making important decisions.”

“I have a friend who visits her psychic once a month,” Caroline said. “The woman isn’t always right, but Sheila never minded. She said she only sees Rena for a second opinion. Perhaps that’s what your grandfather is doing. Looking for a second opinion.”

Cooper quickly glanced her way. “Sounds as if you saw that psychic once in a while for those second opinions.”

“I went to Rena once. She told me my life would take some surprising turns and I should just go along with the ride.” Caroline thought of the turns her life had taken in the past months. “ I guess she was right,” she murmured.

“So that’s how you ended up in Tyler? This psychic sent you here?” he asked.

She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “She didn’t exactly give me a map.”

“Funny, I would have thought someone would have directed you to come this way,” Cooper said casually. “It’s not as if we’re on all the major maps. Tyler isn’t a typical destination for just anyone.”

“I guess the reason I ended up here was because I decided to go off the highway and do some exploring. I drove into town and liked what I saw,” she replied.

“It’s not always a good idea to go off the main road. It’s been known to be hazardous to a single young woman’s health. More than one woman has disappeared because she wanted to see more of the countryside,” he said. “Not all small communities are friendly.”

“Now you sound like one of those true crime programs. I try not to watch them. They give me nightmares.” She leaned her head back, resting it against the partially open window. She twitched her nose in a way that reminded Cooper of a puppy sniffing the wind.

He doubted she’d appreciate being compared to a puppy. Even a cute one. He mentally kicked himself and returned to his lecture.

“They’re meant to scare you,” Cooper said flatly. “All it takes—”

“I’m careful, Deputy,” she interrupted. “But I refuse to live my life under a cloud of fear.”

He nodded. “Admittedly, our crime rate in Tyler is low, but you still have to be careful. People lock their doors now, when ten, fifteen years ago, they didn’t. Still, Tyler is a small community where people look out for each other. Maybe everyone knows your business, but when the chips are down, it’s nice to know there’s people around who will care.”

“That’s quite a switch—from a warning to an advertisement on reasons to move to Tyler,” she told him.

“I don’t know. It seems they both cover you.” He favored her with a sideways glance. “Any other surprises in store for us where you’re concerned?”

She turned her head to look out the window, as if she was afraid he’d read something in her expression. “I’m not really the surprise type. I’m known as a very up-front person.”

Now why did he have the feeling she was lying? She had the face of a Madonna. He didn’t want to think she might have the soul of a devil. But he also felt she wasn’t telling the complete truth.

“It seems a lot of the families in Tyler have lived here for many years,” Caroline said.

“Some go back to the founding of the town. Others arrived later. It’s been said you’re not considered a true local resident unless you can count back at least five generations,” he explained. “My family can count back even further.”

“So your family still lives around here?”

He shook his head. “Most live out of the area. My grandfather has a small cabin on my land. He claims it’s so he can keep an eye on me.”

“You’re close to him, aren’t you?” she guessed.

“Yeah, I am. He’s an old coot but I guess I have to say he’s my old coot.” His voice was warm with affection. “What about you?”

“No one,” she murmured. She wasn’t aware of the wistful longing in her voice, nor did she see the quick look he flashed her.

Cooper steered the truck off to the side of the road and stopped behind Caroline’s car. He silently held out his hand. “Keys?” he prompted when she looked at him blankly.

“Oh!” She dug into her bag and pulled out the key ring. She grasped the correct key and held it out to him. “I locked it up before I left.”

He opened the door and climbed out. “I had an idea you would. Stay here. No need for you to get out.”

Cooper unlocked the little sports car and lifted the hood to check the engine. After making sure the radiator was filled and she had oil, he returned to the driver’s seat and tried the ignition. Just as Caroline had said, the engine refused to turn over.

He walked back to his truck and leaned on the open window.

“You’ve got a dead battery,” he told her. “I can jump-start the engine, which should get you back to town okay. I’ll follow you to make sure it doesn’t die on you before you get to Carl’s Garage. You’ll need a new battery right away.”

“This is when I hate cars,” she confessed.

“That’s a sweet little car you have. You need to take good care of her if you don’t want to end up stranded again,” he told her.

“I should have remembered that it needs more than filling up with gas and having the oil changed on a regular basis,” she admitted.

In a matter of minutes, Cooper had his truck turned around to face Caroline’s car. He instructed her to wait for his signal while he attached jumper cables to his truck battery, then to her car’s.

“Okay, start her up,” he called out.

He whistled a victory tune when the little car roared to life. He yelled for Caroline to back off on the accelerator, and quickly took off the cables.

Cooper trailed behind Caroline who kept to a fairly sedate pace as they headed toward town. He doubted she normally drove this slowly. The sporty red Miata convertible didn’t look like a car that enjoyed staying at the speed limit.

“Why does someone who drives a car like that work as a waitress in a town that has little to offer anyone?” he mused as he watched her drive away. Normally, those kind of questions would raise a red flag in his mind. He’d see it as something he’d want to check out.

Temptation to run her license plate rose strongly. It was the best way to find out if she’d left any secrets in California she wouldn’t want anyone to know about. Except his sense of honor was stronger than his curiosity. If the lady ran a stop sign or exceeded the speed limit, then yeah, he’d do everything by the book, along with running her plate and checking for outstanding warrants. Until then, he’d have to find other methods in his quest to find out just who Caroline Benning was.

“I COULD HAVE WALKED HOME from the garage,” Caroline protested after Cooper had bundled her back into his truck and headed for the Kelsey Boarding House.

“No reason for you to when I’m driving past the house.” He pulled up in front of it and stopped. He climbed out and helped Caroline out of the truck.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “You saved me a long painful walk back to town.”

“Just part of my job.”

“You were off duty,” she reminded him.

“Cops are never off duty,” Cooper explained. He took a deep breath and seemed to look off into the distance. “The spring dance is next Saturday night. I was wondering if you’d like to go.”

She blinked in surprise. “You’re asking me out?”

He instantly backpedaled. “Look, if you’re going with someone else…”

“No,” Caroline said just as quickly. “No one else has asked me, and yes, I’d like to go with you.”

Cooper nodded. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty, then,” he said gruffly as he turned back to his truck.

Caroline strolled up the walkway, listening to the low rumble of Cooper’s truck as he drove away.

“You wanted to keep a low profile,” she told herself. “You knew it was best that you let the people get to know you while you got to know them. You have to be careful not to step over that self-imposed line. But going to the dance will give you a chance to see more people.” She gave the dozing Sam a wide berth as she opened the front door. The cat opened one eye, then closed it as if Caroline offered no threat to his peace and quiet.

Anna walked out of the parlor. “What are you doing here? I thought you went for a drive.” She looked surprised by her boarder’s dusty appearance. “What happened to you?”

“I was, but the battery went dead,” Caroline replied. “Luckily, Deputy Night Hawk drove by while I was walking toward town. He jump-started the battery, then followed me back to Carl’s Garage. Carl’s putting in a new battery.”

“Just one of those times when cars are more trouble than they’re worth.” Anna nodded in understanding. “It’s a good thing Cooper drove by.”

Caroline headed for the stairs. “Yes, it was.” She paused when she reached the first step. “Anna, does Deputy Night Hawk date a lot?”

“Cooper? He keeps his love life pretty much to himself,” she chuckled. Then she noticed the expression on the younger woman’s face. “Why do you ask?”

“Because he asked me to the spring dance. I have got to clean off this dust. I feel as if it’s in my teeth,” she confessed, running up the stairs.

“Caroline!” Anna called after her, with no response. She quickly turned around and headed for the rear of the house. “Johnny!” she called out to her husband, who was in the backyard bent over a lawn mower.

He looked up, his screwdriver in his hand. “I don’t care what you say. I know I can fix this damn thing.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “That’s what you said about the toaster. We ended up buying a new one. This is something entirely different.” She walked swiftly over to her husband and lowered her voice as she gave him the news. “Cooper just asked Caroline to the spring dance.”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. He grabbed a rag and wiped the grease from his hands. “Did she say yes?”

“Since she just told me he asked her, I’d guess she accepted. Not to mention she couldn’t look at me after she told me about it.”

Johnny raised his eyes heavenward. “The man doesn’t have a chance.”

“None of that!” She playfully swatted him. “And no teasing her about it, either.”

“No worries there. But I will ask him if his intentions are honorable.”

“You will not! This will be the first time that child has gone out since she arrived here. I think she’s nervous about it as it is.”

Johnny returned to his task. “I don’t know why you’re worried about Caroline. It’s Cooper who’s a goner.”




Chapter Three


If Caroline hadn’t already known that the spring dance was a major social event for the citizens of Tyler, she quickly learned. No matter where she went, it was the main topic of conversation during the week before the dance.

She was looking forward to the evening because it would give her a chance to meet more of the townspeople in a relaxed atmosphere. She remembered her father saying it was easier to get people to talk when the surroundings were congenial.

Caroline was determined to mingle as much as possible. With Cooper as her date, she knew she had the perfect opportunity to meet people she hadn’t seen in the diner. She might even be able to ferret out a little more information about the elusive Deputy Night Hawk.

She’d already learned that just because he asked her to the dance didn’t mean his manner toward her would change all that much when he came in to Marge’s for breakfast. She wanted to assure him his face wouldn’t crack into a million pieces if he smiled.

It was turning into a campaign for her to find a way to get him to smile.

Arranging blueberries in a happy face on his pancakes didn’t do anything other than solicit a quizzical look.

“The least you can do is appreciate those little touches that make your breakfast special,” she told him.

He picked up his fork and poured warm syrup over his pancakes. “Believe me, I do appreciate everything you do.”

His orange juice served in a borrowed Flintstones glass only had him commenting that Marge must be getting low on glassware.

“What are you doing?” Alice asked one day.

“That man has a smile in him somewhere,” Caroline insisted. “I intend to find it even if it kills me.”

“It just might happen with the way you’re going at it.” The other woman shook her head. “Honey, Cooper doesn’t smile. At least, he doesn’t smile the way you and I do.”

Caroline leaned against the counter. “Then how do you know if he’s in a good mood?”

Marge chuckled from her corner, where she’d been unashamedly eavesdropping on their conversation. “That’s easy, hon. When Cooper’s in a good mood, he doesn’t shoot anyone.”

Caroline threw up her hands. “Well, that’s a comfort! Everyone knows as long as he doesn’t pull out his gun he’s laughing on the inside?”

The two women nodded. “That’s about it.”

“Then the man will just have to learn it wouldn’t hurt for him to smile on the outside.”

Marge and Alice exchanged looks that said Caroline would have to learn something herself.

Caroline stiffened when she noticed two men walking into the diner. They chose a booth near the rear, in her station. She snagged two coffee mugs and one of the coffeepots and headed for the booth.

“Gentlemen,” she said crisply, holding up the mugs. “Coffee?”

“Yes, thank you,” Elias Spencer said, barely giving her a glance.

The other man, who Carolyn knew worked at the bank, took a moment to look her over thoroughly. She didn’t know his name and she didn’t care to. “Definitely,” he said.

She mentally poured his coffee in his lap while she filled both mugs. “Do you need a little time before ordering?”

“Two eggs, over easy, hash browns crisp and my bacon crisp.” Elias’s tone matched how he wanted his food.

“What would you recommend, darlin’?” the other man drawled.

“Enough,” Elias snapped at the man. “The girl is trying to work here. Either order or don’t.”

“I’ll have the same thing.”

Caroline nodded and walked away to put in the order.

After all this time working in the diner, this was the first time she’d waited on the illustrious Elias Spencer, since he usually sat at one of Alice’s tables. Caroline had met him at Jenna and Seth’s wedding and wasn’t too sure she liked the man even if she knew him to be her mother’s first husband. She knew her mother must have loved the stern-looking man at one time, so there had to be something special about him. But she’d also left him to marry Caroline’s father.

Elias appeared so stiff she thought his spine would snap from the pressure. Not that his sons were any different. Quinn seemed to be the only one who hadn’t carried on the tradition. When she looked at Elias this morning, Caroline thought the man seemed bitter. She didn’t think he smiled any more than Cooper did, although he did seem to unbend a little when he was around Lydia Perry. Maybe there was hope for the man yet.

It was tempting to blow that stiff-necked manner sky-high by suddenly asking him why he’d divorced her mother. She’d love to hear that answer.

Instead, she was the picture of the perfect waitress. Elias’s dining companion had given up trying to charm her. Good thing, since she would have dumped coffee in his lap for real if he’d tried anything.

Later, Caroline was clearing the table when Elias stopped back. He looked hesitant when she glanced up.

“Was there a problem, Mr. Spencer?” she asked formally.

“No, everything was fine.” He dropped a couple of bills on the tabletop. “I’d just like to apologize on behalf of my colleague. There was no reason for him to act that way.”

“Don’t worry about it. Perils of the trade,” she quipped.

He nodded. “I just wanted you to know I don’t hold with that kind of behavior.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “As for your colleague, tell him if he tries anything else, next time he just might find himself wearing his coffee instead of drinking it.”

Elias’s somber face broke into a smile. “I guess you’ve had to learn to handle just about anything that comes your way.” He nodded and walked away.

The dishes forgotten, Caroline watched his exit. The opening was there. She could have easily slipped it in. Maybe even gotten some answers she’d been looking for.

The only thing that bothered her was the knowledge that Elias knew things about her mother that Caroline had no hope of knowing.

After work, she walked over to the library in search of reading material. On her way out of the library, she ran into Jenna Robinson Spencer, Seth’s wife, who now moved slowly due to her blossoming pregnancy.

“Jenna! Look at you! I swear, you look ready to pop,” Caroline said, giving her a hug, which wasn’t easy with her belly between them.

She rolled her eyes. “Let me tell you, as far as I’m concerned, right now wouldn’t be soon enough.” She patted her abdomen. “You know how you can buy those turkeys with those little red pop-up thingies? I’m positive I got a defective thingie because it definitely forgot to pop up to say I’m done.”

“I’ve always heard the last month feels the longest,” Caroline said with sympathy.

“Every day seems like a year,” Jenna declared dramatically.

Caroline could easily tell the other woman was tired. Looking at her, she could understand why. “Still, before you know it you’ll have those beautiful babies.”

“Let’s see if you say the same thing when it’s your turn to carry around a couple of baby elephants for what seems like forever,” Jenna told her.

“Considering my serious lack of a social life, I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon,” Caroline said.

“I’m sure I said something to that effect. Look where it got me. Well, time for me to waddle off.” She grimaced. “Just tell me I don’t look like one of those inflatable clowns that just pop back up when kids punch them.”

“Not even close. I’ve heard of some restaurants that serve a cabbage soup that pregnant women eat and they’ll go into labor the same day,” Caroline said helpfully.

“Tell Marge to put it on the menu and I’ll be right over,” Jenna said over her shoulder.

Sensing Cooper was in the vicinity, Caroline turned around and looked up the street. She found him in front of the drugstore. He was crouched down next to a little boy who was crying. A bicycle lay nearby on the sidewalk. Cooper had one hand on the boy’s shoulder, and while she couldn’t hear his words, she guessed he was saying something to reassure him. She watched as he pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped the boy’s eyes, then urged him to blow his nose. Cooper stood up, picked up the bicycle and set it upright. He continued talking to the boy as he guided the bike onto the edge of the street. He helped him onto the bike and kept it steady until the boy felt confident to go on his own. The little boy grinned at Cooper as he managed to make his way down the street without too much wobbling.

At that same moment, Cooper’s head snapped upward and his nostrils flared as if he’d caught a scent in the wind. His head swiveled until he looked across the street. Straight at Caroline. There was no change in his expression as he nodded his head in greeting. She nodded back.

She remained frozen in time as she watched Cooper climb back into his vehicle. A moment later, the engine rumbled to life and the Blazer headed down the street. During its progress, people would look up and call out Cooper’s name, punctuated with a wave of the hand.

She noted he returned each greeting, but not once did a smile crack his lips.

Caroline forced her legs to move. With each step, her resolve to see Cooper Night Hawk smile strengthened, until it was pure steel.

“YOU ARE TAKING the new woman to the dance,” Laughing Bear announced from the bathroom doorway.

Cooper stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. He hated the things with a passion and wore them as little as possible. He swore under his breath and started to pull the tie free from his collar. Then he remembered. The ladies in town made few rules, but maintained them religiously. One of them was that their men dress up for church and for the dances.

“Have you been consulting the Spirits lately or just hearing the gossip in town?” he asked his grandfather.

He shook his head, his shoulder length gray hair shifting with each movement. “One day you will understand the Spirits’ plan for you and you will regret that you doubted them.”

Cooper turned away from the mirror and followed his grandfather into the large room that was a combination living room, family room and dining room all in one. His cabin was built for comfort instead of looks. In the winter, it was warm and snug, and during the summer heat waves it was cool, even outside on the wraparound porch.

“Aren’t you going to the dance?” He noticed the older man’s more casual attire of a plaid shirt and jeans. As he looked at his grandfather, he realized the man’s hands had grown more gnarled from his arthritis and his face showed cracks and wrinkles of a life well lived. He also noticed the older man’s walk wasn’t as steady as it used to be.

It saddened Cooper to think the day would come when the older man wouldn’t be around to remind him to honor his ancestors and tell the story of the Woman of the River and what she meant. For some time, Laughing Bear had been convinced the woman would return and come into Cooper’s life, as she had come into the Sauk chief Black Hawk’s.

Cooper was convinced he’d see Homer Madison’s pigs fly first.

“Dances are for young people.”

“That’s not what Mrs. Peabody thinks. And she’s got to be ninety-four, if a day,” Cooper protested. “When she’s feeling frisky she can put all of us to shame on the dance floor.”

“Liza Peabody was a lovely young woman who had her choice of men in the town,” Laughing Bear mused. “She once told me she chose Walter because he had kind eyes. She listened to her heart instead of her head. It was the best choice she could have made.”

“Oh no!” Cooper threw up his hands for protection. “You already tried that a few minutes ago and I wouldn’t bite.”

Laughing Bear stared at his grandson for several moments. “Perhaps it would be a good thing if I go. But my truck is not running right.”

His grandfather was spinning a yarn, Cooper knew, since he’d just given the cantankerous pickup a tune-up on his last day off. The older man wanted to go, all right. As long as he went with Cooper and his date. Good thing Cooper didn’t think Caroline would mind.

“Go on and change,” he said gruffly. “You can ride with us.”

Laughing Bear appeared to hesitate. “She will not mind?”

“I have a pretty good idea Caroline won’t mind at all. Go on home and change. I’ll drive over there to get you.”

Cooper knew his grandfather had done what many a teenager had tried and failed to do with the deputy. The elderly man had just neatly manipulated him.

“You would have made a great lawyer,” he called after his grandfather.

“Yes, I would,” was his serene reply.

Cooper didn’t bother coming back with a retort. His grandfather was happiest when he had the last word.

“YOU LOOK LOVELY, dear,” Anna told Caroline.

“It’s all right?” Caroline struck a pose worthy of a haughty model in a fashion magazine. “I wasn’t sure what to wear, then I discovered I had this outfit and thought it would work. It’s one of my favorites.”

“It’s perfect,” her landlady proclaimed, but looked skeptical as she stared down at Caroline’s feet. “Are you sure you can dance in those shoes?”

Caroline’s black, silk knit top boasted a scoop neck and cap sleeves, and skimmed the waistline to her red-and-white checked skirt with its flirtatious ruffled hemline. Her strappy, high-heeled sandals showed her legs to their best advantage. She had the top part of her hair, divided into three sections, twisting the strands around to be held in place with red pearlized butterfly clips. Her only other jewelry was a gold bangle bracelet.

Caroline had just reached the bottom step when the doorbell rang.

“I’d say that is your date,” Anna said, moving toward the door. She opened it and stood back. “Cooper, now don’t you look handsome.”

“Anna,” he greeted the woman as he stepped inside. His gaze immediately shifted to Caroline. His voice turned husky. “You look lovely.”

She brightened immediately. “Thank you.” She headed toward him.

“We’ll see you at the dance,” Anna told them.

“I hope you don’t mind, but my grandfather wanted to come to the dance and he said his truck is acting up,” Cooper said apologetically as they went down the walkway.

“I don’t mind at all.”

Caroline looked at the Blazer with its official seal.

“There’s not enough of us to be off duty totally,” he explained, opening the passenger door.

Caroline looked in, noticed the rifle and the low voiced static coming from the radio. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt safer,” she quipped, as he helped her into the seat.

“With two of us, you will feel even safer.”

Caroline shifted, so she could rest her arms on the back of the seat. “You must be Cooper’s grandfather. I’m Caroline Benning.” She offered her hand.

“I am Laughing Bear.” He took her hand between his as he smiled at her. “You are a lovely woman.”

She smiled back. “Thank you. I can see where your grandson received his charm.” She shifted her gaze momentarily in Cooper’s direction.

“I tried to teach him well,” Laughing Bear said gravely.

“Are you trying to steal my date, Grandfather?” Cooper asked as he slid behind the wheel.

“Only if she wishes to be stolen.” His teeth flashed white in the dark.

“I bet all the ladies adore him,” Caroline said to Cooper.

“He’s a charmer, all right,” he muttered.

Caroline shared a secret smile with Laughing Bear. She somehow felt that the older men approved of her.

The hall where the dance was held was brightly lit, with music floating out of the open doors. Tiny twinkling lights threaded through the trees outside the hall gave the area a fairyland atmosphere. A romantic atmosphere for those who wished some privacy. Teenagers were already disappearing among the trees.

Out of habit Cooper scanned the grounds. He didn’t expect trouble. It was rare to have any problems on dance nights unless someone spent too much time in the parking lot with friends and beer. Only soft drinks were allowed in the hall for just that reason. In Cooper’s opinion it was a good rule.

Caroline took his arm and hugged it against her. Her movements sent the scent of her perfume drifting his way. Tonight her fragrance was heavier, with a hint of jasmine. Something rare and exotic. Like her.

“You’re off duty,” she reminded him, seeing him stare toward the rear of the parking lot.

“No cop worth his salt is ever off duty,” he said.

She kept his arm close to her. “Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure that you’re too busy dancing to worry about anyone else.”

Cooper ignored the soft laughter coming at him from behind. He could tell his grandfather was already having way too much fun at his expense.

When they entered the hall, Laughing Bear moved to one side to join friends.

“It looks as if the entire town is here,” Caroline said, looking around.

Her toes tapped and her hips swiveled to the beat of the Glenn Miller song the band was playing.

“Just about. All ages are welcome so no one has to baby-sit and miss out on the fun,” Cooper told her. “Care to dance?”

“Of course I do. I’m not letting you off that easy,” she quipped, allowing him to lead her toward the dance floor.

The moment she stepped into his arms she felt her pulse race. She moved with him as easily as if she’d danced with him all her life.

There was no missing the darkening in his eyes or the slight hitch in his breath when she rested her hand on his shoulder. In her heels, she almost met him at eye level.

“I’m glad you asked me,” she said, so softly he had to lean down to hear her.

“I’m glad you accepted.”

Their steps moved in perfect sync as they moved among the other couples. They ignored the curious looks directed their way and the whispers along the side of the room.

“Seeing the way they’re looking at us, I’d guess you normally don’t come to the dances,” she murmured.

“I don’t,” he admitted under his breath.

She slightly drew back. “Never?”

“My grandfather comes to them. I take duty those nights.”

“You’re not on duty tonight. I bet they would have let you take the evening off, so you could come other times.”

“I usually prefer being on duty so anyone else who wants to come can.”

The tip of her tongue appeared, to dot the curve of her upper lip. The first time he comes to a dance is with me? No wonder people are staring at us. “Oh.”

“Who else asked you to go with them tonight?” Cooper questioned.

Caroline tipped her head back, eyes half closed in thought. Her lips moved as if she was ticking off names. In his mind, she took entirely too long before she opened her eyes.

“No one.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Alice said I intimidate the men. I think I just plain scare them.” She almost yelped with joy when she saw a corner of his mouth twitch.

“Maybe you should try the smiley face on their pancakes,” he suggested.

“I wanted to build a tower with the bacon, but Marge said it wasn’t a good idea.” Her smile faltered.

Cooper spun her around so he could see what caught her attention. Elias Spencer had just come in with Lydia Perry, a member of the infamous Tyler Quilting Circle. Cooper didn’t miss the momentary expression in Caroline’s eyes that he knew was yearning. But why? What did Elias Spencer have to do with her?

It would have been so easy to ask her why seeing any of the Spencer men affected her so strongly. But he didn’t want to tip his hand just yet.

“See anyone you know?” he asked instead.

She looked at him blankly for a moment before she recovered. “I’m sorry, I must have zoned out,” she apologized.

He shook his head, confused. “Zoned out?”

“Mentally wandered off. I usually don’t do that.”

“Maybe it’s the company,” he said lightly.

She ducked her head just enough so she could inhale the spicy scent of his aftershave.

“Fishing for a compliment, Cooper?” Her smooth voice flowed like hot silk over his skin. Her hand moved almost caressingly across his shoulder.

“I never had a woman zone out before,” he said gruffly.

She smiled brightly. “Let’s just call it relaxing and having fun, shall we?”

Cooper wasn’t sure it was a good idea to relax too much around Caroline.

CAROLINE LOVED TO DANCE and did so any chance she had. Tonight she learned that dancing with Cooper was a whole new experience.

She couldn’t remember a partner moving with her the way he did. As if they were one.

The connotation brought images to mind that were best left alone.

Dancing was giving her the chance to glance around the room and see who was where. Luckily, the people she’d hoped to see there had arrived. The Spencer men were all present, and none of them arrived alone. Since they were good-looking men, she wasn’t surprised.

Brady Spencer was the only one she’d had much chance to talk to. She hoped she would have more of a chance tonight. She already knew Cooper was good friends with all the Spencer brothers, Seth, Brady and Quinn, so it would be natural for him to spend some time with them.

“Well, folks, we’re going to take a short break,” the band leader, who also played the trombone, announced in a voice that carried throughout the large room. “Get yourselves something cold to drink, rest your feet and we’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.”

As Caroline and Cooper left the dance floor, she was aware of his hand resting warmly against the small of her back. She’d never thought of it as a sensitive area until then.

“Looks as if we’re being paged,” Cooper murmured, guiding Caroline to the left.

“I told myself, ‘That can’t be Cooper Night Hawk out there dancing,’” Brady called out. He was grinning widely when the couple reached the table. “The man wouldn’t attend a dance if his life depended on it. Then Eden says, ‘Look out there. It’s Cooper.’ I was ready to tell her she needed glasses when I saw you myself. Ow!” He rubbed his arm where his wife had punched him.

“Please excuse my husband. He sometimes needs a mouth adjustment,” Eden Frazier Spencer explained to Caroline. Her violet eyes were warm with amusement. “I hate to think what kind of witty sayings he comes up with at the hospital.”

“I haven’t lost a sponge in a patient for some time now,” Brady insisted.

“Which is why I go out of town for medical services,” Cooper said.

“The man can make a joke, but not once have I seen him smile or laugh,” Caroline confided in Eden.

Caroline secretly envied the other woman her stunning violet eyes. There had been plenty of talk about Eden and Brady’s romance, with everyone insisting that the charming surgeon didn’t go down easy. He hadn’t wanted to get married, but he also hadn’t wanted to lose Eden.

Now he looked as if marriage agreed with him a great deal. Caroline didn’t miss the secret looks and smiles shared by the couple. It was an intimacy she hoped to share with a special person one day.

Cooper turned to Caroline. “How about something cold to drink?”

“Yes, please.”

“Eden, Brady, I’m sure we’ll see you later.”

When they reached the drinks table, Cooper looked at her questioningly.

“Anything diet is fine with me,” she replied.

Cooper purchased drinks and they walked around until they found an empty table with two chairs. Caroline sat down so that she could see the room from her position.

“Everyone is so friendly here,” she commented. “Not that they aren’t friendly where I came from,” she added hastily. “It’s just that it’s different here. People are genuinely interested in hearing how you are.”

“They’ll also be more than willing to tell you how they are,” Cooper said. “There’s nothing like listening to Mrs. Morgan talk about her gallbladder surgery. In great detail, no less.”

“And I bet you can count on them in any kind of emergency.”

“Lightning struck a barn last summer. Started up a fire and the barn was gone in no time. Three days later enough men were over there to rebuild the barn and enough women came along to make sure we were fed,” he said. “I can’t imagine any secrets rolling around in Tyler for too long before they’re revealed.”

Caroline’s smile felt frozen on her lips. “Yes, I guess it wouldn’t be easy to keep them here.” She toyed with her straw, rolling it around in the glass. When she looked up, she noticed several elderly women sitting together. There was nothing remarkable about them that should have caught her attention, except they all seemed to be watching her. If she wasn’t mistaken, she’d swear their whispered conversation was also about her. She knew her skirt wasn’t too short or her upper body too bare, so that couldn’t be it.

She returned her attention to Cooper. “Do I have something on my face?” she asked in a low voice.

He looked startled by her question. “No, why?”

“Because right now I feel like a bug under a microscope. There’s a table across from us where some older ladies are sitting, and they’re watching us,” she whispered.

Cooper shifted in his chair as if he was making himself more comfortable, but so he could also see who Caroline was talking about. He muttered a curse when he saw them. “Have you heard of the Tyler Quilting Circle?” he asked.

She nodded. “Of course. The ladies at Worthington House who get together a couple times a week to work on quilts. They recently donated one for a raffle for the children’s library.”

“That’s the one. When you’re talking about people who are genuinely interested in you, you’re really talking about them. They can get information the FBI wouldn’t have a prayer of finding out,” he replied. He wasn’t about to tell her about the legend of the Quilting Circle’s quilts. He wasn’t the only man who believed telling the legend could make it true. For him.




Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.


Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/linda-wisdom-randall/bride-of-dreams/) на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.