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Chemistry!
“I’ll be right down,” he said, his penetrating gaze roaming her face before locking with her eyes again. He grabbed the metal ladder. It looked flimsy beneath his hands.
“Maybe I should go up,” she said, sitting down her bag of bunnies on the bumper and making a move to grab the rungs. Their hands touched briefly and the tension that she’d been trying to ignore zinged to life.
Chemistry! The obnoxious little voice in her head shouted. The voice she’d squish like a Gummi Bunny if she could get hold of it for all of its bouncing back and forth.
“No way are you going up there,” he was saying. “Not while I’m around.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her to the side. “You wait right there.”
Looking like a man who could handle anything, especially an itty-bitty bit of furniture on top of an RV, he climbed up the ladder and stepped onto the roof.
“I used to watch reruns of Trapper John M.D. when I was a kid and they used to climb on top of Gonzo’s RV all the time, but this sure feels shaky.”
That’s putting it mildly, she thought, thinking about how she felt watching him. “There were three of us up there when we packed it up,” she said, finding her voice.
“Then I’ll have to trust you on that.” He took a careful step toward the chaotic pile, then crouched down to loosen the ties.
Dottie watched, unable to not be interested. The man was just too cute when he concentrated. She squinted up at him in the morning sunlight and decided that he could take his time. She was just fine with the view.
He was pulling the rope from the racks when she caught a flash of pink in her peripheral vision. Turning, she saw a pink convertible Caddy bouncing and weaving across the pasture. The smiling blonde behind the wheel was waving one hand above her head and steering with the other as she brought the car to an abrupt halt.
“I heard you were here! Hello, hello, helllooo,” she laughed, vaulting out of the car and wrapping Dottie in a bear hug. Tightly. “I’d have come last night but I couldn’t…we got tied up delivering the cutest little baby calf you ever laid your eyes on. But I told Clint, first thing this morning I was jumping in the Caddy and zooming right on over here to see about these two gals who decided to check out our little town. I’m hoping you’re going to stay awhile. How are you? Did they get you set up good? Do you need anything?”
The woman paused her chattering, released Dottie and took a step back, hand extended. Dottie took it, staggered by the exuberant greeting. Thankful she hadn’t had a Gummi Bunny in her mouth. She’d probably choke on it.
“Lacy Brown,” the woman started again, then laughed, holding up her left hand and wiggling her wedding-banded finger. “I do that all the time. Lacy Matlock would be my name.”
Lacy giggled and Dottie joined her, breaking her daze. She got the impression that around Lacy, laughter would be unending.
“Lacy, this is Dottie Hart,” Brady said. “Dottie, Lacy has the tendency to talk a person to death if one isn’t careful to escape when given the chance.”
“So, Dottie, I hear Brady rescued you yesterday. That’s our sheriff. Always rescuing someone. Never to be rescued himself.”
“You can go home now, Lacy,” Brady called down.
“Hey, no need to get mean.”
“I just thought Clint might be missing you. That’s all I meant.”
“Uh-huh. And my hair is straight as a board.”
Dottie looked at Lacy’s nearly white hair sticking from her yellow hat in wild loose curls.
“I think he’s pulling your leg,” she said.
“You think?” Lacy asked, plopping a hand to her jutting hip.
“Has to be, because your hair is most definitely not straight.”
Lacy chuckled. “I like you.”
Dottie liked her, too. Who wouldn’t? No wonder the town looked like it did with all its crayon colors. Lacy Matlock epitomized the phrase “colorful character.”
“Ahh-hemmm.”
Dottie looked up to see Brady holding a wicker chair over the edge of the RV for someone to take. “You girls going to stand there bonding all day, or are you going to give a poor fellow a helping hand.”
Dottie looked at Lacy. “I guess we should help him.”
“If you say so,” Lacy sighed. “But I’m all for leaving him up there when we finish and us girls hanging out for a while.”
Dottie agreed, then reached to take the chair and almost dropped it when Brady winked at her.
“I saw that, Brady Cannon,” Lacy said.
Dottie knew she was pinker than the Caddy sitting behind her. A wink. What was that all about? He’d done the same thing in the diner, but she’d ignored it. But this time…she realized he was smiling down at her, almost laughing.
The man was playing with her, which she could take. The trouble was Lacy Brown-Matlock!
She’d witnessed the wink and she was smiling. Big.
And Dottie wasn’t sure what, exactly, that smile meant…
Drawn by the pink Caddy, Cassie came running. Lacy made an instant friend by offering her a spin in her retro car. With the top down. Dottie had visions of Cassie coming back with her hair standing out like a rock star’s.
“Those two will get along like peanut butter and jelly,” Brady said, coming to stand beside her as she watched them driving off. Their arms touched and Dottie stepped away, startled at the sudden warm contact.
“I hope so,” she said. “Cassie’s going to need a friend.”
“Hey, she’s going to be fine. As a matter of fact, the morning’s gotten away from me, so I’m going to head to the office and start sending out some feelers. I’ll let you know the minute I hear something.”
“Thank you, that would be great,” she said, almost forgiving him for the wink and the turmoil he caused her. “Who is that?” she asked, nodding toward the three ladies drawing close across the stretch of grass.
Brady glanced in their direction and smiled, watching their approach. “That’s the heart of Mule Hollow. See you later. Hello, ladies, this is Dottie Hart,” he said, meeting them as he left. “Go easy on her, her RV’s broke down and she has no escape.” With that, he turned back toward her, tipped his hat at her, winked again and strode away.
Watching him leave, Dottie couldn’t help thinking that George Strait had nothing on Brady Cannon. Brady’s swagger was just as good as any cowboy she’d ever seen…George included.
“He’s a cute one, our sheriff,” the short lady with the curly gray hair said, crossing her arms and watching him walk away.
Dottie realized what she’d been doing and turned to the ladies. “Yes, he’s extremely helpful.”
“We know that for certain. Hi, I’m Norma Sue Jenkins.”
“And I’m Esther Mae Wilcox,” said the redhead. “You can like Brady. Really. We’ve been looking for the right woman for him for a while now. We thought it might be Ashby Templeton, but those two ended up knowing that they weren’t a match after spending just one day at the fair together.”
“Esther, don’t push. Dottie has just arrived in Mule Hollow. And we’re glad you’re here. I’m Adela Ledbetter.”
Dottie barely heard the smart-looking woman with the feathery white hair and the brilliant blue eyes. Her head was still spinning from what Ethel—Esther had said.
“Adela, I know she just arrived here,” Esther continued. “But, from what I hear, she’s not staying very long, so we need to move fast. You know, get her while the iron’s on fire.”
“That’s while the iron’s hot,” Norma added dryly.
“Hot, on fire, it’s all the same thing. We just need to get her.”
Dottie was grateful she hadn’t passed out at the onslaught of the conversation. Instead, it was so shockingly comical, she chuckled.
“Why’s that funny?”
Biting back the last of the giggle and feeling like Lucy, she blinked at Esther. “Well, ma’am. I’m not here looking for a husband. I’m just passing out—I mean through.”
“And—what’s your point?”
Dottie looked at the other two ladies, who had given up trying to contain their friend. “Well, I—”
“Me and my Hank, it just took a look and a wink and we were together for life.”
“I thought it was a kiss?” Norma Sue said.
“Well, that, too. But I knew before that.”
“Okay, Esther,” Adela said, smiling. “Let’s do like Brady asked and give the poor girl a little room. If it’s to happen it will.”
“Honestly, I’m leaving,” Dottie blurted. These women were serious about their matchmaking. Give them an inch and wham!
Then it hit her. Again. Brady Cannon had known.
He’d known exactly what he was doing when he’d left her to fend for herself!
And the wink! Winks!
Ohhh, he was devious. The man had set the hounds on her on purpose. But why? What would possess him to do such a thing?
Looking from one pleasant-faced woman to the next, for the life of her she couldn’t understand why he would do this…unless he was just being funny.
Funny, my foot! She’d get him for this.
Back at his office, Brady was hoping something would come up fast and the case would be a snap. A database search was the place to start.
He knew it was too much to hope for that she’d simply run away from home because of something trivial. He knew the odds were against it. On the flip side, he hoped she wasn’t on the run because of something she’d done. It was a logical possibility.
For all involved, the sooner he found out the facts relating to Cassie the better. The last thing he needed was for her to win the hearts of all the townsfolk only to do something to harm them.
And then there was Dottie. It wasn’t like he went around winking at women all the time. It just happened. He had nothing to gain by it.
Besides, for all he knew, Dottie’s story could be false. Hey, she and Cassie could be involved in something together…con artists came in all shapes and ages. And the good women of Mule Hollow would be easy game.
Clenching his jaw Brady picked up a pen from his desk and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. His gut tightened and he told himself he was being ridiculous. He understood where the tendency came from, a man who’d seen it all and heard it all grew cynical.
He gave the pen tip three hard strikes to his desktop.
You’re not that guy anymore. Remember.
For a while, in the city, he’d lived on the excitement. The fast-paced rhythm of the precinct, the city lights, the adrenaline rush that came with every bust…
He closed his eyes, tightening his fingers around the pen…
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Dottie’s words…good, open-hearted Dottie. Just thinking of her prompted a smile. He was a cop. His duty demanded that he check all details. Pick up on all possible angles.
In his old life, everyone was a suspect—he closed his eyes—but not anymore.
Dottie Hart was the real deal. He knew it and he refused to allow his fight with his past taint what he knew was true.
He opened his eyes. So why had he flirted with her? Because you couldn’t help it. Something about her, the inner beauty that radiated from her reached out to him.
Leaning back in his chair, he stared up at the ceiling and refocused on the problem at hand. Cassie.
It was true there could be any assortment of horrible reasons that the girl had been hitchhiking yesterday. But there was still a small ray of hope that everything she’d told Dottie was true. That she’d really come to Mule Hollow because of Molly’s articles.
He prayed that this was the case.
Not to mention how happy it would make the matchmaking posse of Mule Hollow.
Chapter Five
The welcome committee had grown to include several other women by the time Lacy and Cassie came rolling back in the Caddy.
“We’re not gonna let you girls leave here,” Esther Mae declared as Dottie set a pan of fresh fudge on the table that now had a rug beneath it and flowers in its center. “You two fit in with us like peas in a pod.”
“That’s right,” Norma Sue agreed. “Why, the moment Sam told Adela you were here and Adela called me, I had a good feeling.”
Dottie laughed. “I thanked the Lord for letting me break down in such a nice place.” She was trying not to think about what was cooking in their one-track minds.
“I think that’s so neat the way you followed Molly’s stories, Cassie,” Lilly Wells said, giving the girl a thumbs-up. “You just might find yourself a cowboy, if you really want one.”
“I’m glad my articles are making an impact,” Molly Popp added, flipping her rust-colored hair over her shoulder before placing a piece of fudge on her napkin. “I’m having unbelievable fun writing those stories. And the response has been overwhelming.”
“The post office has never seen so much mail,” Esther Mae added. “Hon, this fudge is so good my hips are expanding just smelling the stuff. And I don’t even give a hoot.”
Lacy’s nail tech, Sheri Marsh, paused before shoving a huge piece of extra-dark fudge into her mouth. “Where did you learn to make this? You need to know that I might be skinny, but I’m training to be a professional eater. And I think I just discovered my competitive food category.” She laughed and finished off the hunk of candy.
Dottie was amazed. Lacy had introduced her as the only woman she could think of who would’ve dropped everything to drive five hundred miles for a cup of coffee and the chance to share an adventure with her.
Dottie had a vivid picture in her mind of the two of them riding cross-country in the Caddy. It wouldn’t have been boring, of that she was certain. And for the life of her, she didn’t know where all that fudge was going! Sheri was about the size of Olive Oyl and she’d put away at least six pieces of the rich stuff.
That in itself was a testament to her grandma Sylvia’s candy-making talent. Dottie was embarrassed to accept all the praise the fudge was getting. She loved to cook, and had loved having her shop. Its reputation had grown so that she’d been able to make a nice profit from its sale. The money was enough to get her set up in California, but she still felt like an impostor when people complimented her cooking abilities.
