Samhain Publishing

Cassie stared, her suitcase forgotten in her hands, drinking in the openness, the stillness. You forget, she thought numbly. You forget in the city how much space there is out here.

Then the autumn chill penetrated her clothing, and she shivered. Turning away from the view of the Rockies, she crossed the street to Bea’s Coffee Shop, reached for the door—and stopped abruptly, gazing at the enormous two-carat diamond glittering on her finger. In this setting, with the low, weather-worn buildings of Preacher’s Bend around her, the engagement ring Richard had given her ten months before looked almost desperately ostentatious.

But that was the whole point, wasn’t it? To prove, clearly and unmistakably, that she was engaged, that she’d moved on with her life, that she was successful, happy—in short, that she was over it?

Then why did you come back, Cass? Tell me that.

“Oh, hell.” Scowling, Cassie worked the ring off and shoved it in her coat pocket.

She pulled open the door, and the bell above it jingled. The smell of strong coffee and fresh-baked pastries plumed out to greet her. So did Bea’s warm, familiar voice. “Cassie Jordan! I don’t believe it.”

Cassie grinned as Bea Evans, still as spry as ever, slid a tray of pecan rolls into the display case and came around the counter, peeling off her oven mitts. Enveloping Cassie in a floury hug, Bea gave her a vigorous squeeze. “Oh, it’s good to see you home. Let me take a look at you.” Holding her at arm’s length, Bea cocked her head, her warm brown eyes scrutinizing her closely. “You look tired. You’ve been gone too long.”

Cassie shrugged uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, I figured it was about time to check in on the old homestead, make sure it wasn’t falling to pieces.”

“It’s not.” There was a cryptic twinkle in Bea’s eyes as she waved her to a stool.

“Well, good. That’s a relief. And you? How are you holding up?”

“Oh, same old same old. At my age if it’s not one thing breaking down, it’s another.” Bea chuckled as she dished up a pecan roll, its top drizzled with warm glaze, and poured a cup of coffee for Cassie. “Now eat. You’re too scrawny.”

Taking a bite, Cassie gave a deep sigh of contentment. She’d missed Bea’s pecan rolls, rich and chewy and sprinkled generously with nuts. Every time she bought a pastry in Chicago, it invariably tasted stale.

Bea watched her, smiling slightly. After a moment, though, her expression darkened, and she said, “I was real sorry about your mom, Cassie. I wanted to say something at the funeral, but you left so quickly…”

Her voice trailed off inquisitively, and Cassie grimaced to herself. So let her think that’s why you left town, Cass. It’s better that way. But as heartbroken as she’d been by her mother’s death, that wasn’t what had driven her, running like a scared rabbit, all the way from Preacher’s Bend to the windy streets of Chicago and into Richard’s arms.

Aloud, she replied, “I know. I’m sorry. I just had to get away for a while.”

Bea nodded sagely. “I felt the same way when my mom passed on. Felt like my whole world was falling to pieces. But you’re back now,” she added with a last, satisfied nod. “Back where you belong. You’ve been missed around here, Cassie Jordan.”

Cassie shifted uncomfortably at her words, both wanting and afraid to ask who, exactly, had missed her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was terrified of hearing their names.

Not his. Their. And that was the whole problem, wasn’t it?

Even the unflappable Meredith Jordan had never had a solution for that dilemma. Cassie felt tears sting her eyes as she remembered the endless reassurances her mother had tendered over the years—reassurances which had never helped in the least. It’s just a phase, Cassie. Why, I used to fall in love with near about every boy I saw… You’re young yet, there’s no shame in not knowing what you want… Don’t worry, sweetie, someday you’ll meet a man who…

A man. Always a man. She sighed, thinking of the engagement ring hidden in her coat pocket, and lifted the coffee mug to her lips.

Then the bell above the doorway jingled, and Cassie froze.

Suddenly, her heart was thudding like a jackhammer in her chest. She heard heavy footsteps approach, pause behind her… God, Cassie, get a grip! she told herself sternly. It’s probably just old Mr. Hawley, or Mr. Tennant, or hell, it could be anybody.

It wasn’t.

“Afternoon, Bea. You got any of that coffee to go?”

That warm, rumbling baritone voice could belong to only one person on earth. Cassie’s fingers shook so badly she could barely put the mug back down, and she hunched her shoulders, desperately wishing she could sink into the floor and disappear.

“Oh, I think we could manage something.” There was an anticipatory gleam in Bea’s eyes. “One today, or two?”

“Two.”

Bea filled two Styrofoam cups, held them out and rang up the sale, and then, then, just as Cassie could feel him turning away and was beginning to consider letting herself sigh in relief…

“Kyle Watson,” Bea said sternly, “aren’t you even going to say hello to Cassie?”

Thump. Something hit the floor, followed immediately by a pained oath. “Shit! Damn! Hell, that stings.”

Cassie glanced over her shoulder to see coffee splattered across the floor and Kyle Watson, his broad shoulders hunched beneath his worn sheepskin jacket, glaring at Bea from under the rim of his Stetson as he sucked the back of his hand. “Dammit, Bea! You did that on purpose.”

Bea laughed. “I’ll get you another.”

Kyle scrubbed futilely at the sleeve of his coat while Bea poured him a fresh cup of coffee, and Cassie, her heart pounding, held herself rigid on the stool, trying so hard not to think of the last time she’d seen him…

“You know, Kyle, since you’re going that way, maybe you’d give Cassie a ride out to her place. It’s a powerful long walk.”

Damn you, Bea.

Cassie could feel the blood rising to her cheeks as Kyle turned, smiling, and then there was no place to hide, no place to look except up into eyes so light a blue they were almost silver, piercing her straight to the bone. He tilted back his Stetson, his face spreading into a grin that was so easy, so familiar, it seemed to melt away the years as if they’d never happened at all. “’Course I will. Hello, Cass.”