No Place Like Home Read Free Page A

to Dottie and she had to fight the urge to walk away. She wasn’t a rude person and it bothered her, this odd rankling of her nerves. “He knows what he’s doing, doesn’t he?” she asked, dismayed that it sounded as if she was questioning his good sense.
    â€œJake can pull anything out of anywhere.”
    â€œHow does he know how to do that?” The moment the question was out she wanted it back. Why, the sheriff looked at her like she’d lost her mind!
    â€œHe’s not much more than a kid,” he said in an even tone, hiding laughter. He might have tried to hide it but she could see it. His lips were positively quivering. And his eyes had crinkled at the edges.
    â€œAnd don’t you see the size of the wheels on thattruck,” he continued. “Jake and his friends spend the better part of every other night mudding across half this county. Believe me when I say he can pull anything.”
    Well, yes, she could see all of that. But still—
    â€œThat should do it.” Jake scooted from beneath her vehicle, sprang to his feet and walked jauntily over and attached the chain to the ball of his truck. Dottie heard an audible sigh from Cassie as he hurried to the RV’s open door, leaned in and adjusted the gearshift. By the time he slammed the door and jogged back toward them, Dottie had forgotten her trepidations and was on board with the whole “he can pull anything” campaign. He certainly seemed competent.
    â€œCan I give you a lift over to the site?” he asked.
    â€œYeah! I mean, sure!” Cassie gushed.
    Miss Tough Girl had turned into a breathless shambles. Dottie nearly fell over when the girl practically skipped to the huge truck and hoisted herself up into the high seat!
    And then, just like that, Dottie found herself alone with Sheriff Brady. Not at all a situation she was comfortable with.
    â€œShall we?” he drawled, sweeping his hand to follow the truck.
    Dottie hesitated in the dying light, then fell into step beside him.
    Dark was nearly upon them as they walked down the road together. Through the shadows she stole a glance at the handsome man. He overpowered everything aroundhim…including her good sense. He made her aware of every step they took. And she didn’t like it. Not one bit!
    Out of nowhere her heart trembled and sparked. No! She almost tripped in her surprise—
    â€œAre you okay?” he asked, cupping her elbow to steady her.
    â€œF-fine,” she stuttered, pulling away. This was not good. She was here in this adorable town because of Cassie. Cassie was the one window-shopping for a man. As for her, Dottie Marie “Fickle” Hart, her life was complicated.
    She gave the sheriff her best nonchalant glance. It didn’t matter how good-looking a man he was, or how crazy her pulse was jigging at his nearness. It didn’t matter how kind he appeared to be. And it truly, certainly didn’t matter if he made her feel as weak on the inside as her body felt on the outside.
    Sheriff Brady Cannon seemed like a great guy, who had no wedding ring on his finger. But none of these facts mattered. And that was the way it would remain. She had an agenda that left no room for infatuations of the personal kind.
    Period. She wasn’t that fickle.
    She had an agenda of the heavenly sort, a payback for a life changed. And that thought was all it took to get her head on straight again.
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    Too late, Brady realized he hadn’t been thinking straight when he’d suggested they walk. Dottie seemeda little unsteady. She was obviously weak, a woman didn’t pass out without a reason. What a buffoon he was! And now here they were, walking along and she was limping—stumbling even, and trying hard to hide it. He slowed his pace to match hers, causing her to glance at him, her eyes wide.
    â€œI needed the exercise,” she blurted out as if reading his mind, as if not wanting to admit a weakness.