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  “Of course not.”

  “Good.” He stepped forward, his hand extended. “I’m Sean Bates. Thanks for coming so promptly. We really appreciate it.”

  The other man paused to glance at Rachel, then turned back to Sean and gave his hand a pump. “Craig Slocum.”

  His grip was more than firm, it was crushing. If Sean hadn’t known the man’s history with Rachel and anticipated the animosity, he would have been taken aback by the overt show of strength. Instead, he met it equally.

  “We aim to please,” Craig said. “What seems to be the problem here?”

  “A pair of flats,” Sean answered. “Like I told your dispatcher, we can’t safely repair the damage as the car sits. Think you can load it up on your truck and get it back to town for us? Ms. Woodward needs her car in time for work tomorrow.”

  Craig pushed his cap back on his head and wiped his brow with a red-printed kerchief as he studied the dusty car. Rachel, on the other hand, looked at her feet, at the tree-dotted farmland all around them, at the peacefully grazing cows with their new calves—everywhere except at her former fiancé.

  Interested, Sean watched the unspoken interplay between the two. It seemed to him that a spark of romance remained. Then again, he could be imagining things.

  Tension hung in the sultry air, blurring the truth like fog on a dewy morning. Slocum wasn’t a big man but he was definitely physically fit, Sean noted, which probably appealed to Rachel, at least on a subconscious level. They had undoubtedly made a good-looking couple. Perhaps they would again.

  As soon as Craig had winched Rachel’s car onto the flatbed of his truck and secured it with heavy chains, he opened the passenger door of the wrecker and flashed her a killer smile. “Ready, hon?”

  The expression of panic in her eyes spurred Sean to answer, “We’re ready.” Taking Rachel’s arm, he escorted her to his car and politely held the door for her, behaving as if there was no question who would drive her back to town.

  Sean could feel the other man’s angry stare. What had he gotten himself into? In town less than a week and already he’d run afoul of one of the good ole boys whose unofficial buddy system ran everything inside and outside of Serenity. These might not be the days of the Hatfields and the McCoys, but Sean knew it wasn’t smart to alienate the natives, either. No telling whose uncle or cousin would show up on the school board and wind up voting not to continue funding the counseling program next year. Even a born-and-bred city boy knew that much.

  He climbed in beside Rachel and started the car. “You okay?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “No special reason. If you’d explained why you didn’t want to call that particular garage, we could have done things differently, you know.”

  “Slocum’s is the best and the fastest. It made sense to use them.”

  “Not if running into Craig was going to bother you.”

  “The problem is mine, not his.”

  “You’re the one who broke up with him, then?”

  “Not exactly. It was mutual.”

  Puzzled, Sean glanced over at her as he slowly followed the tow truck, keeping his distance so he wouldn’t get a rock chip in his windshield. “Then, why do you say the problem is yours?”

  She pulled a face and quickly looked away, embarrassed to admit, even to herself, that she hadn’t been able to forgive her former fiancé the way the scripture taught.

  Staring out at the passing countryside she said, “Because he’s over it and I’m not.”

  Chapter Five

  The drive back to Serenity ended sooner than Sean wanted it to. Rachel had said very little more after her telling comment about her failed relationship with Craig Slocum, and there was no way Sean could hope to help her cope unless she chose to open up to him. Then again, she hadn’t asked for that kind of help, had she. So why did he feel compelled to give it? Good question. Why, indeed?

  Because I’m a “fixer” at heart, he told himself. Always have been, always will be.

  Though he’d failed to help his own family, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help others, like Rachel—or the children he’d been trained to work with. That way, at least something good would come out of his troubled childhood. Such assurances gave him solace when he was foolish enough to think back on the trauma of having been raised in a household where he was the only one who wasn’t a problem drinker.

  Sean parked in front of the service station garage and started to get out. “I’ll be right back. I just want to tell Slocum where we’re going and when to expect us back.” He grinned. “Uh, where are we going and when will we be back?”

  “I’m not sure. There won’t be any real restaurants open tonight. I suppose we’ll have to settle for Hickory Station if we want to eat this late. We passed it on the way in. It’s not much to look at but the food’s pretty good.”

  Frowning, Sean glanced at his wristwatch. “What do you mean restaurants won’t be open? It’s not even seven yet.”

  “No, but it is Tuesday.” Rachel had to laugh at his obvious puzzlement. “This place isn’t like Little Rock. Or Cleveland either, I imagine. Folks around here seldom eat out in the evening except on Friday and Saturday nights, so those are the only nights most restaurants stay open past late afternoon.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Not at all. Breakfast and lunch are different, of course, because people are out and about then. By evening, everyone is home relaxing and getting chores done. We don’t stay up late in the country.” She smiled broadly, her vivid blue eyes twinkling. “And we don’t waste money eating out unless it’s payday or we’re celebrating the weekend.”

  “A guy could starve to death around here.”

  “Unless he had a local guide like me.” Rachel peered out at where Craig was unloading her flatfooted car. “Tell him we’ll be back in about an hour. There’s no need to be more specific. Nobody ever is.”

  “Kind of puts a whole new spin on the word casual,” Sean said with a lopsided grin. “Okay. Hang loose. I’ll be right back.”

  Rachel watched him jog away from her. He was good-looking all right, but awfully restrained for a knight in shining armor. The poor guy was totally out of his element in a place like Serenity. He was game, though. And he had a decent sense of humor. That would probably carry him through, as long as he didn’t make too many local enemies right off the bat. Country folk were some of the most loving people there were, yet they also remembered every slight, every error in judgment. It didn’t take much to alienate a whole community.

  “Guess it’s up to me to shepherd him until he gets the hang of things,” Rachel murmured to herself. “Humph. Just what I need. Another people project.” The thought made her smile.

  Sean climbed back into the car. “All set.” He paused to glance at her. “You look pleased with yourself. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I was just thinking.”

  “About good old Craig?”

  The smile vanished. “Don’t be silly.”

  Busying himself backing out and turning the car around, Sean avoided making eye contact with her. “Hey, you don’t have to keep up appearances for my sake. I’m neutral, remember? Think of me as your shrink. Anything you want to tell me will remain privileged information. If you’re interested in making up with him, I’ll be glad to help.” Sean was warming to his subject. “You know, give you pointers from the male point of view, stuff like that.”

  Stunned, Rachel stared over at him. “Let me get this straight. Are you offering advice on my love life?”

  “One professional to another. No charge.”

  “That’s big of you.” She folded her arms across her chest and stared straight ahead. “You’re starting to sound just like my mother. What makes you think I can’t handle my own problems?”

  “I never said you couldn’t. I like to see folks happy, that’s all.”

  “I assure you, Mr. Bates, I’m as happy as a kid in a candy store.” Her voice rose. “As a
bee in a rose garden. As a hound dog baying at a full moon. As…”

  “Okay, okay, I get the idea. You forgot ‘Happy as a pig in a mud hole.”’

  “I skipped that one on purpose.” Making a face at him Rachel felt the beginnings of another smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. “I was trying to keep my analogies from getting too earthy.”

  “So, you do care what others think of you.”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Good. In that case, I should mention that your former boyfriend threatened me back there.”

  “No way. Craig doesn’t care what I do or who I’m with.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He told me that if I didn’t treat you right, he was going to break every bone in my body.” Sean grinned over at her. “Sounds to me like he still cares for you. Either that or he took an instant dislike to me for no reason.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “If you say so. Nevertheless, the guy looks like he could bench-press a bus axle, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t complain about me in front of him. I value these bones.”

  And nice bones they are, Rachel thought, eyeing him surreptitiously. Considering how good-looking and appealing Sean was, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Craig had been jealous. Even if he didn’t want her for himself anymore, she supposed he wouldn’t want to see her interested in an outsider.

  “I still think you’re overreacting, but I’ll talk to Craig when we pick up my car and make sure you don’t have anything to worry about.” Rachel pointed out the car window as a busy quick-stop came into view. “There’s Hickory Station. The red-and-white building on the right. Pull in anywhere. We’ll go inside to eat.”

  “It’s a gas station.”

  “Among other things.” Rachel had to laugh at him. “You’d better get used to not having candlelit dining rooms, linen tablecloths and highbrow waiters, Bates. This is rural Arkansas, not some metropolis.”

  She led the way to the door and stepped aside so Sean could open it for her. Thankfully, he had that part of Southern manners down pat.

  Tantalizing aromas immediately caught and held her attention. The front cash register was located at the end of a deli counter where fried chicken, potatoes and corn dogs stood in trays under heat lamps. Beyond that array was a pizza oven, and a separate service area with tables and benches for those who wanted to eat there instead of taking their food home.

  Rachel recognized one of the cashiers as a young woman she’d gone to school with but had never gotten to know well. The two employees manning the kitchen were older members of her church. Fortunately, no one else with close personal connections to her was present, which helped her relax.

  “I’m going to go get myself a soda,” she told Sean. “Want me to get one for you, too?”

  “Sure. Anything.” He was gravitating toward the enticing aroma of freshly baking pizza. “What would you like to eat?”

  “Food. Surprise me. I’m hungry enough to eat cardboard.”

  “Me, too.”

  By the time Rachel brought their drinks to a table, he was waiting for her. She slid into the opposite side of the booth, taking care to gather up the extra folds of her skirt and tuck them neatly beside her.

  “They were all out of plain cardboard, so I ordered a deluxe special,” Sean said. “Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s wonderful.” Sighing, Rachel took a deep draft of her icy soda. “I didn’t know how tired I was until now. Guess I’ve been running on adrenaline.”

  “Me, too.”

  Weary, she let down her guard enough to reach over and pat the back of his hand where it rested on the table. “Thanks for all you’ve done for me. I really am grateful.”

  He froze, glanced at her hand atop his, then withdrew from her touch with a terse “You’re welcome.”

  Rachel giggled. “Hey, I wasn’t making a pass at you.”

  “I never said you were.”

  “No, but you acted like it.”

  “I did not.”

  “Did so.”

  “Did not.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re the one who warned me about the local gossip mill. It’s going to be pretty hard to convince anybody we’re not involved if word gets around that we were holding hands over a pizza.”

  “Okay. You’ve made your point,” Rachel said. She settled back against the hard plastic of the booth. “For the record, I want you to know I’m not looking for romance—or anything like that.”

  “Glad to hear it. Neither am I.”

  That piqued her curiosity. “Any particular reason?”

  “Many. All good.”

  “And private, I suppose.”

  “Very.”

  She began to smile over at him. “You don’t mind quizzing me about my love life, though, do you.”

  “That’s different.”

  “Oh? In what way?”

  “Because I’m in a position to help you if you’ll let me.”

  “And I suppose I’m not smart enough to do the same for you?”

  Sean snorted derisively. “You do have a way of twisting whatever I say, don’t you. All I meant was—”

  “I know exactly what you meant,” Rachel countered. “You have the degree in psychology and you come from a cosmopolitan background, so naturally you’re much more enlightened than a simple country girl like me.”

  She tossed her head, swinging her hair back over her shoulders, her chin jutting out proudly. “Don’t make the mistake of selling us country folk short, Mr. Bates. We may not be as sophisticated or as professionally educated as some people you’ve met, but we’re not stupid. I’d lots rather be stranded on a desert island with an Arkansas hillbilly than with a college professor.”

  Sean chuckled. “Are you through?”

  “Yes.” Folding her arms across her chest she faced him boldly, defiantly.

  “Good. Then, just sit there. I’m going to see if dinner’s ready. Okay?”

  Rachel pulled a face and said, “Not dinner. Supper.”

  She watched Sean shake his head and laugh softly to himself all the way to the counter. When he turned around with the pizza tray in his hands his amusement was so evident that it brightened his whole face.

  In retrospect, Rachel didn’t know how she’d managed to get through the remainder of the long day. By the time she and Sean had reclaimed her car and she’d driven home, she was so exhausted she’d simply fed her hungry pets, showered and gone straight to bed. Even the knots of tension in her shoulders and neck hadn’t kept her from sleep.

  By morning she felt almost human again, which was a good thing, since she had another full day ahead of her.

  She’d decided on a simple skirt and blouse and was rummaging through her small closet, looking for matching sandals, when the telephone rang. That was when she noticed the blinking red light on her answering machine. She knew who had called—and who was on the line this time.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  Martha Woodward didn’t bother with a greeting. “Where were you?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “So I heard. What was wrong with your car?”

  Rachel sighed. If her mother knew that much, she knew the rest of the story. “Flat tires.”

  “I heard that, too. I’m glad you called Craig. He’s such a nice boy.”

  “I called the tow truck, Mother. Craig just happened to be driving it.” Good thing he wasn’t there when we went back to get my car.

  “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” Martha said.

  “I hardly think God assigned Craig to tow truck duty last night just so he could look after me.”

  “Why not? Stranger things have happened. Besides, I understand you needed rescuing. Who better to do it than the man you were planning to marry?” She sighed wistfully. “You two make such a lovely couple.”

  “Made. Past tense, Mom. I’m never going to be a Slocum, so you might as well give it up.”

  “If you weren’t so stubborn, I’m sure you
and Craig could work out your differences.”

  Boy, am I glad I didn’t tell her everything, Rachel mused. I’d never hear the end of it. “That’s between Craig and me, Mom. I don’t want to discuss it.”

  “I know, I know. Which reminds me, I talked to cousin Hannah yesterday. Who’s the new man at your school? She says he drives the bus.”

  “He’s just a guy. Nobody special.”

  “That’s good, dear. I’d hate for you to get a reputation for taking up with any man who paid you mind. Especially since you and Craig broke up so suddenly.”

  “Mother…”

  “Okay. I’ll try to quit worrying. But you’ll always be my little girl, no matter how old you get. You know that.”

  “So you’ve said. Listen, if I don’t get a move on I’m going to be late for work. As it is, I’ll be lucky to have time to grab a bite of breakfast.”

  “Too bad you didn’t bring home the leftovers last night,” Martha drawled. “You used to love cold pizza for breakfast. Bye, dear. Have a nice day.”

  To Rachel’s delight, Samantha arrived wearing new, clean clothes. Hannah Brody delivered her to the classroom door and stepped inside to make sure the child was okay.

  As soon as Rachel had greeted the little girl she turned to Hannah. “Thanks for seeing that she made it.”

  The older woman made a sour face. “It was my fault yesterday. I’m sorry. My diabetes had kicked up that morning and I felt like a limp dishrag, so I sent her on the bus. She’s a bright little thing. I never dreamt she’d get herself all turned around like that.”

  “We all made mistakes,” Rachel said kindly. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Much better, thanks.” She swiped at her damp brow. “It’s gonna be another hot one, though.”

  “I know. I’ve been leaving the air conditioner on at home so my poor animals don’t cook while I’m gone.”

  “You still got that cute little wiener dog?”

  “Schatzy? Yes. It’s been two years since I brought him home, and Muffin is still sulking. I don’t think she’ll ever get over having a dog living under the same roof.”