Shelley Galloway - A Small-Town Girl

Her pulse sped up as she spied him smiling at a mom and two toddlers.

Surprised at her reaction, Gen tamped it down with effort. Of course Cary was there. Hadn’t he admitted how excited he was about the play-offs? Besides, some of his students were probably on the team.

Narrowing her eyes, she had to admit he looked just as handsome from across a gym floor as he had sitting across a table from her. A sharp feeling of regret stabbed deep as Gen realized she should’ve asked for his number or passed on her e-mail address.

Though by the looks of things, it didn’t seem as if he needed another friend. No, the guy was swamped with attention, talking to five or six people at the same time. Two men about his age sat on one side of him; high school kids flanked his right side. Genevieve couldn’t resist grinning. Dressed in a black long-sleeved T-shirt, he looked relaxed and happy.

She was just about to turn away when he glanced across the sea of people and caught her eye. When he raised a hand in greeting, she did the same.

“Who are you waving at?” Sam asked.

“The guy in the long-sleeved black shirt. Cary Hudson. He’s a math teacher here.”

“I know Cary,” Sam said.

“How do you know him?”

Sam shrugged. “This is Lane’s End, remember? My sister used to date his brother. Cary’s a nice guy.”

“He sure looks popular.”

“He is, I guess. Cary’s one of those people who just seems content, you know? Never seen him flustered.” Sam nodded to a couple sitting two rows down before continuing. “His dad was a minister. Did you know that?”

“No. I just met him the other day.”

“Well, Paul Hudson was pastor at the Church of Christ for almost three decades before he passed away. Cary’s brother, Dean, is a financial advisor. He and his daughter, Melissa, live right next door to Cary in their parents’ old house.”

“That’s pretty unusual, two brothers living side by side.”

Sam nodded. “From what I’ve been told, it works out well. Dean’s wife took off when Melissa was just a baby, so Cary watched her during summer breaks.”

Gen wished she had that kind of close relationship with Margaret. But more distanced them than miles. For most of her life, Gen had been career-oriented, doing her best to achieve recognition as a cop, while Meg was a wife and mother to three kids. It was what Meg had always wanted since getting her first doll. Those goals had seemed to divide them. Gen wondered if they could ever find common ground.

Gen peeked over at Cary again, but he was gone. Curious, she scanned the crowd, but it was hard to find anything in the sea of black and gold.

Then she spied him walking toward her up the narrow passage in between the rows of bleachers. As he approached, her stomach clenched. The feeling was awkwardly familiar—she’d felt the same way standing outside her captain’s office.

Cary, on the other hand, looked as though he had no such qualms at all. He was working the crowd like a seasoned politician, greeting everyone by name, shaking hands, joking with a crowd of boys who’d sprayed their hair bright yellow for the game.

“Well, speak of the devil,” Sam murmured.

“Yeah. Speak of the devil.”

“Hey, Sam. Hey, Gen.” Pointing to the Lane’s End Lions sweatshirt Sam had given her, he said, “Looks like you’ve finally caught the fever, too.”

“I’ve caught something,” she murmured just as Sam trotted down the bleachers to “socialize,” leaving his spot to Cary.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

“Not at all.” Eyeing some kids eating candy bars two rows down, she said, “I was just sitting here, wondering if I needed to get myself a Snickers bar.”

He laughed as he sat down next to her. “I’d offer you one, but all I’ve got is a pack of Big Red.”

“You offering?”

Pulling out a stick of gum, he placed it in her hand. “Of course. I’d never refuse a cop.”

The light flirtation made Gen smile. That it centered around her penchant for junk food kept things nice and easy. “I knew you were as smart as you looked,” she teased.

“I’m smarter,” he countered, unwrapping a piece for himself.

As the crowd roared again, Gen popped the gum in her mouth and told herself that there was nothing brewing between her and Cary Hudson. Nothing more than friendship.

Yeah, right.

“Go, Lions!” the cheerleaders yelled in unison. “Go, Lane’s End!”

The crowd roared to life as the team came on the court. Hoots and hollers abounded as everyone leaped to their feet. But though he’d been looking forward to the game, suddenly all Cary wanted to do was stare at Gen Slate. She looked cute in a sweatshirt and jeans, her long black hair tied in a ponytail.

“How’s Sadie?”

“Rotten,” she said with a grin. “The day I saw you, she escaped from her kennel, nudged open the pantry door and ate two boxes of cereal before I came home. What about Sludge?”

“He’s the same as always. Last night he attacked the football I was throwing and howled at the mail carrier.”

Recalling how harried Gen had looked when she’d left the café, he said, “Was everything okay after your call? You left in a hurry.”

“More or less. A semi had collided with a car on I-275 and the department needed some support.” Eyes clouding, Gen shook her head. “It was touch and go for a while, but everyone involved ended up okay.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Gen gestured to Sam. “I heard you and Sam know each other.”

“We do.” Cary laughed. “I think everyone here pretty much knows each other. And their mothers, fathers and grade-school teachers.”

“He said your father was with the church.”

“Yeah. A minister.” Interested in finding out why she was asking, he said, “Are you looking for a church or something?”

“Oh my gosh, no.”

Her tone took him off guard. “Okay,” he answered, drawing out the word.

“Sorry, I guess that came out wrong. I meant to say I’ve never had time for that kind of stuff.”

Though her tone was light, Cary caught the edge of steel in it. “I see.”

She glanced his way again, all big blue eyes and wariness. “Hey, I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“Not at all.” He wasn’t offended…just disappointed. Gen Slate seemed covered in a hard shell, giving him little idea about what she was really like.

Did he really want to become involved with another woman who wasn’t honest about her feelings?

As he spied Dave and saw that his brother was now sitting with him, Cary stood. “Well, it was good to see you. I’m going to head on back and let Sam reclaim his seat.”

“Oh. All right.”

Cary’s heart softened as he noticed that same touch of confusion in her eyes he’d spied at the pet store. “Hey, be careful on patrol, Gen.”

A flash of humor—and vulnerability?—crossed her face before she tamped it down. “Don’t worry, Cary. I never let work stress me out.”

He was about to ask if she ever took time off when the crowd around them grumbled again.

“Mr. Hudson! You’re six feet two. Go play or move!” Kyle West called out from three rows up.

“Wish you cared as much about independent variables as this game, Kyle,” Cary retorted. “You blew yesterday’s quiz.”

Kyle paled. “Don’t tell my mom.”

As the crowd around them laughed and a wad of paper flew toward the freckle-faced junior, Cary made his way down the stands. Catching Mrs. West’s eye, he couldn’t resist winking at her. “I’m guessing she already knows,” he murmured, just as the referee called another time-out.

A WEEK LATER, Melissa rapped two times on his door before barging in. “Uncle Cary? You home?”