Debra Clopton - No Place Like Home

“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.

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