“I wasn’t out in this heat planting flowers.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Okay, I was, but I was just about to call it quits.”

  “I’ll spare you the lecture since you’re a nurse and all.”

  “I guess we don’t make the best patients.”

  When the water was cleaned up, she took the sopping towel from him. “Thank you. This was really above and beyond. What brings you by anyway—official business? You’re not going to give me a ticket for reckless driving, are you? I think I’ve probably suffered enough.”

  “We can probably pin this one on the deer.” He reached for her phone and handed it to her.

  “Oh! Thank you. I was going to call the sheriff’s office tomorrow and track it down.”

  “No need.” Obviously. Duh. His eyes drifted to the faucet and plumbing under the sink. He could probably fix it for her. But no. That wasn’t his place.

  “Guess I’d better call a plumber, huh? Know a good one around here?”

  “Gavin’s not a licensed plumber, but he can probably fix it for you.”

  “Oh yeah.” Her smile lit up the room. “He handles those cabins. This kind of thing must come up from time to time.”

  “Right.” He grabbed the pail. “Where’s the bathroom? I’ll water your plants before I go.”

  “It’s that way.” She pointed down the hall. “But I can do it.”

  He slid her a warning look, then went to fill up. She followed him out the front door.

  Now that the emergency was past, he remembered the way she’d invited him in earlier. He tipped the pail over the flowers, and water sprinkled from the spout. “You know, you shouldn’t invite random visitors into your home sight unseen.”

  “I thought you were Gavin. He’s supposed to stop by.”

  “You should be more careful. And you should lock up at night, in case no one told you.”

  “Yes, sir.” The impish light in her eyes gave her away. “I’ll be more careful.”

  “This might be a small town, but thousands of strangers hike the AT every summer, and they all traipse right through town. Most of them are good folk, but you can’t count on that.”

  “Point taken.” She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “Are you always trying to keep people safe?”

  “That is my job.”

  “And you’re running for sheriff . . . You didn’t mention that little tidbit when we were having our chat out on the cliff.”

  “Slipped my mind.”

  “That’s a big deal. You have to fundraise and campaign and all of that.”

  “It’s small-town stuff.”

  “Are you running against the current sheriff?”

  “He’s retiring. I wouldn’t try to unseat him—he’s done a good job. I’m running against another deputy.”

  Sean Curtis was a competent fellow deputy, and he was a lot more sociable than Cooper. He hoped he wasn’t wasting his time, but he’d always wanted to be sheriff, and with Roy Gilmore retiring, this was Cooper’s chance.

  “Well, you have my vote.”

  He glanced at the Robinson for Sheriff sign in the yard. “I see that.”

  “Avery asked me to put it up.”

  “Sounds about right.” He emptied the pail and handed it to her. “I should get going now.”

  She beamed up at him. “I can’t thank you enough for your help. I’d probably be swimming in my kitchen if not for you.”

  Her smile made his breath catch. He glanced at the bandage on her forehead, and he couldn’t stop the words. “Take it easy today. No more gardening.”

  Humor lit her eyes as she gave him a little salute. “Yes, sir.”

  7

  Tonight was the night Katie would see her biological mother. It seemed like it had taken forever for Friday night to roll around, and now that it had, she was all nerves. Her hands shook as she took a patient’s blood pressure. When she had it, she pulled off the cuff, the release of Velcro loud in the small examination room.

  “It’s 120 over 68,” she told the thirtysomething woman. “Can I get you some water while you wait for the doctor?”

  “No, thanks. Will he be long?”

  “She. Dr. Avery Robinson. And no, she’ll be right in to examine your knee. Good luck with the rest of your hike. I hope you’re able to complete it.”

  “Thanks. This will make it a little challenging, but I’m determined.”

  Katie gave her a conciliatory smile, then slipped out the door. She slid the clipboard into the assigned slot, then made her way to the office she shared with Avery and Sharise, the new nurse practitioner. It was after six and that had been Katie’s last patient of the evening.

  The meeting started in twenty minutes. Katie pulled off the stethoscope and tucked it into her bag. The clinic was a converted brick house on the edge of town. But Avery had it gutted before she opened last year. It still smelled like raw timber and new flooring.

  The clinic was comprised of four exam rooms, a front office, a small kitchen/break room, and this smaller office. The staff and patients shared the one bathroom.

  Avery occupied the upstairs apartment, which pretty much meant she never escaped work. But she seemed to prefer it that way.

  Katie was shrugging off her coat when the door opened.

  “Done for the day?” Avery swept into the office and grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge. Her hair was up in its usual topknot, but a few mahogany tendrils had escaped, framing her face in a lovely way. Katie had always admired her wide-set green eyes and ivory complexion.

  “Unless there’s something I don’t know about.” Katie kind of hoped there was and hoped there wasn’t, all at the same time.

  “Nope.” Avery took a swig from the water bottle. “There’s a patient in three with Sharise, and the patient in four is my last. Patti already turned over the Closed sign.”

  “Great.”

  “If you have a minute, I can recheck your wound. How’s that concussion?”

  “No need. It’s getting better by the day. No more headaches or dizziness.”

  “That’s good.”

  Katie checked her watch. It would only take a few minutes to drive to the meeting. And her legs were shaking—not concussion related. She lowered herself onto her desk.

  Avery quirked a brow. “Big plans tonight with my brother?”

  “He’s busy at the campground.” She didn’t want to mention the meeting, so she changed the topic. “What about you? Going anywhere fun?”

  Avery capped her water bottle and put it back in the fridge. “I have pretty much the perfect night planned—a quiet night at home with Boots and a good book.”

  Katie released a wry grin. “If you consider that the perfect Friday night, you need a boyfriend.”

  “A boyfriend is the last thing I need.”

  “Said the woman who set me up with her brother.”

  “How’s that going anyway? We haven’t had a chance to catch up since the family dinner. We didn’t scare you away?”

  “On the contrary. Your family seems pretty much perfect.”

  Avery laughed. “Oh boy, do we have you fooled.”

  “You’d never know you were a blended family. You squabble just like full-blooded siblings.”

  “Well, we’ve been together since we were young. And I have to give Lisa credit. She handled it all very well. I was pretty rotten in the beginning.”

  “How’d she handle it?”

  “She waited me out. There’s a very stubborn woman under that pretty veneer.” Avery smiled fondly.

  Did Avery know how blessed she was? Funny they were talking about moms on this of all nights. “She seems really great.”

  “She’s always been there for me. For all of us.”

  Jealousy pricked Katie hard. Though Mama Jill had always been there for her, it was different. She’d been there for all her fosters—dozens of them over the years. And while that said worlds about the woman, it also made Katie feel just a little less special somehow. And the insecurity planted by a birth mother who’d basically abandoned her didn’t help either.

  “Well, I’d better go see my last patient so I can get home.” Avery turned at the door and waggled her brows. “Mr. Darcy awaits.”

  “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” The group of about twenty chanted the prayer from a semicircle in a church basement that smelled of old books and coffee. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting unflattering light on the attendees.

  Katie had arrived just in time for the meeting and grabbed the closest open seat to the door. The fiftyish woman on her left, who was not chanting, had already snagged the closest one. Her hands were clutched, white-knuckled, around the purse in her lap, as though she might bolt any moment.

  Katie let her gaze drift to the front row where her mother sat. She could only see the back of her head, but Katie knew it was her. She’d seen her photo on the website, and she was the only other blonde woman in the room.

  An old man with a flannel shirt—despite the stuffy basement—was reading something. Katie couldn’t focus on the words. Her heart was jackhammering in her chest, and her palms were damp even though her fingers were like blocks of ice.

  Someone opened up the floor, and a twentysomething man stepped to the front. He wore khakis and a button-down shirt and looked entirely like someone who shouldn’t be here. Then again, the meeting was made up of a mix of people. All different ages, ethnicities. Some dressed up, others dressed down.

  Katie wiped her palms down her pants, the man’s words fluttering loosely in her mind but not landing anywhere. Would her mother speak to the group? Would she hang around afterward? Would she welcome Katie personally? And if she did, would she recognize her daughter?

  Of course she wouldn’t. Katie had only been five when she went into the foster care system. When she’d been old enough to understand, she was told by her caseworker that her mother was an addict, and her father’s identity was unknown.

  Katie could only suppose that that made Spencer her half brother, but neither of them had ever acknowledged that or even cared really. They were all each other had.

  And now he was gone.

  They’d never searched for their mother. Why should they? If the woman wanted them, she would’ve tracked them down. It’s what a loving mother would do.

  But one lonely night three weeks after Spencer’s death, Katie had searched for her mother on the internet. The woman wasn’t on any social media sites. But someone with her name directed an Alcoholics Anonymous group in Riverbend Gap. There was a staff page with photos, and voilà. There was the mother she barely remembered. The mother who’d left Spencer and her in the dust. Since then, Beth Wallace had apparently fought her addiction and gotten her life together enough to help others.

  But she hadn’t sought out the kids she’d forfeited. Katie’s chest tightened in that familiar way, squeezing the life out of her, or so she imagined. Even though her mother had failed her, there was still a little girl inside who dreamed of being wanted again.

  In February when Avery had reached out to her about the job in Riverbend, Katie decided it was a sign from God. She wanted to start over someplace else, why not here where she had actual family?

  It seemed like such a foolish notion right now, with her mother sitting three rows up, completely unaware that her daughter was in the same town, much less the same room.

  Another woman got up and spoke briefly about her life. Katie didn’t hear a word. She fought the urge to flee. She’d waited months for this—she wanted to be settled, with a stable job and a home. Wanted her life to be sorted out before she came face-to-face with her mom. But hanging on the edge of that cliff had reminded her that life could change in an instant. So she decided to jump on her plan to get to know her mother from a distance.

  But now that the moment was here, old insecurities rose to the surface. How foolish she’d been. Had she honestly thought she’d impress her mother so much that the woman would welcome her back into her life?

  Her breath felt stuffed into her lungs. Heat prickled under her arms. This was pointless. This was another heartbreak, another rejection, waiting to happen.

  She stood abruptly, skirted past the nervous woman, and darted out the door. Because Katie Loveland had already had enough heartache and rejection to last a lifetime.

  8

  Cooper needed an escape and he couldn’t think of a better place than the Trailhead Bar and Grill. On the restaurant side of things, the brisket and ribs were pretty convincing. But the lively bar area with the chatty bartenders and friendly neighbors also held appeal. He pulled his truck into an open spot in the gravel parking lot in the heart of town.

  At seven o’clock on a Friday night, Cooper had no illusions about getting a table in the dining room. He was shouldering his way through the crowded lobby when he recognized a familiar face. Cooper had worked a summer on Wayne Curtis’s organic produce farm during high school, and they’d been friendly ever since. Wayne also happened to be the father of Cooper’s campaign opponent.

  “Hey, Mr. Curtis,” Cooper said. “You’re looking well.”

  The man’s rugged face beamed. “Cooper. Good to see you, son. And please, you gotta stop calling me Mr. Curtis. You’re making me feel old.”

  His wife nudged him. “We are old, dear. It’s good to see you, Cooper.”

  “You too, Mrs. Curtis. How long’s the wait for a table?”

  Mrs. Curtis grinned. “Too long.”

  “Not too long for a slab of that brisket I smell,” Wayne said. “You’re welcome to join us. We could cut a good twenty minutes off your wait.”

  “That’s awful nice of you,” Cooper said. “But I’m pretty hungry and I think I see an empty spot at the bar.”

  “You’d better grab it then before someone else does,” Mr. Curtis said. “Nice seeing you.”

  “You too.” He gave them a nod, then headed straight to an empty barstool and ordered a drink.

  Loud country music streamed through the speakers, mingling with the happy sounds of chatter. The tantalizing scent of smoked brisket settled his order—as if it hadn’t already been decided. He placed the order with Bridgett, the brunette photographer who’d come to town a few years ago and stuck.

  Even though it had been a long day, Cooper socialized with those around him. He was introverted by nature, but when you were in law enforcement, it was important to know your neighbors. Having a good rapport with people kept situations from escalating. Not to mention without community support his run for sheriff would be an epic fail.

  He watched the Braves game on the big screen above the bar, applauding with the crowd when a runner scored and groaning when the Cubs caught a fly ball, ending the inning.

  “Hey, Bro.” Gavin settled on the stool beside him.

  “Hey. Thought you’d be out with Katie tonight.”

  “Grass needed mowing. It’s been raining all week, and the campground looked like a hay field.”

  “That’s the beauty of living in an apartment—someone else does all the work. Get it done?”

  “Yeah, after getting stuck in the muck twice. Stopped by Katie’s place, but she wasn’t there, so I thought I’d grab some dinner. What’s the special?”

  “Is there anything here besides barbeque?”

  “The meatloaf’s not bad and the burgers are—”

  Bridgett set Cooper’s platter in front of him. “Bon appétit.”

  Gavin reached for his plate. “Aw, thanks, man. You didn’t have to.”

  Cooper swatted his hand. “Been waiting forty-five minutes for this.”

  Gavin flagged down Bridgett and ordered his own brisket. “So . . .” he said after they watched the Braves get another runner on base. “What’d you think of her?”

  “Who?”

  “Who do you think? Katie?”

  Cooper chewed the bite. He thought she was beautiful and sweet and funny. He thought she made his heart jump and his palms sweat. He swallowed the bite. “Seems nice enough.”

  “She fit in with the family really well, didn’t she?”

  “Sure, guess so.”

  Gavin’s gaze sharpened on him. “Why’d you say it like that?”

  “Like what? She’s great. Really. Everyone liked her.”

  Gavin returned his attention to the game. “I guess she was pretty scared out on that ridge. That could’ve gone really wrong.”

  “She was a real trooper.”

  “Yeah? She made it sound like she fell apart or something.”

  “Nah. She handled it well.” Most people would’ve been freaking out, their life hanging in the balance like that. “She was real brave.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s been through a lot. She’s strong.”

  Cooper didn’t disagree. But he sensed Kate was kind of vulnerable too. Did Gavin see that? “So you really like her, huh?”

  “Sure. It’s been nice having something good in my life again. Something to look forward to.”

  It was about as close as Gavin ever came to mentioning Jesse. Or his ex-wife for that matter. “Can’t blame you for that.”

  “How’s it going with, uh, Morgan?”

  Actually it had been Megan. She’d worked the front desk at the Shady Pine Motel but had since moved on. “That was weeks ago. We only went out a couple of times.”

  “That seems to be the case with every woman you talk to,” Gavin said in a dry tone. “What was wrong with her?”

  “I caught her in a lie and things went downhill from there.”

  “You called her on it?”

  “I suspected it wasn’t the first one.”

  “Yikes.”

  They hadn’t clicked anyway. Actually, he hadn’t clicked with anyone in a while—and never with anyone like he had with Kate. He pushed the thought from his mind. “She moved to Mars Hill shortly after that.”

  “Gotcha. Thought you were going to come over to the campground one night this week? You owe me a game of poker.”

  “Work got in the way.”