Operation: Married by Christmas
Debra Clopton

Published by Steeple Hill Books™

With a vast amount of admiration and gratitude,

this book is dedicated to Joan Marlow Golan,

Executive Editor for Steeple Hill Books.

Thank you for all you do, but most of all thank you

for believing in my first book and buying it.

You made my dream come true!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Chapter One

She was so close—only five miles from a warm bed and sweet dreams.

She needed oblivion…. She did not need this!

Bleary-eyed and road-weary, Haley Bell Thornton peered through the window of her BMW Roadster and frowned at the cowboy blocking her path. With the stiff-armed motion of a traffic cop he signaled for her to halt.

Behind him stood a group of men hunched over the open hood of a truck that was connected to a cattle trailer. A cattle trailer that was completely blocking the road to Mule Hollow.

Haley was not a happy camper as the tall, lean cowboy strode toward her. Collar flipped up around his chin, he’d pulled his hat low over his eyes to hamper the frigid November wind. Haley groaned wearily when halfway to her car the man halted and responded to something one of the cowboys called out to him. “Come on,” Haley said, snippy from fatigue as she rested her forehead against the steering wheel. She needed sleep and this delay was not in her plan.

Yeah, right, what plan was that?

Haley closed her eyes. As the bride who had backed out of a church chapel, dropped her bouquet on the sidewalk, hopped in her car and sped away with her veil flapping in the wind, Haley couldn’t exactly say she had a plan.

Lost her marbles—now that she could say.

As could everyone else who’d watched her walk out on the groom who had more money than Bill Gates…Okay, so that was stretching things a bit, but in the realm of the ultra-wealthy, Lincoln Billings could hold his own.

She’d warned him, though. Been up-front with him. He’d known full well she didn’t love him. Known she’d attempted to walk the aisle two times prior and had yet to make it to the altar.

But that had only fueled Linc’s competitive spirit, and Haley had gotten caught up in his game. She’d let him talk her into attempting the notorious wedding walk once more.

Attempt being the key word. Poor Linc, he’d so believed his charm and his millions would be the antidote to her problem…. At least it was only his ego she’d damaged and not his heart.

A knuckle rapping on her window brought Haley out of her daze. She blinked and straightened in her seat. Oh, how she needed to get to Grandpa Applegate’s place. She needed to crawl into a warm bed and pull her grandma’s quilt over her head. She just needed to block out the world for a few days and rest.

But she was in Texas cattle country, and she had forgotten that it unfortunately came with unique problems. Like broken-down cattle trailers and shoulderless roads that rendered low-to-the-road sports cars, like hers, useless. Grumpier by the moment, she pressed the button and lowered the window just a crack. Instantly, her car interior chilled and her eyes stung from the bite of the near-freezing wind that whisked through the slight opening.

“I need to get by here. Would you move that thing?” she snapped, giving the cowboy only a quick glance before returning her glare to the no-good trailer.

“Well, ma’am,” he drawled. “I thought that might be your plan. I mean, you are heading north. But as you can see the truck has stalled. And as you can also see, I’m just a mere man.”

The instant she heard his voice, Haley’s gaze whipped from the trailer to his face…or at least she tried to see his face. He was standing too close, and she had to scoot down and angle her head to the side so her car roof didn’t cut him off from sight. Even at this odd angle his features were shadowed beneath his black Stetson. But Haley knew him. She would have recognized Will Sutton’s voice anywhere.

Will’s slow drawl always had done funny things to her heart. Rich and silky, it had never failed to connect with her.

Will Sutton! She snapped out of her stunned surprise and bolted upward so fast she banged her head on the roof. What was he doing back in Mule Hollow?

Her gaze dropped to her gown and she wanted to shrink into the floorboard of her car. Oh, why hadn’t she taken the time to change? Only a crazy woman walked out of her wedding and drove eighteen hours in her wedding dress.

“Haley?” Her name whooshed from his lips as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Haley cringed and ducked her chin; a loose curl slapped her in the forehead and she closed her eyes. She looked like roadkill. A woman wasn’t supposed to look this way when she met—

“Haley, is that you?”

Okay, so she couldn’t very well remain hidden behind a single golden curl and a clear sheet of glass. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t realize she was wearing a wedding dress. After all, it was a simple, elegant Vera Wang sheath. A guy would just look at it and think: white silk dress.

Right?

Her mouth was as dry as dirt and her insides wobbly as she reluctantly let the window down farther. He had bent forward so that he could see her better. Warily, she met his disbelieving gaze. The man had the most gorgeous brown eyes. Soulful and bottomless, with gold flecks that sparkled when the sun hit them just right.

Get over it, Haley! The man hates you. And you’re not too peachy about him, either, remember?

“Will, hello,” she gasped. As a real-estate agent for one of the most prestigious agencies in West Hollywood, she was known for her lightning-quick response in any situation. But with the way her throat closed off now, the only lightning she could hope for was a bolt to strike and put her out of her misery.

Will blinked twice, straightened to his full six foot three inches and let the awkward moment stretch. Endlessly.

Haley swallowed again. Will Sutton was still the best-looking man she’d ever seen.

He was also the first man she’d ever left at the altar. The first man to break her heart. And the last.

“Well, what do you know?” he drawled finally. “Haley Bell Thornton has come home at last.”

His patronizing tone stung and riled her at the same time. “It’s a free country,” she snapped. She had a thing about condescension.

The laugh that escaped his perfect lips was about as disdainful and condescending as it could get. “If it were that free, I’d think you’d come see Applegate every once in a while.”

She bristled against words that cut to the quick. She had neglected her grandpa. “I hardly think what I do is any of your business.” Tension sparked between them sharper than the cutting wind.

“On that count you’d be right, Haley.” His eyes narrowed.

“Look. Are you going to move that thing?” She lifted her chin for good measure while her traitorous heart did a lunge-and-dive maneuver against her ribs. Without warning, her eyes betrayed her and dropped to his hand. But the hand, along with the telltale ring finger, was buried in the pocket of his coat. Astounded at herself, she immediately looked away, hoping he hadn’t seen.

No such luck.

“I’m not married, Haley. Never have been.”

Again her tongue failed her. What was she supposed to say to that?

“You, on the other hand,” he drawled, cocking his head to the side to get a better look at her. “You look as though you’ve been playing dress-up again.” His condemning gaze took in her dress then met her eyes straight on. “What is this, the fourth time?”

“Third,” she gritted from between flattened lips. Had she actually liked this man at one time?

He pulled his hands from his pockets, holding them up in a “no foul” gesture. “Don’t look at me. I moved back here three months ago, and the rumor mill started churning out Haley Bell reports without me so much as opening my mouth.”

Ohhhh!

“You,” he continued, despite her warning glare, “have really done yourself proud.”

That did it! What did he know? Who did he think he was? “Look, I’d just love to sit here and reminisce, but it is cold and I’m tired and I need to get to my grandpa Applegate’s.”

“Well, let me put a fire under the boys, then. We certainly wouldn’t want you to be the one left standing out in the cold.”

Before she could say anything, he spun on his boot heel and strode back to the truck. He spoke to the guys, who immediately looked her way as he left them and stalked around to the far side of the trailer. Through its bars she could see another truck, and to her dismay Will climbed into it and drove off toward town—leaving her trapped with nothing to do but sit and wait!

Haley fumed as she watched him disappear into the distance.

Payback was the pits.

Chapter Two

A few miles down the road, Will yanked his truck to a stop and stared out across the expanse of ranch land on the edge of town.

Haley Bell Thornton was back.

And he had to pretend it didn’t matter to him. Had to act as if he’d never loved her. As if watching her walk out of that church, leaving him standing alone at the altar ten years ago, hadn’t torn his heart out.

Will had always been a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of man. Pretending didn’t work for him, which accounted for his behavior just now. He’d let his guard down—what guard? He’d been so shocked when he’d realized Haley was sitting right there in front of him that he’d had no guard. Just pure reaction. And he’d reacted badly.

He was not normally a rude man. His faith in God’s plan for his life had been rocked to its very core after Haley had left him, but he’d learned to accept it and not blame God for it.

Haley was here, and he would simply deal with it. He wouldn’t allow himself to act like a child again. He’d make certain that the next encounter with Haley would be different. It had to be if he was going to come out of this with his self-esteem—not to mention his heart—intact. After all, Will was only a man.

Not that he would have to see her again while she was here. With Christmas coming he had plenty to do to keep busy. He had enough work lined up to keep him burning the midnight oil for the next six weeks, designing the custom gates and steel signs he was known for. Business was brisk. It never failed to strike him how blessed he was to be making a living doing something he loved. The demand for a custom Sutton gate was high. His western views decorated ranch entryways all over the world, a source of pure satisfaction for Will.

Through hard work and endless hours, he’d built a name for himself. All he had to do now was bury himself in his work the way he’d been doing for years and make it through the week. Only a week. Haley had proven she hated Mule Hollow, Texas. There was no way she would last here longer than one week.

If she lasted that long.

As far as he could tell, she’d achieved exactly what she longed for when she’d chosen Beverly Hills over him. Applegate had mentioned that she’d just sold her first multimillion-dollar mansion to a big Hollywood star. The commissions off sales of that magnitude would be hard for a person like Haley to stay away from. And a California real-estate agent couldn’t make sales from four states away.

Will didn’t know what brought Haley home, but there was no way he’d let his guard down while she was here. No way he’d take a chance at being left standing in the dust of her departure this go-round.

There was only so much a heart could take. His designs might be made of steel, but his heart was not.

Trudging up the steps to her grandpa’s—who had gone by plain, ol’ Applegate for as long as she could remember—Haley tripped on the hem of her dress. Yanking it up to her knees, she stomped to the door and twisted the doorknob as if it were Will Sutton’s neck. At this time of morning, Applegate would be in town playing checkers with his buddy Stanley. Rain or shine they passed the mornings away with daily checker games at Sam’s Diner. Poor Sam; Haley could only imagine what he had to put up with from those two constantly being underfoot.

Haley walked into her grandpa’s home, a little perturbed at him for not locking his door. He never locked his doors, didn’t think there was a need for such a thing in Mule Hollow. That was something she was going to have to speak to him about. Things changed. The world was not the place it used to be.

Glancing around the tidy living space, she made her way directly toward the back of the house and the spare bedroom. The big, warm bed sat exactly where it always had across from the windows. Not much had changed in the years since she’d been here. It still looked as if her grandmother had only left the house briefly and would be back momentarily. Nostalgia filled her as her gaze rested on a picture of her grandparents on their wedding day. It hung on the hall wall, and she glanced from the doorway to admire it before entering the guest bedroom. How her grandmother had put up with Applegate for almost fifty years had been a mystery to everyone. The thought made Haley smile. The two had a happy marriage up until Birdie had passed away six years ago. Haley sighed, walked to the big bed and pulled the coverlet back. Weary beyond description, she slipped off her shoes and dropped fully clothed onto the bed. Her grandparents had possessed something that eluded Haley.

Oh, forget it. She was too tired to think about anything right now. She needed sleep. She’d been on the road since two o’clock the day before, and the bed was calling her name. She pulled the covers over her head, sighing as her bones relaxed into the soft mattress. With any luck she hoped for at least a couple of hours’ sleep before Applegate came home and found her.

She was going to need it.

Because there was no escaping the fact that Applegate would put her through the wringer with questions and unwanted advice once he found her. He was not known for his patience. It was a quality she’d inherited.

Closing her eyes, Haley’s thoughts immediately went back to Will, and she groaned into the heavy quilt. What were the odds that he would be the first person she’d see upon coming home? The man was supposed to be living in the Dallas area building malls or something.

This weird coincidence was just one more of the odd things that had been happening to her over the last month. Things that some might think random, but added together ended up bringing Haley home—after she walked out on yet another wedding. And probably did irreparable damage to her hard-won reputation as one of the go-to real-state agents in Beverly Hills.

Sleep wrapped around Haley’s thoughts, and despite herself she fell asleep with a picture of Will in her mind and the question she couldn’t answer.

Why had she come home? Really?

She had a great life…. She had a life she’d worked hard for…. A life she’d dreamed of…

Why had she walked out on it and come back?

Haley woke to the sound of hushed voices and multiple sets of footsteps clomping down the wood floor of the hallway.

She’d just pushed her head out from beneath the covers when a crowd appeared in the open doorway. Her grandpa stood in the front, as tall and lean as a beanpole. Stanley stood beside him, shorter and softer around the middle. They were flanked by Esther Mae Wilcox and Norma Sue Jenkins. All of them were gaping at her with open mouths and wide eyes.

Oh boy, there was nothing in the world like the puppy in a pet store feeling to snap a person out of a groggy fog.

Haley sat up and gaped right back.

Instantly, Applegate’s wrinkles lifted into a grin. “Haley Bell, youngin, we heard you’d snuck yourself into town and we come to see about-cha. To see if it was true.”

As usual he spoke louder than needed because his hearing was so bad. He’d worked thirty years in the oil field as a driller before semiretiring as a rancher. The loud machines had ruined his hearing early in life, but he wasn’t fond of his hearing aids and didn’t always turn them on. Now, in an unusual show of affection, he bent down and engulfed Haley in a hug.

As Haley returned his hug, she realized that though there was still strength in his bony frame, he’d grown thinner, if that was possible. She was overcome with shame for all the long-distance phone calls and excuses for not being able to come home for a visit. She was a slug.

His thinness reminded her of their last phone call, the call that had alarmed her enough to make her finally come home. He’d mentioned a bad report from the doctor, but he refused to share details about it. That had been the most important thing, but one of many that had sealed her spur-of-the-moment decision to head her car this direction as she sped out of the chapel parking lot. She still wasn’t certain about anything else, but she was glad that she’d come if for no other reason than to see about her grandpa. Will was right. She’d been selfish.

“I’ve missed you too, Grandpa,” she said, blinking back tears, overwhelmed by how much. Fighting to control her emotions she smiled and nodded toward the others. “But, um, what’s with the show?” She lifted her eyebrow when her audience crowded closer then swamped her with enthusiastic hugs. She couldn’t get a word in as she was smothered, squeezed, cooed and clucked over. Her cheeks were even pinched by Esther Mae, making Haley feel six years old all over again.

After a moment they stepped back and studied her again—as if they couldn’t believe she was really here. Haley studied them, too, knowing that to them she’d never grown up. She’d always been their little Haley Bell and it was obvious that she’d been right all those years ago to realize that some things would never change.

To them she would always be the adorable little girl with the Shirley Temple hair who tripped over her shoelaces and knocked over the buffet table at church socials. Among a host of other mishaps that she’d never been able to live down while living in Mule Hollow.

“We were all having coffee at Sam’s when Nate Talbert came in with the news that you’d come to town.” Robust in body and soul, Norma Sue beamed the broad smile Haley remembered so well.

Haley leaned her head to the side. “Who’s Nate Talbert?”

“Nate’s trailer was blocking the road,” Esther Mae offered, patting her short red hair. It had gotten flattened on one side during all the hugging. Haley noticed instantly that Esther Mae had had a make-over since the last time Haley had seen her. There was no forgetting the long hair Esther Mae had always teased and sprayed into a mountain on top of her head. There had always been the threat of a rock slide with the way she bobbed her head as she spoke. Now it was shorter, more-up-to-date and saucy—like Esther Mae herself.

“Nate said you ran poor Will off, surprising him like that,” Stanley boomed. He, too, had a hearing problem.

Ran him off!

Haley’s shocked gaze met Applegate’s just as his bushy brows suddenly dipped together.

“Youngin, what in the world do you have on?”

“Oh!” Haley gasped as everyone’s attention dropped to the rumpled wedding dress she still wore. She cringed and wanted to crawl under the bed. Why, oh why, hadn’t she taken the time to change?

Yes, she’d been dead on her feet, but this was really getting ridiculous. This was going to be one more Haley Bell tale to add to her already notorious dossier…. “Um, well—”

“Look at that, Norma Sue. That is a wedding dress!” Esther Mae exclaimed. “Haley Bell’s been at it again. Again—”

“Esther Mae, get a hold of yourself!” Norma Sue barked, rendering the room silent as she placed her hands on her ample hips and studied Haley. “Is that a wedding dress?”

“Yes.” The word came out in a squeak as Haley dropped another year from six to five years old. This was not good. A month ago she had mentioned to Applegate that she was thinking about getting married. She was getting older, after all. But he’d gotten so agitated by the news that she hadn’t called him back to say she’d decided to go through with the wedding rather than wait. After all, she was a grown woman. It had been ten years and she’d grown up. She didn’t need him or the town telling her once more what she should and shouldn’t do.

“You didn’t go through with it, did ya?” Applegate asked, his face drooping into a scowl.

“No, Grandpa, once again I didn’t go through with it.” To her surprise a collective sigh passed from everyone in the room. Of course, she realized suddenly by their reactions, Applegate had shared with everyone that she’d been contemplating another wedding. One that didn’t include love.

“I’m glad ya come to yor senses and didn’t go through with it,” he said, nodding his head. “Haley Bell, darlin’, you gotta love the one you marry and that’s all thar is to it.”

“That’s right,” Stanley added. “Even if it takes lookin’ foolish a time or two fore ya know where yor heart belongs.”

Haley bit her lip at that one. There was nothing like the brutal honesty a girl got from the ones who’d practically raised her. From the ones who might not ever let her grow up, but loved her in their own smothering way.

She sighed, gazing from face to face…. Welcome home, Haley. Welcome home.

Will stared at the eight-foot sheet of steel that was the canvas for his art. Intently he studied the scene he’d just finished chalking out. It was a small herd of cattle grazing beneath several oak trees. Once he cut it out with his plasma cutter, the welding torch he used, he would mount it in a frame of steel bars. After grinding the edges and adding a black powder coating, it would become an entrance gate for a wealthy ranch owner out of Wyoming.

“So, can you do it?”

Will turned back to Norma Sue and Esther Mae waiting impatiently for an answer. They’d arrived only moments before beaming with excitement. He’d known he was in for it the instant he saw Norma Sue’s truck winding up his drive. This day had started out on the wrong foot with his early morning run-in with Haley and now this….

“Norma Sue, I’d like to help with the Christmas production, but like I said, I have commitments.”

“Well, it’s really not a lot that we need,” Esther Mae whined, her feelings obviously hurt as she glanced from him to her cohort. “Tell him, Norma.”

Norma Sue cleared her throat. “Right. Will, all we need is some simple welding. Mind you, it needs to look good, and you are the best there is when it comes to welding.”

“Oh, yes. That’s the truth,” Esther Mae chimed in, nodding. “And we need just a little, teeny bit of drawing, too.” She waved toward the chalk scene. “And everybody knows you can draw anything.”

Will was no greenhorn, and he knew these two were only getting started with their persuasive tactics. He didn’t have time; he was telling the truth. For despite the snow job, he had great respect for the two ladies in front of him and felt guilty turning them down. After all, he’d moved back to Mule Hollow because he’d read about the way the ladies and their friends were trying to keep their town on the map, and he admired their efforts.

He’d also felt an obligation to come home. He had a business that could thrive from any locale, so it just didn’t feel right to stay away any longer. He figured the least he could do was give back to the community that had given him so much growing up. In truth, he’d missed Mule Hollow. He’d decided it was high time to put the ghost of his past behind him, and that could only be done if he came back to Mule Hollow and faced at least part of it.

He studied their beaming faces. “Well, maybe I could find some extra time—”

“That’s our boy!” Norma Sue exclaimed and slapped him on the back so hard he choked. “We knew you’d come through for us.”

His eyes watered as he struggled for air, nodding along with them. He was a wimp and they knew it. Still, he couldn’t help smiling back at them…after he finally stopped choking.

On her second morning in Mule Hollow, Haley was awakened at sunup by Applegate. He was on his way to Sam’s but wanted her to come to the diner around nine for breakfast with him. Sam’s Diner had been the mainstay of the community for as long as she could remember. She agreed to breakfast without a fight. Sam’s eggs were to die for and his coffee…Well, there wasn’t anything like Sam’s coffee.

At eight o’clock she called her office and spoke to her assistant. Sugar relayed the consensus of the office—it was exactly what Haley had believed it would be. “Girl, if you’re crazy enough to walk out on a free ride like Lincoln Billings,” Sugar said, “then you’ve obviously gone off the deep end and need a break. And a therapist!”

Financially, Haley could afford the time off, but career-wise she felt vulnerable. She imagined that her employers were wondering if the stress of working with their high-end clientele was getting to her. Sure, they were being cooperative, but she knew they wouldn’t wait long for her to return. Haley knew firsthand how competitive the market was. They had to keep up or lose out. If she couldn’t cut it, they’d be forced to find someone who could.

Haley pushed the pressure aside and focused on taking it one day at a time. She’d been working at the speed of light for so long it was going to be hard for her to slow down, even for a little while. But something deep inside of her was telling Haley she had to back off. And she was just tired enough to listen.

Promptly at nine she drove into town and was shocked at what she saw. Mule Hollow had changed so dramatically that she was rendered speechless. Main Street had always been a straight shot of wood-fronted buildings dissected by a county road with a few adjacent buildings and anchored on the far end by the majestic turreted home of Adela Ledbetter. It had always had the look of an old western town. When one was approaching Mule Hollow, it stood out on the horizon like a weathered plank fence with a few broken boards. When she’d left, most buildings had been vacant and so worn that it was depressing. Today, her first glimpse of the rainbow of color was so vivid she gasped with shock.

There was the bright pink building she’d read about in Molly Popp’s weekly newspaper column—it still amazed her that her home had a syndicated weekly column written about it. Not only did she read it, but it was sometimes breakroom talk at the office. Haley stared at the pink hair salon surrounded by all of the other colorfully painted buildings. It had taken a newcomer, Lacy Brown, to help liven up Mule Hollow. Her building, the one that had sparked the change, stood out like a flamingo in a spring bouquet. Haley was floored and saddened by the new upbeat appearance….

Not saddened that such a wonderful thing had happened, but that she’d been in such a hurry to leave the dying town behind ten years earlier that she hadn’t seen any value in it. It saddened her that it took an outsider to see the potential. It saddened her to realize that she hadn’t stuck around to help revitalize her home town. Guilt at her selfishness began to leak in around the corners of the memory. Then again, she was the town’s little Haley Bell, who would have listened to her if she’d suggested that they paint the town blue and pink?

No one would have. They would have patted her on the head and had a good chuckle.

Cutting the thought off, she turned into the parking space in front of Sam’s Diner. She had gotten where she was in her career by adhering to a strict set of rules. She didn’t look back…. At least she tried not to look back. Still, memories stole up on her at times, forcing her to push them away in order to focus on achieving her new goals. Looking back stole energy away from her forward progress, from achieving her future. Looking back was not productive. And Haley was very productive.

Aside from that, she knew firsthand that sometimes looking back hurt far too much.

Then why had she come home?

That question was ridiculous. She’d come to see her grandpa. Hadn’t she? She’d come home to rest. Or was she searching for something? Something that had caused this restlessness that had stolen over her in the last few months.

She was almost to the steps when she heard someone call her name. Spinning around, she saw Brady Cannon striding across the street. Brady had been ahead of her in school and loved to pick on her growing up. He was now the sheriff of the town and had recently married. Applegate said he was as happy as a rabbit in a carrot patch. Looking at him now, Haley believed it.

“I heard you were in town, Haley Bell, Haley Bell,” he said, smiling.

Despite how she’d hated the teasing “Haley Bell” chant growing up, Haley laughed as he swept her into a bear hug. It seemed like a thousand years since she’d heard the familiar chant that he and his friends—including Will Sutton—used as they followed her around tugging on her pigtails. Nothing had given them more pleasure than to tease her when she did something they thought was funny.

“How are you?” he continued as he let her loose and stared down at her.

Brady was one of the tallest men she’d ever met. A giant of a guy who had always wanted to escape Mule Hollow the same way she did. He’d done it, too, and now he was back. She wondered what had changed his mind and brought him back. She wanted to ask him, but now wasn’t the time.

“I’m doing okay,” she said, tipping her head up to see his face.

“Okay? From what Applegate tells us, you’re setting the world on fire out there in the land of the rich and famous. Just like you dreamed.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a living.”

He studied her. “Is that a little disenchantment I hear in that reply?”

What could she say to that? “Maybe. Not sure,” she admitted. “But whatever you do, please don’t tell Applegate or he’ll start a campaign to get me to move back home.”

“And would that be so bad?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She glanced down the street. “Things certainly have changed since I left.”

Brady smiled. “Things are looking up for our little metropolis.”

He looked so happy. Haley studied him. “Sheriff, I believe marriage agrees with you.”

“God has really blessed me, Haley. I don’t regret being a cop in Houston, but it took coming back to Mule Hollow for me to find my heart.”

“Are you sure you’re the same guy who used to torment me and dream of leaving Mule Hollow behind?”

He grinned. “Do I sound sappy?”

“Oh, yeah. But nice. It’s got to be a great feeling. Not that I would know…” Her voice trailed off, letting the rest go.

“It’s obvious you made the right decision calling off another wedding.”

Haley frowned. “What?”

Brady’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, I know about it. You know how fast word spreads. What I’m saying is, if you’d loved the guy like I love Dottie then you’d understand the sappiness. And you’d be on your honeymoon right now rather than standing here in the middle of Mule Hollow talking to me.”

“True. I guess I just can’t help wondering if there is something wrong with me. You know? Three tries and I’m still running. Needless to say, I’m giving up on weddings.”

Brady surprised her by giving her a quick hug.

“Don’t do that. Life isn’t a straight road, Haley. You might be surprised at where its twists and turns may lead you. Believe it or not, God is in control. Come on inside. I didn’t mean to keep you away from your breakfast.”

“I have missed Sam’s eggs,” she admitted.

“They’ve only gotten better over the years. He’s pretty sappy himself these days since he and Adela tied the knot. It’s not Adela Ledbetter anymore, but finally Adela Greene.”

“I think that is so wonderful after all these years,” Haley said as he held the swinging door open for her and she stepped inside. There was no place on earth that smelled like Sam’s combination of coffee, eggs and the scent of old pine wood floors. Memories crashed though Haley’s mind in such a vivid wave that she came to a dead halt.

As did every conversation in the diner.

Chapter Three

Okay, so why did she feel like the prodigal daughter? The question drummed through Haley’s head as every eye in Sam’s gave her the once-over. First up, then down, painstakingly slow, she felt the gazes moving over her. Of course, she’d expected it. She knew she looked out of place in her black silk pantsuit and her four-inch heels. She was, to say the least, overdressed. But she only had what was in her suitcase. A suitcase packed with honeymoon outfits…. And since she and Lincoln had been headed for the Riviera, her outfits were not exactly what you would classify as everyday Mule Hollow attire.

She wasn’t a blusher. Instead, she lifted her chin, feeling as if someone had hit the pause button on the movie of her life.

She saw cowboys she’d grown up with and a few faces she’d never seen before smiling at her. Not surprising was the fact that even though she didn’t know all the faces, it was clear from their expressions that they knew exactly who she was. It wasn’t all cowboys, either. There were women in the mix looking her up and down, too. There were Esther Mae and Norma Sue grinning like possums. And their buddy, sweet Adela with her shining blue eyes and white wispy hair, smiling kindly as if she knew what thin ice Haley was skating on. Because Mule Hollow was too small to have its own school they’d always shared a centrally located school about twenty miles away with two other small communities. Looking around the room, she was startled to see cowboys she recognized. Obviously the cowboy way had had more of a pull on them than the girls, because she didn’t recognize any of the women. No wonder Norma Sue and the others had resorted to advertising for women to move to town.

And they were smiling, too. As if they were more than glad to be living and breathing Mule Hollow air. As if they could live here for the rest of their lives.

Suddenly, as if the pause button had been released, the diner erupted into sound and movement. Yet Haley’s mind continued to move in slow motion as everyone started clapping and shouting.

“Surprise!” They all yelled together. It was only then that she understood the reason Applegate had insisted she meet him at the diner. This was her welcome home gathering!

Grinning, Brady looked down at her. “I was running a bit late out there.”

“You could have warned me,” Haley said out of the corner of her mouth, trying to quell her sudden sense of vulnerability.

“And ruined all their fun? My job is to keep the peace around here.”

Chuckling, he watched as Haley was engulfed by a herd of old friends.

Sitting at the counter, Will watched the town welcome Haley. They’d done something similar when he’d moved back to town. There was nothing like the warmth of Mule Hollow. It was a place where once you belonged, you always belonged. But watching Haley’s shell-shocked expression, he couldn’t help wondering if the feeling was mutual.

Haley had created quite a life for herself in California, and by the almost robotic way she was receiving the hugs from everyone he was more than certain that she didn’t share their feeling that she had “come home.” Some things never changed.

She looked great, though. Will couldn’t deny that the years had been good to Haley. Her skin glowed and her golden hair gleamed in the light like polished brass, setting off her green eyes. She had the most amazing eyes, big and expressive, they dominated her oval face. When she smiled though, when she really smiled, it was as if she lit up the world. At least that was how it had felt to him.

“Hey, buddy, you okay?”

Will glanced at Brady as he took the stool next to him at the counter. Turning away from watching Haley, Will picked up his coffee and nodded. “Yeah, I’m just suffering from aftershock.”

“By the frown on your face I’d already figured that one out.”

Will met Brady’s sympathetic gaze. “That obvious?”

“’Fraid so.”

“Brady, can you tell me why I came here this morning?”

“I could make an educated guess if you want me to.”

Will shook his head. “Forget I asked. That’s a can of worms I’d rather not open.”

“I can tell you from experience that unfinished business has a way of catching up to you at one time or another.”

Will drank his coffee instead of trying to come up with an answer. He could deny it all he wanted, but he’d come here this morning because every man had his weakness.

His happened to be Haley Bell Thornton.

Haley made it through the whirlwind of welcomes as she was led around the room by Applegate. His obvious joy at having her home was making her feel so ashamed. It had been six years since she’d been here for her grandmother’s funeral.

She was a skunk, all right.

A selfish skunk.

Spotting Will sitting at the counter didn’t help matters. It took every bit of her self-control not to turn around and run out of the diner. She didn’t have the energy to face him this morning. This homecoming was hard enough on her guilt-ridden heart without having to face him, too. Especially in front of everyone.

“Will, here she is,” Applegate called out before she could figure a way around facing him again. She was appalled at Applegate’s proclamation as he directed her toward Will.

“Haley,” Will drawled, tipping his head toward her in greeting while his eyes bore into hers.

He wasn’t wearing his hat and she couldn’t help noticing that he still wore his thick sable hair in a traditional cut, parted on the left and combed back off his face. The cut accentuated the strength of his jaw and the prominence of his cheekbones. She was certain looking at him made women other than herself forget to breathe when looking at him. But enough of that.

She forced a smile and was certain it came out looking as if she’d swallowed a tablespoon of castor oil. “Will,” she gritted out as Applegate looked expectantly from one to the other. His smile, so big that every tooth in his mouth showed, was the only reason Haley maintained her position.

She was shocked when suddenly Applegate slapped a hand on Will’s shoulder, the sound cracking through the room like a backfire. “That ain’t no way to say hello to the person what was almost yer intended. Give her a hug, son.”

Stunned, Haley stared at her grandpa. How could he? Will had always been a gentleman, and Applegate was taking advantage of that fact. “That’s okay,” she gasped. “You don’t have to get up.”

A gleam she could only read as a challenge flashed through his dark gaze, and to her horror he stood up.

“App’s right, Haley. The least I can do is give you a hug.”

Before she could do anything to stop it, she found herself wrapped in Will’s arms. Oh my. If she’d thought she was confused before—well she was a mess now. Because though it had been ten years since she’d left him at the altar, she had never forgotten how right it felt to be held in his embrace.

“See thar, ain’t that nice,” Applegate thundered.

As quick as it happened, it ended. Will suddenly dropped his arms and stepped back. Haley had been so stunned by the embrace that her arms remained limply at her sides. Where they belonged, she reminded herself.

His expression was unreadable and though she knew he’d hugged her to pacify her grandpa, the oddest sensation came over her when she looked into his stony eyes. Had those eyes really once looked at her with love? They were so distant now that it was tough to imagine such a thing.

“So how’s your new ex-fiancé?”

His clipped words were spoken in a low voice, but those standing around watching them had no problem hearing them. Like a deflating balloon, Applegate’s smile drooped into a heavy frown and a ripple of gasps could be heard behind her.

Startled, but not really surprised, she met Will’s unflinching gaze with one of her own as she straightened her spine. If she’d learned one thing over the last few years, it was to stand her ground.

She lifted her chin. “I’m fairly certain that Lincoln is celebrating at this very moment. After all, he dodged a bullet.”

Will lifted his eyebrow. “I can understand that perfectly. As I’m certain fiancé number two would, as well.”

So he wanted to make a scene. So much for him being a gentleman, she thought, as her blood pressure inched upward. “Is that so?”

Not breaking eye contact with her, Will pulled money from his front pocket and slapped it onto the counter by his plate of uneaten eggs and bacon. “Believe me, darlin’, the day you walked out on me was the best day of my life. I figure it saved me a costly divorce and a valley of trouble in between.”

Haley’s hands knotted into fists to keep them from shaking as darts of anger and humiliation shot through her. Other than the pounding of her heart that Haley hoped no one else could hear, the room had become as silent as a tomb. Why had she come home? It certainly hadn’t been for this…this melodramatic confrontation.

With one last cold stare Will walked through the small crowd as it parted to make way for him. He never looked back as he hit the swinging door and disappeared into the cold morning light.

Which left Haley at the counter to face her friends alone.

As mad as she was at Will, she couldn’t help thinking that it was about time she was the one being walked out on. She’d be the first to admit that she deserved it. At least in part. But that didn’t mean she liked it, and it certainly didn’t mean she was going to take that kind of treatment like the timid little mouse she’d once been.

“Ha!” she huffed in delayed reaction, then stormed out of the diner after him.

He was opening his truck door when she buzzed down the steps toward him. The loud shuffle of feet could be heard as the diners filed out onto the sidewalk behind her.

“Will Sutton,” she snapped. “You can judge me and be angry at me if you want to because I left you standing at that altar ten years ago. But hey, guess what? I didn’t see you coming to get me.”

She’d almost gotten married three times, and the truth was that the only man of the three she’d expected or wanted to come after her had been Will. And he hadn’t.

Why was that? He’d said he loved her. If you loved someone, didn’t you try to hang on to them? Didn’t you fight for them? Despite their argument and her bruised heart, she’d expected him to care enough to come after her. To try and make things right.

His cold stare raked over her. “It wouldn’t have mattered if I came after you. You’d made your choice.”

Speechless at his coldness, Haley watched him climb into his truck, back out onto Main Street then drive away. “It might have,” she whispered into the chilling wind, knowing it was true. She’d been a young woman struggling with self-esteem and identity issues everyone around her seemed oblivious to. Especially the man who professed to love her. Despite what he thought, his coming after her would have mattered. That he didn’t think so still stung. And, amazingly, proved he continued to have the ability to hurt her. Even after all these years.

Chapter Four

Haley bit her lip as she realized she’d just made a scene in front of everyone standing behind her. How could wounds so old feel so raw and fresh? She closed her eyes and struggled for calm. She and Will had planned to marry a week before Christmas ten years ago. Their almost wedding anniversary was coming up and, truth be told, there hadn’t been a Christmas season that didn’t pass without her thinking about what might have been…if only he’d cared enough.

Reeling in her emotions, Haley clasped her palms together and plastered on a smile as she watched him disappear down the street. She was determined that no one would know just how much she’d been shaken by Will Sutton’s condemnation.

Condemnation.

Just who did the man think he was? She frowned, and her temper started escalating again. Sucking in a cleansing breath of cool air, she had to really concentrate to put on her saleswoman’s face—the everything’s-going-my-way face.

It was hard to do sometimes, but she wasn’t making her way up the ladder of success by accident. Nope, she’d faced harder people than Will over the last few years, kept her wits about her and come out on top. She learned early on that many of her fellow real-estate agents would weasel and lie and connive to take her sales at every opportunity. Five-and six-figure commissions tended to bring out the worst in people. It had taken being tricked out of a few commissions and having to eat peanut butter for a month, but she’d finally smartened up and shucked the small-town gullibility…on the inside. On the outside she learned that her open and friendly face was her number-one moneymaker. Once she’d learned to watch her back and not trust anyone but herself, things had started to happen. Haley could smile with the best of them and charm her way right to the bank. The saying Don’t Get Mad, Get Even went a long way toward the truth.

Haley spun around, smile in place. “I don’t know about all of you, but a good fight in the morning makes me so hungry I could eat a bear. How about it, Sam? It’s been far too many years since I had your bacon and eggs.”

To her surprise, everyone was smiling at her even before she’d turned around. It was a bit disconcerting, but instantly her fake smile turned genuine. She had forgotten just how sweet Mule Hollow residents could be.

“One plate of eggs and bacon coming up, Haley Bell,” Sam said, holding the door for her as everyone parted and let her enter the diner first.

“See, what’d I tell y’ all,” she heard Applegate say to Norma Sue and Esther Mae as she passed by him. He was grinning, and Haley’s heart felt good in that moment. Since her grandma Birdie had died, he just hadn’t been the same. And though he didn’t say much about it when they talked, Haley knew he missed her something fierce. Again, guilt settled on Haley’s shoulders.

Before she could sink with the weight of it, the majority of people started telling her goodbye, streaming back out of the diner on their way to work. The exuberant salon owner, Lacy, whom Haley would easily have recognized from Molly Popp’s description in the newspaper columns, threw her arms around her and hugged her. Then she dashed off. It was as if she were standing there one minute and—poof—she was gone with only the swinging door to prove that she had indeed been there. Haley was completely taken by surprise, and she couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her. So that was the woman who’d helped bring about this amazing change in Mule Hollow and its Main Street.

Haley decided then and there that she would make it a point to meet Lacy again.

“She’s always like that,” Esther Mae said. “We get a real kick out of that one.”

“She seems really fun,” Haley said and started to follow her grandpa back to his table.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Norma Sue said, grasping her by both shoulders and aiming her toward a booth. “Haley Bell, you come sit with us.”

Haley glanced at Applegate and he started to protest, but Norma Sue cut him off. “Now remember, Applegate, you and Stanley have a checker game calling your names. Besides, you and Haley Bell can visit after y’ all go home.”

“That’s right,” Esther Mae said, pushing Haley into the booth then scooting in beside her so that Haley had to slide in fast or get sat on.

Immediately, Adela and Norma Sue sat down across the table and looked expectantly at her. Haley was surrounded, plain and simple. She couldn’t have gotten away from their inquiring eyes if she wanted to.

“I just have to ask,” Esther Mae cooed, leaning in and batting her lashes. “Who’s your favorite movie star that you’ve met out there?”

“Well, I—” Haley started to answer but Esther Mae was so excited she kept right on going.

“I just love that Paul Newman. Cool Hand Luke. You know, that movie he was in, Cool Hand Luke. Oh, he just makes my heart pitter-patter thinking about it. Did you get to meet him yet?”

“Esther Mae,” Norma Sue snapped. “Calm down, and let the girl talk. So did you? Did you meet Paul Newman? My favorite movie of his is Hud. You know, he was such a good bad boy. Just made you want to reform him yourself.”

Esther Mae harrumphed. “Talk about hogging the conversation. How’s she supposed to answer with you going on like that? So did ya?”

Haley met Adela’s laughing blue eyes and smiled. “Yes. His main home is in Connecticut, but actually I did meet Mr. Newman and his lovely wife at a charity that I was attending just last month.”

“No you didn’t!” exclaimed Esther Mae. “You really did?”

Haley laughed and nodded. “I really did.”

Norma Sue sighed and her eyes got all dreamy for a minute. “Was he as cute up close as he is in the movies?”

Haley assured them that he was.

“How about that Sean Connery?” Esther Mae asked.

Haley then gave the ladies a rundown of whom she’d met, who was nice and who she hoped to never have to see again. She was thankful when Sam ambled over with a pot of coffee and her plate of eggs and bacon. It smelled fabulous. Haley had tried becoming a vegetarian when she first left Mule Hollow, but her Texas roots went too deep. She loved bacon and steak, and though she usually ate chicken or fish, she planned to enjoy Sam’s cooking to the fullest while she was here.

“So tell us about this last man you walked out on—”

“Esther Mae,” Adela said in her soft voice. “Let’s not pry into Haley’s business.”

Haley gave Adela a grateful smile, took a bite of crisp bacon and realized that at some point she would have to explain her actions. It was either get it out now or spend the rest of her visit dodging the subject.

“It’s okay,” she said, wiping her lips with her napkin.

“See,” Esther Mae said, beaming. “I knew she’d tell us. We’re practically family. Besides, all it takes is a good look at her to know she needs somebody to talk to. And that she’s been working herself to the bone. Really, honey, you’re so thin. You haven’t had any of that liposuction, have you?”

Haley chuckled. She couldn’t help it; the out-spoken Esther Mae cracked her up. “No lipo for me,” she said, stirring a packet of sugar into her coffee. Thin was fashionable where she lived. To fit in she had to stay “spit-shined and polished,” as Applegate would have called it. “I work out regularly at the gym—I’m too chicken for anything else. Okay, here’s the lowdown. His name is Lincoln Billings, and I shouldn’t have agreed to marry him—”

“Not that I’m judging or anything,” Sam said, coming over to top off her coffee and refill everyone else’s. “But just ’cause a man asks ya to marry him don’t mean ya gotta say yes.”

“Sam,” Norma Sue said, frowning and waving him off. “This here is woman talk, if you don’t mind.”

Sam bristled. “All I’m saying is Haley needs to learn to say no. Seems it’d save her on wedding dresses—”

“Sam, dear, it’s okay.” Adela placed her hand on his. “You have a very valid point. But we don’t want to overwhelm Haley when she’s only just come home. Especially after going through what she went through.”

Sam looked down at his wife and melted before Haley’s eyes. The man absolutely adored Adela.

“You’re right.” Beaming, he patted her hand then strutted toward the kitchen. For a tiny man, he suddenly looked nine feet tall.

“He is such a dear,” Adela sighed, watching him go before meeting Haley’s gaze. “You know, Haley, one day there’s going to be a man who can truly win your heart and you won’t want to run away anymore. I’ll pray for you on that one.”

Haley sobered, thinking that one already had won her heart. He’d also broken it. And though she’d tried to force her heart back together, she was starting to think it couldn’t be done. She wondered if her hardened heart would ever truly let a man in again. She couldn’t help thinking that it might be too late for her. Maybe that was why she’d said yes to Linc when she’d known better. He’d caught her on a low night, during a beautiful candlelit dinner, and for a little while she’d let herself be…different. She’d pretended that her heart wasn’t jaded and cold.

But in the end it just hadn’t been enough.

Three hours later, back at her grandpa’s house, Haley put a call in to her office. It wasn’t pretty.

“Haley, what is the matter with you?”

“Sugar, I’m tired. I told you that.” Haley had just finished talking to Linc. It was just as she’d suspected—he was okay and already moving forward.

Unlike some people she knew, like her assistant, Sugar. There was silence over the telephone line, and she braced for more questions. Sugar didn’t give up easily. That was one reason she made such a great assistant.

“Look, Haley, you are delusional if you think I’m buying that bit of nonsense. Something is up, and I know it. Look, I know you didn’t love Lincoln, but, girl, I have never seen you pass up a good deal. And Lincoln Billings was a great deal. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but I think you must be sick. I mean really sick. This isn’t like you.”

“Sugar, we’ve already been through this. It was exactly like me. I walked out on two other men before Linc. It’s a pattern.”

“True, but they weren’t Lincoln Billings. With Linc you had it made.”

“Sugar, stop it, you’re not selling me a house. The only reason Linc wanted to marry me was because I was a challenge and he was bored. Once the challenge wore off he’d have grown bored again and I’d have joined the ranks of all his other exes.”

“Well, hon, you’re probably right about that…but, Haley, you would’ve had it made for a little while. I’m telling you, I’d have grabbed him up so fast—”

“Stop it, Sugar.” Haley couldn’t help smiling. Sugar was Sugar, her assistant by day but an aspiring actress on the side. If Haley thought she was in a cutthroat business, Sugar could really tell some horror stories. She’d bought into the whole Hollywood scene and was constantly auditioning for parts looking for her big break, knowing that every day that passed was another day taking her further away from her dream. But she was sweet and endearing, and Haley worried about her. Still, right now Haley just needed her to be her assistant and take instruction without all this chatter. “Sugar, I don’t want to talk about Linc anymore. I talked to him before calling you and all is well. He’s fine, I’m fine, so drop it.”

“Oh, all right,” she huffed into the line. “So if that’s not what’s got you so tied in knots, what is it? You just don’t sound like yourself, Haley.”

She didn’t feel like herself, but she didn’t tell her friend that. “Look, Sugar, I’m fine. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and if any spectacular opportunities arise that I need to know about call me. Cell phones are worthless here, but leave a message on the machine and I’ll get back to you.”

They said their goodbyes and, as soon as the line went dead, Haley felt isolated. Sugar was her connection to the world she’d come to know. The world she’d worked hard to belong to. So if that was true, then why was she back here in Mule Hollow? Why was she feeling so unsettled?

Haley covered her face with her hands then raked them through her hair as she stared out Applegate’s kitchen window toward the barn. In a simpler time, she’d loved it here. Being homeschooled and living in a travel trailer was normal for many kids whose fathers worked the pipeline and whose mothers chose to travel with them. However, her parents chose to let her live with her grandparents because she’d loved it there so much when she was younger. But as a teen she’d grown restless and dreamed of more. Looking back, she realized that those dreams had overshadowed her love of the small-town life. Still she’d needed to leave. She knew that now. She’d had to prove herself by following her dreams. No matter what it had cost her.

Which was all the more reason for the turmoil she was feeling.

She might not be certain about why she’d come home, or why she’d felt the urgent need to come directly here after calling off her wedding, but she knew that she didn’t regret having left Mule Hollow. She regretted only having hurt Will Sutton. And, she had to admit, the way he’d hurt her.

Not that it really mattered anymore, since they’d both moved on with their lives and it was obvious that he didn’t want anything more to do with her.

Still he had hurt her badly. The pain had dulled over the years but it had taken time. Time to get past the questions that would sneak up on her when she least expected them. Questions such as why hadn’t Will loved her enough to believe in her? To come after her? Sure, a person could ask, Why hadn’t she loved him enough to stay? But things had been complicated. She’d only been in her junior year of high school when they started dating, while Will had been in his sophomore year of college. It still blew her away thinking about it.

They made plans together, plans to leave Mule Hollow, and then just before they were to marry he changed his mind. He decided that he didn’t want to pursue a career in architecture. He wanted to throw all that away—

And he expected her to forgo any dreams she had, marry him anyway and be content. She loved him so much she almost did. But at the moment of truth, when she was about to enter the church, something inside clicked.

Didn’t she have the right to stretch her wings? Was she always going to be everyone’s little darling? The little “Haley Bell” no one took seriously? Or was she going to stand up for herself and reach for her dreams?

She decided she had every right to want more, and she fled.

What she hadn’t ever been able to get over was that Will had let her.

Haley pushed aside thoughts of Will. She hadn’t come home to think about him, of that she was certain. She heard Applegate’s truck pull up outside. It was time for the two of them to have a serious talk about what the doctor had said about his health.

It dawned on her that maybe he was so distracted by his condition that this was the reason he’d failed to tell her Will had moved back to town. That was really a huge alarm for her because Applegate just didn’t pass up things like that. Unless he wasn’t himself. And if he wasn’t himself—Haley stopped her runaway thoughts as the back door opened and Applegate walked inside.

It was time for some answers.

Chapter Five

“Applegate, why have I let you talk me into this?” Haley sat in the truck beside her grandfather and stared at the bright blue building in front of her. As with all the buildings on Main Street now, each was painted a vibrant color and Mule Hollow’s community center was periwinkle-blue with lemon-drop trim. Inside the townspeople were holding the first call for the annual Christmas program. Instead of getting answers, she’d somehow let Applegate talk her into participating. The man had a way of looking so pitiful that she couldn’t say no. Especially since she was going to be here and she wanted to spend time with him, and since he was going to be at practice most evenings, it only made sense that she help him out.

After all, he clearly wasn’t feeling too well, and since he’d refused to fess up to what was wrong with him, it was all the more reason for her to stay close by his side. Case in point, here she was about to get out and follow him into the building. A packed building judging by the number of cars and trucks sitting along the sidewalks.

“Well, are ya comin’?” Applegate asked, standing at the door looking back at her.

With an odd sense of foreboding she got out of the truck and trudged up the steps. She’d changed into a flowing skirt of turquoise-and-gold paired with a shimmering blouse—a sleeveless blouse because that was all she had with her and she hadn’t made it to the store as planned. Needless to say she was cold. She had bare arms and strappy sandals! On top of her summer attire, she wore her grandmother’s red wool short coat. It made a fashion statement like none Haley had seen since the day in kindergarten when she’d insisted on wearing her pink tutu to school with her brown riding boots. That had been a Haley Bell moment she’d heard about until the day she’d left town.

Haley stood for a moment in the chill, tugging the collar up as she lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. She might be reduced to looking like that poor little klutz of a girl she used to be, but all she had to do was remember that she wasn’t little Haley Bell. She was Haley Thornton. Confident career woman, rising star, a force to be reckoned with.

And clothes did not make the woman, the woman made the clothes.

Never let them see you sweat. That’s right.

Chin up, smile on, she stepped onto the sidewalk determined to make the most of this night.

Standing on the planks, she smiled. She’d thought many times as she’d walked down the paved sidewalks of Rodeo Drive about Mule Hollow’s plank sidewalks. They were so “Dodge City” and so far removed from the life she had now.

Looking up, she found her grandpa staring at her, his normal hound-dog scowl softened around the eyes. Automatically her heart puddled; she did love him so. “What?” she asked softly, stopping beside him.

“You look like yer grandmother standing there in that purdy little red coat. My how she did love that coat. I kin remember the day she bought it up in Ranger at the discount store. You know yer grandmother, nothing fancy fer her, but she said red was a girl’s best friend and it just put a spring in her step every time she tugged it on.”

Haley’s eyes misted at the remembrance that was so Grandma Birdie. A no-nonsense dynamo, Birdie Thornton had been a woman to admire. Applegate had always said Haley had her genes, yet until she’d moved away, Haley had never really thought so. She couldn’t imagine Birdie ever having doubts about anything.

Haley leaned in and kissed Applegate’s cheek. “Thank you for that reminder.” He winked at her and held the door open. Haley ran a hand lovingly down the red coat and stepped inside the crowded room, no longer thinking about how the little coat clashed with her outfit, but how glad she was to feel her grandmother’s embrace.

Just as she’d thought, the conference room was full. That didn’t keep Lacy and Norma Sue from immediately spotting her and whisking Haley into the crowd, introducing her to anyone she hadn’t met at the diner that morning. Haley was amazed at how the town had grown. There were couples—of all ages—everywhere. And they looked so happy. As everyone took their seats, she found herself studying them. These couples had something she’d known was missing with each of the men she’d left at the altar. The closest she’d come to finding happiness like that was with Will, but she’d been wrong. Looking at the couples around her now, Haley promised herself that the next time she was tempted to say yes to a wedding proposal, if there was a next time, she wouldn’t say it unless she knew it was right. She wanted to feel something inside that would say, “This is the one.”

The door opened at that moment and Will stepped inside. Haley’s pulse jumped as if she were a track star who’d just heard the starting gun go off. It wasn’t fair that the man had only gotten better looking with age. It was as if he were Clint Black or something, ageless. Not wanting him to catch her staring, she forced her gaze to Lacy, who was standing behind the podium holding a stack of papers.

Despite shifting her gaze, Haley remained aware of Will as he moved toward the back of the room. She wished she had a pair of blinders on to cut her peripheral vision to nothing. Maybe then she could concentrate on what Lacy was saying. As it was, she could see Lacy just chatting away, but Haley wasn’t hearing a word she was saying. Oh, no. Haley was unwillingly tuned in to Will’s quiet hellos to everyone he passed. Determined to ignore him, Haley gave Lacy her full attention.

“—casting’s done on the play,” she was saying. “But today we’re getting the behind-the-scenes committees set up. We are going to have so much fun with this Christmas program!”

Lacy’s enthusiasm was contagious. The play was going to be a look at what it might have been like for Mary and Joseph when they returned to his hometown after Joseph took Mary to be his wife. Audiences would be able to feel what they may have gone through because they were doing what God asked of them. Earlier when Applegate talked her into helping, he’d told her all about it and it sounded intriguing.

Fortunately for Haley, there was no acting involved for her. She’d agreed to come only to help with the props, a job she’d enjoyed during high school. She was pretty artistic, although when it came to swinging a hammer she was all thumbs and there were plenty of Haley Bell stories to prove it. Now Will, he was good with a hammer.

She found herself glancing toward the back of the room, where he stood, legs planted shoulder width apart, arms crossed as he focused on what Lacy was saying. Her pulse jumped again just looking at him and she quickly focused forward once more. She certainly hoped he wasn’t on her team. The thought of having to work close to him just didn’t settle well. There was so much past between them that it was obvious they would only bring turmoil to the present effort. And that wouldn’t be good for anyone.

Lacy started reading off the list of committees. There was the costume committee—something Haley would never be on, seeing as how the one time she’d tried to hem a dress she’d accidentally sewn the skirt of the dress she was wearing to the dress her grandmother was teaching her to hem. Then there was the food committee, the marketing committee, makeup committee and onward down the line until last, but not least, the props committee. A sense of dread started filling Haley with each committee list that was called out and Will’s name didn’t appear. When Lacy started reading the props committee members, Haley knew she was doomed even before their names were read back-to-back. It was everything she could do to keep the alarm she felt from showing in her expression as she felt gazes bouncing off her at every angle. She swallowed hard and though her palms were perspiring she kept her hands still, not allowing herself to wipe them on her skirt for fear everyone would see that she was sweating. It was a trait she’d learned when negotiating property contracts. But this was different. This was more personal. She didn’t want to be stuck on a team with Will. The man was a spur in her past that she didn’t want to revisit. If she’d known he was living back in Mule Hollow she probably wouldn’t have come home. There was no way she wanted to spend time with him.

But it was done. There was nothing she could do about it and not look suspicious. Not to mention how it would disappoint her grandpa.

She forced herself to think positively. She was a big girl now. This was a good time to wipe the slate clean. She could pull Will Sutton’s ever-present memory from out of the dark closet she’d stuffed it in all those years ago and expose it to the light—then move on with her life. Her California dream life. A life that was wonderful, and fulfilling, and…and everything she’d ever wanted.

She straightened in her chair.

This was a good thing.

A step forward. That was what this experience would be. A big gigantic step toward…her future.

Chapter Six

Will didn’t miss the look that passed between Norma Sue and Esther Mae the minute the names were read. The moment he heard Lacy call out Haley’s name, he zeroed in on the two known matchmakers. He hadn’t even realized Haley was going to help with the program. Now he was pretty sure he was being set up. But why? Why would anyone want to do that?

He thought Haley would be gone by the weekend, and now he realized that she must be staying. He needed a cup of coffee to digest that bit of information. He strode toward the table where cookies and a coffeepot sat. Listening to Lacy continue to describe all that needed to be done before the big production in five weeks, his brain rolled over the time he didn’t have that was going to be required of him for this. It was going to be a tight squeeze to get it all done, but it was the thought of spending time with Haley that filled him with dread.

He should have seen it coming. Haley could draw anything, so it was logical that Applegate had recruited her. Trying to shake the unease rising in him, Will took a cautious swallow of hot coffee and studied her profile. She looked as tense as he felt, no doubt just as wary as he was of this development. There was no denying that she would be a big help to the program. And the program was what this was all about. He should just relax and ignore the red flags he was seeing—

“Somethin’ on yer mind?”

Applegate suddenly slapped him on the shoulder in greeting. Will sloshed coffee down the front of his jeans and glanced at the older man. He hadn’t realized anyone was in the kitchen behind him, especially Applegate. He had no idea how long App had been watching Will stare at his granddaughter.

“No sir,” he said, taking a quick swig of the scalding liquid and feeling the inside of his mouth fire up as he met Applegate’s gaze. Will made a concerted effort to keep his eyes off Haley when they automatically started to slide back in her direction. He couldn’t afford to let himself slip up like that again. The last thing he needed was to start speculation that he was standing in the back of the building staring longingly at Haley…. It might have been true, but that didn’t mean he wanted everyone to notice he still had feelings for her.

To his dismay, instead of heading back to his chair, Applegate planted himself beside Will, folded his thin arms across his chest and settled in. He was so thin he reminded Will of a praying mantis as he cut his eyes toward Will and caught him staring.

“I figure we’re gonna be puttin’ in some long hours ta get this stage setup designed and finished in time,” he said, raising a bushy brow.

Will relaxed a bit, relieved that Applegate wanted to talk about the program. “You’re right about that. But I didn’t see anything in those plans that requires welding. Why do they need me?” he asked.

Applegate cleared his throat loudly and shifted from foot to foot. His dour expression remained, but Will read his body language. Applegate was hedging. “We hoped you could come up with some easier way to help move the sets around.” He cut his gaze at Will. “Ken ya do that? Plus, I got you on the drawing team. It ain’t jest your welding that gotcha on my crew.”

Dread settled over Will at the mention of drawing. He had a feeling he and Haley were going to be spending a lot of time together. Looking away, he focused on Lacy as she waved her hands to get everyone’s attention again.

“Time to break up into individual groups so team leaders can set up work schedules,” she called out, her face beaming. “All cast members see me.”

Will hadn’t known Lacy long, but it was obvious she had a heart for Mule Hollow. He’d moved home to help keep the town alive, but it was evident that Lacy had come here, set the town on her shoulders and was pushing with all her might to make it a place people wanted to set roots in. He liked her, and watching her get this production together he could fully understand how she’d been able to talk a bunch of dusty cowboys into painting their town the colors of a Joseph’s coat of many colors. He smiled as she waved her arms over her head then met her husband Clint’s gaze and sent him a kiss airmail. Something tugged inside Will watching the affection that passed between his old friend and his new wife. Will had always wanted that, but he’d resigned himself to the fact that he would probably never have it.

A flash of red caught his eye and, as quick as that, he was watching Haley again as she removed the little red coat she’d been wearing. The room was warm as toast, but when she slipped her graceful arms from the wool coat, he wished the heat would stop working. It was obvious that she’d stayed in shape, though she did look a bit thin to him. She probably worked out alongside the rich and famous at one of those preppy little gyms. After all, networking was a fact of life in any business, especially Haley’s profession. If you wanted to be successful, you had to go where your clients were—and looking at the tanned, lean muscles of Haley’s arms and her trim figure clad in the shimmering sleeveless top and flowing skirt that clung to her hips then flared out about her legs in a soft swirl of vibrant cloth, it was more than apparent that she must know all about networking.

“Hey, Will, what’s up?” Sheri Gentry said, sailing past him to grab the coffeepot. Will sidestepped out of the way. Everyone knew that Sheri, the local nail tech and co-owner with Lacy of the salon Heavenly Inspirations, was a coffee-drinking dynamo. She and her husband, Pace, had just arrived back from a trip to Australia and like Haley, Sheri had a tan that wouldn’t quit.

“Not much, Sheri. How’s life treating you?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Peachy.”

Will chuckled then found himself glancing back toward Haley. He was so surprised to find her walking his way that he almost dropped his cup. He’d been out of line at their last meeting. If they were going to be working together, he had to be a man about it and act like an adult. That meant holding his tongue and keeping the past in the past.

Haley stopped beside Applegate, resting a hand on App’s crossed arms and lifting an eyebrow. “Interesting group we have for the prop production.”

It wasn’t a question but a forthright statement that said she, too, hadn’t missed that they were on the same team. And she had her suspicions. Applegate’s expression didn’t change at all. He looked from Haley to Will. “We needed persons with creativity and abilities, and the two of you fit the bill purdy perfect. I ’spect the good Lord was smiling on us when He brought the two of you back here. So, of course, I picked the both of you fer the design team. Now, I got me a good group of painters and such, but seein’ how the two of you is so good at drawin’ I figured y’ all kin git in here first, draw up the different sets Lacy’s askin’ fer and then we kin pull the others away from their other projects to paint.”

Will met Haley’s gaze and couldn’t miss her look of displeasure. Well, he wasn’t any more thrilled at being thrown in with her than she was. All the years since she’d abandoned him at the altar had left him with emotions he tried to keep buried deep. There was no way of getting around the fact that he’d thought all these years that he still loved her. But he’d realized just this week that there was indeed a fine line between love and hate. And though he didn’t hate Haley, these feelings he’d been carrying around couldn’t still be love. More likely they were a mixture of hurt, loss and longing for what she’d left behind.

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