“You just verified something for me.”

“What’s that?”

“You are naughty.”

She laughed again. “Only at times.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Mia wasn’t given time to ponder Kenyon’s cryptic statement—she found herself in his arms again and carried into the en suite bath. There was a soaking tub set into a raised platform and a shower enclosure with two showerheads.

Anchoring her arms under his shoulders, she pressed her breasts to his chest when he lowered her feet to the shower floor. The area between her legs was wet, throbbing. Her craving for Kenyon surpassed anything she’d ever felt and didn’t want to feel again. She sucked in her breath when a stream of cold water flowed over her head before Kenyon adjusted the temperature.

“It is warm enough now?”

Mia nodded. She wanted to tell him she was on fire, that she needed him inside her to extinguish the flame. “Yes-s-s.”

ROCHELLE ALERS

has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most prolific and popular African-American authors of romance and women’s fiction.

With more than sixty titles and nearly two million copies of her novels in print, Ms. Alers is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, is regularly chosen by Black Expressions Book Club and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Gold Pen Award, an Emma Award, a Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award and a Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.

Ms. Alers is a member of the Iota Theta Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling. She has traveled to Europe and countries in North, South and Central America. Her future travel plans include visits to Hong Kong and New Zealand. Ms. Alers is also accomplished in knitting, crocheting and needlepoint. She is currently taking instruction in the art of hand quilting.

Oliver, a toy Yorkshire terrier, has become the newest addition to her family. When he’s not barking at passing school buses, the tiny dog can be found sleeping on her lap while she spends hours in front of the computer.

A full-time writer, Ms. Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.

Sweet Destiny
Rochelle Alers

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

—Matthew 5:5

To my editor, Evette Porter—

thanks for the encouragement, chats and the laughs as we continue this incredible journey together.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the second of a two-book Eaton summer wedding series. This time it is Dr. Mia Eaton’s turn to walk down the aisle.

I set Sweet Destiny in West Virginia’s Mingo County to offer you a glimpse into a slower, more humble way of life. Dallas born and bred, Mia does not know what to expect when she accepts a position as a public health doctor in a region of Appalachia described as “rich yet poor, exploited yet underdeveloped, scarred yet beautiful.” This also describes Kenyon Chandler—a man who views pampered, snobby Mia as geographically undesirable until she proves she has the determination and resolve to become the first Eaton to put down roots in the Mountain State.

Look for Dr. Levi Eaton’s Sweet Southern Nights in early 2012, when he meets a true Southern belle living a double life. Tempers flare, sparks fly and the only happily-ever-after Angela Chase is certain of is what she reads in her romance novels.

Read, love and read romance.

Rochelle Alers

www.rochellealers.org

ralersbooks@aol.com

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Mia Eaton asked a very pregnant Chandra Eaton-Tucker, when she noticed her cousin fidgeting restlessly on the window seat.

With one hand resting on her swollen belly and the other at the small of her back, Chandra exhaled audibly. “I’m good. It was just another contraction.”

Mia gave Chandra a look that made her cousin sit up straight. “How close are your contractions?”

“Not close at all. I am not in labor, Dr. Eaton,” Chandra said, as she pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. “Please give me a few minutes to get myself together.”

“Don’t…” The door to the bedroom opened as the sound of voices interrupted Mia.

Denise Eaton swept into the room wearing a diaphanous wedding dress made of yards of white silk and satin, trailed by the bride’s cousin Belinda Rice, in a black silk-chiffon, Regency-inspired, floor-length gown.

It was New Year’s Eve, just four hours before the clock struck midnight, and close to a hundred people, including family and friends of the bride and groom, had gathered in the ballroom of a palatial Philadelphia colonial to witness the exchange of vows between Denise Eaton and Garrett Fennell. The bride had chosen her cousins Chandra, Belinda and Mia as her attendants. The groom’s stepfather, half brother and a close business associate were Garrett’s groomsmen.

Mia watched Denise as she lifted the skirt to her gown to reveal a pair of hand-embroidered antique shoes. The heels of the bride’s shoes dug deeply into the carpet. A profusion of miniature white roses pinned in her tightly curled hair took the place of a veil. With a slight lift of Chandra’s chin, the motion barely perceptible to the others in the room, Mia turned and walked toward the door as Denise and Belinda followed.

“Please, Mia, don’t tell me Chandra’s going to push that baby out before the ceremony.” Denise’s expression had changed from shock to concern.

Mia smiled, shaking her head. “She’s not going to have her baby. But she is in some discomfort. I know she isn’t going to want me to examine her, but maybe you can ask my dad to check on her.” Mia Eaton had followed in her father’s footsteps and graduated from medical school. But unlike Dr. Hyman Eaton, whose specialty was obstetrics and gynecology, she had opted for family medicine like her uncle Dwight.

One of the Eaton family’s long-standing traditions was that you either went into medicine, law or education. But the occupational landscape had changed for the current generation of Eatons.

Lately it seemed as if there was either an Eaton wedding or birth several times a year. Mia had attended the weddings of Belinda and Griffin Rice, Myles and Zabrina Mixon, and Chandra and Preston Tucker. Now she was part of the bridal party of Denise and Garrett Fennell. Another generation of Eatons had arrived with the birth of Grant Rice II and his cousins Layla and Sabrina, who were being raised by their aunt and uncle, Belinda and Griffin; there were also Myles and Zabrina’s 10-year-old son, Adam, and their infant daughter, Renee Eaton. And in about another month Chandra was expected to give birth. She and her husband had decided that they didn’t want to know the sex of the baby beforehand. Mia’s plans, however, did not include marriage or children for at least for five or six years. She’d completed her internship, passed her medical boards and was now focused on her residency.

Belinda’s gaze shifted from her sister Chandra to her cousin. “You stay here, Denise. After all, you’re the bride and people shouldn’t see you before the ceremony. I’ll go and get Uncle Hyman.”

Denise nodded. When she’d asked Chandra to be her matron of honor, she knew Chandra was pregnant. However the baby wasn’t expected until mid-to-late January. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll wait here.”

Mia and Denise sat on either side of Chandra, holding her hand. The resemblance between the three cousins was remarkable. They were undeniably Eaton women, having inherited their rich golden-brown coloring and thick curly hair from their paternal grandmother, Libby Harris-Eaton.

Denise looked at Mia. “I can’t believe you’re serious about doing your residency in West Virginia instead of Texas.”

A smile parted her lips. “Believe it, cousin. Doctors are as scarce as hen’s teeth in the area where I plan to practice.”

“Had you considered becoming a small-town doctor before we went to Matewan for my brother’s wedding?” Denise’s brother Xavier Eaton had married Selena Yates in Charleston, South Carolina, after a whirlwind romance. The two had repeated their vows in a West Virginia church overflowing with members of the Eaton and Yates families. After the ceremony, everyone retreated to a barn that had been transformed into an elegant setting with tiny white lights, bales of hay and cornstalks for a festive Thanksgiving dinner reception. The food, music and down-home atmosphere turned into a party that went on well into the early morning hours.

“No,” Mia said truthfully. “At Xavier’s reception, I overhead someone at my table talk about having to drive more than twenty miles to the nearest hospital just to have some blood work done because the local doctor had moved away. Driving forty miles round-trip to have blood drawn when it can be done in a doctor’s office and sent off to a lab is ridiculous in this day and age, Dee. That’s when I decided to stay an extra week and check out whether my medical training could best be utilized in rural West Virginia.”

Mia had gone online and inquired about employment opportunities for doctors on West Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Services website. And before the end of the week, she had an interview. When she was told that the only doctor in the small town of Jonesburg was semiretired, she decided to accept an offer to assist the elderly family physician.

A hint of a smile tilted the corners of Denise’s generous mouth. “So, my high-maintenance cousin is going to trade in her designer threads for flannel and work boots to become a small-town doctor.”

“That’s a small sacrifice when compared to offering people, many of whom are living at or below the poverty line, adequate medical care.”

Denise sobered. “You’ve changed, Mia.”

“In what way?” she asked.

A beat passed and Chandra opened her eyes. “We used to call you Little Miss Tish.”

Mia blinked and then went completely still, holding her breath until she felt her chest tightly constrict. Her eyes narrowed as she was forced to breathe. “Are you saying I act like my mother did?”

Letitia Sanders-Eaton had never gotten along with her in-laws, and the feeling was mutual. There were years when Mia didn’t see her Philadelphia cousins because Tish Eaton thought they were too boorish for her taste. She hadn’t agreed with her mother’s assessment of the rest of the Eatons, so when she’d applied and was accepted at a number of colleges, Mia decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania so that she would be close to her relatives. Despite promising her father that she would attend his alma mater, Texas Southwestern, for medical school, she’d exercised her newfound independence even more and attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

She gave the soon-to-be mother a sidelong glance. “That’s cold, Chandra.”

“You do act a little snobby at times,” Denise added, agreeing with Chandra.

“I am not a snob!”

Chandra laughed, resting a hand over her protruding belly, which was covered by the billowy skirt of the black silk chiffon gown. “You remind me of Nixon when he said ‘I am not a crook.’” She affected a gruff-sounding voice reminiscent of the former president that had Denise and Mia laughing uncontrollably.

Mia released Chandra’s hand. “You must be feeling a lot better.” She smoothed the skirt of her empire-waist gown. In keeping with the New Year’s Eve holiday theme, Denise Eaton had decided on a black-and-white color scheme for her wedding. All of the bridesmaids wore black dresses, and Denise wore a black satin sash around the waistline of her white gown.

Chandra winked at Denise as she rose from the window seat. “If you’re ready to get married, then I’m ready to waddle across the ballroom as your matron of honor.” She was on her feet by the time there was a knock at the door and two tuxedo-clad middle-aged men entered the bedroom. “It’s okay. I’m all right,” she said, as doctors Hyman and Dwight Eaton approached.

Hyman looked closely at his niece. “Are saying you’re all right because you don’t want me to examine you, or are you really all right?”

Chandra pressed her hands together, as the overhead fixture refracted the brilliant blue-and-white prisms of light that bounced off the diamonds on her left hand. “Yes, I am really all right. Can we please do this so I can sit down?”

Denise smiled at her attendants. “Okay ladies. Let’s do this.”

The four women picked up the beautiful bouquets that lined the padded bench at the foot of the queen-size bed in Denise’s childhood bedroom.

Mia sat at the bridal table, nodding and smiling as the hands on the wristwatch of the man sitting on her right inched closer to one in the morning. Although she didn’t get to see her Pennsylvania relatives as much as she’d liked, she’d always managed to stay abreast of family news, since Denise, Chandra or Belinda would occasionally email her with the latest gossip.

She was more than a bit shocked to learn that Trey Chambers Jr. was really Garrett Fennell’s half brother. The last she’d heard was that Rhett and Trey had had a falling out over Denise, but that was before Rhett was aware that he and Trey had the same father.

Trey Chambers cast a sidelong glance at the woman with the close-cropped, curly black hair who’d been his partner in the wedding party. She was stunning—tall and slender, with curves in all the right places. Trey saw Mia as more the high-fashion model type than a doctor. Her large dark, wide-set eyes didn’t look at him, but through him. It was as if she could see through the slick veneer he’d affected over the years to get women into bed. It’d worked on most women, but not with Mia Eaton. And he’d certainly tried and failed several times to get her number.

His gaze lingered on her delicate profile, with lips so tempting that he was forced to look away. “Are you certain you don’t want me to get you something to drink?” he asked in a quiet tone.

Mia forced a smile. “I’m very certain,” she said. Rising from the table, she pushed back her chair. “Please excuse me.” She had to leave to change out of the gown and into clothes suitable for traveling.

After the reception, Mia, Xavier and his wife, Selena, were planning to fly to Kentucky and then travel on to Matewan, West Virginia, where the newlyweds would spend a week with her family before returning to South Carolina. Xavier had reserved a car that would take her and his wife to a regional airport for a nonstop flight to Pikesville, Kentucky. Mia planned to stay overnight with the Yates’, then drive eighteen miles south to Jonesburg to meet the local physician, Dr. Millard Lyman, and settle into her new place. She’d packed enough to last a week, hoping the rest of her luggage filled with clothes and other items she would need to set up her apartment would arrive in West Virginia as planned.

Before leaving the reception, Mia nodded to her father as he spun her mother around the ballroom dance floor. Her relationship with her mother, Leticia, had become somewhat strained, since her mother refused to accept the fact that she wanted to become a country doctor instead of setting up her own practice in Dallas.

Twenty minutes after retreating to Denise’s bedroom, Mia walked out with a leather tote containing her ticket and a carry-on bag. Dressed in jeans, Doc Martens, an Irish-knit pullover sweater and ski jacket, she left the house through a rear entrance.

The driver sitting behind the wheel of a town car got out and opened the rear door upon her approach. He touched the shiny bill of his cap before he took her bags. “Mr. and Mrs. Eaton are on their way.”

Mia nodded, ducking her head as she got into the limo. She was dog-tired—exhausted. After working a double shift, her flight had arrived in Philadelphia just hours before the wedding rehearsal, followed by the rehearsal dinner at a popular restaurant.

The next morning was spent at a full-service beauty salon and spa. A facial, massage, waxing, manicure and pedicure, followed by a midday snack and then hair and makeup, had left her more out of sorts than relaxed. Much to her mother’s chagrin, she’d opted to have her hair styled in a low-maintenance pixie cut. The shortened strands would save valuable time because she wouldn’t have to set and blow-dry her hair.

Settling back on the leather seat, she closed her eyes. Mia stirred when she felt Selena and Xavier join her in the rear of the limousine, but she didn’t open her eyes. She was wide awake, however, by the time they arrived at the regional airport and went through security. Almost as soon as she fastened her seat belt, she fell asleep again before takeoff.

“We’re here.”

Mia’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to get her bearings. They were on the ground, and the small aircraft was taxiing to the gate at the small terminal. She smiled at Selena Yates-Eaton, owner of Sweet Persuasions, a Charleston, South Carolina pastry shop. The pastry chef had made the most beautiful wedding cake for her sister-in-law. The detailed flowers on the cake matched those in Denise’s wedding bouquet.

Stretching her body like a cat, she rolled her head from side to side. “How long will it take to get to your home town?”

Selena smiled, scrunching up her nose. “It’ll be long enough for you to take another power nap.”

Mia massaged the back of her neck. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch up when it comes to sleep.”

“Treating patients in Mingo County will be a lot different than seeing those in a big city. I’m not saying you won’t have your share of patients with health problems, but it will mostly be sick kids and their mothers. Most men don’t put much stock in seeing a doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary. Speaking of men, I’d better turn on my cell phone and see if my dad called. He said he would come to pick us up.”

Mia liked her cousin’s wife. Although she found Selena friendly, Selena also possessed a certain shyness that Mia found endearing. And, she knew Selena had to be quite special if Xavier had been willing to give up bachelorhood. Mia had lost count of the number of women who’d asked her to introduce them to the one-time career military officer. But she usually told them he was involved with another woman, to avoid any hurt feelings. Most of her med school classmates were looking for husbands, and what they hadn’t known about Xavier was that he wasn’t the marrying kind—until now.

The aircraft had come to a complete stop and the seat-belt light was extinguished. Xavier unsnapped his seat belt and moved toward the seat facing Mia’s. He smiled. “Feeling better?”

She returned his smile. “Like a new woman.” Mia felt better than she had in days. The flight was just long enough for her to get a little shut-eye.

Xavier patted her head as he’d done when they were younger. “You’ll get to sleep in late, because Selena’s folks usually stay up late on New Year’s Eve and then sit down to celebrate later in the afternoon with a traditional Southern dinner.”

“Daddy isn’t going to pick us up,” Selena said, listening to her father’s voice-mail message.

Xavier looked at his wife. With her youthful appearance she looked like she was still in high school. “Let’s hope we can rent a car.”

Selena shook her head. “Kenyon’s coming to pick us up.” She stared at Mia, remembering Kenyon’s remark at her wedding reception. He thought Mia was pretty, but he also thought that she was stuck-up. And she was looking forward to seeing the sheriff of Jonesburg’s reaction when he was formally introduced to Dr. Mia Eaton, the town’s new doctor.

Mia waited with the others in the biting cold January night, while their luggage was unloaded from the plane’s cargo compartment and left on the tarmac for passengers to retrieve. She smiled. There was no moving sidewalk, no elevator, no escalator or monorail to the baggage claim area. It was de-board the plane and pick up your bags. Xavier grasped the handle to Mia’s luggage, while shouldering his own. Minutes later they walked into a warm terminal. There were at least a dozen people waiting for arriving passengers, hugging and kissing their loved ones, greeting one another for the New Year.

Kenyon Chandler saw his cousin, her husband and a woman he was sure he’d never see again. It had been a little more than a month, but he’d remembered everything about her as if it had been minutes before. Taking long, smooth strides, he closed the distance between himself and the trio.

He noticed the difference in Mia Eaton immediately. She’d cut her hair, the style accentuating her incredibly beautiful face. He felt the full force of her gaze, meeting and fusing with his. The recognition was barely perceptible, but she’d lifted her chin, staring at him along the length of her delicate nose. He was unsure whether she was staring at him with aloofness or icy disdain.

Reluctantly, he pulled his eyes away from the tall woman in a pair of jeans that hugged her hips and long legs like a second skin, and he smiled at Selena. “Happy New Year, cuz.” Bending his head, he kissed her cheek.

Looping her arms around Kenyon’s neck, Selena pressed a kiss to his smooth jaw. “Same to you. What’s up with my dad?”

“He had a little too much holiday libation,” Kenyon whispered in her ear. Reaching up, he eased her arms from around his neck and extended a hand to Xavier. “Welcome back.”

Xavier shook his hand, slapping Kenyon’s shoulder. “Thank you. I don’t know if you were ever formally introduced to my cousin at the wedding.” Turning slightly, he reached for Mia’s free hand, pulling her to his side. “Mia, this is Kenyon Chandler. Kenyon, Mia Eaton. She’s going to be Jonesburg’s new doctor.”

The expression on Kenyon’s face spoke volumes. As sheriff of Jonesburg he hadn’t been informed by the mayor or any of the trustees that they were getting a new doctor. Recovering quickly, he offered Mia his hand. “Even though we’re in Kentucky, I’d like to be the first one to extend a warm welcome to Jonesburg, West Virginia.”

Mia stared at the large hand as if it were a venomous reptile. Seconds later her hand disappeared into his warm grasp. She detected calluses on the palm, which told her Kenyon was no stranger to hard work. She felt as if she were lost in a fog when she stared into a pair of large, deep-set dark gray eyes ringed by long, thick black lashes. His eyes were a startling contrast to his dark brown coloring.

“Thank you so much.” Mia’s smile and voice was filled with sincerity.

Kenyon reached for her luggage and Selena’s carry-on. “I’m parked outside.” Turning on his heels, he led the way out of the terminal to the parking lot. Pressing a button on a remote device he started up a dark blue SUV with West Virginia license plates. A placard in the windshield identified him as Mingo County law enforcement. He opened the passenger-side door. “Mia, you can ride up front with me. That way you can tell me why you decided to practice medicine in Appalachia instead of in the big city.”

Mia went completely still. Had she heard him right? Was there a hint of derisiveness in Kenyon’s voice? She squared her shoulders. Her eyes moved slowly over the features under the wide-brim, Western-style black hat. Despite her annoyance she had to admit he was drop-dead gorgeous. When he leaned forward and lowered his impressive height, he still eclipsed Mia, who was five-ten, by another four or five inches.

“Does it really matter why I’m here? Shouldn’t it be more about addressing the medical needs of the people in this region?”

“It’s just that I need to know a little something about the folks who hang out in my town.”

“Hang out! What makes you think I’m here to hang—”

“We’ll talk later,” Kenyon interrupted. “It’s cold and late, and the weather folks are predicting snow. So let’s go before the roads get too slippery.”

Mia clenched her teeth to stop the verbal tirade poised on the tip of her tongue. Kenyon was right. It was late, and the night air was biting and raw. There was also a fog in the air that hinted of precipitation. She let the obnoxious man cup her elbow as she hoisted herself onto the front seat of the SUV. She stared out the windshield as the door closed with a solid thud. The heat flowing through the vehicle’s vents wrapped around her like a blanket, pulling her into a cocoon of warmth and relaxation. Her mother had been disappointed in her decision to leave Dallas, and Kenyon Chandler was suspicious because she’d chosen to practice medicine in Appalachia.

Mia understood her mother’s attitude, but what she couldn’t fathom was Kenyon’s skepticism. Maybe it didn’t matter to him that someone had to drive twenty miles one way for a procedure that could have been done in a doctor’s office, saving the patient time and money. He’d mentioned his town, and she wondered if he was oblivious to the medical needs of its residents. It wasn’t as if they lived in a large urban area, or even a suburb where there was easy access to hospitals and medical clinics. She’d researched the demographics of Jonesburg, and the per capita income for the town was depressing. She’d grown up with girls who spent more money on clothes, makeup and perfume in a year than the median income for Jonesburg’s house holds.

Nothing her mother or Kenyon had said could dampen her enthusiasm for practicing medicine alongside a doctor with nearly forty years of experience. She’d come to West Virginia to work with Dr. Lyman and eventually take over his practice once he retired.

Chapter 2

Mia didn’t fall asleep, preferring instead to stare out the side window at the surrounding landscape. Xavier and Selena had fallen asleep in the rear seat within minutes of getting into the Yukon SUV.

Kenyon had tuned the vehicle’s radio to a station that featured blues music as sad as it was haunting. Music her mother said was played in juke joints throughout the South—music law-abiding and churchgoing folks would never listen to.

A slight smile softened her mouth when a husky-throated woman, accompanied by a harmonica and guitar, sang about loving her no-account, cheating lover. And no matter how many women he’d fooled with, she loved him because he was the only man who made her feel like a real live woman, according to the lyrics.

“She’s a fool,” Mia mumbled between clenched teeth.

“Is she a fool for loving her man, or a fool for putting up with his cheating?”

She turned and stared at Kenyon. He’d removed his hat and she was able to see all of his face. Dark, short-cropped hair hugged his well-shaped head like a cap. It was the first thing he’d said in more than forty minutes, and she chided herself for voicing her thoughts aloud.

“Both. There’s no reason why a woman should have to put up with a cheating man.”

“Why do you think they do?”

The seconds ticked before she said, “Low self-esteem. I believe women who put up with cheating men love the men more than they love themselves, and for me that’s a no-no.”

Kenyon drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, keeping rhythm with the music flowing through the sound system. That single statement told him all he wanted or needed to know about Mia. If or when it came to a relationship, she would be unforgiving.

“You like blues?” Kenyon had asked yet another question, deftly changing the topic.

“Some.”

“Which do you prefer?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “I thought they were all the same.”

Kenyon took his eyes off the narrow unlit road for a second, his gaze caressing Mia’s face as she stared directly at him. “There’s Delta blues, Chicago and Detroit blues.”

“I like B. B. King.”

“Good Mississippi bluesman.”

“What about Eric Clapton?”

Kenyon smiled, and attractive lines fanned out around his luminous eyes. “Another fine bluesman, albeit from across the pond.”

Mia noticed the harsh edge in Kenyon’s voice was missing. Could it be he wasn’t that resentful of her moving into his town? “Should I assume you are the law in Jones burg?”

The vocalist had stopped, and there was only the sound of harmonica playing, the haunting beats keeping tempo with the sound of tires slapping the roadway. She thought he hadn’t heard her, so Mia shifted again to stare out the side window. It was beginning to snow. Tiny flakes fluttered from a sky too dark to see, landing on the asphalt roadway. Naked tree branches along the highway broke up the occasional flecks of light that shone through the windows of those who were still in the partying mood or had left the lights on for latecomers.

They crossed the state line from Kentucky into West Virginia, and if it hadn’t been for the highway marker Mia would not have been able to discern one state from the other. She was in mining country, where the hills rose and fell, and where great mounds of earth were stripped for their rich mineral deposits.

“Yes, I am the sheriff of Jonesburg.”

It had been a full two minutes since Mia had asked the question—so long that she thought Kenyon hadn’t heard it or he had decided not to answer.

She turned to look at him again. He and Selena were cousins, but the only physical resemblance they shared was in their coloring, and she wondered if perhaps they were related by marriage. “How long have you been in office?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“If I’m going to live in Jonesburg, then I believe I should know something about the people who live there.” She’d turned the tables, repeating what he’d said to her.

Kenyon decelerated as he maneuvered around a sharp curve in the road. The snow was coming down harder. “How long do you plan to live in Jonesburg? Two months?”

“Try two years,” she countered. “I have another two years before I complete my residency.”

“What happens after you complete your residency?”

“You’re asking a lot of questions, Sheriff Chandler. If you suspect I have some ulterior motive, then I suggest you have me investigated. That shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll even help you out. My name is Mia Isabel Eaton. I was born in Dallas, Texas, on June—”

“There’s no need for you to be facetious, Mia,” Kenyon interrupted.

“I’m not being facetious, Kenyon. My living in Jonesburg serves two purposes—completing my residency and helping a semiretired doctor who can no longer make house calls.”

A muscle twitched in Kenyon’s jaw. The image of the woman he’d observed at Selena’s wedding reception was imprinted in his mind like a permanent tattoo. Her hair had been brushed off her face and knotted loosely on the nape of her neck with jeweled hairpins that matched the large diamond studs in her earlobes. She’d worn a one-shouldered dress in a shade that was the exact color of the pumpkins in the centerpieces on each table. She had on snakeskin stilettos in various colors of yellow, red, orange and brown, which added at least four inches to her statuesque figure. She even towered over some of the men in attendance.

A woman’s height was never an issue with Kenyon. At fourteen he was just shy of the six-foot mark, and by the time he’d turned eighteen he stood six-four and his body had filled out where his ribs were no longer visible. By the time he received his official discharge from the Air Force he’d tipped the scales at 220 pounds.

He would’ve asked Mia to dance but didn’t, even after Selena had offered to introduce him to her. The woman with the beautiful face and perfect body, wearing priceless jewelry and haute couture, was a snob, and she hadn’t bothered to hide her disdain for his folk. And for as long as he’d stared at her—not once had she smiled or approached anyone other than her relatives. It had appeared as if the talk about the joining of two families didn’t apply to her.

Now, four weeks later, she had returned to Mingo County, this time to live. Kenyon wanted to warn Mia that her haughty manner would not endear her to the people who didn’t cotton to folks who put on airs.

Mia was right—he had asked a lot of questions, but it been years since someone had come to Jonesburg to live. Most times it was people moving out because they’d either tired of living in a small town where everyone knew everyone and their business, or they were offered better employment opportunities elsewhere. For those living in towns like Jonesburg, generations became miners because their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers were coal miners.

He’d decided not to ask any more questions and instead watched her closely. Six months. That was how much time he’d give Mia before she packed up and returned to the pampered life she’d left behind.

The drive to Matewan took Kenyon twice as long as it would have if it hadn’t been snowing. He’d had to slow down because the snow was falling at a rate of two inches an hour, but it was also wet and heavy. The sound of branches breaking under the weight of the frozen precipitation resounded like gunfire in the stillness of the night. Heavyweight snow also meant loss of power when electrical wires snapped, plunging homes and businesses into darkness until utility crews could get to the region to repair them.

Downshifting, he turned off the county road and onto a local one leading to the house where his grandmother lived with his aunt and uncle. His mother had tried to get her mother to come and live with her, but Lily Yates refused to move out of the converted garage Kenyon and his uncle had renovated into a one-bedroom apartment after her husband passed away.

He maneuvered into the carport next to a late-model sport utility vehicle with Texas plates. The silver Volvo hadn’t been there when he’d left for the airport. Apparently Mia had arranged for her vehicle to be delivered to coincide with her arrival. Kenyon had to admire her for planning ahead. What he still found disturbing was that he hadn’t been informed that Dr. Lyman would have a partner.

He turned off the radio and the engine. “Don’t move. I’ll help you down.” Mia had unsnapped her seat belt.

Mia waited for Kenyon to get out, come around and open her door. He extended his arms and she slid off the seat, her arms going around his neck as he held her aloft for several seconds before her boots sank into a mound of drifting snow.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

A beat passed as he stared at her mouth. Even her smile was sensual. “You’re welcome. Go inside the house where it’s warm.”

Mia hesitated. “Aren’t you going to unlock the door?”

“It’s probably unlocked.” Kenyon motioned with his head. “Go! Now, before you catch a chill.”

Rolling her eyes and carefully putting one foot in front of the other to keep from falling, she walked tentatively up the four steps leading to the porch. She’d left the Lone Star State for the City of Brotherly Love, and then went onto the Mountain State, where the temperatures ranged from the low sixties to below freezing. But Mia was totally unprepared for the snow and biting wind that seemed to search through layers of clothing, chilling her to the bone.

The large farmhouse had a wraparound porch; electric candles lit the many windows, and a large, live pine wreath festooned with tiny glazed ceramic apples, acorns and holly berries was attached to the front door. Mia turned the knob and the door opened. She couldn’t believe people actually went to bed without locking their doors at night. She’d grown up where not only were doors locked at all times, but the house and property was wired and monitored by cameras and a 24/7 security company. She knew it would take her a while to adjust to living and working in a small town.

Stepping onto a thick coir mat, Mia stomped the snow off the soles of her boots before she leaned over to unlace them. She left the Doc Martens on a rag rug lined with boots and shoes. Two dimly lit hurricane lamps on either end of a long wooden table revealed a highly polished walnut floor. Her gaze shifted to the smoldering stone fireplace facing her, and the sweet smell of burning kindling mingled with a scent she recognized as pine. She walked into the living room, smiling. A live pine tree decorated in tiny white lights was positioned near the arched entryway to the dining room. The miniature lights were the same as those that had decorated the barn where Xavier and Selena held their wedding reception. However, these blinked off and on like twinkling stars.

Selena, who’d also removed her shoes, joined her in the living room. “If you follow me I’ll show you where you’ll sleep. I’m giving you my old room, because it’s on the top floor and soundproof. That way you can sleep as late as you want and not hear whatever ruckus is going on down here.”

Mia followed Selena as she mounted the staircase, which had a massive mahogany banister and carved newel posts. She couldn’t wait until daylight to see the magnificent beauty of the wood in the farmhouse. Their sock-covered feet were silent as they climbed the staircase from the first to the third floor. Standing on the landing, she saw there were three doors.

Selena opened one door, reached in and flicked on a switch, and the room where she’d spent her childhood was flooded with soft light from a ceiling fan. She stood to one side as Mia walked in, her eyes taking in everything in what had at one time been her sanctuary.

“Awesome, isn’t it?”

Mia nodded numbly. A four-poster bed, draped in a gossamer fabric, was positioned in an alcove facing another recessed area with a massive armoire fashioned out of the same dark mahogany wood. A window seat running the width of the room could easily accommodate six people. The grate in a stone fireplace, similar to the one in the living room, held a supply of firewood. A large bronze bucket was filled with wood and kindling. Someone hadn’t bothered to close the screen.

“It’s incredible,” she said, when she found her voice. “Who designed this room?”

“My grandfather. He built this house and most of the furniture in it. If he hadn’t been a carpenter or furniture maker he would have become a coal miner. Speaking of furniture, there’s a TV and a collection of DVDs in the armoire.”

“Do you have relatives who are or were miners?” Mia asked.

Selena nodded. “There are several generations of miners on my grandmother’s side of the family. Grandma Lily lost two brothers and an uncle in an explosion, and she vowed that none of her children would ever work in a mine. She did everything, taking in wash, making and selling quilts and even babysitting to put away enough money to send my father and aunt to college. Dad majored in criminal justice and he’s now sheriff of Matewan, and Kenyon’s mother is an expert when it comes to textile designs. Aunt Sylvia’s weaving and quilts are exhibited in the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, and she has donated a collection of quilts to the Textile Heritage Museum in Burlington, North Carolina. Thankfully, my paternal grandfather was the last one to work as a coal miner.”

Mia smiled. One of her questions had been answered. Selena’s father and Kenyon’s mother were siblings. There were a few more questions Mia wanted to ask, but she decided it would be impolite to pry. She didn’t know what it was about Kenyon that elicited more than a passing interest. Although he hadn’t worn a ring, she didn’t know if he was married, single or committed to someone. And, if he was committed then the woman could count herself lucky to have snared such a gorgeous male specimen.

The object of her musings chose that moment to walk into the bedroom carrying her luggage. He’d removed his jacket, and the long-sleeved waffle-weave shirt couldn’t conceal the power in his upper body. Her eyes went to the silver buckle on his belt, but she wasn’t close enough to read the inscription on the ornate piece.

“Thank you for bringing up my bags.”

Kenyon nodded, and then set the tote and Pullman on the floor next to the door. “If you’ve made plans to go to Jonesburg tomorrow, then scrap them.”

A slight frown appeared between Mia’s eyes. “Why?”

“I just got an email that because of blizzard conditions the governor has declared a snow emergency for Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties. Only emergency vehicles carrying essential personnel will be permitted on the roads.”

Mia folded her arms under her breasts. “Can’t I ride along with you? Dr. Lyman is expecting me Monday.”

“No, you can’t ride along with me, because I’m staying here until the road is clear.”

“But…but aren’t you the sheriff?”

A slow smile spread across Kenyon’s face, the expression making him even more appealing. “I do have deputies who are more than capable of filling in for me. Once the roads are plowed I will give you a police escort to Jonesburg.”

Mia lowered her arms. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“No, you don’t.”

Selena glanced at her watch. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m going to try and get at least four hours of sleep before I have to get up and start baking. Mia, you’re a guest, so you can sleep in as late as you want.”

Mia wanted to tell Selena she doubted if she was going to get up late because she’d slept during the flight from Philadelphia to Pikesville. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“It’s already morning,” Kenyon said, reminding her that it was after four in the morning.

Selena took Kenyon’s arm. “Let’s go, wise guy. Mia, the bathroom is the middle door in the landing.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s no need to thank me. After all, we are family.”

After all, we are family. The five words stayed with Mia as she opened her luggage to retrieve a nightgown and grooming supplies. Selena may have considered her family, but she doubted whether Kenyon did. There was no doubt he thought of her as an outsider, an interloper who should’ve stayed in the big city. Well, it didn’t matter what he thought or how he viewed her, she wasn’t going anywhere. She’d come to Mingo County to practice medicine and no one—and that included the law—would stop her from fulfilling her commitment to give the residents of Jonesburg the best care she could provide.

Even though the attic bedroom was warm, the lace-trimmed silk garment was definitely not warm enough for West Virginia’s winter. It seemed as if she would have to trade in Victoria’s Secret for L.L. Bean. She took out a matching robe, placing the garments on the foot of the large bed. Sleeping in the bed draped with yards of fabric must have made Selena feel like a princess.

Walking out of the bedroom with the quilted pouch filled with toiletries, Mia opened the door to the bathroom. A light came on automatically when the door opened. The space was small, but homey. A claw-foot bathtub, with a shower attachment, pedestal sink and a commode harkened back to a bygone era. A bleached pine table cradled an assortment of towels, cloths and bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel.

She turned on the faucets, and added a dollop of bath gel under the running water, and within seconds the distinctive scent of lavender filled the space. Mia brushed her teeth and cleansed her face, rinsing it with cold water, before she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathtub. A soft moan escaped her parted lips as she sank lower in the warm water. It was the perfect way to end what had become a very long day.

Eyes closed, the back of her head resting on a folded towel, Mia mentally counted the number of married Eatons. All of her Uncle Dwight’s children were married—Myles, Belinda and Chandra. Married only months apart, Denise and Xavier had made their mother, Paulette, deliriously happy. Two of Uncle Solomon’s sons were married. The exception was Levi. Then there was Uncle Raleigh, who was now on his fourth marriage. His daughter, Crystal, who lived with her longtime boyfriend, refused to marry because of her father’s inability to remain in a committed relationship.

That left her and Levi. Not only were they the last two unmarried Eatons, but they also had chosen medicine as their career. Dr. Levi Eaton and several other doctors had set up a medical practice in an affluent New York suburb. He’d invited her to New York for a housewarming celebration after he’d purchased a condominium in a luxury building overlooking the Hudson River.

It was Levi and not her father Mia had talked to when her anatomy professor predicted she would never become a doctor. Levi told her that if she did nothing else, she had to prove not only would she become a doctor but also a very good one. She studied longer and harder for his class than the others combined, and when she saw her final grade she called her cousin, screaming that she had done it. She’d earned the highest grade in the class. She knew there would be roadblocks in her life, but Mia hadn’t expected someone to dislike her on sight. The experience made her even more determined to accomplish her goal and earn a medical degree.

The water was beginning to cool when she picked up a bath sponge and lathered her body. She stood up and, using the retractable shower attachment, rinsed off the bubbles. It was another fifteen minutes after she’d patted her skin dry, slathered on a scented moisturizer and cleaned the tub before she walked out of the bathroom. The scent of lavender trailed behind her as she entered the bedroom and pulled the nightgown over her head.

Peering through the lacy sheers at the window she encountered a wall of white. The falling snow obliterated everything. She was snowbound, but she realized it could have been worse. She could’ve been stuck in an airport, sleeping on a chair or curled up on the floor for hours or maybe even days.

For some reason the bath revived her instead of making her feel relaxed. Reaching into her tote, she retrieved her laptop. Turning on the lamp on the bedside table, she sat up in the middle of the bed and waited for it to boot up. She inserted the USB modem and went online. Mia clicked on her mother’s email address:

Hi Mom, Made it to Matewan safely, but will be delayed going on to Jonesburg because of a blizzard. Will hang out with Xavier’s in-laws until roads are passable. Call or text me once you return to Dallas. Hug and kiss Dad for me.

Love,

Mia.

She clicked on her New Mail folder, smiling. The man she’d dated off and on while in medical school had emailed her. Dr. Jayden Wright had moved to Denver to work as an acute care physician. He was a third-year resident when she began her internship. A year into their relationship Jayden proposed and Mia turned him down, saying she wasn’t mentally and emotionally equipped to juggle marriage and career at that time. They’d parted amicably but continued to see each other whenever they needed a date. Their casual relationship ended once Jayden accepted a position in Colorado.

Hey Mee-Mee,

Hope you’re doing well. Thought about you and decided to write. Let me know what you’re up to. Love always, Jay

Mia clicked on Reply and gave him an update. After typing several paragraphs she sent the message then logged off. She had to get some sleep before meeting the Yateses and the Chandlers later that day.

Chapter 3

Mia woke to diffuse light coming through the sheers. The house appeared to be as silent as a tomb. Then she remembered Selena telling her the third floor was soundproof. Folding back the many quilts, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, walking barefoot over to the window. Sitting on the cushioned window seat, she wiped away the condensation with her fingers and peered out the window to find it was still snowing.

When she’d gone to college in Philadelphia, it had been the first time she’d experienced a real honest-to-goodness snowstorm. It had snowed nonstop for two days, and when it finally stopped Philly was buried under more than two feet of frozen precipitation. It had been a weekend and Mia had found herself snowed in with her cousins Belinda, Chandra and Denise, who’d come over to her aunt Roberta and uncle Dwight’s house to hang out with Chandra. They had talked to Donna Rice—Belinda and Chandra’s older sister—and her twin daughters using a webcam.

Mia felt hot tears prick the backs of her eyelids when she thought about Donna. Her cousin had died, along with her husband, Grant Rice, in a horrific head-on collision when a drunk driver swerved across the road and collided with their car. Earlier, after their daughters had been born, Grant and Donna had named Belinda and Grant’s brother, Griffin, as legal guardians to Sabrina and Layla. Ironically, Belinda and Griffin eventually married and were now the parents of three children with the birth of their son, Grant Rice II.

Mia chided herself for becoming depressed when she should have been looking forward and not reminiscing about the past. As a doctor, she’d experienced the miracle of life and the finality of death. But she didn’t want to become so far removed from the cycle of life that she became indifferent. She was a scientist and a realist, but she was also empathetic—sometimes too empathetic to be a good doctor, she thought.

Stretching her body across the window seat, she closed her eyes, willing her mind to go blank. She’d begun meditating, on the advice of her roommate, who’d shared a two-bedroom apartment with her in downtown Houston. Mia found the exercise calming, and it left her feeling balanced. As an only child she’d grown up pampered and protected. But as she matured, what most people would consider protected and indulged she thought of as being smothered. Even when she’d gotten her driver’s license, her mother had arranged to have a chauffeur at her disposal. Of course her friends loved sitting in the back of the limo pretending they were out on the town.

What they couldn’t understand was that Mia wanted to do things normal girls did: hang out at the mall, have sleepovers, go to the movies, flirt with boys and attend high school football and basketball games. But for Letitia Eaton, her daughter’s sleepovers were catered affairs, and Mia’s sweet sixteen was comparable to a high society wedding.

The clock on the fireplace mantelpiece chimed the hour, and she opened her eyes. It was nine o’clock, time to get up and face the first day of a new year.

Mia had showered, shampooed her hair, made the bed and put the bedroom in order when she skipped down the staircase to the first floor. Dressed in a pair of tailored black wool gabardine slacks, a cashmere twinset and a pair of leather ballet-type flats, she walked into a large kitchen to find Selena with three women, all of whom were talking at the same time.

“Good morning.”

The trio turned to look at her. Recognition dawned on the face of Selena’s mother. With the exception of the gray strands in her hair, Selena was a younger version of Geneva Yates. Even without a formal introduction she knew the eldest woman was Kenyon’s grandmother. He hadn’t inherited her coloring, which looked like aged parchment, but he did have her cool gray eyes. Her silky, silver hair was fashioned in a bun on the nape of her long, elegant neck.

“Good morning,” came a chorus of female voices.

Selena approached Mia, pulling her into the kitchen. “I didn’t expect you to be up this early.”

“Whenever I wake up, I usually get up. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the luxury of sleeping in late.”

“Maybe if you had a husband you’d have an excuse for staying in bed,” Lily Yates mumbled loudly.

“Grandma Lily!” Selena and Geneva said in unison.

Lily, a tall, slender, raw-boned woman, waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t ‘Grandma Lily’ me, because you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Her eyes narrowed when she stared at Mia. “You’re not going to worry much longer about that, because I see you getting married.”

Geneva put down the wooden spoon she’d used to mix a batch of cornmeal. “Grandma Lily, please stop. You’re scaring Mia.”

“No, she’s not,” Lily countered, “even though she looks like she would blow away in a strong wind. No, Geneva. This young girl don’t scare that easily. Do you?”

“No ma’am.”

Lily clapped her hands. “See, I told you.”

Geneva gave her mother-in-law a disapproving look. “Please don’t start with you seeing visions.”

“Why is it everyone else believes me when I see things, but you don’t, Geneva? The only time you ever listened to me was when I told you not to marry that good-for-nothing triflin’ Jimmy Pritchett. Of course he ended up just where I said he would. In prison! But, then you redeemed yourself when you married my son.”

“Mama.” It wasn’t often that Geneva referred to her mother in-law as Mama. But when she did, Lily knew she was upset with her. “Don’t forget that we have a house guest.”

Lily shoved her hands into the patch pockets on her bibbed apron. “Must you be reminded that Mia is family, not a houseguest. In fact, she will…” Her words trailed off before she predicted what she’d seen in the vision that had flashed in her mind.

“She will what, Grandma?” Selena asked.

“Never mind,” Lily mumbled under her breath. She’d learned over the years there were some things better left unsaid. “Mia, can you cook?”

The question caught Mia off guard. “A little.”

“I can see that, because you’re skinny as a rail. Sit down and I’ll fix you something to eat.”

Mia’s gaze shifted from Lily to Selena, who nodded, then back to Lily. “Thank you, Miss Lily.”

“None of that Miss Lily business. Call me what everyone calls me. Grandma Lily.” She said Grandma as if it were a grand title, like Your Highness or Mr. President. Lily Masterson-Yates was proud of her grandmother status, and now at seventy-six she was looking forward to the birth of her great-grandchildren.

“Can I perhaps help out with something? I’m not very hungry.”

Selena reached for Mia’s hand, directing her to a round oak table in the dining nook of the expansive kitchen. “We were all going to sit down and eat breakfast before we start cooking.”

“What about Xavier?”

“He’s still in bed. So is everyone else. The men probably won’t get up until it’s time for the football games. Then you’ll have to blow them out of the family room to sit down to eat. Dinner will last about three hours—sometimes four, then everyone retreats to the family room to watch a movie or sleep it off.”

“How many bedrooms do you have in this house?” Mia asked.

“Six, not counting the one in the attic. Then there’s my grandmother’s apartment in the converted garage. I’ll give you a tour after we finish cooking. By that time everyone should be up.”

“I’m not the world’s greatest cook, but at least I can help with something.”

“How are you with slicing and dicing?”

Mia smiled. “I know how to use a scalpel.”

Throwing back her head, Selena laughed loudly. “Should I be afraid of you?”

“Nah! If I was going to go after someone I’d use a gun rather than a knife.”

Selena’s eyebrows lifted a fraction. “You know how to use a gun?”

“Girl, please. I’m from Texas. I can shoot the cap off a longneck thirty feet away.”

“Well, damn!” Selena drawled.

“There will be no talk of shootin’ ’round here,” Lily called out. “It’s enough I have to see my son and grandson carrying guns like they were attached to their bodies.”

Mia leaned closer to Selena. “She heard that?”

“My eyes aren’t as sharp as they used to be, but there’s not a darn thing wrong with my ears,” Lily said sharply.

“Would you prefer I carry a slingshot instead, Grandma?”

All gazes were trained on Kenyon as he strolled into the kitchen. Mia hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until she felt slightly light-headed. Kenyon was dressed entirely in black: T-shirt, jeans and thick black socks. He wasn’t wearing a belt, and the waistband on his jeans rode low on his waist. He also hadn’t bothered to shave, and the stubble on his lean jaw enhanced his blatant masculinity. His cropped black hair lay on his scalp without a hint of curl.

Lily glared at her grandson. “You don’t need to be sheriff.”

Kenyon ignored what had become his grandmother’s mantra, approached her and swung her up off the floor as easily as if she were a small child, kissing her cheek. “Good morning and Happy New Year, Grandma.” He released, then kissed Geneva. “Good morning, Aunt Gee.”

“Don’t you dare pick up me,” Selena warned as Kenyon came toward her. She rested her palms over her belly in a protective gesture.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt the baby.”

“What baby!?” Geneva gasped.

Selena affected a sheepish expression. “I’m still not sure. I want to wait until the end of the week to make certain.”

Geneva’s hand shook as she placed it over her mouth. She was expected to become grandmother of twins in another three months, and now the announcement that her daughter could be pregnant had shaken her normally unflappable composure.

“Why wait?”

Selena exhaled an audible sigh. “I don’t have a choice. It’s not as if I can wade through two feet of snow to buy a pregnancy kit.”

“I have a kit.”

Turning slowly, Kenyon stared at Mia. He’d thought her single, but now there was the possibility that she might be carrying another man’s baby. “Do you also suspect you’re pregnant?”

Mia felt a shiver of annoyance and embarrassment flood her body. If she was or wasn’t pregnant, it still was none of Kenyon’s business. Why, she thought, was he so interested in her personal life? “No. I am not pregnant. But I always carry a kit in my medical bag.” She felt a modicum of redemption when he managed to look embarrassed at her come back.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled.

“Apology accepted.” Mia winked at Selena. “Do you or don’t you want to know?”

Geneva nodded her head like a bobblehead doll. “Say yes.”

Selena stared at her grandmother. “Do you want to know, Grandma Lily?”

Lily sat on a stool at the cooking island. “Take the test, Selena.”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“Stop badgering your grandmother and take the damn test,” Geneva spat out.

Selena jumped as if she’d been struck by a sharp object. She’d never known her mother to be so testy. “Oooo-kay,” she drawled. She sighed at the same time she blew out a breath. “Let’s go, Dr. Eaton. You just got your first patient.”

Mia gave Kenyon her best saccharine grin. “Kenyon, I need you to do something for me.”

Inky-black eyebrows lifted questioningly. “What is it?”

“I’m going to need you to help me get to my car. My medical bag is stored in a locked compartment under the hatch.”

She’d made arrangements for two drivers, one driving her SUV and the other a rental, to leave her car in Matewan. They were instructed to drive north to Charleston, leave the rental at the airport and take a return flight to Houston. If she hadn’t had to attend Denise’s wedding in Philadelphia she would’ve made the thousand-mile drive by herself.

Kenyon held out his hand. “Give me your keys and I’ll get it.”

“It’s upstairs.”

He motioned with his head. “Let’s go, Doc.”

Mia felt the heat from Kenyon’s gaze on her back as she walked out of the kitchen. Although the staircase was wide enough to walk two abreast, he decided to follow several steps behind and was no doubt staring at her rear end.

“There should be a key fob under the driver’s seat. The set I’m going to give you has a special key that will open the compartment.”

Kenyon smiled, staring intently at the way the fabric hugged Mia’s hips and concluding she wasn’t as skinny as she was slender. There was no way anyone would ever mistake her for a boy because her hips were much too curvy.

“Why didn’t you carry your bag onboard?”

“I would have if I’d taken a private jet. A bag filled with scalpels, syringes and narcotics would definitely raise a red flag. What I didn’t want to do was spend my New Year’s locked up or having my medical supplies confiscated.” She peered over her shoulder once they reached the second floor. “Do you ever travel with your firearm?”

“Not as a sheriff. But I did when I was federal flight deck officer.”

Mia stopped suddenly and Kenyon bumped into her. She would’ve fallen if not for his quick reflexes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped like that.” The apology was breathless, as if she’d run a long, grueling race. It was hard for her to breathe when Kenyon’s arms were around her.

Kenyon wanted to tell Mia he wasn’t sorry, because it gave him an excuse to hold her, the curves of her body fitting perfectly against his as if they were interlocking puzzle pieces. “Are you all right?”

No, I’m not all right, Mia thought. Her heart was pounding a runaway rhythm, her legs were shaking slightly and her stomach muscles were tightening with each breath. She took indescribable delight in the press of his hard body against hers and the scent of his masculine cologne wafting in her nostrils.

“I’m okay.”

Kenyon released his hold when it was the last thing he wanted to do. “Are you certain?”

If she’d been her mother, Tish Eaton would’ve feigned feeling faint if only to remain in Kenyon’s arms a bit longer. Nodding and smiling, Mia said, “Quite certain. I was a little shocked, because I hadn’t realized you are a pilot.”

“I was a pilot,” he said, correcting her.

“Just because you’re a sheriff that doesn’t mean you don’t know how to fly.”

“I’m a licensed pilot who no longer flies for a living.”

“I see.”

Reaching for her hand, Kenyon continued up the staircase. “Ask me, Mia.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “Ask you what?”

“Why I gave it up to police a town with less than six hundred people.”

“Why did you?”

A beat passed. “I missed my home and my family.”

“But didn’t you get time off?”

“Not enough. Now I work around the clock for four straight days, then I’m off for three. I can sleep in my own bed, make repairs to my house in my spare time and I can hang out with family and friends on my downtime.”

“So, flying to different cities and countries isn’t as glamorous as the travel brochures?”

“Not when you’re cooped up in a hotel room trying to recover from jet lag or get enough sleep to remain alert. When I felt as if I couldn’t sleep in another strange bed or eat another precooked restaurant meal, I decided it was time to get out.” Kenyon followed Mia into the bedroom. “It was years before Selena would allow me or her brothers to come up here.”

“Did she have a sign on the door that read No Boys Allowed?”

He nodded, smiling. “How did you know?”

“My friends had brothers who used every trick in the book to get into their bedrooms.”

“What about your brother?”

Mia eased her hand from Kenyon’s loose grip. “I don’t have a brother.”

“Sister?”

She shook her head. “I’m an only child.”

“So you’re a spoiled brat.” Kenyon had spoken his thoughts aloud.

Mia gave him a withering look. If she had been Medusa he would’ve turned to stone on the spot. “So, that’s where the questions and snide remarks are coming from. It’s because you believe I’m a snob.”

“Unless you show me differently, then yes.”

“Why? What have I said or done to make you say something so asinine?”

“When you came here for Selena’s wedding you walked around with your nose in the air. At first I thought you were probably not used to the smell of hay, but when you didn’t bother to interact with any of my relatives I knew then you were looking down on us. And, it didn’t help that you kept looking at your watch.”

Kenyon’s assessment of her left Mia speechless. He’d judged her without knowing anything about her. “You are so wrong,” she whispered.

“Am I, Mia?”

Heat that began in her chest, washed over her face, bringing with it a light sheen of moisture. She wanted to smack the smirk off Kenyon’s face instead of attempting to explain who Mia Eaton was, then decided it wasn’t worth the time disclosing why she’d been so distant that night.

She waved her hand. “Forget it. Let me get you the key.”

Reaching out, Kenyon’s fingers circled her upper arm, pulling her close. “No. I’m not going to forget it. If I’m wrong, then I want to know why.”

Tilting her chin, Mia felt the moist warmth of his breath over her lips. Their mouths were close enough where each could swallow the other’s breath. Her gaze moved slowly over sharply defined features that made for an arresting face. However, it was his steely gray eyes that pulled her in, holding her captive. He looked like a large black cat with hypnotic, luminous orbs that had the power to penetrate her thoughts and see how much his presence unnerved her. She didn’t want to find herself drawn to a man who had a woman in his life. It unknowingly had happened to her once, and Mia wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

“Selena is waiting for us.”

“Stop stalling, Mia.”

She jerked her arm away. “Right now I’m not Mia, but Dr. Eaton. If you want to talk, then we can do that later.”

Kenyon stared at her from under lowered lids. She was right. They could talk later because it wasn’t as if they were going anywhere—at least not until it stopped snowing and the roads were plowed. He nodded, acquiescing.

“We’ll talk later. But it will have to be after the football games.”

“Okay.” Turning away, she retrieved her tote. Searching in the cavernous leather bag, she found the key chain and handed it to Kenyon. “The key is magnetic, so you have to put them in the right grooves for the lock to disengage.”

Kenyon extended his hand, and he wasn’t disappointed when Mia placed her smooth palm on his. Tightening his grip, he led her out of the bedroom and down the staircase to the front door. He stopped, sat on a low bench and slipped into his boots.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked Mia when she reached for her boots.

“I’m going out with you.”

“No, you’re not.” Standing, he reached for his jacket on the coatrack. “This will go a lot faster if I go by myself. What good would you be to your patients if you’re laid up after a bad fall?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What if you fall?”

Leaning down, Kenyon brushed his mouth over her parted lips. He winked at her shocked expression. “Maybe I’ll fall on purpose just to see how good a doctor you are. It will be the first time we’ll have a doctor in the family.”

Her jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”

“My cousin married your cousin, and in my book that makes us cousins.”

“Where I come from cousins don’t kiss cousins.”

Kenyon smiled. “And where I come from they do. Besides, that really wasn’t a kiss.”

Mia didn’t want to debate him. “Whatever,” she drawled.

She waited on the porch, trying to see beyond the curtain of white as Kenyon made his way gingerly down the steps and around the house to the carport. Leaning over, she noticed that the carport had been constructed to accommodate at least half a dozen vehicles and that snow had accumulated only around the tires. Thankfully her Volvo was the last one parked beside Kenyon’s black Yukon. It took all of three minutes for him to retrieve her bag and make it back to the house.

“Nice bag,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thank you.” Her parents had given her the more feminine version of the medical bag in brown crocodile with her monogram in gold as a gift when she passed the examination to earn her medical degree. A combination lock had replaced the regular key-type lock.

She headed for the kitchen, walking in and finding Selena sitting on a stool while her mother and grandmother were basting a large, fresh ham. Mia motioned to Selena to follow her.

“I’m going to give you a small paper cup. Void in the cup and then leave it on the vanity in the bathroom. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Selena held up the cup. “It’s so small.”

“I only need a few drops.”

“We’ll use the bathroom off the family room.”

Mia followed Selena into the family room. She sat down to wait on a leather sectional arranged in front of a large flat-screen television. There were club chairs with matching ottomans, floor and table lamps and a commercial popcorn machine. She glanced around the room, looking for a refrigerator that would be stocked with beer. The space wasn’t as much a family room as a man cave. Ashes in the fireplace were evidence of a recent fire.

Selena had mentioned her great-grandfather and grand father had built the house, and she wondered how many years it had taken them to complete the three-story, multi room farmhouse. There was no doubt they’d taken meticulous care in selecting the wood for the floors, staircase, banister and newel posts. They weren’t carpenters or furniture makers, but artisans. “It’s done.”

She turned to find Selena standing only a few feet away. The expectant look on her face spoke volumes. Selena wanted to be pregnant.

“I’ll be back with the results in a few minutes,” Mia said. She removed a pair of gloves from her bag and a box with a wand. She walked into the bathroom. The space contained a free-standing shower, commode, sink and vanity. Slipping on the gloves, she removed the wand, dipping it into the cup. By the time she’d emptied the remaining liquid into the toilet then rinsed and discarded the cup in a plastic-lined wastebasket, the results of the test were visible.

“Selena,” she called. “Come and look.”

With wide eyes, the pastry chef walked tentatively into the bathroom. The readout on the wand indicated she was pregnant. “I can’t believe it,” she chanted over and over. “I just didn’t think it would happen so quickly.”

Mia smiled as she placed the wand in the box, leaving it and the gloves in the basket. Together, they left the bathroom. “Do you want to know your due date?” With tears streaming down her cheeks, Selena nodded. “I need to know the first date of your last period.”

Selena mentally calculated. “November twenty-third.”

Mia reached into her bag again, this time taking out a round object that spun like a pinwheel. “November twenty-third,” she said under her breath, “would make your due date August thirtieth.” She wasn’t given time to react when Selena threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Selena took off running, while Mia closed her bag.

“It looks as if you’ve made someone very, very happy.”

Mia looked up to find Kenyon leaning against the carved oak door, powerful arms crossed over his chest. “It was the news she was hoping for.”

“What about you, Mia?”

“What about me?” she asked.

“Do you want children?”

An uncomfortable silence followed his query. It was the first time any man had asked whether she wanted children.

Jayden had asked her to marry him even though they’d never talked about whether either of them wanted children.

“I suppose I’d like a couple.”

“You suppose?”

“If I met someone and loved him enough to marry him, then of course I’d want to have his children.”

“Why do you make marriage sound like it’s a gift wrapped up in a neat little bow?”

“Why are you so cynical, Kenyon? Please don’t tell me you don’t believe in marriage?”

His lids lowered, the gesture hiding his innermost feelings. “I believe in marriage. In fact I tried it once.”

“What happened?”

“We weren’t as compatible as we thought we were.”

“Was she a local girl?”

Kenyon shook his head. Closing the distance between them, Mia patted his shoulder. “That’s where you went wrong. Next time you should look for someone who is geographically compatible.”

“I’ll try and remember that the next time I date a woman,” Kenyon said over his shoulder when Mia walked past him, the subtle scent of her perfume trailing in her wake.

He nodded, thinking about her response. Maybe Mia was right. If his ex-wife had been a local woman, beyond a doubt they would’ve remained married. But he was never one to dwell on the past and what wouldn’t or couldn’t be. He’d dated a number of women since his divorce, yet none were able to touch that part of him that made him want to commit. When he thought about them he was forced to admit that none were like Dr. Mia Eaton—sexy and totally unforgettable.

Chapter 4

By late morning the entire household was awake and buzzing about the news that there would be another Yates later that year. Selena’s announcement that she and Xavier were expecting a baby elicited shouting, backslapping and an abundance of good wishes and congratulations.

After a brunch of scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, sausage links, sliced melon, mini corn muffins and fluffy biscuits slathered with butter or Lily Yates’s homemade jams and preserves, the men retreated to the family room to watch the New Year’s football games.

Wearing a bibbed apron belonging to Geneva, Mia had remained in the kitchen to help out cutting and dicing ingredients for the many dishes that would grace the dining room table for what would become a traditional New Year’s celebration.

It was close to four in the afternoon when everyone sat down at the table in the dining room, but only after Geneva had walked into the family room to turn off the television amid shouts and groans from the men.

Mia had been too exhausted at Selena and Xavier’s wedding to join in the levity and eat, drink and dance with the Yates family, but working alongside the women in the kitchen, and engaging in conversation with the menfolk as they came to get something to eat or drink whenever there was a pause in the game, made her feel as if she was truly a part of their family.

Her gaze shifted to Roland Yates, who’d recovered from overindulging the night before, as he sat down at the table opposite Geneva. The tall, handsome sheriff of Matewan was grinning like a Cheshire cat. If Selena was her mother’s daughter, then Luke and Keith were their father’s sons. Both of them were tall, gangly and had inherited Roland’s light-brown complexion and ruggedly handsomely features. Mia was surprised when she was told the brothers had married sisters Christine and Cassandra. The identical twins reminded her of delicate black Barbie dolls. The only difference between the two was that Christine was six months pregnant.

Mia had been instructed to sit next to Kenyon, and when she glanced around the long, rectangular table she realized all of the men were seated next to their spouses: Xavier sat with Selena, Keith with Christine, Morgan with Sylvia and Luke with Cassandra. Lily sat on her son’s right, while Geneva sat at the other side.

A hint of gray stubble dotted Roland’s recently shaved pate as he gave each one at the table a long, lingering stare. “In all of my fifty-six years I can’t remember welcoming a more joyous new year. I know I speak for Geneva when I say we are truly looking forward to becoming grandparents. My baby girl is now a married woman, and she and Xavier are expecting their first child.” His gaze shifted to his eldest son. “Keith and Christy, we can’t wait to meet our twin grandchildren.”

Lily placed a hand on her son’s. “Are you certain you’re sober?”

A rush of color darkened Roland’s face. “Of course I’m sober.”

Lily gave him a skeptical look. “I’m only asking because your father, God bless the dead, would start preaching like he was in church when he had too much to drink.”

Geneva decided to save her husband further embarrassment when he opened and closed his mouth several times. She extended her hands to Selena on her right and Keith on her left. “Grandma Lily, will you please say the blessing.”

Waiting until everyone held hands, Lily bowed her silver head. “Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. Peace be to this house, and to all that dwell it in. Amen.” A chorus of amens followed as everyone reached for the napkins at their place setting.

Mia leaned closer to Kenyon, her shoulder pressing against his muscled one. “You’re going to have to let go of my hand so I can eat,” she whispered, staring at the dark stubble on his jaw.

Staring at her under lowered lids, he smiled. “You have nice hands.”

“Thank you.”

It was with a great deal of reluctance that Kenyon released Mia’s hand. He’d spent the morning and most of the afternoon half-concentrating on the images flickering across the television screen. It had been a tradition for as long as he could remember that the men in the family commandeered the kitchen for a Christmas sit-down supper and the women did the same for the New Year’s Day celebration. His father had had to repeat a question twice before he was able to focus enough to answer him. When asked if he was tired he’d lied and say yes, when the truth was he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who was to become Jonesburg’s newest resident. Whether in a pair of jeans, or tailored slacks and sweater—everything about Mia Eaton screamed big-city sophistication.

Once his divorce was finalized, Kenyon had promised himself that he wouldn’t get involved with a woman like his ex-wife. As long as he and Samantha were living out of suitcases, sleeping together in hotel rooms or touring the world’s capitals their lives were perfect. However, whenever they returned to Jonesburg it was as if she would become a different person—someone he’d recognize but not know. She’d complained that she felt as if her spirit had died whenever she’d returned to his hometown.

Kenyon had tried to compromise in order to save his marriage when he’d agreed to move to Chicago and into a high-rise overlooking Lake Michigan. Then, the tables were reversed because he felt as if he was drowning in a mass of humanity whenever he walked the streets of the Windy City. He’d found it too noisy and congested, and the weather much too unpredictable. Either it was too hot or too cold—unlike Mingo County, where there was a definite change of seasons.

He was never able to get used to the steel-and-glass buildings and the lack of trees, grass, gorges and mountains. West Virginia was one of the most picturesque states in the country. It had been a while since he’d thought about Sam, as he’d called her, and he knew it had something to do with Mia. Both were tall, slender and extremely attractive. It was Sam’s winning smile and outgoing personality that struck him the first time they were assigned to the same flight—he as copilot and she as a flight attendant. They’d dated for a year. When he decided it was time to make a firm commitment, he proposed marriage. What neither knew when they’d exchanged vows was that their union wouldn’t survive their third anniversary.

“Kenyon, are you certain you’re not coming down with something?”

His head popped up and he stared at his mother. “Of course I’m certain. Why would you ask?”

“You’re very quiet today.”

All eyes were on him when he glanced around the table. He forced a smile he didn’t feel. “I’m good.” And, he was. Physically he was in the best shape he’d been in his life. But emotionally he wasn’t as self-assured as he had been before coming face-to-face with Mia Eaton. He didn’t know what it was about her that had him thinking and looking for her when he didn’t want to.

“I can check and see if you have a low-grade temperature,” Mia said in a quiet voice.

Kenyon smiled again, this time his eyes shimmering in amusement. “The last time I played doctor and patient I was sixteen, and the girl and I ended up butt naked.”

Mia’s hands tightened into fists under the tablecloth. “I didn’t go to medical school to play doctor,” she retorted between clenched teeth.

Kenyon reached for a bowl of hoppin’ John—black-eyed peas and rice—ladling a generous portion onto his plate before he held the bowl for Mia. “I’ll hold it while you take what you want.” He leaned to his left, his mouth only inches from her ear. “I know you’re a real doctor. It’s just that I don’t want or need you to examine me.”

“Let’s hope you never need me.”

Mia shifted her attention away from Kenyon, ignoring him while she ate and interacted with the rest of the Yateses since he was someone who had already decided she was a snob.

She sampled every dish, finding each one more delicious than the previous one. The smothered cabbage, turnip and mustard greens, tender, melt-in-the-mouth roast pork, fluffy buttery biscuits, potato salad, sparkling raspberry punch and spiced apple cider had her wishing she’d worn a pair of slacks with an elastic waistband.

Geneva stood up from the table. “Is everyone ready for coffee and dessert?” A chorus of groans and nods followed her question.

Mia knew she had to get up and move around or fall asleep. “I’ll help you.”

Lily waved her napkin. “Sit down, girl. You’re a guest here.”

“I thought I was family?” The question was out before Mia could stop herself.

Lily rolled her eyes. “You are family, but since this is your first time in our home, you’re a guest.”

Mia debated whether to sit or follow Geneva out of the dining room and into the kitchen. Kenyon helped her to decide. He stood, taking her hand. “I’ll help you.” Waiting until they were out of earshot, he dropped Mia’s hand. “Don’t let my grandmother intimidate you, or she’ll run roughshod over you every time she sees you.”

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