Almost Heaven. Jillian Hart

of milk chocolate.

      It almost soothed away his disappointment as Kendra’s truck engine rolled over with an easy hum. Taillights winked on and the right blinkers flashed. She eased out into the empty street leaving only tire marks and a hint of dust in the air.

      That didn’t bode too well, man. She was sure quick to get rid of him. Not that he’d come across as an intelligent future customer. No, he’d yakked on about his re-election when what he should have done was ask her about the boarding fees at her stable.

      Seeking refuge inside the car, he started the engine and flicked the air-conditioning on high. Not even the second chocolate cookie made him feel better.

      Maybe some things weren’t meant to be. And if they were, then wouldn’t the Lord present him with another chance?

      He was upset, and it wasn’t only about the questions he didn’t ask Kendra. He’d fibbed when she’d asked how he’d handled his grandmother’s desire for him to marry. His nana was a fine woman, a real lady, and she worried about him being alone.

      The truth was, he’d lost his heart when he buried his wife. He’d lived in darkness ever since her passing. His grieving was done, but the loneliness remained.

      He’d loved being married. If he could find a woman that filled him up like sunlight, that made him alive again, well, wouldn’t that be something? Did true love happen twice in a lifetime?

      He’d leave that answer up to the Lord. In the meantime, his workday was done. There was nothing else to do but go home. He would face the lonely house and the silent kitchen as he did every night and make a tuna-fish sandwich for supper while he listened to the world news.

      Alone.

      Alone. Finally. Kendra collapsed on her secondhand couch and let the window unit pummel her with blessed, cold air. Her fat tabby cat meowed a weak protest from the top of the cushion, but his demand for more treats was the last one in a long list.

      She’d done everything. The new horses were in the paddock, the stalls in the stables were cleaned, the horses fed and watered, the trailer hosed out. She’d returned messages, paid a few bills and checked on a pregnant mare.

      The cat’s meow was louder.

      “Pounce, can you wait two minutes? Just two? I don’t think I can move.”

      Meow.

      “The treats are on the other end table. I can’t reach them from here.”

      Apparently tired of her excuses, the twenty-pound orange tabby leaped off the top of the cushion and onto Kendra’s stomach.

      “Okay, I’ll get the treats.” Laughing, she rubbed the cat’s head, as he purred. The shrill ring of the phone had her reaching for the cordless handset tossed in the mess on the coffee table. “This had better be good.”

      “Ooh, it is!” It was her littlest sister Michelle, trembling with excitement. Not that Michelle was all that little now that she was grown-up and married. “We’re all on our way to the hospital. Karen was admitted about thirty minutes ago.”

      “She’s having the baby?” Excitement must have reenergized her, because Kendra found the will to stand up, carrying Pounce as she crossed the room. “Did you need a ride or is your hubby there?”

      “Brody’s locking up right now… Oops, I gotta go. He’s dragging me to the front door.” Michelle was laughing. “See you at the hospital!”

      Another niece or nephew to welcome into their family! Kendra tossed the phone onto the cushions to worry about later. She was going to be an aunt—again. She had to hurry. She had to drive. She needed caffeine. Good thing she’d made a pitcher of sun tea yesterday.

      A swift brush along her ankles reminded her of her primary mission. The cat led the way to the treat bag and his demanding meow left no doubt. He was annoyed with her.

      “I know, that phone was more important than you. I’m sorry, buddy.” She gave him an extra treat, rubbed his head while he purred gratefully and made the long journey of about seven steps into the small galley kitchen.

      Okay, so she hadn’t done all her chores today. Bypassing the counter of dirty dishes, she rummaged through the back of the cupboard until she found a clean cup, dumped some sugar in for good measure and went in search of her keys.

      Where were they? The cat was no help, as he was settling on his cushion in front of the air conditioner and couldn’t be bothered with lowly human dilemmas.

      “Found ’em!” On the floor beneath her tennies. “Bye, Pounce!”

      The cat managed a disdainful frown, which Kendra took to mean he’d miss her.

      Twilight was creeping into the long shadows as she started her truck, but that didn’t provide any relief from the heat. No. At least she wasn’t towing a trailer, so she punched up the air-conditioning. The sinking sun blazed bright orange and magenta in her rear and side-view mirrors, tailing her as she headed to Bozeman.

      The sun had set in a lavender hush by the time she pulled into the hospital parking lot, found an available space as close to the front doors as she could manage and climbed out into the coming darkness.

      “Kendra, is that you?” A man’s voice rumbled behind her.

      Her keys tumbled through her fingers and crashed to the pavement at her feet. She recognized his deep, warm baritone instantly. Smooth move, Kendra. “Cameron. What are you doing here?”

      “Startling you. Here, let me.” He knelt and retrieved her keys.

      It was gentlemanly of him. If he hadn’t spoken first, she might not have realized it was him right off. She was used to seeing him in his navy-blue uniform. Tonight he wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, belted at his lean hips, and scuffed boots.

      He straightened to his full six feet and held her key ring on the wide palm of his hand. “I’ve come to your rescue again.”

      “I guess. If you hadn’t come along when you did, I’d have been in a real dilemma, being unable to pick up my own keys.”

      “See? Glad I could be of service.”

      “And just what are you doing here anyway? Following me?”

      “You’d have noticed in your rearview if I had. Nope, my pager went off halfway through my supper. Big wreck on the highway.”

      She’d taken the back road to Bozeman, not the highway. “Was anyone hurt?”

      “A tire blew out, and the driver was injured. It was the father of a family on their summer vacation.”

      “Will he be all right?”

      “Broke his leg. He’ll be spending the night in the hospital, so I told him I’d make sure his wife and kids get settled into a hotel room. During tourist season, you don’t know the strings I had to pull for that one.”

      “That was decent of you.”

      “Yeah? Well, I try not to be such a bad guy, considering I wear a badge and give people tickets.”

      “I’ve heard you cops have unfair quotas to fill.”

      “Pressure of being a cop.” His smile broke wide, showing a row of straight even white teeth and a hint of a dimple. “Why do I have the pleasure of running into you on this fine evening?”

      “I’m about to become an aunt again.”

      “Congratulations.” He fell in step beside her. “That’s hard work, becoming an aunt.”

      “Yeah, I have it much harder than Karen. I have to shop in the gift store. I have to sit and wait in those uncomfortable chairs.”

      “There must be an unspoken but ironclad law in hospital administration that states they can only allocate funds for the most uncomfortable chairs on the planet. They would have to buy them on purpose.