Sergeant Darling. Bonnie Gardner

have to meet her. Then you’d understand.” Patsy looked up. “Oh, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention and let you drive past the turn. Turn around and then take the next right. I live in the third duplex on the right.”

      Ray made the turn a little sharper than he would have preferred, but then the inertia caused Patsy to lean against him as he made the turn. He smiled as he turned onto her street, then counted the houses, small cinder block bungalows with carports on either end. “Which side?”

      “I’ve got the one on the left,” Patsy said. “You can pull up behind my car in the carport.”

      Ray did so, then halted the car and turned off the engine. He wondered if he should try for a kiss now, or wait until they got to the door, but Patsy took the decision out of his hands. She pushed open the passenger door and scampered out.

      Ray had to scramble to catch up with her. “Where I come from, we walk our ladies to their doors.”

      “Thank you,” Patsy said primly, “But this is a perfectly safe neighborhood. I’m not in danger of being mugged. And I’m not your lady.”

      “Touché.” Ray grabbed at his chest as though she’d been a fencer and had nicked him with her epee. That was the Prickly Pritchard he’d come to know and love, Ray thought, relishing the idea of trying to get through to her again.

      Patsy slowed and let him catch up with her as she walked to the door to the house. At the sound of her footsteps, a dog inside the house began barking excitedly. At least the barking sounded fairly friendly, Ray thought.

      “What are my chances of getting to meet your roommate?” he asked. “I won’t sleep until I know why you call her Tripod.”

      Patsy laughed, and the icy pall lifted. “I would hate to be responsible for keeping you up all night,” she said as she fished in her bag for keys. Ray hoped that meant that he’d be invited in. “Tripod was close to dead when I found her,” Patsy explained.

      “So you rescued her and nursed her back to health,” Ray concluded.

      “Not quite. I took her to the vet, thinking he’d put her to sleep, but he said that he could save her. Most of her, anyway.”

      “Most of her?”

      “He couldn’t save her left foreleg, so she limps,” Patsy said, smiling fondly as she leaned against the doorjamb.

      Ray grinned. “Got it. Three feet—Tripod.” He had to admire the woman. Not everyone would take in a three-legged dog. “I like that,” he said.

      Patsy looked up at him, real confusion on her face, and Ray wanted so much to kiss her. He reached toward her, but she ducked away. “You like what?” she asked.

      “That you took pity on a poor, injured dog.”

      “Oh,” she said. “I guess I’ll go in now.” She offered her hand. “Thank you for driving me home,” she said as though she were reciting something she’d learned in etiquette class.

      “You’re welcome,” Ray said, accepting her hand and feeling the warmth and silky texture of her skin against his. He rubbed his thumb over the smooth skin on her palm. “I was kinda wondering what my chances were of getting invited in to watch the Ed Wood Film Festival.”

      “Not tonight,” Patsy said, sounding nervous.

      Ray grinned. “That wasn’t exactly the answer I was looking for, but it does give me hope.”

      Patsy looked surprised. “It does?”

      “Sure. Not tonight implies that another night might be in our future.” He smiled down at her, hoping she’d pick up on the hint.

      “We have no future,” Patsy snapped.

      “We all have a future, Patsy,” Ray said gently.

      Instead of arguing with him as he’d expected, Patsy’s eyes clouded up, and before he knew it, she had jerked open the door, darted inside and slammed the door behind her, leaving Ray standing there with the finality of that last gesture echoing louder than the sound of the door. “Just what the hell was that all about?” he muttered to himself.

      Then he heard the bolt turning in the lock.

      PATSY STOOD INSIDE the house, her back pressed firmly against the door, Tripod jumping up against her in greeting, her tail wagging wildly. Normally, she loved the way her dog said hello, but tonight she was not in the mood. She reached down to pet the dog, but her heart wasn’t really in it.

      Why had Ray gone and spoiled it all?

      For the first time in years, she’d gone out with a man and had actually begun to enjoy herself, and he’d ruined it for her. She’d even thought she might be ready for a good-night kiss, but Ray had gone and reminded her of everything she hadn’t been able to forget with that remark about the future. Of course, she had a future, and Radar had a future, but there had been no future for Ace and her children, and that was her fault.

      Tears welled in her eyes, and she tried to blink them back. Loving and caring for people was wonderful, but losing them was almost like dying herself.

      It seemed as though everyone she’d ever cared about had died. Now, rather than running the risk of being hurt again, she found it easier to just not care.

      That was why she didn’t date. That was why she could never see Ray Darling again. She might come to care for him. Losing anyone else would just hurt too much.

      Tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks, scalding her skin, and rubbing salt into old wounds that never quite seemed to heal.

      RAY STOOD IN THE DIM LIGHT of Patsy’s carport and tried to figure out what had just happened. He’d thought that everything was going pretty well. Prickly Pritchard might not have completely melted in his arms, but he had thought he’d detected a definite thawing.

      He drew in a deep breath, shrugged and turned toward his car. She might not have allowed him a good-night kiss, but there was still that Ed Wood Film Festival to look forward to. She would agree to the evening.

      It just wouldn’t be tomorrow.

      Or next week, but soon.

      He’d bide his time, and when the time was right, they’d watch those movies together. And next time it wouldn’t be because an old lady with good intentions had paid for them to be together.

      Next time, it would be because they both wanted to be together.

      Chapter Four

      Patsy tried to forget the date with Sergeant Darling, but thoughts of Ray would not leave her alone. For weeks.