Special Delivery. Laura Browning

      Jake grunted. “Pizza and beer. You want cucumber sandwiches, you need to hook up with one of those blue-blooded sorority girls your mama and daddy keep tossin’ your way.”

      “Not hooking up with anyone, bro. Not happening.”

      Jake laughed. “Right. You bought the big house just for you to ramble around in?”

      Evan’s eyes narrowed. “Pot and kettle, man, and I bought mine before you. You have all the signs, Allred.”

      “What signs?”

      “Of a guy just looking to get hooked up.”

      Jake snorted.

      The door knocker thumped. Jake left his friend and the conversation behind, somewhat relieved Sam and his preacher buddy had interrupted.

      “Jake…this is Joe Taylor,” Sam rumbled in his deep voice. “You met yet?”

      “In passing.” Jake stuck out his hand. “Welcome, preacher.”

      “Joe,” the younger man grinned, returning Jake’s greeting with a firm handshake. “This is definitely not a parochial visit. I’m hoping to fleece some of my potential flock…all proceeds to go to the church general fund, of course.”

      Evan laughed. “I like you. Nice addition, Sam.”

      The sheriff nodded. Sam was a big man, as tall as Evan and as broad as Jake. A little older than the rest of them, he was still a fixture—born and raised in Castle County.

      As they sat and the dealing began, Jake thought his earlier conversation with Evan was over and done with, but after so many years, he should have known better. As Jake passed out pizza and paper towels, Evan said, “So, Sam, don’t you think Jake has the look of a man just looking to settle down and get busy on the two-kids-and-a-dog routine? I mean, look how domestic he is already all handing out paper towels so we can wipe our fingers.”

      “Bite me.” Jake laughed. “I just don’t want greasy fingerprints all over my cards. As to settling down? Unlike you, Ev, I don’t have any exes hanging around.”

      This time the smile left Evan’s eyes and Jake knew he’d gone too far. Before he could think up some awkward apology, Sam spoke up. “You’re both thirty. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the two of you with rings through your noses or on your fingers before the New Year.”

      Jake and Evan’s eyes met and the two men howled.

      * * * *

      Almost a month after arriving in Mountain Meadow, Holly began to let down her guard. Tyler was enrolled in the local elementary school. The bus picked him up at the end of the lane. She’d discovered few people braved Mistletoe Lane once they got a good look at the potholes. She lurched her way to the part-time job she’d found keeping books for Crawford Pallets. The job suited her and the pay was okay. Mr. Crawford, her boss, had been desperate to find someone to untangle the company finances, which were in terrible shape with invoices and receipts shoved willy-nilly into file folders and nothing entered on computer.

      She’d straightened that out, and he was making noise about bringing her on full-time. Holly grinned. Extra hours would help. Mr. Crawford had been so relieved to have her handling the books, he’d even mentioned allowing her to bring the baby to work. At lunchtime, she knocked on his office door.

      “Mr. Crawford, I just wanted to remind you about my doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”

      He smiled over the half-moons of his reading glasses. “Right. Thanks, Holly. We’ll see you tomorrow then.”

      She’d told Tyler to wait for her at the general store after school. With it being right off the town square, she figured it would be safe enough, especially since the courthouse and the police station were both within sight of it.

      From Spence, she’d heard nothing at all. Of course, with their tightening finances, she’d had to let the cell phone go, so now he had no way to harass her. And he’d been cautious about calling her cell since the restraining order. No, he was very careful not to provide any solid proof of his badgering.

      Her fingers tightened on the wheel as she drove to her appointment. Spence was a chameleon. That had been part of the problem. The face he presented to everyone else certainly wasn’t what she saw, at least now. He’d been smooth enough to begin with. That’s how she’d gotten sucked in. Only later did she discover he was an adult and much more dangerous version of the kid who was always pinching or punching people behind the teacher’s back.

      She wasn’t fooled anymore. He was a snake, and she needed to stay on her guard to make sure he didn’t slither back into their lives unnoticed.

      The clinic was located in a building right next to the hospital. Holly’s choice of where to stop had been pretty fortunate. Mountain Meadow was the Castle County seat and laid claim to the sole hospital in a three-county area—something she would need. Holly sat in the waiting area with people of all ages. A family practice wouldn’t have been her first choice, but it was close, and she’d had a lot of her prenatal care already done by her obstetrician before she left.

      “Miss Morgan?”

      As the nurse called her name, the curious stares of two older women zeroed in on her stomach. Holly had experienced censure before. Her gaze skimmed around the room, and she noticed only one other expectant mother, an uncomfortable looking father-to-be at her side.

      Holly put her chin up. Well, she couldn’t boast any proud papa, nor did she want to if the choice was Spencer Dilby. He had been little more than a sperm donor, and she shuddered to think of that experience.

      The nurse showed her into the doctor’s office. “Dr. Owens will be right with you.”

      Holly nodded and sat. Knowing she would be leaving Lynchburg, she’d obtained copies of her medical history and dropped them off a couple of days ago. Medical books lined the shelves along one peach-painted wall, but there were no pictures of a husband or children. Her examination halted when the door opened and a petite blonde entered the room. Her hair was cut chin-length, as sleek and businesslike as the doctor seemed to be.

      She held out her hand. “I’m Dr. Owens. Most patients call me Doc or Doc Jenny.”

      Instead of going behind the desk, she sat next to Holly, softening the businesslike exterior. “I read through your file and wanted to ask you a couple of questions before we do an exam. There was a notice you are a no-information patient. I’ll make sure that stays in place.”

      “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

      “Has the baby’s father been attending any birthing classes with you?”

      Holly shifted. Just the thought of Spence having anything to do with her baby’s birth was enough to make her queasy. “The father is the reason I’m a no information patient. H-he denied paternity to begin with, then after our split changed his mind. He’s been pressuring me to give him the baby.”

      “Pressuring?”

      Holly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her hand just a bit shaky. “He’s the heir to the Dilby Department store fortune,” she explained watching the doctor’s eyebrows lift. “It seems his new fiancée can’t have kids, so he’s decided he ‘needs’ mine. His words.”

      “And this pressure was enough you left?”

      “I have a protective order in place against him, which did nothing. He didn’t leave me a lot of choice. See, in addition to myself and the baby, I’m also guardian to my little brother. I had to think about what was best for all of us.”

      Doc Owens nodded. “I’ve seen your ultrasound, so I see you’re having a little girl. Are you aware your doctor had written in his notes he had some concern about your cervix?”

      “No.” A ripple of unease trickled down Holly’s spine.

      “I’d like to take a look. You’re just six