The Best Bride. Susan Mallery

pleased by that fact. It was just a piece of information. It didn’t mean anything. The last thing she needed in her life was a man. “I don’t know how to repay you for all you’ve done.”

      “I’m responsible for the welfare of the people of this town,” he said, and grinned again. “You are our newest citizen.”

      “You’re very kind.” She relaxed. Mandy was safe. Nothing else mattered.

      The slow, sexy grin faded. “You’re going to need help when they release you. Tell me who to call, Elizabeth.”

      She turned her head and stared out the window. “There’s no one to call. I told you, my parents are on a cruise in the Orient. They’re probably halfway between Australia and Hong Kong right now.”

      She didn’t bother mentioning that she deliberately hadn’t paid attention to her parents’ travel plans. She didn’t even know the name of the ship or the cruise line. In the past six months, she’d cut herself off from her family. She couldn’t bear to tell them the ugly, disgusting truth about her life. She couldn’t bear to see the shock and the shame in their eyes and to relive it all over again. She just wanted to forget everything. And she’d been on her way to doing just that. If only she hadn’t had to have surgery.

      “Then a friend from Los Angeles.”

      “No.” All her friends knew what had happened. There’d been no way to keep it a secret. She hadn’t been able to face them, and had quickly cut all personal ties. There was no one left to call. What about tonight? Where would Mandy sleep?

      “Sheriff Haynes…”

      “Travis.”

      “Travis,” she said and paused. “I have no family, other than my parents. I know this is an imposition, but would you or your housekeeper be willing to keep Mandy tonight? I’d gladly pay you.” Her hands curled into fists. She hated asking, but what choice did she have?

      “I’ll keep her and I don’t want your money. But that only takes care of today. What happens tomorrow?”

      Tomorrow she would handle whatever she had to. She turned toward him. “I really appreciate your concern, but it’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. In the morning, I’ll get a cab. You do have cabs in Glenwood?”

      “One or two.”

      “Good. Then I’ll get a cab, collect my daughter from you and take her back to the motel. We’ll be fine.”

      He stood up and walked over to the window. The view from the back—she caught her breath—well, it was just as good as the view from the front, she thought, staring at his tight, high rear end. The pants of his uniform fit snugly at his hips, then fell loosely over his muscled thighs. A black leather belt with snapped compartments hugged his narrow waist. His dark hair fell precisely to his collar, but didn’t touch the starched material.

      It was the anesthetic, she told herself. And the fact that she’d spent the last year living like a nun. It was the tension and the strain. It was the season, or the time of month, but it was certainly not the man. She wouldn’t let it be.

      “I have a couple of problems with your plan,” he said, keeping his back to her.

      “It’s not your business.” She allowed her temper to flare and the heat of anger to burn away the other kind of warmth threatening her composure.

      “First,” he said, ignoring her statement, “you’re supposed to stay off your feet for a week. How do you propose to feed and take care of Mandy?”

      “I’ll—” She hadn’t solved that yet, but she would. She would get through it the same as she’d gotten through her other problems. One day, one step at a time. “I’ll think of something.”

      “You’re not supposed to drive for three weeks,” he continued.

      “How do you know?”

      “I asked the nurse.”

      “If the town has a cab service, I don’t have to drive.”

      “Then there’s your job.” He turned toward her and rested one hip on the windowsill. “Which you still have.”

      “What?” She started to sit upright but the pain from the incision stopped her. She leaned back and stared at him. “You talked to Rebecca about my job?”

      “I explained the situation when I took Mandy over to her. She says to take all the time you need to heal. Your job will be waiting when you’re ready.”

      “Thank you,” she murmured as relief filled her.

      He was going to make her cry. After breaking down yesterday, she’d sworn not to cry again, but she could feel the tears forming. Maybe it was all going to work out. She’d been so afraid her life would never be normal again. Six months ago, when the police had shown up at her door, her world had collapsed. Slowly, so slowly, she was getting it back together. They were going to make it. They had to.

      Before she could ask him what else Rebecca had said, the door pushed open and an attractive nurse came into the room with Mandy in tow. “We do not allow children in this ward,” she said sternly, then grinned. “So I’m bringing her in here to get her out from underfoot.”

      Mandy held her bear in one hand and clutched a balloon giraffe in the other. There was chocolate icing on her cheek and she was dressed in a cute pink-and-white shorts outfit that Elizabeth had never seen before.

      “Mommy!” When the nurse let her go, the little girl rushed toward her. Travis walked over and lifted her until she was sitting on the bed.

      “Travis Haynes, I might have known I’d find you here with one of our prettiest patients,” the nurse said as she paused by the door.

      “You know me, Pam. I can’t resist a female in distress.”

      Pam laughed, then looked at Elizabeth. “You watch out for this one. He’s our resident heartbreaker.”

      “I’ll be careful,” Elizabeth said, knowing she wasn’t ever going to get involved with any man, let alone one as charming and good-looking as Travis.

      “You’ve got fifteen minutes,” Pam said. “Then my supervisor gets back and Mandy will have to leave.”

      Elizabeth nodded and the woman shut the door.

      “I missed you, Mommy,” Mandy said, reclaiming her attention.

      “I missed you, too.” Elizabeth held out her arms.

      Mandy dropped the bear and the balloon animal, and slipped next to her to snuggle close. Despite the tangle of IV’s and the pressure on her incision as she leaned toward her daughter, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her and held on, wishing she never had to let go. Mandy’s warm body felt small and fragile cuddling against her, and so very familiar. Elizabeth stroked her head, then bent down and kissed her cheek.

      “How are you doing, sweets?” she asked softly.

      “There was a clown and he made me this.” She picked up her giraffe. The rubber squeaked as she held it and she laughed. Bright blue eyes met her own. Sam’s eyes, she thought with regret. Mandy had her smile and her nose, but her eyes and the rest of her coloring was all Sam’s. It made it hard to forget her daughter’s father. But forget him, she would. She’d promised herself.

      Mandy laughed and tossed the balloon animal in the air, then wiggled to sit back and look up at her. “I had a cupcake.”

      “So I see.” She wiped at the frosting. “Sheriff Haynes said you spent the night at his house.”

      Mandy nodded vigorously and grinned. “Louise made us another dinner. Then we had doughnuts for dessert.” She sounded faintly scandalized, but quite delighted. “She gave me a bath but he read me a story. About nines and their end.”

      Elizabeth looked up at Travis who had returned to his perch