"Well, you're not doing it yourself today." He set his coffee cup on the stoop and came to the back of the truck, started unloading lumber. As he carried a stack of boards to the pile she'd started, he said, "I'm sorry if I got out of line in there, Kara. I wouldn't want to scare you for the world."

She shot him a look, maybe surprised he was being as direct as he was about what had just happened-or almost happened-inside the house.

"You didn't do anything out of line," she said.

He grabbed another armful of boards, carried them into the backyard, piled them and turned to face her. "Okay, in case you're not clear on this, I was about to kiss you in there. And I think you know it."

"Oh."

"It scared you."

"No, it-"

"You scurried away from me like a startled rabbit."

She shrugged, turning slightly away, apparently unable to look him in the eye. Her cheeks were pink again. "It's just that...I'm not used to..."

"What?" He came closer but not too close. He didn't want to scare her off again. "You're not used to men coming on to you?"

She peeked at him, then lowered her eyes. "No."

"So the men of Big Falls have all been struck blind, have they?"

The color in her cheeks deepened to rose. "I'm not...this isn't..."

"I'm surprised they're not beating down your door, Kara."

She lifted her chin and met his eyes, a hint of boldness appearing in her own, though he thought she'd had to dig deep to find it. "It wouldn't matter if they were. It's not the same."

"Why not?"

She lifted one shoulder just a little, and he saw her throat move as she swallowed. "They're not you. They're not Jimmy Corona."

That took him by surprise. He hadn't been expecting it. And he wasn't entirely sure what it meant. Was being Jimmy Corona good or bad?

She turned and dragged a box of nails from the pickup bed, carried it to the pile of lumber and set it on top. "Take that toolbox, too," she said over her shoulder. "Should be just about everything you need in there to get started on the fence."

He took the toolbox out, set it in the backyard near the lumber pile and then returned to the truck to take out the long-handled posthole digger, pick and shovel, as well. "You thought of everything."

She nodded. "Yeah. I want to bring some wallpaper samples over later." She shot him a quick look. "Not for the kitchen. I don't want to change a thing in there. But that family room in the back? The big one? That's going to be the main part of the day-care center and I want it bright and cheerful and full of color. Is there a time when you and Ty wouldn't mind too much?"

"Have dinner with us."

She blinked and shot him a look of surprise.

"I owe you. Payback for dinner at your place. And for letting us stay here. And for...everything."

"I see."

Not enough. Okay then, he thought. A little more. Just not enough to send her panicking. "Kara, I'd like to spend some time with you."

She lifted her head. And suddenly all her shyness was gone, all her uncertainty, all the color in her cheeks. She was dead serious now and she said, "Don't play with me, Jimmy. I couldn't handle it."

Her words shook him. Gave him the eerie feeling she knew exactly what he was up to with her. "I'm not playing."

She studied his face for a long moment. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek and saw her catch her breath. But this time he leaned in before she could chicken out and brushed his lips very gently over hers.

When he lifted his head away she looked scared to death again. He stepped back, wondering how to ease her mind. But before he could think of a thing she said, "I...um...have to go." And she turned to start for the pickup truck, only to trip on the way. She caught herself on the truck, though, to keep from falling down and then yanked open the driver's door and got in. As she pulled away, she leaned out the window.

"Tell Tyler to enjoy the doughnuts. And that I'll see him later."

"Does that mean you're coming to dinner?"

She nodded, waved and pulled away.

Damn. The woman was not going to be an easy sell.

Maybe Colby was right. Maybe he ought to chuck this whole idea.

Kara was a basket case by the time she pulled up to the front of Edie and Wade's beautiful home on the hill above the falls. It was early enough that Wade hadn't yet left for work but too early for Edie to have any customers in the studio. Her work kept her busy. She took plenty of nature shots, sold them to magazines and calendar companies. Did senior pics and family portraits in between.

Kara hurried along the stone walkway, hit the doorbell and heard Sally barking wildly on the other side.

Wade had the dog by the collar when he pulled the door open. He greeted his sister-in-law with a broad, welcoming smile that quickly died as he studied her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything."

He slid an arm around her shoulders and led her inside. "No, not everything. Nothing's ever as bad as you think it is, hon." He called toward the stairway, "Edie, Kara's here. We'll be in the sunroom."

"Be right down," Edie called.

Kara followed Wade through the house into the sunroom they'd added last year. It was octagonal, completely glass and had the best view of the falls of any room in the house.

"Sit," Wade said. "I'll get you coffee. Or would tea be better? Have you had breakfast?"

"I don't want anything." She lifted her eyes. "Thanks, though."

He took a seat beside her and studied her face. "So what's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone but me."

"I knew it!" Edie all but shouted as she burst into the room.

Kara started so hard she almost came out of the chair, then she saw her sister in the doorway, wearing a beautiful silk kimono, purple with pink lilies.

"It's that man, isn't it? It's Jimmy Corona."

"What do you mean, you knew it? How could you know it? I didn't even know it. What are you, turning into Selene all of a sudden?"

"You knew what?" Wade asked.

Smiling, Edie came closer and leaned down to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You're so sweet when you're dense." Then she slid into a chair opposite Kara, beside her husband. The table was bamboo, round, surrounded by fan-backed chairs lined with thick floral-print cushions. "Mel and I spoke on the phone last night. She told me what a huge crush you used to have on Jimmy Corona in high school."

"It wasn't a crush."

"No?"

"More like a case of idol worship. But he never so much as noticed me."

"Sure. That's what Wade thought about me, too. That I'd never so much as noticed him."

Kara blinked up at the handsome bad boy who'd married her sister. "You thought that?" He nodded. "God, she was nuts about you." Then she thinned her lips. "This isn't the same, though. I mean, I don't know what to think. He...he tried to kiss me."

Wade came out of his chair. "Do I need to take care of this? You want me to go over there, Kara?"

"No. God, no, Wade, he didn't get out of line. He just...sort of...well, it was nothing. It's not like...it's just that I don't understand it."

Edie tipped her head sideways. "You don't understand why a man would want to kiss you?"

"I don't understand why Jimmy Corona would want to kiss me."

"Oh. Now I get it," Wade said.

"Well, I don't."

He looked at Edie. "You were my Jimmy Corona, hon. You wouldn't get it."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Jimmy Corona is just a guy. He's in his hometown and he runs into a girl from high school who grew up to be a total knockout. Naturally he's interested. The thing you need to think about, Kara, isn't why he would give you a second glance. You're a hottie now, you gotta just trust me on that. The thing you should be thinking about is where can this thing go. He's in town for-what?-a couple of weeks?"

"Maybe a month," Kara said.

"So then what? I mean, suppose you fall head over heels for the guy? What happens when he has to leave?"

"Good grief, Edie, you're worrying about long-term relationship decisions already?" Kara cried. "He's only been in town a day. It was one tiny little kiss."

"I thought you said he only tried to kiss you."

Kara averted her eyes. "Well, yeah. And then he tried again. And I sort of let him the second time."

"Aha! So you kissed him back."

"I didn't really do anything but stand there with my knees knocking."

Wade grinned and averted his face to try to hide it.

"Look, Kara," Edie said. "You have to find out what he has in mind here. A vacation fling? Or...something else."

"I can't ask him that. It's...it's too soon. I don't even know if it's anything more than...than just what it was. One kiss."

Edie looked at Wade as if for help. He shrugged, but Kara could see his mind working overtime.

"Don't, Wade. Don't do anything," Kara pled.

"What do you mean? What would I do?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, don't. Just let me bungle my way through this, okay?"

"Okay."

She doubted he meant it. The man had a hero complex, liked to go charging in to save the day when he sensed trouble afoot. Usually she loved him for it, but not today. She pushed away from the table. "I gotta go."

"Remember who you are, Kara," Edie told her. "Remember that you don't have to hurry everywhere you go and that you need to hold your head up and look people in the eye. And don't forget the Perfectly Plum eye shadow. It's your best color."

Kara sighed. "I've got it, Edie. Thank you."

She started for the door and Edie raced after her, gave her a hug and whispered, "Don't give your heart away, Kara. Not until you're sure of him. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Okay."

"Okay." Edie kissed her on the forehead and Kara headed home.

"How much farther, Vinnie?" Angela shifted in her seat, tugging at the dressy skirt that seemed entirely too fitted and snug. She'd taken off the jacket and tossed it over the back of the seat, heeled off the pumps and left them lying on the floor. She was restless. Itching for a hit-just one-but Vinnie wouldn't give her so much as a sniff. He said he wanted her to look respectable when they arrived in Big Falls, Oklahoma.

"You know, if they find out you left the state you could be in big trouble, Vinnie."

"So long as I show up for my trial, they won't do a damn thing."

"They might."

He shrugged. "We won't be gone long, sweetie. We'll get back just as soon as we've convinced your ex-hubby to cooperate, hmm?"

"I know." She looked lovingly at him. "It was so thoughtful of you to bring all those toys and games and things along for my little boy," she said. "I haven't sent him any Christmas presents since I left him."

"So this year you will."

She sighed. "I hope you don't mind so much that I...don't want to see him. I mean, it's not that I don't want to, just that..."

"It's too hard for you. I understand." He patted her thigh. "We can have the stuff shipped or give it to Corona to give to the kid after we're gone."

"I'm so glad you understand."

He nodded. "Lemme see that photo you have in your wallet again."

She opened her wallet, took out the photo of Tyler-the one she'd taken from Jim's apartment. It showed Tyler sitting on a rocking horse, wearing a cowboy hat, smiling big. No braces on his legs in that shot. He looked like a normal little boy.

She handed the photo to Vinnie.

He glanced at it. "He's four, you say?"