“Polly, I think it’s about her ex-husband. She hasn’t shared much but I think there was some bad stuff there. She’s nervous as a cat about men but she’s not a criminal. Hard working. Kind.”

Polly sighed sadly. “I hate to think that any man would do something bad to his wife. But I’m glad she’s here and we’ll just have to show her that.”

They planned the party, deciding to have it at Penny’s house, right on the water with food and drinks and lots of fun. They’d invite enough people for Cassie to mix and get to know but not so many she’d feel overwhelmed.

Cassie’s thoughts were filled with Shane as she watched him approach her table at the Sunday Market. His jeans clung to his long, powerful looking legs and his T-shirt fit snug over his upper body. His muscles positively rippled as he moved, blue-green eyes only for her. She loved the way his hair looked a bit messy but still soft and silky as it touched the top of his collar.

“Hi.” She waved as he stopped. She wished she had something more articulate to say but the man sapped her IQ as all her blood moved away from her brain to her ni**les. Shifting and squeezing her thighs together to ease the ache his presence brought, she smiled up at him.

“You look beautiful today. Well, you always do. How’s business?” He reached out and touched the scarf she had around her neck. The scarf she used to hide the scars.

Still, it was a major victory for her that she’d stopped hiding so much of herself. Yes, she hid the physical reminders of her years with Terry, but she was opening up in ways she hadn’t in years. She’d had beer and burgers with Penny and Maggie and the others on Friday night after a really lovely lunch with Shane where he made her blush with his love of the necklace she’d made his mother. She’d beaten the Chase brothers at pool again and Shane walked to her to her car. The kiss had been on her lips, brief but still made her all shaky.

She’d gone into her growing feelings for Shane with her therapist and her brother. Cassie was beginning to feel normal again. She had a life with friends and grocery shopping and a paycheck. Normal was a gift and she’d agreed with her therapist and her brother that she needed to grab it with both hands and live it.

Starting with letting Shane Chase catch her if he wanted to. Or, at least let him take her on a date.

“I’m all right. Apparently your mother and Penny have got some big party planned to welcome me to Petal. They’re saying it’s for your mother’s birthday so I can’t refuse.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “You’re right. They’ve got your number. Not that it matters, she’s got you on the ropes. You’re coming, right?”

She grinned. “Yes. I’ve been promised peach cobbler and lemon bars. You’re a terrible man to expose my weakness so it can be used against me.”

He’d never seen her so flirtatious. He liked it. Liked seeing her lighthearted and unafraid of him.

“Darlin’, you’ve been in Petal nearly six weeks now. By now, your brand of toothpaste isn’t a secret. That’s the price of living in a small town.”

She blushed and he decided to forge ahead. “Would you like to go to dinner with me? Dinner and maybe some dancing at The Tonk? Dinner would just be us two. Well, ‘cause I want you all to myself. But dancing would be a group of folks. Kyle and Maggie, Matt and Marc will have dates, too, of course. Liv will be there with her new boyfriend Brody.”

“Okay.”

He’d been readying his next line of attack when he realized she’d just agreed to a date. “Okay?”

“Yeah. When?”

“Tuesday? I have Wednesday and Thursday off this week.”

“All right. I have Wednesday off too.”

“Pick you up at seven then? Is Italian food okay with you?”

She nodded and he stood there grinning at her for several long moments.

“I’m gonna go now before I do something stupid and you change your mind. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.”

Before she could argue, he turned and headed off with a wave. Still didn’t stop her from watching his ass as he left though.

As satisfied as she’d been with the profits from her Sunday Market, the best part was that she got to use her hands to create. Truth was, she ached to practice medicine again.

There had been very little in her life she’d been more passionate about than being a doctor. She loved it. Loved helping people, loved improving lives. She missed it and found herself thinking about starting again with a new practice specialty.

Oh, she knew she’d have to go back and get more training. That didn’t seem as daunting as it might have before. Before she’d decided on her surgical residency, she’d been fascinated by family medicine and one of her old mentors was a family practitioner in Orange County. The thought of taking care of entire families had a lot of appeal.

At the same time, it scared the hell out of her to imagine risking herself over something and losing it again. She couldn’t work at the bookstore forever but it was good for the immediate future and her creative side was nourished by the jewelry making.

At the close of the day, Cassie went to a movie with Penny and called Brian once she got home.

“So, the sheriff asked me out today again.”

“Yeah?” She could sense his grin.

“I said yes. We’re going to dinner and dancing afterward.”

“Well it’s about time. Go Sheriff Chase. Good for you, Cassie. I’m proud. So proud.”