“You ever worked in a bookstore before?”

“Back when I was in high school and then later when I was in college.”

“Who’s your favorite author?”

“What a question. How can I just name one? That’s impossible.”

Penny grinned. “Well, I must say that’s a very good answer to start with. Okay, who are your five favorite authors?”

“Margaret Atwood, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Nora Roberts—and I’ll snag JD Robb while I’m at it since they’re the same person—and Barbara Kingsolver.”

Penny’s eyebrow rose. “Nice group there. Okay then, so of those authors—give me your favorite book by each.”

“Hmm, for Atwood it’s a tie between Handmaid’s Tale and Cat’s Eye. Asimov would be Foundation. Frank Herbert? Children of Dune. Nora—and you know that’s a hard one—but Born in Fire. JD Robb’s, Naked in Death. I just love the beginning of Eve and Roarke. And Barbara Kingsolver’s Bean Trees.”

Penny Garwood knew people. She could do a resume check on the woman standing in front of her. Would do. She may trust her gut but she wasn’t a moron. Still, she knew it would be fine. Her gut told her that Cassie Gambol was a good woman and would be a darned good employee. And Penny always went with her intuition. It’d never proven her wrong. And there was no doubt that the men would be coming into the store in droves just to get a look at her.

“Okay. When can you start, Cassie Gambol?”

“Are you kidding me? Really? Just like that?”

Penny couldn’t remember the last time anyone had looked that overjoyed to be offered a job in a bookstore. The woman didn’t look hard up for money, but looks could be deceiving.

“I have a rule, I listen to my gut. My gut says to hire you so I will. We’ll start you on a trial basis. I’ll give you a week. If it works out, I’ll make you permanent. If it doesn’t, no harm done. Let’s start you part time for now. We’re open from noon to five on Sundays. Why don’t you come on in tomorrow and we’ll set up your schedule?”

Cassie offered her hand and Penny took it. “Thank you so much. I’ll be here tomorrow at noon. You won’t be sorry for taking a chance on me.”

“Make it eleven-thirty. Come around the back. We’ll get your paperwork done first and I’ll give you a bit of a run through before we open.”

“You got it. Thank you again.” Heart light and a smile on her face, Cassie headed out and back across the street to the grocery store.

It wasn’t that she needed the job. Brian had changed her trust to pay blind to an account that fed into Switzerland and then back to her new name. Her father would have been heartbroken to know what a mess her marriage to Terry had turned out to be. But the money he’d left her when he died enabled her to run. Enabled her to get into the program to change all her identification like her social security number and name. Gave her a chance at a new life.

But she wanted to work. Wanted to do something with her time. Yes, she grew up with money but she’d worked from a very early age and it felt uncomfortable to not have some kind of major activity in her life other than being afraid. Working at a bookstore and making her jewelry wasn’t the intricate and lifesaving vascular surgery she’d performed for the last four years, but it was something to help her take a step to move on with her life. And that’s what she meant to do.

Matt Chase unfolded himself from his place, laying in a hammock in the shade of the big oak tree in the yard, when she pulled up. He was a work of masculine art. They sure did grow them handsome down in Georgia.

“Hey there, Cassie. Need some help?”

He ambled over and it was impossible not to notice the long, tanned legs in the cut off jeans and the flat, tight belly peeking from under the hem of his T-shirt.

Pulling out a few bags and balancing them she smiled, she knew just a bit thin at the edges. “Oh no, that’s okay. It’ll just take me two trips. Thank you, though.”

But as she began to walk up the steps, she heard him grab the remaining bags and follow her up. “Now it won’t take you another trip.” He breezed past her into the apartment and put the bags on her kitchen counter before leaning a hip against it and watching her.

“Thank you. It really wasn’t necessary.”

“I know. It wouldn’t have been neighborly if I’d been required to do it. I was just goofing off and taking a nap.”

He seemed nice enough, he truly did. But having him in her apartment with the door closed began to make her feel queasy. She didn’t know him. He could be anyone and scary often had a pretty face.

She took a step back and he noticed. Concern spread over his handsome face. “Cassie? You all right?”

“I…the heat, I need to cool down and rest.” She went to the door and opened it up, gripping the jamb tight. She wanted to gulp the air, try to breathe in the calm but it wasn’t working. “Thanks again for helping with my groceries, Matt. I appreciate it.” The shaking was coming, she could feel it and she clenched her teeth.

“Are you all right, Cassie? Did I do something wrong?” Matt stopped very close to her but didn’t touch her. Still, the fine tremors in her hands hit.

“Please. Just go. I’m not feeling well.”

“I…just bang on the wall please if you need me.” He backed out of the door and onto the landing. She slammed and locked it, sinking to the floor as her legs would no longer hold her up.