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Press .”
    Funny. Working for a small town newspaper like the Mountain View Press was the absolute last thing Angie had ever wanted to do. But right then she couldn’t for the life of her remember why.
    * * *
    Bill Palmer looked into Angie’s gold-flecked hazel eyes and suspected he was a goner. It wasn’t as if he’d never looked into them before. He’d grown up in this town with Angie, had seen her at community functions while they were still in school, and had run into her on her infrequent visits to see her mother after she’d left home. But suddenly, standing there in aisle four of Main Street Drug, Bill really saw her.
    For one moment, he thought he detected a glimmer of interest in her eyes, but then she told him she had to hurry back home. Something about lots of work awaiting her. Then she grabbed a ream of paper off a nearby shelf, said good-bye, and hurried away.
    Wow! What do you think of that?
    Bill’s closest friends knew he was a romantic, and in a town the size of Hart’s Crossing, he doubted there was anyone who didn’t know he’d like to marry and have kids of his own. But even more than that, he wanted to marry the right woman. He wanted a marriage that was blessed by God. So he’d waited.
    Something in his heart told him his waiting might be over.

    Terri Sampson stood in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection as she swept her curly red hair off her neck. As summer approached, it was tempting to cut it short. But she wouldn’t. Short hair made her resemble a wire brush that had gone to rust.
    The bell over the salon door jingled, and Terri released her hair and turned, thinking her next appointment had arrived early. But it was Bill Palmer.
    “Hey,” she said in greeting.
    “Hey, yourself.”
    After Terri’s husband left her and their divorce was final—more than five years ago now—mutual friends had encouraged the never-married Bill to ask Terri out. Of course she’d said yes when he finally did. After all, Bill was funny and thoughtful, not to mention handsome. What woman wouldn’t want to go out with him? But they’d both known on the first date that romance wasn’t in their future. However, they’d found the next best thing—a close friendship.
    “How’s the beauty business?” he asked.
    “Beautiful. How’s the word business?”
    “Wordy.”
    Bill made his way to the back room and returned a short while later with an open pop can in hand.
    “Help yourself,” Terri said, grinning.
    He took a swig. “Don’t mind if I do. Thanks.”
    Terri sat in the styling chair and gave it a shove with one foot, spinning it around one time.
    “Slow day?” Bill perched on the edge of the dryer chair, forearms resting on his thighs.
    “A little. I’ve got about thirty minutes until my next appointment. You?”
    “Finished my last article an hour ago.” He took another drink of soda. “Guess who I ran into over at the drugstore earlier today? Angie Hunter.”
    Terri cocked an eyebrow.
    “Has she always been this pretty? Or have I been comatose for the past two decades?”
    Bill…and Angie? Hmm. What could be more perfect than to have her two favorite people in the world find love with each other? Except that Angie hated Hart’s Crossing and Bill loved it. And besides, Bill had a strong Christian faith and Angie…Well, Angie didn’t.
    “Did you know she quit her job at the Bay City Times ?” Bill asked.
    “Yes. She told me.”
    “I hinted she might want to come to work for me at the Press . I’d be happy to give her a column or let her cover the news.”
    “Bill…that isn’t likely to happen, you know. Angie’s never wanted to move back to a small town.”
    “People’s wants can change.”
    “They can.” She wondered if she should say anything more. No, she decided. This was definitely something she shouldn’t interfere in, friend or no.
    * * *
    Angie had expected, when she finally told her mother about quitting her job, that Francine would pressure her