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curb, the thick 240 mm back tire bouncing down to the asphalt. Unfortunately, that was as far as he got before Sheriff Winslow’s patrol car came barreling around the corner with lights flashing and siren blaring to cut him off.

Chapter Three
     
    “H OPE, HONEY ?”
    “Shit!” Hope slapped a hand to her chest and turned to her daddy, who sat at the table in the dark dining room. With her heart thumping guiltily, she plastered on a smile. “Oh, hi, Daddy. I didn’t realize you were still up.”
    “Your mama’s snorin’ gets worse when she drinks, so I had trouble gettin’ to sleep. What are you doin’ up?”
    “Uhhh,” she tried not to glance back at the front door she’d been headed to. “I was just checking to see if Jenna Jay, Tessa, and Dallas got home okay.”
    “Jenna Jay slept over at her friend’s house. And Tessa and your brother are passed out cold.” Her daddy shook his head. “ ’Course, when I was younger I did the same thing—weddin’s are a perfect excuse to tie one on.”
    Especially if the bride was supposed to be you,
Hope thought. Unfortunately, every time that Hope had reached for a drink, she had been grabbed by one dancing fool or another.
    Her father held up what appeared to be a half-eaten Ding Dong. “You care to join your old daddy?”
    Unable to help herself, Hope glanced back at the door. “No, thank you, Daddy. Now that I know everyone’s home safe and sound, I guess I’ll head on back to bed. I wouldn’t want to sleep through church tomorrow.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” Her daddy polished off the rest of the Ding Dong and then downed the last of his milk before he pushed back from the table. “Although if I want to get any shut-eye, I’ll have to use my earplugs.”
    Since that would make escape much easier, Hope nodded. “That’s a good idea, Daddy.” She lifted a hand. “Well, good night.” She hurried back down the dark hallway, but her father proved that he was still as quick on his size-fourteen feet as he’d been when he played high school football. Before she could close her bedroom door, his big frame filled the doorway.
    “Your mama says you’ve been makin’ lists again.”
    Damn. She knew she should’ve taken her trash out. Luckily, all that was written on the numerous crumpled pieces of paper were four words—
Hope’s New Life Plan.
    Trying to make light of it, she chuckled. “You know I’ve always been a list-making fool, Daddy.”
    “And that’s exactly what I told your mama—our little Hope Marie don’t do nothin’ without a list. But that didn’t seem to make her feel any better. She thinks you’re gettin’ ready to run off again on some wild tangent.” He paused and stared down at her for a few excruciating seconds. “Now I realize things didn’t work out exactly like you had planned.” He cleared his throat. “But me and your mama sure wish you’d stick around for awhile.”
    Touched, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a hug. “I love you, Daddy.”
    “I love you, too, princess.” He awkwardly patted her back, then turned and lumbered down the hallway.
    Hope waited in the darkness of her room until she figured her daddy was ear-plugged and tucked in tight before she slipped out and headed for the front door.
    The night air was cooler than she thought it would be. But she welcomed the stiff breeze that rustled the crisp autumn leaves of the elms and cottonwoods as she headed into town. As she walked, her father’s words came back to her. No, her life hadn’t turned out the way she had planned, and she couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong.
    Her plan had made perfect sense. She would go to Hollywood and become a famous movie star while Slate stayed there and concentrated on his coaching career. Then, once she had fame and fortune, she would return to Bramble and marry the hometown hero, who would be more than happy to let her make the occasional blockbuster as long as she returned during football