Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes. The feud between the Baptist ladies and the Presbyterian ladies was legendary. It heated up every holiday season, most often with some help from the town’s teenagers. Jake had just never expected to land smack-dab in the middle of it. But thanks to covering for one of their vacationing officers, he’d been the one to answer the call. Now embroiled in the middle of the ongoing feud, he found it hard to appreciate Ernie’s good humor.
    “Come on, Jake, you grew up around here. You know they’re always feuding over something…or it’s kids burning off a little pre-Christmas excitement.”
    “That’s what I tried to tell her,” Jake said.
    “Well how’d you leave it?”
    “Joe and I removed all the toilet paper before I assured her I’d make some inquiries.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Jones sipped his coffee, sighed with pleasure and ambled toward the door to his office. “Jenny stopped by a little while ago looking for you. She mumbled something about a patient she was worried about. Wanted to see if you’d go check on her.”
    “One of her elderly shut-ins?” Jake asked as he shrugged off his leather bomber jacket. Jenny was always going the extra mile for patients, but he supposed they all did in their own way—just part of life in Castle County. People had always watched out for neighbors, like that kid and his sister the other night.
    Ernie’s thick brows furrowed as he drawled, “Nope. Didn’t get that impression from her. Sounded like a younger person.”
    He thought of Holly Morgan. He wouldn’t mind checking on her, but he doubted she was who Jenny had in mind. Too bad.
    “Well, I’ll try to give her a call before I leave. If not, I can ask while I’m at her place.”
    Ernie raised his brows. “Something going on there?”
    “No. Just friends. Jenny and I know too much about each other to be a couple. Besides, despite what Evan wants people to believe about he and Jenny being past history, no way would I tread on that territory. It’s the guy code. No, tonight’s a holiday party, not a date.”
    Ernie laughed. “Too bad. ’Bout time you found someone to settle down with, isn’t it?”
    “Don’t hold your breath.” Jake grinned and moved to the short hallway leading to his office, but as he went through the door he thought about Ernie’s comment. Jake did want a wife and family. And he guessed Sam and Evan weren’t far from the mark when they accused him of showing the signs. Problem was there didn’t seem to be a lot of candidates, and he wasn’t into the whole dating and small-talk scene. He never seemed to think of anything to talk about, and those long silences sure got awkward. Then it would turn into twenty questions with him answering yes or no. Women always wanted to talk things to death. ESPN and a beer to go with it were a whole lot less awkward.
    He tilted his ancient wooden desk chair back, listening to its familiar squeak of protest. He’d put a couple of noses out of joint when he’d applied for, and gotten, the job as lieutenant after his return from Afghanistan. A chill chased down his spine. He still experienced nightmares about those last two years. That’s what had driven him back to Virginia. He needed home, roots. His parents and his brothers and sister might have left Mountain Meadow, but he knew the people here, and it gave him a place to belong. Knowledge of the area, combined with his military experience had helped him land the job. He didn’t regret it. Most of the time. Hadn’t helped the dreams much, though.
    There were a few negatives. Most of his high school friends had homes and families. Except for Jenny…and Evan. He didn’t like to think about their past. Then there was him, rattling around in the huge house he’d bought. What the hell had he been thinking? The perfect woman would just drop into his lap? Even if she did, how long would she stick around with his nightmares?
    Jake straightened his chair, pulling the unfinished reports