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day.
    “Maybe it’s the company.”
    “Ouch. You don’t hold back at all. You never used to be this mean to me.”
    She chuckled at his reaction and fought to quickly hide it. But the wide smile that split his face told her she’d been caught.
    “There. Isn’t that better?”
    “Better than what?”
    “I don’t know. Just better. That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since…I don’t know when.”
    Maddie rolled her eyes. “I was in a car accident, Ethan. What was there to smile about?”
    “George was able to fix your car.”
    “Okay, you’ve got me there. But despite what you think, life’s not a bunch of laughs all the time.”
    His expression grew grim. “You don’t have to tell me that. I see enough of it all the time.”
    She turned her attention to him, but remained silent.
    “When I became a police officer here in Rudolph, I never thought I’d be going on a domestic violence call to a house where the guy involved is someone I played in Little League with.”
    “When did you play Little League?”
    “The year my dad coached.”
    “You’re talking about Pete and Janice Avery?” When Ethan shrugged uncomfortably, she added, “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything else. I know Janice.”
    “This storm has been rough on a lot of people. When the roof caved in on the manufacturing plant where Pete worked, everyone thought insurance was going to cover it and they’d be back to work by now.”
    “I know. It shocked a lot of people when the owners decided to take the insurance money and relocate the operation to another state. No plant. No jobs. No money.”
    “Money problems are causing lots of arguments these days. But thanks to Regis, at least the Wounded Veterans Center will have what it needs to rebuild.”
    “Regis is Hawk’s fiancé, right?”
    “Did you meet her at the clinic?”
    Maddie shook her head. “Regis and Hawk came in to MW Oil to give the news of their engagement to your father. They look like a nice couple.”
    “Yeah, Hawk’s real happy. And Regis is a peach. Sometimes I think she gets a little overwhelmed with all of us McKinnons crowding around her. But she fits in with us fine.”
    When Ethan pulled into the parking lot of George’s Auto, Maddie saw her car sitting out front. Ethan pulled his SUV into the parking space next to her car.
    “Looks as good as new. Well, at least as good as it did.” She put the papers Ethan had given her on the seat next to him. “I found my pen. These are all signed.”
    “Thank you.” As she got out of the car, he added, “You’re going to be at the Wounded Veterans Center tomorrow, aren’t you?”
    She peered into the car at Ethan, torn. “I…don’t know.”
    “You wouldn’t be doing it for me. It’s for Ian. Regis, too. She’s worked real hard to get all the funding together so we could finally move forward. There are going to be a lot of people there. Sort of a like an old fashioned barn raising. Except, we’re not raising a barn. We’ll mostly be painting and building some walls and—”
    She put up her hand to stop him. “I get it.” Standing in the sun on the hot tar outside of a gas station was weighing her down. Or maybe it was just Ethan’s relentlessness.
    “I’ll think about it.”
    Wide smile. Damn him. She didn’t remember him being that handsome when he smiled. And she’d forgotten about that dimple on his cheek that only showed itself when he was really happy.
    “Then maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “Maybe.” She turned and walked to George’s office without turning back. She didn’t hear the purr of the SUV’s engine firing up or the sound of tires on the pavement. That could only mean one thing.
    Maddie refused to turn around to see Ethan watching her walk away.
    # # #
     

Chapter Four

    For the better part of the morning, Ethan and the rest of the crew continued to haul all of the supplies needed to work on the Wounded Veterans Center that day. Looking at the work