noticed that there was a
cut, but just like the woman said it was just a superficial scratch. Perplexed,
Riley tried to figure out how such a small wound could have bled so much. “I
don’t understand.”
“Everyone around here heals fast,”
Kaley said returning to her case. “You want a Band-Aid?”
Shaking her head, Riley couldn’t
take her eyes off of the cut.
“You must be new to town?”
“Not new. Just passing through.”
Now Kaley was frowning. “Passing
through. Hm. Didn’t scent that.”
Scent ? “You mean through the rumor mill.
I’m sure in a small town like Den everyone is talking about the visitor.”
Hopping down, Riley held out her hand. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d
learned quickly not to extend her hand to the men in town, they had a sniffing
problem. “I’m Riley Gold.”
“Nice to meet you.” Kaley shook her
hand.
“I understand what you mean by you
handle a lot of scrapes.”
“You teach?” Kaley’s eyes became
bright with excitement.
“Pre-K. Mostly in daycares have been
my experience.”
“Excellent. We don’t have many in
Den, but then we don’t have a large flood of kids either. Pre-K. Too bad you’re
just visiting.”
“Yeah,” Riley agreed. For the first
time since wrecking her car and being stuck in the county, she didn’t feel like
a fish out of water. Talking about school and kids was her passion.
“Riley!”
She and Kaley were standing outside
of the tent still talking when Riley heard someone call her name. Turning
toward the street that lead back to town, Riley’s heart leaped into her throat.
Fred, her ex, was barreling down the lane toward her.
Shit, how did he find me?
“Riley…I need to talk to you.”
Seeing him moving toward her, anger
evident in the piercing stare he gave her, made her take a slight step back. He
had never been violent toward her in the past, but she wasn’t so sure at the
moment. If it would have been colder, it was possible she would have seen steam
coming from his head.
“Don’t run away from me.”
Planting her feet firmly on the
ground, she stared him down. “What are you doing here, Fred?”
“You know how much time and effort
it took me to find you? I had to walk two miles into this damn rinky-dink town
to get in, because of some damn cinderblocks.”
“Can’t you get the message? It is
over between us.”
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to
the side away from all the people starting to gather from tents and around the
fairgrounds.
She stepped away with him, but
wasted little time in yanking her arm out of his grasp. “Don’t manhandle me.”
“Look, Riley, this silliness has
gone far enough. Your supervisor told me you quit your job.”
“You had no business going to my
job.” She spoke through gritted teeth; furious that Fred would show up at her
job browbeating people to find out where she was.
“I wouldn’t have to do it if you
just would have stayed put…better yet, answer your damn phone when I call.” He
ran his hand over his head. His blond hair was all over his head, appearing as
if he’d dragged his fingers through it one too many times. He looked ragged in
the wrinkled clothes he wore, as well as the dark circles under his unhealthy
pale complexion.
“I didn’t want to talk to you. It
was over…we were over.” She slashed her hand through the air between them. “How
did you find me?” Various ideas raced through her mind.
“Your cell phone.”
“It doesn’t work.” She folded her
arms over her chest.
“The locator does,” he declared.
“Locat…” her words drifted away. Shit .
She had totally forgotten they were on a family cell plan. She’d been so intent
on not answering his phone calls, she forgot some time back she had added him
to her service. Not to mention she’d been carrying the damn thing around in her
pocket like it was the Holy Grail since she arrived. “You put a locator on me?
When?”
He shrugged. “You were asleep one
night so I
cut, but just like the woman said it was just a superficial scratch. Perplexed,
Riley tried to figure out how such a small wound could have bled so much. “I
don’t understand.”
“Everyone around here heals fast,”
Kaley said returning to her case. “You want a Band-Aid?”
Shaking her head, Riley couldn’t
take her eyes off of the cut.
“You must be new to town?”
“Not new. Just passing through.”
Now Kaley was frowning. “Passing
through. Hm. Didn’t scent that.”
Scent ? “You mean through the rumor mill.
I’m sure in a small town like Den everyone is talking about the visitor.”
Hopping down, Riley held out her hand. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d
learned quickly not to extend her hand to the men in town, they had a sniffing
problem. “I’m Riley Gold.”
“Nice to meet you.” Kaley shook her
hand.
“I understand what you mean by you
handle a lot of scrapes.”
“You teach?” Kaley’s eyes became
bright with excitement.
“Pre-K. Mostly in daycares have been
my experience.”
“Excellent. We don’t have many in
Den, but then we don’t have a large flood of kids either. Pre-K. Too bad you’re
just visiting.”
“Yeah,” Riley agreed. For the first
time since wrecking her car and being stuck in the county, she didn’t feel like
a fish out of water. Talking about school and kids was her passion.
“Riley!”
She and Kaley were standing outside
of the tent still talking when Riley heard someone call her name. Turning
toward the street that lead back to town, Riley’s heart leaped into her throat.
Fred, her ex, was barreling down the lane toward her.
Shit, how did he find me?
“Riley…I need to talk to you.”
Seeing him moving toward her, anger
evident in the piercing stare he gave her, made her take a slight step back. He
had never been violent toward her in the past, but she wasn’t so sure at the
moment. If it would have been colder, it was possible she would have seen steam
coming from his head.
“Don’t run away from me.”
Planting her feet firmly on the
ground, she stared him down. “What are you doing here, Fred?”
“You know how much time and effort
it took me to find you? I had to walk two miles into this damn rinky-dink town
to get in, because of some damn cinderblocks.”
“Can’t you get the message? It is
over between us.”
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to
the side away from all the people starting to gather from tents and around the
fairgrounds.
She stepped away with him, but
wasted little time in yanking her arm out of his grasp. “Don’t manhandle me.”
“Look, Riley, this silliness has
gone far enough. Your supervisor told me you quit your job.”
“You had no business going to my
job.” She spoke through gritted teeth; furious that Fred would show up at her
job browbeating people to find out where she was.
“I wouldn’t have to do it if you
just would have stayed put…better yet, answer your damn phone when I call.” He
ran his hand over his head. His blond hair was all over his head, appearing as
if he’d dragged his fingers through it one too many times. He looked ragged in
the wrinkled clothes he wore, as well as the dark circles under his unhealthy
pale complexion.
“I didn’t want to talk to you. It
was over…we were over.” She slashed her hand through the air between them. “How
did you find me?” Various ideas raced through her mind.
“Your cell phone.”
“It doesn’t work.” She folded her
arms over her chest.
“The locator does,” he declared.
“Locat…” her words drifted away. Shit .
She had totally forgotten they were on a family cell plan. She’d been so intent
on not answering his phone calls, she forgot some time back she had added him
to her service. Not to mention she’d been carrying the damn thing around in her
pocket like it was the Holy Grail since she arrived. “You put a locator on me?
When?”
He shrugged. “You were asleep one
night so I
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