Bride Of Dreams

“I should have remembered that it needs more than filling up with gas and having the oil changed on a regular basis,” she admitted.

In a matter of minutes, Cooper had his truck turned around to face Caroline’s car. He instructed her to wait for his signal while he attached jumper cables to his truck battery, then to her car’s.

“Okay, start her up,” he called out.

He whistled a victory tune when the little car roared to life. He yelled for Caroline to back off on the accelerator, and quickly took off the cables.

Cooper trailed behind Caroline who kept to a fairly sedate pace as they headed toward town. He doubted she normally drove this slowly. The sporty red Miata convertible didn’t look like a car that enjoyed staying at the speed limit.

“Why does someone who drives a car like that work as a waitress in a town that has little to offer anyone?” he mused as he watched her drive away. Normally, those kind of questions would raise a red flag in his mind. He’d see it as something he’d want to check out.

Temptation to run her license plate rose strongly. It was the best way to find out if she’d left any secrets in California she wouldn’t want anyone to know about. Except his sense of honor was stronger than his curiosity. If the lady ran a stop sign or exceeded the speed limit, then yeah, he’d do everything by the book, along with running her plate and checking for outstanding warrants. Until then, he’d have to find other methods in his quest to find out just who Caroline Benning was.

“I COULD HAVE WALKED HOME from the garage,” Caroline protested after Cooper had bundled her back into his truck and headed for the Kelsey Boarding House.

“No reason for you to when I’m driving past the house.” He pulled up in front of it and stopped. He climbed out and helped Caroline out of the truck.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “You saved me a long painful walk back to town.”

“Just part of my job.”

“You were off duty,” she reminded him.

“Cops are never off duty,” Cooper explained. He took a deep breath and seemed to look off into the distance. “The spring dance is next Saturday night. I was wondering if you’d like to go.”

She blinked in surprise. “You’re asking me out?”

He instantly backpedaled. “Look, if you’re going with someone else…”

“No,” Caroline said just as quickly. “No one else has asked me, and yes, I’d like to go with you.”

Cooper nodded. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty, then,” he said gruffly as he turned back to his truck.

Caroline strolled up the walkway, listening to the low rumble of Cooper’s truck as he drove away.

“You wanted to keep a low profile,” she told herself. “You knew it was best that you let the people get to know you while you got to know them. You have to be careful not to step over that self-imposed line. But going to the dance will give you a chance to see more people.” She gave the dozing Sam a wide berth as she opened the front door. The cat opened one eye, then closed it as if Caroline offered no threat to his peace and quiet.

Anna walked out of the parlor. “What are you doing here? I thought you went for a drive.” She looked surprised by her boarder’s dusty appearance. “What happened to you?”

“I was, but the battery went dead,” Caroline replied. “Luckily, Deputy Night Hawk drove by while I was walking toward town. He jump-started the battery, then followed me back to Carl’s Garage. Carl’s putting in a new battery.”

“Just one of those times when cars are more trouble than they’re worth.” Anna nodded in understanding. “It’s a good thing Cooper drove by.”

Caroline headed for the stairs. “Yes, it was.” She paused when she reached the first step. “Anna, does Deputy Night Hawk date a lot?”

“Cooper? He keeps his love life pretty much to himself,” she chuckled. Then she noticed the expression on the younger woman’s face. “Why do you ask?”

“Because he asked me to the spring dance. I have got to clean off this dust. I feel as if it’s in my teeth,” she confessed, running up the stairs.

“Caroline!” Anna called after her, with no response. She quickly turned around and headed for the rear of the house. “Johnny!” she called out to her husband, who was in the backyard bent over a lawn mower.

He looked up, his screwdriver in his hand. “I don’t care what you say. I know I can fix this damn thing.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “That’s what you said about the toaster. We ended up buying a new one. This is something entirely different.” She walked swiftly over to her husband and lowered her voice as she gave him the news. “Cooper just asked Caroline to the spring dance.”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. He grabbed a rag and wiped the grease from his hands. “Did she say yes?”

“Since she just told me he asked her, I’d guess she accepted. Not to mention she couldn’t look at me after she told me about it.”

Johnny raised his eyes heavenward. “The man doesn’t have a chance.”

“None of that!” She playfully swatted him. “And no teasing her about it, either.”

“No worries there. But I will ask him if his intentions are honorable.”

“You will not! This will be the first time that child has gone out since she arrived here. I think she’s nervous about it as it is.”

Johnny returned to his task. “I don’t know why you’re worried about Caroline. It’s Cooper who’s a goner.”

Chapter Three

If Caroline hadn’t already known that the spring dance was a major social event for the citizens of Tyler, she quickly learned. No matter where she went, it was the main topic of conversation during the week before the dance.

She was looking forward to the evening because it would give her a chance to meet more of the townspeople in a relaxed atmosphere. She remembered her father saying it was easier to get people to talk when the surroundings were congenial.

Caroline was determined to mingle as much as possible. With Cooper as her date, she knew she had the perfect opportunity to meet people she hadn’t seen in the diner. She might even be able to ferret out a little more information about the elusive Deputy Night Hawk.

She’d already learned that just because he asked her to the dance didn’t mean his manner toward her would change all that much when he came in to Marge’s for breakfast. She wanted to assure him his face wouldn’t crack into a million pieces if he smiled.

It was turning into a campaign for her to find a way to get him to smile.

Arranging blueberries in a happy face on his pancakes didn’t do anything other than solicit a quizzical look.

“The least you can do is appreciate those little touches that make your breakfast special,” she told him.

He picked up his fork and poured warm syrup over his pancakes. “Believe me, I do appreciate everything you do.”

His orange juice served in a borrowed Flintstones glass only had him commenting that Marge must be getting low on glassware.

“What are you doing?” Alice asked one day.

“That man has a smile in him somewhere,” Caroline insisted. “I intend to find it even if it kills me.”

“It just might happen with the way you’re going at it.” The other woman shook her head. “Honey, Cooper doesn’t smile. At least, he doesn’t smile the way you and I do.”

Caroline leaned against the counter. “Then how do you know if he’s in a good mood?”

Marge chuckled from her corner, where she’d been unashamedly eavesdropping on their conversation. “That’s easy, hon. When Cooper’s in a good mood, he doesn’t shoot anyone.”