Two
Chapter One
Cooper’s Cove, Wisconsin
Mid-February
Something was wrong.
Cassie Miller’s version of a mother’s “early warning system” squealed in alarm as she glanced out the large plate glass window of her beauty salon, scanning Main Street and the crowd of kids for her six-year-old daughter, Sofie.
School had let out almost half an hour ago, and kids bundled in heavy winter clothes romped along the snow-packed street, dodging fresh snowflakes, ignoring the frigid cold, laughing and joking, grateful to be set free for another day.
But Sofie wasn’t with them, Cassie realized nervously.
The school was less than two blocks away, and her twelve-year-old nephew, Rusty, was supposed to walk Sofie from school to the shop every day after school.
But they were now almost half an hour late.
And it wasn’t like Rusty or Sofie to just not show up or to not call if they were going to be late. Both were incredibly bright, responsible kids and knew the rules and how their mothers’ worried about them.
Something was wrong.
Being a single parent, Cassie had worked hard to curb her instincts to overprotect her precious only child, but Sofie was a smart little girl who’d never given her a moment’s worry.
Until now.
Cassie would have closed the shop and gone looking for Sofie herself, but she still had one more appointment this afternoon. She had just purchased the salon and was trying to garner all the business she could, and closing in the middle of the day without notice wasn’t exactly a sound business practice.
Nervously gnawing on her lip, Cassie forced herself to take a deep breath. Okay, Cass, get a grip here, she scolded herself, closing her eyes for a moment to calm down. Sofie’s fine.
She was worrying needlessly. After all, Cooper’s Cove, Wisconsin, was the real-life version of Mayberry where everyone knew everyone else, and where she herself had grown up.
The move back home to Cooper’s Cove a month ago hadn’t been impulsive, Cassie reminded herself, and Sofie had been as excited about the move as she.
It was a new beginning for both of them, a chance to come home, to be near family, to set down roots, and for Cassie to finally have a chance to realize her long-held dream of owning her own business.
It had been a well thought-out, intricately planned and perfectly executed move. She wasn’t a woman who ever leapt before she looked, at least not anymore.
She’d leapt once, when she was young and naive and didn’t know any better, and had nearly been done in by the pitfalls and perils of jumping so blindly. It wasn’t likely she was ever going to do that again.
Feeling unbearably edgy when there was still no sign of Sofie after another few moments, Cassie rubbed her damp hands down her beige-and-brown uniform, then walked to the empty receptionist desk and picked up the phone.
She’d just started to dial the number for her cousin Katie, who was Rusty’s mother and worked in the newspaper office several doors down, when she heard the roar of an engine out front.
Cassie glanced up in time to see a hot little red sports car zoom to the curb and come to an abrupt stop. She frowned. Expensive little red convertibles weren’t exactly the norm in Cooper’s Cove, and they certainly didn’t roar down Main Street in the middle of the afternoon. Especially when there were tons of school kids out and about during near blizzard winter conditions.
Unless something was wrong.
Trying to curb her growing attack of nerves, Cassie’s eyes widened when one of the winged doors glided open and Dr. Beau Bradford, the town pediatrician, emerged. Unconsciously, Cassie’s lips thinned in displeasure.
Although she and the doctor had both grown up in Cooper’s Cove, he had been several years ahead of her in school and they’d never met until last month, when she’d brought Sofie into his office for her school physical.
He’d also been at Aunt Louella’s wedding to Mayor Hannity last month, Cassie remembered with a scowl, thinking of how charming and solicitous the good doctor had been. There was something about Dr. Bradford, something in those intense blue eyes and aristocratic dark good looks, that simply got on her nerves.
Dr. Beau, as everyone called him, wasn’t just the town pediatrician, he was also the only heir to the Bradford plastics dynasty. He and his aging, eccentric uncle lived in a crumbling old fortress-like house on the edge of town.
Apparently the handsome young doctor also did some moonlighting as the town Romeo, Cassie remembered with another scowl. Tales of his romantic adventures had kept the gossips in Cooper’s Cove busy for many a wash and set this past month, not to mention during the weekly bingo nights at the town hall.
The good doctor was rich, gorgeous and, according to Cooper’s Cove lore, very experienced.
As far as Cassie was concerned, he was cut from the same soiled, spoiled cloth as Sofie’s irresponsible father had been. And the last thing Cassie needed in her life was another rich, reckless man masquerading as an adult. The mere thought infuriated her.
So what on earth was he doing here, she wondered, her scowl deepening.
Cassie wasn’t certain why, but she watched in fascination as he walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door.
“Oh my word!” Cassie’s panic went into overdrive when her six-year-old daughter stepped out of the car. Bundled up for the winter weather, Sofie looked like a little woolen Weeble struggling to walk and keep her balance at the same time.
Cassie’s heart did a quick stutter step. She slammed the telephone receiver down and skirted the receptionist desk to head for the front door, her heart now hammering in fear.
Without bothering to grab her coat, she yanked open the door, nearly recoiling from the arctic blast of cold air that hit her.
“Sofie!”
