""Thanks, Doc. That means a lot to me."" Tears of emotion gathered in her eyes, and she sniffled a few times to rein herself in. She didn't want to surrender to a full-on sob fest. She had no desire to bring attention to herself. Although she'd known coming back home would be an emotional experience, she hadn't realized how quickly she would succumb to the flood of feelings.

The jingle of the bell heralded the arrival of another customer in the diner. She glanced up just in time to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with chocolate-brown hair step through the doorway. He was wearing a law enforcement uniform, complete with a gold badge and a cowboy hat. The nerves on the back of her neck began to prickle with awareness. Her body tensed up, while a little voice in her head urged her to run, to get away from this place as soon as possible.

But there was nowhere to run, she realized with a sinking sensation. Nowhere to hide.

Lord, give me the strength to make it past this moment.

He turned toward her and their eyes locked—she could see a hundred different emotions reflected in his. Recognition. Disbelief. Those arctic- blue eyes that she used to love gazing into now skewered her to the spot. For a moment time stood still as they took stock of each other.

""Cassidy,"" he said, saying her name as if it were a question.

""Afternoon, Tate,"" she said with a nod of her head in his direction.

She could tell just by looking at his face that she'd caught him off guard. He hadn't had time to prepare himself for seeing her. For one brief instant she'd seen a look of joy sweep over him before it was quickly replaced with one of indifference. Off guard was putting it mildly, she imagined. After all it wasn't every day that your ex-fiancée rose up to greet you like a bittersweet memory from the past.

""Mama told me you made sheriff,"" she said, her voice sounding stilted to her own ears. ""Congratulations.""

""Yup,"" he acknowledged ...