Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming)

by Lynn Patrick

  Truth be told, the night before he’d been going down the alley behind Sew Fine looking for signs of mischief.

  Alex hadn’t been at all prepared to find it in Brian’s sister.

  What a conundrum. He’d wanted to catch Brian in the act; he simply wanted to catch Kristen.

  Two goals at odds with each other.

  Though he’d known Kristen for less than twenty-four hours, he was certain that, if he arrested her brother, she would have nothing to do with him.

  What to do?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ALEX DIDN’T APPROACH her for a date again, but in the next few days, Kristen swore she saw him more than anyone other than her aunt or siblings. No matter where she was—home, store or just walking through town—she saw Alex cruise by her in the patrol car.

  Slowly.

  She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or flattered.

  Then she found herself looking for Alex every time she was out on the street. And sometimes she looked out Sew Fine’s windows to see if she could spot a patrol car anywhere around.

  That’s what she was doing late one morning the following week when her sister joined her at the window.

  “What are you looking for?” Heather asked, scanning the area outside the store.

  “Oh, nothing. I was just stretching my legs.”

  “Huh. You’ve been doing a lot of that the past week.”

  “I get tired of sitting so much.” Not wanting to talk about her paranoia over Alex, Kristen started back to the office area.

  Right on her heels, Heather said, “Then get away from that computer and start working in the store.”

  “I only know a little about quilting.”

  “You can learn more. That’s why you’re taking Gloria’s class, right?”

  “I’m not exactly taking it. I’m just checking things out. If I understand the classes and what they provide for customers, I can market them better.”

  “Whatever. It’s a smart move. You never know, you might be ready for Aunt Margaret’s advanced session in no time.”

  “That’s very hopeful of you.” Kristen laughed. “I’m not quite ready for art quilts yet.” She thought about her aunt’s retirement. “Is Aunt Margaret going to keep teaching here at the store now that she’s retiring?”

  “As far as I know, she wants to continue.”

  “But what if we expand and there are more people for classes?”

  “We can hire more teachers.”

  Knowing her sister had made some beautiful quilts, including one for her, Kristen asked, “Would you want to do a class?”

  Heather blanched. “Are you kidding? I’m already working full-time and going to school part-time. And somehow I have to make extra time for the twins every day. If I was going to do anything else, it would be outside. I can hardly take care of my own garden.”

  Which Kristen knew was important to her sister, who was studying to be a horticulturist, specializing in sustainable landscapes.

  “Relax, already. I was kidding, Heather. Like you say, we can get more teachers.”

  “There are several women who come here who have been quilting forever.”

  “Then why do they keep taking classes?”

  “To socialize. They’ve turned it into more of a quilting circle. Everyone brings potluck. So the women eat and talk and work on their quilts. Sometimes they choose to work on group projects. You know, if someone is having a baby or getting married.”

  Reminded of Jason, the man she’d thought she would marry, Kristen turned away, saying, “Sounds like they have a good time.”

  If not her idea of a good time, she thought, walking back to her desk. Before her personal financial crisis, she’d enjoyed going to plays and museums and dinners with her friends. Which went to prove how much she didn’t belong in a small town. She didn’t mind observing a few classes but she didn’t want to be part of a quilting circle—she wanted her old life back.

  And right now, she wanted to eat. It was lunchtime, and she wasn’t about to miss another meal. Grabbing her shoulder bag, she set off through the store to the front door. “I’m going to grab some lunch,” she told Heather. “You want me to bring something back for you?”

  “Thanks, but I brought a sandwich.”

  Kristen knew she should have done the same, but she hadn’t even thought about it. A holdover from her old life where she’d had lunch out every day. She couldn’t afford to keep doing that, so she needed to make sure the fridge was stocked with things she could eat. And no more mac and cheese for her or she wouldn’t fit into her secondhand designer suits, which she would need to wear on interviews. In the meantime, she decided to check out the family restaurant directly across the street.

  Thinking she should have a salad, Kristen mused about what kind of dressing she would get as she checked the street for moving vehicles before crossing in the middle of the block. A siren went off nearby, but she paid it no mind as she tried to decide if she should eat in or take her meal back to the shop.

  “Miss Lange, wait a minute!”

  Her foot froze on the curb.

  She knew that voice.

  Turning, she saw Alex Novak getting out of his patrol car. He’d switched off the siren, but the light bar was still flashing. Her pulse fluttered at his approach.

  “Chief,” she said, responding in kind to his calling her Miss Lange. “What can I do for you?”

  He was pulling out an official-looking pad and a pen. “You can cross at the corner next time.”

  “What?”

  “You were jaywalking.”

  He had to be kidding. “This isn’t the big city!”

  “No matter. There’s a town ordinance against crossing in the middle of the street. That’s why we have those nice white lines at every corner, to give you a safe place to cross.”

  “But I was safe,” she said reasonably. Maybe if she kept her voice moderate and friendly this time, he would back off. “There weren’t any vehicles coming. I checked. In fact, there aren’t any now.” Town traffic was moderate at its worst.

  “I’m afraid you’re going to have to pay a one-dollar fine anyway.” He started filling out the ticket.

  “One dollar?”

  “Yep.”

  Reason lost out to irritation. Why was he doing this? And how did he happen to be here at the exact time she went out to get lunch? Was he trying to persecute her because she wouldn’t go out with him? Is that why she’d seen his patrol car crawl by so often over the past week? So he could find a way to irritate her for refusing his invitation to dinner?

  Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “I won’t pay it.” She wasn’t going to throw away even one dollar because he had an issue with her decision to not see him. “This is ridiculous.”

  “Let me get this straight. If I write a ticket for one dollar, you won’t pay it?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive!”

  “All right, then.” He actually smiled as he pulled out his handcuffs and indicated she should hold out her hands.

  “I will not.”

  “Right now, you’ve only committed an infraction subject to a small fine by jaywalking. But unless you cooperate, I’ll have to add resisting arrest to the charges. Then you’ll have to go before a judge.”

  “Oh! I never—”

  “Me neither.”

  Kristen was horrified. Townspeople were stopping to watch the spectacle, and they were tittering at her plight. She recognized several people she knew, including Emily Auerbach. Undoubtedly the mayor’s wife would make a big deal of this. And Heather was standing in front of Sew Fine, her expression alternately shocked and amused.

  Indignant, Kristen held out her hands, and Alex locked the handcuffs around her wrists, then said, “Now if you’ll come with me…”

  She tucked her chin into her chest so she wouldn’t have to look at any of the bystanders and rushed toward the patrol car. He opened the back
door and put his hand on her head. She ducked away from him and clunked the side of her head on the metal frame.

  “Ouch!”

  “I was trying to avoid that happening,” Alex said, but he was grinning at her.

  Refusing to be baited, she slid into the backseat of a police car for the second time in less than a week. She couldn’t believe he thought this was funny. Or anyone else. She heard the chuckles and joking comments around her. Small towns were supposed to be friendly. Kristen choked back a sound of frustration as the patrol car moved down the street, past residents who were trying to get a better look at her.

  She simply wasn’t feeling the love.

  *

  HE DIDN’T KNOW what made him do it.

  Alex knew he was going to hear about this—probably from everyone, including the mayor—but he didn’t care. He hadn’t been able to figure out another way to get to know Kristen better, and when he’d seen her cross the street illegally he just hadn’t been able to help himself.

  “Comfortable back there?”

  Kristen made a rude noise in response.

  “The jaywalking infraction and fee are listed on the town books,” he told her, lest she think he was making this up.

  Owen had explained that it was to protect seniors and kids, the violators most vulnerable to getting hit by a moving vehicle. Neither seniors nor kids wanted to part with their dollar, so jaywalking had gone way down after the possible citation went on the books. Alex had never enforced the law before, but he hadn’t been able to resist doing so. Now, at least, he had Kristen’s full attention.

  “Where were you going when you crossed illegally?” he asked.

  “To the restaurant directly across from Sew Fine. I had no idea you had a rule against it.”

  “It wasn’t a rule against your getting something to eat.”

  “Well, you didn’t let me, did you? So you’re honestly going to take me to the station because I won’t pay the fine?”

  “I never said that.”

  “Then where are you taking me?”

  “To do a little community service.”

  “Entertaining you is considered community service?”

  He laughed. “Nope. That’s just a bonus.”

  A minute later, he pulled up to the Sparrow Lake Community House, a two-story building with terraces on both levels overlooking the lake. Opening the rear door of the vehicle, he helped Kristen get out, then he removed the handcuffs.

  She rubbed her wrists as if the metal had chafed them. “I don’t understand what we’re doing here.”

  “Good works. Your alternative to paying the fine. I hope you don’t object to that, too.”

  She frowned at him but followed when he headed for the entrance to the building. He went straight to the kitchen, which was at the end farthest from the lake. Two gray-haired women wearing dresses and sensible thick-soled sandals were filling one of three cardboard boxes.

  “Kristen,” Alex said, “Have you met Nellie?”

  “Of course. I used to live here, remember. How are you doing, Nellie?”

  “Pretty well. It’s nice to see you again. Though I thought you were coming by my consignment store.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make it there soon.”

  Alex relaxed a little.

  Kristen was smiling as she informed him, “I know Louise, too. She works part-time at Sew Fine.”

  “Kristen!” Louise’s dark face lit up and she laughed with delight. “You’re here to help Alex deliver the meals! Bless your sweet heart.”

  “Yes, the meals,” Kristen said, moving closer to take a better look at the filled boxes.

  “We have a couple of dozen seniors around town who aren’t as mobile as some of us are,” Louise explained. “So a bunch of us with too much time on our hands take turns providing them with a good meal every day.”

  Nellie said, “We call this the Sparrow Seniors Soup Kitchen.”

  “Not that we actually serve soup,” Louise quickly added.

  “We do sometimes.”

  “Only in the winter, though.”

  The women looked annoyed with each other until Kristen said, “This is really wonderful of everyone involved.”

  “And wonderful of Alex to fill in for our driver at a moment’s notice.” Louise shook her head. “Poor Bernie called in sick an hour ago and we didn’t know what we were going to do since Nellie doesn’t drive anymore. And I never learned.”

  Still wondering how anyone not living in a big city got by without driving, Alex said, “No problem.” His gaze lingered on Kristen’s face. For once, she wasn’t frowning at him. “I’m glad to help out. That’s a great thing about living in a small town, having a sense of community that the big city doesn’t have.”

  He noticed Kristen’s lips tightened a tad. Then she relaxed and asked, “What can I do?”

  Louise handed her a clipboard. “Here’s the list of homebound seniors and their addresses. It also tells you if there’s a special meal. A few of our seniors are vegetarians. And one couple keeps kosher. All of their lunches are marked and are in this smaller box.”

  Looking over the list, Kristen said, “Okay, I can keep track.”

  Alex placed the smaller box on top of a big one. “I’ll be back to get the other box in minute.”

  “No need,” Kristen said. “I can get it.”

  She impressed Alex by picking up the box as if it weighed next to nothing. “You work out.”

  “Just keep that in mind,” she muttered, leading the way out of the kitchen.

  “Bye-bye,” Nellie called after them.

  “And thank you both,” Louise added.

  Alex followed Kristen, admiring the way her hips swayed gently. Rather than a suit, she wore a dress today, something less rigid and more feminine in a print—blue on white, the blue the same shade as her eyes. And her strappy heels made her legs look long and gorgeous.

  When they got to the patrol car, Alex said, “Let’s just put these in the backseat.” He wedged the boxes against the vehicle and opened the door.

  She slid her box inside. “Where am I supposed to sit?”

  “Next to me.”

  “In handcuffs?”

  Alex juggled the boxes and got them both in the backseat. “Not if you continue to be cooperative.”

  She gave him a searching look. “How long did it take you to come up with this plan?”

  “What plan?”

  Raising her eyebrows, she grabbed the clipboard and walked around the squad car. Alex swallowed his smile as he slid into the driver’s seat. She was a smart cookie. He wasn’t surprised she’d figured him out.

  Now he had to find a way to keep her from thwarting his attempt to get to know her better.

  CHAPTER SIX

  KRISTEN WOULD NEVER admit she was enjoying herself in Alex’s company, but there it was. Halfway through their deliveries, she had already seen parts of town she didn’t remember. She’d also seen some nice people she remembered from the old days and felt good about doing something positive for the elderly who couldn’t do for themselves.

  Apparently, Alex hadn’t hesitated in taking over for the regular driver. His generosity of spirit touched her. She was having a real feel-good moment because of him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something so spontaneous and for such a good cause…not that she’d had much choice in the matter. But still…

  “I hear Margaret is retiring,” Alex said.

  “She turned in her resignation at the university a few days ago.”

  “About time she took it easy. She’s…um…a lot like you.”

  Surprised, she said, “I’m nothing like Aunt Margaret. She’s so creative. She has an artist’s soul. I’m very practical and boring.”

  “Boring?”

  Kristen waited for a verbal shot from the police chief, but he simply let the word hang in the air between them.

  Then he said, “I wasn’t talking about what you do but about how you do it. From
what I understand, Margaret has been filling her every moment, mostly with work. Sound familiar?”

  “Okay, so I admit I’m a type A. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. But people can be ambitious and competitive about fun things, too.”

  “I’m not sure I know how to have fun.”

  Having an adventure like this was unexpected and a little strange. So was giving up control to someone else. And yet, letting someone else be in charge for once gave her a taste of freedom that she enjoyed. No decisions to make, even if for a short while. She couldn’t help but respect Alex.

  She gave him the address for the Gerbers, who were the next people on the list and a couple she knew. A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of a house that showed its age. The siding didn’t look bad, but paint peeled from the porch steps and the windows. In addition, the grass was overgrown and the flower beds needed tending.

  “Wow, this place could use some work,” Kristen said.

  “Make a note of it on your list.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re starting a community service program for first-time offenders. We’re looking to help people who can no longer do outside work for themselves and can’t afford to hire anyone.”

  “Sounds like a great idea.”

  “I’m glad you approve,” he said.

  Kristen started. Expecting to see that snarky smile, she was surprised that Alex actually did appear to be pleased. Why her opinion was important to him, she couldn’t imagine.

  “As long as you don’t mean you’re starting the community service program for me.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “You don’t, do you?”

  He grinned. “Not unless I catch you jaywalking again.”

  Biting back a smile, she checked her list. “We need to deliver three meals here. Two regular and one vegetarian.”

  “You get the vegetarian and I’ll grab the other two.”

  Glad to get out of the vehicle—she’d merely been a passenger until now—Kristen opened one rear door as Alex opened the other. She dug out a vegetarian meal and then looked up. He was smiling at her. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling in return.