Dovie drew a deep breath and the anger vanished. A peace of sorts came over her, a calmness. “I have to, Frank—for my own self-respect, if nothing else.”

He stared at her as though he didn’t understand.

It hurt to say the words, but either she did this or she’d never be able to face herself in the mirror again. Squaring her shoulders, she smiled sadly and said, “It’d be best if we didn’t see each other anymore.”

The sheriff’s mouth dropped open. “Dovie, please! Be reasonable about this.”

“It’s over, Frank.” She straightened and looked him straight in the eye.

“Okay,” he agreed, unmistakable regret in his voice. “If that’s the way you want it.”

Dovie’s hand gripped the door handle. “Goodbye, Frank,” she said.

“Good night, Dovie.” As though in a daze, he turned and left.

Tears clouded her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She’d loved Frank for ten years, and it would be a major adjustment to untangle her life from his, but she’d do it and be a stronger woman for it.

A loud knock on the windowpane of her back door made her jump. Dovie answered it to find a bewildered-looking Frank standing on the other side.

“I just want to be sure we understand each other,” he said, holding his hat in both hands. “Are you saying you don’t want me stopping by on Wednesday and Saturday nights anymore?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“I see.” He seemed to ponder her words for a moment. “What about dinners on Sunday?”

“I think we should put an end to that, as well.”

“Afternoon tea at your shop?”

“You can find some other woman to spend your afternoon break with,” she suggested, even though the thought of him seeing anyone else nearly destroyed her.

“There isn’t another woman in the world I’d rather be with than you.”

A slow smile eased up the corners of her mouth. “Then the answer is simple. Marry me the way you promised.”

Frank ground his teeth. “I can’t, Dovie. I wish to hell I could, but it’s impossible. I just can’t do it.”

“There are certain things I can’t do, either, Frank.” She softly closed the door.

* * *

CAROLINE KNEW THIS DINNER was different the minute Grady phoned to invite her. He was formal and polite—as if he was planning something other than a casual evening out.

“He’s going to ask you,” Savannah insisted. “I’m sure of it.” It’d been a week since Ellie and Glen’s wedding, and the topic of love and marriage hadn’t strayed far from her best friend’s mind.

“Have you thought about how you’ll respond when he does?”

Caroline had thought of little else for an entire week. Not her response, should he bring up the question of marriage, but his response once she told him the truth about Maggie. The conversation lay before her like a stretch of deep treacherous water. They’d need to get through that before she’d be able to consider her reply.

She figured he’d introduce the matter of marriage over dinner. Everything pointed to that. Rumor had it that he’d been seen in the jewelry store earlier in the week. In fact, he’d made a number of trips into town.

He’d stopped by the post office three times, which was highly unusual. If she saw him in town even once a week that was a surprise; three times was almost unheard of.

Maggie was spending the night at Dovie’s, so Caroline had the luxury of a free afternoon in which to indulge herself without the constant interruptions of a six-year-old. She soaked in a perfume-scented tub, painted her toenails and curled her hair with a hot iron, all the while praying everything would go smoothly.

This was supposed to be the night of her dreams. But by the time Grady arrived to pick her up, she was a nervous wreck. The hours of anticipating his reaction had left her tense and jittery. Not knowing how he’d feel, what he’d say, was almost more than she could take.

The doorbell rang precisely at six, reminding her that even in small things, Grady Weston was reliable, a man who kept his word. His eyes widened with appreciation when he saw her, and she realized every minute she’d spent in front of the mirror had been worth it.

“I didn’t think it was possible for you to look more beautiful than you did at Ellie’s wedding,” he said with the sincerity of a man not accustomed to giving compliments.

“Thank you.” She twirled around to give him a full view of her new dress. “Do you like it?”

“Oh-h-h, yes. Where’s Maggie?” he asked, glancing around.

“With Dovie. She’s spending the night.”

He handed her a bottle of wine as if he’d suddenly remembered it was in his hands.

“Shall I open it now?” she asked.

“Sure. If you want.”

He followed her into the kitchen, and as she searched for a corkscrew, she saw him pacing the room, his lips moving.

“Grady?”

His head shot up and he looked startled.

“Did you say something?”

He shook his head in quick denial.

She found the corkscrew and gave it to him. While he wrestled with the cork, Caroline took out two wineglasses.

“This isn’t going to work,” he announced and set the bottle down on the countertop, the cork half-out.

“That’s the only corkscrew I have,” she said.

“I’m not talking about the wine.” He pulled out a kitchen chair and with both hands on her shoulders urged her to sit. Then he finished opening the wine, a white zinfandel, and poured them each a glass.

He drank down the first one in three gulps; after that, he immediately refilled his glass.

“If your parents were alive, I’d talk to them…but it’s just you and me. So—I’ll say what I have to say.”

“What you have to say?” she repeated, her eyebrows arched. Despite her own anxiety, she couldn’t help enjoying his discomfort. Just a little.

He pointed his finger at her as he struggled with the words. “I have to do this now. If I wait any longer, I’ll say or do something stupid, and the entire evening will be ruined.” His eyes were warm, openly revealing his love. “And that isn’t what I want.”

“What do you want, Grady?” she asked in a soft voice.

He reached for his wine and took a deep swallow.

“Wine is usually sipped,” she murmured.

“I know,” he said, “but I need the fortification.”

Caroline’s heart swelled with emotion. “Oh, Grady, I love you so much.”

He stared at her for a long wonder-filled moment. “I love you, too.” He smiled then, sweetly. “I practiced this proposal a dozen times on the drive into town, and now I find myself completely at a loss. I don’t know where the hell to start.”

“The fact that you love me is a good opening.”

“But I have to tell you so much more.”

“Love is only the beginning…” This was where she needed to explain the past, but she couldn’t. Not now, in the most wonderfully romantic moment of her life. Not when the man she loved with all her heart was about to ask her to share his life.

“I’m free to love you,” he said.

“Free?” she repeated, not understanding.

“Richard’s gone.”

She frowned and felt a sudden chill race down her bare arms. “What does Richard have to do with this?”

“Everything.” She could feel the anger coming from him. She swallowed, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Richard has been a thorn in my side for six long years. He’s my brother, and for that reason alone, a part of me will always love him. But I refuse to allow him to dictate my life a minute longer than he already has.”

“What…what do you mean?”

“I’m finished dealing with the problems my brother created. I refuse to pick up any more of the pieces, or accept any further responsibility for the disasters he’s left in his wake. I’m not paying another debt of his. Every minute of the last six years has been spent struggling to regain ground Richard stole from me. I resent every one of those wasted minutes, and I refuse to deal with his mistakes anymore.”