A Piece of My Heart Read online

  “Oh, I didn’t mean—Uh, yes, of course. I’ll start with your TV,” he said, and began unhooking the connections.

  Mercy tried not to panic as she headed for her bedroom, but oh my God, she had a sister! She was no longer alone in this world, and she was going back to Blessings. Surely, she’d see the chief of police now and then.

  * * *

  Hope was asleep by the time Duke got home with all of Mercy’s belongings. He stacked the boxes in the garage for the night and carried the television into the house and left it in the kitchen.

  She woke up the next day with Mercy on her mind. She remembered Jack saying Mercy had no memory of a sister, and it broke her heart. She tried to think of things she might tell her that she would remember and then gave up. They were going to have to start from this moment and not try to make the past fit into their lives.

  Jack knew she was worried and sad and wanted so desperately to make everything right. He wandered into the bedroom to check on Hope and caught her with the TV on mute, staring out the window.

  “Honey, what can I do for you?”

  Hope turned off the TV. “Hug me.”

  He sat down on the side of the bed and gently took her in his arms. She had been hurt in so many places he was afraid to squeeze, so he kissed the top of her head instead. “It’s going to be okay, baby. You’ll see. She’s coming here today. Duke brought home most of her things last night. Since she only has the Harley for transportation, he offered to bring everything she couldn’t carry.”

  Hope’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh! She’ll be here today! We have to get a bedroom ready for her. Let’s give her the big room upstairs. The sheets need to be changed. It needs to be dusted, and the floors cleaned.”

  “I can do that,” he said. “What else?”

  She smiled. “How did you know there was something else?”

  “Because with you, there’s always something else.”

  She brushed her fingers across his hand, absently rubbing his wedding ring with her thumb.

  “There’s an old blue box in the attic. I think it’s beside your mama’s trunk. Will you bring it down here to me?”

  “Sure, honey. What’s in it?”

  “It’s what I took with me from the last foster home when my parents adopted me. I haven’t looked at it in years and not sure what’s in it anymore, but I’m hoping there might be something that would ring a bell for Mercy.”

  “Oh, good idea. I’ll get that for you first and then get busy on the bedroom, okay?”

  She nodded, and when he started out of the room, she stopped him. “Jack?”

  “What, baby?”

  “I’m scared she’s going to hate me.”

  Jack shook his head. “No. I think you’re wrong about her. I only met her that one time, but she didn’t strike me as someone who held grudges. She’s pretty straightforward and giving. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have signed up on that blood registry or made that frantic ride to Blessings before it was even daylight. Don’t count her out, okay?”

  “Yes, okay,” Hope said, and sent him off with a smile.

  But the moment he was gone, she closed her eyes. Even then, the tears slipped down her temples before disappearing into her thick, dark hair.

  * * *

  Ruby Dye opened the Curl Up and Dye with a bounce in her step, then paused in front of the mirror at her workstation to recheck her new hair color. She often changed the color as an advertisement for the shop, but this time she’d done it for new beginnings—something she had never expected to come her way again.

  The sunlight coming through the windows caught in the rich highlights. She’d never done strawberry blonde, but the longer she looked at herself, the wider her smile became.

  She was forty-five years old and feeling pretty wasn’t anything she gave much thought to these days, but right now, she was feeling pretty—at least as pretty as Ruby Dye had ever felt. There was a fresh bouquet of flowers on her dining room table—another gift from her secret admirer.

  The back door opened then banged shut as Mabel Jean came in carrying a big stack of clean towels. “Oooh, Ruby! Sister! I love that color on you.”

  Ruby beamed. She loved the Southern way of being called Sister. It made her feel like she belonged. “Thank you. I thought it was past time to change my look.”

  “Well, you hit this one out of the park,” she said, and then carried her towels to the shelf behind her manicure station. “I have an early appointment this morning. Rachel Goodhope is coming in to get a manicure. She said her last guest at the bed-and-breakfast left last night, and her nails are a mess.”

  “Okay. Since you’re here, I’m going to leave you with the shop and run to the bank for change. Do you need any?”

  “No, I’m good, but thanks,” Mabel Jean said. “However, if you’re bringing back sweet rolls, I’ll take one.”

  Ruby grinned. “Why am I not surprised? You have such a sweet tooth.”

  Mabel Jean giggled as she patted her extra-curvy hips. “And the figure to go with it,” she said.

  “It’s all good,” Ruby said. “I won’t be long.”

  She grabbed her purse and headed out the back door.

  * * *

  Jack came down from the attic carrying the blue box Hope wanted and hurried to their bedroom, curious to see what all was in it, but she’d fallen asleep, and the box was tied with heavy cording. He would see it later, so he set it at the foot of the bed and put a pair of scissors on the bedside table before tiptoeing out of the room.

  * * *

  Peanut Butterman was coming out of Granny’s Country Kitchen with a belly full of buckwheat pancakes and sausage links when he saw Ruby Dye drive by in her car.

  He paused, always interested in what she was up to, and smiled when he saw her park in front of the bakery, thinking about saying hello when she got out of the car. At that point, his breath caught in the back of his throat and he was getting dizzy until he remembered to breathe.

  He’d known her since the day she set up shop in Blessings and had been her steady customer for the past three years, since the local barber retired. He’d seen her hair in just about every color under the sun, but he’d never seen her as a strawberry blonde before, and she was stunning.

  He was still watching when she came out of the bakery carrying a box. He finally lifted a hand in hello, and when she waved and smiled, he groaned. He’d always been a sucker for blondes, and now, he wondered what he’d been missing.

  “Morning!” she called out, and then put her box in the backseat, got in the car, and drove away.

  Peanut’s hand was still in the air as she drove down the street to her shop, took the turn at the corner to park in the back, and disappeared from view.

  “Hey Peanut, what’cha pointing at?”

  Peanut blinked, dropped his hand, and then muttered something about stretching a muscle in his back and drove off without even looking to see who’d asked the question.

  * * *

  It was nearing noon when Lon Pittman rolled into the Stop and Go to fill up the cruiser. Duke Talbot pulled up on the other side of the pumps and began to do the same.

  “Morning, Chief,” Duke said.

  Lon nodded as he swiped his card at the pump. “Good morning, Duke. How’s Hope doing? I heard she was released yesterday.”

  “Yes, she’s home, but still has to take it easy. We’re really glad to have her back.”

  “That’s great news,” Lon said.

  “And there’s more news,” Duke said. “Remember that woman you recognized in the hospital who came here to donate blood for Hope?”

  I’ll never forget her. “Yes, I remember.”

  “It turns out she’s Hope’s long-lost sister. Hope was adopted out of foster care, and her adoptive parents left her little sister behind. I think Mercy was arou
nd three years old when they were separated.”

  Lon’s heart skipped a beat. “Her sister? So she’s coming back to Blessings?”

  “Yes. Sometime today.”

  “And she knew none of this when she came to Blessings?” Lon asked.

  “Oh no! In fact, she didn’t know she had family anywhere. She aged out of the foster care system and has been on her own ever since. I suspected a connection when I saw the birthmark on her neck at the hospital…something Hope had mentioned numerous times over the years. We talked her into giving a DNA sample, and we got the call a couple of days ago that it’s true. Jack didn’t tell Hope about any of this until he brought her home, so she’s over the moon, as you can imagine.”

  Lon felt like he’d been given the keys to the city but tried not to show it. “That’s amazing,” Lon said, and then his pump kicked off. “So I guess we’ll be seeing more of her here in Blessings.”

  “Yes. She’ll be staying with us, of course, but we hope she makes Blessings her home.”

  A slow smile spread across Lon’s face. Some days started out better than others, and this day had just taken a turn to the good. “That’s great. You give Hope my best,” he said, pocketed his receipt, and drove away.

  Duke finished gassing up, then headed downtown to the bank before going to the feed store. He needed a load of cattle cubes and a couple of blocks of salt and hoped she’d arrive in Blessings before he left town, so he wouldn’t have to make two trips.

  The idea of seeing Mercy Dane made his heart skip a beat. She was too outspoken for his tastes, but she was damn beautiful, and since she’d be living with them, he was giving thought to shaping her into wife material. Brothers marrying sisters would be the perfect way to keep two women happy under the same roof. He had yet to give falling in love much thought.

  * * *

  Mercy left the past behind her on a cold, clear Savannah morning with a duffel bag tied onto the back of her Harley and the cash she’d been saving in the freezer inside a money belt beneath her jacket. She was anxious to meet this sister and hopeful that life was taking her in a positive direction. The fact that the cop was the one man from her past she didn’t regret gave her hope they might turn a one-night stand into more.

  The miles on the interstate unrolled behind her like ribbon from a spool, leaving what was ahead in the unknown. The rumble of the engine and the wind whistling past her helmet sang a new song. She didn’t know all the words and had yet to hear the end, but the music was all for her.

  Sister.

  She had a sister.

  A sister they said she looked like.

  A sister whose life she’d saved.

  Mercy so got the irony. A woman she helped save was about to save her as well. She’d never had family. She had never belonged to anyone or anyplace before. Would Blessings be a blessing for her? Would she be accepted enough to belong?

  By the time she rolled into Blessings it was half past ten. She stopped at a small gas station just inside the city limits to fill up and go to the bathroom. She dismounted the Harley, took off her helmet, and hung it over the handlebars before stretching to ease her legs and back.

  George Franklin was on the other side of the pumps filling up the delivery van from their florist shop while his wife Myra was in the van, talking to a floral supplier. Unbeknownst to each other, they both saw the biker ride up and park.

  Myra frowned when she realized the rider was a woman, and frowned again as she watched her shake out all that long hair and stretch herself in a most unladylike manner. Her black leather pants were enough to start a rumor on their own, and when she saw George gawking, she tapped her phone on the window to get his attention.

  George heard her tapping, and when he turned around and saw her shake her head in a disapproving manner, he sighed. A man couldn’t even look at a pretty girl anymore without getting in trouble somewhere. So he ducked his head and focused on an oil spot on the concrete beneath the right rear wheel.

  * * *

  Unaware she had become a topic of conversation between two people she didn’t know, Mercy pumped gas into the Harley, then grabbed the keys and her helmet and went inside to use the bathroom.

  When she came out, the van was gone, and an old man was pumping gas into his truck. She got on the Harley and rode into town, looking for a central place to park and wait for Duke Talbot to arrive. When she saw the large lot in front of the Piggly Wiggly, she rode all the way to the front of the store. The wind was sharp, and when she got off the bike, she quickly moved into an alcove out of the wind to call Duke. Her call went to voice mail, so she told him where she was and sat down on a nearby metal bench to wait.

  It wasn’t long before she felt the chill of the weather again and got up to pull the bench out of the wind, then gave the town of Blessings a closer look.

  Chapter 8

  Mercy hadn’t been waiting long when a cute little blonde wearing black pants and a pink uniform top drove up. Once she got out, she made a beeline for the entrance.

  Mercy was surprised when the woman glanced her way and made a quick turn toward where she was sitting. “Hi honey! You’re Mercy Dane, aren’t you? You look just like Hope.”

  Mercy couldn’t help but smile. The woman was adorable. “Yes, I’m Mercy.”

  “I’m Ruby Dye. I have a hair salon on Main called the Curl Up and Dye. We’re all so happy for you girls. Everyone in Blessings is calling it the double miracle…you know…you saved her life and found a lost sister to boot.”

  Mercy smiled. “Nice to meet you, Ruby.”

  “You tell Hope when she feels better to come into the shop for a free hairstyle. And that applies to you too. Call it your ‘welcome to Blessings’ gift from me.”

  “Thanks,” Mercy said. “I’ll tell her, and thank you for the comp.”

  “You’re welcome,” Ruby said. “Sorry to run, but I need to pick up a few things before my next appointment. Have a good day, honey, and welcome to Blessings.”

  Mercy was still smiling when Ruby disappeared inside the store. She shifted her position on the bench and looked up just as a police cruiser drove into the lot. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the cop—her cop.

  When he stopped beside her bike, the hair rose on the back of her neck. Now they had more than one night of sex between them. The nights of phone texts had been added to their strange relationship, and she wondered if he would stop sending them. The thought made her sad.

  * * *

  Lon Pittman had been cruising the north end of Main Street when he saw a motorcycle ahead of him, and when it turned off Main into the Piggly Wiggly parking lot, he followed it because he recognized the bike and the rider. He tried not to buy into the excitement he felt, but she was here! He was going to see her again. He didn’t know what might come of their unusual acquaintance, but texting her had started out innocently, and now had become a big deal. The brief sexual connection they’d shared so long ago was one thing, but the emotional connection he felt now was strong, and he wondered if she felt the same.

  He cruised all the way down to the south end of Main before turning and retracing his route to the store. He saw the Harley, but didn’t see her until he got closer. She was alone and waiting in the cold, probably for the Talbots. He could only imagine what she must be thinking as she waited to meet family she never knew she had.

  It wasn’t until he got closer to the front entrance that he finally saw her face again, and just like when she’d walked into the hospital waiting room, he felt sucker-punched. She was as beautiful as he remembered, and she was a daredevil on wheels. The way she sat on that Harley, like a cowboy busting a mustang as she made that crazy ride through Blessings, was pretty damn sexy. She was wild and beautiful, and she made him sweat. Whatever the hell he felt was scary good.

  He pulled up behind her Harley and caught her watching him as he got out. All he could th
ink was don’t stumble. He stopped a few feet away from the bench, took a deep breath, and looked her straight in the eyes. “So, Mercy Dane, all these years I’ve been thinking of you as Lucky. I’d say it was more than luck that made our paths cross again, but I am damn glad they did. And I hear you’re moving to town. Seeing you in person is so much better than a long-distance text. I’d like to give you a warm welcome to Blessings, but you’re obviously freezing in this weather.”

  She refused to discuss their past and focused on what was happening now. “Thanks. I suppose you know why I’m here.”

  Lon grinned. “Well, yes, I do. In fact I imagine nearly everyone in Blessings knows your story. That’s kind of what small towns are all about. We love Hope Talbot and are really happy there was such a good outcome from such deadly circumstances.” He reached for her hands. “And, selfishly, I’m really glad you’re here too.” And then he added, “Your hands are cold.”

  She snatched them away, a little embarrassed for no reason at all. It was winter. Everyone’s hands were likely cold.

  “I took off my gloves after I stopped,” she said.

  He nodded. “Well, now. Since I see that you’re waiting, is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No. I’m just waiting for Duke Talbot to text me back and let me know he’s on his way. I’m going to follow him to their farm to meet my sister.”

  “You’re welcome to wait inside the cruiser with me. The heater is on.”

  The offer sounded good, but she hesitated too long.

  “That’s okay. No harm. No foul. I’ve got a quick errand to run. Back in a jiffy,” he said, and hurried inside the store.

  Mercy was rubbing her hands together as she sat back down and caught a faint scent of his cologne. She lifted them to her face and took a deep breath. Now his scent was in her memory and on her skin. He smelled good enough to eat.

  While considering what the possibilities were of them ever having a relationship, her phone signaled a text from Duke Talbot.

  Let me be the first to welcome you to Blessings! I’m on my way.