Another Chance by Michelle Beattie Page A

street that connected up with another, the boy had been caught and his mother was blistering his ears.
    Looking to the other side, Jillian smiled as she'd reached her destination, the mercantile.  She tied Hope to the post in front and stepped inside.  After the brilliance of the sun, it took her eyes a moment to adjust.  The store was surprisingly large and the shelves were lined with more food items, sweets, pots, pans, and bolts of material then she'd imagined a small town would have.  Everything smelt crisp and clean, and even the wood floors gleamed with a recent polish.
    She'd never been the kind of woman who needed all the fancy trappings that came with a big city but she admitted to liking some pretty things around her.  And she was more than pleased to see that Cedar Springs wouldn't disappoint her in that regard.
    Two women, with baskets tucked in the crook of their arms, peered around the shelves to see who'd come in.  Jillian smiled at them but they looked away and went back to shopping.
    "You must be the new vet."
    Jillian turned.  Standing before her, arms crossed over her blue apron, smiled a woman who seemed to be about Mrs. Parker's age.  While her graying hair was drawn back into a bun, her face was smooth and her eyes bright as any child's.  Jillian couldn't help but respond to the warmth in them.
    "I am."  She held out her hand.  "Jillian Matthews."
    The woman clapped both hands around Jillian's.  "A pleasure.  I'm Letty Daniels and if you need anything you don't see here, let me know and I can bring it in.  Course it may take months the way the stage works around here, but it gets here eventually."
    With her hand still holding Jillian's, Letty pulled her to the back of the store, only releasing her hold to step behind the long counter.  Then Mrs. Daniels opened a large glass bowl and took out two peppermint sticks.  At her nod, Jillian accepted one, smiled as the sweetness rolled over her tongue.
    Letty leaned forward, her own candy stick still in hand.  "You've sure got this town hopping.  People haven't stopped cackling all day."
    "The sheriff had said that word had gotten around.  I must admit that surprises me.  I only got here three days ago and I didn't come through town.  Doc met me in Bozeman."
    "It's a small town, so you'd better get used to the fact that if you sneeze, it'll be town's business by sundown."
    "But when I was called to the Parker ranch they had no idea Doc Fletcher had left, let alone that I'd arrived."
    "Ah," Letty smiled.  "Eileen only comes in once a week to do her shopping.  In fact, I expect her tomorrow.  Wade was over at Silver's last night.  I suppose folks heard him talking about you and word spread from there."
    "Silver's?"
    "Silver's is the saloon down the street.  You'd like Silver, she not only owns the saloon, she runs it.  And despite what folks around here think, she's a good woman."
    One of the women shopping hmphed.
    Letty fisted a hand on her hip, tilted her head to look down the aisle.  "Did you need anything?"
    "No, just had something in my throat," the other woman answered and made a show of clearing her throat.  "It's better now."
    Letty rolled her eyes, turned back to Jillian.  "Silver, the Parker's, they are all good people."
    "Eileen seems very nice," Jillian conceded.  She wasn't sure yet what to make of Wade.  She'd thought they'd turned a corner yesterday, but now it seemed he'd been in the saloon talking about her, stirring up the town.
    Letty stuck her candy in her mouth, sucked on it for a moment.  "She is.  Known her all my life.  We stood for each other at our weddings.  I'm glad you met her first.  Hopefully that will hold some weight for you when you meet the rest of the town.  I can't say, from the grumblings I've heard, that the rest will prove as friendly."
    "When I was at the ranch, there was a problem."
    "I know, dear, and I was sorry to hear that."
    "Word has gotten out about the cow already?"
    "As I