Starting Over at Lane's End (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Shelley Galloway Page B

dog sat, though the look in his dark-brown eyes showed that he wasn’t happy about minding. Gen once again compared Sludge to her own Sadie. While both were tricolor, Sludge’s colors leaned toward black while Sadie’s spots were mainly brown.
    Sludge also held a note of mischief in his eyes, making him look like a practical joker.
    Now that he wasn’t eating her scarf, Gen was charmed. Reaching out, she placed her fingers near his nose. He sniffed twice before treating her to a giant lick.
    “We’re in luck. Sludge hasn’t looked at your shoes once.”
    “He must know better than to mess with regulation leather,” Gen teased.
    “He always has been a little wary of authority.” Gesturing toward the kitchen, Cary said, “Would you like another glass of water? Cup of coffee?”
    “No. I’d better get going,” Gen said, tamping down the regret she felt. Warring emotions coursed through her, making her think of how much she’d love to relax on Cary’s couch. Find out if those shoulders and arms really were as firm and sculpted as she guessed. Wear her hair down...attempt to flirt a little. See where this attraction to him could go.
    But duty called. “I really do have to return some phone calls.”
    He stepped back. “Right. I’d almost forgotten. Phone calls and reports.”
    “Yep. Always paperwork,” she added in a rush, saying the truth but wishing for something different.
    “I won’t keep you then.” Cary walked to the door. Sludge followed, his tail wagging as he walked.
    Gen patted the dog’s head and decided to take a chance. “So—are you going to the game tomorrow night?” She held up a hand to stop his reply. “Scratch that. Of course you are. What I was going to say was, I’m going, too, and—” she took a deep breath and a giant leap “—I wondered if maybe you wanted to go together.”
    Mischief and warmth blended together in Cary’s eyes. “Are you asking me out, Gen?”
    Oh, no, she’d read him wrong. “Maybe,” she said, hesitation in her voice. As much as she wanted to make more friends and be more outgoing, she couldn’t survive another Keaton situation.
    “Yes.”
    “Yes?” Had she heard him correctly?
    “I’ll pick you up.”
    “If you want. Or I could just meet you there.”
    “Not a chance. How about we go out to eat first? Do you eat Mexican?”
    “I can eat anything.” When Cary chuckled, Gen said, “I mean, I love Mexican food.” What was happening to her? You’d think she’d never planned a date with a man before!
    “How about I pick you up around five-thirty or six o’clock? The game starts at seven-thirty.”
    “My shift ends tomorrow at four, so that would be fine.”
    “Great. Where do you live?”
    Hastily she pulled out a card and wrote her home address on the back. When Sludge came closer, nudging her jacket as if it were a tasty appetizer, Gen darted for the door. “I’ll see you then.”
    “Okay.”
    “And I’ll call you if I get a lead on the person who damaged Melissa’s car.”
    “I hope you call soon, no matter what.” The look in his eyes dissolved Gen’s doubts about his feelings. Before she knew it, she was back in her cruiser, feeling more feminine in a starched blue uniform and polyester pants than she ever had before.
    What was it about Cary Hudson that made the simplest things sound appealing?
    Suddenly her radio squawked, effectively ending all daydreams. “Slate? We got an altercation at 1633 Cheyenne. Copy?”
    “I’m on it. Five minutes, tops.”
    Amanda chuckled. “Take your time. It’s only Mrs. Fogle. She and her daughter are at it again.”
    “I copy that.” Carefully Gen drove away from Cary’s house, stopping only to wave at a curly-headed blonde about Melissa’s age watching from her front steps across the street.

Chapter Seven
    “N O , M OM . I didn’t mean that,” Gen said, trying in vain to keep her voice even and calm. It wasn’t going too well.
    Especially since her mother wasn’t making