High Lonesome by Stacey Coverstone

answered—clearly uncomfortable as his eyes darted between Sherry and Beth. “She’s not interested in that kind of commitment right now.”
    “Oh, fiddlesticks!” Sherry retorted. “Jo would marry you in a heartbeat. All you have to do is ask, you silly man! What are you waiting for?” She laughed and punched his arm. To Beth, she chortled, “Men! I swear. Sometimes we have to hit them over the head with a brick.”
    Beth forced a polite smile and shrugged.
    “Well, I can see I’m getting nowhere, so I’ll run, kids. Time is money in my business, and I don’t have enough of either. Nice to meet you honey,” she said to Beth. “Scott, you better think about what I just told you. Joanna might not wait forever on you, and we both know what a catch she is.” Sherry exited the shop with her broad hips swaying like a boat rocking on the sea.
    Beth laid her bundle down on the counter, and Scott took out his credit card and paid for the items—neither one speaking during the transaction.
    When they stepped outside and onto the sidewalk, she said, “So…you’re dating the doctor. No wonder she rushed over so fast yesterday. I thought she was just being a Good Samaritan .”
    From the guilty look that crossed his rugged face, the words stung. He opened the truck door for her and then hopped into his side. After slipping the key into the ignition, he explained.
    “I’ve known Joanna all my life. We dated briefly in high school, before Maggie and I got together. After graduation, she left town for college and medical school. When she came home years later, she and Buddy got married, and then they got divorced. One day she invited me to some shindig at the hospital…”
    “And the rest, as they say, is history.” Beth finished the well-known line for him.
    “I guess so.” He revved the engine, put the truck in reverse, and headed down the street.
    Beth sensed Scott felt he’d betrayed her by hiding the truth about his relationship with the doctor. But he didn’t owe her anything, not even an explanation. Mutual physical attraction aside, they barely knew each other.
    “Look!” he said, pointing. Several teenagers were slapping a photo of Beth’s face up in shop windows and on telephone poles.
    “The sheriff sure got those flyers out fast,” she replied, craning her neck as they passed by the teens.
    “Let’s hope someone will recognize you and come forward.” The tone of his voice was not convincing.
    She nodded and gazed out the passenger window. Although she was happy to see Sheriff Griggs was a man of his word, a lot had been thrown at her all at once. It was overwhelming. Her mind drifted once again to Scott and Doctor Coleman. She just couldn’t picture them as a couple. The doctor was so put together, perfectly coiffed, and confident in an arrogant way. And a little uptight, if she was being honest about first impressions. Scott, on the other hand, was laid back, funny, drove this old pickup truck, and lived the real life of a Marlboro man. He was comfortable in his cowboy skin and didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. At least, that’s how she saw him. He and Doctor Coleman seemed polar opposites from one another. But then, who was she to judge? She really knew nothing about either of them. What she did know, however, was that neither of them gave off the vibes of being madly in love. She may not remember her own name, but she certainly knew how people reacted and behaved when they were in love. Strange as it seemed, she and Scott seemed to have more chemistry.
    Beth tossed a quick gaze at his profile. Curiosity piqued as to why he hadn’t popped the question to the doctor. He’d been a widower for four years. Hadn’t he told her Willow needed a mother? As for his own needs— well, he was a young, vital man who, by his own admission, had once shared a satisfying emotional and, no doubt, physical life with his wife.
    She’d heard the statistics before. Men who lost a spouse after being