Mercy

he'll get the idea

how friendly everyone is. Karen Crawford's smoking a brisket and fixing her potato salad, and of course, she'll have a nice card

all written up. Daryl's wife doesn't want to be left out. She's bringing over a pot of green beans fresh from her garden.'

'With a nice card,' she remarked as she folded her arms and frowned at her father.

'That's right.'

'Then why am I supposed to pretend I made the gumbo?'

'Because I won't have Theo thinking you can't cook.'

'I can cook.'

'You took him to McDonald's.' It wasn't a comment; it was an accusation.

Michelle's appreciation for small-town openness suddenly dwindled. Someone had obviously been spreading the word. Suddenly the big, bad, impersonal city didn't sound quite so horrible.

'He wanted to go there,' she argued. 'He likes McDonald's… and so do I. They have great salads.'

'We're all trying to be friendly.'

She laughed. When Daddy and Conrad and Artie put their heads together, they came up with some of the most outrageous

ideas. At least this one wouldn't land them in jail.

'And you want me to be friendly too.'

'That's right. You know what I'm talking about. Make him feel at home, like he belongs here. Take him out and show him the sights.'

'What sights?'

'Michelle, are you going to cooperate or not?'

He was getting testy. He only called her Michelle when he was frustrated with her. She started laughing again, which she knew he didn't appreciate at all, but she couldn't help it. The conversation was crazy.

'Okay,' she said. 'Since this means so much to you and Conrad and Artie, I'll cooperate.'

'It means a lot to the men and women who work at the sugar mill and the boys on the football team too. You should have heard what Conrad told us about practice today. He said Theo had those boys all revved up and ready to go. He also said that Theo knows a whole lot more about football than he does.'

'Everyone knows more about football than Conrad does.'

'Theo knows how to organize the boys. He gained their respect just like that.' He snapped his fingers and nodded. 'I've got a whole lot of reasons why I want him to stay, but you know the one reason that tops all the others?'

'No, Daddy. What's that?' She had already made up her mind that if he said he hoped Theo would marry her and take her off

his hands, she would walk out of the bar.

'He went out and bought a fence as a birthday present for Daryl's boy. You don't meet too many thoughtful men like Theo these days. And think about the money that fence must have set him back.'

'I'll do my part, but please don't get your hopes up. Theo's going to go home, and nothing any of us do will change that.'

'There's that negativity again. We've got to give it our best try, don't we? This town needs a good, honest lawyer, and Theo Buchanan fits the bill.'

She nodded. 'All right. How about tomorrow I make my etouffee?'

He looked appalled. 'Oh, no, honey, don't do that. Serve him up Billie's gumbo. Remember the way to a man's heart is through

his stomach.'

'But you love my etouffee.' Her shoulders slumped then. 'You don't love it?'

He patted her shoulder. 'You're my daughter and I love you. I had to tell you I like it.'

'Do you know how long it takes to make that dish? All day,' she told him before he could offer a guess. 'You could have mentioned you didn't care for it before now.'

'We didn't want to hurt your feelings, you being so tenderhearted and sensitive.'

'Honestly, Daddy, you could have… Wait a minute. 'We'?'

'Your brothers and me. They love you too, honey. You're a fine cook with plain dishes, and your biscuits are still light and

fluffy, but we need to dazzle the man now. Like I was telling you, the way to a man's heart…'

'Yes, I know… is through his stomach. That's hogwash, by the way.'

'Oh? How do you think your mama nabbed me?'

When was she going to learn she could never win an argument with her father, no matter what she said? Finally admitting

defeat, she said, 'Her world famous bundt cake.'

'That's right.'

'I don't want to nab Theo the way Mama nabbed you.'

'I know that. It's the town that wants to nab him.'

'Okay, I'll do my part. I promise. Now, let me see if I've got this straight. Doing my part means I don't cook at all, I lie about

the gumbo and tell Theo I made it, and, oh, yes, I'm supposed to be friendly. Do you want me to put a chocolate mint on his

pillow tonight?'

Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her a big bear hug. 'That might be overkill. Now, go sit, and I'll bring out supper for

you and Theo.'

Michelle didn't have another quiet minute for the next three hours. After she and Theo had eaten, she put on an apron and got

to work cleaning the tables and helping carry out pitchers of cold beer. Theo was stuck sitting at the bar between two men clutching papers in their hands. A line had formed behind him. Daddy was leaning over the counter making the introductions.

More free legal advice, she thought. Myron had disappeared over an hour ago, and since her father was busy trying to

manipulate Theo, she took over tending the bar.

By ten-thirty the kitchen was officially closed and cleaned, and the crowd had thinned out. There were only about a dozen

people inside the bar when she removed her apron and went to the jukebox. She put in a quarter she'd taken from the cash register, punched B-12, and then sat down at a corner table she'd just cleared. She leaned her elbow on the table and propped

her chin in the palm of her hand.

Her gaze kept going back to Theo. The big jerk looked so serious and adorable in his gray T-shirt and jeans. Did he have to be

so sexy? And why couldn't she find something wrong with him so she could obsess about that and get over him. All she could think about was having sex with him. Oh, God, did that mean she was turning into a slut? The sex would be amazing. Stop thinking about it. Think about something else.

Another thought popped into her head that was even more depressing. Great. When he left-and he would leave-the town

was going to blame her. Oh, they wouldn't say anything, but they'd all think it was her fault. She hadn't been friendly enough.

She wondered how they would all feel if they knew just how friendly she wanted to be. Admit it, damn it. You're feeling

sorry for yourself because he will go back to Boston and his oh-so-sophisticated life there, and you want him to stay