So she’d offer coffee and bakery items, along with a place to wait out the rain—then send the woman on her way, hopefully encouraged and better able to face whatever challenges were disrupting her life.

Pasting on a smile, Beth forced her legs to carry her to the bench—and prepared to do her good deed for the day.

“Excuse me, miss. Miss?”

As someone touched her shoulder, Christi stiffened and jerked her eyelids open.

A slender, midfortyish woman stood three feet away, holding a cardboard carryout container. She was well dressed, and her mouth had a slight upward tilt—but the tension radiating from her set off alarm bells.

Christi eased farther away on the bench. “Yes?”

“Were you waiting for me?”

The red alert intensified, and her big-city self-defense mechanisms kicked in.

“No. I wasn’t.” She stood, prepared to bolt if this conversation got weirder.

“Oh. I thought that might be why you’re here.” The stranger motioned toward the window of the shop beside them.

Christi shifted sideways. A “part-time help wanted” sign was taped on the inside of the glass.

Ah. That explained the woman’s question.

Her wariness subsided.

“No. To tell you the truth, I hadn’t even noticed it.”

“Too bad.” The woman’s words didn’t match her tone—but it was hard to fault her lack of disappointment at not finding a job candidate on her doorstep. No one who wanted that position should show up for an interview in worn jeans and sneakers. “I saw you while I was at the coffee shop across the street and hoped we could chat about the job over a drink and a bite to eat.” She lifted the cardboard tray.

A whiff of coffee drifted toward her as the rain intensified, and Christi inspected the cups and the bag containing who-knew-what delights.

So tempting.

But she couldn’t take either under false pretenses.

“Like I said, the bench is what drew me here—not the sign.”

“Sorry for the misunderstanding.” The woman gave the sky a sweep. “I believe we’re in for a bit of weather. If you’d like to come in until it passes, you’re welcome to share my goodies. I don’t want all these calories.”

Did everyone in this town give away free food and drink?

But much as she’d like to accept the woman’s hospitality, it didn’t seem fair to take refreshments intended for a job applicant. Except the peanut butter crackers hadn’t put a dent in her hunger—and the plain tap water she’d washed them down with wasn’t in the same league as a rich cup of coffee.

Plus, a jolt of caffeine would give her an energy infusion as she began her drive back to Dallas.