When she opened them again, he was on his feet and she was in his arms, and he was carrying her toward his truck.

At that moment, a police car pulled up, and Chief Pittman got out on the run.

“Hey Duke! We just had a call come in that someone fell. I see you beat me to her,” Lon said, as he ran toward Duke’s truck and opened the door.

“I saw it happen,” Duke said, as he eased her down inside, and then quickly reclined the seatback. “I’m taking her to ER.”

“I’ll lead the way,” Lon said, and glanced in as Duke was buckling her in and recognized who it was. “Miss Terry, I don’t know if you remember me, but we were standing in line together at Crown Grocery last week. I’m Lon Pittman, the police chief here in Blessings. My wife, Mercy, and Duke’s sister-in-law, Hope, are sisters, which in the South means we’re all kin. You sit tight and we’ll get you to ER in style.”

Cathy nodded, then closed her eyes. But even after he’d shut her in, she could still hear them talking. A couple of minutes later Duke got back in the truck, and as he made a U-turn in the street, she grabbed onto the console to steady herself.

“Lon’s just ahead of us leading the way with his lights flashing. Just hang on for a few minutes more. Are you hurting very much?” he asked.

“Enough, and I really appreciate this,” she added.

Duke glanced down at her briefly. Again, their gazes locked, but this time she was the first to look away. He could tell he made her uncomfortable, so he turned his attention to driving.

As soon as he pulled up at the ER, everything began happening at once. Two orderlies came running out so quickly that Duke guessed the chief must have radioed ahead that they were inbound. He jumped out as they were transferring her from his truck to a Gurney, and then walked beside her as they wheeled her inside.

“Is there anyone I can call?” Duke asked.

“No, but I’m fine, and thank you again for all your help,” Cathy said.

Duke watched until they wheeled her out of sight, and then shoved his hands in his pockets. He was still standing in the middle of the hall when Hope came around a corner. When she saw him, she came running.

“Duke? What are you doing here? Did something happen to Jack?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Duke said. “I came in to get a haircut this morning. I was just going to have my oil checked when I saw a woman take a bad fall. I just brought her in.”

“Oh no! Who was it?” Hope asked.

“Her name is Cathy Terry.”

“Oh, Mercy mentioned her a time or two. She’s renting from Dan Amos. Was she hurt bad?”

“I don’t know. I felt bad leaving her here on her own, but when I offered to call someone for her, she shook me off. I think I make her nervous…not me personally, but me being a man.”