His heart ached, as it always did when he thought of Tara. Ruthlessly he pushed aside the memories that threatened to invade his peace of mind. Those were for later, when he was alone in his bed.

"Maybe Deputy Rayburn can shed some light on things," another female voice said soothingly.

Kevin knocked on the partially open door. "Someone call?"

He stepped into the room – and received the shock of his life. It was Tara. Even with a black eye and a fat lip, and with her blond hair cut short, the woman lying in the hospital bed was unmistakably his ex-girlfriend. He hadn't seen her in almost a year, since he'd so abruptly left Chicago.

"Oh, Kevin, thank God! What took you so long? Please, tell me what's going on."

The nurse, who'd been changing a bandage on Tara's arm, looked at Kevin. "You know her?"

"Yes, she's my – she's Tara Satterfield."

Looking lost and scared, Tara reached for him, and reflexively he bent over the bed and hugged her. The feel of her, the smell of her hair, brought those painful memories screaming back into his head. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" The endearment slipped out without effort.

"I think so. But how did I get here? Were we visiting your aunt?"

Kevin reluctantly released her. "You don't remember?"

"The last thing I remember is us going out to dinner with the Brinkmans. How long ago was that?"

Good Lord. Kevin barely remembered that dinner, but it was at least a year ago.

"Kevin?" Tara looked up at him with improbably green eyes. "Will you tell me what's going on? And what's with the khaki uniform?"

Before he could answer, his Aunt Debra waltzed into the hospital room, a scrunched-up blanket in her arms. Debra had raised Kevin after his parents died, and he loved her fiercely. She was also a volunteer at the hospital and the town busybody. "Well, well, I heard through the grapevine you were awake and kicking," Debra said to Tara, her curly red hair bobbing as she walked. "I'm sure you're anxious to see this young man." She plopped the blanket onto Tara's lap. That was when Kevin realized it wasn't just a blanket.