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“No. I’m by myself. I was driving west on the highway when I saw the sign for Judy’s Hand Pies, so I decided to stop.” She paused, not sure if that made her sound odd. “I had them for the first time yesterday, and they were delicious.” She smiled. “I guess I like pie.”

“Me, too. Come on, let me buy you lunch at Judy’s Hand Pies.” He winked. “I happen to know the owner.”

She laughed. “It’s a small town, Lawson. I’m pretty sure you know a lot of people who live here.”

“Not all of them. And we get a lot of tourists so there are plenty of new people to meet.” He winked again. “Meeting new people can be a lot of fun.”

She wanted to say that she wasn’t exactly a tourist—she was just passing through on her way to somewhere else—but decided there was no point. She would have a quick lunch with him before getting back in her car and driving the remaining distance to her destination.

The crowds had thinned out since the last of the runners had passed by. She and Lawson walked the short distance to Judy’s Hand Pies. The storefront was similar to the one she’d seen in Spokane. There were big windows with a mouthwatering display of hand pies and a small Help Wanted sign in the corner. When they stepped inside they were greeted by a pregnant woman, who looked at Lawson, then at her. Her brows rose as her expression shifted from welcoming to speculative.

“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” the woman said.

Lawson turned to Shaye. “This is my sister, Adien. Sis, this is Shaye. We met at the start of the 5K.”

Adien mouthed Quick work before smiling at Shaye. “Nice to meet you. Welcome to Wishing Tree.”

“Thank you.” She looked at Lawson. “So your family owns Judy’s Hand Pies?”

“What?” Adien laughed. “I wish, but no. I work here part-time.” She patted her belly. “At least, I will for the next month. Then this one will make an appearance.”

Shaye ignored the little stab of envy that pricked her heart. She’d always wanted a family, but so far she wasn’t even close to having that happen. And given how she’d sworn off men, well, the whole falling-in-love-getting-married-and-having-a-baby plan was going to be a real challenge.

Adien pointed out the specials, then retrieved a small to-go box. “What’ll you have?”

Shaye chose a chicken mushroom and a spinach feta, along with a fresh berry pie for dessert. Lawson picked two chicken sausage hand pies and a beef stroganoff. He also chose a berry pie, and they each took a can of soda. They had a brief argument about paying, which Adien settled by taking Lawson’s money rather than Shaye’s, then they grabbed plenty of napkins before heading to the seating area at the far side of The Wreath.

As it wasn’t yet noon, there were plenty of empty picnic tables. They chose one in the shade. While it was still only in the midseventies, it would be getting hot later in the day. From what Shaye had heard on the local Spokane news, the start to summer in the Pacific Northwest had been a warm one.

They settled across from each other. Lawson passed out the food, while she split the napkins between them.

She took a bite of the chicken pie and had to hold in a moan.

He grinned. “As good as you remember?”

“Better. I thought the store in Spokane was the only one, but I guess they’re a chain.”

“Mostly in the western half of the country. Toby—he’s the owner—started in Austin, using his grandmother’s hand-pie recipe. She’s the Judy in Judy’s Hand Pies.”

“How did he get from Austin to here?”

“He grew up here.” Lawson’s brown eyes crinkled with amusement. “You can take the boy out of Wishing Tree . . .”

“But you can’t take Wishing Tree out of the boy. I get it.”

Up close, Lawson was even better-looking than he had been at a distance. He was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, but he had an air of confidence about him, as if he knew he could take care of himself in any situation. He was strong—she could see the outline of muscles in his shoulders, arms and chest—which could have been intimidating, but there was also something friendly and welcoming in the way he looked at her.

“Toby came back,” Lawson added. “Last fall. Right about the time I came home.”

“Where had you been?”

“All over. I did an eight-year stint in the army. Spent time in a lot of the US, then did tours through Germany and Afghanistan.”

Her eyes widened. “Doing what?”

The smile returned. “I’m a car mechanic. Been crazy about cars since I was maybe three. I started working in a local repair shop here in town when I was fourteen. When I enlisted, they put me to work doing what I do best. If you have a Jeep or a Humvee break down, I’m your man.”

“Sorry to disappoint. I drive a ten-year-old pickup.”