Free A Place in Her Heart by Trish Milburn Page B

smelled faintly of grease, rubber and coffee.
    When Cal took his seat behind the steering wheel, he handed her a clipboard with a form attached. “Fill this out and I’ll call you as soon as we know what the issue is with the car.”
    She started filling out the information as he pulled onto the road.
    “So, where to?”
    She searched her brain, unwilling to have him know where she was really going in case he asked why. If he was still in contact with Terry, she certainly didn’t want information about her movements being passed on to her ex-husband. Instead, she gave him the name of an office building a couple of blocks from the shelter.
    “How’ve you been?” he asked.
    “Fine.”
    He laughed a little. “I remember you being a little more talkative.”
    “Sorry. Just have my mind on other things.” Like how fate must have a wicked sense of humor, because Cal was even more handsome now than he’d been when she’d been head-over-heels in love with him. He exuded a raw and incredibly sexy masculine confidence that was likely a product of having a macho profession. Not just anyone could be a SEAL, but she wasn’t the least bit surprised he’d accomplished that goal.
    “We should catch up while I’m in town,” he said.
    “Yeah, maybe. I stay pretty busy.” She made the mistake of glancing at him in time to see the way the area between his eyes scrunched, as if he were totally confused by her response.
    Though the old Katy who still lived deep inside of her wanted to accept his attempts at reconnection, the Katy forged in fire couldn’t do it. There just wasn’t enough left of the girl she’d once been. So she kept the conversation focused on her car, and luckily it only took about five minutes for him to arrive at the drop-off spot she’d indicated to him.
    “Talk to you soon,” he said.
    She offered a faint smile and nodded. The look of confusion tugged at his features again, but he just gave a little shake of his head and pulled back out onto the street.
    She watched until he drove out of sight before she headed toward the Women’s Lunch Place, the shelter that had saved her life. She was halfway there before she took a normal breath.

Chapter Two
    Cal pulled into the garage parking area, part of his mind still back on the sidewalk where he’d left Katy. He knew people changed as they got older, but she was so different it was as if she were halfway to being a different person. She’d always been friendly, chipper, fun to hang out with, easy to talk to—all despite the fact she hadn’t had the best home life. Could she be upset because he hadn’t kept in touch? He had for a while, but then he’d been sent to places where getting messages out was either difficult or prohibited, and they’d fallen out of touch. The last time he’d tried to call her, the number had been disconnected.
    He grabbed the clipboard with her contact information. A glance at her name told him she must be married. Or at least had been.
    “So what is it?”
    He looked up as his older brother Sean walked toward him, wiping his hands on a shop towel.
    “Not sure. Won’t start.” Cal extended the clipboard. “It’s Katy Weatherly’s car, though she’s Katy McShea now.”
    “McShea? Who’d she end up marrying?”
    “No idea.”
    “You two used to be as close as peanut butter and jelly.”
    “Lot has changed since then.”
    Evidently including Katy’s attitude toward him.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Cal shook his head. “Nothing.”
    “Liar.”
    “It was just weird, that’s all.”
    “Weird?”
    Damn, Sean wasn’t about to let it go.
    Cal walked toward the back of the truck and lowered the lift. “Like she didn’t really know me.” Honestly, it’d been as if she couldn’t wait to get away from him.
    “Like you said, it’s been a long time since you saw each other. Or maybe you just stink.”
    Cal called his brother an unflattering name, which caused Sean to laugh before he turned and headed back