Mary had been working at The Times-Gazette for two years, first doing adverting sales, then-much more to her liking-as receptionist. The twenty-seven-year-old brunette enjoyed working with the cantankerous JJ Jackson, her calm, soft-spoken demeanor a striking contrast to the publisher's brash manner.

Mary came from a large family whose roots in Asbury went back more than two centuries. The last of twelve children, Mary followed her older siblings throughout life: to school, 4H, scouts, and, after graduating from Asbury High School ten years before, to the community college in Berlin. Because of her good grades, she had offers from more prestigious colleges but a lack of self-esteem kept her close to home and her newfound church.

Mary was short--only five-foot-two--and slender. Her shoulder-length brown hair framed a face with bright blue eyes and an impish grin. However, her dedication to church and her education had kept her dance card relatively free over the years. She dated periodically, but never had a serious boyfriend. She kept her heart well-guarded . . . until she met Dave.

Her feelings for Dave troubled Mary. He was not a Christian, meaning she could not have a relationship with him, yet her heart always seemed to skip a beat whenever he entered the room.

Was it love? Was it just physical attraction? Mary wrestled with these thoughts even as she began to realize it could be a moot point since Dave seemed attracted to the alluring Alison Bissonette.