Page 1 of Return to Laurel Valley

Chapter One

She was taking a risk. A big one.

Lily Crow parked between two pickup trucks and hit the kickstand of her bike with a booted heel. She turned off the engine and pulled the black helmet from her head, releasing long black hair that cascaded to the middle of her back.

The last dregs of an Indian summer lingered—the air like hot breath slapping against her face, the vegetation wilted and gasping for moisture. If the weatherman was right, there’d be storms rolling in sometime after nightfall, and the farmers whose livelihoods depended on their crops could breathe a little easier.

The rain would only make her job harder.

She dismounted the bike and hooked her sunglasses into the front of her black tank top, then ripped at the Velcro of the black leather fingerless gloves she wore and shoved them in her pack.

Laurel Valley hadn’t changed since she’d left. It was the same postcard of a town—perfect in its splendor, the snowcapped mountains majestic and the lake shining like a diamond in the sun. Maybe it was that standard of perfection that had caused the tightness in her chest and leaving in the dead of night.

She knew she was walking into a hornet’s nest, but The Lampstand was the best place in town for two reasons—the food was spectacular, and within minutes everyone would know she was back.

Her boots clicked against the cobbled sidewalks as she made her way past the shops and boutiques. She looked up at the two-story chalet that sat right in the center of town. It was an impressive sight with its black pointed roof and iron balconies on all sides. Flower boxes hung from windows and were overflowing with colorful flowers, and a simple sign that said The Lampstand hung over the door.

She crossed the street, feeling eyes on her as she went, and let herself in the heavy wooden door. The smell of freshly baked bread soothed her as much as the cool breeze of the air-conditioning. She’d been on the road for too long without a break.

The Lampstand was filled with dark wooden tables and chairs with white tablecloths and candles. Windows lined the walls in the main dining room, which was especially spectacular in the winter when the snow was falling.

“Good afternoon,” the woman behind the hostess stand said. “Table for one?”

Lily didn’t recognize the woman, and she felt the tension in her shoulders ebb a little.

“Is Simone here today?” Lily asked.

The woman smiled, her face warming at the mention of the restaurant’s owner. “Unfortunately, no. She’s out on vacation for a couple of weeks.”

“Simone is on vacation?” Lily asked, surprised.

“You must know her well,” she said. “She’s on a cruise if you can believe it. She went with her husband and his brother and wife. All the kids got together and bought them a trip.”

Well, that was one problem she didn’t have to confront, Lily thought.

“Follow me, honey. You came in after the lunch crowd so there’s hardly anyone here. You want the corner booth?”

“That would be great.” Lily looked around to see if there was anyone else in the O’Hara family lurking at other tables. She’d decided to bite the bullet and come straight to the source. She was probably O’Hara enemy number one, and the sooner they knew she was here the sooner they could make their displeasure known and leave her alone so she could get back to work.

“I’m not in a hurry.”

Lily moved with a sensual grace that had two men sitting at the bar following the sway of her hips and wishing they were forty years younger. She tossed her pack into the seat before sliding in beside it, her back to the wall.

The trip to Laurel Valley hadn’t been in her plans, but Jackson Coltraine had had other ideas. Some idiot judge in New York had released Coltraine on a million-dollar bond after he’d gunned down his wife and her lover in cold blood. But Coltraine’s family had money, and the judge didn’t think he’d be a flight risk. Moron.

She’d been two steps behind him all the way across the country, until she’d caught a lucky break just on the border between Montana and Idaho. Coltraine had come down with some kind of virus that had slowed him down. It was hard to run when you were bent over puking every five minutes. She’d been inching her way closer ever since.

When her skip crossed into Laurel Valley, Lily could only shake her head at the irony. She’d sworn she’d never step foot there again. It didn’t matter that it was a place that called to her—that she felt at peace here like she had nowhere else. What mattered was the man she’d left behind—the man who’d made her forget who she was—a woman who had the capability to love and deserved love in return.

Those kinds of thoughts were dangerous for someone with her independence, and she hadn’t looked back since she’d walked away the year before. Though she’d wanted to. And Laurel Valley never strayed far from her mind.

But fate had stepped in and kicked her right in the tail. Coltraine was in Laurel Valley now. She could feel him. All she had to do was find him and then get as far away as possible without stirring up too much of a storm.

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked, coming back over.

Blond hair that had gone to gray was pulled back from her face with combs and her eyes were a soft gray. Her eyebrows were drawn on and her lipstick had been chewed off somewhere along the way. She wore the same uniform the rest of the staff did—a black skirt, black tights, and a white button-down-collar shirt.

Lily was good at reading people. She had to be in her line of work. And despite this woman’s gentle spirit and easygoing manner, she looked like someone who had been through some things. She might look soft on the outside, but her core was tough.

---