Page 3 of Return to Laurel Valley

“That’s okay,” she said. “That helps.”

“Well, enjoy your lunch.” And Linda left her and went to check on a man sitting at the bar.

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t linger if storms were coming, so Lily ate quickly, left a generous tip on the table, and went back outside. She gave the mountains a cursory glance, noting the low clouds that billowed with growing intensity. The mountains were barely visible and cast a long shadow over the lake.

Linda had been right. There were a lot of places a lone man could hide in the area. Laurel Valley was a resort town that had been built on tourism by the founding families. It was laid out in the shape of an X with The Lampstand right at the apex. Businesses and bistros lined the streets, all in the same Bavarian style, and colorful flowers rioted out of pots and flower boxes, though she wondered how long they’d last after the effects from the storm.

A large ski resort was higher up in the mountains where guests could ski in and out at their whim. There was a lodge on the opposite side of the lake for those who preferred the water to the mountains. And she’d noticed the new condos that had been built since her last visit to town. But the rest of Laurel Valley was fields and hills, interspersed with forestland and hidden lakes. Most of which was privately owned.

The people of Laurel Valley were ranchers and farmers—everything from Arabians to cattle to vineyards—and there was more money in Laurel Valley than in some of the major cities in the country. There was no telling where Coltraine had hunkered down. She had her work cut out for her. And if she could do it without running into the one person she was hoping to avoid, all the better.

She decided to take Linda’s advice and head over to the bed-and-breakfast and the wilderness store and show Coltraine’s picture around. After that, her only choice would be to buy the supplies she needed and head out into the great unknown after him. There had to be someone in town who’d seen him. She made a mental note to talk to the gas station attendant as well.

Lily looked up and down the street both ways and then moved back toward her bike. Her hands ran beneath the undercarriage out of habit to make sure no one had tampered with it while she was inside.

She felt him before she heard him—the energy spiking around her body increased the temperature by several degrees. The pull between them had always been electric—chemistry in its most basic form. But it was too late to run.

The handcuff snapped around her wrist and her helmet fell to the ground. Her arms were pulled behind her back as the other cuff snapped on to the other wrist. She gritted her teeth as the metal bit into her skin and she turned her head so she could look her captor in the eyes—green eyes with dark lashes she’d always envied—and they were narrowed in suspicion.

“Hello, Lily.”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Sheriff O’Hara in the flesh.”

Chapter Two

Blaze knew the moment Lily had stepped back into his town. There was something about her that called to him, like she was a siren song and he couldn’t help but answer.

It had been just over a year since he’d seen her last. Since she’d ridden into town on that wicked bike looking for her brother. Blaze had known Jacob Crow from his days in the military, and they’d been friends—back then. But the black ops missions their team had been part of had changed Jacob when he’d come back home, and Blaze had been surprised when Jacob had shown up in Laurel Valley looking for a place to hide. But Blaze took his duty and his oath seriously, and the only help he could give Jacob was to put him back behind bars where he belonged. So Jacob had fired off a shot that had missed Blaze by an inch and gone on the run.

Jacob had turned out to be a bad seed—alcohol, drugs, assault charges, bar fights…and attempted murder. Jacob Crow had gone too far, and no one could bring him back—not Blaze and not his sister, Lily. But Lily had still come after him, hoping he’d listen to her when she asked him to go back and face trial.

When Lily had stormed into his office demanding to know where Jacob was, Blaze had felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He’d known from the first instant that she was his match in every way that mattered. But behind the bravado was a woman who was desperate to save the only family she had left.

Her face was a study. It shouldn’t have been beautiful—not if you looked at her features individually. Her face was angular and her cheekbones flat, attributing to her Native American heritage. Her nose was long and straight and her chin slightly pointed. But her eyes were what made a man lose his mind—exotic in shape and the color of dark chocolate, fringed with full black lashes. Thick brows winged above them, giving her a perpetual look of challenge.

She was tall—close to six feet—and her jeans had hugged her curves in all the right places. The belly-baring top she’d worn had shown a pierced navel, and the muscles in her arms were sinewy and lean.

He’d been struck speechless at the sight of her. He’d have done anything to keep her around longer, just to satisfy his curiosity and see if her lips were as soft as he imagined they were. To see if she felt the connection the same as he did. It had been a no-brainer to volunteer to help her search for her brother.

He’d never believed in love at first sight, but the moment he’d met Lily, that belief had been reevaluated. Their chemistry had been palpable—a living, breathing thing. And the heat that sizzled between them was hot enough to singe anyone who got too close. He’d had no control over his body in that instant, and that’s something that had never happened to him before.

“You’re under arrest,” he said. He didn’t recognize the sound of his voice, the low rasp of wanting. He’d missed her. More than he was willing to admit. Of course, his anger was bubbling to the surface pretty quickly. It’s not often a man gets married and then has his wife take off the morning after the honeymoon.

“Oh, come on now, Sheriff.” Her lips quirked as if they were sharing a private joke. “What am I under arrest for? Disturbing your peace?”

“I haven’t given you a second thought,” he lied. “But you skipped out of town after causing a brawl and left the River Rock Bar in shambles. You left the scene of a crime and never paid for the damages.”

She rolled her eyes. “That fight wasn’t my fault, and I am hardly to blame for all the damage that was done. If you remember, I believe we were otherwise—” she took a step closer to him and he felt the breath leave his lungs, “—occupied when the fight started.”

His eyes narrowed and his gaze hardened. “I remember,” he said. “A heck of a wedding night, wasn’t it? Or maybe that’s what you planned all along? Keep me distracted so your brother could escape.”

She froze at the mention of her brother. “I was perfectly content to stay naked in your arms all night long. You’re the one who chose to take the call. So I got dressed and went with you. He was my brother, and if you remember, I was there to bring him back to New York. There was nothing on my bingo card that said marry Blaze O’Hara.

“Jacob was looking for me. He’d heard I was looking for him and someone would have told him I was with you. He would have killed you if he’d found out what we’d done. I had no choice but to get him out of there and get him out of town.”

“It wasn’t your job,” he said. “I’m a cop. You’re a bounty hunter. You seem to forget that on a pretty regular basis.”

“You’ve certainly made sure I can’t forget it now. The cuffs are a little tight, by the way. I’d prefer not to have bruises tomorrow.”

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