Chapter 1

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.

“You can’t go wrong with the bookmaker sandwich and lobster bisque.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You’d be doing me a favor if you ordered that. The chef’s baby got sick and I told her to go ahead and leave. There’s a new sous-chef who’s back there, but today is only his second day and I don’t want to overwhelm him. He seems sensitive. The dinner chef won’t be in for another hour. My name’s Linda, by the way.”

Lily’s lips twitched at the explanation. “The sandwich and soup will be fine. And some coffee.”

Linda looked her over closely. “You here on vacation? Or just passing through to see Simone? Last of the vacationers headed out a couple weeks back. It’s still warm enough, but the weather’s about to turn. You’ll need a jacket by morning.”

“I’m here on business.”

Linda’s brows rose almost to her hairline. “I’ve never seen a businesswoman riding into town on a motorcycle. You’re not a drug dealer are you?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I didn’t think so, but I wouldn’t be doing my duty if I didn’t ask,” she said. “I had a daughter who overdosed a decade ago. Drugs are a real problem around here. There’s too much money and not enough to do. There was an undercover operation that went down last spring right under our noses. They arrested a whole lot of people. The new sheriff doesn’t tolerate that kind of stuff.”

“Is that right?” She resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. The sheriff in town was not going to be happy to see her. In fact, Blaze O’Hara was going to be livid. “I’m sorry to hear about your daughter.”

“Those kind of heartaches never go away,” she said, shaking her head sadly. “But we can learn from them and try to protect future generations. The sheriff and his deputies have promised a crackdown on the drugs around here, and so far they’ve delivered.”

“Is it a big department then?” The last time Lily had been in Laurel Valley, Blaze had fewer than twenty deputies.

“I don’t know about all that,” she said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. “A pretty good size I guess. The first thing Sheriff O’Hara did when he came on was hire extra deputies and build three silo stations in different areas of the county. Most of the population is right here close to town, but Laurel Valley has as much land area as Boise. The only difference is that we’ve got mountains and lakes here, and a lot of it is privately owned. But there’s still enough remote areas where people are building houses, and those back roads are where bad things happen. Laurel Valley is sure not the same place where I grew up.”

“The price of progress, huh?” Lily asked.

Linda nodded and said, “Let me get your sandwich and coffee.”

Lily had always found Laurel Valley to be an interesting town. It was certainly different from her Brooklyn neighborhood and the one-bedroom apartment she rented. No one cared there what time she came or went, and no one would stop to ask her personal questions. Small-town living and the slow pace were completely foreign to her.

Lily checked her email and sent her boss an update on her progress, and a few minutes later, Linda hustled back out with her food. The sandwich was thick as a brick and made her mouth water at the sight of it. Homemade potato chips were piled high beside it.

“Here you go,” Linda said. “Thanks again for ordering the sandwich. Carlos almost had a nervous breakdown when he couldn’t find the ham. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if you’d ordered the coq au vin.”

“I’d hate to be responsible for a man’s mental state,” Lily said. And then she slipped the photograph out of her bag. “Do you recognize this man? He would’ve gotten into town sometime this morning.”

Linda’s eyebrows rose almost to her hairline and she looked back and forth between the photograph and Lily. And then she shook her head. “I don’t recognize him. But if he’s in town he won’t be able to keep it secret long. We’re in the off-season now, so it’s mostly regulars. And the bed-and-breakfast is the only lodging open during the off-season, so it shouldn’t be too hard to run him down if that’s where he’s staying. Though if he’s a good camper, there’s plenty of places he could set up if he’s got the supplies. You should go see Hattie O’Hara over at the wilderness store. If he’s living off the land he’ll need the right gear. The days are nice, but the nights are about to get real cold, and we’ve got storms coming.”

“The weather report said it was just summer showers,” Lily said, brow furrowing. “And that they should pass quickly.”

Linda snorted and shook her head. “Those weathermen might as well be fortune tellers. At some point they’ll predict something right, but the locals don’t pay them any attention. Anyone who’s lived here a spell knows that when the clouds come down over the mountains like that we’re going to get a storm. And it looks like it’s going to be one for the books. That’s why hardly anyone is out and about today. People are hunkering down. The grocery store is probably all out of milk and bread.”

“For a storm?”

“From the looks of the clouds we’re probably looking at three to four days of heavy rain and flooding,” she said. “The Lampstand will stay open, of course, no matter the weather. But anyone who lives outside of town will have trouble traversing the roads, so it’s best if they stay put.”

“That should make things interesting,” Lily said, blowing out a sigh.

“Is this guy your ex or something?” Linda asked, pointing at the picture. “Don’t get me wrong, but he doesn’t look very nice.”

“You’ve got good intuition,” Lily said. “He’s a fugitive. And he’s dangerous. So if you see him around, give me a call.” Lily passed her card over. “That’s my cell number.”

“Oh, dear,” Linda said, taking a small step back, her eyes wide. “I do remember you now. You were in the paper the last time you were here. You’re that bounty hunter who captured Leroy Brown and destroyed the River Rock Bar in the process. The paper said you are trouble with a capital T.”

Lily winked and picked up her sandwich. “You bet. Being good is no fun at all.”

Linda laughed, but fiddled with her necklace nervously. “I did see an SUV this morning that I didn’t recognize. The only reason I noticed it is because he was impatient to get around me while I was trying to park, and he blew the horn at me.”

“Did you get the color or license plate?” Lily asked.

“It was dark,” Linda said. “Maybe blue or black. I didn’t see the license plate.”

“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.”