Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane

Book 0: Mistletoe, Maine

by Belle Calhoune

Genres: Small Town & Rural; Clean & Wholesome Romance

Synopsis

Will a big-city veterinarian give this small town—and the single dad who’s caught her heart—a chance?
 
Veterinarian Harlow Jones knew returning to small-town life, even temporarily, would be a disaster. She just never guessed it would start that way—with her car skidding off the road outside Mistletoe, Maine. And while her rescuer is both charming and handsome, Harlow isn’t about to get involved with a local. She’s in town for one reason only—to pay off her vet school bills—and then she’s back to her real life in Seattle.

Nick Keegan knows all about unexpected, life-altering detours. He lost his wife in the blink of an eye, and he’s spent the years since being the best single dad he can be. He’s also learned not to take anything for granted, so when sparks start to fly with Harlow, Nick is all in. He senses Harlow feels it too, but she insists romance isn’t on her agenda. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her that love is worth changing the best-laid plans.
 

Release date: February 21, 2023

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Print pages: 368

Sample

Prologue

Harlow Jones sat in the back seat of her family’s station wagon, looking out the window as the two-story colonial house faded into the distance. Hot tears stung her eyes as she whispered words of goodbye to the only home she had ever known. “I’ll never forget you.”

They had packed up all of their belongings and a bunch of muscled movers had put them in the back of their U-Haul. It didn’t seem right that they were leaving an empty house behind.

She would always remember the sleepovers in her petal-pink bedroom, playing double Dutch in the driveway, hide-and-seek with Malcolm, and the great oak in the backyard. She’d fallen out of that huge tree on her sixth birthday. Harlow smiled at the memory of the hot-pink cast on her arm. She had worn it for weeks and been the hit of her first-grade class. Everyone had thought it was so cool. Her entire class had lined up to sign their names on it.

Her brother reached over and squeezed her hand, whispering, “Don’t worry, Harlow. We’re going to have an even better house in Philly.” Harlow looked over at Malcolm. He was smiling at her in a fake way that didn’t make it all the way up to his eyes.

She didn’t care about a better house. It still wouldn’t feel like a home to her. Leaving Chestnut Ridge hurt her heart. Her friends were here. Janie Duckett and Devikah Kumar had been her best friends since nursery school. Best friends didn’t grow on trees. She didn’t want to even think about going to a new school or making new friends. She’d been the spelling bee champion at Chestnut Ridge Elementary for three years running. Now Billy Dempsey would get the title. She hated him. He was an awful boy who’d said terrible things about her father.

But he hadn’t been the only one. That was one of the reasons they were leaving Vermont. Her daddy had been accused of stealing lots of money from his work. And now he was dead. Nothing would ever be the same again. All her mother ever did now was cry and talk about how much she hated Chestnut Ridge. Harlow still loved this town, even though she’d lost her father and now her mother as well. Her mother didn’t laugh anymore or make lame knock-knock jokes. And her father was just gone in a car wreck. Harlow hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye to him.

Malcolm kept pestering her to play I Spy to kill time until they reached Pennsylvania. She finally gave in, her mind scrambling to find objects as the vehicle raced down the highway. An American flag. A water tower. A helicopter flying low. A pink house.

“I bet that made you feel better,” Malcolm crowed once the game was over.

“I do,” she said, lying through her teeth. Stuffing down her feelings was easier than dealing with them. She had learned that lesson on the day of her father’s funeral. Her mother had freaked out when she’d burst into tears. So she had stopped crying and held the tears back from falling. Never let them see you cry.

It was late that night when they pulled up to their new home in Philly. She took one look at it and knew that Malcolm had been wrong. This oatmeal-colored house wasn’t nearly as nice as the one in Chestnut Ridge. It was much smaller, with a tiny yard. Someone had painted the fence an ugly green color. Most important, Daddy wasn’t here. And he never would be again.

“We can paint it a nice blue color. The two of you can pick,” her mother said once they’d gotten out of the car for a better look at the property. “What do you think?”

“Sounds good to me,” Malcolm said, smiling. “I like this place.” They both looked over in her direction, waiting for a response.

“Harlow? Is the house okay?” her mother asked, nervously fiddling with her collar. Harlow would do just about anything to take away the look of worry stamped on her mother’s face. She didn’t want to be yet another reason her mom cried late at night in her bedroom.

Harlow plastered on the biggest grin she could muster. “I think it’s fantastic.” She stuck her tongue out at Malcolm. “Dibs on first pick of a bedroom,” she called out as she took off running toward the house.

“No fair,” Malcolm yelled, racing after her as their mother’s laughter filled the air.

Once she was all settled in for the night, Harlow gazed up at the moon from her bedroom window. So far the moon was the only thing that seemed the same. Everything else in her life had shifted.

She had a funny feeling in her stomach that her family would never be as happy as they’d once been in Vermont. All of that had vanished the day they’d driven away from Chestnut Ridge.

Chapter One

Nineteen Years Later

One minute Harlow Jones was cruising down the scenic coastal Maine road admiring the gorgeous fall foliage and the next her car was sliding on the wet pavement before slamming through the guardrail. She tried to remember everything she’d ever learned about skidding and how to properly maneuver a vehicle, but it happened too fast for her to react. And now her ten-year-old Saab was dangling between the guardrail and a terrifying drop down below to the frosty Maine waters. Fear gripped her by the throat. How was she going to get herself out of this dangerous predicament?

Don’t panic! she warned herself. Try to breathe.

People who talked about their lives flashing before their eyes were right. From the instant her tires began to slide, images flashed into Harlow’s mind’s eye—birthdays, breakups, her family, her dad’s accident. Love, loss, heartbreak, Bear. Malcolm. It was all laid out for her like a roadmap of her life. Oh, she’d made so many mistakes along the way, leading up to this gigantic misstep.

This terrifying situation was all her fault. At the very moment she was navigating a sharp curve in the road, a fox had darted in the path of her car. In an effort to avoid the animal, she had swerved to the shoulder and crashed through the barrier. A disastrous decision. It served her right for coming to this hick town called Mistletoe in the first place. She should have just stayed put in Seattle, where things like this never happened to her. The worst thing in Seattle had been a coffee order gone wrong. Wild animals weren’t running around the city. She didn’t have to worry about veering off the road to save them from becoming roadkill.

But the state of Maine had made her an offer she hadn’t been able to refuse. They’d dangled a big old carrot in front of her eyes—spend a year as a veterinarian at a Mistletoe practice in exchange for the erasure of her student loans. For Harlow, the decision had been a no-brainer.

Harlow knew her position at the moment was incredibly precarious. One wrong move and her vehicle could shift, which would cause her to plummet into a watery grave. Could she safely reach for her cell phone to call 911? Fear grabbed her by the throat and wouldn’t let go. She didn’t want to move a muscle. Surely another driver had seen her lose control of her car and would notify authorities of a crash? Harlow shut her eyes and prayed for someone to rescue her.

“I’ve called for help. Just stay put,” a female voice called out to her.

Stay put? It wasn’t as if she had any other options. It was either stay still or plunge to her death. All things considered, she was fine staying put. Honestly, she was too petrified to move a muscle. She didn’t dare turn her head to see the woman or even respond. Any movement at this point was risky. She barely wanted to breathe. Minutes passed during which Harlow made countless promises to God, begged, pleaded, cried, and let out a few curse words for emphasis. How on earth had she landed in this predicament?

The fact that her own father had lost his life in a car accident only served to heighten her anxiety. Please, please, please. She didn’t want to go out like this. She’d barely hit her stride in the world. Beads of sweat pooled on her forehead, and she suddenly wished that she wasn’t wearing layers of clothing. The interior of the car felt so hot. She wanted to fan herself, but she didn’t dare move in case the car slid. Her seat belt was tight against her chest, making breathing even more difficult. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but her breathing sounded labored and choppy.

Time seemed to crawl by as Harlow waited for rescue. After what seemed like an eternity, wailing sirens rang out in the stillness, alerting her to the fact that help was on the way. Approaching voices announced the arrival of emergency rescue personnel, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of movement. Someone was standing right beside the car. She was too scared to crane her neck to look over at them.

“Hey there. I’m Nick with the search and rescue team. We’re tying your vehicle to a fire truck to steady it. You might feel slight movement but just be aware we’re securing you.” The low, soothing voice washed over her, providing her with a much-needed reality check. She wasn’t alone!

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“H-Harlow,” she said, forcing the word out of her mouth. She was shaking so badly now she felt certain her voice must be trembling as well.

“Nice,” he said with a nod. “My granddad used to watch Jean Harlow movies. She was a blond bombshell from back in the days of classic films. Has anyone told you about her?”

“A few times,” she replied. More like a hundred. Basically every time she met someone new over a certain age they mentioned her namesake.

“Okay, Harlow. Do me a favor. Don’t look down. Just listen to my voice, okay?”

Harlow froze. Don’t look. Don’t look. If he was telling her not to look, then surely there was a reason. What would she see if she looked down? Try as she might, Harlow couldn’t resist the urge to peer down into the abyss.

As soon as she did, Harlow let out a scream worthy of a horror movie. She squeezed her eyes shut as a way of blocking out the terrifying sight of dark water and jagged rocks. She needed to wake up from this nightmare! Her life couldn’t end this way. Not when she was on the verge of being debt-free.

“I told you not to look down, Harlow.” Nick’s voice was as smooth as glass. It felt reassuring. Surely he wouldn’t sound like that if he thought she might die.

She let out a moan. “I know you did, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Slowly unbuckle your seat belt, Harlow,” Nick instructed. His voice was so close to her now, it felt as if he was talking into her ear. Seconds later his face appeared by her window. Whoa! If this was going to be the last face she ever laid eyes on, she’d hit the jackpot. Leave it to her to appreciate male beauty at a time like this.

Deep-set chocolate eyes framed by jet-black lashes she’d give her right arm for looked at her. Russet-colored skin. A strong jawline and amazing features. He was so close that Harlow could see a small scar resting by his full, nicely shaped lips.

“I know you’re scared, but I’ve got you. I’m going to open the door and get you out. Okay?” he asked in a buttery soft tone. “Make sure you place your arms around my neck. Really tight, all right?”

All she could do was nod. A huge lump was sitting in her throat. It felt impossible to trust this man she’d only just met with her life. But what choice did she have? Before she knew it, Nick had scooped her up in his arms and lifted her from the driver’s seat, swinging her back toward solid ground and safety. He gently deposited her on the pavement as a team of EMTs rushed toward her. She was still tightly wrapping her arms around his neck with no desire to let go.

“You’re safe now,” he said in a low voice as he gently pried her arms away. As soon as he released her, a warming blanket was placed around her shoulders as she was led to the back of an ambulance. After insisting she didn’t need treatment, Harlow accepted a bottle of Gatorade and a pack of graham crackers. Once she’d finished them and assured the EMTs that she was fine, Harlow looked around the area to try to spot Nick, but he was nowhere to be found. She really needed to thank him for saving her life. If she didn’t do it right now, the opportunity might slip through her fingers.

Harlow walked back toward the group of firefighters, singling out a pretty female with fiery strands of hair peeking out of her helmet. “Have you seen Nick? He’s part of the rescue team.”

“The tall dude with killer eyes and a rugged build?” the woman asked with a knowing look.

“Sounds about right,” Harlow said, noticing the way the pretty firefighter’s eyes lit up. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she had a thing for Nick. Harlow didn’t blame her. He made quite an impression.

“He headed out a while ago,” the woman elaborated, grinning hard. “Trust me, I noticed.”

“Thanks,” Harlow said, swallowing past her disappointment. Not being able to thank Nick didn’t sit well with her. It was the least she could do after his heroic actions.

Her life had just been saved by the most swoonworthy man in the entire state of Maine, and she didn’t even know his full name. She let out a sigh. Too bad she wasn’t looking for even a hint of romance. A man like Nick would check off all the requirements on her list.

Harlow needed to keep her eyes on the prize. She would fulfill the requirements of her agreement to work at Paws and then leave Mistletoe as fast as her legs could carry her.

*  *  *

Nick Keegan drove along the coastal road toward his hometown of Mistletoe, Maine. A quick glance at the clock on his dashboard confirmed that he would get home just in time to make dinner for his son, Miles, check his  homework, then watch one of their favorite television shows together before it was lights-out for both of them.

As a single father of a nine-year-old, Nick always felt as if he were burning the candle at both ends. His career as a search and rescue agent meant grueling hours and emotional assignments. Sometimes he wondered if he was doing a good job raising Miles in the shadow of his wife Kara’s tragic death. She had been the magic glue that held their family together. Without her at the center, Nick had struggled for a long time, always feeling as if he was floundering.

The ache of loss was still there, but he was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He didn’t want to be single for the rest of his life, but finding someone he vibed with and who meshed with his life wasn’t easy. Sure, he’d put his toe in the dating waters in the past few months, but nothing had come of it. The thought of those awkward dates made him cringe. Nick hadn’t felt any true connection or chemistry with any of them.

Had he lost his swagger? Or was he simply rusty at wining and dining a woman? It had been a while, but at least he still looked half decent­­. Due to his career, he was in great shape. He even had a six-pack. Or at least a four-pack. Not that it did him much good.

Harlow. Seeing such a beautiful woman while on the job was rare. Curly black hair framed a gorgeous face. With her sepia-colored skin, full, rosy lips, and big brown eyes, she was absolutely stunning. And maybe a little bit out of his league, if he was being honest. Nick couldn’t help but wonder if she knew how close she’d been to imminent disaster. If the circumstances had been different and he hadn’t been on the job, Nick might have flirted with her a little bit instead of keeping his distance. Or maybe he would have invited her out for coffee.

Baby steps, he reminded himself. Getting back in the dating game wasn’t easy. But he knew he didn’t want to walk alone for the rest of his life. Seeing his younger brother, Luke, and close friend, Dante West, happily settled down made him want a loving partnership for himself. It didn’t even have to be a white picket fence and a wedding ceremony. Nick just wanted to be head over heels for someone again and to have those feelings reciprocated.

Nick paused for a moment as he pulled into the driveway of his white colonial-style house with black shutters. It was the quintessential New England family home. Two red Adirondack chairs sat out front, along with half a dozen pumpkins. His mind flashed back to the first time he and Kara laid eyes on this place. His heart had lurched when Kara turned to him and said, “I can see us growing old here.” They’d made an offer on the house that very day. And he had planned to live happily ever after with her, until a drunk driver hit Kara’s car head-on and snuffed out his wife’s life.

Just when he thought that he’d turned a corner, it all came rushing back to him. The shock. The pain. The guilt. A last-minute change in their schedules had forced them to switch up their regular routine, with Kara dropping Miles off at school while he’d been on a rescue. What-ifs and might-have-beens still tugged at him.

“Dad!” As soon as Nick turned the key in his front door, his son came running down the hall toward him. Nick braced himself for impact, then hoisted Miles up into his arms.

“Hey, buddy. What’ve you been eating? You weigh a ton!” Nick said in an exaggerated manner that caused Miles to grin wildly. He knew it made his son feel like Superman.

“Lots of meatballs and Nana’s corn bread,” Miles said, laughing.

Nick’s mother made incredible corn bread. He and Luke had grown up on it, along with corned beef, collard greens, and banana pudding. To this day, Nick headed over to his parents’ house for Sunday dinner whenever he was craving those particular dishes. Thankfully they had an open-door policy.

Miles raised his arm and pulled up his sleeve, showcasing a skinny arm. “Look at my guns,” he said, flexing his nonexistent muscle.

“Whoa. Pretty soon you’ll be replacing me and Uncle Luke in search and rescue,” Nick teased. This banter about Miles being on the search and rescue team was a running joke among the three of them.

Miles’s grin threatened to crack his face wide open. “You’re pulling my leg,” he said with a crooked smile. “That would be so cool though.”

Miles had a great relationship with Nick’s brother, Luke, who had recently retired from being a Navy SEAL due to an injury he’d sustained while on active duty. Upon returning to Mistletoe, Luke had entered into a faux romance with Miles’s teacher, Stella Marshall, in order to get the local matchmakers off their backs. They’d ended up falling in love before getting married last year.

“I think he missed you.” Van, Miles’s sitter, walked down the hall toward them. Tall and sandy haired, Van was a good-looking college student who was paying his own way through school. Watching Miles after dismissal until Nick came home from work was a sweet gig, especially since he and Miles got along like a house on fire. In a pinch, Nick’s family always subbed in to watch his son. So far, he was making it work.

“That’s only fair, since I always miss him,” Nick said, running his palm over his son’s close-cropped Afro.

“Hey, don’t touch the ’fro, Dad,” Miles protested, ducking away from Nick. “I need to keep it tight for picture day tomorrow.”

Van made a face at Nick and whispered, “I think he might be crushing on someone in his class. Not sure, but he’s been talking a lot about someone named Lily.”

Noooooo! Nick wanted to say. His son was far too young for crushes. Time was flying by way too fast for his liking. Nick just wanted things to slow down so he could savor the moments. Pretty soon he’d be dealing with a tween who didn’t want anything to do with his father.

Sometimes he wished that he and Kara had made the decision to have another kid. That way Miles would always have someone to walk through life with. A sibling. A best friend. The way Luke had played a huge role in Nick’s life. He wouldn’t know what to do without his brother. Honestly, Nick didn’t even want to consider that possibility. He wasn’t sure he could handle losing anyone else. It might just break him once and for all.

Chapter Two

The day after her car accident, Harlow was busy setting up her new digs and reflecting on the last twenty-four hours. Thankfully, she would be getting her car back next week. She’d awoken several times in the course of the night due to nightmares about the crash. She was acutely aware of how lucky she’d been to survive the accident. Chills ran straight through her at the memory of how frightened and vulnerable she’d been while dangling above the water, all the while fearing the worst.

She had to admit that her new lakefront home was full of charm and infinite possibilities. She had spent the morning setting up her bedroom and kitchen with all the items she’d had mailed to her new address. Her rose-colored comforter, a collection of cozy sweaters and boots, framed photographs, paintings, and an assortment of cookware that she hadn’t yet used. And her air fryer. Harlow salivated just thinking about Malcolm making shrimp and grits for her. Anything else Harlow needed she would pick up in town at the local shops.

Her brother, Malcolm, would be arriving in a few days with her Shetland sheepdog, Bear. Malcolm and Bear had been hanging out together at his summer house in Cape Cod for the last few weeks while Harlow resolved things in Seattle with her condo and the veterinary practice where she worked. She’d missed her dog like nobody’s business, as well as her brother. As a successful artist, Malcolm had a lot of freedom with his schedule, so watching Bear for Harlow hadn’t been a burden. Harlow suspected that Malcolm loved Bear almost as much as she did. She’d adopted Bear from an animal rescue when he was barely a year old. Every time she thought about what her sweet dog had been through before they’d found each other she wanted to weep.

A knock on the front door alerted her to the arrival of her afternoon tea date. Harlow rushed toward the door and wrenched it open, letting out a cry as she laid eyes on her old friend Stella.

Stella Marshall, now Stella Keegan, had been one of her college buddies. They hadn’t seen each other in a few years, but they had always remained in close contact. Once she’d accepted the vet position at Paws in Mistletoe, Harlow had reached out to tell Stella the news. Over the course of the next few months, they’d texted, Zoomed, and talked on the phone, quickly becoming as close as they’d been in school. Stella had even helped her find this rental property, which was out-of-this-world gorgeous. Situated right by Pinecone Lake, the views were stunning. Between the lake and the mountains, standing on her front porch provided such an incredible visual. Seattle had its fair share of amazing vistas, but even Harlow could admit that Mistletoe, Maine, had its own mind-blowing sights. If only that was enough to offset all the dra. . .