CHAPTER ONE
“Who says you can’t go back home?” Sarah mumbled as she walked through Riverhaven, the quaint town where she’d grown up. It had taken eleven years and one very hard lesson, coupled with a lot of soul-searching, to bring her back here. But back she was. She’d arrived late last night with an SUV full of boxes and an agenda. There were a few hurdles to be crossed before she’d know if this had been the right choice.
Good or bad, she was here to stay. At least, that’s what the new cards in her purse said, along with her almost empty gas tank.
Passing the town park, Sarah stopped, amazed by what she saw. The ancient tree still stood there, proud and venerable. Maple leaves covered it, some green, some yellowed from summer’s heat. She patted bark already warm from the morning sun. Many kisses had been given freely or stolen beneath its limbs and carved initials immortalized countless young loves.
Sarah traced a set encircled by a heart as an old melancholy threaded its way through her. If only someone had carved her initials. She’d longed for a boyfriend back then. Maybe even one in particular, with dark, chestnut hair, a crooked smile, and nerd-glasses.
But that hadn’t happened. Not for her. So, with nothing to keep her in Riverhaven, she’d lit out of town right after graduation. Why stay, when the world was chalk full of opportunities just waiting for her?
Turns out, there wasn’t enough to keep her in the big city, either. After losing, well, just about everything she owned, Sarah had figured it out. She’d learned the hard way that home wasn’t determined by those you thought loved you. Home was in the heart, and Sarah’s had led her back to Riverhaven. All the turmoil in her life had been replaced by peacefulness once she’d made the decision to come back, so after years working for a small consulting firm, Sarah had left the steady income, along with her un-savvy boyfriend, and come home to set up her own future.
Needing an income in a hurry, Sarah had kicked off her organizational consulting company, Find Your Life, from a distance, ordering cards and advertising in the local paper while still in Seattle. Because of that, she already had a few appointments set up for this, her first week back. Hitting the ground running was important since she’d spent virtually all her money renting a cheap apartment. She had just enough left to buy a few groceries.
Which was why she’d left her SUV, still packed to the gills with all that remained of her life in Seattle, parked outside her new home. No need to use precious gas when this town was so walkable.
This morning had proven that, even as organized as she’d been while packing and loading, the best-laid plans could kick you when you were down. She’d dug through box after box looking for the outfit she wanted to wear to her first appointment, then wondered why her flat iron wasn’t in the bathroom box.
By the time she’d left the apartment, she’d needed the calming walk. Her highlighted hair was wavy when it should be straight, her makeup was minimal, limited to what she’d found in her purse, and she wore khakis, not the slacks she preferred. At least she’d found a nice top in a shade of green that complimented her hazel eyes. If a couple errant wrinkles showed, well, she’d pretend they weren’t there and hoped the client overlooked them as well.
Leaning against the wide trunk of the tree, Sarah turned her face to the sun’s soothing warmth, enjoying it while she could. Riverhaven would bake later as the temperature climbed to a newsworthy record high.
Glancing at her watch, Sarah realized she needed to move. No way did she want to be late. Heading toward the address she’d been given, Sarah enjoyed the nuances of a small town life. Not much stirred yet, and there were no traffic jams, no sirens. Just peace and quiet broken by the hum of an occasional car.
This morning’s disastrous start had rattled her a bit, but Sarah regrouped on the walk, confident and ready for her first official Find Your Life appointment. She hoped the client, Rick Larson, hired her. She’d need to ramp the business up fast or she’d be living under that tree before long.
Rick Larson. The name, and the address he’d given her, evoked memories she couldn’t stop from flooding through her. Memories of the house next door, and the boy who lived inside.
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