Return to Love (Willow Valley Book 1)

by Christine Kingsley

  RETURN TO LOVE

  by Christine Kingsley

  Copyright © 2015 by Christine Kingsley

  Cover Design © 2015 by Resplendent Media

  2nd Digital Edition

  1st Edition published as Hometown Hearts

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, and events in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons or places is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the express consent of the author.

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  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  Free Book

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Whoa there, little lady, what are you doing up on that table?"

  Cassie Powell jerked her head up at the sound of the slow deep voice, hitting it with a metallic thump against the inside of her bakery display case where she was arranging this morning's offerings. She dropped her tray of muffins as her eyes darted frantically to where the man in the Stetson hat was standing by one of her cafe tables.

  "Sarah, no," she squeaked out. Cassie rushed around the counter toward her two-year-old daughter who was tipping precariously off the edge of the table. All she had done was look away for just a moment, and Sarah had gotten in trouble. I'm not going to get to her in time. Just as she was certain Sarah would crash to the floor, the man plucked her up and tossed her in the air, peals of laughter escaping Sarah's lips as he settled her back on his hip.

  "Oh, thank you so much," Cassie lifted a hand to her heart and sighed. "She's into everything these days." Her shoulders slumped in relief and she brushed some blond hairs back from her forehead that had come loose from her ponytail before reaching to take Sarah. As the man handed her back, Cassie finally took her eyes off Sarah and looked up at him with a grateful smile. It froze instantly on her lips, and her heart dropped all the way down to her stomach. She knew those bright blue eyes anywhere.

  "Jack? What are you doing here?" Please not him. Anyone but him. She thought he had blown this town for good.

  Jack Martin laughed and tipped the brim of his hat with his finger, revealing too-long strands of his pitch black hair. "Cassie. I heard you had opened a bakery since I was last home, so I thought I'd stop by for some breakfast. What I hadn't heard is that it was a daycare as well."

  Her smile felt forced and her laugh too high. "Yeah, well, whatever keeps the customers rolling in."

  She hurried back around the counter and sat Sarah down at her miniature plastic table and chairs set. "Here, honey, color me a picture while I help this customer." She fastened the child gate back between the counter and the wall. She didn't remember leaving it open. Sarah was as fast as lightning when Cassie wasn't looking.

  Jack looked curiously between the two of them and opened his mouth to say something, but the question remained unasked as a couple of girls from the hair salon next door came through the front door, the bells tinkling as it shut behind them. They started up to the counter, then noticed Jack. With his rugged good looks, he was pretty hard not to notice.

  "Oh, were you here first?" one of them asked. Cassie thought her name was Katie. She had just moved to town and gotten a job at the salon, fresh out of cosmetology school. She couldn't be more than nineteen.

  Jack tipped his hat again. "Ladies first." He flashed them a heart-stopping smile.

  The girls both giggled and stepped up to the counter. Cassie hurriedly straightened the mess she had spilled when Sarah had given her a scare. "What can I get for you two today?"

  They ordered their breakfast and Cassie was certain she felt the burn of Jack's eyes on her as she busied herself filling their orders and giving them their change. She took her time, not ready to be alone with him again. Too bad he hadn't gone ahead of them. Then maybe he would have just taken his food and left and not waited for the opportunity to talk again.

  As the girls took their muffins and turned to leave, they both flashed bright flirtatious smiles at Jack. He winked at them, and they left, giggling again.

  Cassie couldn't help but laugh, in spite of the nerves bunching in her stomach. "You're going to be all they talk about the rest of the day."

  "Just doing my civic duty to the women of Willow Valley," he joked, stepping up and resting an arm on the counter. "So what delectable offerings do you have for me here?" His eyes twinkled as he looked down at her.

  She knew he meant the baked goods, but couldn't help feeling a flush as the words rolled off his tongue. Don't be crazy. You absolutely do not find Jack attractive. But she knew she was lying to herself. Well, I'll just keep right on lying. There was no way she was letting this man under her skin.

  All business now, she named off the varieties of muffins, breads and coffee cakes. Jack made his choice and as she reached into the case, his voice made her jump and hit her head for the second time that day.

  "Is she yours?"

  "What?" She shook her head, confused by his words and distracted by his presence.

  "The little girl. Is she yours? I thought you might be serious about babysitting, but she has your exact shade of hair."

  Cassie took a deep breath. "Yes, she is mine, but the hair is just a coincidence." She paused, unsure how much she should say. "I adopted her."

  Jack lifted his eyebrows in surprise but didn't ask any more, thankfully. Cassie hoped that now he would just take his food and be gone. And hopefully, he would breeze back out of town just as quickly as he'd come in.

  She had to know. "How long are you here for? I'm surprised to see you."

  Jack squinted and stared out the window for a minute. "I think I may be back for good this time, Cassie."

  All the breath went out of her, leaving her lightheaded. This could not be happening. Surely he was joking. Cassie forced another laugh. "That'll be the day. You've blown in and out of here for years, I have yet to see you stay more than a night or two." And she'd managed to avoid him every time.

  He looked back at her, something different in his eyes that she didn't quite recognize. "That's true," he said, "but this time..." He let his voice trail off.

  She didn't ask and he didn't offer any more information. Just as quickly as the look was there, it was gone, replaced with the smile and swagger she was used to. "I'll keep quiet about the table dancing. Wouldn't want to ruin the reputation of your establishment." He winked and flashed his make-you-melt smile and was ambling out the door with a tip of his hat.

  Cassie stood rooted in place, staring after him, dread slowly creeping up her spine.

  "Who's that, Mommy?" Sarah was pulling on her hand. She snapped back to attention and picked her daughter up, hugging her tightly to her chest.

  "Just an old friend, baby. That's all."

  "I like him."

  That's what Cassie was afraid of. She couldn't risk either of them liking him. He needed to get out of town, and the sooner the better.

  * * *

  Jack walked
across the cobblestone street from the bakery, aptly named Cassie's Confections, to the quaint little town square and sat on a park bench while he ate his muffin. So Cassie had a child. That was a surprise. Not so much that she had the child, but that she was a single mother. Or rather, a single adoptive mother. Growing up in the same town as him, Cassie had always tagged along with her older sister, Amanda, and Jack and their friends, so Jack thought he had a pretty good feel for her personality. Granted, he hadn't seen her in nearly four years, but she had always struck him as the type to want to settle down with a traditional family.

  God knows she was pretty enough to have her pick of men. So why had she adopted a child when she was only, what, twenty-two now?

  Jack shook his head in confusion, but couldn't help smiling at the thought of how frazzled she had been to see him. He often had that effect on women, but Cassie was like a little sister to him. A really hot one.

  Where had that thought come from? The idea of Cassie in a sensual manner was unexpected and made him slightly uncomfortable. She was his ex-girlfriend's sister for goodness sake. But damn, the way her shirt had clung to her, dipping a little low when she bent to retrieve his muffin from the case, was enough to make a man sweat.

  Hang on, cowboy, we'll have none of that. No, Cassie would remain firmly in the friend zone, no matter how she may have blossomed since he'd last seen her. Of that, he was sure. He would not ruin his friendship with another Powell by having those types of thoughts.

  Jack crumpled up the bag from the bakery and tossed it in the nearby trash can. He leaned back and took in the view. Willow Valley really was a picturesque town, straight out of a storybook. The park in the center of the old town square was full of shade trees and flowers, surrounded by the cobblestone road on all four sides. The brick buildings around the square were kept clean and freshly painted by their occupants, and the glass windows of the shops were gleaming in the sunlight. He was happy to be back, despite what people may think. He'd had his fun out in the world and was ready to make a place for himself back here where he belonged. It was time to put down some roots of his own.

  He'd always been a family man at heart, but ever since leaving home for college he'd gotten off track, been too wrapped up in himself. Even after graduating, he'd still felt the need for adventure and had hesitated to stay in one place. He'd lost track of how important it was to take care of family and be there when people needed him. Now that he was back, he intended to do just that.

  On that note, he went back to his truck and headed to the farm supply store on the west side of town. It was on the outskirts, just a couple miles in from the Martin ranch. He backed his truck up to the loading dock, killed the engine, and went inside.

  "Well, if it isn't the Prodigal Son himself."

  Jack took his hat off and bowed with a flourish. "In person," he laughed. "Jesse, how's it going?" He clapped his old friend on the back. Jesse Kincade was next in line to take over the family business at Kincade Supply. It seemed that everyone was being groomed to take the reigns.

  "Staying busy. I have to say, when I heard you were coming in to pick up supplies today, I had to see it for myself. Did the old man threaten your inheritance if you didn't lend a hand?"

  It was true, Jack had never been one to take part willingly in the business end of the ranch, but that was changing now. If he intended to take over the ranch one day, and he did, then he needed to pull his weight.

  "Aren't you the comedian," he replied wryly. "No, Jesse, believe it or not, I've gotten tired of moving around and never having a place to call home. I figure Willow Valley and the ranch are as good a place as any."

  "Better than most in my opinion," Jesse said. "Well, I for one, am glad to see you back."

  Jack helped Jesse load the bags of feed into the back of his truck. It was a small order, but until Jack could really get out on the ranch and properly take inventory, it would have to do. He frowned at the memory of how he had come home at his father's request, only to find that his father had been unable to keep up with even the smaller day to day tasks. It was a small operation, and they didn't employ any ranch hands, but Tom Martin had always worked hard and taken care of business. If Jack had known what a difficult task it had become for his father to run the ranch on his own, he would have been home sooner.

  He had a sneaking suspicion that his father was keeping something important from him, something regarding his health, but he'd brushed off Jack's concerns, saying he simply wasn't as young as he used to be. Jack didn't buy it.

  He focused his attention back on the conversation with Jesse. "Yeah, it's a bit overdue, but I'm glad to be home. Dad needs me more than I realized." He kept it at that.

  "I'm sure he's happy to have you back."

  "I'll tell you who's not. Cassie Powell. I went by her shop this morning."

  Jesse knitted his eyebrows together. "What? Why in the heck would she be upset about that? You two grew up together."

  Jack shrugged. Her unhappiness at seeing him had bothered him more than he realized. "I don't know. It wasn't that she was rude or anything. She was friendly enough. But she had this wall up, I guess. It definitely wasn't like old times."

  Understanding dawned in Jesse's eyes. "You haven't seen her since she adopted Sarah, have you?" Jack shook his head. "She is different than before, I suppose. More closed off, guarded. I just figured it was a maternal thing, protecting her kid or something."

  Jack thought again about their encounter this morning. There had definitely been something hesitant in her warm brown eyes. He smiled as he remembered the flush on her face when he'd talked about table dancing. She definitely didn't look like his idea of a mother. No mother he knew filled out a pair of jeans like that.

  "I know that look," Jesse laughed. "Jack Martin's back in town, and the ladies better watch out."

  Jack looked at him sharply, chastising himself for letting his mind go there again. "Not with Cassie. I've known her too long. You know, little sister and all."

  Jesse didn't look convinced but didn't say anything else about it. They finished loading up the feed and Jack cranked the truck's engine, rolling down the window when he jumped in. "Let's get together at the Old Gin for a drink or something soon," he said before pulling away with a wave.

  He tried to focus on the tasks ahead of him for the day, but all he could think of as he left a trail of dust in his wake was a pair of haunted brown eyes and a forced smile. Something had changed in her since he'd seen her last, and for some reason, one he didn't want to explore too deeply, he wanted to be the one to make that look go away.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Cassie walked through the side door of her tiny old bungalow with a bag of groceries in one arm and a sleeping Sarah in the other, letting the screen slam shut behind her. She dropped the groceries on the table and carried Sarah down the short hall to her bedroom.

  "Shh," she whispered as Sarah stirred slightly while Cassie placed her on her bed. She caressed her silky blond hair and kissed her pudgy cheek, and Sarah settled back down to finish her afternoon nap. Cassie went into the hallway and shut the door behind her, leaving it open just a crack so she could hear if Sarah woke up. She always fell asleep on the way home in the afternoons. Getting up at six o'clock to go to the bakery was enough to tire anyone out, especially a busy two-year-old. Thank goodness for Emily. The overly responsible high schooler was a godsend for Cassie. She took over the register at the shop every afternoon from after school until closing time. She was also Cassie's go-to babysitter on the rare occasions she went out with friends.

  Ugh. I've got to get out of these clothes. Her day had been one mishap after another, and she was covered in flour, icing, jelly, and who knows what else, thanks in no small part to her distraction over Jack. She had been unable to focus all day, and the dread in her belly had grown into what would probably become a full-fledged ulcer.

  After taking a quick shower, Cassie dressed in yoga pants and a comfy tank, letting her wet hair hang loosely aro
und her shoulders. She went to put the groceries away, and knew she ought to start dinner while Sarah was still sleeping and she had the chance, but instead, she poured herself a tall glass of iced tea and took it out on the front porch to sit on the swing. Her home was small, but the porch was the best part. It was wide and spanned the width of the house, with an extended awning that provided plenty of shade. This home was the only one she'd ever known, and she had spent countless hours on that very swing.

  She thought for a moment as she tried unsuccessfully to relax that maybe she should have picked up a bottle of wine, but it was still pretty early in the evening. Kids were laughing and running down the tree-lined street, having just gotten off the school bus. Cassie smiled as she watched them throw a ball back and forth as they made their way home. She loved this town and the slow-paced life it offered.

  Her mind wandered back to this morning and the appearance of Jack in town. She'd discreetly asked a few of her customers today and found out, much to her dismay, that everyone was under the impression Jack was back, and not just for a visit. She let her head fall back and sighed heavily. Damn him. Damn him and my sister both. She knew it wasn't fair to be mad at Jack just for coming home, but she couldn't help it. After everything she'd sacrificed to keep Amanda's secret, it was ready to be blown to bits by his arrival.

  She was going to drive herself crazy if she didn't stop dwelling on it. Cassie picked up her phone and slid her finger across the screen. With a couple taps on the glass, it was ringing. Time to call in the reinforcements.

  "Hey girl, what's shaking?" came the sound of Lissa's voice.

  "Hey." She sat there, unsure what to say to her best friend, just knowing she needed her support.

  "Uh oh. What's going on?"

  "Jack came in my shop this morning."

  "I'll be right there." The line went dead.

  Cassie smiled. Of course she would. She closed her eyes and rested while she waited. She and Melissa Winters had been through everything side by side, so why should this be any different? Lissa was the only person in the world besides Cassie that knew the secret about Sarah. She had helped her adjust to a new baby, teaching her everything she had learned from growing up the oldest sister of five. It was always in times like those that Cassie wished she had her mother around, but Lissa had stepped up. Caroline Powell would have loved helping with Sarah, but as it was, she often didn't even remember who Sarah was when Cassie would take her for visits to the full-time care facility she lived at in the city.