Passion Burning

Excerpt

Morgan pulled her coat tight around her trying to block the chill, but it was no use. She was cold, and it wasn't likely that she'd be warming up any time soon. She stood on the porch of her parents' house, now hers, she reminded herself, and watched the leaves blow around the front yard. In years past, the reds, oranges and browns had tempted her to pile them and jump right in, but that was in the past. Now she guessed she had to figure out a way to get them cleaned up. Who was going to want to buy a house knowing they had all those leaves to rake?

A burgundy car that must have been at least ten years old rolled up and parked in front of the house. The heavyset woman in the driver's seat called to her out of the open window. Morgan pulled her coat tighter around herself.

"Miss Reynolds, welcome to Roland's Hollow, or should I say, welcome back?"

"Thank you," was all she could get out. She didn't want to be welcomed back. She didn't even want anyone to know she was back here at all.

The woman pulled her considerable heft out of the car and waddled up the walkway to join Morgan on the porch. She introduced herself as Birdie.

"The town's all a flutter with your return, you know. Why, you were the only topic of conversation down at the diner."

Great.

So much for a quick trip with no one knowing she was here. All she wanted to do was sell the damn house and head back to her cozy townhouse in Florida. At least she was warm there.

The woman didn't seem to care about Morgan's inner struggle. She simply kept talking.

"I told Mel that you'd visit his bookstore to sign some books right after we finished our meeting. Who would have thought that a nice girl from Roland's Hollow would end up as a bestselling horror writer?"

"Oh, well, I don't know. I shouldn't be here too long, you know. I've got to get back to ... things."

"Nonsense. I promised him and you don't want to make me look like a liar, do you?"

Morgan had every intention of leaving Roland's Hollow never to return. She didn't care what anyone here looked like.

Against her will, her gaze was drawn to the large white house across the street. The curtains were all drawn and it didn't look like anyone was home.

Good.

How awful would it be to run into him.

"He's downtown," Birdie said.

Damn it. She'd been caught.

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Birdie simply snickered.

"He's the mayor now, you know."

Yes, she did know. For years, her few remaining acquaintances from her hometown had kept her up to date on Nash Roland's activities.

"Who?"

"Don't play coy with me, missy. The whole town remembers the relationship you and Nash had before you left town."

And that was exactly why she hadn't been back to Roland's Hollow in ten years.