Special Delivery. Laura Browning

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      Cover Copy

      Welcome home to Mountain Meadow, Virginia—a small town with a big heart, where love is just around the corner…

      All Holly Morgan wants is a safe place to have her baby. Nestled deep within the Blue Ridge Mountains, miles away from her abusive ex-fiancé, Spence, Mountain Meadow seems perfect. Holly can manage a few meddling church matrons if it means Spence can’t find her. Harder to handle is Jake Allred. He may be a dark-haired hunk, but he’s also someone Holly can’t trust: a cop.

      Since his time in the military, Lieutenant Jake Allred has lived to protect and serve. And if anyone needs protection, it’s Holly. Having been let down by the law before, she’s wary of letting Jake into her life. But when an unexpected snow storm strands them together, their attraction is hot enough to melt the mounting ice. Just when Jake thinks he’s finally warmed Holly’s heart, Spence strikes. Now it’s up to Jake to save Holly’s baby and bring their fledgling family back together.

      Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Books by Laura Browning

      Winning Heart

      Mountain Meadow Homecomings

      Special Delivery, Book One

      The Barlow-Barretts: An American Dynasty

      Bittersweet, Book One

      Balancing Act, Book Two

      Remember Me, Book Three

      Broken Heart, Book Four

      Special Delivery

      A Mountain Meadow Homecomings Novel

      Laura Browning

      LYRICAL PRESS

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Copyright

      Lyrical Press books are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2014 by Laura Browning

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund- raising, and educational or institutional use.

      Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Special Sales Manager:

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Attn. Special Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

      Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.

      First Electronic Edition: May 2015

      eISBN-13: 978-1-61650-753-4

      eISBN-10: 1-61650-753-5

      First Print Edition: May 2015

      ISBN-13: 978-1-61650-754-1

      ISBN-10: 1-61650-754-3

      Printed in the United States of America

      Dedication

      To my husband and son who have put up with my long hours at the computer, you have my love and thanks, not to mention the gratitude for the meals and clean-up you guys have pitched in to complete. I’d also like to dedicate this to my friend and teaching colleague, Karen Grayton. Not only have you been my number one fan, you’ve been a great sounding board for ideas. I love you guys.

      Chapter 1

      “Tyler, wake up,” Holly whispered. Her calm tone masked a heart pounding so loudly she feared her little brother would hear it as well.

      Dark hair spiking above his rumpled blankets, Tyler rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “It’s still night.”

      “We’re leaving. Now.” Some of her urgency finally broke though.

      He sat, eyes wide in the dim glow of the streetlight filtering through his curtains. Holly hated doing this to him, but after taking yet another midnight call from Spence, her ex-fiancé, she didn’t dare wait any longer.

      “I thought we weren’t leaving till Saturday,” Tyler grumbled as he rose and located the clothes he’d left folded at the foot of his bed. “What’s happened?”

      Even at eleven, he was no dummy. Tyler had already come out on the wrong end of Spence’s temper and knew how vicious it could be. Holly ruffled his hair. God, she loved him. “Nothing we can’t handle, but I want to make sure we’re the ones staying a step ahead.”

      No way would she share with him the latest threats Spence had made. Holly had tried going through the legal system. She’d obtained a restraining order right after Spence had gotten physical. Now it wasn’t enough. Something was off with Spence, something scary, and Holly wasn’t sticking around to see what. If the restraining order wasn’t going to stop him, then she and Tyler would just disappear.

      “Meet me in the garage in five minutes. I’m going to check to make sure everything’s locked. We’ll drop the key by the real estate agent on the way out of town.”

      She’d put the house on the market, but with the economy so slow, they’d had few nibbles, despite cutting the price. Now Holly hoped the real estate agent might be able to find a renter. It could provide some income, but she wasn’t holding her breath. Grinding her teeth was more like it.

      She’d already put most of the furniture she wanted to keep in storage, figuring she could pick up odds and ends wherever they ended up. Once she was sure Spence hadn’t followed, she would send for the stored items. Still, her small car was packed as they backed out of the garage and eased down the street. Holly couldn’t help glancing at the rearview mirror several times. The house was the last tie to their parents. Now they would have to carry those memories in their hearts instead.

      On the highway leading out of town, Holly at last dared a glance at her brother, giving him a small, reassuring smile as she squeezed his hand. So what if reassuring him also made her feel better too? Leaving the only home you’d ever known was scary.

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