Chapter One – Lia

“And these are your rescheduled appointments.” Lia set a printed list down on the desk in front of Theo.

“Rescheduled?” Theo asked, looking down at them with concern etched into his features.

“Yes, I rearranged them to cut down on the travel times.” Lia stood up straight, cursing her need to interfere. She should have simply done the job she was given. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Theo’s frown disappeared as he scanned the page, then his face broke into a grin. “Mind?” He got up and gave her an inappropriate kiss on the cheek, which made her blush. If another man had kissed her, she would have sued for sexual harassment, but Theo was very happily mated. Which was why he was so pleased with his new schedule. “Are you kidding? I get half an hour for lunch and get home an hour early.”

Lia lowered her voice to a conspiratorial level. “You also have time to meet Fern for mid-morning coffee.”

“How did I ever manage without you?” Theo asked.

“You ran around like a headless chicken,” Teagan said, walking into the office, looking as if she had hardly slept. “If you can rearrange my son’s sleeping habits so I can get more than three hours sleep at a time, I would marry you myself.”

“I’ll get you some coffee,” Lia said sympathetically.

“I’ve already had two cups. Caffeine is no longer working.” Teagan slumped down in her chair and rested her head on the desk.

Theo glanced across to Lia, who nodded. “Lia and I have been talking.”

Teagan lifted her head up, bleary-eyed, as she tried to focus on Theo. “About what?”

“About rearranging your office.” Theo stalled.

“You and Lia have been discussing my office?” Teagan looked down at her desk. “There is nothing to rearrange. This is my office.”

Theo linked his arm under Teagan’s. “But what if we make this your office.” He pulled her up and guided her out of the room and down the corridor.

“The store room?” Teagan asked.

“We can clear out another room to use for storage, and Lia has offered to do inventory and rearrange the supplies in a way that makes it easier for us to find what we need.” Theo was gushing. Lia might just as well pack up her desk now. Teagan had always eyed Lia with some degree of uncertainty, and this might just push her over the edge. Damn her own interfering ways. She should have just done the job she was hired to do. It was simple. She was a secretary, nothing else.

“Lia wants to stick me in the store room?” Teagan asked.

And take over some of your office duties. Lia could hear the words coming from Theo’s mouth, and the response he would get from Teagan.

“We could put a fold-out bed in there,” Theo said gently. “If you would rather we call it a rest room, we can go with that.”

Teagan promptly burst into tears. “I’m a failure. I can’t juggle both jobs. I’m a crap reporter and a terrible mother.”

“Teagan, that is not true,” Theo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. “You are tired. A couple of good nights of sleep and you will be firing on all cylinders.”

“Firing? Are you firing me?” Teagan asked.

“Never.” Theo guided Teagan back to her desk. “We just want to make it easier for you. Lia said a power nap in the day used to work wonders for her old boss.”

Teagan looked up at Lia, who smiled weakly, knowing her job was in the balance. She’d threatened another woman’s domain. That never ended well. She knew so from experience.

“Thanks, Lia,” Teagan said brightly. “It was very thoughtful of you.”

Theo sighed. “Think about it.” He looked at the clock. “I have to go. Will you be OK?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine,” Teagan said unconvincingly. “Just fine.”

“Here,” Lia said, handing Teagan her coffee as Theo grabbed his stuff and left the office.

“Bye, ladies.” Theo gave a wave and disappeared out of the door.

Teagan sipped her coffee and groaned in approval. “Just how I like it.”

“Is there anything else I can get you?” Lia asked, backing away. She wanted to put some distance between her and Teagan. Preferably a distance with a wall between them. Out of sight, out of mind.

“No. I’m good.” Teagan studied Lia, appraising her as she inched away. “I appreciate what you are doing.”

Lia smiled weakly. “I get carried away.” Honesty had always been her best policy.

And look where that got us, her bear said with a slice of sarcasm served on the side.

“The office is performing a lot more efficiently since you started working for the newspaper,” Teagan admitted.

“I like it here.” Lia’s smile widened. “I really like it here. In Bear Creek, I mean.”

“So what brings you to our small town?” Teagan asked.

“The mountains,” Lia answered. It was half true.

“The mountains? There are plenty of bigger towns, with mountains nearby.”

“There are?” Lia admitted.

“I’m just surprised someone with your obvious capabilities is happy to take a job with a small-town newspaper.” And there it was...

Lia walked over to Teagan and sat down in the chair opposite her. “I’ll be honest, Teagan. It would not be my first choice. At least, not until I started working here. You have heart, something that is severely lacking in big business corporations.”

“That does not answer my question.” Teagan finished her coffee and put her cup down, her eyes more focused, sharper. “What are you running from, Lia?”

Lia pulled back as if slapped across the face. “What makes you think I am running from anything?”

“Your reaction just about confirmed it,” Teagan said. She smiled kindly. “You are new in town, my guess is you don’t have many friends, yet. I just want you to know, if you need someone to talk to, I am here. You can tell me whatever you want, in confidence, and I won’t tell. Unless you have committed some heinous crime.”

It was meant as a joke, but Teagan had no idea how close to the truth she was. “Thanks, Teagan.” Lia took a shuddering breath. “But I’m not ready. Not yet.”

Teagan put her hand over Lia’s and squeezed it lightly. “When you are, I am here. Day or night, according to my son.”

Lia smiled. “At least you still have your sense of humor.”

“I think anyone who thinks having a baby is a good idea must have a sense of humor. Or no sense at all. I’m not sure which.” Teagan switched her computer on and a picture of her two children appeared. “They even follow me to work.” She reached out and stroked the image of her elder son cuddling his new baby brother.

“You love them very much. It shows.” Lia said, getting up from her chair and getting a refill for Teagan. She paused, coffee pot in hand. “Are you still breastfeeding?”

“I am. I express the milk for when I leave Joshua and Billy with Cal’s mom.”

Lia put the coffee pot back down. “You know, caffeine might be the problem.” What? Was she playing doctors now?

Teagan put her face in her hands. “How stupid of me. I’ve been poisoning my child.”

“Hey, it’s OK. Look, I’ll run out and get you some decaf.”

“I don’t know how I’ll get through the day without coffee,” Teagan said in despair.

“I know just the thing.” She gave Teagan a reassuring smile. “And take Theo up on the office idea. Even if you only go in there for a nap. It will make all the difference.”

“Joshua has just grown out of his afternoon nap, and now you are telling me I need one.” Teagan shook her head. “I am officially a child again.”

“Hey, don’t knock it. Like I said, my old boss used to swear by them.” Lia collected her purse and headed for the door, pushing thoughts of her old boss out of her mind. If she wasn’t careful, Teagan wouldn’t be the only one not sleeping. “Do you need anything else while I’m out?”

“Am I allowed chocolate?” Teagan asked hopefully.

“I think so.” Lia slipped out of the office and into the fresh air. Nothing was as sweet as the first hint of summer on the mountain air. Not that she knew these mountains very well, not yet. However, Lia had grown up in a small town similar to Bear Creek, on the fringes of another mountain range.

A stab of homesickness pierced her heart. She would not be going home for a while. It wasn’t safe. Her father, Frasier, had called her a couple of weeks ago to tell her some men with foreign accents had been sniffing around town and asking questions about Lia. He’d warned Lia to stay away, not asking why she was on the run. He believed in her and trusted her. He also knew that the less knowledge he had, the better, for both himself and Lia.

Despite everything, Lia knew that if she picked up the phone and asked for help, both her parents would be there by her side, quick as a flash.

Casting off the shadows that haunted her, Lia left the newspaper offices behind and walked to the local store. As she stopped to cross the street, a strange sensation crept through her. Her heart rate increased, and her breathing grew rapid.

They had found her. Lia looked around frantically, but couldn’t see anyone. Taking no chances, she jogged across the road, grateful for the flat shoes she wore everywhere. Well, you could not run in fashionably high-heeled shoes. And one day soon she would have to run, she was sure of it.

They would find her. Whoever they were. And take her back to Mr. Delamere, who would doubtless hand her over to the police, who would arrest her, since there was no way she could prove she was not the person who stole from him. After all, the evidence all pointed to her.

Oh yeah, somehow, someone had framed her perfectly. And she had no idea who that someone was. No idea who would want to ruin her life. There were no skeletons in her closet, no vengeful exes. She’d worked hard and always been supportive of Mr. Delamere. He’d called her his rock. Now he called her thief. He believed the evidence.

That was the most frustrating part of all of this. The unknown. The thing someone else knew, and she didn’t.

Entering the store, she took a last look over her shoulder. If there had been someone there, they had gone, along with the feeling that had unnerved her.