It took precisely ten seconds and four bleary-eyed blinks before Maggie Lawrence realized she'd fallen asleep and drooled all over her paperwork. The end result was that now, not only had she not finished reviewing the numbers for the meeting with her bosses, she also had a profit and loss statement glued to the side of her face.

Drool. Lovely.

Peeling the paper from her cheek, she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and leaned back in her kitchen chair. She ignored her open laptop and reminded herself that she could do this. As the new manager at The Lodge at Canyon Creek, too many people were counting on her now and she wouldn’t let them down.

Maggie had been studying the financial files for the lodge until her eyes were crossed. It always took her longer than most people to completely understand all of the numbers and figures in the spreadsheets. But she’d learned a long time ago not to give up. Gaining knowledge and pushing past her limits was the only way she’d ever reach her goals.

You’ve got this. Valerie Sumner’s voice echoed in her mind, and Maggie smiled. Even though she’d heard the statement a hundred times from her boss and owner of the lodge, it still felt strange to have someone believe in her.

Maggie glanced up at the kitchen clock. She had one hour until her meeting with Valerie and her husband John. She needed coffee. Now.

Grabbing her laptop and papers, she shoved them into a bag before wrapping herself in a wool coat and scarf. She slid out the front door, locking it behind her as she stepped out onto the small porch of her childhood home, a place that had once haunted her.

Maggie glanced up at the early morning sky. A light flurry of snow was beginning to fall and she hoped it would turn into more. It had been an unusually mild winter in Canyon Creek, Colorado, which meant fewer tourists. And fewer tourists meant fewer guests staying at the lodge, something that worried her now that she was the manager. She couldn’t let John and Valerie down.

Maggie had met the Sumners five years ago when they’d hired her at their small bed and breakfast. Putting their faith in Maggie by giving her a job had truly saved her and, for the first time, allowed her to truly dream. It sounded so melodramatic, but it was the truth.

Maggie had been complimented for her pretty face hundreds of times, and even won Prom Queen in high school senior year, but no one in the town expected more of the beauty queen who came from a broken home. Neither had she, to be honest.

But that had all changed when John and Valerie Sumner had entered her life. They’d taken a chance on a girl who wanted more, wanted to be more. They’d nurtured Maggie, taken an interest in her ideas in a way no one had before. And because of them, she’d been able to feel like she was a part of something, even if that had only been in her role as guest services manager at their small bed and breakfast.

After only two years in business, the bed and breakfast had outgrown the demands of the area, and John and Valerie started on plans to build the lodge. It took years of planning and building, but the new thirty room building had been open for two months, and already their bookings were solid and increasing. The couple had taken a huge risk, not only on the lodge, but on making Maggie the manager.

This new endeavor was the scariest thing she’d ever been a part of. There was so much riding on this new venture. For the first time in her life, Maggie had realized she was actually good at something. Luckily for her, John and Valerie had seen what she couldn’t see in herself back then.

Maggie reminded herself that she could handle the stress of her new position. The experience and salary the role of manager offered would bring her one step closer to her dream of owning a small boutique hotel of her own one day.

“Hey, Maggie.” Her neighbor called as she passed his front porch.

Maggie waved with one hand, while she shifted the messenger bag on her shoulder with the other. She probably shouldn’t have packed it so heavily. “Hey, Mr. Delgado.”

“You’re up early.”

She smiled. “I could say the same for you.”

“Early bird catches the worm.” He laughed. Mr. Delgado was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, settling into Canyon Creek once he’d retired three years ago. Claiming to have been bored out of his mind after only two months, he’d decided to work part-time at the adventure company close to the lodge—when not fishing of course.

“Have a nice day,” he called to her. “Tell John and Valerie I said hello, and I’ll give John a call soon about adding on another kayaking trip for the spring tourist calendar.”

“Will do.” Maggie waved and walked down the sidewalk toward Main Street.

Some people hated the lack of anonymity the life in a small town brought, and Maggie had felt the same way at times growing up in Canyon Creek. It had sucked being a teenager when the whole town felt the need to watch your every move. Of course, with her dad being the town drunk, Maggie always felt the citizens weren’t only watching, but judging.

Sometime in the past few years, her views on small town living had changed though. She felt safe in Canyon Creek, like she finally belonged. Both were new experiences for her.

There was camaraderie and new-found respect in her position at the lodge. Of course, it probably helped that more people were moving to the town. Canyon Creek was still small, but it was growing. Now she had friends who hadn’t known her all her life, who hadn’t seen every mistake she’d ever made growing up. Who hadn’t seen every humiliating thing her father had done—scenes Maggie often had to clean up.

Rounding the corner of Main Street, Maggie stepped inside Strange Brew, the local coffee shop, and inhaled the aroma. Even the smell of the place was enough to give her a small energy boost.

She wasn’t cut out for all-nighters any more. It was early for tourists to be in town—most would still be up on the slopes if they were awake at all—but a few locals stood at the counter.

“The usual?” Lina shouted at her from across the counter. Angelina Bianchi, or Lina as the locals called her, was the daughter of Antonio Bianchi, the owner of Antonio’s Italian Restaurant. He had two locations, one off Interstate 70 coming into town and one just down Main Street from the coffee shop.

She often wondered why Lina didn’t work for her father, but never questioned her choice. Maggie’s life had been filled with her own brand of family drama and she would never welcome questions.

Maggie nodded. “Yes, thanks, Lina.”

“One large coffee, coming up.” Lina smiled, deep dimples adorning her beautiful face. With her long dark hair, olive skin, and light brown eyes, the girl was gorgeous enough to be a super model.

Someone in front of Maggie turned to face her. “You’re such a rebel,” Mrs. Parker teased. Florence Parker was the town librarian, and some said old as dirt, although no one knew her exact age. Flo knew all the town gossip but thankfully shared little.

“Oh, you know it, Mrs. Parker.” Maggie said dryly. Both women knew Maggie was anything but rebellious. Maggie had learned at a young age that compliance was the key to her survival. She’d always kept her head down and never brought attention to herself. Her father did enough of that for the both of them.

Today she stood a little taller though, secure in the confidence John and Valerie had given her.

Maggie leaned toward Lina. “Actually, Lina, can you make that a latte this morning?” She wouldn’t get in the habit of buying lattes. It cut into savings too much, but one here or there couldn’t hurt.

“You’re up early,” Mrs. Parker said.

“You’re the second person who’s told me that.”

Maggie didn’t bother to tell the librarian she’d been up most of the night. She’d gone to bed but woke at midnight and hadn’t been able to fall back to sleep.

She’d wanted to check and double-check figures on the sales forecasts. She was grossly under-qualified for the job Val and John had bestowed on her, if you looked at her qualifications on paper. Maggie had never attended college—she didn’t have the grades or the money—but she’d taken online courses in hotel management and accounting. What she lacked in experience or education, she made up for in sheer will.

“Here you go, Maggie.” Lina slid her latte across the counter.

Maggie held out money but Lina waved her off.

“On the house,” she said.

“That’s no way to turn a profit, Lina.” Maggie laughed. She wasn’t the lodge’s chief financial officer—thank God, John held that position—but even she knew that.

“You headed over to Sally’s?” Mrs. Parker asked, nodding toward the window.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sally Sumner owned The Sweet Spot, a bakery across the street. She was also John’s sister and one of Maggie’s best friends despite their age difference.

“Oh, great.” Lina clapped her hands. “If you tell her we need a dozen more sour cream blueberry muffins and two dozen raspberry scones, then we’ll call it even on the latte.”

Many of the small businesses in Canyon Creek fed off one another, a necessity if they wanted to survive the slowing economy. Even though the bakery was across the street, they sold their goods in stores and restaurants all over the town.

“Sure thing,” Maggie said. Sticky buns would give her the push she needed to get through this meeting. Maggie was convinced sticky buns could get a person through just about anything.

Maggie grabbed her latte and headed for the door. She needed to study her spreadsheets one more time before heading into the office. The lodge was a twenty-minute drive up Canyon Creek Mountain but Maggie found she could concentrate on finances better when she stayed in town.

She glanced down at her watch. She was due at the lodge at nine. That would give her a solid hour to consume an adequate number of sticky buns—probably at least two—then review the spreadsheets before driving to the office to discuss the lodge’s future financial projections.

“Thanks for the coffee,” Maggie shouted over her shoulder as she walked out of the coffee shop door.

“Don’t forget,” Lina yelled.

“A dozen sour cream blueberry muffins and two dozen raspberry scones. Got it.” Maggie let the door close behind her and walked to the corner. She stood, staring up at the one light in Canyon Creek, waiting for it to turn green.

The town had been settled by the Sumner and Noble families in the 1800s. They’d been on a quest for gold but had come up empty handed, discouraged to find Canyon Creek Mountain only filled with sediment and water.

Now Maggie was a part of the Sumner family. Well, maybe not a direct descendent, like John and Valerie’s six sons, but they considered Maggie family, and that was enough to make her smile as she crossed the street.

None of the Sumner boys had been home to Canyon Creek in months, maybe years, and they rarely stayed longer than a few days when they did visit. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but it always ticked off Maggie. John and Valerie were wonderful parents. She couldn’t understand why their boys wouldn’t come home more often.

Maggie waved at a passing car as she crossed to the other side. She didn’t recognize the driver, but it didn’t matter. In Canyon Creek you always waved.

She pushed open the door to The Sweet Spot, smiling when the bells above the door echoed through the store, signaling her arrival.

“I’ll be right there!” Sally yelled from somewhere in the back.

“Steve Perry is parking his Maserati outside,” Maggie hollered.

The entire town, and probably half of Colorado, knew of Sally Sumner’s obsession with all things related to Journey and their one-time lead singer, Steve Perry.

Sally appeared from the back kitchen, a plume of flour trailing behind. She tugged off her apron, shaking out her short blonde hair before straightening her T-shirt that read “I’m a baker, I’m good with my hands. What’s your super power?”

“You think you’re cute, don’t you, Miss Maggie?” The dry tone told her Sally hadn’t believed Steve Perry would show up in Canyon Creek, but Maggie wasn’t fooled. The woman had come out on the off chance this was the one time a miracle had happened.

Maggie couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe the man likes to ski?”

“I’d go down a mountain for Steve Perry.” She shook her rear in the air and slapped it for good measure. “I still got it.” And she did. For someone in her early fifties, Sally Sumner still looked damn good.

“Hey, before I forget, Lina says the coffee shop needs—”

“I know, she already called me,” Sally sighed, dusting off her jeans. “And the diner screwed up their order and they want me to fix it. They need a dozen more pies before noon. And the café at the lodge opens in—” Sally glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. “Shit, in an hour.”

During the grand opening of the lodge two months ago, Sally had catered baked goods and Strange Brew had brought in coffee. The food had been so well received that Maggie and Valerie had designated a spot for a small stand-alone café just off the lobby with the hopes to expand one day. Maggie knew it meant more work for Sally but she also knew Sally would do anything to help her brother, John, succeed.

Maggie nodded toward the kitchen. “You need any help back there?”

Sally cocked a brow. Maggie couldn’t boil water without burning it, let alone bake a pie, and Sally knew it.

“Why don’t you hire a few more people to help you?” Maggie asked, pulling out her laptop.

“If I could just get half of my girls to move back to Canyon Creek I could franchise this little business and retire.”

Sally had six girls but only one currently lived in Canyon Creek. Lily Sumner, one of Maggie’s closest friends, had moved back a year ago from Denver where she’d worked as an event planner.

As if hearing her name spoken aloud, Lily pushed open the front door with such force, she nearly ripped the bell from its cord.

Her face was ashen, eyes wide. “Mom,” she panted, “why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“It’s in the kitchen. What’s wrong?”

Maggie dug in her coat pocket and pulled out her own phone. Three missed calls from Valerie. Maggie’s body stiffened, a numbing wave washing over her, the same paralyzing fear she felt any time she received a call about her father.

“What is it?” Maggie whispered. “What’s happened?”

Lily’s eyes darted back and forth from Sally to Maggie before finally settling on her mother. “It’s Uncle John. We need to get to the hospital.”