Going home was always a mixed bag for Sierra. It was nice to be out of the sweltering heat of the city, back to a landscape as familiar as the back of her hand. Yet, no matter how much time passed or what she’d accomplished, every time she stepped foot across the town limits she was thrown back into the thick of her turbulent childhood. Here in Sugar Pines no one saw Sierra as the adult she’d worked so hard to become. She was simply the niece of the most flamboyant and eccentric lady in town.

This trip was even more nerve-racking than normal because of the situation. She’d talked to Bennie on the phone, demanding to know why Bennie hadn’t come clean about her financial problem. Bennie downplayed the severity saying Nadine was overreacting and had no right to call Sierra and stir up trouble. Then she insisted that her knee would be just fine. “You don’t worry about me,” Bennie said. “I’m doing okay. It’ll take a lot more than a bum knee and a pesky bank to get me down.”

While Sierra appreciated Bennie’s die-hard, self-reliant approach, she obviously wasn’t okay. The bank would take her house, leaving Bennie with nothing. Heat prickled up Sierra’s neck to the point where she was sure her blood pressure was sky high. She drew in a breath. Freaking out wouldn’t help matters. She needed to separate herself from her emotions, think about this rationally.

Fortunately the timing was good, because Sierra needed a break from Parker to process things. Two days after the disastrous dinner Sierra was still smarting. She was embarrassed by her reaction and miffed that Parker wasn’t taking their relationship to the next level anytime soon. Furthermore, Parker’s reaction to her leaving stung. He was more concerned about making sure Sierra stayed on top of the Pristine Pizza account rather than missing her personally. She assured him that so long as she had her laptop and Internet she’d be able to handle it remotely. She added that contrary to what most New Yorker’s think, they do have Internet in South Carolina.

As Sierra neared the downtown area of Sugar Pines, she looked at the line of historic buildings with their colorful siding and cheerful windows that looked like bright eyes peeking out. Sabal Palmetto Trees stood in front of the shops, reminding Sierra of tall palm trees.

Her gaze caught on Clydedale’s Pizza on the corner with its red and white striped awning. The interior was as cheerful and bright as she remembered. An unexpected warmth flowed through her and she got the feeling she was greeting an old friend.

Even though she couldn’t see it from the road, her memory filled in the gaps of the black-and-white checkerboard floor and red-lacquer, swivel barstools lining the counter. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d sat in that shop, eating pizza or sipping on a vanilla milkshake, daydreaming about the glitzy future she would create for herself—a future she thought was in her reach before the dinner fiasco.

Next to Clydedale’s Pizza was a florist and dry cleaner. The Blankenships used to run the dry cleaner, but Sierra remembered Bennie mentioned that they’d sold it to an out-of-town investment company. The realty company on the end was new. The bakery the same. Her mouth watered, thinking of Ruth Ann’s delicate pastries. She made a mental note to stop by there and Clydedale’s Pizza in the next couple of days. Sierra had no idea how long it would take to work out an arrangement with the bank, or if that was even possible. But she had to at least try.

Her phone rang. She fished in her purse to retrieve it. It was Parker.

“Hello?”

“Hey, did you get there okay?”

“Yep, I’m about five minutes away from my aunt’s house.”

“I thought you were going to call me when you landed.”

She caught the hint of reprimand in his voice. Was he actually concerned about her? This was new. Maybe she’d been a little too quick to judge him. Her spirits lifted. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance. I was trying to get my rental car taken care of. They lost my reservation.”

“Did you get it worked out?”

“Yeah, finally.”

“Good.”

He sounded distant, distracted. “Hey, this is changing the subject, but Ross called. He wants preliminary ideas about our marketing strategy by this Friday.”

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. That was two days from now. “I thought we had until next Wednesday.” She’d be hard-pressed to get something put together by next week, much less Friday.

“Yeah, me too. But he’s pushing us to get it to him sooner. You know how these big fish are. They sign a contract and then expect us to jump. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of scheduling a brainstorming session tomorrow at ten thirty. We can patch you in through Skype.”

She stopped at a red light. “Okay.” She didn’t like the idea of Parker going behind her back to schedule a meeting she was supposed to be in charge of. Neither did she like Ross going around her and talking to Parker. Then again, it was Parker’s company, so that was to be expected. Then it hit her—the real reason Parker called. To make sure she’d be at the meeting. Disappointment needled through her.

The light turned green. She stepped on the gas. A sign caught her eye as she gasped. Chandler Construction. Was that Dalton’s business? She didn’t know of any other Chandlers in Sugar Pines.

“What’s going on?” Parker asked. “Are you okay?”

It was on Sierra’s lips to reply yes when her body was thrust forward into the steering wheel. She felt the impact at the same time she heard the loud pop, followed by the sickening sound of crushing metal. It went through her mind that she’d rammed into the truck in front of her. Steam rose from the hood of the car, green fluid was spilling from below the glove box. Her mind scrambled to process what was happening. The passenger airbag had deployed from the impact, but not the driver’s side. That was probably a good thing. Otherwise, her face would be burned and bruised. Her body trembled as she took an assessment of herself. She was okay. Her knee was a little sore from hitting into the dash. But otherwise, she was perfectly fine. She offered a prayer of gratitude.

She looked at the black Ford truck that she’d hit. Crap! Her heart sank. It was a cruel twist of fate that she’d had a wreck, here, in Sugar Pines considering her family history. And she certainly couldn’t afford any extra expenses right now. Thankfully, the rental car agent included their insurance in the rental policy. Hopefully, that would cover everything.

Her phone was on the driver-side floorboard. Parker was probably wondering what was going on. She leaned over and retrieved it. The call was still connected. She put it to her ear. “Are you still there?”

“What the heck, Sierra? I heard a loud crash.”

She let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I hit the truck in front of me.”

He swore. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The driver’s door of the truck opened. Her gut churned. Whoever was in that truck wasn’t going to be happy. Please let it be somebody I don’t know, she prayed. “Parker, I’m gonna have to let you go. I’ll call you after I deal with this.”

“But, Sierra—”

She ended the call and rolled down the window, her apology on her tongue. Then she saw him—the one face she’d spent the past seven years trying to forget.

“Dalton,” she squeaked. She couldn’t breathe! She willed herself to calm down.

He got out of the truck and assessed the damage. Even from this distance she could feel animosity radiating off him. How well she remembered his rugged profile and sharp jawline. His hair was longer all over, hitting just below the ears. Except for the few layers around his face, it was a solid sheet of blonde so dark it was almost brown. On other guys, it would’ve looked messy and unkempt. But on Dalton, it was sexy. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that showcased his ripped biceps. She caught a hint of a tattoo peeking out of his sleeve. That was new. He must’ve gotten that in the military. Dizziness swirled over her as she gripped the steering wheel. She wasn’t at all surprised, but still disappointed in herself, when the all-too-familiar attraction simmered in her stomach.

Whenever Dalton was nearby, she felt like he stole all reason from her—stole her very air so that all she could think about was him. She’d told herself that she was a different person now, that her posh city life had immunized her against Dalton Chandler. But now she knew that was a lie. She tried to summon a picture of Parker with his compassionate, brown eyes and sophisticated smile, but it got swept away like a toy boat in a raging river of silvery, blue gray—the color of Dalton’s smoldering eyes. Mysterious and brooding, yet so alive … like the tumultuous ocean sky on the brink of a storm.

Crap! He was striding towards her.

* * *

Dalton was ticked that some moron plowed into the back of his truck. He’d glanced in his rearview mirror right before it happened and saw the woman on the phone, could tell she was distracted. Then he realized she was going to hit him. In a flash, the scenario played through his mind, but there was nothing he could do. Had he moved forward, he would’ve hit the car in front of him and the accident would be his fault.

Up to this point, it had been a typical day in the world of construction—the subcontractors begging for more time to complete projects and home owners jumping up and down because the job wasn’t done yesterday. Dalton was headed to a job site and realized he’d forgotten some paperwork, so he ran back to his office to grab it. He had a jam-packed schedule today and certainly no time for this. He was supposed to meet the cabinet installers at a new house he was building in less than thirty minutes. Afterward he needed to dart out and meet the building inspector to go over the electrical work for another job. Well, he’d be late now, everything pushed back.

He hurried back to the car, ready to give the woman a piece of his mind. “Lady, I hope you realize what a pain in the butt this is,” he began, pushing his hair back from his eyes.

Then she stuck her head out the window, causing him to freeze in his tracks. A single word escaped his throat. “Sierra?”

A rubbery smile wobbled over her lips as she attempted a wave. “Hey.”

He shook his head, at a loss for words as she stepped out of the car. She looked good—even better than he remembered. His eyes flickered over her, starting at the bottom and moving up—heeled sandals with her toenails painted bright red, designer jeans that showed just how long her shapely legs were, impossibly tiny waist, and just the right amount at the top. Yep, she still had it—as sleek as a shiny new Corvette, but timeless like his collectible ‘69 Camaro.

Sierra’s hair was longer now with loose waves, flowing like burnished copper over her slim shoulders. He saw the faint dusting of cinnamon freckles over her ivory skin, caught the surprise in her bright blue eyes as she stared back at him. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a gold hoop earring. Memories flowed like a waterfall—how he’d been so gone over Sierra he could hardly form a clear thought, how she’d broken his heart and cast him aside like cheap particle board, not looking back. There were plenty of things he should’ve told Sierra McCain at this moment. But all that came out of his mouth was, “It’s you.”

Her faced flamed. “I can’t believe I ran into your truck.”

He pushed a hand through his hair, still trying to comprehend what was happening. She was here, standing right in front of him like a fairy, or a demon from another world sent to torment him. He glanced at the steady stream of cars slow-poking around them, trying to veer as far from the accident as possible.

Luckily, habit took over. A slow smile stole over his lips, the apathetic one he wore like a pair of sunglasses to hide the pain. “How ya doin,’ Sie,” he drawled.

“Okay.” Her expression remained guarded.

His voice took on a good ol’ boy drawl. “If you wanted to see me, you could’ve just stopped by.” He cut his eyes at his truck. “Instead of going to all this trouble.”

The whites of her eyes popped, and he could tell she was somewhat amused as a half-smile touched her lips. “Ha! You wish.”

The moment got slow as their eyes connected, sending a 220-amp electrical charge running through him. Crazy, that he would still be so affected by this woman. Surely, she felt it too. Yes, she did, he could see it in her eyes. And he also knew that it bothered her. He watched—half in fascination, half in frustration—as a veil came down over her eyes. She was retreating into herself. The more things change, the more they stay the same. He swallowed his disappointment, telling himself that it didn’t matter. He was so over this woman.

Her brows knit together. “Why did you stop like that in the middle of the road?”

For a second he thought he hadn’t heard her correctly, then saw the accusation in her eyes. An incredulous laugh broke from his throat. “Seriously? You rammed me in the back end and have the nerve to ask that?”

Just like that, it was on and they were back to where they’d left off—at each other’s throats.

“It’s your own stupid fault! You stopped smack dab in the middle of the road.” She lifted her chin. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you did it on purpose because you knew it was me.”

She was a piece of work, all high and mighty, snubbing her nose at the world.

His eyes narrowed. “What’re you even doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in New York with your rich boyfriend?” He didn’t try to hide the disgust in his voice.

She rocked back, her face draining. “H-how do you know about Parker?”

His gut twisted, wringing him out hard and dry. He’d do well to remember who he was dealing with here. “It doesn’t matter what I know,” he muttered. All he wanted to do was get this over with so he could get back to work.

She lifted her chin. “I came here to check on Bennie. She hurt her knee and I need to help her with a few other issues.”

Alarm flashed over Dalton. “I just saw her a couple of days ago! Is she okay?” Even though he and Sierra weren’t on good terms, he had a soft spot for Bennie. They’d grown close during the past six months that he lived next door. He wondered why Bennie hadn’t come to him for help.

“I don’t know. I just got into town and was headed to check on her.”

Suddenly, Dalton realized the two of them were causing a spectacle in the middle of town. Shop owners had come out of their buildings, talking amongst themselves, their eyes lit with interest. In Sugar Pines, news traveled faster than a pent-up derby horse leaving the gate on race day. It wouldn’t take long for word to get out that he and Sierra were spotted talking after their fender bender.

Phyllis Watson, his office assistant, came running out of Dalton’s shop, her hands flailing. “I heard the crash, but was on a call with a prospective client and just now got off.” She stopped in her tracks, eyes lassoing. “Sierra McCain?” In two steps she was at Sierra’s side throwing her arms around her, squeezing her tight.

Dalton couldn’t help but chuckle at how Sierra went stiff like she was being mauled by a bear.

Finally, Phyllis let Sierra go. “I haven’t seen you in ages,” she cooed. She put a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. “Let’s see, I believe it was right after high school graduation.” She looked back and forth between Dalton and Sierra. The doe-eyed expression on her face was a stark contrast to the heavy innuendo in her voice. “The two of you were tight back then—couldn’t wedge a sheet of paper between you.”

Dalton cringed, then saw Sierra’s face turn ghostly white like she wished she could crawl under the pavement. Blast Phyllis and her big mouth! While she was a good assistant and friend, she lived for gossip, devoured every scrap she could gather within fifty miles of Sugar Pines’ city limits.

Phyllis gave Sierra a speculative look. “What’re you doing back in this neck of the woods?”

“I came to check on Bennie. She fell and hurt her knee.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard that.” Her eyes danced as she lowered her voice and leaned in. “So, I hear you’ve got some high falutin’ boyfriend in New York. Is he as good-looking as everybody keeps saying?”

Sierra shot Dalton a triumphant look. “Better. Parker owns one of the most successful advertising firms in Manhattan.”

“That’s so nice. You’re sure lucky you got out of this po-dunk town and made something of yourself,” she twanged.

The hair on Dalton’s neck stood. “Don’t you have some work to do, Phyllis?”

She laughed lightly, then shot him a sour look. “Yeah, yeah, boss. I’ll get back to it in a minute. I’m on my break right now,” she retorted, then leaned in and whispered to Sierra. “He’s such a slave driver.”

Dalton rolled his eyes. “I heard that. I’m standing right here.”

Phyllis winked. “That was the point, sugar.” She frowned, pointing to the accident. “Did the two of you … hit?”

Dalton sighed heavily, feeling like he was pointing out the obvious. “Yes, Phyllis, Sierra plowed into the back of my truck.”

Phyllis cackled like he’d said something hilarious. Then her eyes rounded. Her lips turned down, like she’d just thought of something. “Oh, wow,” she mused. “That’s ironic. Considering …”

Sierra, flinched, her cheeks turning as red as her hair as she eyed Phyllis. “Considering what?”

“Um, your mother’s accident,” Phyllis stammered. She shook her head, her face draining. “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

Dalton wanted to shove a sock in Phyllis’s insensitive mouth. “Then, why did you?” As ticked as he was at Sierra, he didn’t want to see her humiliated.

Phyllis touched her hair. “Err … it just came out. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” She forced a contrite smile.

Sierra straightened to her full height and glared at Dalton. “I’m all grown up now and don’t need you to defend me. I can take care of myself.”

He let out a hard laugh. “Seriously? After all we’ve been through together, that’s all you have to say to me?”

Uncertainty settled into her eyes, and for a split second Dalton thought he might be getting through to her, but then her jaw hardened.

“If you hadn’t stopped in the middle of the road, the accident never would’ve happened,” Sierra flung back, eyes flashing.

He smirked. “You keep telling yourself that, darling. You had your cell phone shoved so far up your ear, a backhoe wouldn’t have been able to dig it out.”

“First of all, I’m not your darling.”

Dalton leaned into her personal space. “You were distracted, and distracted drivers are dangerous.”

“Whatever.” Sierra shot him a blistering look. “You’re such a moron.”

Phyllis let out a deviant chuckle. “Sparks are flying, just like they always have between you two.” She clucked her tongue. “Why don’t you go ahead and kiss each other and get it over with?”

“What?” Sierra’s jaw dropped. “I take offense to that.”

“Take whatever you want.” Phyllis shook her head. “But the truth’s the truth.” She looked at Dalton. “Anyway, I just came out to tell you that I called Eddie, and he’s on his way over. He said it would take him a little while to get here because he was up a ladder, trying to get Mrs. Bigsby’s cat out of a tree.”

“Eddie?” Sierra asked dubiously. “Are you talking about jug-head Eddie who could chug a beer in one gulp?”

“No one’s called him that in years,” Phyllis said, the corners of her jaw twitching.

Sierra shrugged. “I meant no offense. That’s just how I remember him.”

“Eddie’s a deputy,” she said proudly, holding up her left hand to display a ring.

Sierra’s eyes grew large. “Eddie Whitehead’s a police officer?”

“Yep,” Phyllis said. “He’s thinking about running for sheriff next year when Luke Rutherford retires.”

Sierra chuckled. “The Eddie I knew was always on the other side of the law.”

“That was a lifetime ago,” Phyllis snipped, giving her a cool look. “Lots of things have changed since you’ve been gone.” She straightened her blouse. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do. Good to see you again,” she said curtly, sauntering back to the shop.

Sierra sighed heavily. “I just shoved my foot in my mouth.” Her eyes sparked. “But Phyllis deserved it for that crack about my mother.” She let out a long sigh. “Still, the minute I get to town, I have a wreck and start insulting people.” Great. “I’m batting a thousand here.”

He gave her a sideways look. “You do have a knack for stirring up trouble.”

“Especially when you’re around.”

For a split second, he thought she was attacking him again, then caught the wistful expression in her eyes that was gone before her next blink. A pang shot through him as myriad memories flooded his mind—the two of them skipping school and hopping in his Camaro, driving full speed with the windows down and music blasting to Huntington Island State Park. They’d climbed to the top of the lighthouse and looked out over the sandy beach that opened to the endless expanse of ocean. Afterwards, they went down to the beach and made a bonfire, snuggling close.

It was there, beside that cozy fire that Dalton first said out loud that he was in love with Sierra. She admitted feeling the same way. Dalton believed their love was strong enough to withstand anything that came at them. How wrong he’d been. A few short months later, it all came crashing down like a sand castle swept out by the tide. Sierra left for New York two months after he joined the Marines. From that point on, she cut off all contact. No explanation. Nothing.

Several years passed with him vowing to forget her. When he finally mustered the nerve to look her up, he learned she was practically engaged to some hotshot advertising executive in Manhattan.

She was so close. All he had to do was reach out and touch her face, run his hand along the curve of her jaw. Thread his fingers through those tresses of red. He jerked slightly reining in his renegade thoughts. The smart thing was to let the past remain where it belonged.

“Don’t worry about Phyllis,” he began. “She’s sensitive when it comes to Eddie, works hard to keep him on the straight and narrow. Wants her fiancé to come across as a pillar of the community.” He couldn’t stop a grin from tugging at the corner of his mouth. “By the way, Eddie can still chug a beer in a single gulp.”

Sierra rewarded him with an appreciative smile that shot straight into the center of his heart. “Good to know some things never change.”

His eyes held hers. “Yeah, I guess,” he said softly. There was still something between them, as alive as it ever was, whether or not Sierra admitted it.

She blinked a couple of times and stepped back, breaking the spell.

A stilted silence settled between them. He jutted his thumb. “I’ve gotta grab some paperwork from my office. Would you like to come in and wait for Eddie in the reception area?”

Her voice grew polite, like they were strangers. “Thanks, but I think I’ll wait out here. I need to make a phone call.”

To her boyfriend, no doubt. The feeling of loss that swept over Dalton was tangible enough to taste. He forced a smile, keeping his voice light. “Alrighty, then. I’ll come back out when Eddie gets here.”

She nodded.

He was a couple of feet away from her when she spoke.

“Dalton?”

He turned. “Yeah?”

“Good to see you.”

The comment jolted him, confused him a little. “Good to see you too.” He flashed his trademark apathetic smile, then winked. “Welcome home, Sie.”