Homecoming: Small Town Women's Fiction Romantic Suspense: Olman County, #1

By Alex Collins and T. L. Haddix

Love shows up when we least expect it. So does danger.

 

Lauren is a survivor. The divorced mom is focused on raising her daughter and running the most popular cafe in town. She doesn't date, but she's happy enough being single. However, when she meets her parents' dishy new neighbor, she realizes that she's settling for less because she's afraid to try for more. Reaching out takes courage, and that's not something she's ever been good at. 

 

But evil is lurking around the corner unseen, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse. When detectives tie the disappearance of a local businesswoman to an attack Lauren suffered as a teen, life becomes a game of survival. And as long-held secrets spill out, not everyone will come out of this game alive…

 

Homecoming is the first book in the Olman County Series, Women's Fiction novels of Small Town Romantic Suspense. 

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: T L Haddix
• Release date: Oct 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781945445156

Book preview

Chapter 1

An old, hauntingly dark Genesis song echoed all around as she walked down the deserted corridor. Even with the music bouncing off the hard tile and bare walls, she could hear her own footsteps. There was another sound too, just under the sharp snap of her heels, almost an echo.

A chill washed over her from head to toe as her mind made the connection—someone was following her. Whirling around, she confronted an empty hall. Nothing.

There’s nothing there, she whispered.

But she knew there was, even if she couldn’t see it. Paralyzed, her body trapped between fight and flight, she clenched her hands into fists and willed herself to move. It didn’t work.

The attack, when it came, rushed at her seemingly from all sides. A loud whoosh drowned out the music, her pounding heart, everything. The force of the shove that came from behind had her stumbling forward, falling onto the smooth tile that still somehow scraped her hands and knees into a bleeding mess. Panicked, she struggled to get her feet under her so she could escape.

The cold steel of a knife blade touched her throat before she could stand.

Did you think I’d forgotten? he whispered in her ear. His voice was terrible, as familiar to her as her own. You owe me, little girl. I’m aiming to see that you pay drop by drop.

The hand that held the knife jerked, sending a pinching flash of pain through her neck before numbness spread.

You’ve killed me, she thought. Hands at her throat, she stared at the widening pool of blood at her knees. The front of her dress was soaked in an instant, dyed forever the crimson shade of life and death. I guess I always knew you would.

With a choked scream, Charity Vaughn came awake, on her knees in bed before she was even conscious of what she was doing. Heart racing, she sobbed as she frantically checked her throat. There was no wound, no blood, only a drenching sweat that coated her skin. She was fine.

Muttering a curse, she closed her eyes and sank down on her haunches, shoving her thick hair back off her face. So much for sleeping in.

Dawn hadn’t fully broken over the Atlantic as she went to stare out the window and struggled to catch her breath. The sea sounded rough, and even in the dim light, she could see whitecaps and large breaks hitting the beach.

As she yawned, she saw lightning flash in the distance. A storm moved through, that was all. You know you don’t sleep well when it storms.

But as she headed for the bathroom, a tiny voice whispered "liar" in her ear. Florida’s capricious weather had never bothered her.

While she went through her morning grooming routine, she didn’t meet her eyes in the mirror. She couldn’t face herself or the truth she’d find if she looked. She was a fraud, a made-up person who liked to pretend she was normal and good. Some days, she even believed she was the persona she’d created. But her dreams never let her forget for too long, always eager to step in and slap her sideways if she got too comfortable in her make-believe life.

When she walked into the dining room a few minutes later, Pierson had coffee and juice waiting.

You know, I always thought that one of these days, I’d beat you to the kitchen, if not out of bed, she told the butler.

He raised an eyebrow as he poured her coffee. You could still make an attempt. Stay here instead of going to that godforsaken cornfield. I might even see to it that you achieve your goal. You don’t have to go.

Touched and amused, Charity clasped his hand as she accepted the cup. It’s Indiana, not a ‘godforsaken cornfield,’ you know. She didn’t take on the discussion about her decision to leave the place that had been home for more than ten years. She didn’t believe she had a choice, so whether she actually did didn’t matter.

Later that afternoon, she’d climb into her little red convertible and hit I-95 north, bound for Jacksonville. She’d stop there for the night, then continue on as far as her body would take her. By the weekend, she’d be in Leroy, less than an hour’s drive from where she’d grown up. That was as close as she could bring herself to go toward home, at least for now.

The deception is what concerns me, Pierson said as he returned to the dining room with a bowl of fruit. What if they know who you are?

Charity placed her napkin in her lap and eyed him. My own mother wouldn’t know me, I’ve changed so much. My voice isn’t even the same.

It was true—she’d filled out in spots, grown a couple of inches taller, and had this or that adjusted via a nip/tuck. Her hair was dyed, a professional job that turned her from a mousy brunette into an auburn redhead. Contact lenses afforded her a way of disguising her light blue eyes. And as for her voice… screaming for days on end had taken care of that, changing her clear tones into a sultry, smoky rasp that called men to her like a siren.

Even her mannerisms were different, carefully cultivated to be precise and deliberate. Gone was the gawky teenager who had a tendency to let her arms and hands do the talking for her. There was nothing of Margie Vernon left in Charity Vaughn, thanks to a deliberate cutting away that had taken years to accomplish.

No one there will be expecting me. No one there will see anything other than what I want them to see. You know most people don’t look beyond the surface. She savored a chunk of grapefruit, even though the leftover vestiges of the dream made it taste like wet cardboard.

I’m not sure Monte would want this for you, Pierson said quietly.

I know he wouldn’t, she responded. The loss of the man who’d mentored her, who’d been her guiding light and savior, still throbbed nearly a year after he’d passed. But I have to do this for me. I don’t know who I am without him. This is the only way I can figure that out.

I’d feel better if I were going with you.

Charity laughed softly. You’d hate it there. Indiana is everything you despise, darling.

He gave an offended huff. At least promise me you’ll come back if you get tired of this sojourn.

You know I will. But she didn’t believe the words even as she spoke them. She knew she’d never return to this place that had been home. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did. As whispers from the dream drifted through her mind, she lifted her fingers to her throat. No, she was certain that once she returned to Indiana, she’d never leave again.

Chapter 2

One year later…

When Charlie Clark’s alarm failed to go off Wednesday morning and his coffee maker decided to throw the water in its reservoir all over the kitchen cabinets instead of percolating it through the filter, he figured it was going to be a bad day. But going back to bed wasn’t an option, so he squared his shoulders and powered through.

Besides, stopping for coffee in town on his way to work at his temporary job would give him an excuse to do something he’d been looking forward to for weeks now—introduce himself to Lauren, his neighbors’ daughter, who ran the best coffee shop in town.

Once he was dressed and his cat, Rumble, was fed and happy, Charlie hurried out the door. True, he was running a bit behind, but not so much that he wouldn’t have time to swing by The Brown Bag. As he backed his truck out of his driveway, he couldn’t help but smile at the house he’d recently purchased. It had been home for close to three months now, and he was almost finished making the changes that would mark it as his own.

The drive out of the old subdivision and down the hill into town didn’t usually take long, but today he got behind a tractor.

Of course it happens this morning, he said, groaning. Resigned to being later than he wanted, he settled in and let his mind drift to review everything he needed to do today.

When he passed an old shack half-tumbled off the side of the cliff, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Back when he was a kid, that building had housed a liquor barn his father had frequently visited.

I don’t know why they don’t just tear it down already. It’s an eyesore. He reached for his travel mug out of instinct before he remembered the water explosion. With a virulent curse born out of the complex of frustrations the morning had set upon him, he grabbed a bottle of water off the door instead.

As happy as he was with his house and with the routine and life he was building, there were old ghosts lingering around that he’d yet put to rest. You knew going in that some of this wouldn’t be easy, Clark. Don’t pretend otherwise.

When he’d decided to return to Indiana, he knew that meant making peace—or what passed for it—with certain people. Charlie had not had much to do with his father since he was ten, and he’d realized a while back that if he wanted to go forward in his own life, he needed to do his part to patch things up.

However, Ransom Clark was a recovering alcoholic, and he wasn’t an easy man to deal with. A lot of baggage between the two of them still needed to be addressed. Charlie wasn’t eager to try either.

On a visit with his mother, Hazel, and her second husband, Dax, back at Christmas, Charlie had cautiously mentioned that he thought it was time he reached out to Ransom. To his surprise, his mother agreed without hesitation.

He really has changed. We meet every now and then for coffee or lunch, she said. I’d like to see the two of you at least try to get to know each other now that he’s sober.

You… what? Stunned, Charlie stared at her, then looked at Dax to see what his reaction was.

His stepfather nodded. We’ve gone out to dinner with him and his girlfriend a few times. They’ll come up here to Sellersburg, or we’ll go down to Leroy. Not too often, but here and there.

Charlie rubbed his temple. You… and Dad. You socialize? The notion was nearly incomprehensible.

Of course we do. Mostly we talk about you or about how our jobs are going, and sometimes we talk about your brother, Hazel said softly. Now that Ransom isn’t drinking, we’ve all been able to get a lot of things off our chests, things we needed to deal with.

Though Ransom had long had a problem with alcohol, his drinking had truly spiraled out of control after the death of Charlie’s baby brother, Robin, who’d died from meningitis at age three. Charlie, who’d been six at the time, had watched his father grow more bitter and mean with every passing day. By the time Charlie was eight, his parents were separated, and they divorced not long after his tenth birthday.

Charlie had promised his mother he’d try, and he meant to keep his word. He just hadn’t managed to find the right time to make that first attempt.

In addition to running his home-based small business, Clark Consulting, he was helping out a friend who’d just had heart bypass surgery. Sonny Rutherford had been a second father to Charlie when he’d sorely needed a firm hand, so when he’d had a heart attack back at the beginning of March, a couple of weeks after Charlie returned from North Carolina, Charlie had offered his assistance. After all, he’d worked at the Lighthouse Bar and Grille for several summers and after school during most of his senior year. He knew the business end of things as well as the practical side.

There’s no one else I’d trust with her, Sonny told him the evening following his emergency bypass. You’ve gotta keep her afloat.

Even though it meant working sixteen- and eighteen-hour days, Charlie hadn’t hesitated. He owed Sonny.

Things were starting to ease up somewhat, as Sonny was now back to work part-time. Charlie was still working on convincing him to hire a manager, but it was a tug-of-war.

I’ve run this place by myself for twenty years. Why do I need help now? Sonny would ask when Charlie mentioned bringing someone on board.

So you’re around for another twenty years and beyond to torment me! Charlie responded.

Charlie wasn’t sure who was winning the tug-of-war, but at least Sonny was looking at applicants. Whether he’d end up hiring any of them or not was anybody’s guess.

Since the day was sunny, a perfect early June morning in the picturesque Ohio River town, Charlie decided to park at the Lighthouse and walk across the two-lane highway that separated it from the row of old buildings where The Brown Bag was located on the town square. It wouldn’t take him three minutes to reach the place on foot, and the activity would do him good.

There was a bit of a line when he went in, but he didn’t mind—he’d been in several times and knew the café ran as efficiently as a well-oiled machine. Besides, he could use the time to check his work e-mail.

You’re out of luck again, you know, a man behind him said a minute later.

Turning, Charlie smiled at Chase Hudson. I am?

Chase grinned and crossed his arms. Lauren isn’t here. She’s at a meeting this morning. Ladies Business League. The attorney, who’d been a year behind Charlie in high school, was becoming a fast friend.

Are you serious? Unbelievable. I’m starting to think she doesn’t really exist, that you all—he gestured around the room and beyond—Win and Molly included, made her up. Ava’s just some random six-year-old who wanders in and thinks she’s their grandchild.

Chase outright laughed at him. She’s real, I promise you, but I can understand why you might think she isn’t.

For weeks now, every effort Charlie had made toward meeting Lauren had been thwarted by the most ridiculous happenings. There’d been a cracked tooth, a stomach virus, a flat tire on Charlie’s truck, a sick cat, and several other things that were starting to add up to the impression that the Fates didn’t want them to meet.

The more stuff that happens like this, the more I want to meet her. I’m perverse that way, Charlie said as they reached the counter. He smiled at Janet Evans, Lauren’s co-manager. Good morning, beautiful. How are you today?

The older lady winked. Fine as frog’s hair. How about yourself?

Charlie snickered. I’m thinking I’d have been better off to crawl under the bed today. My coffee machine blew up this morning, and I missed getting to set eyes on Lauren again. Set me up with something hot, tall, and heavily caffeinated?

Janet nodded and moved to grab a large insulated cup. Can do. The boss lady should be back any time now if you want to stick around. Her glance was hopeful. She’d not made a secret of the fact that she wanted to see Lauren paired off, especially after Charlie had admitted he was curious about the single mother.

He spread his hands wide with regret. I’m already late. The alarm clock died on me too. Guess I’ll be swinging by the big store on the way home tonight.

Chase whistled. Sounds like you’ve had a great morning.

Yeah, it’s been a bit annoying, but no one is bleeding so far, so I’ll take it. And no, that’s not a dare to the universe to make blood flow, Charlie said, looking heavenward and making Chase and Janet laugh.

Once he’d paid for his coffee, he lingered. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to work… but he didn’t really want to go to work. The dining room manager, Rita Goodworth, had been driving him nuts for the last couple of weeks. She’d made it clear on numerous occasions that she was interested in him, but Charlie didn’t return the sentiment, and things had gotten awkward.

You heading to the Lighthouse? Chase asked once he’d paid for his drink.

Yeah, eventually. What about you?

Chase glanced at his watch. I have a date with a court-appointed mediator, and it isn’t the fun kind. Wanna trade?

Charlie grimaced. Not even on a bet. Good luck with that.

Yep. It’s going to be loads of good times, I’m sure. See you around. Good luck with your quest.

Oh, I’m starting to think I’m going to need more than luck.

They parted ways on the sidewalk, heading in different directions. Chase had extended an invitation to Charlie to join him, his brother Jason, and their friend Ethan Moore on several occasions, for dinner or poker night or the like. Because of his heavy workload, Charlie hadn’t yet been able to accept. As soon as he could, he intended to change that.

When he moved back to town, he’d needed a good attorney to take care of some personal things, as well as the odd business situation that would inevitably arise from time to time. Chase’s office had handled the closing when Charlie bought his house, and when they’d seen each other’s familiar face, they’d struck up a conversation. Any tension that had existed between them during high school was long gone, erased by the passage of time, aided by maturity.

He hadn’t gotten along with Chase back then, mostly because Charlie had had too big of a chip on his own shoulder. As Chase was the son of a much-loved town doctor and Charlie the son of the town drunk, they’d not exactly been on a level playing field, or at least not in Charlie’s mind.

But all that was in the past, and Charlie was looking forward to seeing if a friendship developed between them.

When he reached the front door of the Lighthouse, a pretty brunette and a blonde were coming out. He rushed to hold the door for them.

Thank you, the blonde said with a smile.

Charlie nodded, his smile widening as he took in her friend. He’d seen the blonde around town, but the brunette… he didn’t remember having seen her, and he certainly would have. He unabashedly watched her walk to her car, raising his coffee in a salute when she glanced back. He knew he’d never seen her before, but for some reason, she seemed familiar.

With a distracted shrug, he headed inside. If luck was on his side, he’d see her again when he had more time, and maybe they’d strike up a conversation. As much as he was interested in meeting Lauren, he wouldn’t ignore the universe if it placed a pretty, intriguing woman in his path. If he was meant to fall in love with a random stranger, it would happen. And if he was meant to spend forever with Lauren Grant… the powers that be would see that it occurred.

I’m just as likely to end up a curmudgeonly old fart running the neighborhood kids off his lawn, he muttered. But he hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Charlie wasn’t ashamed to admit that he wanted to settle down and build a family. He was tired of being alone, and a man could do worse than to find someone to love him until the day he died.

Rita, who were those two ladies who just left? he asked as he stopped at the hostess stand.

She looked up from where she’d been cleaning the seating chart. Hmmm? Oh, you mean Beth and Lauren? They were here for the LBL meeting.

Realization dawned and incredulity followed. He laughed. LBL—Ladies Business League. And that would mean Lauren is Molly and Win’s daughter, right?

Yes. And Beth is our waitress Joely’s sister. Why? Is that important? Rita frowned.

No, just interesting, that’s all. Everything shaping up well enough today?

They chatted for a minute about the day’s expectations. Before talk could turn more personal, he made an excuse to leave.

Joely Hudson caught up to him at the swinging doors. You looked like a man trapped between a bear and a mountain lion just then.

He leveled a stern look on the young woman, which went completely without effect. Sounds like I just missed meeting your sister.

Um, yeah. And Lauren. She grinned at him. Chase mentioned you two were like ships in the night.

Don’t you have a table to bus or something? He gently ruffled her hair.

Of all the people he worked with at the Lighthouse, Joely was one of his favorites. She was vivacious without being vapid, sassy without being mean, and he’d hate to see her go at the end of the week. But she was only part of the family temporarily, like him, having stepped in to help out a friend.

By the time he made it to the office, he had half a dozen tasks to handle, all of which were urgent and required immediate attention. But as he sat down with a sigh behind Sonny’s desk, he couldn’t help but think about Lauren.

He knew from seeing her pictures at Molly and Win’s that she was pretty. In most of them, she had long brown hair and a bright smile, the same smile she’d passed on to her daughter. But the pictures in no way conveyed the sense of life and vitality that surrounded her. Too, she’d gotten her hair cut at some point, as it now brushed the tops of her shoulders. It was a rich brown, sparkling with red and blond highlights, the kind of hair that tempted a man to run his fingers through it.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, Clark, he muttered as he sorted through the pile of messages, prioritizing them. You’ve got a long way to go before you start thinking about those kinds of things.

At the same time, it never hurt to have goals, and romancing the neighbor’s daughter was looking more and more like a worthy endeavor to pursue.

Chapter 3

You have an admirer, Beth said as they walked to their vehicles.

Lauren Taylor Grant gave a startled laugh. Excuse me?

The cute guy who held the door for us. He’s watching us walk away.

He is not. Not me, anyhow. Lauren quickly looked over her shoulder, mortified when he acknowledged her. Oh, my God. He is.

Beth snorted. Told you, and his face didn’t light up like a kid at Christmas when he saw me. That was all for you. You should go for it.

Mouth open with disbelief, all Lauren could do was scoff. You know I don’t date.

"I know you won’t date, and I understand why, at least on some level. Beth’s voice wasn’t harsh, but neither did she pull her punches. I also think it’s a damned, crying shame. I know, I know, I’ll mark the curse down and write an IOU to my mother’s swear jar."

Lauren unlocked her car and tossed her bag inside. It’s just that dating is such a hassle. Why bother when I know it won’t go anywhere?

"Now that’s pathetic. You bother because it’s fun to dress up, to meet new people, and maybe when you’re least expecting it, it will go somewhere. If you won’t consider the cutie, at least agree to go out with Annie’s cousin on Friday night. She and I will be there with our dates, and it’s as safe a net as you could possibly have."

Annie Tucker was the third point in the triangle made up by Lauren and Beth. The three of them had gone to high school together.

Reviews for Homecoming

[lydia_perversius · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"I do, you know. I do love you. Even if you don’t return my feelings, I wanted you to know. " - Charlie ClarkOK, yes, I do enjoy romantic suspense. In fact, I love it! But there are times when I feel like there's something missing, and in this book's case, this was one of those times...Lauren Grant will never forget that one fateful summer that changed her life and showed her how cruel the world can really be. But she's willing to fight for her happiness. Several years later, divorced with an adorable daughter, Lauren owns a cafe and is living life the way she always wanted - minus the husband. Yet all this changes when an act of vandalism destroys her shop, and brings her closer to her parents' new, charming neighbour, Charlie Clark. Can Lauren and Charlie find who's behind the hateful acts that target her in time? And how will Charlie convince her to give love and intimacy a second chance?I enjoyed this story up to a certain point. I'm a sucker for small, cozy towns, and love heroines who don't mind trying their hardest to work things out in their life, instead of acting like poor, helpless victims. Lauren was a sweetheart, and Charlie's courting was too freaking adorable to survive at times.I'll admit there wasn't much sexiness in this one, but hey, I think it made the book more realistic that way! Lauren still had that trauma to overcome, so it makes sense for her to be hesitant upon close contact with a male.What brought the rating down was the suspense. Either I'm getting so damn good at guessing what's going to happen next because of all those books I've read, or the story was predictable. If there was some other element to take my mind off of it - sex, action, I don't know - it wouldn't have seemed so glaringly obvious to me. As it was, though, it took away the fun and the thrill books like this are supposed to give the reader..."I wasn’t expecting it, wasn’t looking for it, but it happened, and I’m here. It scares me to death to admit, even to myself, but I love you, too, Charlie Clark." - Lauren Taylor Grant***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

[wndy2011 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lauren couldn't forget the tragic events that shaped her life when she was a teenager. Everything she felt and believed in centered on that one horrible night. But her life wasn't the only one effected that night, her cousin Margie had set the whole turn of events into place. And now thirteen years later, lives have moved on and changed, but they havent forgotten. Lauren is a divorced single mother who owns her own coffee shop and is showing an interest in the hot neighbor of her parents. Margie however only watches from a distance, under a guise which no one has picked up on...yet. But then a series of mishaps begins with the return of a certain family to the area and now all hell is breaking loose. Lauren must come to terms once again with the man who distroyed her life, as does Margie. One will overcome, the other will succumb.

[obsessed7by7books · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that deals with real life harrowing issues. A story that deals with one persons life that shows how she comes through with dealing with these issues.

A very different read to what I am used to and very thought provoking.

[jaidisshaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in reading stories about sexy supernatural beings, fairytale endings and demonic monsters, that we push aside the reality that you don't have to have supernatural abilities to be a real life monster. The monsters I am referring are like those found in the book one of the Leroy’s Sins series, Secrets in the Shadows by T. L. Haddix. These monsters can be your best friend, your next door neighbor, the guy who always smiles and says hello as you pass each other on the street, or even your closest family member. Living a seemingly normal life by day but lurking in the shadows at night, they leave a trail of emotional destruction where ever they go. In Secrets in the Shadows, such is true for cousins Margie and Lauren, as we follow their shared story and learn why sometimes people have to do the unthinkable just to be able to survive. T. L. Haddix covers some real life issues such as rape and abuse and how hard emotionally it is to overcome such terrible struggles, especially when there are unanswered questions preventing the healing process. The first couple of chapters are a little slow moving, but it quickly found its pace and moves along and keeps the reader intrigued and wanting to know what happens next! One thing that I particularly liked, was that T. L. Haddix doesn’t sugarcoat these issues and have the stereotypical fairytale ending, where everyone goes skipping off happily into the sunset. The reader feels the raw emotions and struggles that they character is facing and not everyone is lucky enough to make it out alive. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two of the Leroy’s Sins series, Under the Moon’s Shadows.