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ELODIE WINCHESTER SLOWLY climbed the porch steps of her childhood home. Somewhere in the distance, a blue jays call echoed in the quiet morning breeze. She reached out and ran her hand along the painted rail, now weathered with age and peeling with neglect.
Made of the local red brick, the house was a sprawling homage to the Queen Anne style. A wide veranda circled the entire first floor, interspersed with simple wooden columns that held up a shingled roof. It had been built by her great-grandfather at the turn of the century, completed just ten years after he opened his textile mill.
But the house had been empty for six years and she could see the work that would be required to bring it back to its former glory.
Elodie had never really looked at the house from a maintenance viewpoint. To her, it had always been more like a fairy castle, with its high-peaked roofs and rooftop widows walk. Now it was her house, the only compensation shed received after her father had raided her trust fund in a futile attempt to save his failing investments.
All of her siblings had suffered the same fate, but most of them had already been drawing on their trusts for years. Shed had the most to lose, so shed gotten the only thing left that hadntor couldntbe sold.
The house had been on the market for years, but its deteriorating condition and the floundering town had driven away all the qualified buyers. No one in Winchester could afford to buy it, much less live in it. And no one from out of town wanted to live here.
She pulled the keys out of her pocket and opened the front door, letting it swing wide before she stepped across the threshold. To her surprise, the house didnt smell musty. Although the air was hot and stuffy, the scent of lemon oil and floor wax lingered in the air.
As Elodie strolled through the nearly empty rooms, she ran her finger over chair rails and mantels, finding barely a trace of dust. The sound of running water startled her and she followed it to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. A slender figure, dressed in a familiar gray uniform, stood over the sink.
Mary? Elodie said. Mary Cassidy?
The woman turned, a bucket clutched in her hand. Miss Elodie. I heard you were back in town. The minute I did, I came right over. The place is a bit dusty, but Ill have it sparkling again in no time.
Mary, I dont understand. Have you been cleaning here all along?
She nodded. I just couldnt let it all go to ruin, Mary said. I come once a week and do what I can. I have to say, its much easier without all the furniture.
Who is paying you?
Oh, no one. I dont need to be paid. I just want the house to look presentable. For you and the rest of the family.
Elodie stared at the woman in disbelief. The family had left six years ago and theyd closed the house a few months later. II dont know how to thank you, she murmured.
Are you planning to stay here? Mary asked. If you are, Ill go up and get your room ready. Most of the furniture is still there. Well need to get the electricity turned on, but the plumbing works just fine. And with this weather, you wont need heat.
Mary, its not necessary for you to I mean, I cant pay you a lot. I dont have much left.
Oh, dont you worry about that, Miss Elodie. Im sure well sort it all out later. Now, if youll excuse me, Im just going to get to work on your bedroom.
Thank you, Mary.
Elodie watched as the woman hurried off. An image of Dev flashed in her mind, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Twice now, shed been reminded of him. Earlier this morning, when shed seen a man who resembled him, and now, coming face-to-face with Devins mother.
Her thoughts returned to the policeman. Maybe shed just been hoping that hed still be in Winchester. Elodie knew the odds were against it. Hed always wanted to leave. And why would Dev stay? There was nothing for him here, especially now that the jobs had dried up. And she hadnt really seen the guys face. Hed worn sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.
But there had been something familiar about the mans mouth, she mused. It reminded her of that crooked smile of Devs that she remembered so well.
Drawing a deep breath, she started out of the kitchen, then stopped short.
There he was. Dressed in navy blue, a badge hanging from a chain around his neck. But the cap and the sunglasses were gone. Elodie swallowed hard. Hello. It was all she could manage.
The front door was open, he said. I thought it was you this morning.
I thought I recognized you, too.
He grinned in that same sweet boyish way she remembered. You havent changed a bit, Dev murmured. Still...beautiful.
Devin Cassidy. Her heart slammed in her chest and her knees trembled. This was crazy. Theyd been high school sweethearts, but that had been years ago. Why was she having such a powerful reaction to seeing him again? Other than the fact he was now an absolutely gorgeous specimen of manhood. You look...older. I mean, you look like aa grown-up.
Elodie, he replied with a chuckle. Still the most honest person Ive ever met.
Youre aa policeman?
Chief of police, actually, he said. What are you doing back in town?
Elodie wasnt sure she wanted to get into the complicated details of her trip. But if she didnt continue the conversation, he might leave, and she was certain she didnt want that. In truth, she wanted a nice, long time to just stare at him, to admire the adult hed become, to take in every little detail of his face until shed erased the boy in her memories and replaced him with this incredibly sexy man.
Im here to tie up some loose ends. The house has been for sale for years and weve had no biters, so Im considering donating it to the town or maybe to the county.
Why would you do that?
I cant afford the taxes any longer. And theres maintenance that needs to be done that cant be put off. Its become an anchor around my neck.
Instead of abandoning it, you could always stick around and make something of it.
She laughed softly. Like what?
I dont know. It just seems to me that a Winchester should be living in this house.
Well, there will be one living here for the next week or two, she said.
Youre staying here?
Its cheaper than a motel. I can rough it. Your mother is upstairs putting my bedroom back together. Elodie met his gaze. Has she been coming here all along?
Dev shrugged. I suppose someone should have asked you, but she wasnt doing any harm. Your family was her life. She started working for your parents when she was a teenager. I think this is the closest thing shes ever had to a real home and she couldnt stand to see it neglected.
I cant pay her, Elodie said.
Thats the last thing that matters to her, he replied.
A long silence grew between them. IId offer you a cool drink, but I havent had a chance to shop. She laughed. And right now, I have no electricity for the refrigerator.
His portable radio squawked. He grabbed it and clicked it on. This is Dev, he said.
Weve got a report of a 10-68 out on Highway 16, just west of Mike Murphys place.
Im five minutes away, Dev said. Ive got it. Out. He smiled at Elodie. I have to go. Duty calls.
I hope its not something dangerous, she said.
Nope. A 10-68 is livestock in roadway. I suspect one of Mike Murphys pigs got loose. He raises particularly brilliant pigs. They always seem to figure out a way to open the gate and run onto the road rather than crawl through the big broken gaps in his fencing and into the field beyond.
Elodie laughed. Glad to hear its nothing dangerous. I wont have to worry. A blush warmed her cheeks. Had that been too forward? After all, they were barely more than strangers now. And yet, it didnt feel that way. He felt like an old friend, like someone shed known very well and hadnt seen for a few years.
All right, he said. I have to get back to work. Ill stop by later.
Ill be fine, she said. Dont worry about me. Oh, now she was assuming he was concerned about her? Not that I think youre worried, Elodie added. You have more important things to deal with. So dont
He reached out and pressed his finger to her lips. The contact was startling and undeniably intimate. Youre currently residing in the village of Winchester, where I am the chief of police, he said. Its my responsibility to worry about your well-being.
Elodie forced a smile. All right, she said.
Dev nodded, then strode through the house to the front door. She heard it close behind him, and she sank back against the wall.
It had been twelve years since shed last seen him and nothing had changed between them. He still had the ability to set her heart racing and turn her brain to mush. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to stop herself from touching him and running her fingers over his handsome face.
Shed met a lot of boys, and then men, since leaving Winchester. Shed had some serious relationships that had ended up imploding in a spectacular fashion. And in the midst of all that pain and turmoil, Elodie had always wondered if shed left her one true love behind at age sixteen.
The notion was ridiculous, but it had stuck with her over the years. Maybe shed been fated to love Devin Cassidy, and shed never be truly happy unless she was with him. Elodie sighed. Or maybe she was searching for somethinga sense of belonging, a place for her to finally feel safe and secure again. She was home, but it wasnt the home she remembered. It was silly to get too attached to Dev simply because he was familiar.
She closed her eyes and let a delicious image of the dark-haired, blue-eyed man drift through her mind. How was it possible that he was still here, still single and Elodie stopped herself. Was he still single? She hadnt bothered to check for a wedding band. Surely she would have noticed that.
Elodie opened her eyes and pushed away from the wall. Mary? She ran through the house and took the stairs to her bedroom two at a time.
If she wanted to know more about Winchesters sexy police chief, shed simply ask his mother.