Home To Wickham Falls

There’s No Place Like Home...

Nothing could draw Sawyer Middleton back permanently to the town he left behind years before. Or so he thinks, before he meets his sister’s best friend. As soon as he matches wits with gorgeous, gregarious teacher Jessica Calhoun, Sawyer realizes he’s got a lot to learn about friendship...and love.

Smart, savvy Jessica wants to grow old in Wickham Falls. Software engineer Sawyer has made it to the big city—and away from small-town life. And just like his ailing father, Sawyer’s used to calling the shots. But can losing his heart make Sawyer realize that home is where the heart is...and that his heart is with Jessica for good?

“Women usually come here for dinner, but I’m willing to bet none are as beautiful as you.”

Jessica’s cheeks burned with the unexpected compliment. She lowered her eyes. “You’re biased because I’m your sister’s friend.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Jessica. My assessment of you has nothing to do with your association with my family. The first time I saw you I thought I’d conjured you up. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I kept thinking how naturally beautiful you are.”

Jessica met his luminous sapphire-blue eyes. “You do have a habit of staring.”

“I do when there’s something worth staring at.”

“You’re also quite kind on the eyes,” she countered in a soft voice.

Jessica bit down on her lip not to laugh aloud when she saw Sawyer’s shocked expression. “Did I embarrass you?” she asked when he glanced down at the table.

Sawyer’s gaze swung back to her. “No. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to come out with something like that.”

“Why not? You have to know what you look like.”

“What I look like is not the issue, Jessica.”

“What is?”

“Us.”

* * *

Wickham Falls Weddings:

Small-town heroes, bighearted love!

Home to Wickham Falls

Rochelle Alers

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Since 1988, national bestselling author ROCHELLE ALERS has written more than eighty books and short stories. She has earned numerous honors, including the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Theta Zeta Chapter. A full-time writer, she lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island. Rochelle can be contacted through her website, www.rochellealers.org.

Home to Wickham Falls is dedicated to my editor, Megan Broderick.

Thank you for your patience and the wonderful chats that helped to breathe life into this story.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Quote

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Extract

Copyright

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

—Proverbs 17:1

Chapter One

“With a show of hands, how many want to delay going public until after the summer?” Two of the three software engineers sitting at the table raised their hands along with Sawyer Middleton. “The ayes have it.” He saw the withering look Elena Ng-Fitzgerald gave her husband. Thom was the only one who hadn’t raised his hand, and they needed a majority vote to go from a privately held company to a public one.

If the decision of the majority of the partners had gone the other way, Sawyer had been mentally prepared to deal with the outcome of selling shares of their internet company.

He took a sip from an oversized mug filled with coffee. The meeting that began at six that morning was approaching the four-hour mark. He would have suggested breaking for a least an hour, but knew the other three did not want to lose their momentum. The meeting’s agenda focused on whether to take the software company public, and if not, then whether or not to go on hiatus while offering their employees the summer off with pay before starting up again after Labor Day.

The sixteen employees connected to the software company thought of themselves as an extended family, spending more time with one another than their own families. And it was normal for Sawyer to put in a seventy-hour workweek now that he was no longer dating.

His cell phone vibrated and he glanced at the number on the screen. A slight frown creased his forehead when he saw his sister’s number. Sawyer stood. “Sorry, guys, but I have to take this,” he said, picking up the phone. “What’s up, Rachel?” he asked quietly, as he walked out of the room.

“Dad had a heart attack last night. I’m at the hospital with him now.”

Sawyer sucked in a breath. “How is he?”

“The surgery was successful. He had two blocked arteries. Right now he’s in the ICU.”

Although he and Henry Middleton were like oil and water, Sawyer knew he had to be there, if not for his father, then for his mother and sister. “How’s Mom holding up?”

“She’s a mess, but she’s trying to keep it together for the boys. Colin and Dylan left yesterday afternoon for an overnight camping trip with their Boy Scout troop. They’re supposed to be back tonight around eight.”