Safe in His Arms
Running away from her troubled city life, Lauren Foster never thought sheâd find herself in small-town Maine. But Holiday Harbor is everything sheâs looking for. The townspeople are welcoming, her job at her friendâs toy store is going well and, most important, sheâs safe. Meeting contractor Ben Thomas soon changes all that. With his good looks, easygoing nature and kind heart, heâs turning her peaceful new life upside down. Sheâs quickly falling for the local hero, but when her past catches up to her present, is she willing to face her fears for the future sheâs always dreamed of?
Holiday Harbor: Where love is just around the bend
âDonât take this wrong, but youâre
a lot smarter than I gave you credit for.â
Equal parts furious and flattered, she glared at him for all she was worth. âHow could I possibly take that wrong?â
Men misjudged her all the time, to the point where sheâd actually resigned herself to it. To most of them, she was nothing more than a pretty accessory on their arm, something they wore like a designer watch to make them look good. That Ben had seen past her appearance to her intelligence pleased her immensely. If she hadnât been so mad at him, sheâd have complimented him for his perceptiveness.
Giving her a sheepish look, he took a step forward. Then another. He was getting close to violating her comfort zone, but she planted her feet and met his gaze without flinching. Cocking his head, he gave her a slow, approving grin. âI donât scare you anymore, do I?â
âYou never did.â
âWho was he?â
The blunt question caught her off guard, and she blinked in surprise. âWho was who?â
âThe guy who made you afraid,â he clarified in an understanding voice. âThe one who made you run away.â
MIA ROSS
loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, sheâs the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she canât imagine trading her life for anyone elseâsâand she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at www.miaross.com.
And the light shineth in darkness.
âJohn 1:5
For my friends
who found the courage to leave the past behind.
Acknowledgments
To the very talented folks who help me make my books everything they can be: Elaine Spencer, Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff
at Love Inspired.
More thanks to the gang at Seekerville
(www.seekerville.net). Itâs a great place to hang out with readersâand writers!
Iâve been blessed with a wonderful network
of supportive, encouraging family and friends. You inspire me every day!
Chapter One
âOh, no.â Kneeling in front of the box sheâd just opened full of stuffed animals, Lauren Foster groaned. âAll these Easter bunnies are green.â
âThatâs okay,â her friend Julia Stanton assured her without looking over. âI ordered lots of green ones.â
âThis kind of green?â Lauren held up a little hopper that was completely adorableâexcept for the fact that he was the color of a lime highlighter.
Julia glanced down and shuddered. âDefinitely not. There must be some kind of mix-up with the supplier. What does the shipping label say?â
Angling her head, Lauren read, âToylane, 64 Main Street, Oakbridge, Maine.â
âThatâs happened before. I guess I should have researched other toy stores in the area before picking the name Toyland,â she added with a light laugh.
âSince Iâm watching the store while you and Nick are on your honeymoon, I should probably learn how to handle things like this. What do you want me to do?â
In reply, Julia extended a graceful hand sporting the most gorgeous diamond setting Lauren had ever seen. Sheâd been in Holiday Harbor with her old friend all weekend, and seeing that ring on her left hand still astounded Lauren. Just last month, sheâd been trying on jewelry like that, living in a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park and shopping her way from one upscale boutique to another.
What a difference a week makes, she thought bitterly.
When she realized Julia was still waiting for the invoice, Lauren slid it from its clear sleeve and handed it over. âSorry. Blanked out there for a minute.â
Julia gave her an understanding smile. âRunning a toy store isnât as easy as it looks, so youâre forgiven.â
Lauren congratulated herself on evading the real reason she was so distracted. She hadnât told anyone why she left New York in such a hurry, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as humanly possible. Maybe forever.
When her text alert chimed, she glanced down to find a message from her mother.
Have a great day, sweetieâxo.