Whispers Under A Southern Sky
Her past…or her future?It’s taken Amy Finley ten years, but she’s finally ready to return to her hometown of Heartache, TN, and face the past. She just never expected that would include reuniting with her high school sweetheart and now town sheriff, Sam Reyes. Or that Sam’s latest case would lead right back to the darkest chapter in her life.The attraction between Amy and Sam is definitely still there, not to mention that she’s sure she could quickly grow to love his cute baby son. But can he forgive her for keeping her secrets? Can she forgive herself?
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Her past...or her future?
Itâs taken Amy Finley ten years, but sheâs finally ready to return to her hometown of Heartache, Tennessee, and face the past. She just never expected that would include reuniting with her high school sweetheart and now town sheriff, Sam Reyes. Or that Samâs latest case would lead right back to the darkest chapter in her life.
The attraction between Amy and Sam is definitely still there, not to mention that sheâs sure she could quickly grow to love his cute baby son. But can he forgive her for keeping her secrets? Can she forgive herself?
Amy turned to face him and leaned against the trunk of the maple.
âOne of the main reasons I chose to come back to Heartache now is to support my sister when Heather testifies against the guy who tried to kidnap her.â She drew a deep breath. âSo I promise you, I am committed to seeing Jeremy Covington behind bars, too. I may have been absent from this family for ten years, but Iâm still a Finley, and hearing how that creep threw her into the back of a van with another girl that heâd tied up...â She shook her head, unable to finish the thought. âI am here to see justice done, Sam. But I am not here to testify.â
An interesting distinction, Sam thought. Especially considering no one had asked her to testify when she claimed not to know anything.
The more she resisted, the more he wanted to record her statement. As a cop, he had a naturally suspicious nature, but his instincts told him she knew more than she was letting on. But those same instincts warned him if he pushed Amy too hard, she would shut down altogether...
The idea of âgoing homeâ holds unique memories for all of us. Some of them are warm and wonderful as we remember happy Thanksgiving dinners gathered around a table laden with food or long summers playing in the backyard with friends. But for people who have experienced a trauma, going home can be riddled with lots of unpleasant memories, too.
For Amy Finley, returning to Heartache means a mix of emotions. I am inspired by her strength and determination even as I understand why she needed to stay away from her family for so long. The payoff of returningâa possible healing of old relationshipsâis dangerously enticing for a woman with so much history in Heartache, Tennessee.
I welcome you back to town with open arms and hope you enjoy Amyâs return as much as I did. A whole lot has changed since she left, but the new town sheriff is as appealing as he was as a teen. Maybe some things never change...
Happy reading,
Joanne Rock
Three-time RITA® Award nominee JOANNE ROCK has penned over seventy stories for Harlequin. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectlyâlove is worth fighting for. A former Golden Heart® Award recipient, she has won numerous awards for her stories. Learn more about Joanneâs imaginative Muse by visiting her website, joannerock.com, or following @JoanneRock6 on Twitter.
To Mom and Dad with so much love.
Contents
RUNNING ON FUMES, Amy Finley coasted into the driveway of her temporary home shortly before midnight. Even after ten years away from Heartache, Tennessee, sheâd remembered how to get to her fatherâs old hunting cabin. It was one of the only places in her hometown where sheâd actually made a few happy memories.
Now, shoving out of the passenger side of her carâthe driverâs door was brokenâAmy stepped onto the pine-needle-covered ground in the woodsy hills east of where sheâd grown up.
Her sisters figured no one had been in the cabin in the last six years. Their father had died four years ago, but even before then heâd abandoned his old habit of coming up here in the fall as heâd gotten more involved in his career as mayor of Heartache.
Erin, the older of Amyâs two sisters, had promised Amy the electricity and water would be turned on this week, so the property would be slightly more livable for Amyâs return.
She found the key to the front door by sliding a hand beneath a windowsill around the side of the building. Same place it had always been, inside a hollowed-out knot in the pinewood. It was a miracle no rodents had made off with the key in all these years, although she hadnât been worried. She would find her way inside the rustic cabin one way or another. Security wasnât tight around here.
Something she planned to address as soon as possible if she wanted to feel safe.
At the thought, a shiver tripped over her skin despite the mild fall weather. Tucking deeper into her pale blue hoodie, she refused to think about The Incident. The night that had driven her from Heartache for an entire decade, making her miss her fatherâs funeral. Her sisterâs wedding. Her motherâs alleged recovery from severe bipolar disorder.
