Linda Lee - Silver River Secrets

Tragedy made them strangers. The truth could change that...

Lacey Morgan’s grandmother is the only reason she has to ever set foot in Silver River. Her hometown is populated with too many ghosts and memories. Too many painful reminders. Including Rory Dalton.

In all her brief visits over the past ten years, they’ve barely spoken. Locked on opposite sides of the tragedy that tore their lives apart, they buried their feelings along with their parents. But this trip is different. She will stay a little longer. Dig a little deeper. And try to solve the mystery that has kept them from the truth...and each other.

“Just because you’re riding in my truck doesn’t mean we’re back together.”

“No, of course not. That’s not what I meant.” Did Rory think she hoped for reconciliation? After ten years? Ridiculous. “That’s one nice thing about living in Boise. I can walk down the street and nobody knows me.”

“Or your past.”

“Or my past. Yes.” Lacey didn’t even try to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

“You’re not the only one,” he said grimly.

“I’d ask you in, but you—”

“Need to go,” they said in unison.

To say she’d forgotten the effect he had on her would be a lie. He still had the power to warm her with his presence, to make her yearn for his kiss.

Why hadn’t Rory married and started a family of his own?

Why hadn’t she?

Dear Reader,

When I visited central Idaho and the beautiful Salmon River country, I knew I had to set a story there. And so the town of Silver River came into being, along with its namesake river and the surrounding mountains.

As the story goes, ten years ago a horrible murder was committed in Silver River, a crime the town never forgot and that profoundly affected the lives of Lacey Morgan and Rory Dalton. They were high school seniors and planned to spend the rest of their lives together. The crime shattered those plans. Rory and Lacey became virtual strangers.

Now new evidence regarding the murder comes to light. But is it too late for Rory and Lacey? And what if revealing the truth adversely affects others? Might there be circumstances in which the truth should be kept secret?

These were just a few of the questions I encountered while writing Silver River Secrets. Good thing Rory and Lacey took over, and I didn’t have to answer them! I hope you will agree they made the right choices.

Visit my website at lindahopelee.comor email me at linda@lindahopelee.com. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter ( @lindahopelee).

Linda

Silver River Secrets

Linda Hope Lee

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LINDA HOPE LEE lives in the Pacific Northwest. She likes traveling to new places, especially to small towns that might serve as settings for her novels. In addition to contemporary romance, she writes in the romantic suspense and mystery genres. When she is not writing, she is busy creating watercolor paintings or drawing in colored pencil or pen and ink. Another pastime is photography, which she uses as inspiration for her art and for her stories. She also collects children’s books and anything to do with wire fox terriers.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

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

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

“SHE’S B-A-ACK,” Sam Porter announced.

“That so?” Rory Dalton didn’t bother to look up from under the hood of Sam’s ’66 Ford Mustang. Instead, he focused on installing the car’s new water pump.

“Yep. She’s just about to head over the bridge. Aren’t you gonna come look?”

Rory gave the wrench another twist. “I’m busy fixing your car, in case you didn’t notice. Besides, how do you know it’s her?”

“She’s driving a convertible with the top down. A white Camaro. Could be a classic.”

“No kidding.” Rory straightened and regarded his friend, who stood at the open end of Dalton’s Auto Repair. He and Sam had been buddies since they played football for Silver River High ten years ago, and both shared an interest in classic cars.

Sam laughed. “Thought that’d get your attention. Hurry up or you’ll miss her. She travels.”

Rory tossed the wrench on the workbench and trotted over to stand beside Sam. From the shop’s hilltop vantage point, he had a sweeping view of the highway leading into Idaho’s Silver River. Her car was the only one on the road. As Sam said, it was a Camaro. A ’75, to be exact, not quite old enough to be considered a classic. Still, a fine set of wheels.

The car held his interest for only a moment, and then he zeroed in on the driver: Lacey Morgan. Her long, dark brown hair swirled around her face. Sunglasses shaded her eyes, and a sleeveless top exposed her tanned arms.

Rory’s throat went dry.

Just then, she looked up to the hilltop. Rory jumped back, hoping she hadn’t spotted him. He didn’t want her to think he had the slightest interest in her return to Silver River.

Sam shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Wonder how long she’ll be here this time.”

“She never stays more than a week. Just long enough to check on her grandmother.”

“Might be longer. Remy broke her hip. She went straight from rehab to Riverview. Lacey’s here to help her get settled and to clean out her old apartment.”

“I heard about Remy’s accident. I’m sorry she’s had trouble. But how do you know so much? Or would that be violating lawyer-client confidentiality?”

Sam laughed. “Not at all. That bit of info comes from Ida Capshaw. She’s our paralegal, you know, and she plays bridge with Remy.”

“Ah.” Rory stepped forward again in time to see Lacey’s car sweep over the bridge and join the traffic on Main Street. Then a delivery truck pulled in behind her, and she was lost from his view.

He gave his head a quick shake and frowned at Sam. “Why are we standing here wasting time when there’s work to be done?”

Sam’s eyebrows peaked. “Because she’s back?”

“So? No business of mine.”

“So you keep telling me. But I have a feeling you’re in for trouble, this time. Big trouble.”

* * *

LACEY MORGAN HEADED down Main Street with the image of Rory Dalton imprinted on her mind. She hadn’t intended to look up at his auto shop when she rounded that last curve in the highway, but she had, and there he had been, gazing down at her as though he’d been waiting for her to drive by. Which was crazy. Why should he care that she’d come to town again? He knew she made the trip from Boise to Silver River periodically to visit her grandmother. When their paths crossed, they said little more than a brief “hello.”

The events of that fateful day ten years ago, just a week before they both were to graduate from Silver River High, with their whole future ahead of them—a future they planned to spend together—had ripped them apart and turned them into strangers.

An overhead banner advertising the town’s annual Silver River Days caught her eye. This year’s dates were August 10–15. She’d be long gone by then. Cleaning out Gram’s apartment and settling her into Riverview would take no more than a week, tops.