Mary Baxter - Lightning Strikes Part 2

As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever….

At Vanderbilt Memorial’s E.R., the power goes out, casualties flood in and hospital staff must fight for lives in the dark.

Mayor Olivia Stuart has been rushed to the E.R. with a heart attack. Noah’s sister Randi is still AWOL from her own wedding, and Dr. Karen Sloane’s daughter is trapped by a mudslide. Working with Noah again is only bringing back a flood of regret for Amanda—feelings she doesn’t need since she’s engaged to Gordon. She’s starting to wish that Noah hadn’t come back to town at all, as her anger melts each time he smiles….

The story continues in Lightning Strikes Part 3.

Dear Reader,

In the town of Grand Springs, Colorado, a devastating summer storm sets off a string of events that changes the lives of the residents forever….

Welcome to Mills & Boon exciting new digital serial, 36 Hours! In this thirty-six part serial share the stories of the residents of Grand Springs, Colorado, in the wake of a deadly storm.

With the power knocked out and mudslides washing over the roads, the town is plunged into darkness and the residents are forced to face their biggest fears—and find love against all odds.

Each week features a new story written by a variety of bestselling authors like Susan Mallery and Sharon Sala. The stories are published in three segments, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the first segment of every three-part book is free, so you can get caught up in the mystery and drama of Grand Springs. And you can get to know a new set of characters every week. You can read just one, but as the lives and stories of each intertwine in surprising ways, you’ll want to read them all!

Join Mills & Boon E every week as we bring you excitement, mystery, fun and romance in 36 Hours!

Happy reading!

MARY LYNN BAXTER has written over forty books. She is now retired, and instead of creating romance and mystery in her head, she reads others who do. Her love of reading has never diminished, nor has her love for working out at the gym. Her latest passion, however, is beading flatware in her home. While her life away from the computer is certainly different, it is nonetheless fulfilling.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Only hours into a natural disaster and Grand Springs, Colorado, is in chaos. No power, the roads are blocked and officials are warning residents to stay inside—but no one is listening. The staff at Vanderbilt Memorial are fighting to save patients as they continue to flow into the E.R. at an alarming rate. Even the mayor was brought in with a heart attack. Doctors Amanda Jennings and Noah Howell have always been a strong team, but that was the past. Working together again is only bringing back a flood of regret and broken dreams. Amanda is starting to wish that Noah hadn’t come back to town because her anger at his betrayal is slowly disappearing each time he smiles….

The Squaw Creek Lodge and its occupants seemed oblivious to the power outage and the severe weather—nonstop rain, thunder and lightning. Melissa Howell’s eyes circled the large room where the wedding reception was in full swing, minus the bride and groom, and she thought the rustic atmosphere would have been perfect.

Of course, it was far from perfect. Everything that could have gone wrong had, Melissa fumed, thinking this was one of the worst days of her life. The worst day had been when her husband, Albert, had died.

Her gaze stopped on the baby grand piano nestled in the corner near the never-ending windows that overlooked the grounds. In the pitch blackness, the beauty of the terraced lawn was lost, but then so was everything else.

After her son Noah had made the startling announcement that his sister Randi had disappeared, shock waves seemed to have rumbled through the small crowd. Melissa had prayed that the floor would open up and swallow her, but it hadn’t. She’d had to deal with not only Noah’s untimely desertion as he headed back to work at the hospital, but the entire situation at the lodge.

She’d squared her shoulders and walked down the endless aisle to the makeshift platform. Instantly, the room had fallen silent while all eyes focused on her. She’d felt like a freak on display in a circus tent, but she hadn’t let her feelings show.

“I’m sorry, dear friends, about the called-off wedding. However, with the weather being what it is, I’d like to encourage you to wait out the storm and enjoy the food and drink.”

She paused and waited until another surge of mutterings passed through the crowd, then ceased. Forcing a smile, she went on. “With the electricity out, the refreshments will be ruined. So please, join in and have a good time.”

Now, as Melissa perused the guests doing her bidding—dancing, laughing, eating and drinking while candlelight surrounded them in its lovely glow—she wanted to scream with frustration and worry.

While she knew she had to stay, she’d rather have been anywhere other than here. By the second, the situation was growing more intolerable.

Once the guests had begun to partake of the goodies and started mingling among themselves, Melissa was certain they were whispering about the situation, wondering what was really going on.

She’d like to have known that herself, especially after the lodge was searched thoroughly in hopes of finding Randi. Melissa had envisioned the worst-case scenarios, all of them terrible.

What if Randi had passed out somewhere and lay unconscious? After all, it wasn’t uncommon for brides to get the jitters to such an extent. She’d attended a wedding not long ago where the groom had passed out during the exchange of vows.

What if someone had hurt her? Melissa dismissed that possibility immediately. Who would do that? Every person in attendance was a friend of hers and Hal’s. Certainly none of the staff at the lodge would’ve harmed her, for crying out loud.

Why wouldn’t Randi answer her phone?

Too many things were amiss here. Not only was Randi missing, but so was Olivia, the groom’s mother, which Melissa thought was unforgivable, even with the weather being the way it was. She had braved the high water and made it to the lodge—Olivia could have, as well. The fact that Olivia was the mayor of Grand Springs, prominent and visible, and hadn’t shown up was another slap in the face.

“Mrs. Howell?”

Melissa turned and faced Patsy Fuller, Randi’s best friend and attendant. Patsy’s long face seemed even longer as she rubbed at her forehead, hidden behind a fringe of uneven brown bangs. Her too-long hair had the tendency to cover her dark eyes, hiding what she was thinking.

But at the moment, there was no hiding her thoughts. Anxiety and concern were mirrored in those eyes.

“Any word?” Melissa asked, hearing the unsteadiness in her own voice, something she abhorred. It made her feel vulnerable and unprotected, emotions she wasn’t used to. If only Albert hadn’t died on her. How dare he?

“Nothing,” Patsy said, her frown deepening. “I’m beside myself with worry, as I know you are.” She paused and sank her teeth into her lower lip. “Where could Randi have gone on a night like this?”