Mia Ross - Seaside Romance

Safe in His Arms

Running away from her troubled city life, Lauren Foster never thought she’d find herself in small-town Maine. But Holiday Harbor is everything she’s looking for. The townspeople are welcoming, her job at her friend’s toy store is going well and, most important, she’s safe. Meeting contractor Ben Thomas soon changes all that. With his good looks, easygoing nature and kind heart, he’s turning her peaceful new life upside down. She’s 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 she’s always dreamed of?

Holiday Harbor: Where love is just around the bend

“Don’t take this wrong, but you’re

a lot smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Equal parts furious and flattered, she glared at him for all she was worth. “How could I possibly take that wrong?”

Men misjudged her all the time, to the point where she’d 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 hadn’t been so mad at him, she’d 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. “I don’t scare you anymore, do I?”

“You never did.”

“Who was he?”

The blunt question caught her off guard, and she blinked in surprise. “Who was who?”

“The guy who made you afraid,” he clarified in an understanding voice. “The one who made you run away.”

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, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at www.miaross.com.

Seaside Romance

Mia Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And the light shineth in darkness.

—John 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). It’s a great place to hang out with readers—and writers!

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network

of supportive, encouraging family and friends.

You inspire me every day!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

“Oh, no.” Kneeling in front of the box she’d just opened full of stuffed animals, Lauren Foster groaned. “All these Easter bunnies are green.”

“That’s okay,” her friend Julia Stanton assured her without looking over. “I ordered lots of green ones.”

“This kind of green?” Lauren held up a little hopper that was completely adorable—except for the fact that he was the color of a lime highlighter.

Julia glanced down and shuddered. “Definitely not. There must be some kind of mix-up with the supplier. What does the shipping label say?”

Angling her head, Lauren read, “Toylane, 64 Main Street, Oakbridge, Maine.”

“That’s happened before. I guess I should have researched other toy stores in the area before picking the name Toyland,” she added with a light laugh.

“Since I’m 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?”

In reply, Julia extended a graceful hand sporting the most gorgeous diamond setting Lauren had ever seen. She’d been in Holiday Harbor with her old friend all weekend, and seeing that ring on her left hand still astounded Lauren. Just last month, she’d 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. “Sorry. Blanked out there for a minute.”

Julia gave her an understanding smile. “Running a toy store isn’t as easy as it looks, so you’re forgiven.”

Lauren congratulated herself on evading the real reason she was so distracted. She hadn’t 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, sweetie—xo.

After texting back u 2, Lauren swiveled to look over at Julia. “I love my parents, but I wish they could remember I’m twenty-eight years old.”

Julia laughed. “My parents used to be like that, too.”

“How’d you get them to stop?”

“I came here and started my own business. Then I met Nick, and you know the rest.”

Her dreamy smile clearly said she’d found someone to love for the rest of her life, and Lauren was ashamed to admit she was envious. Not that she begrudged Julia her happiness, but she wanted some of it for herself. Sadly, she was further from it now than she’d ever been. Personally and professionally, her life was in pieces, and she had no idea how to put it back together.

Shoving her negative attitude aside, she focused on Julia. They’d known each other since college, and she was the kind of friend who didn’t ask Lauren why she needed to run away. Instead, she’d opened up her home and offered Lauren a job for as long as she wanted it.

“When you first sent me pictures of this place last summer,” she said while she opened a box holding a fleet of cars and trucks, “I thought you were nuts to move up here so far from civilization. Now I see why you like it so much.”

“It’s out of the way, that’s for sure, but that’s what I like most about it.” Looking away from the computer screen, she added a warm smile. “It’s been so much fun having you here. How long has it been?”

After a moment, Lauren replied, “Five years ago, Mom and I met you and your mother in Paris for Fashion Week.”

“Oh, I remember that. I still have the clothes I bought on that trip. They’re a little outdated, but they’re so beautiful I don’t have the heart to get rid of them.”

“If you just wait a few years, they’ll come back in style.”

They both laughed, and Julia said, “I should get in touch with this supplier to make sure the bunnies I actually ordered are on their way. I have the number in my office, so I’ll call from there. Can you handle customers alone for a few minutes?”

“Sure,” Lauren responded with more confidence than she felt. Then again, she thought, as she carried the box over to restock the vehicles section, these days she pretty much did everything with more bravado than she felt. When the rug got yanked out from under your life, you kept going as best you could.