Still the One. Michelle Major

       “I want to know why you keep rescuing me.”

      “Maybe I’m just a nice guy.”

      She stared at him.

      “Or not.” It burned his stomach to be so close to her. But here he was like a fly unable to resist the lure of the glowing blue light even when it expected the zap.

      It’s a test, he told himself. He measured his own resolve, his instinct for survival. Let’s see how much willpower I have, what I’ve learned in the past decade. He was smarter now and knew enough to protect himself against the pain that Lainey was bound to cause him. Seconds ticked by, and he wasn’t sure if the pounding in his ears was his heart or hers.

      I can do this.

      I can let her go.

      Her tongue snaked out and traced the seam of her lip. An involuntary gesture, he knew. But as soon as he saw the pink tip he was a goner.

      What the hell, he thought and leaned in to kiss her. Just one time wouldn’t mess him up that badly.

      Ten years disappeared in the space of an instant. She might look and sound different, but Lainey Morgan tasted exactly the way he remembered.

      She tasted like home.

      Dear Reader,

      I have a pillow embroidered with the quote “My goal in life is to be the sort of person my dog thinks I am.” As an animal lover, I think that’s a lofty achievement.

      Lainey Morgan, the heroine of Still the One, has been alone since she fled her hometown after a devastating miscarriage, leaving behind her shattered dreams of being a wife and mother. When she returns to face her past mistakes, I knew she needed the support of a loyal sidekick. In this case, it’s a stray dog, Pita, who is devoted even when Lainey doesn’t believe she deserves it.

      The hero, Ethan Daniels, has cut off emotional ties to anything but the animals he cares for as the town’s vet. Turns out the soft spot Ethan has for Lainey’s dog also helps him reconnect with the woman who once broke his heart.

      I believe in second chances and the power of forgiveness. Lainey and Ethan have much to overcome, but with the help of family, friends and a couple of faithful canines, they’ll learn that true love is worth fighting for.

      I love to hear from readers. Please visit my website at www.michellemajor.com or email me at [email protected].

      Happy reading!

       Michelle Major

      About the Author

      MICHELLE MAJOR grew up in Ohio, but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

      Still the One

      Michelle Major

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To Matt, for believing in my dream.

      And to Lana and Annie, for helping me make it come true.

       Chapter One

      Lainey Morgan clutched the paper bag, avoiding the corner already stained with grease. “Please,” she whispered. “I need this food.”

      Yanking the sack across the Formica counter, the waitress wagged a finger in Lainey’s face. Small sunbursts glinted on the tips of her acrylic nails. “I don’t know how it’s done where you’re from, sweetheart, but around these parts people pay for what they eat.”

      “I don’t have the cash. If you’d let me pay with a credit card—”

      When bells above the diner’s door jingled, Lainey glanced over her shoulder. At the sight of the man gesturing wildly to a teenage busboy, she inched toward the far wall feeling like she’d been sucker punched. The last thing she needed was to see a familiar face, let alone her ex-fiancé. She knew it had been a mistake to return to her hometown, and just five minutes here proved it.

      If possible, ten years had heightened Ethan Daniels’s raw appeal. The boy was gone, replaced with a man more suited to the stark desert plains of New Mexico she now called home than this sleepy North Carolina town.

      He pointed to the front window and her gaze followed. “No animal should be left in this heat—”

      The rush of blood in Lainey’s head drowned out his voice.

      She needed to get out of the diner. Now.

      “You okay, hon?” The waitress had followed her to the end of the counter. “We don’t accept plastic for such a small amount. But I guess I can make an exception this once. You look like you could use a decent meal.”

      She darted a glance at the woman’s name tag. “Thank you, Shelly.” Adjusting the baseball cap lower, she pushed away the camera around her neck and slid her credit card toward the waitress.

      Shelly’s voice rang out over the din of the restaurant. “Hey, Doc, what’s got you so bothered on a Sunday morning?”

      Lainey swallowed hard against the awareness that pricked at her body. Today’s agenda did not include puking in front of the weekend rush at Carl’s.

      “Some fool left their dog roasting in the sun.” Heat and frustration rolled off him. “Can I get a cup of water, Shelly? I swear people think two legs and half a brain gives them the right to treat an animal any way they want.”

      Even angry, Ethan’s voice flowed through Lainey like music. The fact he could still affect her after all this time irritated the hell out of her.

      “Whose is it?” Shelly asked.

      Out of the corner of her eye, Lainey saw a tanned hand settle on the counter. She swallowed hard, praying the floor would swallow her whole.

      That prayer, like countless others, went unanswered.

      “Can’t say.” He blew out a breath. “Every canine within fifty miles has been through the clinic, but I’ve never seen that mutt.”

      Lainey scribbled the total plus a hefty tip on the receipt and reached for the bag. The waitress held it tight.

      “You know anything about an abandoned dog?”

      “She’s not abandoned,” Lainey muttered. Not yet, she added silently. She gave the bag a hard yank and stumbled when Shelly let go. As an arm reached out to steady her, Lainey looked up into Ethan’s dark eyes. Recognition dawned, and with it his gaze filled with anger. Maybe she deserved it, she thought. The way she’d left town ten years ago, why would he show her any kindness now?

      “Good lord,” he said.

      “Nope.” Lainey hitched her chin a notch, with the tiny bit of pride she had left. “Just me.”

      “What are you doing here?”

      “My mom—”

      “I know about Vera.” He ran a hand through thick hair that curled against the collar of his faded Duke T-shirt. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

      “She had a stroke. Of course I came.”

      “Hold the phone, people.” Shelly’s heavily lined eyes blinked several times. “Are you …” Glancing at the card before handing it back to Lainey, she said aloud, “Melanie Morgan.”

      A