Homecoming. Heather Inc. Justesen

been gone. Now you’re back. Just stay out of my way, okay?” Alanna pulled into a parking spot near the door and reached for her handle.

      “I think there’s a lot to say, actually.”

      She shoved the door open and got out of the car, waiting for him to exit and close the door before she locked it with the button on her key fob.

      “Ahnna—”

      Alanna whirled on him and splashed slush into her shoe and up her leg. She bit back a curse at the icy shock, but her response to him held extra bite. “Don’t call me that. You don’t have the right to call me that anymore.” Again, she felt the tears prick at her eyes and she turned to the newsroom door.

      Kyle grabbed her arm and gave it a tug. “Look, we’re going to have to work together for the next year. Can’t you give me a chance to explain?”

      “I’m not interested in your excuses.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp and he let her go. Alanna sucked in a couple of breaths and managed to fight her emotions.

      When she sat at her desk again, she focused on the computer screen. She had to finish this up and then she could go. An hour at most and she could be home with Danyella. But for now she needed to get the story written.

      Episode 2

      Episode 2

      Kyle watched Alanna from his desk, catching an oblique angle of her face as she focused on her computer monitor. It had been too long—eight years—since they’d seen each other. Alanna had been thin and willowy as a teen and young adult, but she had filled out in all the right places. Her brown hair had been straight before, but now it fell around her face in soft waves, framing her wide blue eyes and full mouth.

      He’d loved her mouth, dreamed of it. Watching her now, he longed to find out if it would taste of honey and peppermint the way he remembered. If her current frosty response to him was anything to go by, there was no way he would get close enough to test his memory anytime soon.

      Photography had always been so much easier for him than trying to puzzle out Alanna, but he knew he’d given photography a whole lot more of his time and attention than he’d given her. He’d placed his career before anything—or anyone—else. If he’d done the same with their relationship, prioritized her at all beyond those few weeks they spent together, things would be very different.

      His eyes fell on a picture he’d taken of Alanna during the interview earlier that afternoon. The storm had broken and the sun had been high enough for the light to still be good as it glistened off of the fresh powder. Her hair shone like mahogany, her eyes danced, and he could tell she loved her work and that there was nothing she’d rather be doing. She was a good reporter; he’d followed her career for years. It always surprised him she’d chosen to return here, to this small mountain town. She used to have such big dreams.

      Kyle’s eyes were drawn to Alanna again and he caught her studying him for a second before she looked away. Maybe he should have warned her and the rest of the family before he came back to town, but he’d wanted to surprise them—he’d wanted to surprise her since she had managed to be away on vacation every time he’d come to visit since their summer together.

      After traveling the world for years, Kyle had been tired of being alone and was ready for a change. He’d been online reading her latest stories when he had seen the job listing. Though it was a big step down from the plum assignments he’d garnered the past few years, he had jumped at the chance to come back to Juniper Ridge.

      He may regret his commitment before the year ended, but for now he’d focus on what had brought him there: his family and Alanna—because no matter how he twisted it, he’d never looked at her as a sister. She’d gone from a pain-in-the-neck little girl to something considerably more interesting almost overnight, and no matter how hard he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to shake the thoughts of what if.

      Now he was determined to see if he could rekindle the romance he’d so foolishly walked away from so many years ago.

      Alanna left work and headed for daycare to pick up Danyella, swearing as she drove at the tardy snowplows that hadn’t reached all of the roads yet. When she arrived, Danyella was standing at the window of the daycare, waving eagerly as she waited for her turn to leave. Alanna felt guilty for always being the last parent to pick up her child—or as close to last as to make the distinction almost meaningless most days.

      With a wave to Danyella after parking the car, Alanna hurried up the sidewalk. When she opened the door, Danyella already had her shoes and coat on, with her backpack slung over one shoulder.

      “Hey there, baby. How was your day?” Alanna scooped up her daughter into a quick hug.

      “School was fun. Mrs. Gates taught us how to make shakes, and I have new spelling words.” Danyella’s eager brown eyes glowed—spelling was her best subject.

      Alanna ran a hand down her daughter’s dark, curly hair. This girl was the light of her life. No matter what heartaches she’d had to endure, Alanna wouldn’t give her up for anything. “I guess we’ll have to buy ingredients so we can make shakes tonight. How does that sound?”

      “Chocolate mint?” Danyella asked. It was her favorite flavor. It had been Kyle’s favorite as well.

      “Of course,” Alanna said. She turned and waved to the daycare provider and took Danyella’s hand. “What do you think, spaghetti or stir fry for dinner?” Not that there was any question which her daughter would choose.

      “Sketti! And shakes.”

      “And shakes. Don’t worry, I won’t forget.”

      They wandered through the market fifteen minutes later, tossing things into the basket on nearly every aisle.

      After they picked out ice cream, Danyella ran across the aisle to the frozen pizzas. “Can we have pizza tomorrow? I’ll go right home and do my math tonight without being told.” She grinned hugely, trying her best to charm her mom.

      “Sorry, sweetie, not this time. You doing your homework without complaint would be really terrific, but tomorrow we’re having dinner at Grandma’s.” Alanna pushed back the anxiety that throbbed inside her at the reminder. “Uncle Kyle’s moved back to town and we’re having a dinner to celebrate.” Well, everyone else would be celebrating, anyway.

      Danyella’s eyes widened in delight. “Uncle Kyle will be there?” Though she’d never met him, she was a big fan of Kyle’s photographs and incessantly asked her grandpa about them. She owned an inexpensive digital camera already and took pictures of everything in sight, showing a good eye for composition, even at her age.

      “Yes. And Uncle Gregg’s family too, so you’ll have your cousins around to play with.”

      “Yay!” Danyella danced her way through the rest of the grocery run, talking at the speed of light.

      Alanna cooked dinner that night while overseeing Danyella’s homework. They ate, read together, and went through the evening bath and bedtime routine.

      Alanna tried not to think about Kyle, though he was always popping into her mind, haunting her as she sought a way to push him back out of her life. She knew it was impossible—they had a family dinner the next night. There was no graceful way out of it, and even if there were, she couldn’t keep Kyle and Danyella apart indefinitely if he lived in town.

      Why did he have to come here? Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone?

      Kyle’s father, Mark, and Alanna’s mother, Lorna, had married when Alanna was only three. Her brother, Gregg, and Kyle had both been seven. Though the boys had treated her with the disdain most boys held for their younger sisters, Alanna had developed