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A Love to Treasure

By Kimberly Rose Johnson

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CHAPTER ONE
Nicole Davis drove past a huge welcome sign to Sunriver, Oregon, and grinned. She was finally here. She loved this resort community and still couldn’t believe it would be her home for the next few months.
She bore to the right around the traffic circle. Suddenly a black car came out of nowhere. Nicole swerved and slammed on the brake, her front bumper barely missing the side of the black car. Her heart pounded as she weaved her Mini Cooper S onto the miniscule dirt shoulder a few feet from a large pine tree. She put the car in park, her breath coming in quick puffs. She looked around to make sure she hadn’t hit anything. Whew. Everything looked okay.
The crazy driver who ran her off the road drove around the circle again and pulled off the road in front of her. This couldn’t be good. She gulped as a dark-haired man wearing jeans and a dark gray T-shirt stalked toward her.
Her gut clenched. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror and noted her wide green eyes filled with fear. Not good. She needed to appear unaffected by the incident or he’d see her vulnerability. She took a deep breath then let it out in a whoosh. After making sure no cars were coming, she stepped out of her Mini Cooper and onto the shoulder, refusing to be intimidated by the man. His height caught her by surprise. Most men were only a few inches taller than she was, but not this guy. He towered above her five-foot-nine-inch frame. And those biceps—maybe she should’ve stayed in the car. But he didn’t look dangerous, only irritated.
She offered him a tentative smile. “That was a close call.”
“No kidding. You didn’t yield.” He pointed to a yellow sign.
“Oops. Sorry.” Her face heated. Grams always said she barreled through life.
However, she generally obeyed traffic signs. “I didn’t see the sign.”
She focused on the handsome man before her with close-cropped hair and dark brown eyes the color of Swiss chocolate.
His brows turned down. “Are you okay?”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, which was pulled into a frown. She shook her head and focused on the concern in his eyes. “I’m fine. No harm done, as they say. And I really am sorry about not yielding.” She backed against the car door. Her grandmother had paid for this adventure, and she would enjoy it—she just needed to be more careful. “I haven’t been to Sunriver in years and was trying to find the resort lodge.” She took in her surroundings—a paved bicycle trail, roadway, and woods. Beyond the woods, she spotted several structures dotting the landscape. “I don’t suppose you could point me in the right direction.”
He peered down at her, his stance relaxing. He even ventured what appeared to be a small smile. “Like you said, no harm done.” He pointed slightly left. “The lodge is that way.”
The breeze rustling through the tall pine trees didn’t help the heat burning in Nicole’s cheeks. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Watch for the signs. They’ll keep you on track.” He sauntered back to his car, then pivoted. “By the way, welcome to Sunriver. I hope the rest of your stay goes better.”
“Uh, thanks.” Nicole slid behind the wheel and drove away, hoping she wouldn’t run into that man again. Talk about embarrassing! She breathed in deeply of the pine- scented air and focused on her reason for being here—Grams’ letter. She owed it to her grandmother to fulfill her final wish.
Nicole turned left into the lodge’s parking lot and pulled into a spot. The lodge was even prettier than she remembered. The planters, a combination of red, purple and white flowers mixed among shrubs and trees, were perfection. She got out, grabbed her luggage, and walked toward the grand entrance. A young couple strolled hand-in-hand nearby,
and several people dressed in business attire ambled out of the lodge. The sound of crashing water drew her attention. A beautiful rock water feature off to the right of the main entrance looked like the perfect place to escape the busyness of life.
She dragged her attention away from the waterfall and climbed the concrete steps to the entrance. The huge door opened with surprising ease. She pulled off her sunglasses and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Straight ahead, stairs led to a restaurant where a few guests milled about. To her left, several smartly dressed people stood behind a counter waiting to check in guests.
Nicole squared her shoulders and marched toward check-in trying to ignore the knot in the pit of her stomach. Why was she so nervous? Grams had loved scavenger hunts, and this vacation promised to be an adventure, beginning with the letter that led her to the resort.
Nicole approached the first person at the long reception counter. “Hi, I’m Nicole Davis. I have a reservation.”
The woman smiled. “Welcome to Sunriver. I love your hair color. Is it natural?” Nicole nodded. “Yes and thanks.” Grams had loved her long blonde hair as well. “You’re lucky.” She lowered her voice. “Mine’s from a bottle.” She sighed then
clicked on the computer keyboard. She raised a brow. “You have a package. I’ll be right back.”
A package—so the game begins. Grams had a creative streak few could compete with. The package would likely contain the first clue to this adventure Grams had sent her on.
The woman came back and held out a small box wrapped in bright red paper with a shiny white bow on top.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She handed her a key card, then showed her where her room was on the map and explained how to get to it. “Enjoy your stay.”
Nicole pocketed the key. “Thanks. I’ll try.” She left the building and followed the path to the stairwell that led to her nearby suite. What was in the box? Whatever it was, she knew Grams had put a lot of thought into it.
Nicole’s throat burned at the thought of her late Grandmother—so much regret. If only she’d spent more time with Grams and less time working on lesson plans this past year. She’d loved her grandmother and wished for a do-over, but death didn’t have do- overs. Instead, Nicole would honor her grandmother’s final wish and play along one last time. Hopefully this game wouldn’t end in disaster like the time she’d ended up in the middle of a lake with a broken oar.
***
After changing into his uniform, Mark Stone strapped on a helmet and straddled his
bicycle outside the Sunriver police department. Soon heat would rise from the pavement and make him long for the cooler paths winding through the tall pine trees. Hopefully his first day on the job would go better than the drive getting here. If all the tourists were like that blonde . . . oh, boy. But he had to give her credit for admitting her mistake. She seemed like a nice enough person, and she was definitely easy to look at with her long hair and emerald green eyes.
“Morning.” A stocky officer strode up with his hand extended. “I’m Spencer. If you need anything, let me know.”
“Mark Stone. Thanks.” He grasped the younger man’s hand and gave it a firm shake. Spencer looked to be in his late twenties, with sandy blond hair and piercing eyes. He reminded Mark of himself at that age—eager and ready to take on the world, but that was then. Life had a way of changing a person.
Spencer’s eyebrows narrowed. “I heard you like working alone.”
Mark gave him an easy grin. Seemed the rumor mill worked overtime if they were talking about him. “True.” An image exploded in his mind, knocking him back to another time and place—the reason he no longer worked with a partner. The reason he’d fled
Portland, Oregon, and come to the resort town. Thankfully, his superiors were more than happy to let him work alone due to budget issues.
“Guess I’d better get busy. Nice to meet you.”
Spencer nodded, then headed inside. He seemed like someone Mark wouldn’t mind getting to know despite his digging into a sore subject. Mark shook off the thought and pushed forward, focusing on the paved trail in front of him.
He passed a couple jogging and settled into an easy rhythm. One thing was certain; he’d be in great shape by summer’s end. Cool air brushed his face. In a fenced pasture, tall grass swayed in the breeze. He could definitely get used to this. Sunriver was a far cry from the intensity of working in the big city.
He braked at a stop sign before crossing the road and went left along the path that ran past the stables. The only sound was the whir of his tires on the pavement. He caught up to three bicycle riders in no particular hurry. “On your left.”
The women moved their bikes into single file. The middle woman looked over her shoulder, wobbled, and a mere second later bumped into the leader. She yelped, and the two went down. The last bike couldn’t avoid the heap and joined the jumbled bodies.
Mark braked hard and jumped off. Bending over the women, he peered down and scanned for injuries. “Anyone hurt?”
Silence greeted his question. His heart hammered. He assessed each of the women quickly but couldn’t see any visible injuries.
The women met each other’s eyes. Then a soft snort escaped the redhead. The woman to her right erupted in a fit of giggles. In a moment, the three of them were leaning against each other, laughing.
He squatted to their level. “I take it everyone is okay.” He grinned and offered his hand.
“Yes, officer.” The redhead brushed her palms together, then grasped his hand. “I guess I shouldn’t have followed so closely.”
He pulled her up before offering a hand to her friend.
A dark haired woman rolled her eyes. “Tina, you and tailgating go together like peanut butter and jelly. Come on. Let’s get a move on before Connor gets too far ahead of us.”
“Connor?” Mark couldn’t squelch his curiosity.
The woman nodded and brushed her hands against her denim shorts. “Yes, my twelve-year-old cousin is visiting for the summer, and believe me, he’s a handful.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I simply meant—”
“Don’t worry, I understand teenagers.” Mark chuckled. “I was a handful myself at his age.”
The woman gave him a grateful smile. “I’m Sarah and these are my reckless friends, Tina and Marge.”
Tina righted her bike and blatantly checked out Mark. “We’re staying in Sarah’s Circle Four Ranch Cabin. Would you like to join us tonight for a barbecue? It’s the least we can do, considering.”
The other two nodded.
“Sorry, ladies, but thanks for the offer.”
Tina slipped a business card into his hand and winked. “Call me.”
The women mounted their bikes and pedaled away.
Mark rubbed his neck. That was awkward, but at least they were gone, and he’d
dodged their dinner invitation. Nothing against assertive women, but that trio left him feeling like a piece of meat. He much preferred the blonde who ran him off the road—not that it mattered.
He couldn’t get the defiant look in her eyes out of his mind, and it made him want to get to know her. The thought sent him reeling.

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