Lost at Heart: A Steamy Small Town Romance (Bluerock Series Book 2) Read online

  LOST AT HEART

  BLUEROCK SERIES: BOOK TWO

  DANIELLE MARX

  Copyright © 2021 by Danielle Marx

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  AFTERWORD

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BLUEROCK SERIES:

  Mess at Heart

  Lost at Heart

  INTRODUCTION

  Thank you for reading!

  Lost at Heart is book two of the Bluerock series. Each book is a standalone but are best enjoyed in sequential order. The series is set in the fictional small town of Bluerock, located in the lush, rocky mountains of Colorado.

  I hope you enjoy reading Lost at Heart as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Danielle xXx

  Chapter One

  Tia

  I rested my head back on the seat, trying to block out the hammering rain above. My eyes fell shut as I focused hard on crackling radio, sputtering out country songs along with endless static. It had been difficult to hear for the entire journey. The cab driver had told me it was due to the bad weather, but I didn’t entirely believe him.

  Before the sky faded to black and we drove up into the valley, I caught a glimpse of the monstrous mountains up ahead. My phone lost its signal and the radio turned fuzzy. I had a feeling that the local station always crackled up here and he was just used to it.

  My driver turned up the volume as a sweet sounding lady announced another weather warning. “And we’re asking everyone to stay indoors for the remainder of the night. High winds are heading over from the east, and we are expecting flash flooding in many local areas. Stay safe folks, and remember, summer is on the way.”

  She ended the announcement with a commercial for car tires, but the old man pushed the volume back down and cleared his throat. “Rough night, huh?”

  I lifted my head back up and saw his white eyebrows wiggle at me in the rearview mirror. I flashed him a small smile and checked my phone again. No signal. “Yeah, sounds like.”

  “Are you here on vacation?”

  “No. Work.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He perked up slightly. “That’s lucky. Most people I pick up from the airport are here on vacation. When they arrive on a rainy day, it’s like the world cheated them out of a small fortune or something. I tell ya, you wanna see the saddest face in the world? Pick up a tourist on a rainy day.” He chuckled, turning off the highway. “So, where are you from?”

  I wasn’t one for small talk, but the old man’s voice calmed the rain above my head, and I was more than happy for the distraction. “New York.”

  “Ah, the Big Apple. I guess the rain won’t bother you then?”

  He wasn’t wrong. Growing up in New York had prepared me for most weather conditions. And no amount of rain was going to stop me from this job.

  I lifted up my phone towards the roof. Still no signal. Even when the weather got bad back home, I still had bars. Here, there was nothing. “How much further is it?”

  “Not too far now.”

  A sigh escaped my lips as I slipped the phone back in my jacket pocket.

  “So, what job is it?”

  My heart dipped a little at the question. It did everytime it was brought up in conversation. “It’s at the new summer camp that’s being built. I’m painting the main building.”

  I noticed his brow furrow in the mirror. “They need to bring in a city girl for that?”

  “Oh, no. It’s not like that. I’m doing an art project there. You know, like a mural? A commissioned design.”

  “Oh, I see.” He nodded. “Very fancy. It’s great they are rebuilding that place. My kids went there back in the eighties. And Bluerock Forest is a beautiful park. You ever been?”

  “Never.” I’d seen plenty of photos though. Lily had stuck dozens of them all over the refrigerator door. Pictures of the river and the mountain tops. Happy ones of her mom and dad laughing around a campfire in the middle of the wilderness. She loved this place.

  This was where she always wanted to be. Back in Bluerock, making a living off her art and settling down in the country. It was her dream. It was the last thing she told me she wanted. Now she’d never have it.

  The very least I could do for my best friend was to make sure her design was put up at the summer camp. To immortalize her, like the great artists we both gushed over. This way, a part of Lily would be in Bluerock forever. No matter how painful it would be, my reason was more than enough to see it through. I only hoped it would help me heal in the process.

  My last memory of her haunted my mind. I couldn’t shake it off. No one could erase that for me, and so I had to do it myself. Wipe the canvas clean and replace it with something sweeter. I had to try, or I’d go mad with grief in the harsh city. With any luck, Bluerock would be my salvation. A change of scenery and a vital break away from my life.

  The driver slowed the cab and stopped at the side of the road.

  “We’re here?” I strained my eyes through the dark wetness to see something. Anything. At the very least, the house I would call home for the next few weeks. But there was nothing. Just darkness in the storm.

  “You’ll have to hike the rest of the way, sweetheart.”

  “What?” Surely, he wasn’t serious.“ You’re joking.”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he declared the cab fare and turned around to flash me a friendly smile.

  “You told me you’d take me the whole way. This is the middle of nowhere! Where’s the cabin?”

  He pointed his stubby finger in front of my nose, towards the back of the car. “You see that incline just there?”

  Incline? I couldn’t see anything, and I knew he couldn’t either. Even the road ahead, lit up by his headlights, was unclear. “No. It’s pitch black. There’s nothing there.”

  “Well, it is there,” he assured. “Hike down there and you’ll get to the river trail. Keep the river on your right-hand side and you’ll find your cabin.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I didn’t want to sound like some demanding city chick, but this was ridiculous. “You want me to go walk down a dirt track, in the middle of a storm, at night, and
just hope I stubble upon the right house? What if I get lost?” I pressed my palms against the cold glass, trying to process the nightmare before me.

  “You’ll need to be careful on the incline, but once you get to the river trail, it opens up as a road. You won’t get lost. The park’s maintained well.”

  “Well if there’s a road down there, you can drive me,” I gritted through my teeth.

  “Can’t. Not in these conditions, sweetheart. Stay safe.”

  My mouth dropped open. He wasn’t going to budge on this. I scrambled around in my pocket for some cash and threw it in the front seat for him. “Well, thanks a lot.”

  I swore I heard him chuckle as I slammed the door shut. He sped away along the wet road, plunging me into complete darkness.

  I zipped up my jacket and pulled up the hood of my sweater, instantly regretting not investing in a suitable coat before the trip. The rain soaked me within minutes. Tossing my travel bag over my shoulder, I pulled my phone out and turned on the flashlight app, hoping the rain wouldn’t damage it too much. I took a deep breath as I shone the light down the eerie path. It wasn’t too steep but the mud was thick, and I would have to watch my footing.

  My body began to shudder. The wind howled through the trees above, and my gut told me to just run. Run away from it all. It shouldn’t have been this hard already. I hadn’t even made it to the house and already the universe was testing me again. Hadn’t I suffered enough lately?

  I shook away my instincts and focused on my first step. I had to keep moving and get the hell out of this storm.

  By the time I made it to the river trail, my legs were caked in mud. My face stung from the sharp branches, scratching at my skin on the hike down. But I had to give it to the cab driver. He was right about the river trail. Even in these conditions, it was wide and easily navigated.

  I carried on through the storm, keeping the river to my right. I crept a little closer to the edge and shone my flashlight down. After just a couple of seconds, I was dizzy from the sight. The water raged down the bank with such force that I almost lost my balance just looking at it. The noise alone was enough to make my head spin. I moved over to the other side of the trail, where the hillside helped block the rain from my face.

  This was crazy. Wandering through the wilderness in the middle of the night was one thing, but during a storm was just asking for trouble.

  And then, through the roar of rushing water, I heard a distinct call. The city girl in me ran through the list of possible predators it could be. Before I could choose one as my hunter, I spotted two figures up ahead in the blurry rain.

  My heart stopped.

  I didn’t do strangers. Not anymore. In New York, you could walk past thousands of strangers a day and think nothing of it. But now, all I did was think. Panic. Freeze. It was one of the blessings about leaving the big city. I didn’t even feel safe in my own apartment anymore, never mind the bustling streets.

  But there were only two people here by the looks of it. They were both holding flashlights, calling out into the night. It’s funny how two strangers can scare you more than a thousand.

  “Kiki! Kiki!” Just then one of them spotted me and called over, shining a flashlight in my eyes. “Oh, hi there!”

  They both rushed over to me and my breath caught in my chest.

  The fear faded though when a woman approached, with a huge pearly grin and a face full of makeup. Her gold bangles jingled over the top of her white raincoat. She looked ridiculously out of place and better suited for Beverly Hills than a stormy forest.

  “We were looking for our dog. Have you seen her?” There was more fear in her eyes than mine.

  “Oh. No, I haven’t. Sorry.”

  The man behind her was dressed much more appropriately compared to the two of us, but even in the dark, I could see all his outdoor wear was designer and relatively clean. If I looked out of place then these two certainly did.

  “Are you alright, miss?” he asked, looking me up and down with concern. “You shouldn’t be out here. The river’s rising fast.”

  “I’m looking for the Marigold Cabin. My cab driver told me it would be on this trail somewhere. You wouldn’t happen to know where it is, would you?”

  “ Oooh , the Marigold,” the woman gushed, smiling through her plumped up lips. “We had our third honeymoon there, remember honey?”

  “It cost me enough, of course I remember,” he replied under his breath.

  “It’s very nice. Beautiful location, right next to the river and Dixon Bridge.” She rambled on, but quickly stopped and examined me just like her husband had. I swore I saw her sneer a little. “You sure you mean the Marigold. It’s a very pricey vacation lodge.”

  I would have been offended if I wasn’t freezing cold and soaked to the bone. At that moment, I didn’t care how I looked, or what these people thought of me. “Yes, that’s the place.”

  The man pointed further down the river. “Another mile that way. It’s huge. You can’t miss it.”

  The wind whipped wet hair across my cheek, and my teeth began to chatter. “Thank you. Good luck finding your dog.”

  The woman’s fear flooded back into her eyes again. “I’m so worried about her. She’s a pedigree show dog. Her coat will be ruined!”

  “Um, yeah. That sucks.” Her coat? I was pretty sure if I lost my dog in the middle of nowhere, my main concern would not be the poor things hairstyle .

  The man grabbed her arm and led her in the opposite direction to me. “Come on, honey. Let’s get out of here.”

  The couple were right. The house was huge. It stood on tall stilts, protecting it from the rising river. The steep hillside at the back was tall enough to ward off the wind too. Mud ran down it between the trees, but it was safe to say the place looked decent enough to weather the storm.

  I had already been sent a key by my new boss and dashed to the door to let myself in.

  The place was pitch black inside. I flicked on the light switch but got no response. The storm must have knocked out the electrics, and there was no way I was wandering around a strange house, in the dark, to find the fuse box. I dropped my bag by the door and propped my phone up so the light shone out, illuminating the entrance. Then I got to work.

  I secured the main lock with my key and reached up on my tiptoes for the top bolt. My eye frantically searched the wood for another but there was nothing else there. No third lock. I didn’t like that.

  Three locks was what I’d been using these past few weeks. Three locks didn’t stop the fear but they calmed it a little. Enough for me to sleep at least. Two locks were useless. Sure it was safer than one, but it didn’t make me feel any better. There was no way I could rest well here with only two bolts on my door.

  I couldn’t do anything about it now though. I’d have to be sneaky and install another one myself tomorrow. There was a chair nearby that would do the job for now. I carried it over and hitched it up underneath the handle. It was the best I could do.

  I picked up my phone and dodged around the furniture. It was without a doubt the biggest house I’d ever stayed in. Tall ceilings and ornate light fixtures, suspended from giant wooden beams. I’d been told that the house had five bedrooms and six bathrooms. A hot tub, a gym, and a library. Of course, all of that was pointless shit when I couldn’t even get the damn lights to switch on.

  It didn’t matter. I didn’t need a home gym. I needed light and warmth. I made my way to the huge fireplace and pulled back the guard. Looking down into the hearth though, my heart sank. Water was trickling down into the chimney, completely soaking the freshly cut firewood. It sure as hell wouldn’t light like this. The wind howled down, turning this luxury lodge into a kind of horror house.

  I’d had enough already. This trip couldn’t get any worse. The universe was screaming at me to run back. Run back to the loud, bright city where I could barely breathe anymore. I needed this break. I needed to heal. Not just for me but for Lily too.

  I sank down into t
he plush sofa, wrapping a thick throw around my shivering, wet body. Carefully, I arranged the cushions, so that I could clearly see the front door at all times. I glared at it in the darkness. It was silly. Irrational. I knew it was, but I had to keep my eyes on it. I had to see it sealed up, protecting me from the nightmares. I’d stare at it all night if I had to. Anything to force myself not to run back and to see this whole thing through.

  I rubbed my chilled fingers over the tattoo on my wrist, hard enough to summon some courage from the intricate design, and settled into my new home for the night.

  Chapter Two

  Colton

  The wind battled against me as I slammed the front door shut. It was getting worse out there, and I had no desire to be out in it any longer than I had to. The park was empty now, and just in time for me to relax back and watch the game.

  A pool of water formed on the floor by my boots. I shook off my rain coat and beanie, almost knocking over the display stand, packed full with postcards. I couldn’t remember how many times I’d told Patsy to move it into the gift shop. It was a damn accident waiting to happen.

  Despite the storm outside, the generator had kept the electricity running, and I took full advantage of it by brewing a fresh pot of coffee and switching the TV to the hockey game. I had fifty bucks riding on this, and for some unexplained reason, felt extra lucky tonight.

  I was no stranger to the night shift, and didn’t mind too much about being on call if I had plenty of coffee and something to keep my mind busy.

  Just as I stretched my feet out along my desk, the old radio crackled to life.

  “Colton. Are you there?” Mom’s voice scratched through.

  I snatched up the receiver, holding my finger to the button. “I’m here, Mom. Is everything okay?”

  “Your father broke the garage door again. It won’t open. How does he connect that curved piece to the coil thingy?”