When he was young, he’d see Ms. Meadows sometimes at church. She sat on the opposite side of the sanctuary, wearing an old-fashioned pillbox hat and clutching a black patent leather handbag with a tarnished silver clasp. Holt’s father and Ms. Meadows observed a cease-fire while in the house of the Lord. Holt had followed his dad’s lead and ignored the old lady. He supposed it had become a habit. A bad one.
Holt beat Claire to the truck bed and lifted her bike out, replacing the grocery items that had fallen out. Her hands brushed his when she took the handles from him. Her fingers were thin and cold, and when he’d lifted her into the truck, he couldn’t help but notice her physical fragility. In contrast, strength radiated from her eyes and the set of her jaw.
“Thanks for the ride.” She ducked between the bushes and out of sight.
“Maybe I’ll see you around Highland!” Holt called out.
“Maybe.” Her voice lilted to him.
He stood there for a moment, wondering if he’d imagined her. Wired like he’d slammed an energy drink, he headed to his cabin on the farm. He couldn’t stop wondering what had happened to her since the summer and what she was doing with old Ms. Meadows. Did his fascination stem from the fact Claire wasn’t someone he’d known all his life? She was a mystery, and in a town as small as Highland, not many mysteries remained.
Carrying his last bag of groceries into the cabin, he noticed the jar of peanut butter with the cracked lid rolling between the grooves in the bed liner. Debris stuck to the peanut butter inside. Looked like he owed either Claire or Ms. Meadows a jar of peanut butter.
Worry worked its way into his psyche like a splinter. When was the last time Ms. Meadows had been to church? He couldn’t remember. Was she ill or injured? Was Claire taking care of Ms. Meadows or taking advantage of an old lady? While he had a hard time believing Claire was up to no good, the air around her had been rank with desperation. Desperate people often couldn’t afford morals.
Holt tossed the peanut butter into the air and caught it, a decision snapping into place. He would stop by Ms. Meadows’s house tomorrow with a new jar of peanut butter in hand as a peace offering. It would be as good an excuse as any to check on Ms. Meadows and to see Claire again. His curiosity was aroused.
With an anticipation he hadn’t felt in months, Holt couldn’t wait for the morning.
Coming soon …
Don’t miss the next title in Laura Trentham’s heartwarming Highland, Georgia series
A HIGHLANDER IS COMING TO TOWN
“Romance that is both extremely sensual and phenomenal.”
—Fresh Fiction
Available in October 2020 from
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also by Laura Trentham
THE HIGHLAND, GEORGIA SERIES
A Highlander Walks into a Bar
THE COTTONBLOOM SERIES
Kiss Me That Way
Then He Kissed Me
Till I Kissed You
Candy Cane Christmas (novella)
Light Up the Night (novella)
Leave the Night On
When the Stars Come Out
Set the Night on Fire
THE FALCON FOOTBALL SERIES
Slow and Steady Rush
Caught Up in the Touch
Melting into You
About the Author
Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, including the six novels in the Cottonbloom series—now available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
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
Epilogue
Also by Laura Trentham
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Paperbacks, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
A HIGHLANDER IN A PICKUP
Copyright © 2020 by Laura Trentham.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781250315045
Our books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / March 2020
A Highlander in a Pickup Page 26
