Winds of Change: A Sweet, Inspirational, Small Town, Romantic Suspense Series (Heart Lake Book 1)

by Jo Grafford

  WINDS OF CHANGE

  Heart Lake, Book #1

  Jo Grafford

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  About this Series

  Chapter 1: Hometown Welcome

  Chapter 2: High School Tour

  Chapter 3: First Day of School

  Chapter 4: Principal Decisions

  Chapter 5: Old Letters

  Chapter 6: Church on the Lake

  Chapter 7: Spirit Rally

  Chapter 8: Old Rivalries

  Chapter 9: Hallway Patrols

  Chapter 10: Undying Promises

  Epilogue

  Sneak Preview: Song of Nightingales

  Sneak Preview: Accidental Hero

  Sneak Preview: The Secret Crush Rescue

  Read More Jo

  Also by Jo Grafford

  Copyright © 2021 by Jo Grafford

  Cover Design by Jo Grafford

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN: 978-1-944794-87-3

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my dear friend and editor, Cathleen Weaver, and to Mahasani for beta reading this story. I also want to give a shout-out to my Cuppa Jo Readers on Facebook for reading and loving my books!

  Join Cuppa Jo Readers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders for sneak peeks, book launch parties, birthday parties, booklover giveaways, and more!

  Free Book!

  Also, visit www.JoGrafford.com to sign up for Jo’s New Release Newsletter and receive your FREE copy of one of her sweet romance stories.

  About this Series

  Welcome to Heart Lake! A small town teaming with old family rivalries, the rumble of horses’ hooves, and folks — on both sides of the law and everywhere in between — that you’ll never forget.

  Chapter 1: Hometown Welcome

  Josh

  Early September

  She’s home.

  Josh Hawling had always known this day would come…eventually. He watched the Gulfstream catch the sun and gleam like white fire as it banked left and circled around for its final descent to the narrow landing strip. A few mountain gusts rocked the aircraft, but the pilot expertly steered through them. He nosed downward and touched the landing wheels to the tarmac. Throwing the engine thrusters in reverse and raising the wing spoilers, he swiftly reduced his speed and rolled to a stop.

  Hope Remington was finally back in Texas, where she belonged.

  “She’s been gone ten years.” Mr. Elmer Remington, superintendent of the Heart Lake School District, eagerly regarded the airplane on the other side of the glass. Indulgent pride radiated from his lined features. He’d come straight from the district office in his business suit, but his straw Stetson and leather boots underscored the fact that he was and always would be a rancher first. “Her return is nothing short of a miracle.”

  By a miracle, Josh knew Mr. Remington was referring to the fact that he’d negotiated long and hard with his fellow school board members to tweak a few of the job requirements in her favor. He’d wanted to hire a hometown girl as the next head principal of Heart Lake High, but Hope wouldn’t have stood a chance in the interview if the powers-that-be hadn’t waved the prior experience requirement. The ink was still drying on her PhD, and she’d only served as an assistant principal so far. This was the first time she would be running an entire high school on her own.

  Josh was concerned about how much responsibility the school board was placing on her shoulders this early in her career. However, no one had asked for his opinion on the matter, so he was keeping it to himself. For now.

  He was simply the guy they’d hired to protect her — off the record, of course. On paper, his security team was actually under contract to guard the student body and school facilities as a whole. Not one person, specifically. The sidebar agreement for Josh to stick as close to Hope as a cocklebur had happened in a closed-door meeting with the superintendent, alone. Though the older gentleman was only distantly related to Hope — a cousin of her grandparents twice removed — he’d always considered her to be family.

  The door to the gleaming white Gulfstream opened, and a set of equally gleaming white metal stairs descended. A red high-heeled boot appeared next. It was soon followed by the rest of the woman Josh had waited so long to see again. Her long, blonde hair was draped over one shoulder, cascading nearly to the waist of her sassy denim dress. She wasn’t as tanned as she used to be, probably because of the number of hours she was required to spend indoors these days. But she still had her impetuous smile and walked with the same energy and confidence of the barrel racing, rodeo queen he remembered.

  Though Josh didn’t so much as flinch, it felt like a sucker punch in the gut to watch Hope Remington walk down the jet stairs and move across the pavement to the airline terminal. Toward him, instead of away from him, for the first time in ten years.

  Only a single wall of glass separated them now. He and the district superintendent had been awaiting her arrival from the other side of it. Though Josh sorely doubted Hope would appreciate his presence, Mr. Remington had insisted he be included in her welcome party. Then again, she’d moved on with her life years ago. Maybe she’d long since forgiven and forgotten his past sins. There was a distinct possibility she wouldn’t even recognize the older version of him. He was a good four inches taller than the last time they’d been together — bigger, broader, and wiser. Infinitely wiser. A man who’d learned from his mistakes and had no interest in repeating them.

  There was no way she’d be feeling even half of what he was feeling when she finally laid eyes on him and realized who he was — pain laced with bitter longing over the way he’d left things between them. Of all the things he’d left unsaid and even worse, the things he’d left undone. Especially the way he’d failed to meet her at their favorite rendezvous and run off to college together, like the lovesick fools they’d once been.

  She’d been a slender teenager at the time, full of dreams and plans that were bigger than him, anxious to leave their small town existence behind and explore the world in ways only a Remington could afford to do. She was a grown woman with big city polish now, one who’d tasted and experienced the globe from Anchorage, to Amsterdam, to Paris. Yeah, he’d followed her adventures by lurking on her social media accounts, since she’d never bothered kicking him off. His lurking had also kept him painfully informed about her social life. There’d been pictures of all the places she’d visited and all the friends she’d made along the way. Guy friends. Lots of guy friends. He wondered how many of them she’d dated.

  Those pictures were the only reason Josh knew that the auburn-haired man striding at her side in a designer gray suit was more than her pilot. He was one of her closest friends, possibly her boyfriend. A billionaire philanthropist from Alaska, who was supposedly coming to help clear the tornado damage in Heart Lake by financing a number of their restoration projects — the first and biggest project being the overhaul of their disaster planning and preparedness infrastructure.

  But Josh wasn’t buying the guy’s story. He could think of only one reason why a man of Kellan Maddox’s elite connections and financial resources would travel to such a small, rural town, and that was to pursue the heart of the woman Josh had never stopped loving.


  Well, Mr. Money Bags was in for one heck of a surprise when he discovered the competition he would be going up against.

  Me.

  Josh pulled his Stetson low over his eyes as the gate door flew open, and Hope stepped inside the terminal. He preferred not to be recognized right away. He’d rather witness her unrehearsed reaction to the sight of him when she finally realized who he was.

  Her expressive blue gaze scanned the small waiting area and quickly lit on Mr. Remington.

  “Elmer!” she cried joyfully.

  Josh experienced a familiar jolt at the sound of her voice. It was all he could do not to step forward and sweep her into his arms as she moved in their direction. She hurried forward with her hands outstretched. Not to him, unfortunately.

  Mr. Remington eagerly took her slender hands in his. “Welcome home, Hope.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “We couldn’t be happier that you’ve agreed to join our staff at Heart Lake High.”

  She gave his wrinkled hands an affectionate squeeze back before dropping them. “How could I say no to such a kind and generous offer? There certainly aren’t many twenty-nine-year-old administrators out there getting this kind of opportunity handed to them.”

  The superintendent nodded sagely.

  Her smile widened to a full blast of warmth and humor. “I probably don’t want to know how many arms you twisted or favors you called in to make this happen.”

  “You’re the right person for the job, Hope,” he assured quickly. “Don’t you ever doubt it. It’s the only reason I reached out and asked you to apply.”

  “I’m so glad you did,” she murmured. Her smile dimmed a few degrees, as her gaze became washed with nostalgia. “As soon as I heard about the storm damage, I knew I needed to come home.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” Mr. Remington grimaced. “Combining two high school campuses isn’t exactly going to be a stroll around the lake.”

  “I understand what needs to be done, sir.” She met his gaze soberly. “That’s why it had to be me, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  Josh knew what they were leaving unsaid. Hope was a hometown girl. An insider, despite all the years she’d been gone. She was one of the few people in the county who stood a chance at maneuvering her way through the politics, family feuds, and old grudges that fueled everything that took place in their small mountain town. She’d grown up in the middle of those politics. She’d been an integral part of them. Only time would tell how much of them remained in her, how they would fuel her plans and drive her decisions.

  Elmer Remington and his school board were banking on the fact that her decisions in the coming days would drive their high school in the right direction, toward a unity that the students from the north and south sides of town had never before tasted. They’d been arch rivals for years. Putting them under one roof for the first time was a lofty goal at best, a foolish one at worst.

  In that moment, Hope’s natty airline pilot strode over to join their group. Up until now, he’d been conferring with the gate attendant, signing paperwork and such. He held out a hand to the superintendent. “I’m Kellan Maddox. You must be the Elmer Remington I’ve heard so much about.”

  Josh’s upper lip curled at the ruby signet ring riding the man’s pinky finger, along with the diamonds glinting from his cufflinks. What a pretty boy! If this was the kind of man that revved Hope’s motor these days, then she’d changed in ways Josh had never considered her capable of changing. Lifting his jaw a fraction, he drilled her with a curious stare while the two men shook hands.

  Without preamble, Mr. Remington dropped Pretty Boy’s hand and turned in Josh’s direction. “Hope, I reckon you remember Josh Hawling? He’ll be serving as our security director at Heart Lake High.”

  At the mention of his name, her slender shoulders seemed to freeze. However, the smile she sent in his direction sparkled with the same cheery carelessness as it had upon her arrival.

  “Josh Hawling? You’re kidding!”

  He tested her bland response by thrusting out one large, callused paw. Stick your hand in it, lady, and I’ll show you who’s not kidding.

  After a moment of hesitation, she pressed her fingers lightly against his. It was far from a real handshake; he had no intention of letting her get away with such a half-hearted gesture.

  “It’s good to see you again, Hope.” Josh closed his hand around her highfalutin one with its perfect manicure and gave it a full cowboy squeeze. Hate me all you want, darlin’. I deserve it. But saw no point in pretending they didn’t have history between them. No, he wasn’t going to make a scene in front of her filthy rich boyfriend. But she was going to acknowledge, at least to him, that they’d once meant something to each other.

  Her lips parted as she stared at their joined hands. Once upon a time, that kind of handshake would’ve been followed by a quick tug closer so he could plant a firm, hard kiss on her. He could tell from the momentary flash of distress in her gaze that she was remembering.

  Good. He kept her hand ensconced in his a little longer than polite manners deemed necessary before letting it go. He was satisfied that he’d made his point.

  Something flickered in her gaze. Something real and potent. Something angry and wild. She quickly squashed it and schooled her expression, but it was too late. He’d already seen it.

  There you are. Feeling like he’d stayed on top of a bucking bull a good second longer than it took to qualify for the next round, he transferred his attention to the fancy creature at her side, inwardly daring him to stick out his pinky ring one last time. I will break your hand, Pretty Boy. I will crush you.

  Surprise stained the man’s aquiline features as he met Josh’s sneer. “So, ah…I look forward to sitting down with you and your team, Mr. Hawling.” To his credit, he made no move to shake Josh’s hand. “Considering the line of business you’re in, I wouldn’t mind getting your input on the emergency sound systems we’re looking to install here in Heart Lake.”

  It took a few extra seconds for the claws of jealousy to uncurl enough from Josh’s ribcage to process what the man was saying. “I’d be glad to share my thoughts with you, Mr. Maddox.” On a few key things, in particular. He reached inside his vest pocket to produce a business card for Lonestar Security. He and his partner, Decker Kingston, a guy from Houston that he’d met on the rodeo circuit, had opened shop inside a cheap storage locker about five years ago. However, their business had taken off to the point where they now had security personnel working in every mountain town in a hundred-mile radius, and a few cities farther away than that. Oh, and they owned a real home office nowadays, right smack in the center of downtown Heart Lake. Big and new with a nice view of the water.

  “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” He pocketed the card in the pocket of his trousers. Italian silk, if Josh wasn’t mistaken. The only reason he knew that ridiculous fact was due to being sized for a tux to wear at the upcoming wedding of a friend in the police department, Lincoln Hudson. Josh would’ve never wasted his hard-earned money on something as frivolous as Italian silk. His own wardrobe hadn’t changed much over the years. Even though his championship bull riding days were over, it was still jeans and boots for him, thank you very much.

  “Oh, and my friends call me Kellan.” The man’s humor-infused gaze met his knowingly, as he stepped closer to Hope.

  Clever. Josh eyed the man’s movements, wondering if he’d be fool enough to touch her while Josh was watching them. He stared the guy down, delighted by the fact he towered a good two inches over him, maybe three.

  “My friends call me Lucky Ten.” It was because of how many seconds he’d stayed on the bull that had won him his final championship pot. It was the same bull that had snapped three of his ribs and nearly broken his neck in the time he’d managed to remain seated on his viciously twisting flanks.

  Elmer Remington gave a chortle of pride as he reached up to clap Josh on the shoulder. “That lucky ten seconds sure put our small town on the map,�
�� he chortled. “Got this fella’s name in the Bull Riding Hall of Fame, too.”

  “I’m sorry I missed it,” Hope cut in. Though her words were gracious, her tone was as chilly as a cone of shaved ice at a county fair. “Unfortunately, my college studies didn’t leave much time for rodeo hopping and partying.”

  Rodeo Hopping? Partying? Josh arched an eyebrow at her. Darling, while you were busy toting around pretty pink backpacks and tennis rackets, I was busy making bank and saving your…

  His brain froze as she reached for Kellan Maddox’s hand. Oh, for the love of—! He glanced away, unable to bear the way she tipped her face up to her new billionaire boyfriend. It was too painfully reminiscent of the way she used to look at him.

  It was beginning to look like his secret agreement to serve as Hope Remington’s personal bodyguard was going to be a heck of a lot harder assignment than he’d bargained for.

  “Don’t,” Kellan whispered in Hope’s ear. He gave her hand a friendly squeeze before letting it go and taking a safe step away from her. There was a sheen of sadness in his turquoise gaze that she’d never seen before. There was a mild glint of accusation there, too, and disappointment.

  Remorse slammed into her at the realization that the emotional slap she’d intended for the stone-hearted Josh Hawling had landed entirely on the wrong guy. She stared at Kellan in dismay, a thousand apologies burning on her lips. He’d been so sweetly supportive of her during her recent lineup of interviews and her subsequent decision to leave Alaska to accept the job offer in Texas.