Cover Copy
Welcome to Mountain Meadow, Virginia, where homecomings lead to happily ever after…
Tabitha MacVie has come to Mountain Meadow to meet the sister she never knew, and find the family she longs for. What she discovers is a close-knit community determined to close ranks against the new art teacher, especially once she catches the eye of the town’s most eligible bachelor. Tabby tries hard to keep Joe Taylor at a distance. But staying away from the handsome preacher isn’t easy once he opens his arms to her….
Tabby is the answer to Joe’s prayers. Too bad the spirited beauty believes she doesn’t belong in Mountain Meadow—or with him. Still, Joe can’t resist offering her shelter against the local gossips, or giving her a strong shoulder to lean on when her family hopes are dashed. And when Tabby’s life is suddenly on the line, Joe will do anything to save the woman who stole his heart.
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Books by Laura Browning
Winning Heart
Mountain Meadow Homecomings
Special Deliver, Book One
Lost & Found Love, Book Two
The Barlow-Barretts: An American Dynasty
Bittersweet, Book One
Balancing Act, Book Two
Remember Me, Book Three
Broken Heart, Book Four
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Lost & Found Love
A Mountain Meadow Homecomings Novel
Laura Browning
LYRICAL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Copyright
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2015 by Laura Browning
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First Electronic Edition: February 2016
eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-572-7
eISBN-10: 1-60183-572-8
First Print Edition: February 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-574-1
ISBN-10: 1-60183-574-4
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
During the edits on this manuscript, life changed for me. My eldest brother, John, passed away quite suddenly. He was the first of the four kids in our family, but John was so much more.
He was my hero. The big brother, who was there to help when I was hurt or sick. He was my protector when it came to getting picked on by the sibling closest to me in age. He was left-handed, like me. I don’t know if I ever thanked him for that hand-me-down baseball glove, but it sure made life easier.
He sat next to me when Jaws first came out, putting up with my clawing him in the arm with my fingernails. Then the next day he went swimming in the ocean with me.
He gave me my first ride on a motorcycle. Later on, he encouraged my interest in bicycling, and even slowed down enough to take rides with me. It didn’t matter that he was a competitive cyclist and I just liked to ride. He was willing to take the time to share that interest with me.
He served his country in the Navy. He was loyal, and responsible, yet he still knew how to have fun. He had a wicked sense of humor and a laugh that could make everyone smile. He loved to travel, but he also loved coming home again.
In a story where finding family is so important, it only makes sense to dedicate it to a man who knew the true value of family. This happily ever after is for you, John.
Chapter 1
For a girl who’d grown up in a rundown millhouse, what Tabby stood in front of now was a dream. Best of all, it was hers. The house was a unique blend of colors. A rich, rusty red exterior with creamy yellow shutters and lacy wood trim, which betrayed its Victorian origins. The rounded left front, with its big bay windows on the first and second floors, reminded Tabby of the tower on a castle. The third floor was tucked under a steeply pitched roof, and at ground level, a wide, covered veranda wrapped around the front and side. Tabby gazed at it with a smile. It was exactly like the picture the real estate agent had sent her. Good thing. She’d bought it, sight unseen, in an Internet auction.
The purchase was a win-win situation for Tabby and the former owner. The elderly woman had taken the proceeds and moved into the Mountain Meadow Retirement Community. She was free from caring for such a huge home, and Tabby had gotten a great deal.
With her cat carrier in her left hand, Tabby unlocked the heavy front door and wandered inside. Her artist’s eye quickly circled the high-ceilinged front hall, the living room on one side, and the dining room on the other. The house had possibilities. Even the furnishings would work with a colorful throw here and a few accent pillows there. Since the previous owner had little use in her new patio home for most of the furniture, she had thrown what she didn’t need into the deal.
At a sound behind her, Tabby turned. A leggy boy with long, dark brown hair shifted from foot to foot. His grin alone was enough to light up the room, even without the sunshine streaming through the lacy curtains.
“Who are you?” she asked. “My one-man welcoming committee?”
“Tyler Morgan. I do odd jobs at Tarpley’s…uh…Mountain Meadow General Store, but most folks around here call it Tarpley’s. They—that’s Mr. and Mrs. Tarpley—sent me over with a box of groceries for you. Said it should get you started till you have a chance to stop in.”
Tabby glanced from the box to the boy with his warm brown eyes. Was this place for real? She’d grown up around Asheville, North Carolina where folks were friendly, but not like this.
“Thanks, Tyler. That was thoughtful of you and the…Tarpleys was it?”
“Yeah.”