"A new family moved in then?"

Ellie ducked into the fridge.

"Did a new family move in?" Abby tried again.

Ellie closed the refrigerator with a pint carton of creamer in her hand. She went to the table, sat down and poured some into her cup. She offered the carton to Abby, who shook her head, no. "Just a single person."

Her sister was being far too mysterious about the whole topic, Abby decided. And she couldn't imagine why.

She turned back to the window to look at the house again. "Well, whoever moved in there sure did a fabulous job..."

The appearance of the apparent owner leaving the house stopped Abby mid-sentence. The dark hair, distinct jawline and magnificent body made recognition immediate.

"Chase Jordan owns Old Miss Strout's house?" she sputtered.

Shehad seen Chase Jordan last night. It should have made her feel better about her sanity, but alas, it only made her feel worse. Thus far she hadn't acted even remotely sane when Chase was near.

When she realized Ellie hadn't responded, she turned back to her sister. Ellie watched her over the rim of her coffee cup, a decidedly guilty expression on her face. "Yes, Chase Jordan is my neighbor."

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday, when we were talking about him?"

"I didn't think it was such a good idea. He seemed to make you uncomfortable."

Boy, she could say that again. But Abby was going to have to get over it. She wasn't here to moon over Chase Jordan. She had already been there and done that. She was grown woman, for heaven's sake! She could certainly handle living across the street from her high school crush.

"This is silly," Abby declared. "Yes, I did have a crush on Chase Jordan when we were in high school. But why on earth would that matter now? I'm a grown woman, and I already have a significant other..." She struggled with the name.

"Nelson," Ellie supplied.

"Yes, of course, Nelson, and I'm perfectly capable of living quite serenely across the street from Chase Jordan."

Ellie looked unconvinced. "Well, he seemed to unsettle you yesterday."

"It wasn't Chase per se. It was just the whole experience of being back here." Abby gripped her coffee cup in both hands. "It was strange. And made me act strange. But I'm fine now."

Ellie nodded with her usual acceptance. "I'm glad. Do you want something for breakfast? We have bagels and English muffins."

"A bagel would be great." Abby could always count on Ellie to accept her explanations. She may not believe them, but she'd let the subject drop.

Abby snuck another quick look out the window and saw that Chase's driveway was empty. He was gone. And she felt a pang of disappointment, but she quickly scolded herself. Chase Jordan had no interest in a friendship with her, and she had no interest in one with him.

"I think I'll go to the lab today and take a look around."

Ellie popped two bagels in the toaster oven and pushed down the lever. "That's a good idea."

Yes, it was time for Abby to surround herself with the familiarity of her work. It was exactly the thing to make her feel a bit normal again. Chapter 4

"Dr. Stepp, I can't tell you how pleased I am to have you on our team." Dr. Keene grasped Abby's hand and pumped it vigorously.

Just from the brief moment she had spent in the older man's presence, Abby had the feeling he did everything with enthusiasm. And even though his white hair and the deep wrinkles around his blue eyes showed his age, he gave the impression of being much younger. Abby liked him immediately.

"Please call me Abby, and I'm honored that you accepted me. Your research is very impressive," she said with sincerity.

"As is yours. Did the trip here go well?"

Abby nodded.

"Wonderful. Wonderful. Now let me introduce you to the others on my staff."

Dr. Keene, or Cecil as he insisted Abby call him, showed her around the lab. Rand Labs wasn't a huge establishment, but it did have state-of-the-art equipment and a substantial research team. Abby quickly found herself immersed in the only world in which she felt truly comfortable.

"Abby," Cecil said, after they had toured the lab for nearly an hour, "I'm having a get-together tonight-or rather my wife is. She always throws a May Day party. After all, it's nice to say good-bye to yet another long Maine winter. And we would be pleased if you could attend. Most of the people you met today will be there. As well as a couple other folks."

"I'd love to."

"Wonderful. Wonderful. We'll see you around seven, then."

Abby left Rand Labs feeling better and more confident than she had since she set foot back in Millbrook. Shehad made the right decision coming back.

As Abby stepped out of her silver sedan, she straightened her tailored skirt and jacket and ran a hand over her hair to smooth any wayward locks.

The Keenes' house was an impressive Victorian with ornate gingerbreading on the eaves and around the roof of the wraparound porch. The cheerful yellow glow of lights shone from all the downstairs windows, and as Abby got closer she could hear the hum of voices and an occasional burst of laughter.

She stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs and adjusted her skirt again. All her confidence had disappeared, and despite her best efforts to curb the feeling, she was nervous. She knew she had no reason to be. Dr. Keene was a very nice man, as were all the other people she met at the lab. And she certainly had the common interest of their research to talk about, but she still felt nervous.

She didn't know how to act at parties. In fact, she rarely attended any-only scientific banquets and conventions. In college, she had been too busy with her studies to attend the usual dorm parties, and when she met Nelson, well, he hated social gatherings. So the opportunity seldom arose.

She tugged at the lapel of her jacket once more and mounted the stairs. If she didn't feel comfortable, she would just leave early. No need to worry.

She knocked on the front door, and it was promptly answered by a short woman with silver hair styled in a cute pixie cut. "You must be Abby Stepp," the woman said with a warm smile and ushered Abby into the house. "Yes." "I'm Cecil's wife, Adele. I'm so glad you could make it tonight. You must be tired. Cecil was telling me that you just arrived in town yesterday." Some of Abby's nervousness faded with Adele's warm reception. "Yes, I did, but the move went smoothly." "Good. Come meet the others." Although the May Day party was a much larger gathering than Dr. Keene had led her to believe, Abby was soon caught up in a swirl of conversation, food and drink. And the whole experience was remarkably easy.

Easy until she wandered over to a group of couples that she didn't recognize from people she'd met at Rand Labs. She was suddenly back in school looking at a clique she would never belong to. All the beautiful, all the popular.

She started to turn to go back across the room to the group containing her host and hostess, but the sound of her name stopped her.

"Abby? Abby Stepp, is that you?"

She looked back around to see Mandy Blanchard, beaming at her.

Abby forced a smile. The evening had lost its easy comfort. "Hi, Mandy."

"I can't believe you even recognize me," Mandy said with her signature toothy smile. "I must look much different."

Nope, still as beautiful as ever.

"Three kids tend to make you look old and tired, I think."

Abby nodded.

"You remember Andrea Gates, now Andrea Pepin. And Wendy Thurston, now Wendy Knight. And

this is Gary Hoyt and his wife Dawn."

They smiled and greeted Abby as each was reintroduced.

She responded in kind, and then shifted awkwardly, casting a look back at the group of her co-workers

standing by the buffet.

"So, are you home for long?"

"A few months."

"Really, that's super. Did you realize that this summer is our fifteenth reunion? You must come." Abby scanned the faces of her old classmates. They all stared back as if her acceptance to Mandy's invitation was actually important to them.

"I don't think so," she said. She had no desire to go back and spend the evening with the people who wouldn't give her the time of day all those years ago. "Oh, you really should. You didn't make it to the tenth, and truthfully," Mandy leaned toward her, "you didn't miss much." Andrea laughed. "Wasn't it Dave Macy's idea to just buy a keg and have the reunion at the Ledges?

Celebrating in the woods like we're still underage. Can you imagine?" Abby shook her head. "Well, I think Dave Macy's fondest memories of high school happened at the Ledges," Gary said. Everyone chuckled. "But this year the reunion is going to be at the Mill-brook Inn. Have you seen it?" Mandy asked. Abby shook her head. "It's absolutely beautiful. Chase Jordan fixed the place up, and it is amazing. That man has a real gift." Mandy's last statement was the first thing the group had said that Abby could wrap her mind around. "Speak of the devil," Gary said and their gazes all followed his to where Chase stood slightly in the shadows watching the group. Abby had the distinct feeling that he was actually watching her, but she knew she must be imagining things. "Chase," Mandy said, "do you remember Abby Stepp?" A strange, mysterious smile curved his lips, "Yeah, I remember Abby." He said the words like they had a hidden meaning that no one but he and Abby would understand. Abby wasn't in on the secret. She shifted slightly, then looked down at the wineglass she held. "We were just pestering Abby to come to our class reunion," Mandy told Chase. "And is she coming?" Again, his question seemed to be filled with innuendo. Mandy sighed, glancing over to Abby. "We haven't been able to get an answer." Chase looked directly at Abby and cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe she could be persuaded." Heat crept up Abby's neck. Why did everything he said seem to have a hidden meaning? The whole situation was making her very uncomfortable.

"Excuse me," she said. "I think I'll get something to eat."

"It was great to see you," Mandy said. The other women said things along the same lines.

Again, Abby nodded and started to walk away, but not before she saw Chase's expression. He appeared annoyed.

Abby Stepp really was a number, Chase thought. She looked at her old classmates as though they were little better than insects. She had always had a standoffish demeanor, but now there was no disguising it. She thought she was better than the lowly residents of Millbrook, Maine.

Chase remained with Mandy and her crowd, but his eyes were on Abby.

No, he amended. She seemed to find the Rand Labs crowd in her league.

He watched as Abby smiled at something one of the scientists said. The slight curve of her mouth transformed her features. It brought a glimmer to her dark eyes and softened the angles of her face. It made her look... lovely.

Chase fought back the urge to growl at himself. His plan to stay away from Abby wasn't going to work if he was always finding something attractive about the woman. And how was he finding her so appealing anyway? He should have found her behavior toward Mandy and the others completely unattractive. She had looked like she could barely force herself to stand there and make conversation with them. No, that was too generous. She didn't even make conversation. She had barely been listening to them, much less responding.

Another smile graced her lips, and again Chase found his eyes drawn right to the small gesture. But as he stared, the smile faded. His gaze moved from her lips to her eyes. She was staring back at him, the glimmer gone, replaced by a stoic expression.

With practiced nonchalance, Chase raised his glass to her, and then turned to chat with Gary Hoyt.

Abby was glad the evening was over. She had stayed longer than she really wanted to out of courtesy to Cecil and Adele. But after her run-in with Mandy, Chase and the others, she had kept checking her watch.

As she walked to her car, she thought about Chase. Why did he always seem to be watching her, and why did he make comments that seemed to say more than they actually did?

She must be imagining all of the strange responses she was getting from him. He hadn't paid any attention to her in school, so why would he start now?

As she struggled to fit her car key into the door, she heard the low grinding of an engine. The noise rumbled sickly and then sputtered to a stop. The sound repeated several times and was finally followed by an irritated, "Damned thing!"

Abby immediately recognized the voice and peered through the darkness in the direction of the noise and voice.

A dim light from the vehicle came on as Chase threw open the door of his truck and jumped out. He slammed the door closed and darkness shrouded everything again.

Abby stood there for a moment, listening to Chase fumbling around in the darkness and muttering to himself. Then she moved around her car, using the car's frame to steady herself on the uneven ground. Gradually her eyes adjusted a bit to the lack of light, and she picked her way toward the sound of his low, irritated grumbling.

"Chase," she called tentatively, squinting through the blackness. There was no answer. "Chase?"

Suddenly, a bright white light blinded her. She stumbled and found herself enveloped in a pair of strong, warm arms. She tried to pull herself away, but the arms only tightened.

"Are you okay?" Chase's voice asked, the richly spoken syllables tingling across the skin of her cheek.

"Yes," she managed and pushed away from the solidness of his chest. Chase immediately released her, but the scent of woods and spice and something fundamentally masculine still surrounded her.

"I didn't mean to shine the light right in your face like that," Chase said, gesturing to the flashlight he held, which now illuminated the ground.

Abby was barely able to register the words, as the shivery feeling of being held by him, even so briefly, reverberated in her very cells. In fact, she had no idea how long she stood trying to control the sensation, but it must have been quite some time, because Chase flashed the blinding light in her face again.

"Abby, are you all right?"

She put up a hand to shield her eyes. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I came over to see if you needed help."

Chase turned the flashlight on his truck, which again momentarily caused Abby to be disoriented, as she was whisked back into darkness.

"Ole Helen is not as reliable as she once was."

It took Abby a moment to realize Chase was talking about the truck. She looked toward the spot where Chase's light illuminated, and had no doubts whatsoever that "Helen" wasn't what she used to be. The truck was ancient.

"Is-is there anything I can do?" she asked, fairly certain there wasn't.

"Do you happen to have a starter coil with you?"

"No," she said. "And to be honest, I have no idea what that is."

Chase turned to look back at her, his features sharp and pronounced in the shadows. "Most people don't, unless they need one. It's not a big deal. I'll hitch a ride with Gary, and come back out here tomorrow and fix it. Can I walk you back to your car?" He aimed the light at the ground near her feet so she could see where she was walking.

As they headed the few feet to her vehicle, Abby knew she should offer him a ride. She didn't know where Gary Hoyt lived, but he couldn't possibly live closer to Chase than she did. But the idea of having Chase in a small space like the front seat of her car for even the whole fifteen minutes it would take to get home seemed very dangerous. She wasn't sure she could remember to breathe, much less operate a moving vehicle.