Lover's Lane Read Online Free PDF

Though he couldn’t exactly see into her eyes, he sensed a quick assessment in her stare before she turned and walked off.
    Someone who hadn’t spent hours memorizing her features might not have recognized her. The one and only photo he had of her was taken almost six years ago. Naturally, she had changed. Now she was calling herself Carly Nolan.
    Gone was the close cropped, bleached spiked hair, the line of studs that ringed her earlobe, the heavy liner around her eyes—but the loveliness and promise had blossomed. More than just a hint of what was to be, her natural beauty was now more than apparent.
    He almost forgot to breathe when the onshore breeze whipped her long hair across her eyes and teased the ragged, sun-bleached ponytail hanging past her shoulders.
    Denim jeans, an oversized, faded pink sweatshirt and Nike running shoes completed her outfit. The hem of an aqua T-shirt hung below the hem of her sweatshirt.
    Though she had changed, he was willing to bet the farm that the woman he was watching was definitely Caroline Graham.
    When she turned away, his initial impulse had been to follow at a discreet distance, but lack of cover and fear of panicking her kept him glued to his seat.
    This was her town, her home. Unless she suspected something, she wasn’t going anywhere.
    Jake turned to the map again, kept his eyes lowered and stole surreptitious glances as she continued down the block. He watched her break stride at the corner, knew she was going to stop and look back—exactly what he’d have done in her place.
    He sipped his coffee and gazed toward the park as if he had nothing better to do that sunny spring afternoon but enjoy the sound of the waves, the steel-drum reggae music and the warm sun shining down.
    He polished off the last thick, dark swill of coffee at the bottom of the cup, not sure if his adrenaline was pumping from too much caffeine or seeing her in the flesh.
    He half expected her to step into Cove Gallery as she walked by, but she merely stopped to wave. Noting the time, he scanned the map and assumed that if she was Caroline, she might be headed for the grammar school three blocks away.
    Jake stood up, deciding to pay a visit to Potter A#1 Realty across the street. Under the guise of being just another tourist interested in a summer rental, he just might find out what Caroline/Carly had been doing there.
    He tossed the empty cup into a trash can near the bakery door. The homey, heady scent of cinnamon buns floating on a salt-tinged breeze trailed him across the street.
    He stopped to scan two dozen color photos of the rooms and homes available as summer rentals that were evenly spaced and taped inside the window of the real estate office. As soon as he opened the door, a trim blonde with the well-scrubbed look of a Disneyland tour guide and way too much perkiness for his taste hurried over to usher him in.
    “Hi! I’m Tracy Potter. How can I help you?”
    Turn down the wattage. He quickly reminded himself she was only trying to earn a buck and remembered his manners.
    “My name’s Jake Montgomery. I’m up from the L.A. area and interested in a summer rental.”
    “Then you’ve definitely come to the right place. We have the most listings in town.”
    Since he hadn’t seen any other real estate office on the street he figured Potter A#1 had the only listings in town, but he didn’t call that to her attention.
    “What exactly are you looking for?” She wandered behind her desk, picked up a thick three-ringed binder then swiveled her computer monitor in his direction. “I’ve got a few listings on-line that are still available, and I can give you printed flyers on everything we have open for this summer. Will you be staying a few weeks or a couple of months? I should warn you that this late in the spring, everything’s pretty well booked.”
    He wasn’t looking for anything but a connection between the Realtor and Caroline and even wondered if Caroline might be planning to