More than Neighbors Read online

  He’s trying to uncover his past.

  She’s hoping for a brighter future.

  Cam Maguire is in Blackberry Bay to unravel a family secret. Meredith Price has moved next door with her daughter. He’s unattached. She’s a widowed single mom. He’s owned by a cat. She’s definitely team canine. All these neighbors have in common is a property line. One they cross…over and over. And Cam thought he knew what he wanted—until his family’s secret changes everything.

  New York Times Bestselling Author Shannon Stacey

  “So you’re staying for the summer, you said? Where do you usually live?”

  “New York City, actually.”

  Her hazel eyes widened. “Wow. That’s quite a change of pace.”

  “It is, but I was ready to get away for a while.”

  “What do you do in the city?”

  “I work for my dad,” he said, which wasn’t technically a lie, but wasn’t entirely accurate, either.

  A yelp from across the yard caught her attention and she turned to see Elinor swipe at the white puffball. Sophie frowned and picked the dog up, turning her body so the cat couldn’t see him anymore.

  “Your cat appears to be bullying my dog.”

  “She’s not my cat. And you’re embarrassing your dog by even making that claim right now.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t think cats can bully dogs, you don’t spend a lot of time on the internet.”

  “She just wants the dog to know who’s boss, I guess.”

  “It’s his yard,” she pointed out.

  “She’s a cat.”

  “Point taken.” A genuine smile lit up her face and made her eyes crinkle.

  * * *

  Introducing BLACKBERRY BAY, Shannon Stacey’s brand-new series!

  Dear Reader,

  Over the course of my career, I’ve always harbored a desire to write for Harlequin Special Edition, so it’s a thrill and an honor to introduce the Blackberry Bay series. Small New England towns have a special place in my heart—I even live in one—so bringing the Blackberry Bay, New Hampshire, community to life on the page has been a joy.

  Meredith Price has returned to her hometown with her little girl, looking for a fresh start after the death of her husband. Cam Maguire is only there for the summer, staying in his biological grandmother’s lakeshore cottage while seeking answers about his past. When sparks fly between them, these two neighbors might find more than they bargained for!

  You can find out what I’m up to and keep up with any Blackberry Bay news on my website, www.shannonstacey.com, where you’ll find current news as well as a link to sign up for my newsletter. And you can reach me by emailing [email protected], or look me up on Facebook at Facebook.com/shannonstacey.authorpage.

  I hope you enjoy More than Neighbors, and that you’ll visit Blackberry Bay again when the second and third books in the series are released in November and February.

  Happy reading!

  Shannon

  More than Neighbors

  Shannon Stacey

  A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over forty romances, Shannon Stacey grew up military and lived many places before landing in the small New Hampshire town where she has resided with her husband and two sons for over twenty years. Her favorite activities are reading and writing with her dogs at her side. She also loves coffee, Boston sports and watching too much TV. You can learn more about her books at www.shannonstacey.com.

  Books by Shannon Stacey

  Carina Press

  Boston Fire

  Heat Exchange

  Controlled Burn

  Fully Ignited

  Hot Response

  Under Control

  Flare Up

  The Kowalski Series

  Exclusively Yours

  Undeniably Yours

  Yours to Keep

  All He Ever Needed

  All He Ever Desired

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  For my husband and sons, and for J and AJ. There are many people in my life I’m thankful for, but without the five of you, this dream probably wouldn’t have come true.

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick by Christine Rimmer

  Chapter One

  “Is that our new house, Mommy?”

  Meredith Price might have sat in her sporty SUV, strangling the steering wheel with white-knuckled fingers, until the sun went down if not for the tiny voice from the back seat.

  “Yes, honey.” She killed the engine and unfastened her seat belt. Knowing that was the signal they were getting out of the car, the small white dog that had been napping next to Sophie leaped between the seats and into her lap.

  “It’s small.”

  Meredith hadn’t done the math, but she was pretty sure their new home was smaller than the garage area of the six-thousand-square-foot home they’d left behind. “It’s the perfect size for the two of us.”

  Oscar yipped, as if to remind her there were three members of the Price family, and she tried to keep the fluffy bichon frise still long enough to clip his leash onto his collar. “Be still, Oscar.”

  “I want to get out,” her daughter whined.

  “Hold on a second, Sophie. We can’t open the doors until Oscar’s leash is on.” She heard the frustration in her voice and took a long, slow breath. “Wait for me to open your door, okay?”

  She couldn’t blame either of them for being anxious to get out of the car. The road trip from California to New Hampshire had been too much for a six-year-old and an energetic dog, even with more stops than Meredith had planned for.

  Flying out and paying to have the car shipped probably would have made more sense, but driving cross-country had seemed like a grand adventure at the time. It had been an adventure, all right, though grand probably wasn’t the word she’d use for it.

  Once she’d managed to get Oscar on the leash, she stepped out of the car and set the little dog on the ground. He immediately sprinted to the grass and lifted his leg, and Meredith heard the car door slam as Sophie got out. Within seconds, her daughter’s hand was tucked in hers as they both stared at their new home.

  “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  Forcing her expression to relax into a smile, she looked down at the sweet face that was a younger version of her own. They had the same long, thick dark blond hair and oval faces with noses that were just a little too small. “Nothing, honey. I’m just tired because that was a very long drive.”

  “You look scared.”

  “I’m not scared, silly.” She lied to her daughter because it was easier than admitting the truth.

  Scared might be a strong word, but the anxiety and doubt that had been her constant companion since leaving San Diego only intensified as they walked to the front door.

  The home she’d bought from three thousand miles away based on nothin
g but a video tour, her gut instinct and hazy, warm memories of growing up happy in Blackberry Bay, New Hampshire.

  She punched the code the real estate agent had given her into the keypad next to the door. When the lock disengaged, she took another deep breath—they never really helped—and turned the handle.

  Sophie bolted inside and, as soon as the door was closed and Meredith unclipped his leash, Oscar scrambled after her.

  Meredith leaned against the closed door and breathed in the light scent of citrus, probably from whatever the cleaning service had used, and allowed herself to savor this moment.

  This was the place she’d chosen to start over. Only four years old, the house was a small, single-story contemporary that was totally open concept except for the two bedrooms on the end, with a bathroom between them. The cream walls, hardwood floors and high-end finishes aligned perfectly with her taste, and because it was meant to be a summer getaway, it was furnished for comfort, with an overstuffed sofa and chairs in a pale blue.

  The previous owners hadn’t wanted to deal with emptying out what had been a third home for them, so Meredith had been able to negotiate a turnkey price that included all the furnishings, right down to the comforters the owners had chosen to complement the bedroom wall colors—though she’d brought new sheets with her. She’d had her hands full with the San Diego house and had been happy to avoid having to choose between picking out furniture for a house three thousand miles away or waiting until they arrived.

  It hadn’t been all practicality on her part, though. As soon as she’d clicked on the listing, she’d been interested in the house, but it was the interior shots that had her making an offer. The existing decor was all about peace and relaxation and light, and she’d fallen in love instantly.

  It wouldn’t be a summer getaway for her and Sophie, though. It would be their home, and judging from Sophie’s excited chattering to Oscar, she’d chosen well.

  “Wait,” she called when she spotted her daughter reaching for the handle of the sliding door leading out to the deck. “Oscar needs to be on his leash before you open any doors.”

  Sophie was practically dancing in anticipation as she waited, and Meredith grinned at her before clipping Oscar’s leash on and pulling open the sliding glass door. This was the most animated she’d seen her daughter since Devin had died in a car accident two years ago, leaving her without a husband and Sophie without her beloved Daddy.

  Meredith took in the expanse of water before her and it felt like a healing balm for her soul. Blackberry Bay was an offshoot from Lake Winnipesaukee, and it was just the right size for lake life, without the big, fast boats. There was a canoe off to her left, and to the right she could make out a group of stand-up paddleboarders.

  She mentally added buying a small paddleboat to her list of things to maybe do. Devin had left them more than comfortable, plus the sale of their home had bought this house and its furnishings with quite a lot left over, so it would be many years before she had to worry about money if she was smart. And part of being smart was establishing a budget, even if one wasn’t technically necessary.

  Eventually, once school had started and they were settled in, Meredith would figure out how she wanted to fill her days. She didn’t have to work, but she knew by then she’d want to, plus it would leave the majority of their accounts and investments untouched, except for the bigger expenses. Lakefront properties came with hefty tax bills, for one thing.

  But it was worth it. The deck was made of a composite material that looked like wood, but wouldn’t splinter or peel. It spanned the width of the house and extended far enough out to have a patio set and a grill along with the built-in storage seating benches.

  The stairs led down to the yard, which wasn’t big, but it had beautiful grass and sloped gently to a short strip of sand at the water’s edge. A wooden dock extended out into the lake, and at the end was a covered swinging love seat. Wildflowers had been planted around the dock, which Meredith hadn’t noticed in the photos and videos from the real estate agent.

  As surprises in buying a house sight unseen went, unexpected flowers were definitely a good one.

  “Be careful,” she called to Sophie, who had picked Oscar up and walked onto the dock.

  Her daughter was a good swimmer, but the dog wasn’t. And now that they’d be living on the water instead of visiting it, they’d have to have a serious discussion about water safety.

  “Who are you?” she heard Sophie ask, and Meredith’s head jerked up from the flower bed she’d been bent over.

  A man was standing in the next yard, and he startled her enough so she didn’t chide Sophie for being rude. It was a valid question.

  “I’m Cam,” he said in a deep voice that matched his outside. He was tall and broad shouldered, with dark hair and the kind of scruffy jaw that said the beard wasn’t deliberate, but more a result of not bothering to shave for a few days. And, while he was wearing jeans and loafers, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Judging by the pinkish cast to his light tan, shirtless wasn’t his usual state of attire. “Who are you?”

  “Sophie. This is my new house. And this is my dog. His name is Oscar.”

  “Hello,” Meredith said, drawing the stranger’s attention to her before Sophie could spill any more details.

  “Hi.” He looked at her, and he was close enough so she could see the bright blue of his eyes. “In keeping with the theme, who are you?”

  “My name is Meredith. Are you...a groundskeeper of some sort?”

  It seemed like a legitimate question—working outside might explain why he wasn’t wearing a shirt when it wasn’t even hot—so she was surprised when he laughed. And even more surprised when she caught herself smiling because he had a great laugh.

  “I’m not the lawn guy. I’m staying here for the summer.”

  Meredith shook her head in confusion. “You’re renting this cottage?”

  Unlike the old cottages that had been torn down to make way for the newer, much more expensive models, the summer home next door was original. And very colorful, if a little shabby.

  The old clapboard siding was painted a pale pink and the trim was turquoise. The crooked window boxes, some of which had plastic flowers and little whirligigs in them, offered pops of color. It was essentially the total opposite of Meredith’s sleek, white cedar–sided contemporary.

  “No, I’m not renting it. It’s mine.”

  “The real estate agent told me Mrs. Archambault lived next door.” Despite having only vague memories of the older woman, she had been one of the reasons Meredith had chosen this house over two others. She wanted Sophie to learn to bond with people, and a grandmotherly neighbor would have been a good start.

  His expression closed off. “She doesn’t live here anymore.”

  * * *

  Cam Maguire wasn’t sure what to make of finding a beautiful woman, a little girl and a tiny bit of fluff that he was pretty sure was a dog in the yard when he went outside to look for his grandmother’s cat.

  He’d heard all the jokes about cats being real jerks and secretly plotting the demise of the humans who cared for them. He used to laugh at those jokes.

  He didn’t laugh anymore.

  “I don’t understand,” the woman—Meredith, she’d said her name was—said and he realized she was still confused about why he was living next door to her.

  “The woman who lived here, Carolina Archambault, was my grandmother and she passed away recently. I guess it must have been after you talked to your real estate agent about the neighbors.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you,” he said, because it was the right thing to say. And he did feel a sense of loss.

  It was his loss that he’d never met the woman who was his biological paternal grandmother and who had lived in this eccentric and colorful cottage by the lake.

  “There yo
u are,” he said to the extremely large and very long-haired black cat who sauntered into the yard as if she hadn’t disappeared for four hours to who knew where. And she had burrs in her tail again. Getting those things out of her fur made him wish he’d been a hockey goalie in college so he’d have the proper safety equipment for the job. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  Elinor—which was a ridiculous name for a cat, if you asked him—ignored him as expected and walked onto the neighbor’s grass as if she owned it.

  The little girl had left the dock and was exploring the yard with her dog, its leash clutched in her little hand. The dog watched the cat warily, but appeared to be smart enough not to mess with her. And Sophie was a cute kid, with long brownish-blond hair like her mother’s. They looked a lot alike, actually, right down to their serious expressions.

  “I’d offer to give you tips on living in Blackberry Bay,” he said, “but I haven’t been here very long.”

  “I’m from here, actually. I’ve been in California for years, so it might have changed a little, but I’m guessing not very much.”

  “What brings you back?” He instantly regretted asking the question when sadness flitted across her pretty face and settled in the tautness of her mouth.

  “My husband passed away a couple of years ago and I decided Sophie and I would be happier here, near my parents. And I have some pretty fond memories of the town, too.”

  As her words sank in, he looked back to the little girl, trying to imagine how devastating it must have been for her to lose her daddy at such a young age. And how much harder the grieving process must have been for Meredith because she had to get Sophie through it. He’d never suffered that kind of loss, but imagining their sorrow hit him in the gut.

  “I’m sorry about your husband,” he said sincerely as he looked back to Meredith.

  “Thank you.” She gave him a tight smile. “So you’re staying for the summer, you said? Where do you usually live?”

  “New York City, actually.”