Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) by Lauryn Michaels Page A

he wants?”
    Bob shook his head grimly. “Trouble, I tell ya. He wants trouble.”
     

Chapter 7
    Sara tossed and turned all night, unable to stop thinking about what had happened at The Cove. While she could understand that Jack must have been quite the black sheep in a small, tranquil town like Starville, the hostility that everyone felt toward him seemed a little exaggerated, to say the least.
    She didnʼt fall asleep until dawn, with the result that she slept the whole morning and still felt exhausted when she got up. It was late in the afternoon by the time she finally managed to go to the hospital. She hadnʼt written a word all day, but she didnʼt care. She wasnʼt in the mood for writing, anyway. All she could think about was Jack.
    Upon reaching his room, she was disappointed to find the door closed. Maybe he was asleep? She knocked lightly but jumped back in shock when the sheriff swung the door open, the usual sulky frown displayed on his hard face.
    Sara had met Max Lacrod many times before, as she often picked Nicky up at the police department at the end of her shifts, so she was used to his irritable attitude and rude manners. No surprises there. This time, though, the sheriff looked even grumpier than usual. Livid, even.
    “Well, well, look whoʼs here―our little heroine in person!”
    The manʼs voice, reeking sarcasm, immediately put her on the defensive. “Iʼm not a heroine, Sheriff, and I did nothing special. Nothing that anybody else wouldnʼt have done in my place, I would hope. Now, if you donʼt mind, Iʼm here to see Jack.”
    “Heʼs not here,” Doc chimed in grimly, peering over the sheriffʼs frame.
    Sara automatically peeked inside the room, and noticing the empty bed, gave the doctor a confused look. “But…I thought he wasnʼt supposed to be released for another day or so.”
    “He wasnʼt released,” Max Lacrod interjected, a disgusted expression on his face. “As usual, the coward chose to run off instead. If weʼre lucky, heʼs out of town by now.”
    Sara felt so disoriented that it took a few moments for the manʼs harsh words to sink in. Her heart dropped the instant the realization hit her. Jack was gone? Sheʼd never see him again?
    Doc stepped out of the room and wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders, glaring at Max. “Letʼs go, dear. Iʼll walk you out.”
    “I donʼt get it, Doc. Why would Jack leave like that?”
    He shook his head. “Donʼt try to figure him out, Sara, heʼs a complicated man. Heʼs always been.”
    “But―”
    “Go home, dear. Donʼt think about him anymore. For your own good,” he said firmly as he walked her out the door.
    Sara got into her car and started the engine robotically, a million confused thoughts raging in her head. It didnʼt make sense. Sheʼd seen Jack the day before, and heʼd expressed no intention of leaving. Why had he bolted like that?
    The drive home felt like an eternity, and she sighed with relief when she pulled up her driveway. Sheʼd felt so anxious the whole time she drove on the narrow country road, almost as if she expected Jack to appear magically in front of her car as he had two nights before. Only two nights, she mused in disbelief. It felt like a lifetime ago.
    Sara got out of her car and walked to the mailbox. Among the usual dozens of ads and coupons, there was an official-looking envelope, and she turned it around to check the return address. It was from the community college where she worked, she noticed with a frown. How strange. Sheʼd been teaching there for the last four years, and theyʼd never sent her a letter before. Ripping the envelope open as she went up the porch steps, she quickly scanned its contents. A curse slipped out of her mouth. Could things go any worse today?
    “You lied to me.”
    Sara let out a terrified scream at the deep voice that had spoken from behind her. The keys and the mail she was holding fell to the ground, but she barely noticed. Knowing exactly whose voice that