that she was thirty years old and that Georgia was her previous state of residence.
Then a screen popped up that stopped him. “Well, hell.”
He drummed his fingers on his keyboard for a moment as he thought about what to do. Abruptly he deleted the form, then ran a criminal history check through the Colorado Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center databases.
He got a hit and repeated, “Well, hell.”
Next he ran a QR, a query rap sheet. What came back had his stomach taking a nauseated roll. Son of a bitch. Right under his nose.
Ginger returned to the office with his lunch to find Zach staring blindly out the window. “What are you looking at, Zach?”
He let out a long, heavy sigh and spoke a single, heartfelt word. “Trouble.”
FOUR
The Eternity Springs Chamber of Commerce planning committee met in a conference room on the second floor of the Tourist Information Center, a pleasant two-and-a-half-block walk for Savannah. After an afternoon shower, the clouds had cleared away and sunshine sparkled on the rainwater that dripped from rooftops and splattered into thirsty flower boxes. The town certainly had its flowers on, she observed. In addition to lush hanging baskets and bulging window boxes, huge pots of red geraniums, purple alliums, and yellow lilies lined the street. The cheerful sight made her smile.
Savannah needed a smile. She was nervous. This would be her first appearance at anything halfway official in Eternity Springs, and she wanted to make a good impression. Easier said than done, since the majority of her experience lay at the other end of the spectrum, and her role models for making a good impression were limited.
Reinventing oneself wasn’t easy. Especially since the more she got to know the people of Eternity Springs, the more she worried that they’d find out about her past.
Savannah was crossing Second Street when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see perky, petite Sarah Murphy and a redheaded woman she didn’t know crossing Spruce Street toward her. She plastered on a smile. “Hello.”
“Hi, Savannah,” Sarah replied. “Sage told me you might be coming to tonight’s meeting. I’m so glad to have another sucker …” She flashed a grin and finished, “Um … I mean, volunteer, to help. Have you met Cat Davenport?” She gestured toward her companion.
“No, I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“In that case, let me introduce you to the owner of our weekly newspaper, Eternity Times. Cat also helps her husband, Jack, oversee the children’s charity that is building the new summer camp up on Murphy Mountain. Cat, Savannah Moore makes the most wonderful soaps and lotions.”
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Cat smiled brightly as she shook Savannah’s hand. “Ali Timberlake put your lavender lotion in the ladies’ room at her restaurant. It’s wonderful.”
She noticed the lotion? Savannah was secretly thrilled. “Thank you.”
“Cat is a relative newcomer to Eternity Springs, too,” Sarah said. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, “Last year she was kidnapped and imprisoned in a luxury estate outside town.”
“Oh, no,” Savannah said, her eyes widening even as Cat Davenport smirked.
“By her ex-husband,” Sarah added. “Whom she remarried in March.”
Savannah fumbled for something to say, eventually settling on, “That sounds like quite a story.”
“At times I thought it might have a homicide subplot,” Cat said dryly. “He was careful to keep his guns away from me, thank goodness.”
“I see.” Savannah smiled tightly. Where she came from, homicide and guns were not a joking matter.
Talk moved to general subjects as they completed their walk to the tourist center. There, Savannah made a stop in the ladies’ room while Sarah and Cat went on upstairs. When she joined them in the conference room, she saw the tables arranged in a square with the majority of the seats taken. Sarah waved, then indicated she’d saved Savannah a seat next to her.
The mayor sat at the table on her left at the center. Savannah turned to her right and noticed her favorite handyman and high school English and history teacher, Jim Brand. She smiled and waved hello to the handsome older man. He winked back. The mayor picked up his gavel and knocked it on the table just as two newcomers stepped into the room and took seats directly opposite Savannah.
Immediately her spine stiffened.
Having Zach Turner seated directly across from her, light glinting off the sheriff’s badge pinned to a khaki uniform shirt, was bad enough, but the woman seated at his right caused a visceral negative reaction within her so