As a lawyer, Hunter spent his days haunting the courthouse when he was on trial and working in his small office located on the street behind the courthouse when he wasn’t. Some might find it odd that Hunter remained in Hawken’s Cove after the childhood he’d had, but the good memories outweighed the bad and his closest friend and the only family Hunter knew still lived there.

Hunter never considered moving anywhere else. But to keep his life interesting, he lived in Albany, twenty minutes from work and the closest thing to a real city he was likely to find in upstate New York.

He walked out of the courtroom at 4:00 p.m. and headed straight down the hallowed hallway toward the front doors. He’d won a hard-fought case today. An innocent man who couldn’t afford expensive legal counsel had turned to Hunter and he’d done his best. These were the cases Hunter enjoyed. He only represented the rich and obnoxious so that he could afford to take on the pro bono cases he preferred.

After working endless hours for months on end, all he wanted to do was have a stiff drink and not have to use his brain for at least twenty-four hours. But as he passed the clerk’s office, his gaze settled on a pair of long legs and vibrant pink high heels. Only one woman wore shoes that bright and in-your-face.

“Molly Gifford,” Hunter said, coming to a halt beside his old law school nemesis. They’d vied for top spot at Albany Law. It still galled him to admit she’d won.

After graduation, they’d parted ways, with Molly leaving for a job in another state. But recently she’d moved to town and for the last month, he’d had the pleasure of checking out those incredible legs on a near daily basis. But her move here had been a surprise because Molly wasn’t born or raised in Hawken’s Cove. When he’d asked, she’d said something about reconnecting with her mother and not much more.

Molly shifted her focus from the court clerk she’d been speaking to and settled her brown eyes on him. “Hunter,” she said, a welcoming smile on her lips. “I hear congratulations are in order.”