Resurrected Hearts

Can modern love survive a centuries old curse?

When museum curator Savannah Decatur trades in her job at a prestigious New York museum to set up a museum in the tiny town of Wolf Creek, New Hampshire, she resolves to use the isolation and enticement of a mysterious old manor to put the past year behind her. And her plan starts out great - until she meets a major distraction in the form of Daniel Harrison.

On sabbatical from teaching criminology, Professor Daniel Harrison is in a race against time to uncover the secrets of Alder Manor to finish his dissertation. When Daniel meets Savannah, he instantly knows two things: their work is stirring people up, and she’s just the woman he’s been looking for. Although Savannah agrees to team up to find the answers they’re both seeking, she is resolute in ignoring their mutual attraction.

As danger bonds them together and dead ends impede their progress, they are desperate to resolve the long-standing dispute between the local Maliut Indian Nation and the residents of Wolf Creek. But what they learn about the centuries-old mystery is a game-changer. Now they must convince both sides to work together before someone else gets hurt…

Chapter 1

“Got a moment?”

Savannah looked away from her computer screen to see her boyfriend, scratch that—her ex-boyfriend, perched on the corner of her desk. She sat back and eyed him silently.

Mark’s jovial attitude disappeared as he surveyed her closed expression. “Okay, then,” he muttered. “Guess we’re not feeling polite today.”

She hitched her chin. “You first.”

He dropped a legal-sized envelope in front of her. “I have an opportunity for you.” He paused until she looked up from straightening the papers his envelope had displaced. “A headhunter sent this my way.” When Savannah didn’t reach for the package, he continued. “The Maliut Indian Nation is looking for a curator to set up a museum honoring their heritage.” When the familiar smug look crossed his face, she knew she hadn’t completely concealed the jolt of excitement she’d felt. “It’s in Wolf Creek, New Hampshire.”

Savannah blinked at him across her desk; her irritation with Mark gave way to disbelief, compelling her to break her silence. “Why are you offering this to me?” But she knew before the full sentence had left her mouth. “You’re getting rid of me.”

“This is a great opportunity.” His voice was smooth, convincing. But Savannah knew him too well to be swayed. Their recent breakup had made their work situation uncomfortable at best and this opportunity would certainly make his life easier. She wasn’t surprised that a headhunter had contacted Mark; theirs was a competitive field. But it wasn’t every day that the person with the power to fire you brought you a job opportunity. To Savannah, that spoke volumes.

“And just how soon should I pursue this great opportunity?” Savannah had to work to keep every bit of inflection out of her voice.

“Soon, I would think. Jobs in this line of work don’t open up all the time.”

“The museum is really willing to let me go, just to do your bidding? I’m one of the best in the field!”

“Then this new place will be lucky to have you.” Mark looked around her office, probably to avoid making eye contact. “This doesn’t have to be personal, Savannah. And it doesn’t have to be permanent either. Think of it as an adventure. You haven’t been in the field in a long time. I’m freeing you up to do the two things you enjoy most—exploring and creating something from the ground up.”

Savannah knew the truth in his words and hated him for using those reasons as a way to clear her out of his life. She didn’t want him back. That ship had sailed. But she resented that he still had the power to shape her future.

“I’ll be looking for your letter of resignation next week. That should give you plenty of time to announce your intentions and reassign your projects.”

Savannah turned back to the research on her computer screen, dismissing him. She couldn’t trust herself to speak.

Four days later, Savannah was in Manchester, NH to meet with Kinap Mokosewi, a representative from the Maliut Nation. He handed her a file while they were having lunch. His leathery face remained impassive as she opened it and pulled out a contract. She scanned the first page, and her mouth opened in surprise.

“Is this for real?” she asked when she found her voice.

“The proof is in your hands.”

She quickly flipped through the documents. “You’re offering me a contract to open a museum in Alder House?”

“And to stay on and manage it.” He continued to stare at her with his unreadable eyes. “Your very own museum, in a way. Yours to set up as you see fit. We would provide you with living quarters — a brand new cabin and an office if or when you need one.”

Savannah was having a hard time taking it in. “Where did you find the funding for a venture like this?”

“A grant. Along with a number of other investors and state universities.” He leaned forward, honesty reflected in his expression. “Ms. Decatur, there are no strings attached to this offer. If you decide to decline our offer, the same would be made to the next candidate. You are our first choice, first and foremost because your résumé and reputation are impeccable. We would be honored if you accepted this opportunity.”

She sat back and blinked at Kinap. Her heart was threatening to pound out of her chest. Regardless that Mark brought it to her for his own gain, this was her chance. She was being offered the opportunity to set up a museum from the ground up — and to preserve a piece of history that was very nearly lost to time. This was also a chance to start over new in a place where she had no cause to run into Mark and his soon-to-be wife.

She smiled. “Mr. Mokosewi, where do I sign?”

Savannah’s great adventure was off to a rotten start. Why had she let Mark get away with doing this to her? Oh right. He was her boss. She wondered over that monumental lapse in judgment for the thousandth time as she waited for her flight out of LaGuardia. Of course maybe she’d have a better attitude right now if she hadn’t been held up by a blazing argument with the scoundrel. That argument was the reason she’d missed her original flight, and that was just the first in a series of bad luck she’d experienced today.

Her morning had started earlier than normal when a noise woke her up. She spotted a light in the large walk-in closet to her left, so she crawled out of bed to investigate and came face-to-face with Mark. The rush of adrenaline caused by finding him in her closet was quickly replaced with anger over the presumption of letting himself into her house.

“What are you doing here? It’s not even 6:00 a.m.!” She didn’t care that her voice croaked. She could feel the blood pumping behind her eyes and wondered if steam really could come out of a person’s ears.

“Have you seen my red tie?” He turned to face her, his white Oxford only partially buttoned. “You know? The one with green and blue flecks on it?”

She blinked at him.

“Savannah?” He snapped his fingers in her face. What kind of hallucination, drug, or trance she’d been under for the past year that could have tricked her into thinking she was attracted to this man? “Have you seen it?” he repeated.

She didn’t bother to hide her disgust. “You probably took it to Marci’s place. You know, where you live now.” She stalked past him and slammed the bathroom door before another patronizing word leaked out of his mouth. There was no chance of falling back to sleep now. Her anger could have powered a whole city block. She brushed her teeth and emerged a few minutes later in her running gear.

Mark had moved to the kitchen and was helping himself to the cup of coffee she’d set up to drip the night before. Was he kidding? She marched up to him so quickly that he took a hasty step back, protecting the coffee as if he was afraid she would snatch it from him. She was tempted to spill it all over his shirt, but that was beneath her. She mentally kicked herself again for ever having fallen for the lout.

She held one hand out, the other on her hip. He looked from her hand to her face, his own expression blank, still protecting the coffee. “What?”

“I want my key back.”

He took another step back and took a long drink of her coffee. “I need to hang onto it a little longer. Until I have time to clear out my things.”

“You’ve had nearly a month to clear out your things.”

He nodded in a conciliatory gesture. “Marci and I are looking for a bigger place. I might as well wait—”

“You might as well clear your stuff out of here now since you no longer live here!”

He held out a placating hand. “There’s no need to yell.”

She didn’t even stop to think about the neighbors on either side of her townhouse. “Get your stuff out of my house and give me back my key!” she yelled at the top of her voice.

The shock on his face gave her the childish urge to giggle, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to maintain a serious expression. Looking at her now with a little wariness, Mark set the cup on the countertop and slid past her.

Seconds later she heard the front door close. With a glance of regret at the coffee she didn’t get to drink, she snatched up her keyring and let herself out behind him. She jogged three blocks east to get to the edge of the Hudson River and then ran the familiar path that served as her daily five miles of exercise. Even the fury of her feet hitting the pavement couldn’t stomp out the injustice of it all.

Mark was looking for a place to live with his new girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child. And he planned to stick Savannah with his belongings until he’d sorted it all out? The more she thought about it the angrier she became, until she realized she’d run much farther than she’d intended. And farther than she had time for. Now she would be late for her parting review meeting. Could the day get any worse?

Stupid question, she thought an hour and a half later when she arrived at the museum. She spotted Mark wearing the missing tie and showing a group of interns some sonogram pictures of the baby on his cell phone. Savannah ground her teeth and maneuvered around them.

“You’re late,” he muttered as she passed him. Her quick, incredulous look stopped him from saying anything further.

She spent the next few hours filling out paperwork, packing up the last of her office, and saying goodbye to some friends. It was nearly noon by the time she left the museum. Her flight was scheduled to leave at three. She would be cutting it close.

She burst through the door of her house and sprinted to the bedroom to grab the suitcases she’d packed the night before. She skidded to a halt in the doorway, surveying the mess with wide eyes. Mark’s things were strewn across her bed and on the floor. He was once again rooting around in her closet.

“I don’t have time for this right now,” she announced from the bedroom doorway.

“Excuse me?” He disentangled himself from a hanging shirtsleeve and walked into the bedroom with a duffle bag in his hand.

“I need to leave for the airport right now. What are you doing here?”

“Packing a few things that I’d forgotten about.”

She cocked her head. “How about packing all of it?”

Mark turned to her, his face softening. “Savannah, look. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Everything with Marci—it just happened. There’s no reason that we can’t be civil to each other, right? We’re both adults and we’re bound to run into each other now and again. Let’s agree to part on friendly terms.”

“Friendly? You cheated on me! How friendly is that?”

“You know what I mean.”

“What I think you mean is that you’ve moved on and I should just pretend like the past year of my life didn’t happen. I should be happy that your cheating ways worked out so well for you.”

“Savannah—”

“No, Mark. I don’t want to hear it. In order to clear me out of your life, you fired me and arranged for me to get a new job in the middle of nowhere New Hampshire. And don’t tell me that you had any other motive in mind. I’m at the top of my field and I’m excellent at what I do.” Mark gave her a hard look but didn’t respond to her accusations. They both knew she was right. “When I return to check on my place, your stuff had better be cleared out or it will be donated to a homeless shelter.”

After that she grabbed her bags and booked it for the door. She missed her flight anyway because of the long line at the airport security checkpoint and had to book a later flight. Now, nearly thirteen hours after this rotten day had begun, she was driving from Manchester to Wolf Creek in the wrong car because of a mix-up at the rental counter — without her luggage because her bags had somehow missed the second flight.

Mark was right about one thing. She was looking forward to a new adventure. She would have a new setting and a new distraction to help her forget about how he had lied to her, stomped all over her pride, and cost her the job she loved.

As she took in the scenery, she began to envision the next season of her life alone in a drafty old house. This could turn out to be fun, or it could be complete torture. Either way, she never turned down an adventure.

The two-lane highway was lined by a thick green forest and the road seemed to curve continuously so that she could never see more than road and trees in the distance. Occasionally, the road dipped and she could catch a glimpse of neighboring mountaintops. She slowed each time she passed an animal crossing sign and then quickly forgot caution again when the forest threatened to close in on her.

She gave a little cheer when she spotted the blue and gold Welcome to Wolf Creek sign boasting a population of 1,910. Savannah wondered what it must be like to grow up in such a small community. She slowed the car to a crawl and looked with wide eyes at the time-worn businesses that lined Main Street. She itched to park her little rental and wander from building to building, starting with the flower shop with the bright green and white striped awning past Bailey’s Restaurant and the Silver Salon, all the way down to the old white wooden church at the east end of town. Unfortunately, all the stores appeared to be closed. She checked the clock on the dash and decided that living in a place where the sidewalks rolled up at night was going to take some getting used to. With a sigh, she cast one last look and pressed on.

By the time Savannah turned into the long drive marked by two stone posts that looked like they were missing their statues she was ready to get down to business. She stopped the car and looked in awe at the abandoned old manor and its spacious courtyard. The imposing stone building was beautiful. It called to her. She put the car back into gear and drove around to the east of the manor, where her directions indicated the cabin was situated.

She gaped in disbelief when she saw the home that would be hers under her employment contract with the Maliut Nation. The sleek and modern log cabin stood in defiant contrast to the ancient stone structure beside it. A part of her was relieved to know her living quarters included an up-to-date kitchen and modern plumbing, but mostly she was disappointed that such new construction had been blatantly added so close to the historic site. She made a mental note to look into planting a hedgerow between the buildings.

She parked her rental in the cabin’s carport and hitched her carryon out of the passenger seat. The key was hanging in the light fixture to the left of the door as promised.

The carport entry opened into a small but functional kitchen, clearly expensive. Savannah towed her carryon through the open living area with its raised beam ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that faced a startlingly black lake. Several doors opened off the living room, so she tried them all, making note of an office, a small bedroom, and a guest bathroom before finding the door that opened into the master bedroom. Her new bedroom also boasted enormous windows, this time facing the woods on the east side of the property. The room was decorated in shades of gray ranging from nearly white to hues so dark they pulled at her senses. Savannah breathed deep with satisfaction. This was a room she could relax in.

By the time she’d looked around the luxurious log cabin and unpacked her one measly bag, it was well past dinnertime and starting to get dark. She was disappointed that she would have to wait until tomorrow to begin exploring the old manor.

Savannah woke at her usual predawn hour and padded out to the kitchen to start a cup of coffee only to find that the cupboards and even the refrigerator were bare. She thunked her head against the upper cabinet and groaned in disappointment. She hadn’t given a single thought to stopping for groceries or even to checking for what she would need when she’d arrived the night before.

Mark had always joked that the mundane parts of life were beneath her notice. While she hated that the cheating-backstabbing-soon-to-be-daddy popped into her head, she hated even more that he was right. She was on her own in the middle of nowhere. It was time to grow up and start taking better care of herself. Step one was to hunt down coffee. Step two would be groceries.

She fixed her appearance for going out in public, locked up the cabin, and then pointed her car back toward Wolf Creek in search of sustenance. As she passed the stately and overgrown courtyard of the manor, she looked up at the front of the building. “Later, my precious,” she whispered.

After a series of wrong turns, Savannah ended up in front of a restaurant dubiously named Suds N Grub. Wolf Creek couldn’t boast coffee shops on every corner the way New York City did and she was starving, so she guessed this would have to do. It looked like a dive, but she was desperate.

A friendly waitress in her late twenties gave her a wave and then hurried over. “New in town or just stopping through?”

“New in town, I guess. And desperate for coffee.”

The waitress smiled in apparent understanding. “Be right back.”

A minute later Savannah sighed in relief when a mug was set in front of her. “Can I get you some breakfast too?”

“Two egg whites and wheat toast?” Savannah asked, wondering whether that was common request outside of the city, but the waitress didn’t seem fazed by the request. She hurried off to put in the order and then came back to refill Savannah’s coffee.

“So where do I go for groceries in Wolf Creek?”

The waitress leaned a hip against the table. “For groceries you’ll want to go to Pat’s. That’s on Main.”

“Great — I think I must have turned off State Highway before I hit Main. That must be the road I came in on last night. I haven’t had a chance to check out the town yet.” She added with a shrug.

“Wow. Really new in town, huh? What brings you to Wolf Creek?”

“The Maliut Nation hired me to set up their new museum.” She stuck a hand out. “Savannah Decatur.”

“Rachel Henige. Welcome to Wolf Creek, Savannah.”

“Thanks. It’ll be a change of pace, but I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Rachel started to reply and paused to frown as a hulking bulldog of a man ambled up to her table. Savannah resisted the urge to shudder when he gave them both an oily smile.

“Who’s your new friend, Rachel?”

Savannah took in Rachel’s suddenly shuttered expression and introduced herself. “I’m the new curator for the Maliut Nation’s museum.”

“Carl Williams. I run this joint. Anything you need, you just let me or Rachel here know. Besides Tilly, Rachel’s my best!” After that ridiculous pronouncement, he nodded and went to join a table of flashily dressed men who looked as out of place as Savannah felt.

“I’m not his anything.” Rachel said with disgust. “But let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Savannah gave a nod and pulled a notepad out of the little backpack that she carried instead of a purse. While she sipped her coffee, and later ate her breakfast, she made a list of the items she would need for her house as well as a few reminders of things she needed to do before getting started sorting out the contents of the old manor.

When she finished, she left enough cash to cover her meal plus a large tip and wended her way through the tables toward the door. She overheard only a few words from the conversation at Carl’s table but it was enough to understand that the men he was with didn’t think much of the tribe or of her work for them. She told herself their attitude wasn’t personal, but she had a harder time shaking off the unsettling vibes she felt coming from them as she left the restaurant.

Savannah retrieved her car and turned left out of the lot. She found Main Street just a block north and the bright red awning of Pat’s Grocery another few blocks away. It appeared that the city limits of Wolf Creek spanned only about four blocks.

The interior of the store gave testament to its age with its aluminum shelving and worn asbestos tile flooring. But the place was clean and Savannah was satisfied with the selection.

Other than a few smiles or nods, she was pretty much left to her shopping. That was, until she reached the checkout counter. The clerk was a sixty-something woman with short-cropped hair and a welcoming smile. “You’re the new one, huh?”

“I’m sorry?” Savannah wondered if the clerk had confused her with someone else.

“New in town, right? You’re the one the Indians hired to set up their museum.”

“Yes. The curator.”

The clerk brushed her fingertips over her collarbone in the antiquated symbol for fancy. “Well. I’m Pat. My husband, Simon, and I own this place and a share in the gas station up the road here too.”

Savannah barely had time to nod before Pat continued. “If there’s something you need that we don’t carry, you just let me or Simon know. We’re not exactly New York City, but we do have a decent selection.”

“Yes. I found everything I was looking for. But thanks.”

Pat finished bagging the items while Savannah paid and then thanked her quickly before the older woman could launch into another conversation.

Savannah’s phone pinged with a text while she loaded the bags into the trunk. A quick check told her that her luggage was waiting for her at the airport. She sighed and decided to run back to the cabin to put the food away before heading to Manchester. It was a two-hour drive one way, so it would likely be another day before she could get into the manor to look around. She also needed to let Mr. Mokosewi know that she’d settled in.