Robin Lee Hatcher | Legacy Lane

Legacy Lane
Hart's Crossing #1

"And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love." (Ephesians 3:17)

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Angie Hunter left Hart's Crossing for college and never looked back. So when her widowed mother needs care following surgery, Angie is more than ready to hire a nurse rather than return to her antiquated hometown. But when she is passed over for a promotion at work, an angry Angie quits and heads home anyway.

Francine Hunter is both excited and nervous about having her daughter home for the next two months. She sees this as her chance to make a new connection with her estranged daughter. Will she be able to nudge Angie toward faith without overdoing it? Or will Angie pack up and leave for a new job as soon as Francine has recovered?

"Robin Lee Hatcher's books are much anticipated and justly so. Her characters are real, the plots interesting, and always, the story warms the readers heart. Legacy Lane is exactly the kind of book we expect from her. Warm, witty, sweet, and heart-warming, this first book in the Hart's Crossing series stokes our fires of anticipation for book number two!"
— The Road to Romance

"You know that Robin Lee Hatcher is going to transport you to a new world with her gentle, emotionally charged writing style. Legacy Lane is another example of her enchanting voice... The second in this series, Veterans Way, comes out in 2005. I know I am anxiously awaiting it!"
— Round Table Reviews

"Christy and RITA award winner Hatcher here launches a new four-book series about the residents of a small community in Idaho. The last place Angie Hunter wants to be is back in Hart's Crossing taking care of her preachy mother, Francine, who is recovering from hip surgery. Angie has not been home for more than a few days at a time over the last 17 years. Francine prays that her daughter will find her way back to her faith and her family (and possibly produce a grandchild or two), but her daughter does not want anything to do with her mother's religious beliefs. It is not long, though, before Angie runs into high school chum Bill Palmer and renews their friendship. There is still an attraction between them, but Bill is now a committed Christian, making it difficult for the two to have a future together. As Angie continues to experience the peace and stability of life in her hometown, she begins to drop her defenses and allow God to heal her. Hatcher has written several successful series, including Coming to America and The Americana. Her numerous fans will want this slim novel."
— The Library Journal

"Robin Lee Hatcher has written a delightful, grace-filled story of a young woman's search for meaning in life and a place to belong. The citizens of Hart's Crossing gently show the way to both. Legacy Lane is a wonderful beginning to a promising new series."
— Deborah Raney, award-winning author of A Nest of Sparrows and Playing by Heart

"With Legacy Lane, Robin Lee Hatcher again proves why her books are so anticipated and appreciated. With this story of a woman who hits a major speed bump on her fast track to success, Robin brings us a tender story about real flesh and blood people, small-town neighbors with big hearts, and a mother's love."
— Lorena Mccourtney, author of Whirlpool, Riptide, and Undertow

"Robin Lee Hatcher has a way of telling a story that makes you feel the characters are your own family. Her newest, Legacy Lane, is a wonderful story full of the warmth and charm of a Sunday afternoon in the country. Don't miss this one — you'll want to linger over each page."
— Colleen Coble, author of Without a Trace

"Robin Lee Hatcher's visit to Legacy Lane is like going home for the Holidays! It's warm, cozy and filled with charm. Curl up and enjoy!
— Kristin Billerbeck, author of What a Girl Wants

"I want to move to Hart's Crossing. I want to sit down with Angie, Terri, Francine, Bill and the others and have great conversations about the meaning of life. Robin Lee Hatcher has welcomed us to this wonderful world in Legacy Lane. Don't miss the opportunity to visit!"
— Gayle Roper, Winter Winds, Autumn Dreams , and Summer Shadows

CHAPTER ONE

Angie Hunter stared out the tiny window of the Bombardier turboprop, keeping a death grip on the armrests as the plane bounced and dropped in the turbulent air above the still, snowy--white mountain range.

Oh, how she hated flying in a tin can. Give her a first class seat in a jumbo jet any day. Not that she’d had other options when she made her flight reservations. Only regional airlines flew into the airport nearest her destination, and those airlines used small planes like this one.

Maybe she should have driven from California to Idaho. It might have been nice to have her own automobile for the next eight weeks, and the trip could have been made in an easy two days.

“Don’t be silly, dear,” her mother, Francine Hunter, had said when they talked last week. “I have a perfectly good car, and I won’t be driving anywhere for quite some time.”

I must be out of my mind.

In the seventeen years since Angie had left Idaho, she’d returned infrequently and never stayed longer than three nights at a stretch. While earning her degree, she’d taken summer jobs near the university. Part-time employees didn’t get vacations, so the occasional long weekend was all she could manage back then. As an adult, she’d had the demands of her job as a reason to rush back to the city.

“I’ll go stark raving mad before this is over,” she whispered to her faint reflection in the window. “What have I let myself in for?”

The whine of the engines changed as the plane began its approach. Angie felt her stomach tighten.

The flight attendant, a perky twenty-something blonde in maroon Bermuda shorts and a white blouse, began her landing announcements: Fasten seat belts. Make sure seats are in fully upright position. Turn off electronic devices. Stow all luggage. No smoking until in a designated smoking area in the terminal. No mobile phones until cabin door opens. Enjoy your stay. Thanks for flying today.

With the rough air seemingly behind them, Angie loosened her grip on the armrests. The flight attendant made a final pass down the aisle. She smiled at Angie when she reached her row.

Sure, you can smile, Miss Perk. You’ll be flying out again in another hour or so. I’m stuck here for the next two months!

Angie drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. She should be ashamed. After all, her mother needed her. Eight weeks wasn’t going to kill her.

And it’s not like I have a lot to hurry back to.

She winced at the thought.

Ten minutes later the plane touched down, quickly slowed, and taxied toward the terminal. Angie glanced out the window. The terminal was a single-story building; there were no Jetways. The passengers of this plane would descend the narrow steps built into the cabin door, then walk across the tarmac. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining.

As the plane braked to a halt, the clicking of opening seat belts filled the cabin even before the seat belt sign dimmed. Angie reached for her purse and carry-on bag beneath the seat in front of her. When she stood, she cracked her head against the overhead compartment.

Oh, how she hated these small commuter planes.

Oh, how she hated everything about her life at the moment.