Chapter 1: A fairytale beginning, right?

"Ok, here we are", I mutter as I turn off the engine of my beat up Volkswagen. Sam, my one year old beagle, barks and wags his tail. I step out of my car and open the door for him.

"Come on boy, let's see if we can remember the way to grandma's house in Tashmore Lake.

Fifteen minutes later I haven't got a clue where I am. To my defence, I've only been to my late grandmothers' house twice back when I was a bratty teenager. As she got older, she didn't have the energy to go back to the place, before dying in her sleep two months ago.

Now I, the 28 year old Joan Franklin, a New Yorker girl at heart, had inherited the old cabin in the country side. Obviously, my first thought when I heard the news, was to sell it straight away before deciding to give it a chance out of respect for my grandmother.

Now I've only just arrived here and I'm already lost. Oh well, at least someone is having fun, I think by myself as I watch Sam run around. Until he's suddenly gone.

"Sam, where the hell are…?" I pause mid yell when I see him in the arms of a strange guy, licking his face.

"Sorry about my dog sir, he's only a year."

I take a better look at him and start to feel a bit nervous. Nice going Sam, you've just drooled on the most gorgeous guy in town. The man smiles at me.

"It's alright. I like him, what's his name?"

Relieved, I smile back at him. "It's Sam. Oh by the way, do you happen to know where the Forrest street is? I'm new around here and I got kind of lost."

"It's straight ahead, you were walking the right way."

I blush. "Thanks."

"No problem miss…?"

"Franklin. Joan Franklin," I introduce myself as I shake his hand.

"Mort Rainey."

I raise an eyebrow.

"The writer Rainey?"

"Yeah, know my books?"

"Actually I do, especially since I own a bookstore."

"Really? What are your favourite novels?"

Before I know it, we're discussing tons of books and writers, then switching to music, movies and hobbies. When he finally leaves I smile, knowing that maybe Tashmore Lake isn't as boring as I thought it would be.