Praise for Denise Hunter

  “A poignant romance that’s perfect for fans of emotional love stories that capture your heart from the very first page. With her signature style, Denise Hunter whisks readers into a world where broken hearts are mended, lives are changed, and love really does conquer all!”

  —New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh, on Mulberry Hollow

  “Hunter delivers a touching story of how family dynamics and personal priorities shift when love takes precedence. Hunter’s fans will love this.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Riverbend Gap

  “Denise Hunter has never failed to pen a novel that whispers messages of hope and brings a smile to my face. Bookshop by the Sea is no different! With a warmhearted community, a small beachside town, a second-chance romance worth rooting for, and cozy bookshop vibes, this is a story you’ll want to snuggle into like a warm blanket.”

  —Melissa Ferguson, author of The Cul-de-Sac War

  “Sophie and Aiden had me hooked from page one, and I was holding my breath until the very end. Denise nails second-chance romance in Bookshop by the Sea. I adored this story! Five giant stars!”

  —Jenny Hale, USA TODAY bestselling author

  “Autumn Skies is the perfect roundup to the Bluebell Inn series. The tension and attraction between Grace and Wyatt is done so well, and the mystery kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Prepare to be swept away to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in a flurry of turning pages.”

  —Nancy Naigle, USA TODAY bestselling author of Christmas Angels

  “Carolina Breeze is filled with surprises, enchantment, and a wonderful depth of romance. Denise Hunter gets better with every novel she writes, and that trend has hit a high point with this wonderful story.”

  —Hannah Alexander, author of The Wedding Kiss

  “A breeze of brilliance! Denise Hunter’s Carolina Breeze will blow you away with a masterful merge of mystery, chemistry, and memories restored in this lakeside love story of faith, family, and fortune.”

  —Julie Lessman, award-winning author

  “Summer by the Tides is a perfect blend of romance and women’s fiction.”

  —Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “Denise Hunter once again proves she’s the queen of romantic drama. Summer by the Tides is both a perfect beach romance and a dramatic story of second chances. If you like Robyn Carr, you’ll love Denise Hunter.”

  —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author of One Little Lie

  “I have never read a romance by Denise Hunter that didn’t sweep me away into a happily ever after. Treat yourself!”

  —Robin Lee Hatcher, bestselling author of Cross My Heart, on Magnolia Lane

  “Hunter’s skill at writing sizzling romance combines with two reader-favorite tropes to deliver a story that is both toe curling and heartwarming.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4 stars, for Honeysuckle Dreams

  “Sweetbriar Cottage is a story to fall in love with. True-to-life characters, high stakes, and powerful chemistry blend to tell an emotional story of reconciliation.”

  —Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author

  “Sweetbriar Cottage is a wonderful story, full of emotional tension and evocative prose. You’ll feel involved in these characters’ lives and carried along by their story as tension ratchets up to a climactic and satisfying conclusion. Terrific read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

  —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

  “Falling Like Snowflakes is charming and fun with a twist of mystery and intrigue. A story that’s sure to endure as a classic reader favorite.”

  —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Story Society

  “Barefoot Summer is a satisfying tale of hope, healing, and a love that’s meant to be.”

  —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

  Also by Denise Hunter

  The Riverbend Romance Novels

  Riverbend Gap

  Mulberry Hollow

  Harvest Moon (available September 2022)

  The Bluebell Inn Novels

  Lake Season

  Carolina Breeze

  Autumn Skies

  The Blue Ridge Novels

  Blue Ridge Sunrise

  Honeysuckle Dreams

  On Magnolia Lane

  The Summer Harbor Novels

  Falling Like Snowflakes

  The Goodbye Bride

  Just a Kiss

  The Chapel Springs Romance Series

  Barefoot Summer

  A December Bride (novella)

  Dancing with Fireflies

  The Wishing Season

  Married ’til Monday

  The Big Sky Romance Series

  A Cowboy’s Touch

  The Accidental Bride

  The Trouble with Cowboys

  Nantucket Love Stories

  Surrender Bay

  The Convenient Groom

  Seaside Letters

  Driftwood Lane

  Stand-Alone Novels

  Bookshop by the Sea

  Summer by the Tides

  Sweetbriar Cottage

  Sweetwater Gap

  Novellas included in

  This Time Around, Smitten, Secretly Smitten, and Smitten Book Club

  Copyright

  Mulberry Hollow

  Copyright © 2022 Denise Hunter

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Hunter, Denise, 1968- author.

  Title: Mulberry Hollow / Denise Hunter.

  Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2022] | Series: A Riverbend romance ; [2] | Summary: "From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes the second romance in her latest series!"-- Provided by publisher.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2021051562 (print) | LCCN 2021051563 (ebook) | ISBN 9780785240532 (trade paper) | ISBN 9780785240549 (epub) | ISBN 9780785240556 (downloadable audio)

  Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.

  Classification: LCC PS3608.U5925 M85 2022 (print) | LCC PS3608.U5925 ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23/eng/20211021

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021051562

  LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021051563

  Printed in the United States of America

  22 23 24 25 26  LSC  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  Cover

  Praise for Denise Hunter

  Also by Denise Hunter

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Two glaring realizations flashed through Wes Garrett’s mind as he blinked against the morning sunlight: he was alone in the camping shelter, and he was soaked to the skin. A few other insights struck—his head throbbed, his muscles ached, and despite the July heat, chills racked his body.

  He groaned and rolled over, pushing off the sleeping bag. He labored to draw a full breath. He should just go back to sleep. Why was this happening now, with only a couple of weeks of his two-month hike remaining?

  He thought of Lillian, awaiting him in Albany, New York. Thought of his best friend Landon and their plan to complete the Appalachian Trail after their return to the US. Thought of Landon’s last moments before he died in the Colombian dirt—in Wes’s place.

  So could he lie here in the shelter a
nd give in to the oblivion of sleep? No. He would push through for his friend. He’d overcome much worse than this.

  Resolved, he sat up, the floorboards of the raised shelter creaking beneath him. His head spun from the motion, and he blinked against the salty sting of sweat in his eyes, recalling the coughing man he’d slept next to a few nights ago. Thanks a lot, buddy.

  The sunlight glinted through the trees in the clearing. Had to be going on ten at least. He hadn’t once slept past six on the trail. The three hikers he’d shared the shelter with were long gone, the only evidence of their existence a ghostly curl of smoke rising from the firepit.

  He was on his own.

  He swallowed against a dry, sore throat and reached for his water. He had to get moving. He’d feel better once he had some food and coffee in his system. He’d make it at least as far as the next town, then reassess. Thoughts of a shower, a real mattress, and a home-cooked meal pushed him to his feet.

  But twenty minutes later all his optimism faded and grim reality settled in. Getting dressed and fed had bled him of his energy, and Riverbend Gap was still fourteen rigorous miles away.

  * * *

  Avery Robinson had spent her entire adulthood dreading her thirtieth birthday—and it had finally arrived. She winced as her family, gathered around the picnic table, belted out the “Happy Birthday” song. Terrific family, stellar people, but singers they were not.

  Avery’s stepmom, Lisa, blonde hair pulled back from her pretty face, set the cake (really, a brownie) in front of Avery. Thirty candles flickered in the July breeze, lighting up the night like a bonfire.

  Her oldest stepbrother, Gavin, hit a note well out of his range, making her snort. Her other stepbrother, Cooper, gave him an aggrieved look. Cooper was the only reason the song was half recognizable. His fiancée, Katie—also Avery’s best friend since college—leaned forward, her long, honey-colored hair swinging over her shoulder as the song (thank God) came to a close.

  “Gosh, guys.” Avery grimaced. “Thanks a lot.”

  Dad’s eyes crinkled in that Kiefer Sutherland way. “Make a wish, sweetheart.”

  “She’ll probably waste it on a doctor for the clinic,” Cooper said.

  “Wish for a man,” Katie blurted. “But be specific. Good sense of humor. Good looks, gainfully employed . . .”

  “Willing to put up with a workaholic,” Cooper added.

  “Who has a mountain of books on her nightstand.”

  Lisa gave her sons a mock scowl. “All right, boys, be nice. It’s her birthday.”

  “The only man I want is one who holds a medical degree and who’s willing to live in a tiny mountain town. And accepts carriage-house accommodations as partial salary,” Avery added offhandedly.

  “Have you seen your carriage house?” Cooper raised an eyebrow.

  “Have you seen this town?” Gavin added.

  “Hey . . . ,” the rest of the family chorused.

  “Anyone would be lucky to live here, doctor or no,” Lisa said.

  Gavin pushed his black hair off his forehead, exposing bright-blue eyes. “Which is why she’s had so many responses to her ads.”

  “Hmm, let’s see . . .” Cooper squinted his brown eyes. “Six-figure salary and fancy penthouse or shoebox with faulty plumbing.”

  “The plumbing works just fine, thank you very much.”

  “Honey,” Dad said, “if having another doc will reduce your hours, you go ahead and wish for one.”

  “Absolutely.” Lisa rubbed her shoulder. “You’re wearing yourself out, and you really don’t need that.”

  It was as close as anyone had come to mentioning the significance of her thirtieth birthday. Avery stared at her blazing brownie-cake, giving her wish further consideration while the family weighed in on Avery’s workload. She didn’t really believe in wishes, but as Gavin had so kindly reminded them, her ads—and numerous prayers—didn’t seem to be working.

  She’d planned to wait until next year to hire another doctor for her clinic, until she’d had time and money to renovate the carriage house. But the long hours were getting to her—and then there was that fateful night back in April.

  Her gaze drifted to her dad, sitting catty-corner to her and fully engaged in the conversation. His color was good tonight, and he seemed in high spirits. They’d come so close to losing him—and it was all her fault. That helpless panic she’d experienced as a child had rushed back, making her chest hollow and achy. Only this time she was an adult, a doctor. She should’ve been here for him.

  “All right, everybody, the candles are melting.” Lisa’s words jolted Avery from the terrible memory. “Make a wish, sweetheart.”

  Avery dredged up a smile as she eyed the candles. It was her birthday wish, and daggonit, she did need another doctor. Her family was correct about one thing: she couldn’t continue at her current pace. She drew in a lungful of oxygen and blew out all thirty candles in one long breath.

  Gravel popped under the Jeep tires as Avery backed from her parents’ long drive. The smile she’d forced all evening had melted away the second she slipped from the house. Her dad had wilted as the evening wore on. He tried to hide it, but there was no fooling Avery.

  The two stents had seemed to do the trick, and his cardiologist was optimistic the problem had been resolved (she’d all but harassed the man for details on several occasions). But hearts and their arteries could be tricky.

  She drew in a deep breath and released it, counting to ten. He would be fine. She would never again leave him—or the rest of the community—vulnerable by leaving town. Not until she had another doctor in place. Maybe she’d win one of those grants she was applying for so she could actually offer a living wage.

  Minutes later she drove through town, deserted since they rolled up the sidewalk by eight o’clock. She passed the church and headed toward the campground, which Gavin managed, and finally entered the heavily wooded side of town known as Mulberry Hollow. The road curved and twisted alongside the river, and the full moon cast a ghostly glow over the treetops. On the other side of the river, the Appalachian Mountains rose to rounded peaks, silhouetted against the evening sky.

  To some, this town was a place from which to escape. Goodness knew most of her schoolmates had felt that way. But to Avery, Riverbend, nestled in its guardian mountains, was a safe haven from the rest of the world. She’d known she wanted to grow old here even before she’d realized she wanted to be a doctor. The people were friendly and quick to lend a hand. And the Robinson roots were deep here—five generations deep. She came from farmers and entrepreneurs, all devoted to this small mountain town. She was proud to carry on the family legacy.

  She drove past the old Craftsman-style homes set close to the road and, in recent years, converted into businesses that mostly served hikers and nature lovers. A bait-and-tackle store, an outfitters shop, a rafting company.

  Her clinic was just past the last of these. The sign by the street, lit from both directions, swung in the breeze. Riverbend Medical Clinic. The hours and phone numbers were listed, including an emergency number. Those calls had her desperate for another doctor. Sure, she had help: Katie, her nurse, and Sharise, her nurse practitioner. But Sharise was a single mother of two, so the responsibility of off-hour care fell on Avery.

  She slowed and pulled in to the gravel parking lot, formerly the house’s front yard. Her apartment upstairs was as dark as the porch. When she left the light on, someone inevitably showed up at midnight with a hangnail, thinking it was an all-night clinic despite the posted hours.

  Her headlights swept across the clinic. It was one of the larger homes on the street, but the mountain beyond it dwarfed the brick structure. She shut off the Jeep’s engine, then grabbed the gifts and leftover brownies, which Lisa had condensed down to one Over-the-Hill gift bag (compliments of Cooper). Avery looked forward to indulging in another brownie—it was her birthday, after all. She’d enjoy it as she resumed her Jane Austen literary marathon—she was currently halfway through Emma.

  As she stepped from the vehicle, her gaze flickered up to her darkened apartment where her cat, Boots, was almost certainly nesting in the living room window, awaiting her return. The night smelled of wood fires and gardenias. Avery took in the flowers Lisa and Katie had planted in the spring, but it was too dark to appreciate their beauty.