East of Easy — Linda Bleser

Kate Feathers had it all. As representative of her hometown of Easy in the Miss Arizona State Pageant, the future held unlimited possibilities. Then it all came crashing down. The victim of malicious rumors, Kate was stripped of her crown, her scholarship and her future. She left town in shame, running as far east of Easy as possible. Ten years later, Kate returns home to settle her mother's estate. She thought she was immune to the small-town gossip she'd left behind, but an unexpected meeting with Max Connors, the high-school sweetheart she blames for starting the ugly rumors, uncovers secrets and lies that are as painful now as they were then. Kate simply wants to get her mother's affairs in order so she can return to New York, but her growing attraction to Max and a series of inscrutable messages from a haunted teacup will force her to face her worst fears once and for all. And this time, running is not an option.