Surrender to Love

ADRIANNE BYRD

Surrender to Love

This book is dedicated in loving memory to
Charles H. Byrd. I miss you.

Contents

PART I

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

PART II

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

PART III

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Epilogue

PART I

Chapter 1

In the dead of night, Julia Kelley could barely see through the heavy sheets of rain pounding her car’s windshield. The fact that there were no streetlights lining the desolate highway made it worse. For miles now, she’d been unable to read the road signs and could honestly say that she had no idea where she was. At this point, what did it matter?

Her depression deepened. The life she once knew was over. The farther she was from Atlanta, the better. The events from the past month filtered through her mind. A small part of her wished that she could turn back time. If she could, maybe her husband would still be alive.

A loud bang startled her from her reverie. The car lurched and her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly there was a strange clicking noise as the car slowed. In a panic, she floored the accelerator.

“Please, don’t do this. Now now,” she begged, clutching the steering wheel. But the car refused to respond. She veered off the side of the road just as the engine cut off.

Fear washed over her in waves, and her heart raced in double time. She tried to restart the car but it was no use. It was dead.

“This can’t be happening,” Julia mumbled under her breath, shivering against the cold. She glanced down at the wet clothes clinging to her body. The last thing she needed was to catch pneumonia.

Rain continued to bounce and scatter across the windshield, making it nearly impossible for her to see more than two feet in front of the car. Leaving the car was out of the question, but she entertained the thought all the same. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Swiveling around in her seat to scan out the windows, Julia was both relieved and fearful that there weren’t any other cars on the road. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen a car for miles now.

“Oh, dear God, what am I going to do?” She closed her eyes. At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if He had abandoned her as well. She needed a plan—something. Her mind drew a blank. She had been so preoccupied with getting the hell out of Atlanta that she hadn’t given much thought to where she was going.

For what seemed like the millionth time, she thought about calling the authorities, but she’d already tried that route before and it had nearly cost her her life. Her gaze lowered to the small form curled up in the backseat. Now there was more at stake. She had her daughter, Robin, to consider.

A car’s high beams appeared off in the distance. Julia’s first thoughts were that she’d been caught. She tried to pacify her jumbled nerves, but couldn’t. As the car drew near, her heart hammered against her rib cage and her mind scrambled for logic.

Her thoughts instantly flew to the gun stashed in her glove compartment. She would use it if she had to, but she prayed that it wouldn’t come to that.

The mysterious car zoomed past; her car rocked in its wake, yet she was spared a major heart attack. Julia exhaled in a long, shaky breath; her body trembled worse than before. She turned back around in her seat and twisted the key in the ignition, but got the same results.

She looked up into the rearview mirror, where she stared at her reflection. She touched her botched haircut, thinking that it looked as though she’d run her once curly mane through a rusted chain saw. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but it was the best that she could do, especially given the limited time she’d had.

Could she truly say goodbye to her life—to everything that she had achieved as a mother, a wife, and a doctor? The answer: she had no choice.

Finally Julia focused on the problem at hand—getting the car started. She turned again toward the backseat and reached down to the floorboard to grab her jacket. It wasn’t going to protect her from the downpour outside, but it was better than nothing.

After jerking the jacket on, she reached under the dashboard and pulled the lever to pop the hood. Looking inside the glove compartment, she ignored the .357 Magnum and retrieved a small flashlight, then braced herself for the worst. When she stepped out of the car, she was instantly drenched and miserable. She lifted the hood with no idea what she was looking for. What did she know about cars?

The small light that jetted from the flashlight was useless. There was no smoke or flashing signs pointing to the problem, as she’d partially hoped. Despair washed over her with the same velocity as the rain. She hung her head and struggled to keep her tears at bay, but she couldn’t honestly say that the rain was the only moisture on her face.

Off in the distance, another set of high beams drew her attention, and another series of heart palpitations followed. It never occurred to her to get out of the rain, or even to move, for that matter. She watched the car approach, hoping against hope that it, too, would pass her by. But if she wasn’t mistaken, the vehicle seemed to be slowing.

She was right.

What appeared to be a white truck pulled up behind her car. Julia remained rooted where she stood. This is it, she recited in her head. This was the end. They were going to kill her and Robin on the side of the road and she was helpless to do anything about it.

Carson Webber squinted at the vision before him and immediately thought how unfortunate it was for anyone to be stranded on the side of the road on a night like this. He was already an hour late for dinner and held no illusions that his sister wouldn’t let him have it as soon as he arrived. Sometimes he swore that she forgot who was the eldest.

If his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, it appeared to be a woman standing on the side of the road. She was completely drenched and made no attempt to shield herself from the downpour. Crazy woman.

Carson parked and made a quick search for an umbrella, which he could never find when he needed one. The role of knight in shining armor was never easy, he thought.

After a few well-chosen expletives, he finally found the umbrella buried under mounds of paper, maps and God knew what else. In a mad rush, he pushed open his car door and was immediately pelted by the rain. He pressed the release button near the bottom of the umbrella’s handle and was disappointed when the blasted thing refused to open. He waved it around and ended up having to manually push it open, only to discover that one side was broken, rendering the thing useless.

Another stream of curses followed while he had just as much trouble closing the umbrella as he had had opening it. Finally, out of frustration, he jumped out of the truck and discarded the worthless piece of junk into the back of his truck. By the time he headed toward the car, his features had twisted into a scowl.

Julia took a nervous step backward. The man storming angrily toward her looked more like a giant than anything else. He had to be at least six-three or six-four and had the sinewy physique of a bodybuilder.

“Are you having some problems, ma’am?”

The man’s deep baritone was silky smooth, even seductive.

Julia opened her mouth to respond, when he stopped in front of her and the friendliest face she’d ever seen greeted her. Handsome was too mild a word to describe him. Breathtaking was close. As he looked at her, his warm brown eyes reflected kindness and concern.

“Ma’am, are you all right?”

Shaking off her brief trance, she managed to nod before sweeping her hand toward her car. “It just died on me,” she shouted above the rain.

“You mind if I take a look?”

“By all means.” She handed him the flashlight.

“Tell you what—why don’t you wait in your car so you can get out of the rain and I’ll see what we got here?”

He must have read the uncertainty in her face because he added, “Please. By the way you’re trembling, you’ll be lucky if you don’t catch your death out here.”

Julia stiffened at his choice of words.

“It should only take me a few minutes.”

“All right,” she shouted after deducing that she had little choice in the matter. Circumstances being what they were, she should count herself lucky. She turned around and half ran to the driver side, then slipped into her car.

There was a small moan from the backseat, shortly before Robin spoke.

“Mommy, I’m cold.”

Julia twisted around and dug for a blanket from the floorboard. Within seconds Robin had drifted back to sleep. Julia stared down at her and was again attacked by guilt, and questioned whether she’d done the right thing by running from her problems. If only her problems hadn’t carried such large guns….

There was a tap at the window. She jerked around, breathed a sigh of relief, then rolled down the glass.

“With this rain, I can’t see what the problem is right off. We’re probably going to have to wait till morning.”

Julia’s heart sank. “But I can’t sit out here until the morning.”

A breathtaking smile curved the stranger’s lips.

“I’m not recommending that you do. Do you live somewhere near here? I don’t mind dropping you off somewhere.”

That nearly won a laugh from her. She was a long way from home.

“No. We were just passing through,” she confessed, then remembered to be cautious.

The man’s gaze skittered behind her, and she couldn’t help but turn in her seat to see Robin now sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Mommy, where are we?”

“Don’t worry, sweetie. We’re almost there,” Julia lied. In truth, she hadn’t told Robin where they were headed. She’d just teased her that their destination was a surprise.

Julia returned her attention to the stranger, fully aware that they were in a vulnerable position with very few options—or, more precisely, none.

Her rescuer surprised her with another smile. “Quite an angel you got there. I got one myself. She’s eight years old and wishes that she were a boy.”

Julia swelled with relief. Surely a murderer wouldn’t share such intimate details with someone he intended to kill.

“I’ll tell you what—there’s a motel in the next town. I’d be more than happy to drop you off there. As you see, I have a tow truck. I can just hitch your car up and off we go.”

“A motel?” She frowned, certain that her limited funds wouldn’t allow such luxuries.

“Or,” he said as if sensing her duress, “my sister runs a bed-and-breakfast in Moreland, which is about twenty miles from here. I’m sure she can put you up for the night as a favor to me.”

She didn’t know what to say. The last thing she wanted was to be indebted, but then again, what choice did she have? “Uh…”

“It’s really no big deal. She’s used to me bringing home strange women in the middle of the night.”

Julia frowned.

He slapped his open palm against his head. “That didn’t come out right. What I mean was…well, let’s just say that my sister is one of the most kindhearted women that you’ll ever meet, and she’d kill me if she even thought I was going to leave a woman stranded on the side of the road.”

Whatever trepidation Julia had felt moments ago disappeared at the look of genuine sincerity in the man’s eyes. Was she crazy? How many times had she heard that it was the one people hadn’t suspected who turned out to be an ax murderer? But she had a gut feeling that she could trust this man.

She gave him a trembling smile and exhaled as she took a leap of faith. “All right. We’ll go with you.”

Chapter 2

Julia sneaked a peek at the handsome stranger while he concentrated on the road. He was as drenched as she after having hitched the car onto his tow truck. To her surprise, her fear had subsided, and she’d even allowed herself to feel safe in his presence.

He turned and smiled when he caught her stare. “It won’t be long now. It’s about another ten minutes up the road.”

Julia nodded.

“By the way, the name is Carson Webber.”

She hesitated, then replied, “Julia.”

His smile broadened as he repeated her name. “Julia. It’s a beautiful name. It suits you.”

She shifted uncomfortably at the unexpected compliment. “Thank you,” she managed to say.

“And what’s the little one’s name?”

Julia, who thought her daughter was asleep, looked down to discover Robin staring at the stranger.

She kissed the top of her daughter’s head, hoping to comfort her and reassure her that everything was fine.

“My name is Robin,” the child answered for herself.

“Ah, another beautiful name, and please don’t mind me when I say you’re the spitting image of your mom.”

Robin tightened her arms around her mother, and Julia hugged her back.

“So are you two just passing through?”

“I guess you can say that.” Julia made a point to be ambiguous, yet at the same time she didn’t want to come off as rude. He was, after all, doing them a favor.

An awkward moment of silence lapsed before Carson cleared his throat and tried again.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t mean to pry. I’ve been accused plenty of times of asking too many questions. I’m not as bad as my sister, mind you, but it’s a flaw all the same.” He smiled again.

“It’s okay.” Julia relaxed. She couldn’t help it. The man’s friendly demeanor made it impossible not to like him. Maybe it had been a stroke of good luck that their paths had crossed.

Weariness crept over her. Since when had she believed in good fortune?

“Mommy, where are we going?” Robin asked almost in a whine.

Julia stiffened as a rush of heat clawed at her neck.

“Mommy?”

“Don’t worry, baby. It’s going to be a surprise.”

Julia kissed Robin’s head again and hoped that her short answer would stifle any further questions. To her relief it seemed to work, and Robin dropped back off to sleep.

Meanwhile, a flicker of disappointment hit Carson as he caught a glimpse of a wedding ring on her hand. Then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised. The woman was a real knockout. A man would have to be blind not to see that even through the drenched hair and oversize clothes.

Her honey-colored, cat-shaped eyes held a tinge of apprehension, but were undoubtedly the most intriguing pair he’d ever seen.

“So I take it that you two are on your way to see your husband?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Julia clenched her jaw and kept her gaze focused on the road.

When she didn’t answer, Carson realized that he was asking too many questions. “Sorry. I’m doing it again.”

Julia forced an amicable smile. “Thank you for coming to our rescue back there. I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate it. I do.”

Carson smiled at the sexy huskiness of her voice, then glanced over and caught her gaze once again. “It’s my pleasure.” Those eyes stirred something within him. And he liked the feeling. Reluctantly, he returned his gaze to the road and exited off the main highway.

When they passed a sign that read Moreland City Limits, Carson tried again to keep the conversation light. “I sure hope you two enjoy your stay in our small town.”

Julia heard the pride in his voice and had to ask, “Were you raised in Moreland?”

“Yep. One couldn’t ask for a better place to call home. I’d like to think that everyone considers themselves as being a part of one big family.”

“Wow.” She snickered. “Are you running for mayor or something?”

“Lost the last election by three votes.”

Julia laughed while staring at him incredulously. “Are you for real? I was just joking.”

He laughed along with her. “It’s sad but true. What was even worse—my own sister didn’t vote for me, but then again, she ended up marrying Rick Roberts.”

Her eyebrows creased in confusion.

“My opponent and our current mayor.”

Julia shook her head in a silent laugh. “Sounds interesting. I bet family dinners are something to see.”

Carson liked the sound of her laughter: light and melodious. He was also happy to see that she was beginning to loosen up. In his opinion, his sister’s bed-and-breakfast came into view all too soon.

Julia looked up at the beautiful two-story Victorian house and thought the vision deserved to be embedded in the pages of Beautiful Homes magazine. “Are you sure she won’t mind us staying here?”

“Positive.” He glanced at his watch. “And if we’re lucky, dinner should still be on the table. Wait here.” He parked, then rushed out into the rain and up toward the house.

“Baby, I need you to wake up.” Julia gently shook Robin in the hope of waking her daughter again.

“Are we there?” Robin asked groggily.

“No, we’re going to stay here for tonight. Okay? We’ll leave in the morning.”

Robin moaned, obviously unhappy with her mother’s news.

“I’m sorry, baby. But this is the best I can do. Okay?”

Despite a growing frown, Robin nodded.

Carson reappeared at the passenger door and opened it while holding an umbrella. “I was right. They are still having dinner.”

“I don’t know about disturbing their meal…” She hesitated.

“Have you both eaten already?” he asked with disappointment.

She thought about lying. She was already indebted to the man, but she had her daughter to consider. “No, we haven’t,” she answered honestly.

“Then it’s settled,” he announced. “You’ll have dinner with my family.”

Paul Regis, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta field office, stared at the multitude of photographs of dead bodies with a wave of disgust. The food court at Perimeter Mall was an outright massacre, and it was his job to play public janitor and clean up the mess. The mayor, the media, and even local churches had his phone ringing off the hook to the point that he had now stopped answering it.

He grabbed his coffee mug, anticipating another jolt of caffeine, but was disappointed to find the cup empty. He lowered it in disgust as his gaze slid to the framed picture on his desk. His chest tightened at the angelic face of his deceased wife, Sarah.

In the year since her untimely death, there was never a moment when he could shake the feeling that he should have been lying next to her in Hillandale Memorial Cemetery.

He looked at another photograph: one with himself and his daughter, Michelle. She was the only family he had left, and next month he would lose her, too.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in only if you’ve got good news,” he warned, jerking his desk drawer open and removing a bottle of aspirin.

Special Agent Tony Iaanelli poked his head around the door. “You got a moment?”

“No.” Paul dispensed two pills and swallowed them dry.

“Good.” Tony ignored Paul’s flippant response and entered anyway. Tony was a handsome African-American man, and Paul could easily picture the agent as being a star quarterback in the National Football League. “We have what we’ve been waiting for.” He held up a VHS tape and flashed him an even, white smile. “A copy from the mall’s surveillance cameras.”

“Ah, so you are bearing good news.” He reached for the tape. “Have you watched it yet?”

“I only see the blockbusters with you, sweetie.” Tony winked.

“Well, it’s good to know that one of us is in a good mood. I’ve always found that hard to manage when I’m dealing with psychopaths shooting up malls.”

Tony sobered. “In this line of work, you have to steal joy wherever you can find it. And after we take a look at that tape, I plan to steal a little more of it when I go home to my fiancée.”

“Do you mind?” Paul frowned. “That’s my little girl you’re talking about.”

Paul’s discomfort won a laugh from Tony. “Don’t tell me that you’re still having problems with our engagement. The wedding is next month.”

“Fine. I won’t tell you.”

“You’re something else.” Tony’s laughter deepened. “I’m looking forward to the day when you consider me family.”

“I just bet you are.” Paul stood. “What I don’t understand is how you ended up with a name like Iaanelli.”

“I have an Italian father. What’s so hard to understand?”

“Nothing. Nothing. Forget I said anything. Come on, let’s see what we got on this tape.”

The phone rang as Paul stepped from behind his desk, but he ignored it and kept heading for the door.

“You’re not going to answer it?” Tony asked.

Paul shook his head. “They can leave a message. I want to see what’s on this thing.”

“It could be related to the case.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Tony shook his head and turned back to the desk to answer the phone. “Paul Regis’s office. How may I help you?” He frowned.

“Yes, Reverend Jackson. It’s a tragedy what happened at the mall today. I assure you that we have our best men working on the case.”

There was a pause, then, “No. We don’t have any solid leads at this time, but—”

Another pause.

“Yes, sir. No, sir.” Tony looked over at Paul, who wore a wide “I told you so” grin. It took another minute or two before Tony managed to end the call with the infuriated reverend and rejoined Paul at the door.

“Has it been like that all day?”

“Pretty much.”

Tony whistled. “I don’t envy you.”

“That’s the problem with the younger generation—no good role models.”

“Oh, is that what it is?” Tony laughed and slapped his future father-in-law on the back. “You’re funny. I’ve got to hand it to you.”

“Thanks. I do try.”

“Regis,” someone called from across the hall.

Paul and Tony turned.

Special Agent Walt Pittman dashed over to them, his face a deeper red than normal.

“I thought I told you to head over to the hospital and get that arm checked out?” Paul said.

“I’m fine, really. I just want to know if you heard anything else new?”

“Not yet. I know you lost one of your guys at the shooting. You have my condolences.”

“Thank you. I guess I’m just a little anxious to catch the guys behind all of this,” Pittman said.

“That’s understandable.”

“I guess this means that you’ll be assigning the team to head the investigation.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Pittman faltered, but gathered his courage to ask, “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to be part of that team.”

“You don’t think that you’re too emotionally involved?”

“I’m passionate to solve the case,” Walt answered without missing a beat.

Paul was impressed. After being in this business as long as he had, that was no easy feat. “I’ll make it a point to keep you in mind.”

“Thank you.” Walt ran his hand through his eternally greasy hair and walked off.

“I didn’t know we’d lost an agent,” Tony said, astounded. “On duty or an innocent bystander?”

“Both, from what I understand. The agent’s name was Rodney Newman. Another member from his team, Virginia Jacobson, doesn’t want to rule out foul play.”

“The plot thickens,” Tony mumbled with raised brows. “Have all the bodies been identified now?”

“All but one.” Paul slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “We’d better get a look at what’s on that tape.”

“Ready when you are.”

“Do you have Ms. Jacobson’s extension? I’d like to have another talk with her.”

Tony shook his head. “She’s listed in the directory. However, she may have gone home by now.” He looked at his watch. “It’s late.”

Paul looked at his watch. “My, my, how time flies when you’re having fun,” he said, turning toward the interrogation room, where a TV and VCR would be at his disposal.

Inside, Tony sat with a tense expression.

“It’s always hard when we lose an agent.” Paul guessed at what was troubling Tony.

“Don’t tell me. This is something else that I’ll get used to with time.”

The sarcasm in Tony’s voice silenced Paul’s prepared retort. Instead, his thoughts returned to the idea of his daughter marrying a fellow agent—let alone his subordinate. Throughout his career, he had worried obsessively about his family and their safety. The notion of his daughter opting to be the wife of an agent broke his heart.

Paul turned on the television, then popped in the tape, all the while hoping for what almost never happened: an open-and-shut case.

Chapter 3

Carson led Julia and Robin into the foyer of his sister’s quaint bed-and-breakfast establishment, anxious to finally see her in full light. Once inside, he wasn’t disappointed. Her delicate, golden-brown complexion appeared flawless, and when her ample lips curved into yet another beautiful smile, an invisible force pulled him toward her.

“This place is beautiful,” she whispered in awe as she took in her surroundings.

“Why, thank you,” a feminine voice said from the opposite end of the foyer.

Julia turned and held the gaze of a beautiful, heavyset woman who had features similar to Carson Webber.

“Hey, sis,” Carson greeted. “These are the ladies I told you about—Julia and Robin…?” He lifted an inquisitive brow.

“Just Julia and Robin will be fine,” Julia answered, avoiding supplying them with a last name. “Thank you for allowing us to stay in your lovely home.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s no trouble at all. A lot of folks break down on that highway out there. But that’s one heck of a storm we’re having tonight. Count yourself lucky that ol’ Carson here was in the neighborhood, running late as usual.” She winked at her brother, then returned her attention to Julia.

“The news just announced a tornado watch until 1:00 a.m. By the way, the name is Lillian—people call me Lilly.” She closed the gap and offered her hand.

Julia just nodded as the woman talked, unsure that Lilly even bothered to breathe between sentences.

“You folks hungry? There’s plenty of food on the dinner table. Course, I believe maybe you two should get out of those wet clothes first.”

“Oh.” Julia turned toward the door. “I’d better grab our bags out of the car.”

“That’s okay. If you give me the keys, I’ll go get them,” Carson offered.

Julia hesitated perhaps a fraction longer than she should have.

“I promise not to run off with them,” he added with a look of bewilderment.

She retrieved her keys from her purse and handed them to him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Carson said, and slipped out the door.

“Come on, you two. Let me show you to your room.” Lilly made her way to the staircase. “As luck would have it, I have one available room. Otherwise we’re all booked up. And we have quite a variety of guests staying here tonight.” She started climbing the stairs.

Julia took her daughter’s hand and followed.

“Let’s see.” Lilly counted off: “We have Joe and Rosie Sinclair. They visit here every year about this time. I think it’s sweet. They actually met here in Moreland about twenty-five years ago. Joe was one of our deputies and had pulled Rosie over for speeding…and, well, I guess you could say it was love at first sight.

“Then we have Albert and Dotty Cornell, a disastrous marriage, if you ask me, and I’m not saying that because I used to date Albert back in high school, but because that Dotty is nothing more than a gold digger. You mark my words. She’s never worked a day in her life. Here we are. This will be your room.” She opened the door and clicked on a nearby light switch.

Julia’s eyes widened at the opulent beauty that greeted them. Soft pastel colors and intricate embroidered lace gave the room an incredibly feminine feel, but it was the enormous mahogany poster bed with its masculine beauty that commanded attention.

“Oh, my,” she whispered.

“I take it you like it.” Lilly beamed with pride. “I have to admit it’s one of my favorite rooms.” She entered and signaled for them to follow.

“It’s very pretty, huh, Mom?” Robin asked, peering up at Julia.

“I think that’s an understatement.” She looked to Lilly and shook her head. “I have to figure out some way to repay you. You and your brother’s hospitality have been wonderful.”

“I got your bags,” Carson announced, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “You must have been in a rush when you packed—you didn’t bother to zip up most of your stuff.”

Julia held her tongue and could feel the weight of their expectant gazes. “Thanks for bringing them up,” was all she could think to say. “I think your sister is right. We probably need to get out of these wet clothes.”

“Of course,” the brother and sister said in unison, then quickly scurried out of the room.

Once they were gone, Julia looked down at her daughter, who in turn shrugged her shoulders. To be fair, Julia sincerely thought the brother and sister were nice people, but were a bit nosy. She would have to be careful around them.

“Well,” Julia said with a wider smile than was probably necessary. “Let’s get these clothes off you.”

“We are just staying for one night, right?” Robin asked.

“Yes, sweetheart. It’s just for one night.”

Paul Regis pressed the rewind button on the VCR for the tenth time. The tape’s quality was poor and the film had recorded at an accelerated speed. That, coupled with the high volume of people shuffling through the mall, made it nearly impossible to tell who was doing what or who appeared out of place.

However, when the sporadic gunfire took place, everyone dived for cover. The worst part was that the gunmen were nowhere on the tape.

“This thing is completely useless,” Tony complained, squinting at the television screen and trying to make heads or tails of it. “If the mall’s cameras don’t cover every square inch, why bother with a system at all?”

Paul agreed and turned it off. “Calm down. We still have Pittman’s report as to what happened. Not to mention we should have our fair share of witnesses to interview.” His frustration settled on his shoulders, and a migraine nipped at his temples. “This is turning out to be one of the longest days of my life. I’m going to make you lead investigator on this thing.”

Tony nodded. “What about the rest of the team?” he asked.

“Let me sleep on it. Will you have a problem if I do decide to let Pittman in on this one?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“Good. Let’s call it a night.”

“You got it.” Tony stood. “I’ve probably already missed dinner. Maybe I’ll stop and grab a bag of Krystals burgers.”

Paul remembered the numerous times he’d missed dinner with his wife. “Up north we call them White Castles. I don’t know how you manage to eat those things. They seem to go straight through me.”

“I’m beginning to think that we share entirely too much info about each other.”

Paul laughed. “Maybe you’ve got a point. Well…”

“Kiss my baby girl good night for me,” Tony recited in sync with Paul, then smiled. “I know the drill.”

“You laugh now, but wait until you have a little girl of your own. In your heart they never grown up.” Paul retrieved the tape from the VCR and shut off the TV.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. If it makes you feel better, I’m praying for a string of boys.”

They headed toward the door together.

Paul shrugged, uncomfortable with the discussion of grandchildren. “Boys are nice, but girls…girls can humble a man.”

Tony simply nodded, and for a few minutes they walked down the hall in silence. “So what are you going to do tonight?”

“Sleep.”

Tony didn’t respond.

Paul knew that his partner was trying to figure out a way to politely invite him over to his apartment. He also knew that the invitation was extended, in part, by his daughter, Michelle. She’d been worried about him since Sarah’s passing and feared that her father would become a lonely old man.

“You know—” Tony broke the silence “—Michelle and I would love for you to join us for dinner.”

Paul forced himself to appear thoughtful, as if mulling the invitation over, before saying, “I think I’m going to have to take another rain check.”

Tony drew in a sharp breath, but said nothing.

“You know, after a day like this, all I want to do is slam my head against the pillow and catch some Z’s.”

“I completely understand.” They reached Tony’s office, and in a matter of seconds he retrieved his jacket and briefcase. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

Paul saw anger flicker across Tony’s stony expression, then disappear. “Yeah. See you in the morning.”

Tony nodded and turned away.

Paul stared after him, unsure of what to make of Tony’s sudden mood swing. “What the heck was that all about?”

Julia thought she would surely burst if she shoved another bite into her mouth. She couldn’t remember ever tasting anything as wonderful as Lilly’s lasagna, and, judging by the way Robin devoured her food, she wasn’t alone in her assessment.

“Would you like some dessert?” Lilly asked in a singsong voice.

No doubt the uncontrollable moans of pleasure from her guests were responsible for the look of sheer delight plastered on Lilly’s face. And even though Julia’s stomach insisted that dessert was out of the question, she was tempted.

“Thank you, but I’m going to have to decline.”

“It’s my award-winning chocolate cheesecake,” she pressed.

“Well, I’m sold.” Carson wiped a linen napkin across his mouth.

“What’s new?” Lilly asked, playfully slapping her brother on the back, then turning to Julia. “My brother’s appetite is going to eat me out of house and home one of these days. Take my word on it.”

“Hey, I’m still a growing boy.”

“Yeah—outward.” She leaned over and patted his stomach.

The brother and sister erupted into laughter.

Robin and Julia smiled at each other, entertained by the siblings. It was obvious that they adored each other. Their infectious laughter helped to relax Julia. She could listen to them for hours. Despite the fact that she hardly knew them, or even this quaint town, she could clearly picture the childhood antics they boasted of pulling on one another. What would life have been like if she had had a brother or sister?

Lilly left the table, only to return with a tray of dessert. Whereas Carson’s eyes lit with delight, Julia moaned in dismay. Now that she had seen the tempting chocolate cheesecake, there was no way she was going to turn down the offer a second time.

“Forgive me, Julia, but I went ahead and sliced you and Robin a piece. Are you sure I can’t persuade you to try some?”

“Can we, Mommy?” Robin’s face was awash with anticipation.

“Lilly won the county fair’s blue ribbon award for this recipe,” Carson boasted, plunging his fork into his serving.

“In that case, we would love to have a piece.”

“Good,” Lilly said, then served Julia and her daughter.

“One thing I love about Lilly,” Carson said in between bites, “is that her cooking has come a long way since we were children.”

“Oh, shut up.” Lilly swatted at his shoulder. “You loved my mud pies and you know it.”

Robin laughed. “You used to eat mud pies?”

“Tricked, I tell ya. She tricked me one time.”

Robin giggled.

“Don’t blame me for that. If you weren’t so smitten with my best friend, Karen, and trying to impress her, you would have never tried one of our pies.”

Carson’s smile took on a glowing tenderness while he seemed locked in a pleasant memory.

Curiosity fluttered within Julia.

Lilly’s smile soon resembled her brother’s and she reached over and squeezed his hands. “I miss her, too.”

Julia lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling that she was imposing on a private moment between them.

“So where were you two headed in such a terrible storm?” Lilly asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Julia tensed and looked up into Carson’s and Lilly’s curious stares. “I had no idea that I was driving into tornado weather.”

“That goes for me, too,” Carson piped in. “My sister and her husband are the Weather Channel junkies around here. They may not watch much TV, but they keep their faces glued to the Weather Channel.” He received another swat from his sister. “What? It’s the truth.”

“Whatever.”

Julia took a bite of her dessert and emitted a moan of pleasure.

“Ah, I take it you like it?”

Julia nodded. “Like it? I love it. You are a wonderful cook. How do you do it?”

“Oh, please.” Lilly waved her off. “I’m nothing compared to my mother.”

“That’s the truth,” Carson agreed with a stuffed mouth. He was rewarded with another swat on the arm. “Ouch.”

“Anyway,” Lilly continued, “our mom is a master in the kitchen. And for as long as I can remember I’ve aspired to be just like her.”

“Mommy is a good cook, too,” Robin said, puffing her chest out with pride. “Aren’t you, Mommy?” She turned expectant eyes toward Julia.

Carson perked up. “Is that right?”

Julia shook her head and disappointed her champion. “I’m nowhere near your sister. I can tell you that much,” she said modestly. “I mean, my specialty is meat loaf, for Pete’s sake.”

“I don’t know. There’s a lot to be said for meat loaf.” Carson smiled broadly.

Lilly looked put off. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those fancy career women who have no time for domestic duties? I mean, I run a fairly successful business and I still manage to take care of my home.”

“Lillian,” Carson reprimanded. “Don’t insult our guest.”

Julia blinked at Lilly’s sarcasm. Where did that come from?

“Mommy is a doctor,” Robin defended.

Julia stiffened.

Carson’s gaze returned to Julia. “Smart as well as beautiful, eh?”

“I think it’s time we called it a night,” she said.

Her daughter turned as she opened her mouth to protest, but at Julia’s hard glare, she closed her mouth.

Julia stood. “Thank you for dinner and dessert.”

Lilly stood as well. “Oh, I didn’t mean to offend—”

“No apologies are needed. Robin, say good night.”

Robin got up from the table. “Good night, Mrs. Roberts and Mr. Webber.”

“Good night,” the brother and sister said in unison.

Julia took her daughter’s hand and led her from the table.

Once they were out of earshot, Robin looked up at her. “Did I say something wrong, Mommy?”

“No, sweetie. It’s just late and I’m going to need my sleep so we can get back on the road tomorrow.”

“Should we call David and tell him that we’re going to be late?”

It took everything Julia had not to burst into tears. She needed to tell Robin what had happened to David. But she didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t quite sure of everything herself.

As things stood, she didn’t even know who she’d been married to for the last three years. Their divorce had been finalized less than a week. So how could she tell Robin that David was dead and they were now on the run from none other than the FBI?

Chapter 4

“Your father hates me,” Tony announced, climbing into bed. “I don’t think he’ll ever accept me as a son-in-law.”

Michelle’s gaze jerked from the thick law book nestled on her lap and over toward him. “What? Don’t be ridiculous. Daddy loves you.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He ignored her blue eyes’ penetrating stare.

She closed the book and rolled over onto her side to face him. “What makes you think he doesn’t like you?”

Tony regretted he’d brought it up. There wasn’t any proof that Paul didn’t like him, just a gnawing gut feeling that grew harder to ignore. “I’ve invited him to dinner at least ten times. And each time…” He shook his head. “I don’t know. When we were just colleagues, I thought that we were cool. Now we have this palpable tension that…I don’t know—it’s driving me crazy.”

Tony knew during the ensuing silence that she was struggling for an excuse for Paul’s behavior. In a way it made the situation worse. Of course she would defend her father. She was supposed to. But he didn’t like the uneasiness he felt when she chose Paul’s side, nor did he like the fact that the issue forced her to choose a side.

“Let’s give him some more time,” she suggested with pleading eyes.

He looked away.

“Come on. You know the way he found out about us had to have been a shock for him.” Her face flushed from the memory.

Tony nodded, remembering Paul entering Michelle’s apartment with a bouquet of flowers and discovering them making love near the fireplace. She’d forgotten to cancel her dinner date with Paul and, in turn, had set an awkward stage for all involved.

“It wasn’t exactly how I wanted him to find out about us,” Tony said.

Michelle exhaled but her smile remained tender. “Nor did I. But what has happened, happened. We need to give him more time to adjust to the idea.”

“We’re more than an idea. We’re the real thing.”

“I know. I know,” she agreed. “But can you do this for me? Give him some more time.”

What she was asking wasn’t unreasonable. The way she looked at him through her wire-rimmed glasses made him feel that perhaps he was reading too much into things. Maybe if they had told Paul about their two-year relationship, he wouldn’t have taken things so hard.

She read his troubled expression. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he lied, then leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. As he drew near, he inhaled the faint scent of roses. It was in her hair and on her skin. It was one of the things he loved about her. At times like these she was soft and vulnerable, but as a lawyer she was hard and unyielding.

She was an interesting combination of contradictions. With each day that passed, he found himself more fascinated with all the facets that made her who she was.

Their lips met and a familiar flutter returned in his heart. Yes, she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, despite the obstacles and challenges that lay before them—and since they were an interracial couple, there were sure to be plenty.

When their lips parted, he was satisfied with her widening smile. Her eyes fluttered open, and the love that radiated from them overwhelmed him.

“It’s not nothing, and you know it,” she said, undaunted by this attempt to distract her.

He groaned and smiled at the same time. She knew him too well. “Okay, then maybe it’s just not a big deal.”

Unconvinced, she held his gaze.

“Really. I think I’m going to do just like you said and just give your dad more time. I’m sure that he’ll come around.”

“You mean it?” she asked.

Tony drew her into his arms with the full realization that he was willing to do anything to please her. “Of course I mean it.” He kissed her, and all thoughts regarding her father were forgotten for the rest of the night.

Paul couldn’t get the mall shooting out of his head. There were too many holes in the puzzle, and it didn’t sit well with him.

Still dressed in his work clothes, minus the tie, Paul sat at his desk in his home office and reviewed his notes. He had to be missing something—call it a hunch. The crime scene didn’t make much sense.

The hour grew late, and by the time he was ready to head off to bed, Paul had made up his mind to start his investigation with Newman’s team members. In the morning he’d suggest that Tony talk with Newman’s partner.

On the way to the bedroom, he stopped in the kitchen and retrieved a beer. It was the perfect nightcap to a grueling day. It would also help numb the pain of retiring to an empty bed. But it would be only a temporary fix. Within an hour or two the familiar ache of loneliness would return, as it had every night.

Often he’d thought about moving to a place where there weren’t so many memories, but he knew that he never would. It was strange going through the motions of life without Sarah. Once upon a time he’d thought that she would have outlived him. She was the health-conscious one, the one who ran marathons and even had a membership to the local gym. So how was it that he, her complete opposite, was still alive and kicking?

The injustice of it all sent Paul reeling and left little for him to look forward to.

Next month Michelle would be a married woman and probably wouldn’t need him anymore. That knowledge only deepened his depression. He didn’t want to let her go. Not now, not when he needed her. He shook off the notion. He was being selfish.

Tony was a good man, and Paul had no doubts that his agent would do a good job taking care of his baby. But being the old man they’d invite to dinner out of obligation once, maybe twice a year hurt.

Michelle had suggested that he start dating again. Dating? Him? The thought was ludicrous. There would never be another woman like Sarah; of that he was sure. So why bother settling for second best?

In the back of his mind, Paul knew that he needed to be more accepting of Tony as part of the family. It wasn’t that he didn’t like him: Tony was a great guy. It was simply that Tony was taking Michelle from him. He was forcing Paul to realize that she wasn’t a little girl anymore, which was hard as hell to accept.

When exactly had she stopped wearing pigtails and started wearing makeup? He couldn’t remember. Somehow slumber parties blended with prom night, and hanging out with girlfriends turned into a string of boys tying up the phone lines. In retrospect, everything seemed to race by in a blur and, at times, he found himself wishing more than once for everything to slow down.

Paul drained the rest of his beer and clicked off his lamp. Tomorrow he would be more open and friendly with Tony and try harder to let go of his daughter.

Unfortunately, it was a promise he made to himself every night. One day he would make good on it.

Frankie Montello was known throughout the mafioso as a master of his craft. There wasn’t a security system invented that he couldn’t bypass, and the ancient system in place at Dr. Julia Kelley’s home was almost an insult to his sensibilities.

Once inside, he cast a cursory glance over the home’s modest furnishings. So this was where David Mercer had been hanging out for the last three years—hitched up to some doctor in the suburbs of Atlanta. He guessed that it was as good a place as any. But it wouldn’t exactly be Frankie’s choice if it had been him on the run for his life.

Frankie moved into the living room, his ears perked for any unusual sounds. A man could never be too careful. As he passed a small secretary, he noticed it was lined with photographs. His brows arched in surprise. He reached out a gloved hand and picked up one of the frames.

In the picture, David Mercer smiled back at him. Next to him was a woman he assumed to be Dr. Julia Kelley. He had to hand it to David—he chose a real knockout. The woman was a classic beauty, with eyes that resembled a cat’s. In David’s lap sat an adorable little girl who was a replica of her mother.

He smiled. So David had managed to steal a piece of the American pie. It was almost touching.

Frankie returned the frame, then looked through the drawer of the secretary. He wasn’t surprised when he came up empty-handed. Where would he hide the stuff if he were David? Hell, it could be buried in the backyard, for all he knew.

He shook his head at the prospect of digging up the backyard, then realized that would have been too much work for David. Something simpler then, he decided.

He made it upstairs into the master bedroom and was surprised to see clothes tossed everywhere. Had someone made it here before him? He thought about it and decided not to rule anything out.

After he’d thoroughly checked the master bedroom, he entered the adjoining bathroom and stopped short at seeing David’s dead body lying in a pool of blood.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” A wry smile tugged at his lips. “It looks like someone’s luck has finally run out.”

Frankie cocked his head to the side as he stared at David’s lifeless eyes. It appeared he had taken a hit in the chest. Had one of Vinny’s men tracked him back here and finished him off?

And had someone set the house alarm?

When the obvious answer dawned on him, a low chuckle soon turned into a rumble of laughter. “Well, well. It looks like the little cat has claws.”

He turned away from the bathroom and saw another picture on the nightstand by the bed that got the wheels turning inside his head. Could it be possible that David had entrusted his secret to her?

It wouldn’t exactly have been a smart move, which was why he had to consider it. Did she have what he was looking for? And if she did, where was the good doctor now?

Chapter 5

During the night, Julia silently watched her daughter while she slept in the large poster bed amid soft cotton sheets. There was always a sense of peace whenever she watched Robin—that and a tinge of hope. Even now, when things were at their worst, Robin provided her with that rare emotion.

She leaned over and placed a feathery kiss on Robin’s forehead. The corners of her lips twitched upward while tears crested her lashes and forged a path down her face. By tomorrow they’d be back on the road to nowhere, praying for divine intervention.

Quietly, Julia slipped out of bed. The cool hardwood floor felt good beneath her bare feet, while the soft breeze streaming from the open window caressed her skin. The storm had ended over an hour ago, but the smell of summer rain still lingered on the night air.

A magnificent garden lay beneath her window. No doubt it was a labor of love for its creator. As Julia stood there, she couldn’t help noticing the palpable silence that cloaked the small town.

Carson viewed the townfolk as being a part of one big family. His simplistic view was a foreign concept, since Julia was a born-and-bred city girl.

To be honest, she had lived in her home in Atlanta for nearly five years and had never taken the time to meet her neighbors.

She stood at the window, puzzled by this, and finally thought that the answer was that people were simply too busy, just as she’d been.

She drew in a deep, cleansing breath. All of her life she had wanted to be a doctor, more because her father had been one and she had adored everything about him. She’d also hoped to marry a man just like him, but failed—twice. David’s haunting image floated up from her subconscious, and a strange chill coursed down her spine.

She closed her eyes, and the vibrant color of blood flashed behind her lids.

Her eyes flew open as she clasped a hand against her pounding heart. She hadn’t taken time to digest David’s death, too scared to process all she’d learned about her husband in the past few weeks.

Everything between them had been a lie. She knew that now, but it would probably take a lifetime to accept. It wasn’t because she was still in love with David. That had actually ended years before—back when he’d stopped pretending to be kind and considerate and instead became a short-tempered, illogical man who believed that everyone was out to get him. As it turned out, he had been right.

The only reason Julia had stayed in the marriage was for Robin. David adored her, despite the fact that he wasn’t her biological father. He had been the only father Robin had ever known.

Julia sorted through the events that had led her to Moreland, and wished like hell that she’d never bought a gun.

Her thoughts then drifted to Special Agent Newman. Had he set her up? She had trusted him, poured out her heart and told him everything about David. If she’d shown up at the mall, would she have walked into a trap?

And David…

Julia hugged her arms tightly around her body. She was responsible for David’s death; there was no denying that. The only dilemma that faced her now was whether the FBI wanted her dead as well. The very idea seemed ludicrous.

Julia grew tired of wrestling with the past. She needed to concentrate on the future, no matter how bleak.

The heady scent of honeysuckle wafted through the window, and a smile curved her lips. Again, she marveled over the town’s stillness. What would it be like to live and grow old in a town like Moreland?

Carson opened his daughter’s bedroom door and peered inside to see Bobbi nestled comfortably in the middle of her twin-size bed. He leaned against the doorframe while his heart bloomed with love at the sight of her angelic face.

They had traveled a hard road since Karen’s death. Both had been lost and confused by what to do next. Somehow they’d found their own way—one day at a time.

Quietly he entered her room. When he reached the bed, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, as he did every night.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Bobbi’s eyes fluttered open and a small smile curved her lips when their gazes met. “You’re late,” she whispered.

“I know.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped with his weight.

“Did Grandma and Grandpa go home?”

“Nah, they’re sleeping in the spare room.”

She nodded and looked at him quizzically. “Are you okay?”

He pushed back one of her wayward curls from her face, loving the fact that she’d inherited her mother’s hair. “I am now.”

“Were you over at Aunt Lilly’s?”

He nodded.

“Are you going to watch me pitch tomorrow?”

“Just for a little while. I have a car I have to check on tomorrow, but I’m sure Grandpa is still going.”

She nodded, satisfied. “Grandpa is my number-one fan,” she boasted.

“He’s number one?” He feigned a hurt expression.

“You’ve missed two games this season. He’s never missed a game,” she reminded him.

Carson lowered his head and fixed his doleful eyes on her. “But I’m always with you in spirit.”

She held his gaze and pretended not to be affected by his performance. “All right. You can be number one again.”

Carson’s face immediately exploded into another smile before he showered her with kisses.

“You go back to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Can we go over to Aunt Lilly’s for breakfast?”

“Again?”

“I like eating over there,” she said simply.

“All right.” He kissed her again and stood from the bed. “Good night.”

“’Night.”

Carson closed the door to her bedroom and went to his own room. Once inside, he walked over to the window, as he did every night, and stared out.

He loved the smell of the rain and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would have a good night of sleep. Below his window, he stared at the beautiful garden and smiled. No matter where he went in Moreland, there was always something around to remind him of Karen.

He turned from the window and removed his clothes.

When he got into bed, sleep didn’t come as easily as he’d expected. Instead, a beautiful woman with cat-shaped eyes monopolized his thoughts.

Robin woke up the next morning and stretched lazily next to her mother. She thought to wake her up and remind her that today they were supposed to meet David somewhere. She didn’t understand why everything had to be such a secret, but it seemed to be important to her mom.

She reached out a hand, fully intending to wake her, but suddenly decided against it. Her mom really looked tired. Maybe she should let her sleep a little longer. There wasn’t a real rush, anyway. That nice man from last night still had to fix their car.

Robin turned back the sheet just as she caught the scent of bacon. Her stomach growled as she rushed out of bed and over to their suitcases to find something to wear. Her mother had forgotten to pack her favorite shirt with the pink and yellow flowers on it. She moaned in disappointment, then decided to wear the purple one with red hearts.

She finished dressing and thought again about waking her mother, but held fast to her decision to let her sleep. Quietly she walked over to the door and slipped out of the room.

In the hallway, the smell of breakfast was even more mouthwatering. She could definitely get used to this place. At the staircase, she took her time glancing around as she descended, which was why she practically plowed into an older man near the bottom.

“Oops, sorry.” She quickly jumped back from the banister.

“Whoa. Where’s the fire?” he asked.

Robin started to apologize again when the man smiled and showed the whitest set of teeth she’d ever seen. “Are those your real teeth?” she couldn’t help asking.

The man laughed. “According to my receipt from Nick’s Drug Emporium, they are. What’s your name, pretty girl?”

“My mom says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“Is that right?” The man even seemed to think that was funny. “Did she have any words of wisdom about where you’re going?”

Robin fell silent.

“Well, my name is Pierce Taylor.” He offered his hand.

She stared at him. He appeared strange, but he seemed nice. “Robin Kelley.”

They shook hands.

“There. We’re not strangers anymore, are we?” he asked.

She guessed he had a point. “Do you live here?”

“Oh, no. But I work here from time to time. Ms. Lilly and I are good friends.” His brows rose. “I hear you and your mother were stranded out on the highway last night. I sure hope you weren’t scared.”

She shook her head, offended that he would even suggest such a thing. In truth, she didn’t remember too much of it.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” He playfully tugged on her loose ponytail. “For a minute I thought you was Carson’s daughter, Bobbi. You two kind of favor. I bet ya I know what’s got you up so early this morning—breakfast. I swear sometimes that the angels in heaven can smell that woman’s cooking.”

Robin laughed at the thought.

“How would you like an escort to the feast? Maybe you’ll even be first at the table.” He offered her an arm.

Robin giggled and slipped her arm through his.

When they entered through the doors leading to the dining area, Lilly, who was busily setting the table, lifted a curious brow at the odd couple.

“Well, what do we have here?”

“I met this little lady on the staircase. I believe she’s looking for something to eat,” Pierce explained.

“Is that right? I think I may be able to do something about that. Do you like flapjacks?”

Robin frowned. She didn’t think she’d ever had them. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t tell me that you never had flapjacks before,” Lilly said incredulously “Where are you from?”

“Good morning, everybody,” Carson greeted from the doorway.

Meanwhile, Robin didn’t particularly like being the only one in the world who didn’t know what flapjacks were.

Pierce interrupted. “I think I’m going to go on upstairs and check out that broken toilet in room four.”

“Thanks, Pierce. I’d nearly forgotten all about it.”

“Don’t mention it. Goodbye, Miss Robin,” he said, returning his attention to the little girl. “I hope to run into you again.” He winked, then disappeared with a laugh.

Carson delivered a quick peck to his sister’s cheek, then turned toward their little guest. “Ah, Miss Robin, are you and your mother joining us for breakfast this morning?”

She nodded for herself, then added, “Mommy’s still sleeping.”

Carson’s smile faded a bit, and Lilly’s eyebrows lifted curiously.

“Hey, Aunt Lilly.”

Robin turned in time to see a young girl whip into the room and head straight into Lilly’s outstretched arms.

“Hey, ya, sport. Are you ready for your game against the Cougars?” Lilly gave a slight tug on the girl’s braided pigtail.

“Sure am. I’m going to beat that Stanley Forrester. I’ll teach him not to call me Snobby Bobbi.”

Carson laughed.

“It’s not funny, Daddy. You wouldn’t like it if all your friends started calling you names.”

“That’s right,” Lilly chimed in. “You didn’t like it when your friends called you names.”

Carson’s smile dropped.

Bobbi’s eyes widened. “They called you names?”

Carson cast his sister a withering look. “Thanks.”

“What?” she asked with mock innocence, then disappeared into the kitchen.

“What did they call you?” Bobbi asked, crossing her arms.

Carson shrugged, then spotted Robin again. “Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t get a chance to meet one of our newest guests.” He moved over to Robin and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Robin, I’d like for you to meet my daughter, Barbara. Barbara, this is Robin.”

“Daddy,” his daughter whined.

“Forgive me. She only answers to Bobbi.”

The girls exchanged awkward smiles and hellos.

“How long you staying?” Bobbi asked, breaking the ice.

Robin shrugged. “My mom said that we’re leaving today after your dad finishes fixing our car.”

“Oh.”

“Here we are,” Lilly said, entering the room and carrying a tray of food.

“Ooh, I love pancakes,” Robin said, feeling her mouth water with anticipation.

Lilly smiled with understanding. “Round here we call them flapjacks. You’re definitely a city girl.”

“Would you like to come and watch my baseball game?” Bobbi asked, reaching across the table to nab a banana, only to receive a pop on the hand for her troubles.

“What did I tell you about reaching across the table like that?” Lilly warned with a shake of her finger.

“Sorry,” Bobbi quickly apologized with a dramatic pout.

The anger in Lilly’s voice disappeared as quickly as it came. “Well, all right, then. Do you want flapjacks or do you want your usual?”

Bobbi wiggled her brows. “The usual. I’m pitching today, which means I don’t want anything heavy.”

“La-di-da. One bowl of Captain Crunch coming up.”

“Well?” Bobbi returned her attention to Robin. “Do you want to come or not?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to ask my mom when she wakes up.”

“Aw, I’m sure she’ll say that it’s okay.” Bobbi waved off the obstacle and for the first time assessed Robin’s clothes. “Do you even play baseball?”

Robin shifted uncomfortably and shook her head. From the dumbstruck look plastered on Bobbi’s face, Robin had the feeling that she was suddenly uncool.

“What do you do for fun, then? And please don’t tell me that you play with dolls.” She rolled her eyes.

Robin slapped her hands against her hips and glared. “And what’s wrong with dolls?”

“For one thing they’re boring, and for another they’re silly.”

“They are not!”

“All right, girls,” Carson butted in. “Behave.”

Robin stifled her retort, but had a good idea of how Bobbi obtained her nickname of Snobby Bobbi.

“Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. It sure smells like heaven in here,” a thunderous voice declared, seconds before a short, heavyset man with gray hair wobbled into the room. “Well, I declare, Carson’s here. Please tell me that there’s some food left for the guests.”

Carson laughed good-naturedly. “You’re in luck, Joe. Bobbi and I just got here.”

“Well, I thank God for small blessings.” Joe’s eyes widened when Lilly returned to the dining room carrying trays of bacon and sausages.

Robin’s eyes widened at the delicious sight, and she had to wonder if heaven smelled this wonderful.

“I swear, Lilly, you’re some competition when it comes to my Joe’s affections.” An older woman joined the group.

Lilly laughed.

Joe’s face darkened with embarrassment. “Ah, Rosie. You know that you’re the only one for me.” He encircled her in his arms and planted a brief kiss against her cheek.

Robin smiled.

“Yuck.” Bobbi made a face at the couple. “I wish you two would give people a warning before you start doing that in public.”

“Bobbi,” both Carson and Lilly snapped.

“Sorry,” Bobbi mumbled under her breath, then poured milk into her cereal bowl before returning her attention to Robin. “So how old are you, anyway?”

Robin thought about not answering, but decided that her mother would always want her to be polite. “Eight.”

Bobbi nodded as if giving her approval. “Me, too.” She eyed her a bit longer through mouthfuls of cereal. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“You sure do ask a lot of questions,” Robin said, annoyed. She wasn’t sure that she even liked the girl.

Bobbi only smiled. “Last time I checked, it was the only way to really get to know a person.”

Robin figured the girl had a smart answer for everything.

Lilly placed a plate of pancakes topped with butter and syrup in front of Robin. “Eat up.”

More people filtered into the room, all of them praising Lilly’s cooking. For the most part, Robin enjoyed meeting Joe, Rosie, Albert, Dotty and Pierce. But she also met some overly made-up woman named Sheri Higginbotham—who apparently had the hots for Bobbi’s dad, Carson.

Robin immediately didn’t like her.

Chapter 6

“Good morning,” Paul greeted Tony in the cafeteria while simultaneously reaching into a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. “I hope you slept well, because we have a full day ahead of us.”

Tony, not known for being a morning person, merely grunted and headed over to the coffeepot.

“I got us an appointment to meet with Virginia Jacobson in about—” he glanced at his watch “—twenty minutes.”

“All right,” Tony conceded, and continued to pour his coffee the way he liked it: black, no sugar. “I thought you were making me lead investigator on this case.”

“I am, but I want to hear what Newman’s ex-partner has to say. The pressure is always hard whenever we lose an agent. So I hope you don’t mind my playing tag on this one.”

“Of course not,” Tony replied, but his gruff voice belied his answer.

Paul bit into his breakfast and shook the sugary flakes from his blue suit. “These things are wonderful, but messy.”

“Have you ever thought about actually eating something with nutritional value?” Tony asked, shaking his head. “I swear, my arteries clog just watching you eat.”

“I see you woke up on the wrong side of the bed again.” Paul shoved the remainder of his doughnut into his mouth with a dramatic flare and chased it with coffee.

“It’s not that. I just wish that you would take better care of yourself.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Paul said, suddenly conscious of the extra twenty pounds sagging around his middle. It was a stark contrast to Tony’s well-chiseled body.

Come rain, snow, or shine, Tony usually rose well before the sun to run six miles and pump weights. And very rarely did anything unhealthy enter his mouth. At times, Paul admired the man’s discipline, but at others, he resented it.

“Back to our case. Do you know if the last body at the morgue has been identified yet?” Tony asked.

“That’s a big negative. Of course, it’s going to be kind of hard to do. According to Dr. O’Brien, a good portion of the man’s face was blown off.”

“Ouch.”

“You’re telling me. What a lousy way to go. Anyway, they’re running prints and dental records. We should have something soon.”

“Exactly what time did you get in here this morning?”

“About the same time you finished your second mile, sport.” He reached for another doughnut.

Tony smiled. “Any more news from the crime lab?”

“Nope. But the morning is still young.”

Frankie’s patience thinned. He’d searched the Kelleys’ residence from top to bottom and had come up empty, not counting the dead body in the bathroom. He’d never been a man to stare into the mirror of regret; Frankie simply focused his attention elsewhere: Julia Kelley.

He glanced at his watch, then eyeballed the black Camry parked in the garage. No doubt the good doctor had fled town. He was just puzzled about how.

“All right, Frankie,” he counseled himself. “Maybe the lady has another car.” He rubbed his chin as he thought about that for a moment. “It’s a strong possibility.”

The problem now was uncovering what kind of vehicle it was and discovering its location. “This job isn’t without its share of challenges,” he mumbled.

A low shrill emanated from his coat pocket, and he retrieved his cell phone and answered in a curt tone, “Talk to me.”

“Frankie, Frankie. Me and the boys here have been waiting for your call. What’s going on down there in the Old South?”

Frankie shook his head and struggled to keep his irritation out of his voice. “Uncle Vinny, you know how I feel about talking business over cell phones.”

“Ah, we know, but what can I say? We were getting a little worried. It’s not like you not to check in.”

“Then consider this my check-in and I’ll call you later.” Frankie cursed under his breath and disconnected from the call. This was his first job with his uncle since his fiasco on the Dunaway case back in ’98. He’d refused to blow up Mitchell Dunaway’s car while he drove his wife and children to the JFK airport. He drew the line at harming children.

But before he had another opportunity at Dunaway, the explosives had been discovered under his car. Vinny was not a happy man at the missed opportunity, and as a result Frankie had lost favor with his powerful uncle.

This time he wouldn’t fail.

He jerked at the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway; then seconds later a horn blared. Curious, he reentered the house and moved toward the closest window to stare out.

A pale blue Chrysler minivan was parked out front, and from what he could see, a middle-aged blonde, complete with fancy sunglasses and a thin cigarette, peered up at the house, then laid on the horn again.

Frankie shook his head. Didn’t women know how unattractive smoking made them? He watched her as she then reached into her purse and scribbled something on a notepad. When she finished, she handed the note to someone in the back.

The van’s side door swooshed back and a miniature image of the driver jumped out and bounded up the stairs toward the house to place the note in the door.

After the mother and daughter had driven off, Frankie went to the door and quickly retrieved the note. It read, “Julia, came by to take Robin to ballet and there was no answer. Call me later—Nancy.”

Frankie shrugged. So the little princess missed ballet class. Big deal. Convinced that he’d learned all he could in the Kelleys’ home, he tried to think whether he had a contact down at the Department of Motor Vehicles. He needed to know whether the Kelleys owned another car.

He scratched his head when he couldn’t quite dig up the buried info—but he knew he would eventually. And he would find the doctor as well; he had no doubt about that.

Virginia Jacobson was a beautiful African-American woman whose smooth complexion gave her the appearance of a thirty-year-old, but her eyes told a different story, and Paul guessed her age to be in the mid-forties.

She welcomed her colleagues into her office with a sweep of her hand. “Please come in.”

Paul’s observant gaze swept over the immaculate office.

“I’m glad you came by to see me this morning. I was kind of anxious to meet with you both to see how you’re coming along in the investigation.” Her intense gaze swung between them.

“Actually, we’re working with very little,” Tony informed her in a tone of regret.

She nodded slightly as she moved behind her desk. “Walt has already been by this morning questioning me about Newman. All I know is that he and Pittman went to check out a claim from an anonymous caller.” She reached for the blue folder on her desk and started rattling off information. “On May twenty-seventh we received a call from a woman who claimed to have information on a felon listed on our Most Wanted list. She’d seen his picture posted in a local postal office, but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure that it was the same guy. To make matters worse, she suspected the man was her ex-husband.”

Paul frowned. “So what—Newman went to check this claim?”

Virginia nodded. “We arranged for the woman to bring her husband to an open place so we could try to get a positive ID on him.

“I was supposed to go with him, but I got called away on a family emergency, and Newman asked Pittman to go in my place. It was supposed to be a simple job. We go in, try to make an ID, then a possible arrest.”

Tony and Paul exchanged puzzled looks.

Virginia expelled a sigh of frustration. “I keep thinking that my partner might be alive if I had gone to that mall instead of Pittman. I mean, Walt’s a nice guy and all, and he usually works as a part of our team, but I was Rodney’s partner.”

Paul nodded. “I think Walt is battling his own demons over what happened.”

“I know,” she said. “But I can’t help the way I feel.”

Paul wanted to say something encouraging. “We’ll get who’s behind all of this. Trust me.”

Virginia met Paul’s steady gaze. A glimmer of sadness crept into her eyes, but her composure remained intact.

“I want to help you guys on this. I know that, technically, it’s your case, but he was my partner—and my friend. Let me help.”

Paul admired her loyalty. “We welcome your assistance.”

When she smiled, Paul was not unaffected.

Robin finished her breakfast, convinced that she’d never tasted pancakes as good as Ms. Lilly’s.

Bobbi, meanwhile, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and jumped up from the table. “We’d better get going if we’re going to make it to the ballpark in time.”

Robin got up.

“And I’ll make sure I point out Stanley Forrester to you. You have to watch him. He thinks that girls have cooties or something.”

“Ah, don’t let that worry you none,” Sheri Higginbotham drew her attention away from Carson long enough to comment. “Boys grow out of that nonsense soon enough. Isn’t that right, Carson?” She batted her eyes.

Robin frowned. “Is there something in your eyes?”

The adults snickered.

Robin sensed that she had said something wrong and clamped her mouth shut.

“Weren’t you two leaving?” Sheri snapped with her eyes flashing.

Carson, still smiling, stood from the table. “I think I’ll come with you girls, I want to see my baby pitch.”

“Dad, I’m not a baby,” Bobbi whined.

“You’re my baby,” he said firmly, but his eyes twinkled.

At that moment, Robin thought that Bobbi was the luckiest girl in the world. It was obvious her father cared a great deal about her. When was the last time her father had attended her dance recitals? Of course, David was her stepfather. She’d never known her real father. She’d only seen old pictures of him that were stuffed in her mother’s closet. His name was Kevin Henderson.

Her mother never wanted to talk about him, but it hadn’t stopped Robin from wondering what her real father was like. One time she’d caught her mother crying while holding an old wedding picture, and Robin had the feeling that she missed him.

So did Robin, if it was possible to miss someone you couldn’t remember.

Of course, there was David.

Robin hung her head guiltily. She’d never really cared for her stepfather, though he’d never actually done anything to her. But he’d always seemed to make her mother cry. When her mother told her of their divorce, it hadn’t come as much of a shock, as her mother had feared. In some ways it was more of a relief. Now Robin wondered if this sudden road trip had something to do with another one of David’s hateful threats. He was always making those; maybe this time he’d actually scared her mother. Maybe that was why her mother was acting so strangely.

“You two ready?” Carson asked.

Bobbi slapped a baseball cap on her head and beamed up at her father. “Ready when you are. Come on, Robin.”

Robin hesitated.

“Go on,” Lilly encouraged. “I’ll tell your mom where you are.”

It wasn’t that, Robin wanted to say. It was that she really wasn’t in the mood for watching baseball. She almost preferred to watch grass grow. But given the looks on Mr. Webber’s and his daughter’s faces, she knew she couldn’t let them down.

She took a deep breath. “All right.” It wasn’t as though she had anything else to do, anyway, she reasoned.

Tony followed Paul to his office. Each was submerged in his own private thoughts when Special Agent Larry Evans rushed up to them.

“There you guys are. I’ve been looking for you all over the place.”

“What’s up, Larry?” Paul asked with a frown.

“We got an ID on the last body down at the morgue. You’ll never guess in a million years who it is.”

“Try me.”

“Eric Mercer.”

The name seemed vaguely familiar to Paul, but in the end he drew a blank.

Tony, on the other hand, snapped his fingers. “Wasn’t there an Eric and David Mercer on the Most Wanted list?” He looked to Paul for confirmation. “I believe they’re wanted for racketeering, extortion and possibly murder.”

“Possibly?” Larry asked. “Try eighteen counts. And yes, they’ve been on our list for the last decade. Not to mention, the Montello Mafia has contracts out for both of them. Last I heard the price was two million.”

In sync, Paul and Tony emitted a low whistle.

“And that’s per head,” Larry added, crossing his arms and rocking on his heels. “They apparently double-crossed them on something, and the Montellos are carrying a grudge.”

“So what are we looking at—the mall shooting was an execution by the Montellos?”

“We shouldn’t rule it out,” Larry said.

“What in the hell was Eric doing there?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Larry patted Paul’s shoulder as he moved away. “Seems like you two have one hell of a case on your hands.”

“This case is getting stranger by the minute,” Tony commented, closing Paul’s office door.

Paul made his way behind his desk.

“What are you thinking?” Tony asked.

“About what Virginia Jacobson said.”

“She didn’t really say much.”

“True. But remember she said something about the phone call her partner had received?”

Tony thought for a moment. “Something about a frantic call from a woman and something she had seen about her husband.”

Paul nodded. “She had seen her husband’s picture posted somewhere.”

“Are you thinking that there is a Mrs. Eric or David Mercer out there?”

“Not unless the Mercers had her silenced by now. But frankly, I think it fits our puzzle.”

The men stared at each other before Tony asked, “You think it was a hit by the Montellos, then?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Then where is David Mercer?”

“Now that I would love to know.”

Chapter 7

Robin watched the ball game from the bleachers with surprise and excitement. She’d never seen a game quite like this before. The pitcher, Bobbi in this case, purposely tried to hit the batters she didn’t like. The result was a lot of fights.

Of course, none of the action took place when Mr. Webber watched the first two innings. During that time, Bobbi was an ideal player—but now…

Stanley Forrester stood inside the batter’s box with a fierce glare aimed at Bobbi, almost as if he were daring her to hit him again.

He was a cute boy, Robin assessed. His complexion looked more yellow than brown, and he had a deep set of dimples that made him look as if he were smiling even when he wasn’t.

There was a small part of Robin that wondered if Bobbi’s outrageous behavior toward him was because she secretly liked him more than she cared to admit.

Robin leaned forward and pressed her elbows against her knees as she watched Bobbi prepare to deliver the next pitch.

Stanley crouched, seemingly ready to knock the ball out of the field if given half the chance.

He had no such luck.

Bobbi sent the ball careening inside the batter’s box.

Stanley ducked, dropped his bat and covered his head.

“Ball,” the umpire called, then waved a warning finger in Bobbi’s direction. “Another one of those, Miss Webber, and I’m going to have to take you out of the game.”

Stanley, now covered in red dirt, stood with both fists planted on his hips. There were no words exchanged, but the heated glares exchanged between him and Bobbi spoke volumes.

Robin glanced over at the tattered scoreboard. Bobbi’s team, the Wildcats, was still ahead three-to-two in the top of the ninth, but with a runner on first and second, the last thing Bobbi needed was to walk a batter to load the bases.

The next two pitches sailed perfectly over the plate, and each time the umpire declared strikes.

Robin crossed her fingers and prayed for another strike to end the game, but instead the next pitch beaned Stanley on his left shoulder.

Stanley yelled and was awarded first base.

Amazingly, Bobbi simply shrugged apologetically at the umpire, but in Robin’s opinion she hadn’t looked too sorry about the pitch.

Now the bases were loaded. Other members of the Wildcats groaned aloud and shouted at her not to lose the game.

And she didn’t. The next batter, Jordan something or other, swung at the next three pitches and struck out. Snobby Bobbi had won the game.

From first base, Stanley removed his cap and threw it down in the dirt.

Bobbi cast him a smug smile as he stormed off the field.

Robin climbed down from the bleachers and went over to congratulate Bobbi on winning the game, but Stanley cut her off.

“Hi,” he said.

Robin blinked, startled by the boy’s sudden appearance. “Hi.”

“Are you new in town?” His dimples deepened as he smiled down at her. His earlier anger seemed to have disappeared.

“N-no. Me and my mom are just passing through.”

“Oh. Well, what’s your name?”

“Robin.”

“Leave her alone, Stanley. She’s with me,” Bobbi announced, appearing at her side.

Stanley’s smile disappeared. “I can talk to her if I want to.”

Bobbi grabbed Robin’s arm and pulled her back.

Robin was amazed at the girl’s strength.

“Leave her alone if you know what’s good for ya.”

Stanley shook his head, but decided to give up the fight. He looked at Robin one last time. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Robin nodded with a coy smile.

To Bobbi, Stanley stuck out his tongue, then stormed off.

“What a loser,” Bobbi declared once he was out of earshot.

“I don’t know. I think he’s kind of cute.” When Bobbi’s eyes narrowed on her, Robin’s smile grew. “Really cute.”

Julia’s head felt as if it were ready to explode. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she was surprised to find the spot next to her empty.

“Robin,” she called, and shot up in bed. Fire rushed down her throat, and the fast movement caused the room to spin. She opened her mouth to call for Robin again, but erupted into a coughing frenzy.

She lay down again and waited for the throbbing in her temples to stop. What time was it? The question surfaced somewhere in the groggy haze of her mind. And where was Robin?

She looked around and found the clock on the nightstand. She squinted at the numbers in hopes of bringing them into focus.

“One forty-five,” she slurred, then shook her head in disbelief. “It can’t be.” Had she truly slept away the morning?

Still determined to climb out of bed, she swung one leg over the side, then rested before attempting to move the other. Why was every limb so heavy?

A loud pounding echoed in the room, and subsequently Julia instinctively cowered.

“Julia, may I come in?”

Julia moaned.

The door cracked open and a familiar head poked through. What was the woman’s name again—Lizzy…Linda? She couldn’t remember.

“My goodness. You look like something the cat dragged in.” The woman marched over to her and laid her hand against Julia’s forehead.

Was her name Lori?

“Lordy be. You’re burning up.” She flung the sheets back from the bed. “Now you get yourself back in bed. I’ll take care of everything.”

“M-my daughter…?”

“Now don’t you worry none. Li’l Robin is just fine. She went down to the park with my niece to watch her play ball. They should be back any minute. Meanwhile, I’m going to get you something that will help you with that fever you’re running and get something in that belly of yours. You’ve already missed breakfast and lunch.”

“B-but we have to get on the road today.”

“Carson is looking over your car right now. And don’t you worry none. When it comes to cars, there’s nothing my brother can’t fix. Besides, you can’t drive in this condition.”

Julia eased back down onto the bed. Why was it so hot in the room?

Lilly pulled the covers over her, but Julia quickly pushed them off.

“Oh, dear.” The woman rushed out of the room.

Julia frowned. Was it Lisa? She exhaled and gave up trying to recall the woman’s name. She had more important things to do—didn’t she? Suddenly she wasn’t too sure of anything.

The woman returned and pressed something against her mouth. “Okay, honey. We need to get some fluids in you.”

A cool stream of water slid between Julia’s parched lips and coursed down her throat. She couldn’t remember ever tasting anything so good. Greedily she tilted the cup up but started to choke.

“Careful now. There’s more where this came from. Here, take these.” The woman pressed two pills into Julia’s hand.

“It’s just aspirin. It should help bring down your fever.”

Without hesitation, Julia tossed back the small pills, then drained the rest of the water. Unfortunately, it didn’t immediately relieve her headache.

“I’ll put some soup on for you. It won’t take but a minute to fix. I wish I’d come up here sooner. I thought that after the night you had you were just tired. I even asked your daughter not to disturb you.” She headed toward the door. “I could just kick myself. I should have been up here sooner.” She slipped out of the room again.

Julia frowned at the door. Was it Lacey?

Carson pushed himself out from underneath the car and sat up. It was a shame how people treated their cars sometimes. Julia’s Impala looked as though it hadn’t even had an oil change in two presidential elections.

He shook his head. That was the least of Mrs….well, Julia’s problem. Her car’s engine was ready for the old junkyard in the sky, which was probably the last thing she’d want to hear.

“Daddy, Daddy.”

Carson looked up to see Bobbi running into the shop. He stood and wiped most of the oil from his hands on a nearby rag before she bounded up into his arms. “Whoa.”

“We won. We won.”

A wide smile spread across his face as a jolt of pride filled his chest. “That’s my girl. So you still have your perfect record. That sounds like a reason to celebrate, if you ask me.”

“Yeah!”

From the corner of his eye, Carson caught a glimpse of Robin easing into the garage. He turned his smile in her direction. “Did you enjoy the game, Miss Robin?”

The little girl crossed her arms and shrugged. “It was all right.”

“She doesn’t like baseball,” Bobbi injected with a crooked smile. “She likes dolls.”

Robin glared at Bobbi’s back. “I don’t hate baseball. I just like football better.”

That statement grabbed Bobbi’s attention.

Carson set his daughter down. “There’s nothing wrong with little girls liking dolls. You should give it a try sometime.”

“Why?” Bobbi asked, dismayed.

Carson laughed when he realized he didn’t have an answer. “Well, I can’t see how it would hurt. Can you?”

Bobbi, probably for the first time in her life, was speechless.

He laughed again. “I’d say today’s victory deserves the usual.”

Bobbi’s eyes recaptured their earlier spark. “Banana splits?”

“You got it.” He tugged her pigtail, then looked over at Robin. “You want to join us?”

Robin shrugged again, but Carson could see that she wanted to go.

“I’ll tell you what—I’ll call over to the inn and let your mother know where we’re going. How about that?”

Robin pretended to mull the proposal over. “Okay.”

“All right. Banana splits, here we come.” Carson clapped his hands together.

Bobbi moved over to Robin. “Why didn’t you tell me that you like football? Maybe we can get a game started with the boys tomorrow. I usually play with Mickey and his friends. We’re always looking for another player. You are a good player, aren’t you?”

A confident smile curved Robin’s lips. “The best.”

Tony and his small team, special agents Walt Pittman, Larry Evans and Virginia Jacobson, spent the rest of the day interviewing eyewitnesses to the Perimeter Mall shootings a second time, but Tony felt they weren’t getting anywhere. Tony’s instincts told him that he was asking the wrong questions. They needed to find out more about David Mercer and what alias he was living under in Atlanta.

David Mercer’s name, as well as an old photograph, was given to the press. The game plan was to have the information flashed on the local news in hopes of someone coming forward.

“I still say that we don’t have any proof that the shootings have anything to do with the Mercer brothers. He could have just as easily been an innocent bystander as was Newman.”

Larry removed his shades from his breast pocket and slid them over his eyes before he walked out of the mall and into the day’s bright sun. “You don’t believe that any more than I do,” he said simply. “It’s too coincidental.”

Tony also retrieved his shades as he thought about it. “No, I guess you’re right.”

Larry thought for a moment. “You know what bugs me?”

“What’s that?”

“We have a handful of witnesses who saw Eric Mercer talking on a cell phone, but we haven’t recovered a cell phone.”

Tony had thought about that as well. “Walt says he doesn’t remember the guy on a cell phone.”

“Maybe he forgot.”

“Maybe.” Tony glanced over at Pittman, who was diligently interviewing more employees at the food court.

“I’ll brief Regis later over everything we’ve learned here. How about right now we grab something to eat?”

“Why wasn’t there a wallet on Mercer?” Tony jerked toward Larry as the thought occurred to him.

“Beats me. Maybe he didn’t carry one.” Larry shrugged. “Or maybe it’s with the missing cell phone.”

Tony moved down the cement stairs while shaking his head. “I don’t buy it. Do you ever go anywhere without your wallet?”

“Come on, Tony. Up until yesterday the man was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. He wasn’t going to walk around advertising who he was.”

“Larry, think. I’m not saying that he had his real name in the wallet, but surely he still had some type of ID under an alias. He was in a mall, for Pete’s sake. How was he going to buy anything—a shirt, a pair of pants, or even something from the food court? Who goes to a mall without a wallet? Don’t get me wrong—I wish my fiancée did every once in a while, but realistically, who does that?”

Larry laughed. “Have a case of the credit-card blues?”

“Who doesn’t? But let’s be serious for a moment. Someone took Mercer’s wallet. I’m willing to bet money on it,” Tony said with conviction.

Larry opened the door to their car and slid in behind the steering wheel. He waited until Tony got in on the passenger side. “Are you looking to be a profiler in your next life?”

“It’s killing you to admit that I may be right on this, isn’t it?”

Larry started the car and fiddled with the console’s buttons to get the air conditioner revved to full blast. “Okay, you may be right. But what does that tell us?”

“You tell me.”

Larry thought about it. “It could confirm that if the other victims have their wallets then Mercer was the target yesterday.”

Tony smiled. “I was right. You are a smart boy.”

“How sick is she?” Carson asked, frowning into the phone. He wiped his furrowed brow and squinted at Robin through the glass of his office door.

“Well, it’s hard to tell at the moment,” Lilly said. “I’m sure standing out in that dreadful storm last night has finally caught up with her. I just finished spooning her chicken soup and gave her something for the fever she was running. She’s sleeping right now. I’m sure in a couple of hours she’ll be right as rain. No pun intended.” Lilly chuckled.

“Should I call Dr. Lockhart? I’m sure that he’ll be more than willing—”

“That won’t be necessary. I have everything under control here. If you want to help, then keep Robin occupied. The last thing we need is for her to be worried about her mother. You just go ahead and take the girls out for their ice cream.”

“But—”

“No buts about it. By the time you guys get back here, her mother should be feeling much better. You mark my words.”

It was useless to argue. Carson reluctantly agreed to keep Robin occupied for a couple of hours, though he really wanted to call the doctor.

“All right, then,” Lilly said. “I’ll see you back here in time for dinner. Okay?”

Carson hesitated.

“Okay?” she asked again.

“Okay,” he finally said.

He hung up the phone and shook his head. Lilly had to be the most stubborn woman he knew. Stepping out of his office, he managed to suppress his troubled thoughts and donned a cheerful smile.

“All right. Who’s ready for ice cream?”

Robin held Mr. Webber’s hand and Bobbi rode on his shoulders while they walked to a place called Auntie Bertie’s Ice Cream Shop. The place was packed. Robin recognized many of the faces from the ball game, and guessed that this was a fairly popular hangout after the games.

“So what would you like, Miss Robin?”

She shrugged, feeling a bit uncomfortable with having Mr. Webber buy her anything. “I guess whatever you guys are having.”

“Great.” Carson looked up at the man behind the counter and announced their order: “Three banana splits, Harvey.”

“You got it, Carson,” Harvey said, giving him the thumbs-up, then he leaned down over the counter to peer at Robin. “Who’s the new lovely lady you got there?”

Robin looked up into the man’s kind green eyes and thought that his red complexion kind of reminded her of a clown’s.

Carson also looked down at her with a wide smile, and Robin impulsively smiled back. “This little lady is Miss Robin. Robin, this is Harvey. No need to be formal around him. He likes being called Harvey.”

“Hello,” she said, smiling.

“Hello there.”

“She and her mother are just passing through. They’re staying over at Lilly’s place for a few days.”

“Is that right? Well, welcome to Moreland.” He returned his attention to Carson. “If the mother is as pretty as she is, the men in this town are in trouble, I can tell you that much.”

“Then consider yourself forewarned,” Carson said with an encouraging nod.

Harvey’s head reeled back with the force of his hearty laugh, and Robin wasn’t quite sure that she understood what was so funny.

A few minutes later, Robin, Bobbi and Carson managed to find an empty table to enjoy their desserts.

Carson listened attentively as his daughter recounted every play leading to her team’s victory. Of course, her renditions seemed more suspenseful and colorful than what Robin remembered, but what the hey?

By the end of the story, Carson applauded and announced to the crowd in the ice-cream shop that his daughter had won the game.

Everyone in the shop stood and applauded while the other players from the Wildcats team chanted her name.

The immodest Bobbi climbed up onto her chair and made a dramatic bow to the crowd.

The cheers escalated.

Robin shook her head and laughed as she watched. She was really beginning to like Moreland.

Julia tossed and turned. She still felt hot—unbearably hot. David’s rough features materialized in her head, and a combination of sadness and fear seized her. The emotions confused her. When had she stopped loving her husband? And when had she learned to fear him?

She couldn’t remember.

What do you need to get at the mall? David’s unmistakable voice questioned her.

“It won’t take long,” Julia mumbled against the pillow as her mind took her back….

“Mommy, Mommy, wake up.” Robin’s voice penetrated Julia’s dream, and she opened her eyes to see the glowing red numbers on the digital clock. She blinked in surprise and struggled to pull herself up in bed. “It can’t be five o’clock.” She clutched at her throat, not believing that the deep, raspy voice she heard was her own.

“Mommy, are you all right?”

Julia turned toward her daughter’s worried expression and managed to nod, but was uncertain whether it was the truth.

“I’m going to go get you some more water,” she announced, grabbing the glass pitcher on the nightstand. “Ms. Lilly said to make sure that you get plenty of water.”

Julia watched her leave. After a few minutes had passed, she managed to push herself out of bed, but her balance was weak at best.

The bedroom door opened, and Julia glanced up in time to see her daughter enter, carrying a tray of food and the pitcher of water. “Mommy, what are you doing?” She closed the door carefully. “Ms. Lilly said you shouldn’t get out of bed.”

“Robin, sweetheart.” A wave of relief swept through her. “Come and help Mommy to the bathroom.”

“You’ve been asleep all day.” Robin crossed over to the bed to set the tray down before rushing over to her mother. “You’re not sick anymore?”

Julia nearly crumbled at the look of genuine concern on her daughter’s face. “Let’s just say that I’m feeling a lot better.”

“Were you sick because you were out in the rain for so long, like Ms. Lilly said?”

“That’s a good possibility.” With Robin’s help, she made it to the bathroom, where she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and actually gasped in horror.

“Baby, can you please bring me something to change into from out of the suitcase? Mommy is going to take a shower and try to take her place among the living.”

Her daughter replied with a well-mannered “Yes, ma’am.”

It took a bit of work, but after she’d showered and dressed, she was relieved by the transformation. She was actually ready to join the human race.

“Why did you cut your hair yesterday, Mommy?” Robin asked, watching her from the doorway.

Julia flinched, then quickly composed herself while flashing her daughter another smile. “I guess I was just ready for a change.” She ran her fingers through her short hair. “You don’t like it?”

Robin cocked her head while evaluating her. “It’s nice. I have to get used to it, though.”

“That makes two of us.” Julia sighed. “I guess we need to locate Mr. Webber and see about our car.” She started to move away from the mirror when her legs threatened to give out again.

“It’s not fixed yet,” Robin informed her, missing her mother’s moment of weakness. “He said that something’s wrong with the transition.”

“You mean transmission?”

Robin nodded.

Julia’s heart sank beneath a wave of disbelief. “Please say we’re not stuck out here in Mayberry.”

Her daughter frowned. “Should we call David and tell him where we are? Maybe he can bring us the other car.”

Julia wished she could tell her that that wasn’t possible. There were so many things she needed to tell her daughter. With a will she thought she no longer possessed, she defeated a rush of tears and avoided her daughter’s gaze.

“That’s not possible, sweetie, but I’ll see what I can do to get us out of here.”

Robin shrugged. “It’s not so bad here. I met a lot of kids today.”

“Oh?” Julia welcomed the change in topic as she moved out of the bathroom and back over to the bed. She eyed the tray of food with curiosity.

“Yeah. I went to a baseball game and watched Bobbi pitch. She’s pretty good, but she can be a little bossy though.”

“Bobbi’s a girl?”

“Well, it’s actually Barbara, but she doesn’t like it too much. I think she wishes that she was a boy.”

“Uh-huh.” Julia pinched off a piece of corn bread, surprised to see it was mixed with crackling. The rest of the plate consisted of collard greens, yams, macaroni and cheese and ribs. The food brought a smile to her face, and memories of her grandmother’s home cooking to her mind.

“But Mr. Webber was really nice. After the game he took us both for banana splits.”

“That was awfully nice of him.”

Robin smiled. “Yeah, he’s real nice.”

“How is she feeling now?” Carson asked Lilly as he carried in an armful of groceries.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been up to check on her since the last time you asked me, which I believe was five minutes ago.”

“Oh.”

Lilly laughed as she started shelving items. “But if it makes you feel any better, Robin came down a moment ago and said that her mother was awake. I sent some food up with her. I’ll go and check in on her in a few.”

He nodded. “You still don’t think that we should send for Dr. Lockhart?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a better doctor than Lockhart. Besides, doesn’t he have cataracts in both eyes now?”

“I thought he was getting those removed.”

She shook her head. “This town definitely needs a new doctor. And Lockhart needs to retire.”

“But—”

“Since when have you had problems with my doctoring skills?”

“Since you started declaring that you have them, Dr. Roberts.”

“All right.” She waved a finger at him. “You remember that the next time you catch a cold and you’re over here whining to be spoon-fed chicken soup.”

“Point taken.” He reached into one of the bags and started to hand her canned goods. “So what do you think about them?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean in general. What do you think?”

“Uh, I don’t know. They seem nice, however elusive, but then again we’re strangers to them.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said absently.

Lilly’s hands fell to her hips. “What’s with you and all these questions?”

Carson shrugged, but averted his gaze. “Nothing. I just was curious about what you thought of them, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh. If you’re interested, I suggest that you don’t let that Sheri Bigbottom know about it.”

“For the millionth time, Lilly, it’s Higginbotham.”

“I call it like I see it.”

He laughed.

“You can laugh if you want to. But you’d better watch your step. That woman is bound and determined to get your butt in front of a preacher. And if I were a betting woman I’d say she’ll do it, too.”

“Me and Sheri? I don’t think so.”

“Why? What’s wrong with her? She’s pretty and…” She drew a blank. “Well, she’s pretty.”

“If I were looking for a wife, which I’m not, I’d want her for more than her looks.”

It was Lilly’s turn to shrug.

“Besides,” he added, “Karen is kind of a tough act to follow.”

Their eyes met and they shared an awkward smile.

“You know, Bobbi’s growing to be more like her mother every day,” he said.

“Her curveball?”

He laughed. “I never could hit that darn thing.”

“That’s because you were a lousy baseball player.”

“I don’t remember you qualifying for Player of the Year.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. You have a lousy memory, too,” Lilly joked, then ducked from his lunging hands.

“I’ll get you back for that one,” he warned playfully, then quickly turned serious. “You know, I don’t think that Bobbi and I would have been able to get through the past couple of years without you. You’ve been wonderful.”

She only nodded as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You know, she would want you to remarry.”

Carson’s heart squeezed as an instant image of his late wife surfaced, startling him with its clarity. “That may be so, but you only love like that once. I’d be a fool to think that it could happen again.”

Chapter 8

Julia and Robin finished the tray of food that Lilly had prepared for them. Neither talked about or speculated on how long they’d have to stay in Moreland, but the question was never too far from Julia’s mind.

While she ran her daughter’s bathwater, Robin replayed the day she had had at the ball game. The more Robin talked about Bobbi, the more intrigued Julia became by the little girl.

She’d also noticed that Robin hadn’t asked her about David. No doubt she wouldn’t win any Mother of the Year awards on how she handled this sticky situation. A small part of her was convinced that this was neither the time nor the place to have this heart-to-heart talk, mainly because she wasn’t prepared for it.

After she’d finished with the water, she laid out towels and a pair of pajamas for her daughter.

“Are you okay, Mama?” Robin asked, peering up at her.

Julia blinked and shook off her troubled thoughts. She realized then that she’d stopped listening to her daughter. “I’m just fine. Don’t worry about me. Why don’t you go ahead and take your bath while I return our tray to Ms. Lilly and see if I can talk to Mr. Webber about our car.”

“All right.” Robin yawned. “You know, we forgot to pack some of my books for bedtime stories.”

Julia smiled. “I’ll see what I can do about getting some new ones, okay?” She leaned over and kissed her daughter’s forehead.

“Okay.”

Julia retrieved the food tray. She took her time descending the stairs. Her strength hadn’t returned one hundred percent, but she refused to remain helpless. She had just rounded the base of the staircase when she heard several voices booming from the dining room. She concluded that the other guests were still having dinner.

The last thing she wanted to do was disturb them.

The front door opened and Julia jerked in its direction. The tray slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor.

Carson entered with a curious frown. “Ms. Julia?”

Her heart rammed against her rib cage. Who had she expected to see? She looked down at the shards of broken dishes. “Oh, my goodness. I’m so sorry about this,” she said in a trembling voice, then knelt down to clean up the mess.

Carson cocked his head. “Are you all right?” He joined her on the floor.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” she answered, but she knew that she was doing a lousy job of convincing him. Her life was in a shambles and she was anything but all right. “You just startled me, that’s all.”

She felt his gaze on her, but he said nothing.

Julia, however, made a point of avoiding his eyes. Something about the man threw her world off its axis, which was a sure sign to keep her guard up. Of course, there was a high probability that after two failed marriages, she was wary of men—period.

When Carson faced her again, Julia managed to compose herself and get down to the business at hand. “About my car, Mr. Webber—”

“Ah, yes. The car. Well, it’s going to take a little longer to fix it than I’d originally planned.”

While he gave her the bad news, he sounded apologetic, but Julia swore there was a twinkle in the man’s eyes. She clenched her jaw in irritation.

“Exactly what’s wrong with the car?” she said, halfway hoping that Robin had been wrong.

“Transmission.”

Julia refrained from cursing and instead nodded. “How much is it going to cost to fix it?”

Carson folded his arms and rubbed his chin while he thought about it. “I’m not sure, to tell you the truth.”

“I see.” She shook her head as she suddenly remembered her disdain for mechanics. They never gave a direct answer or charged a fair price. “How about a ballpark range?”

He smiled and the gesture further irritated her. Now that she thought about it, the man did nothing but smile all the time. Did anything ever ruffle his feathers?

“Ms. Julia, I have to make some calls. You’re driving a sixty-two Chevy Impala. Though it’s a beautiful car, it’s old, and trying to find parts for a car like that here in Moreland is going to be close to impossible.”

This time Julia smiled. It was either do that or scream bloody murder.

“But don’t worry about anything. I’ve already talked to my sister, and she says you and your daughter are welcome to stay here while I work on your car.”

“We can’t do that. I already feel like we’re taking advantage of her hospitality.”

“I didn’t say you could stay for free,” he injected.

“Oh.” Julia’s eyes widened while her heart fell somewhere close to her knees. “W-well, I don’t have much money with me,” she began, wondering why she couldn’t have left well enough alone.

“That won’t be necessary either,” he said, waving off her stuttering speech. “I suspected that you’d consider our help as charity and I sensed that you had a healthy dose of pride in you, so I suggested that you assist Lilly by working here at the Georgia Inn. As far as your car, maybe we can work something else out between us.”

Heat scorched a trail up Julia’s neck. Surely she hadn’t heard him right. “Come again?”

He laughed as he rolled his eyes heavenward. “That didn’t come out right, did it?”

Julia crossed her arms. “I hope not.”

Intrigued by the sparks igniting in the woman’s catlike eyes, Carson tried again to pacify her. “What I meant was that maybe we could work out some type of payment arrangement. You seem to be trustworthy. Can I trust you to mail payments once you get to where you’re going?”

She definitely wasn’t hearing him right. “Let me get this straight. You are offering to fix my car for trust payments?”

“Are you saying I can’t trust you?”

She was now convinced that Moreland was indeed Mayberry and she was conducting a conversation with Goober. She stood and shifted the tray to hold out a hand. “I say you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Carson gripped Julia’s hand in a firm handshake. An undeniable warmth rushed up her arm and stimulated a strange fluttering in her chest that unnerved her. She jerked her hand from his grasp and ignored his stunned expression. “I’m overwhelmed by you and your sister’s generosity,” she said, covering her fluster.

“Think nothing of it.” He waved off her comment and an uncomfortable silence stretched between them. “Here, let me take that for you.”

She twisted the tray out of reach. “That won’t be necessary. If I’m to work for my room and board, I may as well get started now.” She turned without further comment, thankful that she could finally shake off whatever havoc his presence had on her senses.

The moment she marched into the dining room, all chatter and laughter ceased and a crowd of curious eyes shifted in her direction. She smiled awkwardly.

At that moment, Lilly also entered the room from the kitchen. Her face colored with surprise. “You’re up.”

“Yes. I wanted to thank you for taking such excellent care of me,” Julia said. Her nervous gaze once again skittered to the crowded table.

Lilly placed a pitcher of ice water on a mat on the table, then wiped her hands as she moved toward Julia. “Thank goodness you’re feeling better. That’s all I can say. You gave everyone here a good scare, especially Carson.”

She took the tray from Julia and said nothing about the broken dishes. “Let me introduce you to some of our guests. I’m sure everyone here is anxious to meet you.” She found a place on the buffet for the empty tray, then led Julia over to an older man sitting at the head of the table.

Once glance at the man’s handsome features and Julia knew the man’s identity.

“This is my father, Charles Webber,” Lilly began. “And my mother, Grace.” She gestured to the beautiful woman next to him.

Julia nodded and shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“My, you are pretty,” Grace proclaimed with a widening smile. “I’m pleased to say that your daughter is a stunning replica of you.”

Julia blushed at seeing the other guests bob their heads in agreement. “You’re too kind.”

“Where is Robin, by the way?” Lilly asked just before she moved on to the next guest.

“She’s taking a bath. Seems she had quite a day with your niece.”

“Bobbi could wear out Superman if given the chance,” Lilly confided, then directed her attention to a well-groomed man with small wire-framed glasses. “And this devilishly handsome man is Moreland’s pride and joy, and coincidentally is known as my better half, Mayor Richard Roberts.”

“Please call me Rick,” he said, offering his hand. “And after an introduction like that I almost feel like I should stand on the table and dance a jig.”

The guests laughed.

Julia heard the door to the dining room swing open. She didn’t have to turn around to see who had entered. She instinctively knew who it was by the room’s sudden electrical charge.

“Ah, Carson,” Lilly exclaimed. “I’m glad to see that you made it back in time to join us.”

“I’ve been here a few minutes. I just went to wash up for dinner. Good evening, everybody.”

Everyone at the table murmured their greetings while Julia made a point to keep her back turned to him. She could still feel the unnerving flutter in the pit of her stomach while her senses seemed infinitely sharper. What was it about this man that put her on edge? Surely she should feel nothing but gratitude for all he had done for her.

Lilly waited until her brother took his seat at the table before she continued with her introductions.

Julia took an instant liking to Joe and Rosie Sinclair. They were like eternal honeymooners, pawing over each other and finishing each other’s sentences. Albert and Dotty Cornell were nice, too, but Julia sensed a strained tension between Dotty and Lilly. Then again, hadn’t Lilly said that she’d once dated Albert?

Albert, a medium-sized man with average looks, didn’t quite seem like the type to cause a war between women, but he did possess a wicked sense of humor.

Julia relaxed with the friendly group and had almost managed to push Carson’s presence out of her mind—almost.

“Sorry I’m late.” A female’s breezy voice floated into the room. “I hope I didn’t keep everyone waiting.”

“Sheri, I was just beginning to think that you couldn’t make it tonight,” Lilly said, sounding none too pleased to see the woman.

Julia turned and watched an attractive, curvy woman saunter into the room. She headed straight to Carson and placed a peck on his cheek before sliding into the empty chair beside him.

Julia was surprised and puzzled by her instant dislike for the woman.

Sheri met Julia’s gaze with a wide plastic smile and frosty eyes. “Well, who do we have here? Lilly, aren’t you going to properly introduce me to our new visitor?”

Julia didn’t know what to make of the woman or her dramatic flair for commanding attention.

“Sheri, Julia. Julia, Sheri,” Lilly huffed, then went on about her business in the kitchen.

Carson stood and took over the introduction. “Julia will be staying with us for a few days. That is, until I can get her car up and running.”

Sheri’s gaze never left Julia, as if sizing her up as…what? Competition? The thought nearly won a laugh from Julia.

Sheri was the first to attempt conversation. “I believe I already met your daughter this morning. Quite a charmer.”

“Thank you, I think.” Julia looked around the room and found that everyone had tuned in to their conversation. Actually, they seemed entertained by the awkward exchange.

“Well, I need to get back upstairs. Robin should be finished with her bath by now,” Julia said finally. “It was nice to meet you all.” She nodded in everyone’s general direction.

“Are you sure?” Carson asked, laying a warm hand against her arm.

Sheri’s eyes narrowed at the gesture.

“I’m sure dessert will be out in a moment, and we all would love the pleasure of your company,” he insisted.

“I’m positive,” Julia responded firmly. “Good night, everyone.”

“Good night,” they chorused out of sync.

Sheri remained silent as she followed Julia’s exit with suspicious eyes.

Once Julia left, everyone at the table returned to their idle chatter.

Carson, however, remained rooted where he stood, staring at a closed door.

“Now that’s a real nice lady,” Pierce Taylor’s unmistakable voice rose above the table.

There was a murmur of agreement when Carson turned to respond, but he stopped at Sheri’s angry look.

“What do you think about our new guest?” she asked in an icy tone.

Suddenly the room fell silent again.

“I like her,” he answered honestly. “Don’t you?”

At that moment Lilly breezed back into the room. “Dessert, anyone?” she asked, carrying a variety of cakes on a long tray.

“Saved by the cheesecake,” Charles announced.

The group laughed, relieving much of the tension.

Lilly turned. “What’ll ya have, Carson—turtle cheesecake or double chocolate?” She looked up and caught the strange looks on his and Sheri’s faces. “What did I miss?”

Carson was the first to defuse Sheri’s potential eruption. “Nothing.” He clapped his hands. “I think I’ll have the double chocolate tonight.” He returned to the table.

Lilly’s curious gaze shifted to Sheri, who, in turn, clamped her mouth shut.

“Oookay.” Lilly shrugged, then went on to serve her guests.

Julia returned to her room just as Robin stepped out of the bathroom with a frown.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Julia asked with instant concern.

“You packed the wrong pair of pajamas.” Robin pulled at the neck of her top. “These are too small.” She tugged again.

Julia pressed her lips together to prevent herself from laughing at the sight of her daughter squeezed into clothes that were two sizes too small. “I guess you’re right.”

“It’s not funny, Mama.”

“You’re right,” Julia conceded, then moved over to her. “How about you just sleep in your underwear again tonight? And I’ll see what I can do about replacing them tomorrow?”

“Deal,” she agreed, then tried to pull her shirt over her head, but it got stuck and her mother had to help her.

When she was finally free of the strangling pajamas, Robin climbed into bed.

Julia once again felt her strength dip, and she quickly moved over to the bed as well.

Robin bolted upright. “Are you all right, Mama?”

“Y-yeah. I’m just tired.”

She composed herself long enough to offer her daughter a butterfly smile. “Tell you what—why don’t you go get me the brush so I can take down your hair?”

Robin bounded out of bed with amazing speed. “Okay.” She ran into the bathroom and returned within the blink of an eye. “Here you go.”

Julia accepted the brush and scooted back on the bed to make room for Robin to sit down in front of her. When she was settled, Julia unbraided her daughter’s fat pony tails and removed her hair bows.

“Mama, how do you know if a boy likes you?” Robin asked out of the blue.

Julia stopped, the brush suspended in midstroke. Was it already time to have this talk? She cleared her heart from her throat before she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” Robin shrugged. “I met this boy today and…he seemed nice.”

“I see.” Julia digested the information, then tried to figure out the best way to approach the question. “Well, if I recall, when I was your age—and mind you that was a long time ago—the boys who picked on me and called me names were the ones who ended up liking me.” She guided the brush through Robin’s thick hair.

“Well, how do you know if you like them?”

Julia stopped again, stumped. “I’m not sure. You just know, I guess.” Talk about irony, she thought. A woman who had failed at two marriages was giving her daughter advice.

Robin fell silent.

Julia frowned. “Do you think you like this boy?”

“Nah,” Robin said with a wave of her hand. “I wasn’t asking for me.”

Relief deflated Julia’s anxieties.

“I was thinking about Bobbi. I think she likes this boy named Stanley. But I don’t think she knows it. And he does just like you say—he teases her and calls her Snobby Bobbi, so I think he likes her, too.”

“Are you playing Cupid or something?” Julia brushed her daughter’s hair in long, fluid strokes. Now that it wasn’t Robin they were discussing, she relaxed.

“No. I was just wondering if I was right.”

A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Have you ever liked someone—a boy?”

“Not really. Boys are dumb.”

Julia laughed as she French-braided Robin’s hair into two rows. “Why do you say that?”

Her daughter shrugged. “They just are.”

“All right,” she said, then kissed the top of Robin’s head. “In the bed, you.”

“’Night, Mama.” Robin delivered a quick peck to Julia’s cheek, then climbed into bed.

As Julia pulled the covers up, she noticed Robin’s wide smile.

“We forgot to call David today.”

Julia nodded, still unsure of what to do or say.

“But I’m glad we didn’t.”

Surprised, she stared at Robin. “Why do you say that?” Fear pricked along the column of her spinal cord at the very thought that David might have done anything inappropriate with her daughter. Why hadn’t she thought about that before now?

“You’re always happier when he’s not around,” Robin said simply.

Julia recognized the truth of Robin’s words and felt the rush of tears long before her vision blurred. “Good night, sweetheart,” she managed to say with an even voice. She kissed her daughter again and reached over to turn out the light.

Tony poked his head into Paul’s office and motioned for Paul to follow him. “I think we got something.”

Paul abruptly ended his phone conversation and bolted from his desk. “Let me have it,” he said, marching down the hallway beside Tony.

“Channel Eight ran the Mercer’s picture at six and ten, and we received a few calls, but we have this one woman—a Mrs. Nancy Davis—who claims she knows David and his wife. However, she knows him as David Lawson.”

“He’s married?”

Tony glanced down at his notes as they marched down the hallway. “Supposedly. According to her, Mercer was married to a Dr. Julia Kelley.”

Chapter 9

Later that night, Julia slipped out into the garden without drawing any unwanted attention. She wanted a place where she could be alone with her thoughts, and the magnificent view spread out before her was as good a place as any.

For a while she strolled through the various perennials, admiring their beauty and their soft fragrances.

Then the tears came.

Somehow she made it to a nearby wooden bench, where she collapsed and hid her wet face in the palms of her hands. The plight of her situation hit her with full force. Everything was gone: her home, her marriage—her life.

“Oh, God,” she moaned in between choked sobs, while rocking her trembling body back and forth. What had she done to deserve this? What kind of life could she really provide for her daughter while being on the run?

No answers came to what she perceived as impossible questions. She didn’t even know how she was going to pay for the repairs on her car.

She didn’t want to take the risk of using any of the credit or bank cards that were in her purse. She knew those things could easily be traced.

A light breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, which was perhaps why she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps.

“Julia?”

She jumped to her feet with her heart lodged somewhere in her throat.

Carson stepped from out of the shadows. His handsome dark features had twisted into a look of concern. “Julia, are you all right?”

Nodding, she slapped a hand against her chest. “You frightened me,” she said, swallowing.

He gave her a long, evaluating look. “I heard you crying.”

“I-I’m fine.” She quickly dried her tears with the palms of her hands.

He watched her in silence.

“Really,” she assured him, sniffling. “I’m fine. I just came out here to have some time alone.”

Carson moved closer. “If it’s about the car—”

“No,” she nearly shouted.

The rest of the sentence died in his throat. He frowned at her.

“It’s okay,” she said, sliding her hands into the pockets of her pants. “I really appreciate all that you’re doing for us. It’s just been a hard couple of days. That’s all.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I could really use some time alone,” she said honestly. She needed to think. Surely if she put her mind to it, she would come up with a plan for how she and her daughter were to live the rest of their lives.

He nodded, but disappointment flickered across his face.

“And thank you for taking care of Robin for me today. She obviously had a good time with you and your daughter.”

“She’s a joy to be around. I’m halfway hoping that she’ll be a good influence on Bobbi for the short time that you’re here.”

“Oh?”

“It’s not that Bobbi is any trouble, it’s just that she’s…she’s…” Carson scratched his head as he struggled for the right words.

Julia smiled despite herself. “There’s no need to explain. I’m sure she’s a lovely girl.”

He laughed. “She is. Every day she reminds me more of her mother. She was quite the tomboy when she was Bobbi’s age as well.”

“But she eventually grew out of it?”

“No.” His laughter deepened. “Everything was always a competition between us. I mean that in a good way. The sad truth of the matter was that Karen pretty much beat me in everything. That included fixing cars.”

“She sounds like quite a character.”

His laughter died as his smile waned a bit. “She was.”

Sadness crept over his chiseled features.

Gone was Julia’s desire to be left alone. She was suddenly assuaged by a growing feeling that this gentle giant needed someone to talk to. “Tell me about her.”

His usual smile reappeared, this time broader, and she swore his eyes shimmered with a thin sheen. “Karen was the love of my life,” he began with conviction. “She was the reason that I rose every morning. The reason for everything.” He paused, then moved over to the bench and sat down.

Julia did likewise.

He looked around the garden as if lost in memory. “Karen created this garden. She tended to each flower with skill and love. I feel that love whenever I visit this place.” He cast a casual glance toward Julia. “Does that sound crazy?”

“Not at all.”

He nodded and pulled his gaze back to the surrounding flowers. “She always had a way with making things grow. Of course, everything that I touched had a way of turning brown and shriveling up.” He forced a laugh.

Julia smiled.

“You know, they say that it’s best to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I don’t know if I agree with that.” He paused. “What about you?”

Julia blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I—I don’t know.”

“Enough about me pining over my deceased wife. Tell me something about you and your husband.”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

Carson shrugged. “I don’t know. Are you two close?”

Uncomfortable with how the conversation had put her on the spot, she searched her brain for a way out of the question, but an answer tumbled from her lips before she had a chance to stop it. “Once.”

His brows arched inquiringly, but when she didn’t continue, he tried to smooth things over. “I had no right to pry.”

“No more than I did,” she answered honestly. “So let’s just call it even.”

For a brief moment they held each other’s gazes before allowing them to fall.

“Deal. Let’s shake on it.” He offered his hand.

She slid her hand into his large but surprisingly soft one.

“So.” He sighed dramatically. “What’s a safe subject?” he asked, gazing up at the stars.

Julia followed his lead and noticed for the first time that they sat beneath a full moon. “Why do we have to talk about anything? We can just sit here and enjoy the stars.”

“Sounds good to me.” His gaze danced around the sky. “It’s a beautiful night.”

“That it is,” she agreed. “You know, I could never make out the constellations. They always look like a cluster of white dots.”

“Let’s see if I can help you out.” Carson moved closer and pointed at the sky. “Now, right there is the Big Dipper. Can you see it?”

She squinted and tried to follow the drawing he made with his finger. “N-no.”

“Are you sure?” He leaned closer.

Julia caught the faint scent of his cologne and thought the light musk suited him. Then just beyond the tip of his finger, an image suddenly materialized. “Wait. I think I see it,” she marveled.

“And over there is Orion, the Hunter. It’s the most conspicuous constellation. The Betelgeuse star is easily distinguishable by its reddish color.”

Julia again followed his direction and her eyes widened in surprise. “Why couldn’t I ever see those before? They look so obvious now.”

“I felt the same way before Karen showed me. Now I know all eighty-eight by heart.”

She heard the longing in his voice. “How long has it been?” she couldn’t help asking.

“It feels like a lifetime ago, but in reality it’s been a little over three years.”

The moonlight caused his eyes to shimmer, and Julia fought the urge to reach out to his pain-stricken face. This man loved his wife with his whole being, and the power of that love held her in thrall. Had she ever experienced that kind of love?

After two marriages, it shamed her to admit that she hadn’t. Yes, she had loved Kevin, Robin’s father, once upon a time, but it was nothing even close to what she was witnessing. Kevin had come at a time in her life when she thought she was supposed to be married. She’d just finished medical school and all her friends were marrying. It seemed like the right thing to do.

But within a year, she came home to a note from Kevin saying that he could no longer be third in her life behind Robin and her career, and he just left—simple as that.

She couldn’t lie and say that there was no pain involved. There was plenty of that, but she wasn’t hurt as much as she was embarrassed. Robin had been the best thing that had resulted from the marriage. For that, she could never regret their union.

Then there was David.

Smooth-talking David had, at least in the beginning, made her feel all the things that Kevin hadn’t, but whether she had simply felt loved or if she had loved him was something that she still questioned.

“You’re not on your way to see your husband, are you?”

Julia jerked at the unexpected question. So lost was she in her own private thoughts that she had not noticed his intense gaze on her. How long had he been studying her?

He smiled. “I know we agreed not to pry, but…you’re not, are you?”

Her heart pounded inside of her ears, but again there was something in his eyes that assured her that she could trust him.

“No,” she admitted, shaking her head and refusing to tell him the whole truth.

“Are you running from him?”

She forced back the threat of tears and shook her head. She expected him to ask more questions, but he didn’t. The night’s silence cloaked them as their eyes met again.

To Carson, the moonlight made Julia look even more beautiful, if that was possible—and maybe fragile. Yes, fragile described her right now. She was running from something. He was willing to bet the farm on that. He’d felt a strong urge to protect her, and a few moments ago he had been overwhelmed with the desire to kiss her. The emotion confused him.

Just moments ago he was thinking of Karen, and now he wanted to kiss another woman.

He closed his eyes in shame.

“Maybe I should head back in,” he said, standing. “I have a full day tomorrow,” he offered as an explanation.

Julia blinked at his abruptness. The spell had been broken. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

He nodded, hesitated, then turned toward the house.

“Thanks again.” Her words hit his back.

He stopped.

“I enjoyed your company tonight,” she added, surprised that she hadn’t really wanted him to go.

“Me, too,” he said, then continued toward the house.

She watched him until he faded from view, and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. In the future, it would be in her best interest to avoid being alone with Carson Webber, but she had a strange feeling that was easier said than done.

Chapter 10

Julia tossed and turned during her restless sleep. In her dream, she could see the gun shop she’d visited just days before David’s death….

She flinched when she opened the door and a bell rang above her head. She hadn’t known what to expect, but she was surprised by the store’s immaculate order.

“May I help you, ma’am?” A man suddenly appeared from the back.

There was nothing spectacular about the man’s appearance; no tattoos or strange body piercings, as Hollywood always portrayed the owners of such shops. In fact, the man smiling at her looked like the average blue-collar worker, with a name tag that read Henry.

She allowed herself to relax a bit.

“I-I’m interested in purchasing a weapon.”

It was probably her nervousness that caused the man to eye her curiously. She suffered through his assessing silence, praying that he wouldn’t turn her away or, worse, call the police.

“Do you have a preference of what you’d like to see?”

Julia’s mind drew a blank. She had no idea what she wanted or what she should look for in a weapon. Before last week, she’d never dreamed that she would even consider purchasing a gun.

“I’m open for suggestions.” She moved closer to the counter with a nervous smile. “I’m sort of new at this.”

“I figured as much,” he said with a shrug.

She read understanding and even compassion in his eyes. Had he assumed that she was here after being victimized in some way or another? She didn’t know. It was just as likely that he treated all his customers this way.

He nodded with approval, then reached beneath the counter and withdrew an application. “Law requires a ten-day waiting period on your application before I can actually sell you a gun.”

She was familiar with the Brady Law. “I know.”

The man’s face exploded into a smile. “Good. Now let’s see about finding you a gun.”

“I need something that’s light, but powerful.”

“Ahhh.” His eyes lit while he walked to the far end of the counter. “How about a Smith and Wesson revolver?”

Julia peered down into the glass counter as Henry pulled out a silver key to unlock the backside of the case. The small gun looked more like a toy than a weapon.

“Here, feel it.”

He handed her the gun. She was instantly surprised by its light weight.

“It’s a .22 caliber and weighs about eleven ounces,” he informed her, and watched how she clumsily handled the small piece.

Julia shook her head, not quite sure what she didn’t like about the piece.

“You don’t like it. No problem, no problem.” He returned the gun to its rightful place, then instructed her to follow him to another section of the counter. “What about a Beretta Cougar F .357? Of course, it’s a little heavier than the revolver, and it packs a stronger punch.”

This time when she handled the weapon, a surge of power unlike anything she had ever known seized her. She was intrigued and frightened by it.

He regarded her with interest. “Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“No,” she answered honestly. “But I’m a fast learner.”

Julia forced her eyes open, wishing she could banish the memory. She hugged the pillow and could feel where her tears had dampened the material. The events of the past weeks would undoubtedly be the walls of her private hell for years to come. If it was the price she had to pay to protect herself and Robin, then she knew she would have to get used to the tears.

Policemen swarmed the home of Dr. Julia Kelley. Yellow tape instantly appeared as members from the crime lab took pictures of everything.

Lt. Thomas Jackson of the Atlanta Police Department was the officer in charge. Solemnly he approached a trembling Portia Jennings, who sat in disbelief on the staircase.

“Can I get you anything?” he offered in what he deemed as his patient voice.

Her gaze remained transfixed on a spot on the floor while she shook her head.

Jackson nodded and reached inside his breast pocket for his worn notepad and pen. He flipped the pages until he found the pages that contained her earlier statement. “I know you’re tired, but we need to go over a few more things before I can let you go.”

She glanced up and brushed her thick, black mane back from her swollen red eyes. She looked a mess with her streaked makeup and disheveled hair.

His eyes lowered to her trench coat, an odd thing to wear in the middle of a humid summer night. If he had to guess, he suspected that the woman wore little or nothing underneath.

“How do you know David Lawson?” he asked.

“I already told you,” she whined impatiently. Her gaze darted to the officers milling around them.

“Tell me again,” he responded with more firmness.

She looked up. Her eyes found the familiar spot on the floor. “We were lovers,” she answered just above a whisper.

“And how long were you in this relationship?”

She paused before answering. “A little over a year.”

“Did his wife know about the affair?”

She shrugged, but Jackson pressed her for an answer. “Ma’am?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” She suddenly became agitated. “I don’t understand why you’re asking me all these questions. She’s the one you need to be talking to.”

“You believe she killed her husband?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she snapped.

“But if she hadn’t known about the affair—”

“I said that she didn’t know about me,” she said, holding his direct gaze. “I didn’t say she didn’t know about the others.”

Nancy Davis looked nervous.

Tony glanced over at Walt to see whether he’d picked up on it as well. He read in the other man’s expression that he had. They sat down in Mrs. Davis’s dining room while the woman fumbled for her third cigarette.

“I can’t tell you how much of a shock this is to me,” she said in a haze of smoke that threatened lung cancer for them all. “When I saw David’s picture flash on the news like that, I didn’t know what to think. I mean, I’ve been friends with him and his wife for years.”

“How do you know David Mercer and his wife?”

“Mercer,” she repeated with a shake of her head. “It’s going to take me a while to get used to that name. You’ve got to remember, I knew him as David Lawson.”

Tony and Walt nodded patiently.

“Well,” she continued, “I’ve been friends with Julia for a long time. Our daughters are in the same dance troupe, and we often take turns carpooling them to classes. I met David shortly before they were married. I think that was three or four years ago. I can see why Julia was attracted to him, why any woman would be attracted to him. He was quite the charmer.”

Tony nodded.

For the next hour, Mrs. Davis said little that gave any hint to the source of her nervousness.

“When was the last time you saw Mercer—Lawson alive?” Paul asked.

Her gaze deserted his to eye the now-empty pack of Benson & Hedges Lights. The woman was definitely a basket case.

“Friday,” she said.

Tony frowned. Had there been a slight tremor in her voice?

“And Dr. Kelley?” Walt asked with a growing frown.

“I believe it was Thursday.”

Tony watched as she averted her eyes. The woman was definitely hiding something.

A rattle came from the front door seconds before it swung open and a tall man strolled through the door.

“Honey,” Mrs. Davis exclaimed, jumping from her chair and absently straightening her clothes. She shot the agents a strange and unreadable look but still made a feeble attempt to smile.

A puzzled look dominated Mr. Davis’s stony features as he glanced from his wife to the agents. “What’s going on?”

Nancy’s nervousness took off on a whole new flight, puzzling Tony and Walt further.

Tony stepped forward and introduced himself and Paul, but their identities only deepened Keith Davis’s bewilderment.

It was then that Nancy got a grip on her nerves and explained everything, but Keith hadn’t seemed too surprised by Mercer’s former life; he simply said, “I knew there was something about that man I didn’t like.”

“Care to elaborate on that, Mr. Davis?” Tony asked.

“I just never cared for the man, that’s all. Never really knew what the man did for a living. He always said he was a jack-of-all-trades and a master at none.” He shook his head. “I always felt that Julia could have done better, but hey, what do I know?” He slid an arm around his wife’s waist before adding, “Not to mention that the man, in my opinion, had a roaming eye.”

Tony witnessed Nancy stiffening in her husband’s arms without him seeming to notice.

“What do you mean?” Walt continued with the questions.

“Just what I said. He was too much of a ladies’ man. Julia finally found that out. Their divorce was finalized a week ago.”

The agents looked at each other, both wondering why Mrs. Davis hadn’t mentioned that bit of information.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive. I was her divorce attorney. They’d been separated since the beginning of the year, but David seemed surprised when he was served the papers. He refused to move out of the house until they had sold it and had split the profits, which was stipulated in their divorce papers. The whole thing was a nightmare for Julia.”

Walt thanked them for their time just when Tony’s cell phone rang.

They were expecting a call to let them know when the mobile unit was ready to survey Mercer’s address. The news he received, however, shot that plan to hell.

Lieutenant Jackson was angry enough to spit fire when his captain called with the news that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was taking over the Lawson case. His incredulity died, however, when he learned of Lawson’s true identity and his place on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

To Ms. Jenning’s horror, she had to be detained longer at the crime scene until the FBI had a crack at her.

Minutes after Jackson received the call, a new horde of people arrived at the house. Looks of resentment were exchanged between the two groups of law enforcement agents, but otherwise the transition was a smooth one.

Somewhere around midnight, Portia grudgingly gave another interview. She grew even more distressed with the news that she’d been having an affair with a man on the Most Wanted list.

Paul met Tony and his team at the crime scene and started asking his own set of questions.

Her admission of infidelity with Mercer and her declaration of David’s other liaisons brought another woman to the forefront of Paul’s mind. Was it possible that the nervous Mrs. Davis had succumbed to David Mercer’s charms as well?

Despite all the new information that Ms. Jennings learned about her former lover, she held fast that his murderer was none other than his missing wife.

Somewhere around two in the morning, they allowed her to leave, while the bureau continued their sweep of the crime scene.

Tony finally met up with Paul around three in the morning to review their notes. “According to the coroner, David’s been dead at least twenty-four hours.”

“So the brothers were possibly killed on the same day?”

“Looks that way.”

Paul fell silent.

“What do you think?” Tony probed.

He shook his head. “I don’t think this is a coincidence. And despite what the lovely Ms. Jennings may think, I don’t think this was the work of a jealous wife.”

“Montello?”

“It would make sense, wouldn’t it?”

Tony nodded and looked around. “Then I’m afraid to ask my next question.”

“Where is Dr. Kelley?” Paul hazarded a guess. At Tony’s slow nod, he drew in a tired breath. “If she’s not dead, she’s probably somewhere wishing that she were.”

Portia Jennings—or, rather, Rachel Miller—clutched the hand unit of the pay phone tight against her ear.

“Did you tell them exactly what I told you?”

“I gave the performance of my life,” she reassured her boss. “When do I get the rest of my money?”

“When it looks like the feds took the bait,” the husky male voice responded with cool confidence.

“That wasn’t the agreement,” she reminded him.

“It is now.” His clipped answer left no room for argument, and a strained silence ensued.

Rachel suddenly had a bad feeling. She didn’t like it when rules were randomly changed. “So what do you want me to do now?”

“Sit tight. Stay at the address you gave the feds in case they want to ask you some more questions.”

“For how long?” Her irritation reached an all-time high. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in Georgia.

“For as long as we need you.”

A palpable tension layered the phone line, while Rachel bit back a stream of curses. This wasn’t what she’d signed up for.

“Uncle Vinny appreciates all that you’ve done for the family.”

Rachel held her temper in check. “I sure hope so.”

The bastard actually had the balls to laugh, which further annoyed Rachel.

“I’ll be in touch,” he promised.

Before she could speak, the line went dead. “Damn.”

Chapter 11

Carson rose well before sunrise, but the unsettling coolness that seemed to invade his bedroom saddened him. He remembered a time when it had resonated with joy and love. Those were the days when he’d awakened every morning to Karen’s dazzling smile.

“Morning, sunshine,” she always said, and delivered a quick peck to his lips.

He smiled weakly at the memory. There was hardly a day when she hadn’t awakened in a good mood. Her attitude was infectious, and everyone loved her for it.

Crazy as it might seem, he swore that sometimes he felt Karen’s presence. And to his amazement he sensed sadness, which he couldn’t understand.

Once he’d been foolish enough to mention this to Lilly, and as quick as a whip she’d assessed that Karen’s sadness stemmed from the fact that he refused to move on with his life.

Karen would want him to marry again. How many times had Lilly told him that? But the idea remained preposterous to him. No one had understood him the way Karen had, and he doubted that anyone ever would.

Almost seamlessly, his thoughts turned to Julia and whether she was feeling any better this morning.

Maybe he and Bobbi should run over to the inn for breakfast before heading off to church. He nodded and made up his mind to do just that when his bedroom door swung open.

“Daddy, Daddy. Come quick,” Bobbi shouted.

Carson’s heart leaped into his throat as he rushed over to her. “What is it, baby? Are you hurt?” He pulled her into his arms and immediately searched for blood or broken bones.

“No, no. It’s not me. It’s Champ. I think he hurt himself.” She tugged on his arm.

Carson’s concern shifted to their twelve-year-old golden retriever. “How did he do that?” he asked, rushing behind Bobbi. The old boy rarely left the comfort of their front porch.

“I don’t know, but he’s limping pretty bad. I think we need to take him to the vet.”

Carson pushed open the screen door to find their adopted dog huddled in the far corner. His mournful whines were heartbreaking to hear.

“What’s the matter, old boy?” he asked, kneeling beside him.

The dog whined louder in response.

“Do you remember which leg it was, Bobbi?”

His daughter fell to her knees beside him. “It was this one,” she said, pointing to Champ’s right paw.

Gently Carson lifted the dog’s injured paw. When the dog yelped, he quickly lowered it. “I think you may be right. I think we need to get him over to the animal clinic. You’d better go change out of your pajamas.”

“Okay.” She jumped up and rushed back into the house.

Cautiously Carson gathered Champ into his arms, careful to avoid his injury. When the dog’s pleading gaze met his, Carson consoled him, “You’re going to be all right. We’ll get you all bandaged up in no time, old fella.”

Champ laid his head against Carson’s chest and expelled a woeful sigh.

“I know. I know. We’ll get you to a doctor.”

Julia rose early, unable to stand the torture of her dreams. They were more than dreams, she knew; they were memories grounded in reality. She dressed quickly, while doing her best to avoid looking into the mirror.

She was responsible for her life being a fiasco. Her prized career was undoubtedly over. Her chest tightened with regret, but her chin stiffened with resolve. She had to do what she had to do to protect her daughter.

Quickly she slipped out of the bedroom, and soon after she left the inn. Once outside, she watched the sunrise and thought that it was the most beautiful thing she’d seen in a long time. In fact, after searching her memory, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d witnessed such a spectacular view—if ever.

Stepping off the porch, she carefully took in her surroundings. All was quiet, while the perfumed scent of magnolia tickled her nose. It was almost as if she’d stumbled into a corner of heaven.

A few lights flashed on in some of the surrounding houses. It was time for people to start their days. She smiled, unaccustomed to not having a million things to do in twenty-four hours.

Julia eased into one of the rocking chairs on the porch and continued to soak up the atmosphere, and amazingly the weight of her problems lightened.

Who would think to look for me here?

She stopped rocking at the unexpected thought. Who indeed?

She stood and once again took in her surroundings. With the car out of commission, she didn’t have to worry about anyone spotting her on the road, and wasn’t she looking for a place where she could disappear?

She frowned at that. Everyone knew each other in this town. Hadn’t she learned at least that much being around Lilly?

However, the idea remained tempting.

She jumped at the sound of the door opening behind her.

“My, my. Look who rose with the sun this morning,” Lilly marveled with her hand on her hip. “You feeling better?”

Julia nodded with a spreading smile. “Just came out here to enjoy the sunrise.”

“Do that a lot, do ya?” Lilly knelt and picked up the small stack of newspapers. “You and my brother have that in common.”

At the mention of Carson, Julia lowered her head to the instant image of him from last night in the garden. Something in the man’s smoldering gaze formed questions in her mind. He was much more than the happy-go-lucky guy he portrayed. There was the promise of something deeper.

Julia looked up to find that Lilly’s friendly gaze had turned into a curious stare. She gave her another fluttering smile. “Actually, I believe this is the first occasion when I’ve taken time to notice the sunrise. I get the feeling that it won’t be my last.”

Lilly nodded. “Does this mean that you will be joining the rest of the guests for breakfast this morning?”

“I swear, if I stay here much longer I’m going to have to go shopping for larger clothes.”

Settling one hand against her hip, Lilly laughed. “Girl, you can use a little meat on those bones. Men like that.”

Julia couldn’t stop her bark of laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You do that.” She turned to go back into the inn.

“Here, let me help you with the door,” Julia offered.

“Thanks.” Lilly’s gaze assessed her again. “You know, I’d love it if you and Robin came to church service this morning.” At Julia’s hesitation, she added, “Seeing that you two will be staying here for a little while, this would give you a chance to meet some more people here in Moreland.”

The last thing that Julia wanted to do was socialize. In fact, if it was at all possible, she’d rather fade into the background. The fewer people she knew, the better, but then again, if she decided to stay…

“Come on,” Lilly implored. “Our church is having a giant bake sale later on this afternoon. It’ll be fun.”

Julia teetered in indecision, while chewing her bottom lip.

“Carson will be there,” Lilly tossed in shamelessly.

The best way to handle the woman’s blatant matchmaking was with direct bluntness. “You’re under the false impression that I’m interested in your brother romantically.”

Lilly’s brows arched quizzically. “False impression?”

Julia forced herself to nod. Why had the question caused a warm flush to crawl up her body? “Yes. False.”

Incredibly, Lilly’s face exploded into a smile. “Maybe for you. And maybe not for long.”

Julia returned to her guest room troubled more than she cared to admit by her conversation with Lilly. The woman was definitely determined to see things that weren’t there. Sure, she felt indebted to Carson for what he’d done for her and Robin. After all, he’d rescued them in the middle of nowhere, and during a thunderstorm at that. Then he had brought her to shelter and offered to fix her car.

A girl couldn’t have asked for a more gallant knight. But romance? It was out of the question. If anything, she’d had her fill of the overrated notion of love. Twice she’d been married—one man had run out on her, leaving her a single mother; the other one—hell, she didn’t know what to make of the other one.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what was listed on the FBI’s Web site. Her husband, known to her as David Lawson, was really David Mercer, a man wanted for more crimes than Charles Manson, and had been associated with the Montello Mafia family. The Mafia!

Until a couple of weeks ago, the word Mafia was familiar to her only through movies and Mario Puzo novels. Those things weren’t real life.

Now, of course, she was of a different opinion.

No, she decided. The last thing she wanted in her life was another betrayal from love. She didn’t care how disarmingly charming Carson Webber was; she’d rather lock her heart in a steel cage and throw away the key.

The other problem Julia needed to face was telling Robin the truth about David—well, at least about his death. He’d been dead for a little more than thirty-six hours, and she hadn’t so much as murmured a word to her daughter. And did she dare risk telling Robin about her own part in his murder?

But was this the right time and place for such a talk? Life was definitely throwing her some doozies lately. And as always, she would find some remnants of strength and get through it.

Robin stirred.

Julia sighed. Today was going to be another long day in a month of long days.

“You actually said that to her?” Rick, Lilly’s husband, said incredulously.

Lilly shrugged and slid into her favorite royal blue dress. She loved the many compliments she received whenever she wore it. “You know I always say what’s on my mind. And I’ve seen the way those two behave around one another—one always sneaking a glance while the other isn’t looking. They can’t fool me. There’s something there between them.”

Rick shook his head, then leaned over from the edge of the bed to slide on his black socks. “I swear, Lilly, one of these days that mouth of yours is going to get you in a world of trouble.”

Stunned, Lilly swirled from the full-length mirror to level him with a piercing gaze. “Why, because I speak the truth?”

He looked up. “No, because there’s a distinct difference between the truth and your opinion. Your opinion isn’t always wanted.” He favored her with a smile, in the hope that it would soften his words. “Have you ever thought that it’s time to hang up your bow and arrow and stop playing Cupid?”

“Richard Dean Roberts, I’ll have you know that I’ve never been wrong about these things. Remember, I was the one that got Catherine and Drew together—despite your objections, I might add. Not to mention Joe and Rosie, Felicia and Henry, Margo and—”

“What about the wars between Savannah and Albert, Sierra and Benjamin, and the huge one between Wendy and Isaac?”

Contrite, but not defeated, Lilly shrugged. “Okay, so I don’t have a perfect record. But I’m right about this one.”

“Didn’t Carson say that the woman was married?”

“Sounds like trouble in paradise, if you ask me.”

“That’s my whole point, sweetie.” Rick stood. “No one has asked you.”

Carson, Bobbi, and Champ arrived at the town’s small animal clinic, only to find the place deserted, with a note on the door.

Frowning, Carson jumped out of the car and rushed to the door to read the note, which said that the clinic had closed for the next week and that Dr. Shepherds in Greenville would be handling any emergency until that time. Then vaguely Carson recalled that the vet had told him sometime last month that he was going on vacation. Why hadn’t he called before he’d rushed over? Now he had to drive another twenty minutes to get to Greenville. “Great. Looks like we have to cancel church service this morning,” he informed Bobbi when he got back into the truck.

“They’re closed?”

“Looks that way.” He caressed the top of Champ’s head. “Hang in there, old boy. We’ll find you a doctor.”

“We’d better go tell Aunt Lilly that we’re not going to make it today. Do you think we’ll be back in time for the bake sale?”

“I don’t see why not.” He started the truck.

Carson arrived at the Georgia Inn and bounded up the small stairs, then was surprised when the door swung open just as he reached for it.

Julia jumped. “My goodness, you scared me.”

He smiled down at the beautiful woman. “Forgive me. Good to see that you’re still up and about.”

“Thank you. Hopefully that’ll be the last time I get stranded in the middle of a thunderstorm.”

“I certainly hope so. How’s Robin?”

“Fine. Fine. She said something about Lilly’s flapjacks and raced to breakfast.”

After sharing an awkward smile with her during the ensuing silence, Carson remembered the reason for his visit. “Ah, have you seen my sister this morning?”

“Earlier.”

“Good,” he said, stepping past her. “I have to tell her that Bobbi and I won’t be able to join her at church. Champ injured his leg this morning and we have to drive him to Greenville.”

“Oh?” She perked in interest. “Mind if I take a look at him?”

“Sure.”

Julia followed Carson off the porch and over to his truck. Inside the cab, she saw a little girl with her thick hair pulled back into a ponytail. When she met Julia’s gaze, Julia noticed that the pretty girl had Carson’s dark eyes. But she also had features that were unfamiliar to Julia. The girl’s mother must have been a knockout.

Bobbi pushed open the truck door and jumped out. “Hi. You must be Robin’s mother.”

“You are correct. And you must be Carson’s rambunctious daughter I’ve heard so much about.”

Bobbi pushed out her chest with pride. “That’s me.”

“Well, I’m pleased to meet you.”

Bobbi glanced over at her father and winked. “I like her.”

Carson laughed. “I’m so glad you approve.” He tugged her ponytail.

“Well, let’s see what’s wrong with our little fella.”

“There’s something wrong with his front paw,” Bobbi added.

“Is that right?” Julia turned to Carson. “Can we lay him on the bed of your truck? Maybe I can get a good look at what we’ve got here.”

“Sure.”

Minutes later Julia discovered that Champ had managed to get a sharp rock embedded between the pads of his paw. Once she removed it, the dog was no worse for wear, and Julia was even rewarded by Champ with a sloppy, wet kiss against her cheek.

“I think he likes you,” Carson commented.

“Well, the feeling is mutual.” She scratched behind the dog’s ears and he adoringly leaned against her.

“I’d forgotten that your daughter said you were a doctor. What is your field of expertise?”

“Actually, I learned about bandaging dogs and what have you on my grandparents’ ranch out in Kentucky.” She steered the question in another direction.

“Oh, really? So you’re a country girl turned city?”

“Not really.”

“Dad, I want to be a veterinarian,” Bobbi suddenly declared.

Carson only smiled. Last week she was going to be a racecar driver. “Well, I think that is an admirable decision.”

Bobbi beamed with pleasure as she turned to Julia. “Is Robin up yet?”

“Yes, she’s inside eating breakfast. She should be finished about now.”

“Is it okay if she goes to church with us?”

Julia hesitated. “If she’d like to go, then I guess it’s okay with me.”

“Are you sure?” Carson picked up on her reluctance.

“Sure,” she said, realizing that she welcomed anything that would delay their talk about David until she’d at least figured out what she was going to say.

“Great.” Bobbi ruffled Champ’s fur, then rushed inside the Georgia Inn.

“Looks like I owe you one for taking care of Champ, here,” Carson said.

“Please, after all you’ve done? I’m hardly the one to be indebted to. How old is Champ, anyway?”

“Twelve. He was my wife’s pet. She rescued him from the shelter.”

Julia observed his sudden melancholy.

“You’re thinking about her.” It was a statement as much as a question.

His gaze lifted to hers. “Sorry about that. Once I thought I’d never see her again or never hear her laughter. But each time I look at Bobbi, I see Karen’s smile and hear her laughter.”

“That is so beautiful.”

He blushed with embarrassment. “You must think that I’m being dramatic.”

“I think that you’re a man who loved his wife. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“What about you? I don’t think I’ve once heard you talk about your husband.”

Julia’s gaze dropped. “There’s nothing really to tell.”

Carson watched her as she tightened her jaw and seemed to withdraw from him without moving a muscle. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay. I guess I started it.” She smiled weakly. “Let’s just say that I haven’t been as fortunate as you in love.”

“You never know what tomorrow may bring.”

Their gazes locked as they absently caressed Champ’s wavy, golden coat.

And that was the scene Lilly saw when she walked out to the truck. She cleared her throat.

Carson and Julia jumped guiltily away from Champ.

Lilly gave them a knowing smile. “I just came out here to ask you, Carson, whether you and Bobbi were riding with us to church?”

He looked at his watch. “Uh, yeah…well, I need to take Champ home first. So why don’t you take Bobbi with you and I’ll meet you all there?”

“Sounds good to me.” She looked at Julia. “Bobbi said that Robin could go with us. Are you sure I can’t persuade you to come along?”

Julia couldn’t remember the last time she’d attended church. Her situation being what it was, it was probably a good idea if she went, but instead she said, “I think I’ll pass this time. I need to take care of a few things today—make some calls.”

“Oh,” Lilly said in a voice filled with disappointment. “Our bake sale is around one o’clock. We’re trying to raise some money for the church. The church isn’t too far from here, just down on Main Street. I’d love it if you’d drop by.”

Julia was a little incredulous at the woman’s inability to take no for an answer, but she smiled all the same. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all one can ask. I’ll leave directions on the table in the foyer. Trust me, everything in town is really within walking distance.” Lilly looked back to her brother. “See you at church.”

He nodded, then watched as his sister entered the inn before he turned his attention back to Julia. “Please don’t feel pressured about coming. My sister can seem a bit…forceful at times.”

She smiled. “A bit?”

They exploded with laughter.

“I see you’ve learned a lot about my sister in a short time.”

“I’ve always been a fast learner. Besides, she’s been wonderful to Robin and me. After I sort out a few things maybe I’ll take her up on joining you guys at the bake sale.”

Carson winked at her. “Then I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”

A warm rush rendered Julia tongue-tied, but she managed to nod. Even after Carson had pulled away from the inn, Julia wondered at her body’s traitorous reactions to the man. And more important, what was she going to do about it?

Chapter 12

Julia stood on the porch of the Georgia Inn and waved to Robin as she rode off with Lilly, Rick and Robin’s new friend, Bobbi. It had probably been just luck that she’d managed to pack a couple of dresses for her daughter to wear.

When she turned to look down the road at the row of houses, she saw more people dressed in their Sunday finest. Again she was touched by the town’s simplicity of life. Carson’s assessment of the town rose from her memory: Everyone is a part of one big family.

Julia smiled. Maybe Moreland was the perfect place where she could just disappear. After all, who’d suspect that she lived here? She had no relatives or friends here. One of the things that troubled Julia the most about her situation was the fact that she wouldn’t be able to practice medicine again.

Her gaze fell to the wooden porch as depression flooded Julia’s emotions. Being a doctor was more than a job. It was who she was. It was as much a part of her as the color of her eyes.

She swore under her breath and cursed the day she’d ever laid eyes on David Lawson—Mercer—whatever his real name was.

She remembered the first time they’d met. They were in a jewelry store. He was trying to get an estimate on something or other while she was there to pick up a watch she had had repaired.

Even now, she could remember his extraordinary confidence and charm. He’d made it impossible for her to reject his offer of dinner and a movie.

Maybe it was his overt confidence or charm that had won her over. Or maybe it was just the fact that she’d grown tired of her life consisting only of patients and her then-five-year-old daughter’s dance classes. She didn’t remember which, but in the end she had accepted his invitation to dinner. And in six months she had been swept up into a whirlwind wedding. Six months after that, she realized that she’d married the wrong man…again.

It was the first time Robin had ever visited such a small church. Had it not been for the fact that Bobbi had promised her a game of football after the bake sale, she wouldn’t have come now. When she first entered the church the beautiful colored windows mesmerized her, especially the large one that was directly in the center of the church.

Bobbi tugged her arm. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” Bobbi turned and followed the direction of her gaze. “What’s the matter, you’ve never seen a picture of Jesus before?”

It was her new friend’s condescending tone that pulled Robin from her reverie. She turned narrowed eyes in Bobbi’s direction. “Don’t be silly. Of course I have.”

“Girls,” Lilly leaned down and interrupted. “Go and sit down while Rick and I finish talking to Sister Betty.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girls responded, then did what they were told.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Lilly said under her breath. She turned and faced Sister Betty. “I’m starting to believe that the poor thing has never attended church before.”

Sister Betty shook her head in pity. “Where is the girl’s mother?”

“She’s back at the inn. I swear, for a minute there yesterday, I thought we were going to have to rush her to Baptist Memorial Hospital. I was convinced she had a bout of pneumonia.”

“What happened?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Carson was coming home for dinner Friday night and saw a car broken down on the side of the road….”

Meanwhile, Bobbi directed Robin to the first pew, where an usher handed them programs.

“Why do we have to sit so close?” Robin asked.

“Aunt Lilly always sits here. She claims that she doesn’t want to miss a thing. But I suspect that she wants to rub it in Sister Arlene’s face that she married Uncle Rick and not her.”

Robin laughed. “Who is Sister Arlene?”

“She’s the choir director. Don’t worry, you can’t miss her. She’ll be the first to testify, the first to get the Holy Ghost and the first to pass out on the pulpit.”

Robin frowned. “Pass out?”

“Just wait. You’ll see.”

Sister Betty covered her mouth in dismay. “That sounds awful. And you say you don’t know their last name or where they come from?”

“I don’t. That doesn’t mean Carson doesn’t. Which brings me to another suspicion of mine. I think there’s something between the two of them.”

Sister Betty’s brows rose.

Rick stepped up and placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Honey, we need to get to our seats. Service should be starting soon.” He turned his politician smile on Sister Betty. “See you after the service.” With a firm grip, he directed his startled wife down the aisle.

“Rick, what has gotten into you?” she demanded in a hushed tone.

“You know how I feel about you gossiping, especially with Sister Betty. She holds even less water than you,” he said curtly, but the hint of a smile on his lips belied his anger.

“You embarrassed me,” she insisted.

“I did no such thing.”

When she opened her mouth to protest further, Rick looked up and waved to someone across the way.

“Oh, look, honey. It’s Sister Arlene. Doesn’t she look nice this morning?”

Lilly clamped her mouth shut and turned in the direction of her old nemesis.

The women cast assessing glances at each other, then exchanged plastic smiles.

“Low blow,” Lilly murmured under her breath. “Low blow.”

The service went just as Bobbi had predicted. Sister Arlene led the choir, and she had a solo in each selection. Then there was the sermon, which was fascinating to Robin because of the way the minister made his voice rise and fall. He’d also told everyone to go to different books in the Bible before some could even find the last one. When it came down to testifying, Sister Arlene was the first to stand. And when the music started up again, she started acting strange until she fell across the stage and some nice lady covered the choir director’s exposed legs with some type of cloth.

Robin couldn’t wait to tell her mother about everything she’d seen. And when it was all over, she was surprised to see that Bobbi’s father had joined them.

“So how did you like it?” Bobbi asked in a low whisper at the end of service.

“I liked it,” Robin responded with a smile. “When I get home, I’m going to ask Mom if we can go to church every Sunday.”

Julia took her time getting ready for the bake sale. During her time alone, she had the chance to think and reflect. While they were stuck in Moreland, she needed to make the best out of a bad situation. She concluded that she would hold off on telling Robin about David. It just didn’t feel like the right time.

While most of the townspeople were at church, Julia took her time walking through downtown Moreland, following Lilly’s handwritten instructions. The place really had put her in mind of Mayberry, except here the majority of the population was African American.

Julia couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the day had turned out to be. She drew near the church as a throng of people filtered out.

A short while later, Robin bounded out of the building behind Bobbi. She stopped when she spotted her mother, then raced in her direction.

“Mama!”

Julia spread her arms wide to encircle her daughter.

“Mama, can we go to church when we get back home?”

Stunned, Julia nodded. “If you’d like.” That’s if we ever go home.

“Great.” Robin turned and bolted out of her arms and back toward Bobbi.

Meanwhile, Carson walked up to Julia. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

“Looks like I should have also attended the service, judging by my daughter’s excitement.”

“Perhaps next time?”

Julia caught the twinkle in his eyes and hesitated. “Perhaps.”

He laughed, and she found the sound infectious.

Lilly approached them with a smug smile that literally wiped Julia’s from her face.

“I sure hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Lilly said.

“Nope,” Carson answered. “I was just thanking Julia for coming to our little bake sale.”

“Of course, I would love to lend a helping hand if you need it.”

Lilly waved her offer off. “That won’t be necessary. That’s why I enlisted two strapping men.” She wrapped her arm around Carson’s waist for emphasis.

“I guess she means me.” He laughed, then leaned over to kiss her forehead. “But I’ll do anything for my little sister.” He kissed her.

Lilly frowned and wiped her face. “Don’t be fooled. He’s just kissing up because his birthday’s soon.”

“Got my eye on this nice tool set down at Andy’s Hardware Store.” He winked at Julia.

Julia laughed as they all walked back toward the church. Once there, Lilly made a point of introducing her to what seemed like the entire church congregation, while Julia overindulged in chocolate.

However, the one person who didn’t seem too thrilled to see her was the reverend’s daughter, Sheri Higginbotham.

“Julia, how nice it is to see you again,” Sheri said with what appeared to be a tight smile.

“Likewise.” Julia watched with mild amusement.

Sheri looped her arm through Carson’s, a definite sign of possession, and ignored his puzzled look. “Did you enjoy the service?”

“Actually, I didn’t attend the service. I came to enjoy the bake sale. Only I think I had one too many cupcakes.”

Sheri gave Julia a withering glance.

“Humph,” Lilly cut in, planting her hand on her healthy hips. “Let me guess. You have good genes.”

Julia laughed awkwardly. “No. I usually work out five days a week.”

“You won’t get any complaints from me,” Carson said.

Sheri tugged his arm and silenced him with a damning look.

Julia looked at Lilly, who looked ready to explode with laughter.

But through it all, Carson looked uncomfortable with Sheri clutching his arm for dear life.

“Mama.” Robin raced up to her. “Is it okay if I go and play football with Bobbi?”

“In a dress?”

Robin laughed. “Of course not. We’re going to walk back to the inn and change first.”

“Well, I’d hoped to talk to you this evening.”

“Please, Mom. Just for a couple of hours?”

Julia was amazed by her daughter’s excitement. “All right. But I want you back in time for dinner.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Robin kissed her mother and hurried off.

“You got yourself a little angel,” Lilly commented, watching the girls run down the sidewalk.

“That I do.”

Chapter 13

Julia couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon the way she had today. After church, a good portion of the congregation migrated to Lilly’s front porch, where Lilly served tea and lemonade.

Through it all, Julia managed to keep her full name as well as her past a mystery. To her surprise, everyone seemed to respect her privacy. Out of all the people she’d met, she found Grace Webber to be the most enchanting.

Grace had been a third-grade teacher for more than forty years, and had been retired for the past six years, but she claimed that retirement wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“Oh, trust me,” Grace exclaimed with a wave of her hand. “In the beginning it was exciting. Charles and I wanted to travel across the country in a Winnebago. We got as far as Virginia before I wanted to throttle him.”

“Why is that?” Julia asked, amused.

“Because we were supposed to be heading for Louisiana. Einstein was too proud to admit he was lost, and was determined not to read a map.”

They laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Charles asked, leaning over to kiss his wife.

“Nothing.” Grace shared a conspiratorial wink with Julia.

“Now, how come I doubt that?” He laughed.

Julia changed the subject. “If you don’t mind my asking, how long have you two been married?”

Charles wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders and beamed with pride. “We celebrated our ruby anniversary this past April.”

Julia admitted she was impressed, but hid her envy. How did couples like Charles and Grace Webber do it? Forty years was a long time “to have and to hold.” As Julia approached her thirty-fourth birthday, she doubted that she would ever find something as special as what the Webbers shared.

“So Lilly says you’re married as well,” Grace inquired. “How long has it been for you?”

It was hard, but Julia kept her smile in place. “My husband and I are no longer together.”

“Oh?” Charles and Grace responded with heightened brows and wide eyes.

Their expressions were quite comical, Julia thought, and before she could say anything further, Grace was calling her daughter to her.

“Lilly, Lilly. Come here for a second.”

Julia’s heart sank as she realized her folly. Was Grace a coconspirator in Lilly’s matchmaking designs? “Mrs. Webber—”

“Yes, ma’am?” Lilly appeared at Julia’s side. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“No, no,” Grace said quickly. “Did you know that Julia here and her husband aren’t together anymore?”

Lilly turned surprised eyes toward Julia. “Is that right? Separated?”

No, he’s dead. “I guess you can say that. Can you excuse me for a moment?” Julia didn’t wait for an answer. Suddenly she wasn’t up for talking anymore. Why was she socializing in the first place? She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. She turned and nearly crashed into Carson.

“You don’t look so hot. Are you all right?” His hand settled on her shoulder.

Julia wanted to scream. Was the whole damn family trying to ambush her? “I’m fine. I just need to go lie down for a few minutes,” she lied.

“Are you sure? I can—”

“I said I was fine,” she snapped through gritted teeth.

He jerked back as if she’d slapped him. A few curious glances darted in their direction.

Julia immediately regretted her tone. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to day, so she went inside and shot up the stairs to her room.

Once she closed the guest room door, she slumped back against it and closed her eyes. She needed to calm down and not let her emotions get the best of her. No matter what her feelings were, she needed to make something good out of a bad situation. Despite who David was or wasn’t, there was still a part of her that mourned for him.

She opened her eyes and looked toward the closet, where her gun lay hidden—a cruel reminder of her part in his death.

“Touchdown!” Robin yelled at the top of her voice, then was quickly knocked to the ground by Bobbi in a burst of excitement.

“We won, we won!” the rest of her team boasted as they raced over to congratulate the girls.

Robin was lifted from the ground and raised up to sit on Mickey’s and Stanley’s shoulders, which was strange, since they had played on the other team.

The chants changed to her name, and Robin felt as if she were on top of the world. It had been her best game: three touchdowns. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends back home, though she doubted anyone would ever believe her.

All too soon the sun was setting, and it was time for her and Bobbi to head back to the inn.

“Are you going to be here tomorrow?” Stanley asked when he and Mickey set Robin back onto her feet.

She shrugged. “I think so. Bobbi’s dad is still working on my mom’s car,” she answered honestly, not missing the narrowed glare jetting from Bobbi.

“If you are, why don’t you come down to the youth center and go swimming with us?”

“I don’t know.” She frowned. “I don’t think my mom packed my bathing suit.”

“Oh.” Stanley looked disappointed. “Well, maybe you can come anyway. You don’t have to swim or nothing. I think they’re going to be serving hot dogs and stuff there.”

Bobbi moved over to them with her arms crossed. “We’ll be there,” she announced with her chin thrust high.

Stanley ignored her but kept his eyes on Robin. “Anyway, I know I’d be happy if you’d come.”

Bobbi stormed off.

Robin smiled, not because of Stanley, but because Bobbi hadn’t looked too pleased with him. “I’ll have to check with my mother first. If she says that it’s okay, then I’m sure Bobbi won’t mind bringing me.”

“Mickey and I can pick you up, if you’d like,” he offered.

Robin frowned, thinking that he seemed a bit too eager. “That’s okay. I think I’d rather go with Bobbi.”

Bobbi perked up as the boys looked over their shoulders toward her.

Stanley shrugged. “All right. I guess we’ll see you there.”

Before the sun went down, everyone had scurried off to their homes, and Bobbi and Robin were no exceptions.

Bobbi kicked an aluminum can as they traveled down the sidewalk. Its loud clanking was the only sound between them for a long while.

Robin suspected that Bobbi was angry at the way her own friends seemed not to want her to come to the swim party at the youth center. Just when Robin thought she couldn’t stand the silence any longer, Bobbi spoke.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Robin shrugged. “Shoot.”

“Do you think I’m snobby?” Bobbi sneaked a sidelong glance at Robin.

“Naw.” Robin fudged the truth, partly because she suspected that Bobbi was just seconds from bursting into tears and partly because she was beginning to like her.

“Then how come no one asked me to go to the party tomorrow?”

Robin couldn’t think of an answer or, better yet, a lie. “You know,” Robin began slowly, “there’s a chance that Stanley didn’t ask you because he’s too shy.”

Bobbi stopped and stared at Robin as if she’d suddenly grown another head. “He didn’t seem to have a problem asking you to go.”

“That’s because he doesn’t like me. He doesn’t even know me,” Robin hinted.

“Are you saying that Stanley Forrester likes me?”

Robin shrugged, unsure whether she should share what she suspected. “My mom said that when she was our age, the boys who always picked on her were the ones who really liked her.”

Bobbi continued to stare at her, and Robin could actually picture the wheels in her mind churning over what she’d told her. Judging by the twisted frown on her face, Robin wasn’t too sure that Bobbi believed her.

“Like me how?”

Was she serious? “In a boyfriend-and-girlfriend kind of way.”

Bobbi’s frown deepened.

“Are you saying you don’t like him for a boyfriend?”

“I’ve never thought about it before,” Bobbi said, lowering her gaze.

Robin didn’t believe her, but started to walk again toward the inn. “Well, I think that he’s cute.”

Bobbi’s gaze shot up to her. “You do?”

“You don’t?”

“Well, I—”

“Don’t tell me that you’ve never thought about it.” Robin rolled her eyes, enjoying the little game she’d started.

“I guess he’s cute,” Bobbi admitted, then a slow smile crept into place. “Do you really think he likes me?”

Silently, Paul and Tony sat across from each other and watched the Braves versus the Expos. Michelle had made her famous nachos and hot wings and had gone the extra mile by stocking the fridge with her father’s favorite brewskis.

Tony hadn’t known how to react when she’d told him this morning that she’d invited Paul to spend the day at their place. At first he was sure she was going to be in for a disappointment. He was certain that Paul would come up with some kind of an excuse for not showing.

But it was Tony who was surprised when Paul knocked on the door.

Initially they masked the awkward silence between them with smiles and small talk. The safe ground was, of course, discussing their case. However, Tony noticed Paul’s uneasiness and couldn’t help but feel resentment at Michelle for forcing her father to do what he obviously hadn’t wanted to do.

Around noon, Michelle was rescued from the awkward situation by her girlfriends and went out to do some last-minute-detail shopping for the wedding.

“At least I’m thankful that you’re footing the bill for the wedding,” Tony joked.

Paul gave him a pained smile. “Don’t remind me.”

The game seemed extraordinarily slow. By the top of the sixth inning, neither team had managed to score.

“I like what you guys have done to the apartment.” Paul nodded, glancing around.

“Thanks,” Tony said, then took another swig of beer.

“Are you two going to be looking for a house soon?”

“We’re talking about it. The interest rates are great right now. Michelle wants to build, but I don’t know. Sounds too much like a headache, and neither of us has the time to invest in such a project.”

Paul nodded, but Tony had a hard time discerning whether the man heard anything he said, so he went back to staring dully at the TV screen.

Despite the fact that Paul worked nearly every day with Tony, he couldn’t understand why the afternoon felt like a day at the dentist’s.

He took another swig of beer and belatedly realized that Tony had stopped talking. Was it always going to be this way between them—this palpable silence that could choke a horse?

“Why did you come here?” Tony asked suddenly. “Other than because Michelle asked you.”

The question made Paul feel as though a bomb had landed in a hidden trench and he had only seconds to answer before it detonated and blew up in his face. “I needed to come,” he said simply.

Tony grabbed the remote and turned off the television. “I’m listening.”

Paul stood in the awkward silence, trying to stifle his irritation for having to explain anything to his future son-in-law. “That’s about it.”

“I see.” Tony stood, too. “Well, thanks for stopping by. I’ll make sure that I tell Michelle that the day was a complete success.”

“What in the hell is your problem?” Paul snapped.

“My problem?” Tony thundered back. “I should be asking you that. We’ve been friends for six years, and as long as I can remember we were cool. Now that I’m engaged to your daughter, suddenly it’s a whole new story. So what is it—it’s cool to have me as your black subordinate, but not as your black son-in-law?”

“What?” Anger blazed a trail of fire throughout Paul’s body. “Are you trying to tell me that after all these years, you take me for a small-minded racist?”

Much of Tony’s bluster deflated as he visibly scrambled for a retort. “Then be honest with me. What’s changed between us?”

“What’s changed?” Paul repeated. “Where do I begin? Maybe I should start with your betrayal.”

“Betrayal?” Tony looked taken aback by the accusation.

“Yes, betrayal. What do you call sneaking behind my back and sleeping with my daughter? For more than two years you worked with me, laughed with me, and it never once occurred to you to tell me about it? Instead I had to walk in on you two, scrambling around like…” He forced himself not to finish the sentence.

“Michelle thought that it was best,” Tony said, but the excuse sounded weak even to his own ears.

“Well, that makes it all better, now, doesn’t it?” He slammed the longneck beer bottle down on the coffee table, but he hadn’t stormed out of the apartment, as he had half a mind to do. “How do you expect me to feel?” When Tony didn’t readily answer, he went on: “I’ll tell you how I feel—like the butt of some bad joke or, better yet, insignificant, unimportant, a fool—take your pick.”

Tony only stared at him.

“And no, it’s not because you’re black. It’s because I thought my daughter and I had the type of relationship where she could come and tell me about anything. And because I thought that you and I were as thick as thieves. It’s just too bad that I was the only one who felt that way.” Disgusted by Tony’s continued silence, Paul turned on his heel and headed toward the door. “Tell Michelle I had a ball.”

Chapter 14

Julia moved the footstool from beside the bed and over to the closet. She then stood on it to reach the top shelf and moved the still-damp clothes in order to retrieve the .357 she’d hidden there. Holding the weapon in her hands again brought back every nuance of guilt and regret.

A part of her wished that the gun weren’t there; then perhaps she could convince herself that her last days in Atlanta had never happened.

At the knock on the door, Julia nearly jumped out of her skin. “Just a minute,” she called out. Her heart hammered in her chest while she hurried to put the gun back in its hiding place, but it was when she turned to get off the footstool that she stumbled and crashed to the floor.

The next thing she knew, the bedroom door flew open and Carson had rushed inside. His eyes darted to her as she struggled to get up from the floor.

“Are you all right?” he asked, reaching her side.

An awkward laugh tumbled from her lips, and a surge of embarrassment gripped her. With Carson’s help, she got to her feet with only a few aches and pains in her hands and legs.

“What were you doing?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, nothing,” she lied with an averted gaze. “I was just going to put some more clothes up, since we’re going to be here for a little while.”

“Oh,” he responded with a dubious look.

Julia changed the subject. “Did you need something?”

“Uh, yeah. I actually wanted to come and apologize for my sister. You obviously left from downstairs upset, and after my sister confessed to me about your conversation with her this morning, I felt the need to come and talk to you.”

“Oh, that.” Julia waved him off with a nervous smile. “There’s no need to apologize. Your sister obviously sees something between us that is simply not there.”

He didn’t immediately agree or disagree, but simply smiled at her. “Lilly has the best of intentions. I guess I should have warned you that she’s known throughout Moreland as the town’s matchmaker, to many people’s chagrin.”

Julia laughed at that. “Has she been successful?”

Carson scratched at his temple. “Believe it or not, she does have a fairly high success rate. But there are a few disasters that, I’m afraid, she’ll never live down.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You do that.” He took a casual glance around the room before bringing his attention back to Julia. “So will we be seeing you for dinner?”

“I swear, it seems this family does nothing but eat.”

“The body needs nourishment.”

“I guess you have a point. So my answer is yes. As soon as my wayward daughter returns, we’ll get washed up and join everyone downstairs.”

Carson glanced at his watch. “Don’t worry. Bobbi knows to be back before the streetlights come on, which should be within the next few minutes.”

“You and you daughter live near here?”

“A few blocks over.” He raised his hands in surrender as if he knew her next question. “And yes, I know we spend eighty percent of our time over here. But why cook when you have Lilly?”

Julia nodded. “I guess you have a point. The woman is a master in the kitchen.”

“You haven’t tasted anything yet. My mother is doing the cooking tonight. You’re in for a real treat.”

“By the time we leave here, my waistline will never be the same.” As she spoke, she watched his eyes lower, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny.

“Now, that would be a real shame.”

His approval filled her with surprising pleasure, and again she averted her eyes. “I guess I’ll see you at dinner.”

He gave a dramatic bow, as a gallant knight would execute to a lady, and excused himself from the room. When he had gone, it was as if he’d managed to suck the oxygen from the room.

Reluctantly she pulled her gaze from the door and tried to turn off the warning bells that rang in her head. This was insane. Forty-eight hours after David’s death, she was attracted to a small-town mechanic. She shook the thought from her head. “This isn’t happening.” Whether it was true, or a statement of denial, she wasn’t sure.

In the next second, Robin bounded through the door. Her face glowed with excitement. “Guess what? Guess what?” she asked.

“What?” Julia played along, though she suspected she knew the answer.

“We won.” Robin jumped onto the bed in a single bound and rolled onto her back with her arms spread wide. “You should have seen me. I scored three touchdowns. Can you believe it?”

“That’s great.” Julia sat next to her on the bed, then quickly wrinkled her nose. “You hit the tub. We’re expected for dinner.”

Her daughter bolted from the bed to the bathroom. “What are we having?” she asked over her shoulder.

“I’m not sure.” Robin had never reacted this way whenever Julia cooked.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be good.”

Julia nodded, privately agreeing.

Just before she heard the sound of running water, Julia heard Robin declare, “I love this place. I wish that we’d never have to leave.”

Carson returned downstairs to find that the women had deserted his father on the front porch. The crickets had already begun their nightly serenade, while the scent of honeysuckle permeated the air.

“Where did everybody go?” Carson asked, taking a seat in the rocking chair next to his father.

“Where else?” Charles jokingly asked, never taking his eyes off the approaching sunset.

It had always been this way with his father. He cherished every sunrise and sunset. Carson recalled his father telling him that after he’d returned from the war, he’d vowed he would cherish everything most people usually took for granted.

It was true. A lot of people, Carson knew, never took the time to see the beauty that surrounded them. It was something that Carson had taken to heart as well, which was why he could honestly look back on his life with Karen with little regret. They had, after all, treasured every moment they had together.

It was as if they’d known from the beginning that they were meant for each other. Since their initial meeting in grade school, the only time they’d been apart was when Carson had left for college. The years apart had been hard, and on the same evening of his college graduation, he was on a plane heading back home.

Of course, he had received a heavy berating by his father, who claimed that he’d spent all that money on his education only for Carson to be a simple mechanic. However, Carson enjoyed the job. He considered it a good, honest living. What more could a man ask for?

“An interesting woman you found there,” his father said out of the blue.

Carson felt an odd mixture of pride and pleasure in his father’s remark. “Yes, she is.”

“Not to mention beautiful.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He bobbed his head and kept his eyes glued to the disappearing sun.

“I can see why your sister and mother are trying to play matchmakers.”

“Don’t you start in on me, too, Pop.” He noted his father’s careless shrug from the corners of his eyes. However, through the expanding silence that followed, Carson found that he wanted to talk more about the mysterious Julia.

“I get the feeling that she’s hiding something.”

Charles stopped rocking in his chair. “Do you, now? What makes you say that?”

It was Carson’s turn to shrug. “Other than that she refuses to give her last name, or that on the night I met her she wore a wedding ring and now she doesn’t, and in her eyes…”

Another silence enveloped the men before Charles prompted, “Yes?”

“Nothing.” Carson shook off the thought and drew in a deep breath. It was more likely that he imagined the vulnerability he read in Julia’s eyes.

“According to your mother, Julia admitted that she was separated from her husband,” Charles offered as an excuse.

“Which explains why she’s made no attempt to call him since she’s been here.”

Charles began rocking in his chair again, and for a spell the men allowed themselves to be lost in their thoughts.

Then Charles sprang another question. “So what’s really wrong with her car?”

Carson chanced a glance in his father’s direction, only to see him pretending to still be interested in the skyline.

“Most likely the alternator,” Carson admitted.

Charles chuckled under his breath. “Hardly sounds like the kind of thing that would keep a woman stranded, don’t you think?”

“Exactly why I haven’t bothered to tell her the truth.”

“Smart boy.”

The men shared a conspiratorial smile before bursting into laughter.

Throughout dinner, Julia sneaked more than her fair share of peeks at Carson. A few times, when Lilly caught her covert glances, Julia was singed with embarrassment. Still, she couldn’t help but remain intrigued by the man.

She also noticed that whenever he spoke to someone, he made sure he gave that person his undivided attention. And at the moment that someone was Sheri Higginbotham.

To Julia’s horror, even Sheri had caught a few of her cursory glances at Carson.

The twelve guests seated at the table fell into easy conversation with one another, including Robin and Bobbi, while Julia felt alienated. Of course, she’d placed herself in this predicament by refusing to share any information about herself. But what other choice did she have?

“So, Julia.” Rick straightened in his chair to address her from the other end of the table. “What do you think of our fair town so far?”

The rest of the table abandoned their conversations to tune in to hear what her response would be, including Robin.

“I think it’s a wonderful place. It’s small and peaceful.” She glanced at Carson again. “And the people seem to be a part of one big family.”

Carson met her gaze and smiled.

Everyone else bobbed their heads in agreement.

“I hear that you’ll be staying with us a little longer than you’d intended,” Sheri inquired with a note of disdain.

“According to my mechanic,” Julia said simply, and reached for her glass of tea.

“And what does your husband have to say about this unexpected delay in our ‘wonderful’ town?”

The woman might as well have punched her, for all the pain her words caused Julia. What should she do? What should she say?

“We haven’t called him yet,” Robin took it upon herself to answer.

Julia laid her hand atop her daughter’s and hoped she’d pick up her cue not to divulge further information—especially that Julia was divorced.

It worked. Robin lowered her head, then continued to eat.

“Oh, that’s right. Lilly said that you and your husband are separated at the moment. How unfortunate.”

Julia glared at the woman with clenched teeth.

“Sheri, that’s enough,” Carson admonished with a fierce look of disapproval.

“What?” She feigned innocence.

Robin pushed her plate away, then whispered to her mother, “I’m full. Can I be excused?”

“Yes, you may.” Julia removed the linen napkin from her lap, wiped the corners of her mouth, and tossed it onto her half-eaten dinner. “In fact, I think I’ll join you.”

The other guests begged Julia to reconsider, but she could not be dissuaded. Instead, she bade everyone good night and disappeared from the room.

Sheri squirmed beneath everyone’s accusing glares. “What did I do?”

Carson removed his own napkin and tossed it onto his plate, then stood from the table.

“Where are you going?” she asked with a look of alarm.

He smote her with a burning glare. “I’m going to go and apologize for your behavior,” he said, then excused himself from the room.

With long, purposeful strides, Carson caught up with Julia just before she ascended the staircase. “Julia, may I talk with you for a moment?”

Both she and her daughter stopped and turned to look at him.

“Alone,” he added.

Julia gave him a long, evaluating stare before turning to Robin. “Go on upstairs and get ready for bed. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Robin hesitated.

“Go on,” Julia urged.

“Yes, ma’am,” Robin said, then raced up the stairs.

Carson moved over to the banister. “Please accept my apology for Sheri’s behavior back there.”

“Why?” she asked, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

“Why?”

“Yes, why?” Julia insisted. “Shouldn’t she be the one apologizing—or do you always speak for her?”

“Well, no.”

“Then I don’t accept the apology.” She turned and started up the stairs.

“Wait,” he called after her, and smiled when she faced him again. “You’re something else. Do you know that?”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Uh…” He scratched at his temple. “Would it be too forward of me if I asked you to join me for a walk?”

“What would your girlfriend say?” she challenged.

“Sheri is definitely not my girlfriend.”

“You might want to tell her that,” she said, then allowed herself to smile at his obvious discomfort.

“All right. I’ll go and do that right now. Wait right here.” He turned.

“I was just joking,” Julia confessed, descending the staircase.

Carson faced her again with his eternal smile. “So how about that walk?” He offered his arm.

She studied him for a moment with a list of reasons for why she shouldn’t go. Instead she slid her arm through his and said, “How can I refuse an offer like that?”

Chapter 15

Julia walked arm in arm with Carson as she marveled at the moonlit sky, while the heady combination of honeysuckle and roses hung wondrously on the night air. Why did it seem as though the stars were brighter here in this small corner of the world? Even the crickets’ songs sounded more like complicated scales of compositions than annoying chirps.

Carson leaned toward her. “A penny for your thoughts.”

She shook her head against his arm. “Don’t waste your change.”

“Come on. It can’t be all that bad.”

She looked up into his midnight eyes and grew uncomfortable with his close scrutiny. “It’s nothing.” She released his arm and slid her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

To his credit, Carson dropped the subject.

“I can see why you love this place. The peacefulness alone is priceless,” she appraised.

“Yeah. I learned that when I left for college at UCLA.”

“In California?”

He nodded, then smirked at her look of surprise. “Bet you didn’t know there’s more to being a mechanic than knowing how to wield a socket wrench.”

“No clue.”

“Where did you go to med school?” he asked.

Julia hesitated, then answered truthfully. “Emory University.”

“Impressive,” he complimented.

“Thank you.”

Silence once again stretched between them, and minutes later they stood in front of what looked like the only place of business still open for the evening.

“‘Harry’s Pool Hall,’” she read the sign above the door before looking over at Carson. “Do you play?”

He shrugged. “A little.”

Julia lifted a disbelieving brow. “Said the spider to the fly.”

He hung his head for being caught in a lie. “What about you?”

“A little,” she mimicked his reply.

“Then let’s rack them up,” Carson said, slapping and rubbing his hands together.

Inside, the place was almost deserted, which, according to Carson, was normal on a Sunday night. She glanced around and noticed a couple of young girls crooning over the karaoke machine. A small crowd of men was gathered around the suspended television set, watching a ball game.

“Are you a fan?” Carson asked as he racked the balls.

“No, but David was.” Julia jerked at her own careless remark and peered over her shoulder at Carson.

“David. You’ve never told me his name before.”

She swallowed in the hope of stopping the warning bells ringing in her ears. “If it’s all the same to you, I don’t want to talk about him.”

He held her gaze, then nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

“Thank you.” She expelled a long breath and selected a cue from the wall. All the while she felt the weight of his stare on her back, but when she turned to face him, he was busy waving the waitress over.

“What would you like?” he asked Julia.

“A Coke on the rocks.”

“Make that two, Sandy,” he said, then turned back to Julia. “You’re not a drinker?”

“Well, I am walking tonight,” she sassed. “You want to break?”

“Nah. Ladies first.”

“Aren’t you the gentleman?” She leaned over the table and practiced sliding the cue through the bridge of her fingers when a thought occurred to her. “Are you a betting man?”

Carson’s brows shot up at the inquiry. “How much are we talking about?”

“My car.”

He laughed good-naturedly. “Come again?”

“If I win, you fix my car for free.”

He blinked at the bold proposal. “And if I win?”

“You won’t.” She stood with an air of confidence she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“But if I do?”

She thought for a long moment and realized that she had nothing to bargain with.

“How about,” Carson said suddenly, “if I win, you tell me your full name and where you’re from?”

Julia’s heart plunged to her stomach. “I—I—”

“What’s the matter? Are the stakes too high?” he taunted like a preschooler.

She studied him with doubt. This wasn’t something that she should make a game out of, she knew, but she was tempted.

He shrugged. “Then I guess we don’t have a bet, Julia.”

“You’re on,” she surprised herself by saying.

“And I want the truth,” he emphasized by holding her gaze.

Julia leaned back over the pool table and forced a smile onto her face. “Prepare to be humiliated,” she warned, then broke the balls with a resonating whack.

From her break, three striped balls raced into the side pockets. She looked up and reveled in Carson’s surprised look.

“So how good a player are you?” he finally thought to ask.

“I was state champion ninety-two to ninety-six.”

“You don’t think that’s something that you should have shared with me?”

She took another shot and the number two ball flew into a corner pocket. “Not if you don’t think it’s something you should have asked first.”

Laughing, he propped himself against a wall and waited for her to miss a shot.

The waitress returned with their drinks, and they moaned when she asked if they’d like to order anything to eat.

“My waist is expanding as we talk,” Julia remarked before following through on the next shot. Another one of her balls deserted the table.

“Am I ever going to get a chance to shoot?” he asked with fake irritation.

“Not if I have anything to do about it.”

And true to her promise, Julia won the game without Carson’s so much as stepping up to the table.

“I was hustled,” he said, frowning.

She laughed as she reached for her Coke. “A deal is a deal,” she singsonged.

“So it is.” He stood. “How about another one?”

“Sure.”

“Any bets?” he asked with hopeful eyes.

“None that I can think of.”

“That’s so wrong.”

“How come I get the feeling that you wouldn’t have complained if I’d lost?”

“I would have taken it easy on you.”

“Right.”

Carson gathered the balls from the pockets to rack them. “I guess I’ll have to wait until you trust me to share your full name.”

“I’m afraid you’re in for a long wait.”

“Just in case I haven’t told you, patience is my middle name.”

“Somehow I don’t doubt that.” She walked back to the table.

Carson stopped her. “If it’s all the same with you, I think I’ll break this time. I would like to actually participate in a game tonight.”

She laughed as she gestured to the table. “Be my guest.”

As it turned out, she was lucky that she had started the last game, because Carson proved to be as good a player as she—missing only on the final shot for the eight ball.

Julia cleared her balls from the table with the grace of a champion, then sank the eight ball to declare another victory.

“You’re no fun,” Carson complained, but started racking the balls again.

“You’re just a sore loser.”

“True. This is true.”

They shared a laugh, and their fragile camaraderie deepened. By the fourth game Julia’s luck had faded a bit, and she started missing shots and scratched more than she cared to.

“I knew I’d wear you down sooner or later,” Carson boasted. To his dismay, his own game went downhill. In the end, he lost when he scratched on the eight ball.

“Aaagh!” He dropped to his knees and pretended to weep.

Julia drew her head back with a burst of laughter. His shenanigans made it easy for her to forget her troubles; his smile made it easy for her to forget herself.

Paul roamed the aisles at Blockbuster, searching for something that halfway appealed to him. Romantic comedies were out of the question; they’d only remind him of Sarah. Action-adventure films were usually too loud and unrealistic. In the end, he decided against renting a movie and for picking up some Chinese food.

Exiting the video store with his hands buried deep in his pockets, he hardly noticed the woman sliding tapes into the drop box.

“Regis?”

He turned toward the hauntingly familiar voice and was pleasantly surprised to see agent Virginia Jacobson smiling back at him. “Well, well. Funny running into you here,” he said.

“I’ll say. A movie buff, are you?”

“Not really. I thought it would be a nice change, but I couldn’t decide on anything.” Was he babbling? He couldn’t tell.

She nodded, then looked across the parking lot.

Paul followed her gaze to an emerald green Honda Civic, where a cute, young girl sat in the passenger seat. “Your daughter?”

“I wish. Actually, she’s my niece,” Virginia said with a butterfly smile.

He nodded. “She looks a lot like you,” he complimented, sensing that it would please her.

Virginia’s smile grew brighter. “You think so?”

“Definitely.”

They stood smiling at each other before Virginia gathered the courage to say, “I wanted to thank you for putting me on the Newman-Mercer case. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

Paul started to answer, but then took in his surroundings and stepped out of the way of a woman who wanted to enter the video store. “You’re more than welcome.”

She nodded in understanding, but looked disappointed.

“Would you like to have lunch sometime?” Where had that question come from?

She hesitated, seemingly taken aback by the proposal. “I think I would like that very much,” she said.

He smiled. “How about tomorrow at one?” he asked.

“Sounds good.”

He walked her back to her car and was given a quick introduction to Penny.

When the women waved their goodbyes and pulled out of the parking lot, it finally dawned on Paul that he’d just made his first date with a woman since Sarah’s death. Then just as quickly he admonished himself. It was a business date—nothing more, nothing less. But as he thought about it, he admitted that he would like to get to know more about the lovely agent outside of work.

Carson squinted at the small screen as his selected music filtered through the raggedy overhead speakers of Harry’s Pool Hall. After the song’s introduction, he brought the microphone up to his lips and belted out his rendition of “Short People” through the karaoke machine.

Julia, now accompanied by Carson’s best friend, Quincy, and his wife, Stacy, was absolutely horrified by Carson’s inability to hold an identifiable musical note.

The couple were apparently regulars at the pool hall, and Carson was ecstatic to see them and had invited them to join him and Julia.

Stacy leaned over the table to confide to Julia, “I told you he was tone-deaf.”

“I believe you’re right,” she said, covering her ears.

“Short people got no reason to live.” Carson bobbed his head in time. He gave no thought to how ridiculous he looked on the small stage. For him, it was a needed reprieve. It had been ages since he’d hung out with Q and his wife. And it felt good.

It hadn’t taken Julia long to warm to the friendly couple before they were all sharing jokes and enjoying what was left of their Sunday night.

The skeleton crowd burst into applause when Carson’s number ended. He took a dramatic bow and actually blew out a few kisses to what he pretended to be his adoring fans.

Julia, however, booed him to get him off the stage.

“Oh, you think you can do better?” he challenged from the stage. “Why don’t you come up here and show us what you’ve got?”

Quincy and Stacy turned in her direction and were suddenly egging her on. Soon the rest of the patrons joined in on the challenge.

Carson moved toward the table, despite Julia’s feeble waves of protest, and handed her the microphone.

Heat scorched Julia’s face at being the center of attention, and her knees wobbled when she stood on them. What was she thinking? She’d never sung in public in her life.

“How about ‘The Greatest Love of All’?” Carson suggested from the menu.

“Not without three shots of tequila.” She frowned. There was no way she was going to attempt such a piece in order to be humiliated.

“This isn’t the Apollo,” he reminded her. “This is supposed to be for fun.”

She waved him off and continued to read her choices. None of them appealed to her. When she apparently took too long to make up her mind, Stacy jumped up and rushed to join her onstage.

“I know which one we can do.”

“You’re joining her?” Carson inquired with a wide grin.

“You got a problem with that?” she sassed.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “No. No, of course not. The more the merrier.”

“Good. Now go and sit your ‘Short People’ butt down and watch how us girls show you a thing or two about singing.”

Contrite, Carson grumbled, “Yes, ma’am.”

Before Julia could bat an eye, Stacy made a selection and grabbed the spare microphone from a nearby stand.

Music from the Commodores resonated in the billiard hall, and Julia blinked in surprise just as the TelePrompTer scrolled the lyrics to “Brick House.”

The men hooted and laughed at their selection, but there was no doubt that the women, at least, could sing. When the evening wound to and end, Carson and Julia said their goodbyes to Quincy and Stacy and headed back to the Georgia Inn on foot.

“They seem like really nice people,” Julia commented as she walked by Carson’s side.

“They’re the best. Quincy and I have been friends forever.”

She nodded, then enjoyed the night’s gentle breeze against her skin. How could she not love the town’s tranquillity—or everyone’s genuine hospitality?

“If you don’t mind my saying so, I think you and your daughter would be a nice addition to Moreland,” Carson said quietly.

She smiled and glanced at him. “I don’t mind.” She drew in a deep breath; the clean air cleared her head. “A person would have to be crazy not to fall in love with a place like this.”

“I always thought so,” he agreed. “When I went off to college, I thought I wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.”

“You’re kidding.”

He shook his head. “No. I was young and thought this place was as backward as Andy Griffith’s Mayberry. Have you ever seen that show?”

She looked guiltily away. “Once or twice.” She tried to sound casual.

“Anyway, when I lived out in California, I found that people weren’t as friendly as they are here, not to mention that they were obsessed with material gains, and less family oriented. Of course, this is just my opinion.”

“So you got homesick?”

“Like crazy. I wanted to drop out in the first quarter, but my father would have none of that. So I stayed, got my degree, and hightailed it out of there.”

“What’s your degree in?”

“Psychology.”

She stopped walking and stared at him.

Carson looked back her. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re a mechanic with a psychology degree?”

He shrugged. “It’s an honest living.”

Julia shook her head as she started to walk again. “I got to hand it to you—you’re something else.”

He laughed. “I would have thought that you of all people would be happy that I had returned as a mechanic.”

“You got me there.”

“Come. Let’s go this way,” Carson suggested suddenly.

Julia frowned when he started walking in the opposite direction. “Are you sure?” She looked around. “I could have sworn that the inn was this way.”

“I want to show you something,” he replied with a wink.

“Show me what?” She remained hesitant to follow him.

He walked back toward her and took her by the hand. “Let’s just say that it’s a surprise.” He pulled her.

Still reluctant, she followed.

After a few minutes he marched her across an open field where the only sounds were the steady chorus of crickets.

“Where exactly are we going?” she finally asked. Despite the fact that he’d come to her rescue more than once, she had to remember that she didn’t really know Carson Webber. Maybe it wasn’t such a keen idea for her to allow him to take her to God only knew where.

He stopped suddenly and turned toward her. “Wait here,” he instructed, then raced out into the dark.

“Wait. Where are you going?” she shouted.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he called out.

Left with little choice, Julia stood where he’d left her and tried not to think that at any minute something was going to jump out at her.

The minutes drew out at an incredibly slow pace, and the crickets’ melody had somehow transformed into an ominous chant.

There was a loud thump, and in the next moment Julia was blinded by light. She reflexively shielded her eyes and waited for her vision to adjust. She guessed that the soft thudding in the grass was Carson running back over to her.

“Well, what do you think?” he huffed between loud pants.

“I think I’m blinded for life,” she joked, then pivoted to see where they were. “Why are we in the middle of a football field?”

“This is where I used to play high school football,” he boasted with an expanded chest. “I still hold the record here for most yards covered in a single game.”

She smiled at his wholesome pride. There was little doubt that he was built for football, but she suspected that he was equally as good at other sports.

“Does Bobbi get her love of sports from you?”

He nodded guiltily. “Sports have always been a big thing in our family, even on her mother’s side.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember your telling me that her mother was quite the tomboy.”

He nodded.

“What about her grandparents on her mother’s side? Do they still live in Moreland?”

Carson lowered his gaze and shook his head. “Nah. They moved to Florida last year. It was hard for them. They still wanted very much to be around Bobbi, but I guess Moreland held too many painful memories of their daughter. They seem to be doing better over there, and Bobbi and I visit them as often as we can.”

They walked the length of the field.

“Do you miss the game?” she asked.

Carson’s face broke into another smile. “Do I ever. I was the captain of the team.”

“Then I take it that you used to get your fair share of attention from the women?”

“Ah.” He stopped and held up his hand in mock surrender. “I had eyes for only one girl. I’m a monogamist by nature. I knew at an early age that I wanted what my parents had, and I knew I could have that with Karen.”

Enthralled by their love story, Julia asked, “Was it love at first sight for her as well?”

“I’d like to think so. I like to pretend that she was only playing hard to get up until the fourth grade.”

“Persistent little devil, weren’t you?”

Carson’s gaze sought hers and locked. “I usually go after what I want.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what he wanted now, but she thanked God that she found the strength to curb her tongue.

“So does your old high school approve of your just breaking into the control box to turn on the field lights whenever you feel the need to?”

“Not exactly.” He held up a set of keys. “The school hired me to do a little maintenance during the summer break.”

“Uh-huh,” she said with a growing smile. “It’s good to see that you’re not abusing your power as the keeper of the keys.”

“I’m glad that I amuse you.”

She laughed.

“Come on, Miss Julia. Let’s go turn out the lights so I can get you home.”

It was a while later when they arrived at the Georgia Inn.

“At least I got you back before sunrise.” Carson looked at his watch, then turned to face her.

“That you did.” They stood staring at each other with tentative smiles.

“I had a wonderful evening. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I insist on having a rematch on the pool table before you leave town.”

“You’re on.”

He nodded. “Well, good night.”

She hesitated, then conceded. “Good night.”

He didn’t know why he did it. In fact, he didn’t remember thinking that he would do it, but Carson leaned down as if drawn by some unseen force.

The feel of her soft lips against his awakened something he’d thought had died long ago with his wife. Her full lips were sweet and intoxicating. Had it been up to him, he would have drunk from them until he’d had his fill, but Julia placed a restraining hand against his chest and he reluctantly withdrew.

He wasn’t sure what he read in her expression—shock or surprise would have been his guess. He thought of apologizing but didn’t, because he wasn’t sorry.

However, she managed to smile again. “Good night,” she whispered.

His heart squeezed in disappointment, but he managed to speak. “Good night.”

She turned from him and entered the quiet inn. When she closed the door, he expelled a shaky breath and wondered at the game his heart was playing now.

PART II

Chapter 16

One month later…

Frankie took a deep drag off his cigarette and blew the smoke in a long stream out of his car window. The day had come for him to tell Uncle Vinny and the boys that he’d failed to locate or uncover the package of uncut diamonds. The thought of admitting defeat settled uncomfortably on his shoulders. How could Dr. Kelley and her daughter have just vanished into thin air? And did their disappearance mean they had the diamonds?

Frankie ground his cigarette into the car’s overflowing ashtray. He was getting nowhere chasing his thoughts. If the good doctor had discovered the jewels, she would have either taken them to the authorities or tried to sell them, but the Montellos had every pair of eyes and ears peeled for such a sale. So where was she?

“Hey, Frankie!”

He looked up to the white warehouse building and saw his cousin and Vinny’s eldest son, Nicholas Montello, waving for him to come inside.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Frankie stepped out of the car and straightened his leather jacket before approaching Nicholas.

Once inside, Frankie squelched his nervousness and focused on the task at hand. He’d simply tell the boys the truth.

Vincent M. Montello, who’d always bragged that the M stood for murder, was a tall, robust man with striking silver hair and a deadly smile. He commanded respect from everyone he knew—and he always got it.

“Frankie, it’s good to see you again.” He thrust out his hand.

“It’s good to be back home,” Frankie boasted with his best poker face.

Vinny laughed and swung his right arm around Frankie’s shoulders. “Me and the boys are hoping you’ll be giving us some good news today. Like where are our diamonds?”

Frankie caught the hard glint in his boss’s eyes and struggled not to avert his gaze. To do so would have been a deadly mistake. Everyone knew to meet the mobster’s gaze whenever you talked to him. Vincent hated a man with shifty eyes—or worse, sweaty palms.

Vinny’s arms tightened playfully around Frankie’s neck. “Don’t tell me you still haven’t found this doctor?”

Mindful of his body language, Frankie played it cool. But he knew better than to try to con any member of his family. “I swear, it’s as though the woman vanished without a trace,” he admitted.

Vinny lowered his arm and shook his head gravely at him. “This isn’t what I wanted to hear. You know that?”

“I know, boss. But it’s the truth. I’ve even been in contact with our person down at the Bureau, and they’ve got nothing, too.”

“So what do you think? You think this chick has my diamonds?”

Frankie honestly didn’t know. There was no real proof that she had or hadn’t; however, that answer wouldn’t be good enough for the Montellos. “It’s a possibility.”

Vinny nodded. “Then I want her found, and I want you to take Nicholas, here, with you this time.”

Frankie stiffened, but didn’t dare protest. Everyone knew he worked alone. If Nicholas was playing tag, it meant Vinny’s confidence in him was waning—not to mention that Nicholas was little more than a hit man. If he was going, that meant the doctor and her daughter had just been handed their death sentences.

Sheri Higginbotham carefully stepped over various oil spots on the concrete floor of Carson’s Auto Shop. It had taken her a good week to work up the courage to come and speak to him, and the closer she got to the door of his office, the more doubt tried to pry its fingers into her resolve.

At her first sight of him hunched over his desk and milling through piles of paperwork, her breath seemed to abandon her body. She’d had her heart set on marrying Carson for more years than she cared to count. And since Karen’s death, she’d assumed that it was only a matter of time before she finally got him down the aisle.

Then this mysterious Julia showed up and ruined everything.

Everywhere she went now, it was “Julia this” and “Miss Julia that.” It was as if the whole town had embraced the stranger as one of their own. Even the older women at the church were now speculating on a marriage proposal—but between Carson and Julia.

All of their whispering went on as if Sheri no longer existed, and slowly but surely, all of her dreams of becoming the next Mrs. Carson Webber were going down the drain.

She knocked on the glass of his office door.

Carson jumped and looked up. He smiled when he saw her, then waved for her to enter.

Her hand felt slick as it closed around the doorknob. She turned on her best smile and opened the door.

“Hello, Sheri. What brings you out to my neck of the woods?”

“You have to ask?” she flirted without much feeling.

He shrugged and averted his eyes. “As you can see, I’m up to my eyeballs in ordering parts.”

“Including the ones for Miss Julia’s transmission?”

His gaze snapped back to hers. She was treading on dangerous ground. This time she was the one to avert her gaze. His behavior confirmed what she’d already suspected—what the whole town suspected: Carson Webber was in love again.

“Yes. Fixing Miss Julia’s Impala is high on my priority list.”

With a small smile, she shook her head. “You never were a good liar, Carson,” she surprised more than herself by saying. She forced her head up and tried to make out his figure through her sudden haze of tears.

“Last year you fixed Old Man Wilson’s Impala in less than three days. You’ve had Julia’s car now for a month, and it’s no closer to being fixed than when you began. That’s if you’ve ever started.”

He said nothing, but a sad look clouded his eyes. “What exactly did you come to talk to me about, Sheri?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She sniffed, but remained determined to go through with this. “I want to hear from you about your feelings for Julia.”

He stared at her for a long, agonizing moment before finally saying, “Are you sure you want to talk about this?”

The question pierced her more than any dagger ever could, and still she nodded.

Carson lowered the invoices he held in his hand to the desk. “To be honest, Sheri, I don’t know how I feel about her. Other than the fact that I do like her.”

“You don’t know anything about her,” she forced herself not to shout.

“I like what I do know,” he answered without hesitation.

Her gaze fell again, this time dragging her hope down with it. “And what about us?”

When he sighed, she regretted hearing the weariness the sound carried.

“There was never an ‘us,’ Sheri. I’ve never done anything to lead you to believe otherwise.”

“Haven’t you?” she accused.

“No,” he said with a firmness that made her flinch. “We have always been the best of friends and nothing more.”

When she said nothing, he went on, “Come on, Sheri. We haven’t gone on so much as a date. How could you think that I led you on?”

He hadn’t, and Sheri knew it, but she couldn’t make herself say it. “Well, I guess that’s that,” she said, turning away from him.

“Sheri,” he said, stopping her before she’d pulled open the door.

She faced him again.

“We’ve been friends a long time. I hope we can continue to be.”

She gave him a tight smile, but said nothing. She turned and walked out of his office with as much dignity as she could muster.

Julia and Robin had fallen in love with Moreland, and it appeared the town had fallen for them, as well.

Julia worked during the week at the Georgia Inn, and had enjoyed the people that filtered through the town. Lilly, in turn, appreciated having an extra pair of hands with the summer guests.

Word spread throughout Moreland of Julia’s patchwork with Carson’s dog, Champ, and soon people from all around were bringing their pets to see her and were calling her Dr. Julia—which was fine by her.

Robin, on the other hand, was beginning to act more like Carson’s daughter, Bobbi, while Bobbi kept asking Julia for tips on how to act more feminine.

From what Julia could ascertain, Robin had been correct about her new friend’s crush on Stanley Forrester. It was actually kind of cute.

Now the whole town was obsessed with preparations for the Fourth of July celebration. Even Julia had to admit that she was looking forward to attending the small parade and fireworks display.

Carson’s father, Charles, was in charge of the light show, and he’d spent the last few weeks boasting to anyone who would listen of the show that he had lined up.

Carson also found his father’s behavior hilarious, but, in the end, everyone delighted in Charles’s excitement.

Julia finished the morning dishes and decided to take another walk through the gardens before she took Robin and Bobbi to baseball practice.

This coming weekend Robin would debut in her first game with the Wildcats, and from the way she’d been bouncing off the walls, Julia concluded that her daughter couldn’t wait.

To her great surprise and relief, Robin had long stopped asking about David and eagerly accepted that Moreland might be their new home.

As for their car, Julia was beginning to doubt Carson’s ability to fix whatever was wrong with the transmission. However, everyone kept assuring her that Carson was the best when it came to fixing cars. So she waited.

However, Moreland had become an unexpected detour in her life, and she could honestly say that she wasn’t completely sorry for it.

The days had ticked by at a pace much slower than she was used to, but it was all part of the town’s charm.

“I’m starting to think that you love it out here as much as I do.”

Julia pivoted at the sound of Carson’s familiar voice, then smiled at the gentle giant as he approached her.

“I’m afraid I have to confess that this is my favorite spot.”

Casually, he plucked a daisy and twirled it by its stem as he looked at her. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to hear you say that.”

She averted her eyes and took her usual seat on the bench.

Carson’s sudden appearance had long stopped being a surprise to her. By now he knew that she escaped out here every day about the same time, and he’d always managed to drop by.

Julia lied to herself, telling herself that she wasn’t touched by the gesture. On the two days that he hadn’t made it out here, she’d been awash with disappointment.

She smiled when he sat beside her.

“I think the simple life agrees with you,” he complimented out of the blue.

“Sometimes it feels like I’ve been here all of my life instead of just a month.” She looked up into his onyx gaze, feeling its pull like a lover’s embrace. She stifled the urge to drown in his trusting eyes.

“Have you thought about staying here?”

Their gazes found each other’s again for a brief, intimate moment, then fell.

“The thought has crossed my mind,” she confessed. “But I haven’t made a decision.” What she wanted to say was that she was stymied in her decision. The wrong choice could be fatal. So far it seemed she and her daughter were safe, or at least Moreland gave them a sense of security. Or maybe it was the man sitting beside her.

Julia sneaked another glance in his direction while he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. It was hard to think of him as anything other than a gentle giant. Everyone in town loved Carson, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. The man cared for everyone and would do anything to lend a helping hand. Despite her previous proclamation, Carson, with all his positive attributes, had wheedled his way into her heart.

She jumped when she felt his fingers brush against her ears; then she slowly realized he was placing something in her hair.

“I think it suits you,” he said with a wry smile that made his eyes twinkle.

She reached up and felt the daisy’s soft petals. Another rush of heat burned her cheeks. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re nothing but a big flirt?”

His large hand covered his heart. “Who, me?”

“Yes, you.” She laughed. “Have you ever thought about what Sheri would say if she ever found you out here alone with me?”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head at his incredulous look. “You can’t be that naive.”

He exhaled a long, dramatic sigh. “All right, so she may like me.”

“May?” Julia’s laughter deepened, and soon his rich baritone joined her husky vibrato to create their own form of music.

Carson watched Julia’s angelic face expand with a magnificent smile, and he felt that strange flutter return in his chest.

“I’d like to invite you and Robin to have dinner with Bobbi and me at our place tonight,” he said suddenly, then masked his own surprise at the offer that seemed to pour from his lips.

Julia tried to say something, but her mouth only opened and closed without emitting a sound.

“I promise you, I can cook,” he quickly added.

“I don’t have any problems believing that,” she finally managed to say. “However, I don’t think that it’s appropriate.”

“Why not?”

Because you’re still in love with your deceased wife and I’ve vowed never to fall in love again, she wanted to say, but she somehow managed to curb her tongue.

“Mainly because your girlfriend would have a capital F-I-T,” she said instead, then laughed.

“You’re as bad as my sister. How many times have I told you that Sheri is not my girlfriend?”

“How many times have I told you to tell Sheri that? Last Sunday she shot daggers at me through the entire church service.”

“I guess you can say that we’ve already had that discussion,” he said almost painfully. “Sheri’s like a little sister to me. I’ve know her forever.”

“About as long as you knew Karen?” Julia’s hand flew across her mouth at the realization of what she’d said.

Carson’s spirits plummeted.

“I’m so sorry,” Julia said through the gaps of her fingers. “I didn’t mean to bring up Karen again.”

“Don’t be.” He smiled. “I like talking to you about Karen. It’s sort of therapeutic. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll let me be your shoulder to cry on.”

Julia highly doubted it, but said instead, “Yeah, who knows?”

Chapter 17

Tony hated it when a case’s trail turned cold, which was what had happened to the Mercer case. Dr. Julia Kelley and her daughter’s pictures had been posted everywhere, including on the FBI’s Web site. Still, they’d yet to receive a single call as to their possible whereabouts. At this point, he feared them to be dead.

Special Agent Todd Hendrix dropped a box packed with his belongings down onto the empty desk opposite Tony. “Looks like I’ve been transferred to your team,” he announced with a wide smile.

Tony mimicked the smile without much feeling. “I guess so.”

Since Paul’s explosion at his and Michelle’s apartment, they had pretty much danced around each other. But he would have thought Paul would have informed him of transferring another agent to his team.

Michelle, however, was the most hurt by their behavior, though that was the last thing that either of the men had wanted to do.

Tony glanced up at Todd and knew that it was going to take some time to get used to the man.

“I’m going to run and get another cup of coffee,” Todd said, interrupting Paul’s thoughts. “Can I get you anything?”

“Nah. I reached my limit about an hour ago.”

“All right, then.” Todd grabbed his cup and disappeared out of their office just as the telephone rang.

“Special Agent Iaanelli,” he answered, and heard the weariness in his own voice.

“Tony.” Travis’s voice boomed over the line. “You actually answer your phone.”

“From time to time.” He chuckled at his own joke. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked to you, Travis. What can I do you for?”

“Actually, I was in the gift-giving mood this morning and noticed that my old friend Tony was at the top of my Christmas list.”

“Is that right?”

“Now, if you don’t want it, just say so. I’m sure that you and your future father-in-law are progressing quite nicely on the Mercer-Kelley case. I’ll holler at ya later.”

“Wait,” Tony shouted into the phone while simultaneously reaching for his notepad. “Tell me what you got.”

“A 1962 Chevy Impala. Tag number 843 DST.”

Tony waited. “Is that it?”

Travis laughed. “Should be enough, don’t you think?”

“Maybe you should start at the beginning, because I’m having a hard time following you.”

“I take it that you haven’t talked to Regis?”

“Paul? Had he called you about this car or something?”

“Well, I don’t know all the details, but he said something at the crime scene led him to believe that the Kelleys owned another car—some manuals and oil stains, or something like that. He asked me to run a check on whether another car was registered to either Julia Kelley or David Lawson.”

“And you came up with a sixty-two Chevy Impala?”

“That’s the short of it. The tags were just renewed in May, so this leads me to believe that the car is still in commission.”

Tony nodded and stifled his irritation at Paul for not letting him in on what he’d discovered. “Thanks, Travis. I’ll let him know what you came up with.”

“All right. But you guys owe me one.”

“Sure thing.”

Tony jumped to his feet and headed for the door when it swung open, with Todd trying to prevent the hot liquid from sloshing over the sides. But when Tony breezed past him, his efforts went up in smoke.

“Ouch, ouch. Where are you going?” Todd asked, stepping back from his dripping cup.

To murder my boss, was what he wanted to say, but instead he said, “To get some coffee.”

“But…”

Todd’s voice faded as Tony marched down the hallway fully intending to get some answers.

Julia joined Carson and his entire family at the baseball field to watch the Wildcats play against the Devils. The Wildcats had a winning record of 10–0. It was the team’s best playing record for more than a decade, according to Carson.

The third day in July was by far the hottest day of the summer thus far, but it had no impact on the growing attendance. Many of the women wore large hats that infuriated whoever sat behind them on the bleachers.

Julia spotted Robin out in center field and waved enthusiastically. Though Julia had never been much of a sports fan, it wasn’t long before the crowd’s excitement infected her.

Bobbi took her place on the pitcher’s mound to resonating applause from one side of the diamond and jeers from the other side. However, the fans on the Wildcats’ bleachers were the loudest.

After the home-plate umpire announced, “Play ball,” Bobbi sailed a perfect fastball down the center of the plate for the first strike of the game.

Through the first few innings, Julia tried to ignore the sun’s sweltering heat and to just enjoy the game, which wasn’t easy to do. Yet Carson and Lilly were just as entertaining as the game.

“Are you blind or something?” Lilly hollered more than once at the umpires whenever she didn’t agree with their calls.

And Carson’s hoots and declarations of “That’s my baby,” drew many smiles from the crowd, especially the women.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, Julia sprang to her feet with her own joyful wail when Robin connected with a slider and sent the ball careening past the right fielder’s outstretched glove. After the dust had cleared, two runners had raced safely across home plate and Robin stood on second base.

When Robin drove in another runner in the eighth inning, Julia received many pats and high fives from the Carson family. As the game continued to unfold, Julia was amazed that she’d never picked up on what she perceived as her daughter’s natural athletic ability.

In the top of the ninth, the Devils threatened a comeback when they managed to score two runs.

Julia wasn’t aware that she was actually squeezing Carson’s hand until he leaned over and informed her that he was losing the feeling in it.

“Sorry,” she said, embarrassed.

He laughed. “No need to be sorry. It’s a close game.”

She nodded and chewed on her bottom lip as she returned her attention to the game.

Bobbi took her pitcher’s stance and shook off the suggested pitches from her catcher before spearing another fastball down the center.

“Strike three,” the umpire declared.

Julia and Carson leaped into each other’s arms while Lilly and her husband broke into a chorus of “We’re number one.”

Robin and Bobbi ran over to them, with Bobbi hugging Julia and Robin being swung up into the air by Carson.

“Did you see me? I hit two doubles.” Robin beamed proudly.

“You sure did. I’m so proud of you,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Bobbi, meanwhile, whispered into Julia’s ear. “Have you seen Stanley around?”

Julia blanched. She’d forgotten that Bobbi had asked her to watch for him in the bleachers. “Honey, I’m sorry. I got so caught up in the game, I forgot to look for him.” She turned and searched through the crowd, but didn’t see him.

“That’s all right. He probably didn’t come.”

Carson suddenly grabbed his daughter and swept her into a fierce hug. “You were magnificent.”

Bobbi’s frown of disappointment crumbled and a bright smile blinded her father. “I was, wasn’t I?”

Julia laughed as Robin slid into her arms. “You were just as great, honey,” she said.

“Thanks, Mom.”

After the girls were passed back and forth between the adults, Charles clapped his hands together to draw the small group’s attention.

“I hope everyone knows what this means,” he said with twinkling eyes and a wide smile.

“Banana splits!” the girls exclaimed, jumping into each other’s arms.

The mere thought of ice cream lowered Julia’s body temperature several degrees.

Lilly shook her head. “I’d love to join you guys, but I have quite a few pies to finish in time for tomorrow’s celebration. I’ll just catch up to you later.”

“Do you need some help?” Julia asked, concerned.

“Nah. Don’t you worry about it none. You and your daughter have plenty to celebrate.” She tugged Robin’s fat pigtail. “You were something else out there, sport.”

Robin’s smile continued to grow brighter. “Thanks, Aunt Lilly.”

Julia blinked. When had her daughter started calling Lilly her aunt?

“How about you, Pops?” Carson asked. “Are you and Mom joining us over at Bertie’s?”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Grace nodded and looped an arm through Julia’s. “And afterward everyone can come back to our place. I know I could use a little help on some last-minute dishes for tomorrow’s festivities.”

“I’d be more than happy to help.” Julia patted her hand.

Aunt Bertie’s Ice Cream Shop was overflowing with people by the time they arrived. But no one in the crowd seemed to mind standing in the long lines or waiting for people to vacate tables.

Harvey, the owner of the shop and one of two people working behind the counter, complimented Julia with a kiss on the hand when she offered it during introductions.

“If you’re not interested in my friend Carson, here, already, I’d sure like to look you up sometime,” he said, then leaned forward to whisper, “That’s if you like older men.”

“You never know,” Julia said, laughing. “I might take you up on that sometime.”

The man’s color deepened before he glanced over to Carson. “You sure were right about her. She’s as pretty as they come.”

Julia cast a sidelong glance at Carson, who flushed instantly.

“Is that what he said?” Julia asked.

Harvey laughed as he began fixing their order. “Sure did.”

Julia turned toward Carson and smiled, enjoying his obvious discomfort. “So you think I’m pretty?”

Carson shrugged. “I guess.”

“You guess?” She playfully jabbed her hands onto her hips.

He shrugged again. “Yeah. Pretty in a beautiful sort of way.”

Julia’s breath hitched when his rich black eyes locked with hers. It took a while before they heard Harvey’s low laughter.

“When you two lovebirds finish staring at each other, your total is sixteen twenty-five.”

Bobbi and Robin watched their parents from across the ice-cream shop.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Bobbi leaned over and whispered into Robin’s ear so her grandparents couldn’t hear.

“I think so.”

“I think my dad likes your mom.”

Robin met Bobbi’s eyes, unsure of what to say. It certainly appeared that way to her. She blinked at full knowledge of what could happen. She’d already confided her parents’ recent divorce to Bobbi, which meant her mother was free to marry again. “That means we wouldn’t have to leave.”

Bobbi nodded with wide-eyed excitement. “And we could be sisters.”

“Sisters,” Robin whispered with wonder. Hadn’t she always wished for such a thing? Hope bounced inside of her.

“Maybe we’re wrong,” Robin voiced in caution. “I mean, we could be wrong, right?”

Bobbi shook her head. “Look at them,” she directed.

Bobbi did as she was told and watched the way their parents laughed together as they headed toward the table with a tray of banana splits. There was definitely something between them.

She smiled and looked back at Bobbi. “I think I’m going to have a new dad.”

Bobbi nodded. “And I’m going to have a new mom.”

Chapter 18

Tony marched into Paul’s office. “Since when do we hold out on each other?” he barked, ignoring the phone Paul had cradled against his ear.

Paul’s eyes blazed. “I’ll call you back,” he informed the other party on the line before hanging up. “Well, hello to you, too.”

“Drop the act. You held out on me on the Mercer case. I thought I was the lead investigator on this case.”

“I’ve done no such thing, and you are,” Paul defended himself.

“Oh?” Tony’s hands formed fists at his sides. “Then why did I just receive a call from Travis down at the DMV returning your inquiry about another vehicle?”

“What did he say?”

“That a sixty-two Chevy Impala is also registered to the doctor. Now, do you want to tell me how that doesn’t qualify as holding out on me?”

“It’s called following a hunch. You’re making way too much of this.” Paul waved off Tony’s anger. “It must have just slipped my mind to tell you. That’s all. Sort of like your dating my daughter behind my back for two years slipped your mind.”

“Is that what this is all about? When are you going to let sleeping dogs lie?”

Paul gritted his teeth, then glanced out of his open door at the onlookers. “Do you mind giving us a little privacy?” he shouted.

Their colleagues looked away, shamefaced.

Paul got up and slammed his door shut. “We need to talk,” he said when he returned to his chair. “This is way overdue.”

Tony nodded. “Michelle and I thought it was best not to tell you about our dating because we knew how much you detested the idea of her getting involved with anyone in this line of business. You’ve made that clear for as long as I’ve known you.”

“So you thought that by lying to me, it was better for all involved,” Paul concluded.

Tony’s face tightened. “Something like that.”

“My feelings about the matter were conveniently ignored,” Paul continued.

“Our relationship is just that—ours. Nothing we did was meant to hurt you. In fact, we wanted to protect you. At the time you’d both just lost Sarah. We didn’t want you worrying about us, too.”

Paul slapped his own hand against his desk. “My baby deserves more than the kind of life you’re offering—worrying every day whether you’re going to come home. I saw what that kind of worrying did to her mother. Is it so wrong to want to spare my daughter that kind of anguish?”

Tony drew in his own ragged breathing and leveled his gaze at Paul. “But in your marriage, Sarah was the one who didn’t come home one day.”

Tony’s words hit home, and Paul’s glare lost much of its edge.

Tony continued, “Michelle and I are well aware of the risks involved with this job. But there are no guarantees about which one of us is going to outlive the other. Meanwhile, we want the opportunity to enjoy what life we can piece together while we have the chance.”

Paul straightened, fighting like hell to stiffen his resolve, but failed. Maybe Tony had a point, and he’d been wrong. The Lord knew he’d been wrong about so many things before.

“I’m sorry we hurt you,” Tony said. “It wasn’t our intention. But we do want your blessing.”

Paul met Tony’s steady gaze and managed to prevent tears from sliding down his face. He had no doubt that Tony loved Michelle. He’d known that for quite some time now, but it was still hard to maneuver around the pain that throbbed in his chest, and it was hard swallowing his pride.

Paul finally spoke. “You have my blessing.”

A smile exploded across Tony’s face.

“I pray I won’t live to regret that decision,” Paul added.

“I’ll make it my life’s goal to make sure that you don’t,” Tony said, holding out his hand.

Paul hesitated, then allowed his smile to bloom before sliding his own hand into Tony’s grip. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I just bet you will.”

As far as Julia was concerned, Aunt Bertie’s Ice Cream Shop served the best banana splits she’d ever tasted in her life. While she ate, she did little more than moan with pleasure.

“Can I get you another one?” Carson inquired with raised brows.

The twinkle in his eyes and the twitch along the corners of his mouth suggested that he was trying to suppress his amusement.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said, picking up her thin napkin and dabbing her mouth. When she glanced at everyone else’s plastic bowls, she was horrified to find that they still had a healthy portion of their desserts left, whereas her bowl was empty.

“I’ve always liked women with healthy appetites,” Charles boasted, swinging his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

Grace jabbed her elbow into his side, which made Charles laugh instead of doubling over in pain.

“Gosh, Mom. That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen you eat.”

Robin’s keen observation increased Julia’s embarrassment. “What can I say? It was good,” she admitted shyly.

Everyone at the table laughed.

“Mom, are you going to come and see me play again next week?” Robin asked with an enthusiasm that took Julia’s breath away.

“Of course I will. I had no idea that you had such a passion for sports. Had I known, I would have enrolled you in baseball back…home.” Julia cleared her throat. She had said too much.

“Where is home?” Bobbi asked with a full mouth of ice cream.

“Barbara Anne,” Carson warned with a stern voice. “We don’t talk with our mouths full.”

Her gaze fell into her dessert bowl while she struggled and succeeded in swallowing what was in her mouth. “Yes, sir.”

Julia wanted to pretend that the question had never been asked, but an expectant silence lingered over the table. “Robin and I were both born in Kansas City,” she answered honestly. Of course, she realized the girl hadn’t asked where they were born, but Julia hoped that the answer would suffice.

“Where is that?” Bobbi asked, frowning.

“Missouri,” Robin jumped in.

For a minute Julia thought that her daughter would say more, but she was pleasantly surprised when Robin had changed the subject. “What time are the fireworks tomorrow, Mr. Webber?”

Charles’s face lit with wide-eyed pleasure. “Promptly at eight-thirty. You’ll do well to get there in time to pick out a good spot so you can see everything,” he warned with a wave of his finger. “This year’s show will have the whole town talking—you mark my words.”

Robin and Bobbi listened intently to Charles’s spectacular plans, and what all went into getting a show ready.

Julia’s thoughts, however, turned guiltily to the semi-lie she’d just told to an eight-year-old girl. Then she felt a light squeeze on her knee. She jerked her eyes up at Carson. He smiled as if to say, Don’t worry about it.

She exhaled a nervous breath and smiled weakly. How much longer had she expected to get away with dodging people’s questions?

Later that evening at the Webber residence, Julia and Robin helped Grace and Bobbi prepare for the Fourth of July feast. It was a perfect opportunity for Julia to get a good peek at some of Grace’s recipes for sweet-potato pie, pecan pie and even peach cobbler.

What was so amazing was the fact that Grace never measured anything. It was constantly a pinch of this or a dash of that, and presto—a work of art.

The woman was such a pro at everything that Julia was beginning to think that she was very little help. Every few minutes she had to bother Grace with where something was kept or ask how much exactly was a dash.

All the while Grace just smiled and never seemed to lose her cool about the countless questions.

Julia had also noticed that Bobbi already knew her way around the kitchen.

Somewhere around ten o’clock, both Robin and Bobbi had retired to bed, while Grace and Julia moved on to baking cakes.

Julia had learned that Carson’s favorite was carrot cake. His favorite pie was peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. His favorite meal was his mother’s fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

In fact, all Grace wanted to do was talk about Carson’s preferences.

The subject Julia wanted to learn more about was Karen Webber. However, she didn’t know how to broach the subject, so she stayed away from it.

Yet she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to be the object of affection of a man like Carson. She’d imagined that it would be something special. She’d always worked so hard at love, when here was a man who gave it freely. No prerequisite required.

He was also a man who expected little in return.

“Honey, exactly how much sugar are you planning on dishing into that batter?” Grace asked.

Julia looked down and saw that she’d absently scooped a pile of sugar into her cake mix bowl. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, wincing.

Grace laughed. “Maybe you should just call it a night. I can finish up here. I just have one more cake to throw into the oven.”

“No, no. I would like to help.”

“You’ve already been an angel tonight. To ask you to work beyond the point of exhaustion would be unforgivable.”

Julia shook her head.

Grace walked over and took the ruined bowl of batter. “Trust me. I really can finish this up. Why don’t you go and join your daughter in the guest room? We all have a full day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“I’d feel guilty leaving you like this.”

“Nonsense. I’m used to these baking marathons. You’re not. Now, off to bed with you.”

Grace shooed her out of the kitchen, despite her further protest. Riddled with guilt and exhaustion, Julia climbed the stairs to the guest room.

Robin, dressed in only her underwear, had made herself comfortable sprawled out in the center of the bed. The ceiling fan rotated at full blast. If the Georgia heat didn’t get you, the humidity would, Julia had always said.

She smiled, then made a beeline to the bathroom. She relished the idea of a cold shower.

Once submerged beneath the steady spray of water, Julia let her mind scroll down the checklist Grace had supplied her. Carson’s favorite color: royal blue. His favorite song: “All in Love Is Fair” by Stevie Wonder. Favorite flower: daisies.

Julia’s smile widened at the memory of his tucking a daisy in her hair and saying, “It suits you.” Had she imagined a sparkle in his eyes when he’d said it? It was a possibility, she knew, but for right now, while she was half-delirious, she liked to think that there had been.

In a dreamlike trance, she turned off the shower and dried off. After she’d slipped into her nightgown—royal blue, in fact—she walked over to the bedroom window to stare down at the beautiful garden—another Karen Webber creation.

At this point, Julia held no doubts that Karen Webber was a very special woman. To her surprise, Julia was envious of what the woman had achieved during her brief lifespan.

Julia frowned. Should she harbor the hope of finding the same type of love? Of course, she didn’t mean right now, but what about the future?

Something moved in the garden and caught Julia’s attention. For a brief moment her heart leaped clear up into her throat, and she dashed quickly behind the curtains.

At the sound of heavy footsteps, she glanced around the curtain’s thin material and down at the man below.

Relief rushed from her lungs at the sight of Carson cradling his daughter, Bobbi. She was still fast asleep and oblivious to her surroundings.

Julia strained to hear what was being said beneath her window and recognized Grace’s kind voice.

“She was no problem at all. She was a great help in the kitchen tonight.”

“I’m sorry I’m so late picking her up. I guess I misunderstood and thought you guys were bringing her home tonight,” Carson said with a light laugh.

“We were, we were. But what can I say—time got away from us. Are you and your father all set for tomorrow?”

“As ready as we’re going to get. Pop’s still fussing over small details, but doesn’t he always?”

“Your father looks forward to this event every year. By the morning of the fifth, he’s already started mapping out plans for the next year.”

Carson chuckled and Julia smiled tenderly.

“What about you ladies—are you all set for tomorrow?”

“Yep. I’m waiting for the last cake to come out of the oven now. I tell you, that Julia was a godsend. Usually we’d be baking well into tomorrow morning.”

Julia was relieved to hear that she hadn’t been a nuisance after all.

“Lilly has said the same about her lending a helping hand at the inn, not to mention that most of the locals think she’s been wonderful in giving out advice on their ailments as well as their pets’.”

“What type of doctor do you suppose she is?” Grace asked.

Julia frowned.

“Don’t know. I suspect she’ll tell us when she’s good and ready.”

“She does seem to be guarded about her past, but I guess you have a point. Her business is her business.”

Julia relaxed and listened to Carson as he kissed his mother, then said his goodbyes. Before he faded from view, Julia muttered, “You can always tell a good man by how he treats his mother.” She smiled again and moved away from the window.

Chapter 19

By the time the sun rose on the Fourth of July, the people of Moreland were already buzzing with activity. Lilly, Grace and Julia quickly loaded the food they’d spent most of the night cooking into a van.

Robin and Bobbi had also helped Pierce Taylor box loads of miniature flags and straw hats. And somehow, in between all of that, they’d managed to have a breakfast buffet set up at the inn by the time the first guest descended the stairs.

Once everything was placed, the telephone rang off the hook for Lilly. Someone who had volunteered for this activity or that project wouldn’t be able to make it, and everyone seemed to think that Lilly would know what to do. Lilly’s only response to their problems was, “Just try to do the best you can.”

Nothing, it seemed, would unhinge Lilly’s calm demeanor. By ten o’clock, Lilly had even put Charles to work on dishes. Of course, he fussed and complained that he had to be down at the park soon to go over the plans with his small crew, but she told him the faster he scrubbed the pans the quicker he’d be able to go.

Julia was talked into running one of the concession stands at the fair by one of the sisters from church, while Carson had agreed to be the pigeon in the dunking tank.

Despite the hard work, Julia was having a great time. She’d also noticed the number of friends Robin had made. Not to mention that with each day that had passed, Robin and Bobbi seemed to grow closer.

The girls had their faces painted with the American flag, and had eaten so many Patriot Popsicles that their mouths had literally turned blue. The few times Julia had inquired whether Robin was having a good time, her daughter replied that Bobbi was like the sister she’d always wanted, which was odd, seeing as how Julia couldn’t recall Robin’s ever mentioning that she wanted a sister.

As the day progressed, the sun grew merciless, and the concession stand had a line out of this world with people needing something to quench their growing thirst.

Sometime around three, Sister Arlene relieved Julia from the concession stand and she was free to partake in some of the fair’s activities. Walking around, she guessed that the whole town had attended the day’s fair and all were having a good time.

“Don’t tell me that I can’t find one person who can hit the bull’s-eye?” Carson’s voice boomed over a swarm of people.

There was a loud thumping sound, followed by a low moan from the crowd.

“Come on, Harvey. My daughter can throw better than that.”

Another thump and the same moan of disappointment followed.

“All right, all right. Who’s next? This time can I get someone who’s going to be within the same zip code as the target?”

“I’ll go next.” Julia bounced on the tips of her toes to get Pierce Taylor’s attention.

“Ah, it looks like we have another volunteer,” Pierce announced, and waved Julia forward.

A bud of excitement bloomed within Julia and spiraled outward as she maneuvered her way to the dunking tank.

“That will be one dollar for three balls,” Pierce said with a mischievous grin.

She quickly dug into the pockets of her white shorts and retrieved a crisp five-dollar bill. “Just keep the balls coming,” she instructed.

A low murmur rippled through the surrounding people as Julia accepted the first ball from Pierce.

Carson cocked his head, a sly grin slowly spreading across his face. “I see the little lady is feeling confident,” he taunted.

Someone laughed in the distance, which seemed only to fuel Julia’s confidence. “You look a little hot sitting in there,” Julia shouted.

“You think you can cool me off?”

More laughter.

Julia launched the first ball. It ripped past the red-white-and-blue target by a mere hair and banged on the iron board behind it.

“Aaagh,” the crowd chorused with disappointment behind her.

Carson’s smile beamed brighter. “Being close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades,” he teased.

She snatched another ball and didn’t hesitate before hurling it at the target and again missing it by mere inches.

Another “Aaagh” resonated around her.

Carson’s rich laughter boomed from behind the cage. His antics, though dramatic, started to grate on her nerves, but everyone seemed to love their little combat.

Robin and Bobbi pushed through the crowd, with Grace trailing after them. The girls both wore bright smiles and began chanting Julia’s name. Within seconds everyone seemed to chime in.

Pierce’s eyes twinkled as he picked up the chant and handed her another ball. “Make us proud.”

Julia nodded and accepted the ball from his outstretched hand.

“You can do it, Mommy,” Robin called out of sync from the chant.

This time Julia took her time focusing on the multicolored target before swinging her level gaze to Carson’s devilish one. Then, grasping the ball firmly in her hand, she drew back and threw the ball with everything she had.

The ball beamed the center of the target, setting off a loud buzzer.

Carson’s arm flailed when his small bench unceremoniously dunked him into the pool of water below.

A roar rose from the crowd.

Robin and Bobbi rushed to embrace her, while a sputtering Carson managed to find his footing. The girls erupted with laughter while pointing their fingers at him.

“Ha-ha-ha,” Carson mimicked with a sly smile, then announced to the crowd, “Lady’s luck.”

The jubilee faded a bit as everyone recognized a challenge when they heard one.

“Oh, yeah?” Julia’s eyes narrowed, but a small smile twitched at the corners of her lips.

“Yeah.” He winked.

Julia held out a hand, and Pierce dropped a new ball into her palm. “Get ready for another swim,” she warned.

“In your dreams,” he taunted.

Robin and Bobbi returned to Grace’s side.

“Let him have it, Mom.”

Robin’s encouragement was followed by Bobbi’s affirmation: “Yeah!”

“Hey.” Carson perked up, shifting his gaze to his daughter. “Just whose side are you on?”

“The ladies’ side,” she responded playfully with her hands on her hips. Her spunk won another roar of laughter from the crowd.

Julia was, once again, filled with giddiness as she took firm hold of the ball and let it rip through the air—and missed.

Her heart sank almost to her kneecaps.

The crowd moaned their disappointment.

Carson’s head rocked back as a gust of laughter seized him. “What did I tell ya?”

Pierce didn’t wait for her to reach for another ball. He grabbed her hand and plopped one into her palm with a vote of confidence: “You can do it.”

Carson was still laughing when she launched the next one. In fact, he was still laughing when it smacked the center of the target.

The buzzer went off, and Carson was dunked into the tank with shock plastered on his face.

Julia sprang gleefully into the air. Her small cheerleading squad chanted, “You did it,” and bounced excitedly over to her.

“Nice job,” Pierce said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Julia said, then glanced over at Carson in the dunking tank.

He wore a grin that rivaled the size of Georgia, even as he bore the taunts of his friends.

“I believe this fella belongs to you,” Pierce said, handing her a smiling teddy that was nearly as tall as she was.

Julia and the girls turned to leave when Carson called out to them, “Hey, wait up.”

They turned to see Carson climbing out of the tank, and while he pulled on his shoes, another volunteer took his place.

The girls smirked as he approached. Rivulets of water trickled down from his hairline, and his clothes made a strange swooshing sound when he walked. Even Grace couldn’t contain her laugher as her son approached.

“I guess you finally met your match,” Grace said with an uplifted chin.

Carson’s eyes quickly centered on Julia. “One could say that.”

Warmth coursed through Julia as she pretended not to read the open fascination written across Carson’s face.

“You got yourself quite an arm there, Doc.”

“It stopped all that trash you were talking, didn’t it?”

The girls laughed again.

Grace slapped a hand against her son’s back. “Maybe you should stop while you’re ahead.”

He nodded. “Good advice.” He smiled as he looked back at Julia. “Are you girls hungry?”

Bobbi crossed her hands over her stomach. “I couldn’t possibly eat anything else today. You two go ahead.”

Carson frowned. “I wish that you’d waited, sweetheart. I told you I wanted to eat with you.”

She shrugged apologetically. “What can I say? We were hungry, right, Robin?”

Robin jerked and blinked up at them. “Right. We’re stuffed. You two go on ahead,” she encouraged.

“But what are you guys about to do?” Julia asked.

“Grandma promised to take us to ride the ponies,” Bobbi reassured her.

Julia looked up at Grace. “It’s not necessary for you to take them. I know that they’ve been with you all day.”

“Don’t you fret none. I’ve enjoyed the girls’ company. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I have a promise to fulfill.” She winked at the girls. “We’ll catch up with you later.”

With that, Julia watched them stroll off and fade into the crowd. She turned to look back at Carson.

He shrugged, then said, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

“Then I guess it’s just me and you,” she replied, wondering if her smile looked as awkward as it felt.

“Allow me.” Carson took the large stuffed teddy bear from her.

“Why, thank you. You are a gentleman after all,” she said with a hearty laugh.

“Shh. Don’t tell anybody. I do, after all, have a reputation to maintain.”

She laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Bobbi, Robin, and Grace watched Carson and Julia with knowing smiles.

“I told you they liked each other, Grandma,” Bobbi whispered.

“So you did, sweetheart. So you did.”

The Fourth of July was just another day to Frankie and Nicholas. Though Frankie wasn’t used to working with a partner, he tried to make the best of a bad situation. They arrived in Atlanta sometime around midnight and hopped in an older-model Buick Regal that the Montello family had arranged for them.

The car fit their need to be inconspicuous, as did their reservations at a low-grade motel on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta. By 5:00 a.m. he’d already heard from most of his contacts in and around the city.

According to Tyrese, Dr. Kelly hadn’t made any attempts to contact anyone in her office. The other six doctors at the practice were still up in arms as to what they needed to do about replacing her.

Keisha Washington reported that Robin hadn’t attended dance classes in the last month.

Somewhere around 8:00 a.m., Frankie slammed the phone down in disgust. “The woman must be related to Houdini,” he grumbled.

Nicholas sat across the room, absently shuffling a set of cards. “Be patient. She’ll turn up.”

Frankie shot him a murderous look. “The last thing I want to do is spend another ten years looking for these damn diamonds.”

Nicholas simply laughed. “It’s easy work.”

“Personally, I don’t see why Vinny still cares about the damn things. Sure, they’re worth something. But it’s not like the Montello family is hurting for money. You know what I mean?”

Nicholas’s amicable smile flat-lined, while his eyes turned ominous. “No one steals from the Montellos and gets away with it. Do you know what that can do to the family’s rep?”

Frankie drew in a deep breath. The Montellos’ infamous reputation. Wasn’t that what it always came down to? Eric and David Mercer had had their own rep long before they’d crossed paths with the Montellos, and a part of Frankie believed that the thieving brothers had no idea that they had broken into the Montellos’ warehouse—had no idea that they were stealing from the Mafia. Not until it was too late.

“But they’ve been taken care of. Why go after an innocent woman?”

“We don’t know if she’s innocent.” Nicholas shrugged again. “Besides, we’re still missing the merchandise.” He stopped shuffling and met Frankie’s gaze again. “You’re not suddenly growing a heart on us, are you?”

Frankie waved off his ridiculous question with a sweep of his hand. When Nicholas returned his attention to the stack of cards in his hand, Frankie tried to stifle the voice inside his head. He was having problems with tracking down this Julia Kelley and her daughter. What if she did have the Montellos’ diamonds? What then—kill her, then track down her second cousin twice removed? When was it time to cut their losses?

He rubbed at his throbbing temples just as the phone rang. “Yeah.”

“I got something for you,” the voice said in a low whisper. Frankie reached for the notepad lying on the nightstand. “Let me have it.”

“1962 Chevy Impala.”

He wrote it down. “So they did own another car?”

“She does. It was a little difficult to find because it’s registered under her maiden name. The tags were renewed two months ago, but the car is missing.”

Frankie’s heart sank. “All right. What’s the tag number?” He wrote the information down. “The Feds know?”

“Yep. So be careful,” the voice said, then the line went dead.

When he placed the phone back down on its cradle, he looked up to see Nicholas now reading over his shoulder. “It looks like we finally got our first big break.”

“Yeah, it appears so.”

Sheri watched Carson and Julia gallivant through the fair seemingly as though they hadn’t a care in the world. Everyone, it seemed, pointed and giggled at the preoccupied couple. Meanwhile, all Sheri could think about was how Carson could publicly humiliate her like this.

“I think it’s disgraceful how he’s fawning over that girl,” Erma, her best friend, pointed out.

Sheri’s back stiffened as she continued to hand out miniature flags to everyone she passed. She knew that Erma said this only as a show of support, and she appreciated her for it.

“I don’t care what he does,” Sheri lied bravely.

Erma smiled. “You don’t have to put on a brave face. We’ve been friends since grade school. You’ve had your heart set on marrying that man for as long as we’ve known each other. I just knew that any day now you two would be announcing your engagement.”

Sheri had, too. “Well, that’s all over with now. I don’t intend to waste another minute thinking about that man.” It was another lie, she knew.

“Humph. You’re a better woman than I am,” Erma complimented under her breath.

“Can we please change the subject?” Sheri nearly begged.

Erma glanced over at her friend, then shrugged. “All right, if you insist. Are we still sharing a room when we go to the Southern Baptist Church Convention?”

Sheri had almost forgotten about their planned trip up to Atlanta. “Sure, sure. I probably need a little break from this place anyway,” she mumbled.

Erma wrapped a supportive arm around Sheri’s shoulders. “Of course you do. And Atlanta is just the place to forget your troubles.”

Chapter 20

Carson and Julia were having a ball. They rode every ride in the fair—twice—and ate until they thought they’d pop. Neither returned to their volunteer positions because everyone insisted that they were no longer needed.

A few times, Julia sought out her daughter, but was told by Grace that the girls were having fun with her and for Julia to just go and enjoy herself. And she did just that.

Even now, as they rode the Ferris wheel and watched the stars come out in the distant sky, Julia found herself wishing that the day would never end.

When the ride was over, Carson slipped an arm around her shoulders and brought her compliant body into the curve of his arm. “Are you having a good time?” he asked.

She nodded, and for no reason at all tears gathered in her eyes. None of this was supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with this town and its people. She wasn’t supposed to like the way Carson held her, or enjoy the way he said her name.

Hadn’t she promised herself when she’d signed the divorce papers that she’d never go through this again—that she’d never allow herself to feel the emotions that she was now feeling?

“I’m glad,” he whispered against her ear.

She wanted to ask him what they were doing. Shouldn’t they put on the brakes? But there was a part of her that forbade her to ruin this moment—this very special moment.

“We’d better go and find the girls,” she finally said.

“Yeah, we’d better head on over to the other side of the park and pick out a spot before the fireworks begin,” he agreed.

It took a while, but they finally located the girls at the pony rides. By the time they got their blankets and walked back to the park, they had a hard time picking out a good spot to see the show.

When they were all settled, Carson purchased fluorescent necklaces for Bobbi and Robin to wear. The girls laughed at their glowing toys while they snacked on yet another hot dog.

Julia shook her head and leaned over toward Carson. “I’ll be amazed if we all don’t wake up with severe stomachaches.”

“Nah.” He waved off her concerns. “Pop a few Pepto-Bismol tablets and we’ll be just fine.”

She laughed. “I hope you’re right.”

“There you guys are,” Lilly said. Behind her were Grace and Rick, who carried their own blankets. “Do you mind if we join you?”

“Of course not,” Julia answered. “The more the merrier.”

Carson stood and helped his brother-in-law with arranging their blankets, then helped his mother to sit down.

“Your father is probably like a kid in a candy store around about now,” Grace said with a tender smile.

Julia had no trouble believing that. “How long do the fireworks usually last?”

“About thirty minutes,” Grace answered, then leaned over conspiratorially. “One year the show lasted nearly an hour. Everyone loved the show, but when the bill finally came…Let’s just say Charles nearly lost his job.”

“How long has he been in charge of this project?” she asked.

“For about thirty years.”

Julia blinked in surprise. A local band took the small stage in the center of the field and immediately launched into a rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” At the end, all lights went out and the first firecracker shot into the air.

Soon the sky was lit with an array of sparkling lights while low murmurs of “oohs” and “ahhs” came from the crowd.

It was the most spectacular show that Julia had ever seen. She could tell the town had spared no expense for this production, and thought, judging by the crowd’s reaction, that it was well worth it.

“So what do you think?” Carson questioned against her ear.

A pleasurable heat skipped along Julia’s spine. It took everything she had not to melt against him and most likely make a fool of herself.

“I think it’s beautiful,” she whispered back, and when he didn’t respond she tore her attention from the sky to glance at him.

His dark gaze was like a warm caress against her skin. “It doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

Julia’s heart pounded in her ears, and the sounds of the surrounding crowd disappeared. She was doing it again, her inner voice accused. But she couldn’t help it. There was something about Carson. There was something about the way he looked at her and the way he made her feel.

Hesitantly, she favored him with a fluttering smile. And only afterward did she wonder whether her fragile emotions were reflected in her eyes.

Somehow she managed to shift her gaze to the brilliantly lit sky. It was beautiful, she thought, then broadened her gaze to take in more of her environment. Everything was beautiful.

Her gaze lowered to her daughter’s joyful expression. In her hand she waved a small flag. Bobbi had draped an arm around Robin’s shoulders and pointed at different flares of light. The precious image, she knew, would be permanently etched into her memory, as well as every detail about this night—about this day.

Suddenly Julia’s vision blurred at the realization that everything was perfect—had been perfect since Carson had rescued her from the side of the road.

The symphony of music that played over the speakers built to a dramatic crescendo. The flare of lights multiplied and grew larger, creating a canvas of brilliant colors.

When the show ended, thunderous applause rose from the crowd, as well as piercing whistles and the chant for more.

Grace, still clapping, turned misty eyes toward Julia. “So what did you think?”

“It was by far the best show I’ve seen.”

“Pop has definitely outdone himself,” Lilly chimed into their conversation.

Grace nodded. “It’s going to be something, living with that ego of his in the coming weeks.”

Her comment won plenty of nods of agreement.

Robin scooted closer to her mother with a lazy smile covering her face. “That was great,” she declared, then yawned.

“It sure was.” Julia tugged her ponytail. “We’d better get you back to the inn so you can get ready for bed.”

As if on key, Bobbi yawned.

“It looks like Robin isn’t the only sleepyhead among us,” Carson said, reaching for his daughter.

Bobbi, in a rare tender moment, kissed her father’s cheek. “Daddy, is it all right if Robin spends the night at our house tonight?” She rubbed her eyes.

Carson chuckled. “It’s all right by me, but I think you need to ask her mother, don’t you?”

Robin clutched her mother’s arm. “Can I, Mom?”

Julia hesitated. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” she hedged.

Carson leaned closer and applied his own pressure. “If you’re worried about her spending the night at the house of a single father, I’d be more than happy to supply you with a list of references.”

“I’ll vouch for him,” Carson’s mother added sweetly.

Julia blushed. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Then can I, Mom?” Robin pleaded with woeful puppy-dog eyes.

She hesitated a fraction longer. Her issue wasn’t that she didn’t trust Carson with her only child—quite the opposite. The sad fact was that in the last month she drew a certain level of security from her daughter. Julia had no idea how she’d react to waking to find the spot next to her empty.

“Can I please, Mom?” Robin chimed again.

“Well, I guess it’ll be all right.”

Both girls launched to their feet with screams of excitement.

Carson wiggled a finger in one of his ears, as if trying to recapture his hearing. “I guess we just made their night,” he said.

Julia agreed.

Finally everyone stood, gathered their things, and headed back to the inn.

Julia guessed that she still looked doubtful about separating from her daughter, because Carson draped a supportive arm around her shoulder and whispered into her ear, “You know, I’ll understand if you want to change your mind about Robin spending the night.”

She flashed him another smile. “It’s all right. I trust you.”

Something sparkled in his eyes when she said that, and she felt a warm flush cover her body.

Bobbi elbowed Robin and pointed to their parents. “At this rate, we’ll be sisters before the end of the summer.”

Robin snickered and nodded in agreement.

Sometime around midnight, Carson made a final check in on the girls. Despite the twin beds that occupied the pink-and-white room, the girls had fallen asleep lying next to each other in one bed.

He sighed and entered the room. As he approached the lamp on the nightstand, he glanced down and saw the book of butterflies that had once belonged to his wife. Apparently the girls had fallen asleep reading it. He smiled at the notion that his daughter had developed an interest in the same field as her mother.

He reached down and retrieved the book and placed it on the nightstand. Still smiling, he clicked off the lamp and quickly edged back out of the room. Before he left, he chanced another look at the girls. Sleeping beauties, he thought lovingly, then closed the door.

An hour later he lay in his own bed, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t know what to make of the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. There was no denying that he would always love Karen, but he now had growing feelings for someone else.

Finally he drew in a deep breath and rolled onto his side. His attempts to push Julia’s image from his mind failed miserably.

Maybe, he thought, it was time to face facts. Though he hadn’t planned it, he’d fallen in love with Julia.

Chapter 21

Julia woke to the sound of birds singing outside of her window. A wide smile slid across her face as she stretched lazily in bed. What she wouldn’t give to be able to lie in bed all day. Memories of yesterday’s celebration floated to the surface, and her smile broadened.

In reflection, she realized how much she and Carson had behaved like lovestruck teenagers on their first date yesterday. No doubt Lilly would tease her about how she and her brother made a perfect couple.

For the first time, Julia wondered if it was true.

She rolled to the side of the bed and reluctantly sat up, but quickly remembered that Lilly had given her the day off. Ecstatic, she spread her arms open and fell back onto the bed.

She fell among the oversize pillows and felt as if she’d instead landed on a bed of clouds. Behind her closed eyelids, Carson’s image materialized.

How could a woman not be attracted to him? she wondered. He was kind, gentle and he loved children.

Julia frowned and sat up again. What on earth was she doing—planning a happily-ever-after with Carson Webber? She slapped a hand against her forehead in an attempt to knock out her crazy fantasizing. That was exactly what she was doing.

“I swear, sometimes I think I’ll never learn my lesson,” she scolded herself. She jumped out of bed, but by the time she stood beneath the shower, her thoughts had once again returned to Carson.

What if he was the real deal? What if fate had led her to Moreland for a reason? She pondered the questions swirling in her head, but never came up with an answer.

Once dressed, she descended the staircase while another question surfaced: What if this was her last chance for love?

She stopped in the middle of the foyer, troubled. Sure, after she’d signed her last set of divorce papers, she’d promised never to fall in love again. She’d given up on love. Had she really meant it, or was that just something she’d said to help ease the pain of a broken heart?

The front door swung open and Lilly entered the inn, carrying a stack of newspapers. When she glanced up, a look of genuine surprise claimed her features. “Julia, what are you doing up so early? Don’t you remember I gave you the day off?”

“I remember. What can I say? I’ve always been an early bird.”

Lilly shook her head and walked toward the kitchen before Julia spoke again. “Since I’m up, do you need help with anything?”

“Don’t you know the meaning of a day off?” Lilly scoffed. “Besides, I’ve got everything under control. We have quite a few people checking out today. Now that the holidays are over, people are heading back home. It’ll be quiet around here until at least the end of the month. So relax. I’ll let you know if I need you.”

Julia nodded and proceeded out onto the porch. She’d missed the sunrise, but the morning was still beautiful. She eased into one of the rocking chairs, prepared just to enjoy the day.

Carson, Bobbi, and Robin arrived at the Georgia Inn and found Julia lost in her thoughts in one of the rocking chairs on the porch.

The moment Carson spotted Julia a smile claimed his lips. Her beauty had a way of stealing his breath. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home and see her face every day for the rest of his life?

His heart squeezed at the question, but whether it was with hope or guilt he couldn’t quite tell.

“Hey, Mommy. Whatcha doin’?” Robin asked, bouncing up the stairs to the porch.

Julia happily opened her arms and Robin plopped onto her lap. “I was just daydreaming.”

“You looked as if you were lost in another world,” Carson said with a small laugh.

“Yeah,” Bobbi eased into the conversation. “Are you sure that you’re all right?”

Julia squeezed her arms around her daughter. “Never better,” she proclaimed. “Did you have a nice time over at Bobbi’s?”

Robin nodded. “The best. She showed me how to play marbles and I showed her how to play jacks.”

Julia shot a look of surprise toward Bobbi. “Is that right?”

Carson also looked surprised. “Well, I guess wonders never cease.”

Bobbi shrugged her shoulders. “The game wasn’t as bad as I thought.” When no one said anything, she added, “I still like marbles better.”

Julia opened her arms again and gestured for Bobbi to sit on her free leg. When she did, Julia groaned, pretending the added weight was too much.

“Quit it.” Bobbi laughed.

Momentarily, Carson’s breathing failed him at the serene picture the three females presented. It seemed that his daughter had also gravitated to Julia. When had that happened exactly? He scratched at his temple and couldn’t recall.

“Hey, girls. Weren’t you guys starving when we left the house?” he asked.

“Yeah.” They jumped up as if they had forgotten.

“Come on, sis,” Bobbi instructed. “Let’s go and see what Aunt Lilly’s got cooking.”

Nodding in agreement, Robin followed Bobbi into the house.

Carson’s and Julia’s eyes shot to each other. “Sis?” they echoed in unison.

After another moment of silence lapsed, they smiled.

“I guess those two are growing close,” Carson commented, edging to the vacant rocker next to Julia.

“So it seems,” Julia finally said.

“I can see why. Robin is a wonderful girl. I sort of look at her as a daughter myself.” Julia’s gaze found his again, and Carson flushed at his choice of words. “Well, I mean—”

“It’s okay. I know what you meant,” Julia reassured him. She reached over and patted his arm, but stopped at the sight of her small hand pressed against his arm. Their subtle differences in coloring were striking.

“What’s happening with us?” He meant it as a private thought, but instead he had questioned aloud.

Julia extracted her hand. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you feel it?” he asked, and waited until she met his gaze before continuing, “There’s something happening between us.”

Julia’s protests and denials faded long before they got started. To her horror, she couldn’t even manage to pull her eyes from his black orbs. They held her prisoner until a confession tumbled from her lips. “I know.”

He blinked and broke the spell he’d cast. “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

“I think I’m as happy as you are,” she countered.

He nodded, then chose his words carefully. “I think, more than anything, I’m taken aback by my emotions. I thought I’d buried them long ago with my wife.” When she said nothing to this, he had no choice but to ask, “What about you? What are your true feelings?”

“That I’m being foolish.”

Carson reeled from her brutal honesty and had to remind himself that he’d asked the question. He had no other choice but to delve deeper. “Are you still in love with your husband?”

“Ex-husband,” she corrected, then looked regretful at her haste.

“But I thought—”

“I know. My divorce was final a few days before we met.” And a few days before he was killed, she was close to adding.

“You’re a woman with a lot of secrets,” he said finally.

“Some secrets are meant to protect people.” When she said this, she could feel Carson scrutinizing her.

“Who are you trying to protect?” he asked finally.

Everyone, she wanted to say. It was the truth, after all, but she knew that if she said it, it would only lead to more questions to which she didn’t have any answers. Truth be told, she was afraid of what the answers were.

“Julia,” Carson probed, “you can trust me. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know,” she answered in a faint whisper. “But you are one of the people I’m trying to protect—I think.” She tossed up her hands and stood from her chair. “I don’t know. I’m not making much sense right now.”

Carson didn’t respond, but she could still feel his heavy gaze on her. Maybe she’d made a mistake in staying here. What if everything blew up in her face and she ended up costing the very people she’d come to care about their lives?

She heard Carson get up from his chair, but refused to turn around and face him.

“I care for you, Julia,” he said in a throaty whisper.

She closed her eyes and wished that his romantic confession hadn’t caused her so much pain. When his large but tender hands settled against her shoulders, she drew strength from a long-forgotten place to stop herself from falling to pieces.

“I respect your wish not to include me in whatever it is that you’re running from, but I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t hurt.”

Tears surfaced in Julia’s eyes, but she managed to prevent them from falling. “You’re the last person I want to hurt.”

Carson’s hands fell from her shoulders, but only to encircle her waist. He pulled her pliant body against him, and she molded herself effortlessly to the curves of his physique. He breathed in her soft, floral scent and had the sinking feeling that what he held on to was nothing more than a fleeting dream—something that would vanish if he wasn’t careful.

“I’m not going to pressure you into telling me anything. Right now I just want to see you—I want to be around you for as long as I can. Can I do that?”

Julia sighed weakly, but nodded.

He, too, sighed, but in relief. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

“Maybe we should go in and join the others. Pretty soon they’ll send a spy out here to see what we’re doing,” Julia said.

“Let them,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m not ready to give up this moment just yet.”

A woman would have had to be made out of steel not to be affected by the warm sincerity in his rich baritone. And Julia was definitely not made out of steel.

Bobbi and Robin tried to sneak a peek out onto the porch, but couldn’t quite get around Aunt Lilly and Uncle Rick, who blocked most of the view from the glass panel by the front door.

“What are they doing now?” Robin asked anxiously.

“I don’t know. I can’t see,” she whispered back.

Lilly, meanwhile, turned with a smug smile toward her husband. “What did I tell you?”

He waved her off. “I still say you need to stay out of it,” he insisted before they walked away from the door.

Bobbi and Robin quickly took their place to spy on their parents. They giggled at what they saw, then gave each other the thumbs-up.

Julia remained poised in Carson’s arms out on the porch for another half an hour—right up until the time Carson’s stomach growled in protest.

He laughed, but wasn’t embarrassed. “I guess now would be a good time to go in and get some fuel into this belly.”

Julia nodded, then was touched when Carson wiped the tears on her face. She hadn’t been aware that she’d even been crying.

“If this is meant to be, we’ll work out the obstacles.”

She lowered her gaze. She couldn’t respond. She couldn’t.

Carson lifted her chin and waited for their eyes to meet again. “I mean it. We’ll figure this out together.”

It was foolish, but, God help her, she believed him.

Hampton Inn, Downtown Atlanta

The first thing Sheri did when she and Erma arrived in their hotel room was unpack. As she did so, it took everything she had not to think about her broken heart. All of her friends had told her the best thing to do was to keep busy, and that was exactly what she intended to do. No matter how hard she tried, she was often helpless in preventing Carson’s handsome face from creeping to the forefront of her mind.

Erma startled her when she placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think I’m going to run down to the lobby and get my welcome packet. I can’t wait to get the schedule of what time Pastor T. D. Jakes is preaching.”

Sheri nodded. “I should be down in a few minutes.”

“Okay, but don’t be too long. I think a few of the girls wanted to get together later on. Maybe it’s not too late to take in some of Atlanta’s sights.”

“All right. I’ll try to hurry.”

When the door closed behind Sister Arlene, Sheri sighed in relief. What she really wanted to do was lie across the bed and bury her head beneath the pillow. Instead she picked up the remote control for the TV and punched the power button.

The news flashed on, and Sheri decided it was as good a thing to watch as anything else.

Her bag with her toiletries was the next thing she grabbed. She disappeared into the bathroom and took it upon herself to decide which side of the vanity mirror would be hers.

Meticulously, she unloaded her facial regime, then her hair-care products. She discovered, much to her horror, that she’d forgotten to pack her toothbrush and toothpaste, but concluded that she could probably purchase the items in the little store she’d passed in the lobby.

Reentering the bedroom, she decided the next things to unpack were her shoes. The chances of her wearing the ten pairs she’d brought were remote, but a woman should always be prepared for emergencies.

“The FBI is again asking assistance in locating an Atlanta doctor and her eight-year-old daughter. Dr. Julia Kelley has been missing for more than a month now.”

Sheri’s head jerked up and her eyes immediately rounded at the picture of Julia monopolizing the screen. She dropped the white pump she’d been holding. It hit her big toe with a resounding thud.

She yelped at the unexpected pain, then hobbled back over to the bed and retrieved the remote. She turned up the volume and continued to listen with rapt attention.

“Reports are circulating that her disappearance is linked to the Perimeter Mall shootings, but the Bureau is not commenting at this time. If you have seen Dr. Julia Kelley, please contact the FBI at…”

Sheri stared at the screen in disbelief long after Julia’s picture had disappeared. Had she truly heard them correctly? Had she truly seen a picture of Julia on the six-o’clock news or had it been wishful thinking?

And what was this about a shooting?

She continued to sit and stare at the screen; then slowly she started to review all that she knew about the Julia now living in Moreland, Georgia. Hadn’t it been only a little over a month since Julia and her eight-year-old daughter had shown up there? And what was Julia’s last name?

She thought long and hard about it and concluded that she didn’t know it. She couldn’t remember if she’d ever known it.

Was the news implying that she was wanted for the shooting or that she was involved in the shootings? In either case, what was the difference?

Her thoughts then turned to Carson. With Julia out of the way, she had another chance to win Carson. The thought gave her hope.

Slowly, as if in a trance, Sheri moved over to the nightstand. She stared down at the phone. The phone number for the FBI resurfaced clearly in her mind. Her hands shook nervously when she picked up the receiver, but she made herself punch in the numbers.

A female’s warm and friendly voice came on the line.

“I believe I have information on the whereabouts of Dr. Julia Kelley.”

Chapter 22

After breakfast, Robin and Bobbi gained permission to play down at the park. As they talked, they made a point to refer to each other as sisters.

“Maybe we can talk them into buying us a set of bunk beds,” Bobbi said excitedly.

“I’ll have the top bunk,” Robin proclaimed.

“I want to be on top” Bobbi crossed her arms and poked out her bottom lip.

Robin dug deep into the pockets of her jeans. “Tell ya what. I’ll flip you for it.” She withdrew a shiny quarter. “Call it.” She flipped the coin high into the air.

“Heads,” Bobbi called.

Robin caught the coin and slapped it down onto the back of her left hand. “Tails.”

Bobbi kicked at the dirt, but let the matter drop. “What color do you think we should paint our room?”

Robin’s face lit with delight. “How about purple?”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Bobbi said, scrunching up her face.

“Hey, whatcha doin’?” a boy’s voice called out to them.

The girls turned to see Stanley Forrester rushing up to them.

Robin gave her “sister” a quick elbow, then winked.

“You girls going down to the park? I heard the guys were going to try to get a game of touch ball going.”

“Count us in,” Robin said, nodding.

“Uh, I don’t think we’re up to it today,” Bobbi contradicted.

Robin cast a startled look in Bobbi’s direction.

“But we would love to watch you strong boys play,” Bobbi added.

Stanley frowned. “Are you feeling all right?”

Bobbi’s smile widened. “Never better. I think it would be fun just to watch for a change.”

Robin placed a hand across Bobbi’s forehead as if checking for a fever. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Bobbi nodded and gave Robin a hard conspiratorial look.

“Oh, yeah,” Robin suddenly agreed, catching on. “Maybe it would be fun just to watch a game for once.” She glanced back at Stanley. “We could be, uh, cheerleaders.”

“Yeah, cheerleaders. Girls like being cheerleaders.”

Stanley looked at them both as if he’d never seen either of them before. “Well, if that’s what you want to do. I guess the guys won’t mind.”

The girls simply nodded and smiled.

“Right. Then I guess I’ll see you down at the park. I still need to find two other players,” Stanley said.

“See you there,” Bobbi said.

The girls watched as he took off down the street. When he’d finally faded from view, Robin faced Bobbi with her hands cradling her hips. “You want to clue me in on what just happened?”

“What?” Bobbi played innocent.

“You think it would be fun for us to watch? Did you fall and bump your head?”

“At least I wasn’t the one who suggested that we actually be cheerleaders. Do you even know any cheers?”

Robin thought for a moment. “No.”

Bobbi rolled her eyes heavenward and slapped her hand against her hips. “Well, we have less than ten minutes to create some or we’re pretty much going to look stupid in front of those guys.”

“Don’t be silly. They’re going to be too busy playing to be paying any attention to what we’re doing.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Stanley would probably round up everyone he knows to see me act like an idiot.” She sighed. “Maybe I deserve it. Ever since you told me that Stanley likes me, all I’ve done is make a fool of myself, trying to act more like…well, like you.”

“Like me?” Robin stuck a finger in the center of her chest. “Why were you trying to be like me?”

Bobbi shrugged with an embarrassed air. “Because it seems to me that Stanley is always trying to hang around you—not me. So I thought if I acted more like you—”

“That’s silly.” Robin playfully slapped her on the arm. “He only plays up to me whenever you’re around. He’s trying to make you jealous. I thought that you could see straight through that.”

Bobbi blinked in surprise. The thought obviously had never occurred to her.

“Besides,” Robin added, “my mom says if someone doesn’t like you the way you are, then it’s their loss.”

A slow smile hugged Bobbi’s lips. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” She swung an arm around Robin’s shoulders as her smile grew wider. “What do you say we go join them in that ball game?”

“To play or to watch?”

“To kick some butt.”

Robin laughed. “Now, that’s the Bobbi I know and love.”

Julia’s plans of a picnic with Carson and the girls were canceled due to Carson’s needing to run to Lagrange for more auto parts, but with a promise to cash the rain check in the near future.

Meanwhile, she received an unexpected visit from Stacy, whom she hadn’t seen since her visit to the pool hall.

“House shopping?” Julia asked, startled by her new friend’s suggestion. “I can’t go house shopping.”

Stacy waved off her protest as if it were a nuisance. “Of course you can. And I’m just the real-estate agent to show you around.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Julia insisted. “I’m in no position to buy anything as extravagant as a house right now.”

Again Stacy waved her off. “Please. I know Carson isn’t charging you a dime for your car, or he’s set you on his infamous trust payments, which equates to the same thing. Besides, there’s no harm in just looking, is there?”

Before Julia could respond, Stacy went on, “Besides, if the rumors are true, it sounds like you may become a permanent resident here in our small town.”

Stacy successfully gained Julia’s full attention. “What rumors?”

“Come on. Don’t play little Miss Innocent. Everyone’s talking about how you sent Sheri Higginbotham packing with her skirt tucked between her legs. She’d all but announced to anyone who’d listen that she was going to be the next Mrs. Carson Webber—that was until you showed up.”

Julia didn’t like the fact that so much attention had been focused on her, but she continued listening.

“Frankly,” Stacy went on, “I say good riddance. Never thought that she was Carson’s type—a little too high-maintenance, if you know what I mean.”

“Amen.”

Julia jumped and was surprised to see that Lilly had entered the room.

“Don’t mind me, but I had to put my two cents in on some of that. Besides, everyone has seen with their own eyes that he’s more than a little sweet on you. Not to mention that he just adores your daughter.”

Julia had a strong urge to inform Lilly that she and Stacy were engaged in an A and B conversation and for her to kindly C her way out of it. But she didn’t dare risk being rude to someone who’d been so kind to her. “From what I can tell, Ms. Higginbotham is the one who has designs on Carson,” Julia tossed out at them.

Both women waved off her comment.

“Sheri needs to give up the ghost, is what she needs to do.” Lilly laughed.

Stacy held up her hand and Lilly quickly rewarded her with a high five. “So what do you say, girl?” Stacy said, returning her attention to Julia.

Julia shook her head. What her new friend was suggesting was preposterous.

“Okay.” Stacy wrapped her arm around Julia. “So you’re not in the market for a new home. So let’s just go and look. What harm can that do?”

Julia glanced back over to Lilly and knew that she should refuse again, but there was something about the twinkle in her eyes that made her reconsider.

“I guess there’s no harm in looking.”

Stacy’s face exploded into a smile. “That’s my girl. Let’s go.”

Chapter 23

By the time Carson returned to Moreland, Julia had the perfect evening planned. Of course, she did have a little help from Lilly and Stacy. Not to mention, Robin also seemed more than willing to get rid of her.

She glanced at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock, and Carson should arrive at any moment. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. For some reason, she wanted everything to be perfect—no, that wasn’t quite right. She knew exactly why she wanted everything to be perfect—she’d come to care a great deal for Carson.

Her glance fell to her surroundings and she felt a flutter of anticipation. Would he be pleased? Would he laugh? Or was she being foolish?

A car’s engine drew near to the house just as a pair of headlights illuminated the room for a brief moment, then disappeared as quickly.

Julia ran a hand through her short hair, again wishing she had at least a compact mirror to check her appearance again. Her heart accelerated and she literally felt as giddy as a schoolgirl.

She heard his footsteps on the porch, and when he knocked, she was already standing by the door. Not wanting to appear too eager, she forced herself to wait for him to knock again before answering.

But he didn’t readily knock again, and the lengthy pause proved to be agonizing. Had he walked away? Did he think he had the wrong address?

Afraid that he’d leave, Julia wrenched open the door and was surprised to see Carson’s muscular physique towering in the door frame.

The sight of him was magnificent. She’d never seen him dressed in anything other than a pair of jeans or overalls. So the breathtaking man who stood before her now with an easy smile stole everything from her—her breath, her mind, and her heart.

He held up a bottle of champagne. “I got your message,” he said with a wink.

Julia relaxed just as she always did whenever he was around. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Are you kidding? My sister practically washed and ironed my clothes. If I’d stayed any longer, she would have offered to bathe and shave me, too.”

Julia laughed.

“Oh, you find that funny?”

She shook her head. “No. She ironed my clothes as well.”

Carson’s laughter deepened, and Julia noticed that the glimmer in his eyes brightened. She marveled at the man’s transformation. Though he was always handsome, there were simply no words that could describe the man who stood before her now.

“So,” he said, leaning closer, as if he had a secret to share, “are you going to invite me in or are you going to leave me standing out here all night?”

“Oh,” she said, embarrassed that she’d forgotten her manners. “I’m sorry. Please come in.” She stepped back and opened the door.

She heard Carson draw in a sharp breath when he saw the candlelit table directly behind her.

“Wow” was his response before he stepped across the threshold.

“Does that mean you like it?” she asked.

“Like it?” he repeated incredulously. “I love it.”

Her body warmed instantly. “I’m glad,” she said, and meant it.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He moved his left arm from around his back to reveal a bundle of daisies. “These are for you.”

“Thanks, they’re lovely,” she gushed, accepting his gift.

“You’re welcome.”

Their eyes locked, and for Julia it was if she were truly seeing Carson for the first time. Her mind ruined the moment by questioning whether she could trust what she was feeling now.

Her heart sang that she could, swearing that it would never lead her astray. Julia sobered from her intoxicating emotions. Hadn’t her heart promised that before?

“What’s wrong?” Carson’s smile dipped slightly as he looked at her.

Julia gave her troubling thoughts a firm shake and forced her old reliable plastic smile. “Nothing. I’m fine. I sure hope you’re hungry.”

Carson eyed her a moment longer before replying. “Don’t tell me that Lilly actually cooked us dinner, too.”

“Nope. I’m afraid tonight you’re going to have to suffer through my cooking.”

He lifted his brows with a mild look of astonishment. “I can tell this night is going to be loaded with surprises.”

Her smile turned genuine. “You think so?”

“A man can hope, can’t he?”

She laughed and led him to the table.

As they walked, Carson kept glancing around the house. It was empty, except for the beautifully decorative table in what should be the dining room. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

“Thanks, or should I say that you should thank your good friend Stacy. She’s bound and determined to get me to purchase this place. She even told me that the owners are willing to do a lease-to-purchase option on it.”

“I guess she would know, since the house has been in her family for generations,” Carson informed her.

Julia stopped and dropped her hands onto her hips. “What? You mean to tell me that she actually owns the home?”

Carson frowned. “She didn’t tell you?”

Julia only laughed. “No. But now that I think about it, maybe I should have been a little suspicious of her insistence.”

Carson shrugged and shook his head. “Stacy is always that way. But this is a great house. Her grandparents willed it to her in the early nineties, but she and Quincy were married and already owned a home. So this place has been empty for almost a decade.”

“Well, it’s a lovely home. I like it,” Julia announced, taking another glance at her surroundings. “It has character.”

“Does this mean that you’re considering staying in Moreland?”

Julia thought about the question, thought about her behavior since she’d seen the house, and knew that was exactly what she wanted to do. However, she chose to answer his question another way. “To be honest with you, Carson, in a strange way it almost seems as if this place has chosen me.”

She saw the small smile Carson tried to hide.

“Okay. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear, that’s how it feels.” She walked away from him and moved over to the open window. “This place is worlds away from the life I’ve known, but somehow it still feels like home—feels like I belong here.”

Carson moved to stand behind her. “Moreland is like that for many people, including me.”

Julia smiled and detected a hint of rain on the night air. She’d also caught a glimpse of her and Carson’s reflection in the window and thought that perhaps in another time or place, one could have mistaken them for a couple.

“We don’t look so bad together,” Carson commented, as if he had read her thoughts.

She moved away from the window and avoided replying to his observation. “Thanks again for the daisies. I wish I had a vase I could put them in.” She moved over to the table. “I guess we’d better start eating before our dinner gets cold.”

He laughed and drew her attention once again.

“Am I making you nervous?”

Julia forced herself to laugh, but her voice quavered and cracked. When she realized that she was making a fool of herself, she stopped and met his level gaze. “I guess I am a little nervous.”

His smile broadened as he walked slowly over to her.

She wondered idly why she’d never noticed his smooth and confident gait before. While her gaze flickered over him, she was aware that his eyes never left her face as he moved to stand in front of her.

Her head fell back as she peered up at him. Her body came alive beneath his smoldering eyes, and Julia realized that there was no other place on earth she would rather be at this moment than standing here before him.

“I like the fact that I make you nervous.” The backs of his fingers caressed her face as he stared down at her. “Because you do the same thing to me.”

Julia heard the familiar sound of warning bells that she always heard whenever she was around Carson, and again she ignored them. “Maybe we’re making a mistake.” She gave voice to her doubts.

“Maybe. Maybe not. There’s really only one way to find out. I’m willing to take that chance.”

His statement left a question hanging in the air between them, and Julia struggled to answer it. Carson waited patiently until she did.

Her gaze fell and she took a breath to begin her confession. “I’ve made quite a lot of mistakes in my life. I don’t know if I can handle another one.”

Carson pulled her chin up with the tips of his fingers in order to force their gazes to meet again. “The last thing I want to do is force you to do something you don’t want to. Another thing I don’t want to do is cause you any unnecessary pain.”

She swallowed hard at his words and hated that she couldn’t prevent her tears from forming.

“I realize that I still don’t know your situation, and I realize that I’m not the only one who runs the high risk of having my heart broken, but I know I have to take this chance. I have to know whether we were meant to be together. I have to know whether we were meant to love each other.”

Julia remained floored by his beautiful words as she stared up at him. She contemplated how much she should divulge about herself, while inwardly she questioned the timing of the relationship and wondered if she was attracted to Carson only because she desperately wanted to lose herself in the security he offered.

But her heart told her that she was wrong about that. It also tried to convince her that she would have been attracted to him if she’d met him on the streets of Atlanta or in the halls of a medical convention.

His magnetism was just that strong.

“Maybe the only thing I can tell you right now is that I’m willing to just take everything one day at a time.”

Carson’s smile warmed. “Actually, that is the best thing you can tell me.”

His lips descended and stopped within inches of hers.

She gazed longingly into his intense eyes, convinced that he could read the desire in hers.

“I’ve dreamed of this moment since the night I met you,” he whispered.

His confession was true for her as well, but she held back from saying as much.

Finally their lips touched in a light, feathery kiss.

A tickle of desire fluttered somewhere around her heart and deepened her longing. She’d never known a man’s lips to be so soft or their taste to be so intoxicating. She’d lost whatever resolve she had in reserve and gave in to him.

Carson withdrew from their kiss and studied her in the dim candlelight. She wanted him to get his fill of her, more so than she’d ever admit.

“I’d better take those,” she heard him say before he removed the bundle of daisies from her hands.

She pulled her heavy-lidded eyes open and flushed with embarrassment. She had completely forgotten that she still carried them.

“I’ll go lay them in the kitchen,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Julia could only nod and watch him fade from view. Once he’d gone, she allowed herself to exhale and try to get a grip on her fledgling emotions. As she did so, she cast another futile glance at the prepared table and for the first time saw it for what it really was—a seduction.

How could she have missed it? Did she truly think that she was just arranging a simple dinner? She remembered how she had fussed over the slightest detail and how madly she had wanted to impress him, and still her true intentions had escaped her.

Now that she knew the truth, she was both horrified and eager to finish what she started. What was wrong with wanting Carson? Men didn’t get better than him, and he’d made it clear with words and actions that he wanted her as well.

So what if she’d kept her past from him? What purpose would it serve to tell him? There wasn’t anything he could do that could help her. No one could.

But try as she might, she couldn’t stifle her inner voice that wanted to confide in him. It was the same part of her that wanted to remain in Moreland, and the part that had fallen in love with Carson.

Carson laid the bundle of daisies down, then braced his large frame against the countertop. He continued to be amazed at how much power Julia wielded over him. It didn’t make sense, he knew.

No, that wasn’t true, his heart corrected him. His soul knew her. It seemed as if it had always known her—had been waiting for her.

He shook his head at the wild notion. He needed to stop being so dramatic. She was the first woman he’d been interested in since Karen’s death. Did it mean that she was the woman? There was only one way to find out.

He nodded, satisfied with his conclusion, and attempted once again to pull himself together. But as he prepared himself to go back into the dining room, he realized that he was still nervous—but about what?

Then the truth slowly dawned on him. He was nervous about what tonight would lead to—about what would come with the morning sun.

For years he’d been convinced that love wouldn’t strike twice, and this was the first time that theory was being put to the test. He closed his eyes and tried to envision Karen, but couldn’t.

“Are you all right in there?” Julia called out to him.

Carson jerked his head in the direction of her voice. “Yes, yes. I’m fine.” He took another deep breath, knowing he couldn’t continue to hide any longer.

He forced one foot in front of the other and returned to the dining room.

Julia’s stunning beauty greeted him. “I was beginning to think you’d escaped through the kitchen window.” She laughed.

He playfully slapped his hand against his forehead. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Does the thought of my cooking scare you that much?”

Carson went to the table and pulled out a chair for her. “On the contrary. I’m anxious to taste some of your culinary skills.”

Julia instantly held up her hands. “Let me warn you. I’m nowhere near the stratosphere of your mom or sister. But I can tell you that you’ll be able to get through the night without a trip to the emergency room.”

“I guess a man can’t ask for much more than that, now, can he?”

Julia laughed and removed the silver covers from over their serving trays.

Carson inhaled the food’s mouthwatering aromas. His expression took on a dreamy quality. “We’re off to a good start,” he announced.

“I sure hope you like meat loaf.”

He laughed. “It sure looks great,” Carson praised her. “First I think we need a little bubbly to get the meal going.” He retrieved the bottle of champagne. “I hope it’s chilled enough. I slammed it in the freezer the moment I got your invitation on the answering machine.” He popped the cork and a thin mist swirled from the top.

He studied her awhile before filling her glass, then asked the question that was prominent in his mind. “Are you as nervous as I am?”

Her gaze flew to his and he watched the tension drain from her face. “More than you’ll ever know.” She accepted her glass.

“What makes you so nervous?” he ventured to ask, hoping to focus on anything but his own awkwardness.

Her gaze lowered slightly. “I think it’s the not knowing of it all.”

He lifted his brows, intrigued. “What do you mean?”

Julia bit her bottom lip as she thought for a moment. “It’s the not knowing whether I’m going to make a fool of myself. The not knowing whether this will turn out to be another mistake in a long line of mistakes.”

She laughed subtly, as if she’d made a joke, but Carson read the truth written on her unguarded expression. “Did your husband hurt you?”

She bit her lower lip, mentally weighing how to best answer the question. “My ex-husbands have taught me lessons I don’t care to repeat.”

“Husbands?”

At his astonished expression, she laughed. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for love.”

He regarded her with growing interest. “There are worse vices.”

“I think that’s debatable,” she countered. “If a person has a drinking problem, there’s Alcoholics Anonymous. Chain smokers have their pick of nicotine patches and gum. Hopeless romantics, on the other hand, all too often only have the comfort of a nice fluffy pillow to dry their tears.”

Carson leaned back in his chair while a low rumble of laughter filled his chest. “An interesting analogy.”

“Just the voice of experience.”

“Well.” He brightened. “At least I can stop feeling guilty for pining after a married woman.”

She relaxed again and laughed.

He sliced a piece of the meat loaf and sank his teeth into it. “Mmm,” he moaned with his eyes drifting closed as he continued to chew.

Julia’s heart took flight at his obvious pleasure, but a person would’ve thought it was the last morsel on his plate, the way he carried on so dramatically.

“You lied,” he said, finally opening his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“You are as good a cook as my mother and sister.”

Her face twisted into a frown. “Yeah, right. But thanks for attempting to lie with a straight face.”

He took another bite and went through the same dramatics. “I’m telling you, this is wonderful. Don’t be so quick to sell yourself short.”

“The fact that you like it is enough for me.”

“Then know that I love it.”

During the rest of dinner, Julia weaved and bobbed through questions about herself and, at times, noticed his frustration over the matter.

“How about your childhood? Were you a happy kid?”

“Not really. Up until I was eleven years old, I was pretty much in and out of foster care.”

He frowned. “Did you ever know your parents?”

She shook her head, while her smile fluttered weakly. “No.”

A long thread of silence stretched between them, and Julia felt that she needed to fill it.

“It wasn’t so bad. I don’t have one of those horror stories about bad foster parents or anything. When I turned eleven I was adopted by the best people in the world. They loved me as though I were their flesh and blood. I only regret they’d passed before Robin was born.”

Carson covered her hand with his, still seeming not to know what to say.

“Please don’t feel sorry for me. There’s no need.”

“Feel sorry for you?” He looked incredulously at her. “I’ve finally found the source of your strength, the reason you’re reluctant to accept help from anyone. And perhaps the real reason you’re what you called a ‘sucker for love.’”

“I thought about that,” she admitted honestly. “Despite putting myself through college and medical school, I can’t deny that I still have this desire to truly be a part of a real family. But look at me. I’m a thirty-four-year old, twice-divorced single mother.”

Carson shrugged. “Maybe you should concentrate on what you do have. You have a smart and loving daughter. You’re a doctor, of what I still don’t know. And you’re about to become a permanent resident of the best town in Georgia.”

She laughed.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, lifting his champagne glass, “but those sound like reasons to celebrate.”

Julia lifted her glass as well. “You know, I think you’re right.”

There was a flash of light that filled the room, then seconds later a clash of thunder.

“Sounds like we’re in for a storm tonight. Sort of like the one we had on the first night we met. Kind of romantic, don’t you think?”

“I don’t remember anything being remotely romantic about the night we met.”

“Speak for yourself. Even soaking wet you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That night it was as if you’d stepped out of a dream.” He clinked her glass with his. “I’m willing to go as far as to suggest that our meeting was predestined.”

“I thought you said you were nervous.”

“That was over an hour ago. I’m well past that now. I’m a man on a mission.”

“Oh, really? And what mission is that?”

“To make you fall in love with me. What else?”

Chapter 24

Sheri sat through yet another interrogation by the FBI. Why had anyone bothered taking notes when they continued to ask the same questions?

To her own chagrin, the tight-lipped agents made sure they didn’t so much as hint as to why they were interested in Dr. Julia Kelley. She knew only what she’d heard on the news.

With the absence of information, Sheri couldn’t stop her imagination from running wild as to what Dr. Kelley had done.

Just when she thought her long evening at the Bureau had finally ended, another agent entered the room.

“Good evening, Miss Higginbotham. I’m Assistant Agent in Charge Paul Regis. I want to thank you for being so patient with us. Is there anything I can get you—coffee, tea, or some water?”

Sheri sighed wearily and shook her head. “Can you tell me how much longer this is going to take?” she chanced asking, since the last agent had pretended that she hadn’t heard the question.

She could tell by the subtle lines etched along his pale face that his exhaustion exceeded her own.

“I can’t promise you anything. But I’m sure that it won’t be too much longer now.”

She nodded, knowing she had no choice but to be satisfied with that for an answer.

“Now,” he said, clapping his hands together and taking the chair in front of her, “in your earlier statements you said that you believe that Dr. Kelley is in Moreland under her own volition. May I ask whether, in your opinion, her behavior suggests that she’s running scared? Has she hinted that her life may be in danger in any way?”

This was a new question, and a rather interesting one, Sheri thought. “Is she in danger?” she asked.

“Miss Higginbotham, if you could just answer the questions, this interview would go a lost faster.”

She smiled with disdain. “Like I told Special Agent Iaanelli, Julia and her daughter pretty much keep to themselves. She doesn’t answer too many questions about where she’s from or even what her last name is. She’s told me that she was separated from her husband, and that is all I know about the woman.” Other than the fact that she stole my man.

The agent held her gaze during an uncomfortable silence. Then, abruptly, he stood from his chair. “Thank you for your time, Miss Higginbotham.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Well, since she’s not in any imminent danger, I guess our case is pretty much closed.”

Sheri stood while her hopes plunged to the center of her stomach. “You mean you’re not going to come and arrest her?”

He chuckled under his breath. “What for? She’s done nothing wrong. Her husband was the public offender, not her. We’re only looking for her because we wanted to protect her from whatever danger caused her husband to meet his untimely death.”

Sheri sank back into her chair. Why had she even bothered to come here then?

“Miss Higginbotham?”

She heard the concern in his voice and chose to ignore it. She needed to think. She needed to figure out a way to get Julia out of Moreland. “What if she is in danger?” she asked, finally looking back up at him.

“Then it’s my job to protect her.”

“Like take her into protective custody?” An idea slowly formed in her head.

“If it comes to that.” His eyes narrowed. “Is there something you’re not telling us, Miss Higginbotham?” He returned to his seat.

She should feel ashamed of what she was about to do, but something in her grabbed with both hands at the opportunity to get rid of the competition for Carson’s heart.

“Yes,” she said with an uplifted chin.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I believe that Julia and her daughter’s lives are in danger.”

Frankie clutched the phone against her ear. With the news he’d just received, his luck had just improved. “Are you sure she’s in Moreland?”

“Affirmative. We have a woman in the office right now who’s given a positive ID on Dr. Kelley. How soon can you get down there?”

“We’re leaving now.” He snapped his fingers at Nicholas and signaled for him to bring him over the map that was located near the desk. “What else do you have for me?”

“Only that she’s staying in a place called the Georgia Inn.”

“Talk about having the goods being served on a silver platter.”

“Yeah, well, you just make sure you get down there before the Bureau does. They don’t believe for a minute that Dr. Kelley killed her husband. Using Rachel was a complete waste of time. They suspect the Montellos one hundred percent, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that if Vinny hasn’t gotten what he was looking for then the doctor will be his next target.”

Frankie said nothing to this, but his mind was quickly churning. When he’d seen David sprawled across the bathroom floor, he’d thought the doctor was responsible for the job. If what his contact told him was correct, then who’d made the hit?

His gaze quickly shot to Nicholas. Had Vinny sent him to take over his assignment? But why?

“We’ll get right on it,” Frankie said, then hung up the phone.

Nicholas’s easy smile unnerved Frankie.

“So do we have a make on the girl or what?” Nicolas asked.

Frankie nodded and unfolded the map. “Looks that way.” Now that the illusion of being in charge had been stripped from him, Frankie needed to be on guard. For the life of him, he didn’t understand the game Vinny was playing. If the Montellos no longer trusted him, then why bother bringing him back into the organization?

“How far?” Nicholas asked, already tossing his belongings into a duffel bag.

“Believe it or not, she’s no more than a two-hour drive from here.”

“The news just keeps getting better, eh?”

Frankie folded his map. “Appears that way,” he replied dryly.

There was an ominous glimmer in Nicholas’s eyes, and Frankie’s uneasiness increased tenfold. Something was definitely about to go down in Moreland, and it was more than just searching for Julia Kelley.

Tony waited behind the two-way mirror for Regis to come out. During his partner’s interview, Tony had watched every nuance of Miss Higginbotham’s face. When he’d interviewed her she came across as earnest and forthright; now she appeared to have a hidden agenda.

Paul exited the room and joined Tony behind the glass. “Well, what do you think?”

“I think I trust her about as far as I can throw her,” Tony answered honestly.

“We’re in agreement on that much.” He turned and looked back at the woman, who still sat straight as an arrow in the interrogation room. “I just can’t figure out what her angle would be.”

“However, I do believe her statement about Dr. Kelley being in Moreland.”

“Me, too. I also suspect that the lady wants the doctor out of Moreland—for whatever reason.”

“Do we have enough to convince the agent in charge to send us down there?”

“I don’t know. As far as he’s concerned, Dr. Kelley is nothing more than a missing person with a low level of foul play.”

“She may be a witness to her husband’s murder. We also have on tape that Miss Higginbotham, here, suspects that the doctor’s life is in danger.”

“I’m almost willing to bet that she made that part up.”

“That or she just doesn’t know how close to the truth she really is.”

Carson was right about his prediction of a storm. Actually it resembled more of a monsoon, but neither he nor Julia was too concerned about it. They used the time to get to know more about each other. They had, however, moved away from the table and over to the living room, where they had a wonderful view of the light show going on outside.

Both lay on their sides, still dressed, to Julia’s relief, and facing each other while they talked. In between the bright flashes and the rolling thunder was the melodious rhythm of the hard-driving rain.

Julia shared more about her life. What was the harm in sharing her brief life with Kevin? It felt good.

“For a long time after Kevin left, I thought that everyone I’d ever come to care about would leave me. Sometimes I still do,” she concluded.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” Carson comforted her.

“Don’t be. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

“Are you stronger?”

In Julia’s mind, she flashed back to all that she’d lived through in the past couple of months, thought about how, when the chips were down, she had had the guts to do what was necessary to survive.

“Definitely.”

When their eyes met again, she no longer heard the raging storm outside. All that existed in the world was Carson and his penetrating gaze.

Her mouth went dry and her skin tingled wantonly for his touch. Secretly she worried that if he touched her, she’d lose control.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, caressing the side of her face. “Both inside and out. That must be what draws me to you.”

Her breathing thinned beneath his intense gaze. She should say something, she thought belatedly. But what? Everything that managed to surface from her muddled mind seemed clichéd or weak. She doubted that words could describe the myriad of emotions assaulting her senses.

“I’m glad you invited me here today,” Carson went on, as if he hadn’t noticed she’d been struck dumb. “I might never have gotten another chance to do this.”

Julia watched his head descend seemingly in slow motion, and within that time her hopes of his being everything she’d ever wanted teetered. Perhaps she shouldn’t hold such high expectations—maybe then it wouldn’t hurt so much when she was let down.

His lips met hers gently, questioningly, then hungrily.

Julia held back, but discovered that she was fighting a losing battle. His passion was more intoxicating than his wine-flavored lips. His touch ignited a fire she feared would never be extinguished.

Their lips tore apart, leaving them both short of breath.

Julia settled her head within the curve of his neck. She watched the outline of his small Adam’s apple bob while he continued to struggle for control.

She closed her eyes against the caress of his gentle hand against her cheek. That was when her body began its torturous rebellion against her brain’s logic, which preached that it was too soon, and that her heart couldn’t take another disappointment.

When Carson’s lips claimed hers again, she blocked out her inner voice’s sermon and reveled in the sweet magic of Carson’s lips and hands.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” Carson said in a passion-filled voice.

Stop? She would die if he stopped now. In response, she pressed against him and felt her body instantly surge to life.

Julia was vaguely aware of Carson removing her blouse and even her bra, for that matter, but when his lips deserted hers and descended slowly to the column of her neck, she couldn’t remember how to get air into her lungs.

She moaned wantonly when his tongue brushed against her painfully taut nipple. Her back arched, inviting him to take all of her. She wanted more than anything to lose herself in the folds of his sinewy arms and breathtaking lovemaking.

Carson playfully sucked and licked her breast while removing her skirt and then her panties.

This is you chance to stop him. The singular thought managed to surface from the haze of her mind. Julia shook her head, hoping to bury any suggestion of ending this moment.

When Carson’s hands and mouth had abandoned hers, she opened her eyes almost in fear that he’d changed his mind about what they were about to do. She saw instead that he’d removed his clothes. She couldn’t have dreamed of a better physique on a man if she’d tried. Everything before her was rock-hard: the broad span of his shoulders, his chiseled abdominal muscles, and his throbbing manhood.

His mouth returned to hers, drugging her with his hunger. Her legs opened at the gentle nudging of his knee, but he didn’t enter her just yet. Instead his mouth left hers.

Julia gasped in surprise when his tongue slid expertly into her. Her legs instantly tried to close, but he had been prepared for that and held them firmly in place.

Her moans grew louder and she shamelessly bucked against his probing mouth, only to draw his tongue in deeper. The room tilted on its axis while she could do nothing more than thrash uncontrollably in the aftermath of an orgasmic explosion.

Carson entered the dewy walls of her womanhood in one firm thrust. The length and thickness of him surprised her, as did the feel of latex. She clawed at his back in an attempt to hold on to something during the rocking of their bodies.

He murmured her name repeatedly against the shell of her ear, and filled her with a strange sense of power.

Heat swelled in the center of her being while her moans bounced off every room in the house.

Carson’s strong hands gripped her hips as he drove into her in long, fluid strokes. Their climactic cries reverberated throughout the house as the lovers’ sweaty bodies slumped wearily together.

For the next few minutes they tried to gain control of their labored breathing, then Carson turned to her and said, “Wow.”

Julia laughed. “You took the word right out of my mouth.”

He flashed one of his infectious grins. “You want to go for round two?”

She flattened herself against him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter 25

Shortly before midnight, Julia slipped into the Georgia Inn, feeling as though she were walking on clouds. It was the best she’d felt in years. Respectful of the late hour, she made sure she moved quietly throughout the house, but no sooner had she reached the staircase than the light clicked on in the foyer.

She glanced up, surprised to see Lilly frowning sternly at her.

“I’m sorry.” Julia blushed. “I thought I was being quiet.”

“You were. In fact, I was afraid that I’d already missed you.”

Julia had never seen Lilly look so grave. Afraid something had happened to Robin, she put her hand over her heart. “Has something happened?”

“I guess you can say that. I need to talk to you.”

“Robin…” Julia barely choked the name from her throat.

“Robin is fine. She’s upstairs asleep.”

Relief, fast and intense, weakened Julia’s knees. When her mind cleared, she was still faced with a very solemn-looking Lilly.

“Can I talk to you in the study?” she inquired.

“Of course,” Julia replied, still clueless as to what could be so urgent and grave as to transform the usually vibrant Lilly.

Julia followed Lilly’s long, quick strides down to the private study. Once there, she was instructed to close the door behind her.

Obediently, Julia did as she was told, then looked questioning at Lilly. “Now can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Funny. That was exactly what I was going to ask you.”

Julia had the unnerving feeling that she’d just crossed over into the twilight zone. Was she supposed to know what Lilly was talking about? “I’m afraid that I don’t follow you,” she said.

Lilly promptly jerked open a drawer to the secretary that stood between them and placed a gun on the desktop.

Julia’s eyes fell to the .357 Magnum and her mouth instantly went dry. It was her gun. “How?”

“It was unusually drafty upstairs tonight. I went into your room to grab a blanket for Robin. Imagine the heart attack I nearly had when I reached up on the top shelf of your closet.”

Julia had no problem picturing the scene Lilly had just described. She also had no problem imagining the number of gossiping buddies Lilly must have called. She glanced back up at Lilly and decided to play it cool. “I’m sorry if it scared you.”

“Never mind that. Why is this hidden in your room?”

“Why else? For protection.” Julia forced a smile. “Surely I’m not the only woman you know who carries a firearm.”

“As a matter of fact, you are—this kind of weapon, anyway. Most people out here carry rifles, and that’s for hunting. This is not used for hunting.”

“Of course not. Look, it’s a registered weapon. Where I’m from women can never be too careful, that’s all.”

“And where is that exactly?” Lilly crossed her arms as if preparing for an interrogation.

Julia took the defensive. “Look, I apologize if the gun frightened you, but I’m well within my rights to carry a gun for protection.”

Lilly simply stared at her.

“Look.” Lilly jabbed her fists against the sides of her hips. “I like you, Julia. But I’m well aware that I don’t know much about you or where you’re from.”

Julia remained quiet.

“I just want to make it clear that I don’t want any trouble here. Do we understand each other?”

“Perfectly.”

The silence that hovered between the women was deafening. Lilly’s intense gaze probed Julia’s; then finally she nodded with satisfaction. “All right. I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

With a tight smile, Julia nodded and retrieved her gun before leaving the study. She managed to stifle the alarm bells ringing in her head while she climbed the stairs to her room. Her secret longing for Moreland to be her and Robin’s new home crashed and burned before her eyes.

She should have known this would happen. Everything was just too perfect. Her eyes blurred at the thought of leaving the quaint town, but her heart broke at the thought of leaving Carson.

Frankie swore he’d never seen a storm quite like this one. In fact, he was quite amazed that he’d managed to keep his car on the road.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Nicholas inquired, twiddling with the temperature and defrost buttons.

“You’re more than welcome to drive,” Frankie snapped. “And stop playing with those. You’ve got the windshield all foggy.”

“Whatever, man,” Nicholas barked back. “I was just trying to help.”

“Yeah. Well, don’t.”

The jet of air blasting through the vents muffled Nicholas’s retort. It was just as well, Frankie decided. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument.

After a long pause, Nicholas perked up again. “You know, for the life of me, I don’t know why my father brought you back into the organization.”

Frankie stiffened. It had been a question that had floated through his mind, but he had chosen to ignore it. His last job had been more than four years ago. It had been a job some of the Montellos had considered a failure, but to this day Frankie didn’t.

“I don’t kill children,” he stated flatly.

“Children are witnesses. Children grow up.” Nicholas matched his tone.

“A man must have his boundaries. Uncle Vinny understands that.”

Nicholas snorted with a half laugh. “A man’s boundaries are his weaknesses.”

This time Frankie laughed. “You’re young and wet behind the ears. This business is nothing but a game to you. Your father says knock this guy or that guy off and you’re stupid enough to get addicted to the adrenaline rush.”

“Whatever, man.” Nicholas kept his gaze focused on what little road they were able to make out in front of them.

“Sooner or late you’ll search for ways to steal back that soul you’ve sold to the devil.” Frankie no longer knew whether he was talking to Nicholas or himself.

“Sounds like you regret coming back,” Nicholas said.

Suddenly the motivation behind Nicholas’s questioning became crystal clear. So this was why Vinny had pushed his son on him. He wanted to know whether Frankie was still trustworthy.

“I’m good at what I do,” he answered, and refused to expound.

“That hardly answers the question, now, does it?”

Frankie risked pulling his eyes from the road. “It answers the question perfectly.”

Nicholas shrugged, but held a smile. “I’m sure we’ll see once we get to Moreland.” His hand caressed the lining of his gun. “We’ll see.”

Robin woke, smiling, at the crack of dawn. Today was the day she and Bobbi had agreed to a rematch with Stanley and the boys, and she couldn’t wait. She sprang from the bed with a jolt of energy, then stopped short when she saw her mother packing at the foot of the bed.

Her heart sank.

“W-what are you doing?” she finally found her voice to ask. Her mother hardly glanced in her direction.

“We have to leave,” she said flatly.

“But why?” she asked. When her mother didn’t answer, Robin’s vision blurred. “B-but what if I don’t want to go?”

Her mother sighed with slumped shoulders. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.” She looked at Robin. “It’s just time for us to go.”

Tears trickled from Robin’s eyes. “B-but I like it here. You said that you liked it here. Why do we have to go?” She knew she was behaving like a baby, but it didn’t matter. She had to convince her mother to stay. She loved Moreland. She loved Lilly, Rick, Bobbi and Carson. She and Bobbi had hoped to become sisters. They dreamed about it and talked of little else.

“We’re not going back to him, are we?”

Julia stopped what she was doing and gave her a pained look. For a moment she thought her mother would burst out crying, too, but instead their eyes met and held for a long time before her mother spoke.

“I understand that you’re disappointed, Robin. And I’m sorry.”

Robin’s bottom lip quivered and she struggled to do the right thing and not throw a fit. Those things had never worked with her mother, anyway.

“I laid some clothes out in the bathroom. Please hurry and get dressed.”

Wordlessly she stomped past her mother, well aware that such an act was just as bad as talking back to her. When she reached the bathroom door a thought occurred to her. “Has Mr. Webber fixed the car yet?”

“No,” her mother said. “We’re just going to have to get bus tickets.”

Robin frowned. “To where?”

Julia jerked toward her. “I’m not in the mood for twenty questions. Will you just go do what you were told?”

Shocked, Robin could do no more than stare at her mother. She’d never snapped at her like this before. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if she’d had a fight with Mr. Webber, but then she thought better of it.

“Yes, ma’am,” she mumbled under her breath as more tears spilled over her lashes.

Carson arrived at work earlier than usual. He’d hoped to knock out as much of his work as possible so he could get over to the inn to see Julia. However, it was almost impossible to concentrate on anything with his thoughts drifting back to last night.

His smile broadened whenever he pictured her face. Even now he could hear the way she spoke his name. Such things were addictive.

“Mrs. Julia Webber,” he said, then nodded. He liked that. It had a nice ring to it. Of course, that was wishful thinking. He shrugged. What was wrong with dreaming? “Mrs. Julia Webber,” he repeated, and laughed at his own behavior.

Carson picked up the small stack of boxes by the rear door of the shop and saw that Julia’s alternator had come in. Of course, he hadn’t placed the order until two days ago. He should be ashamed of how he’d tricked her into staying in Moreland, but he wasn’t.

One day, preferably after their third child, he’d tell her the truth about what he’d done. Maybe by then she’d be amused by the story. He laughed again.

An hour later, he placed the 1962 Chevy Impala up on the car lift and proceeded to replace the alternator. It wasn’t long before he realized that something else was wrong with the vehicle.

Puzzled, Carson rechecked his work but still had the same results.

Absorbed in what he was doing, Carson didn’t hear the footsteps approaching.

“How’s it coming along?”

He jumped and pivoted toward the voice. “Julia.” He smiled. “What are you doing here?” He moved from beneath the car and reached for a nearby rag to wipe his hands.

“I came to see about the car,” she said matter-of-factly.

Carson got the distinct feeling that something was wrong. “Everything is coming along fine,” he fibbed.

“Really?” she questioned with a slight rise of her eyebrow.

“Let’s just say that I’m determined to get the job done.”

“That’s no answer.”

Had he detected irritation in her voice? He shifted uncomfortably. “What’s the big rush? You’re not thinking about leaving us, are you?”

He’d expected her to answer with a quick “no” or “of course not,” but instead she hesitated, then said, “I can’t stay here forever.”

“Of course you can,” he assured her, but she didn’t appear to be swayed. “I don’t want you to go.”

For a long, heartbreaking pause, she said nothing.

“You don’t want to go either,” he added.

Her eyes deserted his, and he knew the simple act meant she’d made up her mind.

“But I thought that after last night—”

“Last night was wonderful,” she said in a small voice. “I will never forget it…but I can’t stay.”

His hurt paved the way for disappointment; then anger steamrolled everything in its path. For a brief moment he believed she’d purposely led him on—that she’d intentionally made him feel things he’d been determined to bury with Karen.

“If you’re unable to fix the car today, I’ve asked Pierce to drive me and Robin into Columbus. We can grab a bus from there.”

His anger drained out of him as he stared at her in shock. “You’re leaving today?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Carson didn’t know how he remained standing while she ripped out his heart. At this moment he didn’t know a lot of things.

“What if I told you I’m in love with you? Would you stay?”

She flinched, but she refused to lift her eyes. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded.

He swallowed the painful lump in his throat, convinced it was his pride. “Don’t go.”

“I have to,” she whispered.

Carson nodded, then lowered his own gaze. “I’ll make sure that I have the car fixed by this afternoon.”

“Thank you.” She turned and left the shop without so much as a backward glance.

Carson sucked in his breath, but thought the air was too thick for his lungs to filter. That had to explain the unbearable pain in his chest, but he had no such explanation for the rush of water that flooded his eyes.

Chapter 26

Robin picked at her breakfast and tried to give her mother pitiful glances. For the most part, Julia ignored her. She’d hoped when her mother went to see Carson at his shop that he would have been able to change her mind about leaving.

When the prayer went unanswered, Robin confronted her mother with reasons why they should stay, but she might as well have been talking to a brick wall for all the good it did.

Julia had made it clear to everyone at the inn that today was their last day in Moreland, and Robin’s desperation grew with each tick of the clock.

“Finish eating your breakfast,” her mother instructed without looking at her.

Robin’s gaze fell to her plate, and she didn’t think that she could eat another bite. “Can I at least play one more game of touch football with Bobbi and Stanley?” she asked in a near whine.

Julia stopped setting the table and drew in a deep breath. Robin watched as she counted to ten under her breath, and had the sinking feeling that her mother was going to tell her no.

“Robin, we’ve already been through this.”

“But Carson—”

“Mr. Webber,” Julia corrected.

“Mr. Webber is still working on the car. Can I go play until he’s done, or until we leave with Pierce?”

“Mr. Taylor.”

“Until we leave with Mr. Taylor.”

Sighing, her mother finally looked up at her, and Robin mouthed the word please.

They looked at each other for a long time, and Robin instinctively knew that her mother was reconsidering.

“How long is this game supposed to be?”

Robin tried not to jump for joy. After all, she hadn’t said yes just yet.

“No more than a couple of hours.”

Julia continued to hold her gaze before finally saying, “All right.”

Robin sprang from her seat. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Hold up, young lady. You come back here and finish your breakfast first.”

Rushing back to her chair, Robin shoveled the rest of her flapjacks into her mouth.

“Slowly,” Julia reprimanded, but the corners of her mouth tilted up into a smile.

Robin reluctantly slowed down.

A few minutes later, the other guests filtered into the breakfast area. Robin’s and Julia’s solemn faces stood out from the others’ jubilant ones, and they struggled through inquiries as to what was wrong from everyone except for Lilly.

Julia did her best to ignore the woman, but no matter where she went in the room, she felt Lilly’s heavy gaze on her.

Robin forked the last of her pancakes into her mouth, jumped from her chair, and gave Julia a quick peck on the cheek before dashing out of the inn to go play with her friends.

“No running,” she and Lilly commanded in unison.

They glanced at each other, and Julia regretted it. Had Lilly been crying? Other than the large, puffy bags under her eyes, it was hard to tell.

Their gazes slid away from each other.

Lilly regretted her confrontation with Julia last night. With today’s announcement of Julia and Robin’s departure, it was clear to Lilly that her new friend and potential sister-in-law was in some kind of trouble. She should have thought of that and should have approached her with support and offers of help instead of her tactless badgering.

Though she’d known Julia for only a short time, she was more likely to believe that Julia was running away from trouble as opposed to causing it.

Now she waited for the chance to get Julia alone so she could assure her there was no need to leave town. But each time she’d made eye contact, Julia had averted her gaze.

Yesterday she and Julia were the best of friends. Today they were oceans apart.

Frankie and Nicholas rode past the Moreland City Limits sign and were amazed at what was laid out before them.

“What a backward-looking town,” Nicholas mumbled under his breath.

“I’ll say. I didn’t think towns like this still existed.”

“That’s makes two of us.” Nicholas shuddered. “Place gives me the creeps.”

Frankie only nodded while his acute gaze swept over the small crowd of people milling about the center of town. “But this place is nearly perfect for someone who wants to disappear.”

Nicholas laughed. “Nobody can get away from the Montellos. If you don’t believe me, just ask David Mercer and his goofball brother.”

“I don’t know, Nick. Those goofballs managed to shake the Montellos for a few years.”

“But we got them, didn’t we?”

Frankie frowned and looked over at him. “I thought this Dr. Kelley knocked her husband off.”

“Not hardly.” Nicholas laughed. “Our guy at the Bureau took care of that two-bit thief. That’s how we know the good doctor has our merchandise. Our guy was able to get David to talk before finishing him off.”

Suddenly the holes were filled in for Frankie, and new ones formed in his head. “Why didn’t Uncle Vinny tell me all of this before?”

“You know my father. He operates on a need-to-know basis. And the only thing you needed to know was to find the doctor.”

Frankie’s discomfort grew. In all the years he’d worked for the Montellos, he’d never been treated as though he were some flunky they couldn’t trust with information. Then again, his family had never sent more than one guy to a job before.

“So let me get this straight. Vinny had one of our guys do in the brothers, then send me to find the girl, and brought you in…to do what?”

Nicholas’s answer was a wicked smile.

Frankie shouldn’t have been surprised, but a part of him was. What if the girl truly didn’t have their merchandise? It was possible, wasn’t it? A man whose life was in danger was liable to say anything that would save his neck.

Hell, Frankie thought, why should he care? Nicholas was right. He should only be concerned about his part of the job and nothing else. So what if this turned out to be another job that ended with murder? It wouldn’t be the first time.

“So how do you want to play this?” he inquired. His attention was still on the people walking about the small town.

“We need to stop and ask someone where this Georgia Inn is located.”

“I don’t know. We don’t exactly blend in with the tapestry. If we go around asking questions, people are going to remember our faces.”

Nicholas shrugged, then retrieved his cell phone from his hip pocket. “Then let’s just give Information a call.” He looked down at the gadget and his snide grin quickly slid downward.

“What’s wrong?”

“No service. We must be out of range.”

“How come that doesn’t surprise me?”

Nicholas mumbled under his breath. “This woman had better have our merchandise. She’s starting to be one pain in my backside.”

Frankie said nothing as he pulled his car to a stop in front of a small building with a rickety sign that said Nick’s Drug Emporium.

“I thought you said that we couldn’t go around asking people questions?”

“We’re not going to. We’re just going to use that pay phone.” He nodded to an old-fashioned phone booth near the side of the building.

“You think that thing works?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Frankie said, disengaging his seat belt, but he froze before reaching for the door handle.

“What is it?” Nicholas asked.

Frankie didn’t respond. He was too busy trying to get a better view of one of the little girls that had stepped out of Nick’s Drug Emporium.

Another group of children playfully tossing a football between them joined the two girls.

The girl with the cat-shaped eyes glanced in his direction, and Frankie smiled at Robin Kelley. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

PART III

Chapter 27

Julia had helped clean up after the breakfast crowd and then had retired to her room to finish packing her things when a light rap sounded at the door. She drew in a deep breath, already suspecting who was at the door.

“Come in.”

“Miss Julia?”

She turned, surprised and concerned to see Pierce Taylor standing at her door.

“Hello, Pierce. What brings you here?” His smile appeared nervous and his gaze eluded hers. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to take you down to Columbus today. I’m afraid something has come up.”

Dread and disappointment sank like a rock in the pit of her stomach. She should have seen this coming. “Pierce, did Carson ask you not to take me to Columbus?”

“No, ma’am. It’s just like I said. Something has come up and I won’t be able to take you,” he lied miserably.

Julia drew in a deep, patient breath and strode over to him by the door. “Look, I know that you and Carson are good friends, but I really need this favor from you. If it’s money, I have a little saved up—”

“I don’t want your money.” Pierce perked up and for the first time met her gaze.

“Then what?”

Pierce smiled awkwardly. “Well, to be honest with you, Julia, I don’t want to see you go. Since you came into town, it’s the first time that my buddy Carson has been able to talk of anything other than Karen, and, of course, Bobbi.”

She stared at him incredulously. “So you’re going to force me to stay here?”

“Now, don’t look at it like that. Why, half the townfolk are itching for you two to hook up. You guys are perfect for each other.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“Come on. You and Robin love it here. You told me yourself just last week. So why do you want to leave now?”

Before Julia could answer, Lilly joined Pierce at her door.

“I need to talk you,” she said with a slight sniffle.

Pierce took this as his cue. “Well, I apologize again, and I hope this doesn’t cause any bad feelings.”

Julia opened her mouth to stop him, but he bolted from her door with another awkward smile.

Now Lilly smiled nervously.

“Did I come at a bad time?”

Is there any other time? she wanted to say, but instead she sighed and felt as if she’d shrunk a full two inches. “No, no. Please come in,” she said, moving away from the door.

Lilly entered and closed the door behind her. “I want to apologize for last night. It was never my intention to chase you out of Moreland. I guess I was just concerned for your well-being, but I’m sure it didn’t come across that way.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Then let’s just pretend that last night never happened and you don’t have to leave.”

Julia wished she could pretend that last night had never happened. She wished a lot of things had never happened. She attempted to meet Lilly’s gaze, but felt the overpowering sting of tears. Why did this have to be so hard?

“It’s time for us to go,” she said simply.

For the first time since Julia had met her, Lilly was speechless.

“For what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed my time here with the people of Moreland, and especially your family.”

“I’ll never forgive myself for this,” Lilly admitted in a trembling voice.

“Lilly, please.” Julia moved over to her and chanced meeting her gaze. “This is not your fault. We were just passing through, remember?”

“You can’t tell me that you weren’t planning to stay here. What about you and Carson? I thought you two were really hitting it off?”

“Carson and I are not a couple. We never were.”

Lilly started to say something, but apparently thought better of it.

“I care for your brother,” Julia went on to say. “And who knows—maybe in another time or place we might have been able to mean more to each other.”

Lilly wiped her tears. “Your leaving is going to destroy him. I just know it.”

Julia opened her mouth, but Lilly raised a silencing finger. “Please hear me out. Since you’ve been here, you’ve been able to draw him out of his memories of the past. He’s discovered he can love again without guilt or feeling that loving someone new is some type of betrayal to Karen’s memory. If you leave now, I don’t know what he’ll do. I don’t think he’ll try again.”

“I’m no martyr for love.” Julia shared a sad laugh with her. “I’m not too sure if I put much stock in the emotion myself. I’ve loved and lost. I’ve loved and have been betrayed. The mere thought of trying again is also overwhelming for me.”

“So is that the real reason you’re leaving?” Lilly asked.

A denial crested Julia’s tongue, but her voice failed to say it. Her hesitation gave Lilly courage to say more.

“Maybe your visit here was no accident. Have you ever thought about that? I mean, really thought about it?”

Julia had, but it was hard to believe that fate had anything to do with the mess that had brought her here. “I think you’re trying to see too much in this.”

“I know I sound like some romantic lunatic and all, but really, Julia. What is love if not fate? I mean, what is the likelihood of two people finding the perfect person in a world of millions without fate or destiny?”

“You’re right,” Julia readily agreed.

Lilly flashed a brilliant smile. “I am?”

“Yes. You do sound like a romantic lunatic.”

“Make fun of me if you want to, but I’m right and you know it. Fate brought you to Moreland, and you’re running not because whatever you fear is chasing you, but because you’re afraid to let destiny take its course.”

Before Julia could think of a quick retort, there was yet another knock at the door.

“Goodness, are we having the town meeting here today and no one told me?” Julia asked, moving toward the door.

When she jerked it open, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Carson monopolizing the door frame.

“Hello,” he said, locking her gaze with his midnight eyes.

There was no question in Julia’s mind that she was in the middle of a town’s intervention. The problem was that she didn’t know how to handle it.

“I’m mad at you,” she announced when she managed to pull out of her trance.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Lilly said, easing between them and disappearing down the hall.

“Can I at least come in?” he asked.

“No.” She crossed her arms and held her ground. “You told Pierce not to take me to Columbus.”

“Is that what he said?”

“He didn’t have to say anything. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

Carson failed to suppress his smile, and Julia felt her anger ignite.

“Let me ask you this—is there anything wrong with my car? Or was that also a ploy or yours to keep me in town?”

“What are you asking me exactly?”

Carson covered his heart with his hand as if he were hurt by the question, but for some reason, this time Julia wasn’t buying it.

“You tricked me,” she accused him.

“Hey, it’s not as though I hustled you out of repairs by sharking you at a pool game. I have my morals, you know.”

“I don’t believe this.” She jumped away from him. Though stunned by his level of deception, she couldn’t help the small smile that lifted the corners of her mouth.

Carson moved into the room and shut the door behind him. “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. And you left me with little choice in the matter. You seemed in such a rush to get out of Moreland, and I wanted to get to know you better, so I did the only thing I could think of—I stalled.”

“You lied.”

“You say tomato and I say—”

“I would have never thought you were capable of such deception.”

“To be completely honest with you, until today I thought that all your car needed was a simple alternator. But there seems to be something else wrong with it.”

“Yeah, right. Now I’m supposed to believe you?”

“No, really. I can’t seem to get your car started.”

There was a loud knock at the door.

“Who is it now?” Julia asked, jerking the door open.

“Julia, Carson. You both need to come downstairs,” Lilly said in a rush.

“Why, what’s wrong?” Julia asked, her stomach muscles tightening at Lilly’s horrified expression.

“It’s Bobbi and Robin. The kids downstairs say two strangers snatched them kicking and screaming right outside of Nick’s Drug Emporium. You’d better hurry. The sheriff is downstairs.”

Chapter 28

Julia raced down the stairs with her mind in a whirl. Someone had her daughter and it was all her fault. What had she been thinking, allowing her to roam around a strange town with little or no supervision? Had she been so confident as to believe that no one would penetrate Moreland’s protective shell and find them?

Suddenly her line of thinking from the past month seemed immature and idiotic.

By the time she reached the landing and stood beneath Sheriff Benton’s concerned gaze, her body shook in violent tremors.

“Miss Julia.” The sheriff tipped his head toward her. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to meet under more pleasant circumstances.”

She nodded, but felt as if all of this were some bad dream. Any minute now someone would wake her, and everything would be all right.

“Someone please start from the beginning and tell us who in the hell has our daughters.” Carson interrupted their niceties with barely controlled rage.

“That’s what I’m here to try to find out.” The sheriff turned to the group of children standing behind him. “Seems these kids witnessed the men trying to get Robin into a blue car when your daughter, Bobbi, interfered and was then also taken. Do I have that right, kids?”

The small group eagerly bobbed their heads.

“Bobbi was screaming at the top of her lungs,” Stanley added with wide eyes.

Julia couldn’t stop the room from spinning and was vaguely aware when her knees gave out. She heard a collective gasp; then a strong arm caught her and drew her close to firm muscle.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” Carson assured her.

She found little comfort in his words and no security in his embrace. Her carelessness had now placed his daughter in harm’s way as well.

“Miss Julia, can you think of any reason why someone would want to take your daughter?”

All eyes focused on Julia.

Tears slid from Julia’s eyes as she continued to wage war with her emotions. Her long hesitation caused Carson’s concerned gaze to turn suspicious.

“Julia?” His voice held a note of uncertainty.

Mustering strength she didn’t feel, she pushed out of his arms and stood on her own fragile legs.

The sheriff turned to the children and thanked them for being such good citizens in reporting this matter to the authorities; then he asked them to go on home.

Reluctantly, and with a big show of disappointment, they did as the sheriff asked.

When they were gone, Carson turned his attention back to Julia. “If you know something, tell us,” he urged gently.

She had to tell them the truth, but she feared they wouldn’t believe her story. She wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t. A part of her still couldn’t wrap her brain around all that had happened.

“I’m not sure,” she answered honestly.

Disappointment crept into Carson’s disbelieving features, and a pang of remorse filled her.

“Julia, please,” Lilly said in a trembling whisper.

“I swear it’s the truth. I don’t know. I wish that I did.” She heaved a weary breath and continued. “I will tell you what I do know. My full name is Julia Kelley. I’m an internist at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. About two months ago I stumbled over a picture of my late husband and my brother-in-law while standing in line at the post office.” A sad smile quivered at the corners of her lips at the memory.

“It was actually a poster for felons on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Actually, I wasn’t sure it was him, but I felt like it was, so I did a little investigating, and when I was sure I contacted the FBI and told them what I suspected.” She glanced up and saw that she had everyone’s undivided attention, so she went on.

“A plan was devised that I was to lead David to a mall, where the agents would then be able to get a good look at him. But I never made it to the mall. As it turned out, David overheard part of my conversation with the agent and deduced that I was planning to meet a lover or boyfriend for an afternoon tryst.” She shook her head at the absurdity of it. “He hadn’t exactly gotten used to our being divorced.”

“Anyway, he wouldn’t allow me to leave. Luckily, Robin was over at a friend’s house and was spared seeing his jealous rage. He suspected the man I was seeing was a colleague of mine from the hospital, so he asked his brother to go to the mall and see if he showed up there. But while they talked over the phone, something happened. I don’t know what, but it spooked David and he refused to let me out of the house.

“I hid in the bedroom, praying that the night would end. Then there was someone at the door. At first I thought it was Eric, my brother-in-law, but it wasn’t. I heard the man identifying himself as FBI, then there was a loud ruckus downstairs, and then they were upstairs. But it became clear to me that the man wasn’t interested in arresting David. He wanted something from him—something he’d stolen from a man named Vinny.

“When it was clear they were headed toward the bedroom, I hid in the walk-in closet, but I watched what happened through a crack in the door. My gun was hidden at the top of the closet, and it never occurred to me to get it.”

She swallowed hard and her vision swam in a pool of tears. “I watched this man murder David in cold blood.”

The room’s silence was deafening. She blinked back her tears and forced herself to meet Carson’s gaze. “The agent left soon after that, and I got the hell out of there. I packed whatever my hands landed on.” She glanced over at Lilly. “That time I remembered to grab my gun for protection. My regular car was in the shop, so I took my old Impala and raced over to get Robin from her friend’s house, and we hit the road.”

Carson stepped forward and started to reach out toward her, but his hand fell back to his side before he’d made contact.

“How awful,” Lilly finally said. Astonishment distorted her face.

Sheriff Benton cleared his throat. “Ma’am, am I to understand that you are a witness to a homicide—by a federal agent?”

Julia drew in another deep breath, then nodded.

He blinked, then glanced at the others in the room as if he didn’t know what to make of such a story. “In Atlanta?”

She nodded.

This time he sucked a long breath and expelled it slowly. “There is a chance that you’re mistaken. I mean, you said that you were upstairs, right? Or maybe he was impersonating an FBI agent. That’s possible, right?”

He wasn’t asking her any questions that she hadn’t asked herself a million times. “Yes, to both questions. I’ve been mostly running scared, because if he wasn’t FBI, then who was he? Not to mention that it’s just too coincidental that an FBI agent would show up at my door, don’t you think?”

“Good point, but what you’re saying isn’t possible,” he argued.

Julia watched the young officer struggle with the concept of a crooked agent. “All I can tell you is what happened. And it’s the truth.” She centered her gaze back on Carson. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid.”

Their gazes locked for what seemed like an eternity. “Your secret may have cost my daughter’s life,” he said finally, stepping away from her.

A dull ache throbbed where her heart should have been. “I know.”

Frankie wanted to throw something—anything. This was the very reason why he’d always preferred to work alone. All he wanted to do was question the girl—not take her. A man had to have his principles. Yes, he worked in a violent business, and yes, sometimes he had to whack someone, but he drew a line when it came to harming children.

And Nicholas knew that.

He swore under his breath. This entire project was being snatched from beneath him, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Will you just chill out?” Nicholas marched back into their hotel room wearing a wide smile. “It’s not like we hurt those girls or anything.”

Frankie glared at him.

“What?”

“Do you ever think before you act?” Frankie couldn’t help but ask. He glanced around the rundown dump of a motel they’d found out in another small town called Shiloh, which was less than fifteen minutes from Moreland.

“This isn’t smart. This is unfamiliar territory to us. What if someone here knows either of those girls? What if someone here knows their parents? We aren’t safe here.”

“You worry too much. Besides, we’re not going to be here long enough for someone to rat us out. What we need to do now is call that little Georgia Inn and talk to Dr. Kelley. Since we have something she wants, we should have no trouble getting Vinny’s diamonds back.”

“Then what?”

“Then we knock off the doctor,” Nicholas answered casually.

“And the two little girls?”

Nicholas’s smile widened. “Then I guess we’ll just have to ask Vinny what he’d have us do.”

Frankie’s anger rose to a dangerous pitch. Both knew full well what Vinny would order; their boss had never liked the idea of loose ends.

Chapter 29

Paul sat across from Jonathan Mason, the agent in charge of the Atlanta field office, and watched him while he read through the updated report on the Mercer brothers. Mason, a distinguished African-American gentleman, had always been, in Paul’s opinion, a fair and levelheaded boss. He’d held the admiration of a vast majority of agents across the nation—Paul included.

Mason finished reading the report. His loud and dramatic exclamation mirrored the weariness etched in the small lines around his eyes as he lifted them to meet Paul’s.

“This is a tough call,” he said finally. “I’m not completely convinced that our agency should still be pursuing Dr. Kelley as a lead in our case.”

Paul blinked in astonishment. “I don’t understand.”

“Well.” Mason pushed up from his chair and began his habitual pacing. “Our case is, of course, the murder of our fellow federal agent, Rodney Newman. I understand that at the same location of this murder was a wanted felon.”

“Whose brother, also a wanted felon, was murdered on the same day in another location in town, and said brother’s wife is now missing,” Paul finished for him.

“And a missing person is not necessarily a case for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Maybe it’s time we let the state handle that case and focus more on who actually pulled the trigger on Newman.”

“Come on. We both know that the Montellos are involved.”

“No,” Mason corrected. “I don’t know that. I suspect that, and I want our agency to prove that suspicion.”

“So what are we supposed to do? It’s obvious to me, after hearing Miss Higginbotham’s statement, that the doctor and her daughter fled the city of Atlanta for a reason.”

“And that reason is?”

“She fears whoever killed her husband will come after her.”

“Or she fled because she killed her husband,” Mason countered.

“I don’t believe that, and neither do you.”

“Hey.” He held up his hands. “I have a strange belief system.”

“That would be one hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Despite popular opinion, they do happen from time to time.”

Paul clamped his mouth shut, feeling that he was just moments away from having his boss redirect his team. His perplexity must have shown on his face, for Mason sighed and returned to his chair.

“Look, Regis. I’m not saying that you’re completely out in left field on this. There’s a fifty-fifty chance that you’re right and I’m wrong. That’s why I said that this is a tough call.”

Paul conceded his point. “It’s just that I think that if we don’t pursue this, there’s a chance that we are allowing the Montellos to commit and get away with another murder.”

“What would the Montellos want with her?”

“The rumor mill has for years spun tales of how David and Eric Mercer had stolen something from the Montellos. I heard that it was a bag of uncut diamonds—the kind that never went through customs, if you know what I mean. Some say that it was a trunk full of money. But whatever it was, I’m sure the Montellos would want it back.”

“If they are responsible for the death of both brothers, as you say, then who’s to say they haven’t gotten their merchandise back?”

Paul didn’t have an answer.

Pleased with his analogy, Mason leaned back in his chair, but never broke eye contact with Paul.

“How about if we just call it a hunch? That has to count for something,” Paul finally reasoned.

Mason conceded with a slight nod. “Tell you what, ask your lead investigator on this case to contact the local sheriff in that area and have him go over and talk with Dr. Kelley. Then we can go from there.”

It wasn’t what Paul wanted to hear, but at least it was better than nothing. “Consider it done.”

The news of Bobbi and Robin’s kidnapping devastated the small, quiet town of Moreland. Sheriff Benton took Julia to the jailhouse to take her statement, while Carson called everyone he knew in the hope that someone else had seen the direction that the kidnappers were headed.

Though the children were helpful, none of them knew any more than the color of their car and that the two men were white. Even then, the shade of blue of the car varied with each child, and no two descriptions of the men were alike.

In between calling friends and family, Carson thought of the wild story Julia had told them. It had all sounded more like a Hollywood creation than real life. But how could he explain his daughter’s kidnapping?

His mind filled with images of Bobbi from the first time he’d laid eyes on her in the hospital until he’d seen her off to play ball with her friends this morning. Tears burned the backs of his eyes, and his heart throbbed painfully in his chest at the thought of never seeing her again.

He hung up the phone, propped his elbows on the desk, and formed a steeple with his hands in order to rest his head. He couldn’t lose his precious child. He just couldn’t.

He knew Julia’s pain had to be similar to his own, but he was clueless as to how to comfort her in this time of need, mainly because he, too, was coming apart at the seams.

Their night together seemed like a lifetime ago—or as if it had all been a dream and they had awakened to this nightmare.

Another part of Carson, the angry part, wanted to know why Julia hadn’t shared her plight with him and his family sooner. Had they not been good to her? Couldn’t she have trusted them with her secret?

Shame washed over him when he realized what he was doing. He was trying to place the blame of what had happened to their daughters solely on her shoulders, and that wasn’t fair.

Hadn’t he been the one who’d trapped her in Moreland? Was he truly the cause of this entire fiasco?

There was a knock on the study’s door just before it creaked open and his mother entered the room carrying a tray.

“I brought you something that may help soothe your nerves,” she said with uncertainty filling her voice.

“Mom, thanks, but no thanks. It’s going to take more than a pot of tea to make me feel better,” he informed her. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he saw that his words had cracked her mask of false courage.

“I’m sorry,” he said, not knowing what else he could say.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she managed to smile for his benefit. “There’s no need to apologize. I just wanted to do something to help.”

“Where’s Pop?”

“Beating himself up for allowing the girls to go buy themselves a candy bar on their own.”

Carson shook his head and made a mental note to speak to his father. “It’s not his fault. Nothing like this has ever happened here. The emporium is only a block away from your house, there was no way for any of us to foresee that this would happen.”

“Including Julia?” his mother questioned in a low voice.

His gaze snapped up at her. “Especially Julia,” he defended.

Grace didn’t meet his gaze.

“Mom, it’s not her fault, no more than it’s Pop’s fault.”

His mother seemed to mull over his words before nodding in agreement. “If evil is searching for you, then evil will find you,” she said, then looked up at him. “Lilly told me her story. Do you believe her?”

“Every word,” he answered without hesitation, surprised by the sound of his own conviction. “I know we haven’t known Julia long, but in a way it’s as though we have,” he continued.

Grace placed the tray of tea on the desk before Carson, then sat in the chair facing him. “I know what you mean,” she said. “I guess we always knew she was hiding something. She always avoided telling anyone her full name. To be honest with you, I just thought she was running away from an abusive ex-husband or something. I never suspected that it was anything of this magnitude.”

Carson had assumed the same.

They fell silent for a while before Grace asked in a quavering voice, “Do you think that we’ll find them?”

It was the question he’d hoped she wouldn’t ask, and the question he couldn’t or wouldn’t give a straight answer to. “We have to.”

Julia sat across from Sheriff Benton at Coweta County Sheriff’s Department while he typed her statement. As she retold the story her mind kept wondering about Robin’s whereabouts. Had they hurt her? Would they hurt her? And most of all, she wondered who “they” were.

She remembered the man she’d seen through the crack of the closet door. She saw his red face clearly as he turned toward the closet after he’d shot David. She remembered thinking that he knew she was hiding there. Her brain had failed to remember the weapon she’d purchased just days before, now stashed on the top shelf above her, but the man hadn’t gone to the closet. He’d simply wiped down a few things, no doubt trying to get rid of any fingerprints; then he had left.

“Ma’am?” Sheriff Benton inquired.

Julia jumped. “Yes?”

He drew in a deep breath. “We got ourselves in a little pickle here. Kidnapping is a federal offense. I have no choice but to call my local FBI liaison and report this matter to him.”

Her eyes fluttered closed in a vain attempt to block the pain and fear that assaulted her. When would this nightmare end?

“You do understand?” he asked gently.

“Y-yes,” she responded, and forced her eyes open, but a thin sheen of tears obscured her vision.

A hand settled against Julia’s shoulder, and she jerked her head up to see who stood behind her.

Carson gave her an encouraging smile. “I thought you might need that shoulder now to lean on.”

Julia stood, and Carson embraced her. Her body shook as heart-wrenching sobs filled the sheriff’s office.

“I’ll give you two a few minutes alone,” Sheriff Benton said, getting up from his chair.

“Thank you,” Carson replied.

Julia soaked his shirt with her tears.

He stroked her hair and soothed her with his calm voice. “It’s going to be all right. We’re going to find them,” he promised.

She shook her head against his chest. She couldn’t help but think the worst. “Th-this is all my fault,” she managed to choke out.

“Nonsense. We’re all victims in this. But that doesn’t mean we can’t fight back.”

She pulled away from him. “Fight who? The Mafia? The federal government? We don’t know who we’re up against. We don’t know what they want.”

“I know.”

“Hell, we don’t even know if the kidnapping is related to what happened back in Atlanta.”

“I know that, too. But we’re not going to be able to get anywhere unless we’re able to pull ourselves together.”

She stared at him, trying to figure out how he managed to look so calm. Finally she drew in a deep breath and did her best to rein in her tattered nerves and emulate his courage.

“That’s my girl,” he encouraged. He ignored his own pain, ignored the intense stinging at the backs of his eyes. He tightened his arms around Julia and prayed.

Robin struggled to break free from the ropes that bound her hands. Next to her, she could hear Bobbi trying to do the same.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” she recited, but for all her troubles, she succeeding only in hurting her wrists.

What did these guys want with her—with them? She didn’t know, and had no intention of finding out.

Frankie resented having to make the call to the Georgia Inn while Nicholas played babysitter. He didn’t trust him with the children and feared what he’d do to them. He thought about calling his uncle and telling him he no longer wanted any part of this, but he suspected this assignment with Nicholas was a test. He’d failed his family before—should he dare fail them again?

“Morning, neighbor.”

His gaze snapped up to see an elderly white man with kind eyes tipping his hat toward him in a friendly gesture. Frankie nodded slightly but didn’t break his stride on his way to his destination: the lone pay phone on the corner of the road.

Once inside the small quarters, he closed the door and glanced at his surroundings. The only person on the street was the old man he’d just passed. It was hard trying to be inconspicuous in a small town, where everyone undoubtedly knew each other.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a slip of paper with the Georgia Inn phone number they had gotten from the girls. If everything went as planned, this whole thing would be over in the next twenty-four hours.

Chapter 30

Julia and Carson arrived at the inn just as the sun began to set. Neither spoke, but simply stared solemnly up at the two-story house with trepidation.

The smile she gave him wobbled. “Thank you,” she said suddenly. “You’ve been a rock for me today when I know your suffering is as deep as my own.”

Carson’s calm, cool, and collected demeanor dissolved. His glossy eyes and firm jawline hinted that he was a man on the edge of losing control.

Nervously, she squeezed his hand, which still kept a firm grip on the steering wheel. “We will find them.” It was her turn to be strong even though she didn’t feel the part.

He nodded and pulled his shimmering gaze away from her. “I can’t lose her. She’s all I have.”

Julia lifted her hand to caress his cheek. You have me, she wanted to tell him, but instead she wished there were something she could do to ease his pain. It was unfair for life to deal this kind man another harsh blow. Bobbi was all he had left of Karen, and Julia didn’t want to see that taken from him—or be responsible for it.

“How long do you think it will take Sheriff Benton to get in contact with the FBI?”

“I’m sure that he’s talking to them right now. In a few hours this place will be swarming with agents.” He looked at her again. “Do you still believe that the man who killed your ex-husband was a federal agent?”

It was her turn to look away. “I don’t know what I believe anymore. I just want our daughters to be returned. I want this nightmare to be over.”

Carson looped his arm around her shoulder and gathered her close. “It will be,” he said. He kissed the top of her head.

Julia closed her eyes, amazed she still found comfort and strength in his embrace. Had it been just this morning that she was about to leave this man? The thought seemed ludicrous now.

“But what if you’re right?” Carson said, suddenly.

She pulled away and glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”

Carson shifted in his seat to face her. “I don’t know. I mean, there is a chance of your being right, isn’t there? It’s one heck of a coincidence that you called the FBI and a man showed up at your door impersonating a federal agent, don’t you think?”

Julia had thought about that a number of times. “I suppose so, but you have to remember that I never saw the man’s credentials or anything. If anything I just panicked and got the heck out of Dodge.”

“But maybe we should be prepared for that possibility.”

“Prepared how?” She shrugged. “If he is a real agent then—”

“Then Sheriff Benton may be contacting trouble.”

“And if he wasn’t, then this Vinny character is still out there looking for me and whatever it was David told them I had. Either way, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Carson blinked as if for the first time realizing the magnitude of her situation—their situation. “If they want something, then perhaps they only took the girls for bargaining leverage.”

“Regardless, I don’t have what they want.”

“Maybe you do and you just don’t know it.”

“A lot of good that does us,” Julia countered with frustration. “I don’t know what to do anymore,” she confessed with another firm shake of her head. “I’ve run out of options.”

“I’m not about to let you give up. We’re not giving up.”

Their eyes met and Julia read his fierce determination and felt her own confidence rise.

“Okay, so what do you have planned?”

Paul popped a few aspirins into his mouth and chewed the bitter pills as though they were candy. He’d sent Tony off to contact the sheriff of Moreland, while he was busy trying to figure out a way to connect Eric and David Mercer’s deaths to the Montellos, specifically Vinny Montello.

He groaned at the sudden knock at the door. “Come in.”

He glanced up when the door swung open, then had to do a double take at the sight of Detective Jackson from the Atlanta Police Department standing in his office doorway.

“I hope that I’m not disturbing you,” Jackson said solemnly, and moved further into the room.

“Not at all.” Paul stood. “Please have a seat.” He gestured to an empty chair in front of his desk.

Jackson closed the door behind him.

Paul swore the room shrank in comparison to the man’s formidable size. “It’s good to see you again.” Paul offered his hand.

“Likewise,” Jackson replied with a firm shake.

As both men took their seats, an awkward silence weaved between them before Paul’s curiosity was piqued at the sight of the manila folder the detective held. “So what brings you out into my neck of the woods?”

“A homicide,” he answered matter-of-factly.

“I’d imagine you get a lot of that in your line of work.” Paul tried to thaw the room’s icy tension with humor. He got the impression that Jackson didn’t care too much for FBI agents.

A wry smile cracked the corners of the detective’s stony features. “Funny.” He tossed the folder onto Paul’s desk and instructed him, “Take a look.”

With raised brows, Paul glanced suspiciously at Jackson before flipping open the folder. The dead woman’s face sent his mind reeling back to the night at the Kelleys’ estate.

“Isn’t this—”

“Her real name was Rachel Miller. She died from an overdose of heroin. Why she was posing as someone else at the Kelley estate is a mystery. But you’ll never guess who owned the apartment she was staying at.”

Paul pulled his eyes from the picture to look at the detective.

“Does the name Vinny Montello ring any bells?”

Paul leaned back in his chair, certain that he hadn’t heard Jackson correctly. “You want to run that by me again?”

“You heard me. Vinny Montello, as in the leader of the New York Mafia crime family.”

“I know who he is.” Paul couldn’t believe his luck. “How did you know to come to me on this?”

“Once I recognized the corpse, I visited the FBI’s Web site and read up on the Mercer boys, and I put two and two together.”

Paul liked what he was hearing, but knew from experience that he didn’t have enough to actually tie Vinny to his case. Mason would definitely require more proof. Absently he remembered a time when he had had someone working on the inside of the Montello family, and he wished desperately that his informer hadn’t quit the business.

“And that’s not all. I requested a copy of the phone records for the apartment, which raised a few eyebrows at my department. Especially on an overdose victim, but I’m glad I did.”

Paul’s face lit with a wide smile. “Please tell me she was calling Vinny’s personal cell phone.”

“There were a few calls placed to his home in New York, yes. We were able to verify that much, but there were an awful lot of calls placed somewhere else as well.”

Paul frowned. He suspected that this was the part he wasn’t going to like. “Where?”

“Seems Miss Miller had this agency on her speed dial.”

“I don’t understand,” Paul said.

“Let me see if I can make this clear. Rachel Miller was in constant contact with someone who works for you.”

Frankie held his fingers poised over the telephone keypad while he thought about what he was about to do, about what he was about to risk. He shook his head. He should have remained retired. He was only supposed to find a bag of diamonds—not kidnap children.

Now he was supposed to make the call to the Georgia Inn to arrange a meeting with Julia—her in exchange for her daughter—but he needed to make another call first.

He punched in the number he’d known by heart for years and glanced nervously around the phone booth while he waited for the line to connect.

“Paul Regis,” the assistant agent in charge answered in a hurried voice.

Frankie hesitated.

“Hello?” Regis sounded agitated.

“Hey,” Frankie croaked out, then coughed to clear his throat. “Long time no hear from.”

“Who is this?”

“Paul, don’t tell me that after all we’ve been through, you’ve already forgotten about me?”

“I don’t believe this—Frankie Montello?” Paul looked up at Detective Jackson, then back down at the phone. “You won’t believe this but I was just thinking about you a few minutes ago.”

“Yeah, yeah. I think about you from time to time, too.”

Paul waited through the ensuing silence, praying for another miracle—that Frankie was actually calling him about the Mercer brothers and the missing Dr. Kelley. “So where have you been?”

“That depends. Are we on a secure line?”

“No, but if you can hold on a moment, I can fix that.”

“I’ll hold.”

Paul punched a button and focused his attention back on the detective. “I want to thank you for bringing this information to my attention. Right now I have to take this call.”

For a fraction of a minute, Jackson looked put off about their meeting ending so abruptly, but he nodded in understanding. “Sure, no problem. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Most definitely.” Paul assured him, and once again offered the man his hand. “I really do appreciate your bringing all of this to my attention. You have been a godsend on this case. Thank you.”

Jackson quickly assessed Paul’s face for sincerity, and when he found it, he smiled broadly. “I’m glad to have been of some assistance.” He flashed what could only be described as a rare smile and left Paul’s office.

Quickly, Paul transferred his call to a special phone that required a key for a secured line. “Frankie, are you still there?”

“Yeah, but I may regret all of this later.”

Paul nodded against the phone, then wasted no time getting to the point. “To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

“To make a long story short, I came out of retirement recently.”

“Is that right? Why on earth would you do a crazy thing like that?”

“Hey, a man’s got to make a living, and the last time I checked, I wasn’t what you would call CEO material.”

“So you started working for your uncle again?”

“It was supposed to be an easy assignment.”

“Tsk, tsk.” Paul shook his head. “You disappoint me, Frankie. Haven’t you learned by now that there’s no such thing when it comes to working for Vinny?”

“What can I say? I’m a slow learner.”

“Apparently. So what was the job this time?”

“Recovering a package that had been stolen from the family a while back. I was told that it was a slip-in, slip-out kind of job. But it quickly escalated, then I was supposed to find someone. Then Vinny assigned a cleanup man to play tag or babysitter—I haven’t figured out which one yet.”

“Sounds like you’re in over your head again.”

“You have no idea.”

“Are you going to make me play twenty questions before you tell me about this job you’re on, or are you going to continue being vague and waste my time?”

“My, you’ve gotten more impatient in your old age.”

“I’ve developed a low tolerance for bull.”

“I’m sure you have a team assigned to the Eric and David Mercer murders.”

“Are you going to tell me that was some of your handiwork?”

“I had nothing to with their deaths.”

Paul drew in a deep breath and chanced asking the million-dollar question, “Did Vinny have anything to do with it?”

“Tell you what. You tell me what you know and I’ll let you know whether or not you’re on the right track.”

“What kind of dance is this, Frankie? You called me, remember?”

Paul listened as his old informer drew in a deep breath. Frankie had been instrumental in one high-profile case a few years ago when he had purposely disobeyed Vinny and refused to blow up a car that held the wife and children of a state representative.

“All right,” Frankie gave in. “I don’t have much time to talk to you anyway. Let’s just say that Vinny has a man working on the inside of your agency.”

Paul bolted straight up in his chair. “Who?” This news coming right on the heels of Detective Jackson’s discovery was a bit much for Paul to wrap his brain around.

“I don’t know. I’ve been in contact with him a couple of times but I don’t know his real name, but according to my cousin this man is the one who finished both brothers off—no doubt responding to the price tag Vinny had on the brothers for the past few years.”

“Okay, the brothers are dead. Why is Vinny still involved?” Paul asked, though he already suspected the answer.

Frankie drew in a deep breath, and Paul knew that his old informer was evaluating how much to tell.

“You’re not chickening out on me, are you?” Paul pushed.

“You know how the game is played. I want a deal,” Frankie admitted.

Paul suspected as much. “What kind of deal?”

“The usual. I want blanket immunity and a top-of-the-line protection package.”

“What good is all of that if you decide to come out of retirement again?”

“After all this I don’t think that will ever be an option for me again.”

Silence hung over the line while Paul weighed his options. “All right,” he finally said. “You got yourself a deal. Now tell me what you got.”

Chapter 31

Henry Wilkins had lived in Shiloh for most of his sixty-eight years and knew just about all the townfolk, but he most certainly did not know the slick Italian man who had nearly mowed him down on the sidewalk. Despite his urge to demand that the guy watch where he was going, Henry had instead greeted the stranger with a smile. It was part of his belief system to treat people the way he’d like to be treated.

But when the stranger’s beady eyes lifted to meet his own, there was no ignoring the man’s coldness. In fact, something about the Italian raised Henry’s hackles and warned him that there was more to the man than met the eye.

The Italian said nothing to his greeting, which was just fine as far as Henry was concerned. As he walked past the old Southern Hospitality Hotel, he glanced into the nearly vacant parking lot and noticed another slick Italian withdrawing something from the trunk of a blue car. This fellow glanced around, and Henry couldn’t put his finger on what troubled him about the two strangers.

By the time Henry made it home, he found his wife and her usual bridge partners gossiping as usual around their flimsy card table.

“I know. Miss Arlene called me this morning with the horrible news,” Henry heard Bernice saying in a low voice. “I just can’t believe that something like that could happen out here.”

“Poor Carson,” Henry’s wife Connie piped up. “I can’t imagine what something like this is doing to him. He’s never gotten over the death of his wife.”

Henry shook his head with a wry smile. Connie could dish out the dirt with the best of them.

“Actually, I heard that Carson had fallen head over heels with some woman staying at the Georgia Inn,” someone else said.

“Yeah. All of Moreland is talking about it,” Bernice agreed. “It’s supposedly the same woman whose daughter was taken along with Bobbi.”

Henry stopped short of the refrigerator. What had she meant by “taken”?

“Does Sheriff Benton have any idea who took the girls?” Connie asked.

“Not to my knowledge. It’s all very strange, if you ask me. The kids who witnessed what had happened said it was two white men in a blue car, whom none of them had ever seen before. And you know those kids know just about everyone who lives in these parts.”

“I guess there’s nothing we can do but to pray that those two little girls will be returned to their parents safe and sound.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the women; meanwhile Henry’s mind reeled with what he’d heard, and the image of the two strangers and the blue car he’d seen at the hotel came to mind.

Henry continued his course toward the refrigerator and extracted a can of Coke. He’d been a friend of the Webber family for more years than he could remember. Maybe he should see if there was any merit to what the women were discussing.

He moved over to the kitchen phone and picked it up. “I’m sure it won’t hurt to call.”

Lilly and Grace greeted Julia and Carson with hugs when they entered the Georgia Inn. Neighbors and friends also packed the rest of the house. Everyone assured them that the girls would remain in their prayers for a safe return home.

Julia stood on trembling legs as her frail emotions threatened to unleash another rush of tears. The love and support the town of Moreland offered overwhelmed her.

The phone rang and Julia’s head swiveled sharply toward it. She watched Lilly as she answered it by the second ring.

Julia had no explanation for the sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she kept her eyes glued on Lilly as she talked into the phone.

“Who is this?” Lilly asked with a deepening frown. The caller’s answer caused the color to drain from Lilly’s face, and she lifted a trembling hand to cover her heart.

Julia maneuvered through the small crowd.

Lilly glanced up from the phone in time to meet Julia’s steady gaze. “It’s for you. He says he has Bobbi and Robin.”

Paul was headed toward his office door when a quick knock sounded on the other side.

Tony rushed inside and nearly collided with Paul. “I just got off the phone with Sheriff Benton. You’ll never guess the situation.”

“Dr. Kelley’s daughter has been kidnapped.”

Tony stopped short. “How on earth did you know that?”

“Frankie Montello just called.”

“Talk about a blast from the past,” Tony marveled.

“Tell me about it. Seems he’s got himself in a little pickle.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“He and his cousin Nicholas have the girls.”

“Isn’t Nicholas rumored to be a hit man?”

“Among other things.” Paul walked out of his office with Tony following close behind.

“You want to run that back by me?”

“Maybe later. I’m on my way to see Mason. You get your team ready to head down to Shiloh within the hour.”

“Shiloh?”

“Yeah, that’s where Frankie is supposed to arrange the exchange for the girls, and I want our team there.”

Julia accepted the phone from Lilly’s trembling hands. Before she pressed the handset to her ear, Julia’s chest tightened with fear. What if they’d hurt her baby—what would she do then?

“Hello?”

Carson suddenly appeared at her side.

“Is this Dr. Kelley?” A gruff male voice came over the line.

She closed her eyes against the tough tone of her daughter’s kidnapper. “Yes.”

“Good. I believe we both have something that belongs to the other.”

Tears brimmed in Julia’s eyes as she shook her head against the phone. How could she tell this man who held her daughter’s life in his hands that she didn’t have what he was looking for? The chances of his agreeing that there had been a mistake and returning Robin and Bobbi unharmed were slim.

“Where’s my daughter?” she asked instead. She needed more time to think.

Carson leaned down and Julia angled the phone so he, too, could hear the man.

“Your daughter is just fine, and we’ll return her if you’ll just return our merchandise.”

“How do I know that you won’t hurt the girls? How do I know that you haven’t already?”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

“No dice,” Julia said, and was shocked by her own audacity.

A long and tense silence hung over the line. It took all she had to wait it out and let the stranger on the other end respond. But she took heart at the fact that he hadn’t hung up.

“Do you have our package, Dr. Kelley?”

“Do you have my daughter?” she countered.

After another lengthy pause, the man’s deep laughter rumbled through the phone. “It seems we’ve developed a stalemate, Doctor. What do you suppose we should do?”

“I want proof that both girls are alive. Then and only then will we discuss any kind of an exchange,” she negotiated forcefully.

He laughed again. “Bravo, Dr. Kelley. One would almost think that you’ve done this before.”

“I’m a fast learner.”

When he laughed again, Julia’s firm grip on the phone tightened.

“Dr. Kelley, I’m no amateur. The last thing I want to do is give you time to devise a plan with the police. We’re going to play this game by my rules. I want you to bring our merchandise to—” there was a soft rustling of paper “—the abandoned warehouse off Canton Road at seven-thirty. It’s a huge brick building. You can’t miss it.”

Julia glanced at her watch. She had nearly two hours.

“Do we have a deal?” he asked.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No. See you at seven-thirty. And don’t forget our diamonds.” The line went dead.

Julia and Carson glanced at each other, stupefied, as they mouthed the word diamonds.

Paul finished briefing his boss on all that he’d learned regarding the Mercer case and waited patiently for Mason to digest the information.

“So what you’re telling me is that not only do we have a leak in the agency, but this person also killed the Mercer brothers?” Mason, though angry, managed to ask the question with controlled detachment.

“It appears that way.”

“Any ideas who it is?”

“Not off the top of my head.”

Mason drew in a deep breath and with a firm nod of his head made his decision. “All right. Have Agent Iaanelli and his team set up a mobile unit down in Shiloh. I’m getting in touch with the New York field office to have Vinny Montello arrested.”

“And what about Frankie?”

Mason shook his head. “I wish that you hadn’t promised him blanket immunity. Had he come to us earlier I would feel better about the whole thing.”

Paul agreed with his sentiment but had every intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain. “I had to make the deal. Without Frankie we don’t have anything on Vinny. We need his testimony.”

Mason’s exhalation mirrored the frustration seeping into his expression. “I know. What about the girls?”

“Now, that’s a sticky situation. If it were just Frankie, we would have no problem getting the two little girls back. However, there’s Nicholas.”

“The cleanup man,” Mason stated with disdain.

“Yeah. Frankie suspects that his cousin was assigned to him by Vinny as a sort of babysitter for him.”

“Meaning?”

“I got the impression that if Frankie shows that his heart isn’t in the family business, then Nicholas, if his rumored reputation is to be believed, wouldn’t hesitate to kill his own cousin.”

The phone rang at the Georgia Inn, and a profound hush hovered over family and friends.

Lilly reached for the phone, but Carson covered her hand with his own, and with a warm look told her to let him answer. Gladly, she allowed him to do so.

“Hello.”

“Ah, Carson. Just the man I was looking for.”

“Henry,” he said, with a large measure of relief. “How are you?”

“I’m hanging in there. I’m calling because I just overheard some disturbing news from Connie and her bridge partners, and I guess I wanted to make sure I heard right.”

Carson closed his eyes, not quite ready to handle such calls, but then again Henry was an old family friend. “Yes. We have a family crisis going on at the moment. I’d rather not go into it right now. But I can tell you that my daughter and a friend of hers have been kidnapped. Sheriff Benton is contacting the FBI and we’re all just waiting to see what’s next. As soon as we know more, I’ll make sure that we give you a call.”

“Did anyone see who took her?” Henry asked, ignoring Carson’s attempt to end the call.

“Yeah, friends of hers saw two men take her.”

“Two, eh? Do you happen to know what they look like?”

Carson stopped. There seemed to be more to Henry’s questioning than a mild or morbid curiosity. “Two white guys driving a blue car. Have you seen something?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s probably nothing.” Henry sighed.

“Why don’t you tell me about it and let me decide?”

“Well, about a half hour ago I saw two guys who didn’t quite look like they belonged here.”

Chapter 32

Frankie returned to the hotel, only to find Nicholas sound asleep at the small desk in the room. He shook his head wearily at his so-called partner and closed the door.

“Well, it’s about time you got back.” Nicholas surprised Frankie as he lifted his head. “I was beginning to wonder if I had to call the family and let them know that you’d bailed out on us again.”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was resting. There’s a difference.”

The men’s eyes met in a silent, icy challenge.

Finally a sly smile slid across Nicholas’s hard features as he got up from his chair. “Come on. We’re family. We might as well try to get along.” He walked over toward Frankie and offered him his hand. “What do you say?”

“I say, go to hell,” Frankie countered, and ignored his cousin’s hand as he stepped around him.

Nicholas’s hard laugh sent chills up Frankie’s spine.

“Did you at least call the good doctor while you were out sightseeing?”

“Yeah. Everything’s set. She’ll meet us at that warehouse you saw on the way here at seven-thirty.”

“Seven-thirty?” Nicholas frowned. “Why so long?”

“She has them stashed. She needed a little more time to retrieve them.”

Nicholas said nothing to this. Frankie couldn’t very well tell him that he was buying time for Regis and his men to get there.

“So she does have our package?” Nicholas inquired suspiciously.

“She said she did.”

“Well, it looks like my little plan worked.” Nicholas smiled.

“Yeah. I guess so.” Frankie shrugged. “We’d better figure out what we’re going to feed those girls.”

“Feed them?”

“Yeah. We’re not going to let them starve.”

“Hell, what’s two hours?”

“Don’t be an ass,” Frankie snapped. “It’s not going to hurt us to get them something to eat. Didn’t we pass by a fast-food joint on the way down here?”

“Yeah, a McDonald’s. Goes to prove that there’s one of those in every corner of the world.”

“Okay, so we pick up a couple of Happy Meals. Kids love those things, right?”

“Fine,” Nicholas acquiesced.

Frankie’s gaze followed his cousin’s retreating figure as he headed to the adjoining room. What he wouldn’t give to be able to place a bullet in the hotheaded lout, but Frankie knew better. Nicholas might have a bad temper, but his young cousin could draw and shoot faster than Frankie. He had no illusions about that.

Nicholas clicked the light on in the other room, then shouted a long stream of obscenities.

“What is it?” Frankie rushed to join him. When he reached the door he blinked several times in surprise. “Where are they?”

“Beats the hell out of me.” He ran to the bathroom, then out again. “They’re not in there.”

Simultaneously, the men’s eyes flew to the high jousting windows across the room. Despite the fact that the panels opened and closed at an odd slant, it was the only logical way the girls could have escaped.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Frankie muttered, and had a hard time preventing a smile from tilting up the corners of his lips.

Julia retrieved her gun and extra ammunition, then joined Carson outside of the Georgia Inn.

“What did you go get?” he asked once they were in his truck.

Julia lifted a corner of her shirt and revealed the .357 Magnum.

Carson blinked, then stared at her. “You don’t strike me as the gun type. You know how to use that thing?”

“I took lessons.” She pulled her shirt back down. “Since we don’t know what we’re running into, I figured we should be prepared for anything.”

Carson started up the truck and drove to his shop.

“What are we doing here?”

Carson hopped out and spoke to her through the rolled-down windows. “I don’t think that you should be the only one armed. Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”

She gave him a slight smile and nodded.

Carson dashed into his shop and nearly tripped over the toolbox he’d left on the floor of the shop. Quickly, he picked it up and placed it on the open-hooded Impala before he rushed into his office.

He stopped in surprise.

Sheri Higginbotham smiled timidly. “Hello, Carson.”

It took a moment before he found his voice. “Sheri, what are you doing here?”

“I was hoping to find you here.”

“I thought you were in Atlanta.”

“I was—until I discovered a few things about Julia I thought you should know.”

Suddenly Sheri’s motivation was clear. “So you rushed back here to warn me.”

Sheri’s smile faded. “You already know.”

“A lot has happened since you’ve been away.”

“I see.” Her gaze lowered. “And you still love her?”

Carson hated what he had to do and wished there were some other way for him to handle this. “Yes. I do.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, but it was useless in preventing the tears from streaming down her face. “I see,” was all she managed to say. “Then I wish you two the best.” Sheri moved past him and out the office door.

Carson closed his eyes, not proud of what had just transpired. He turned to follow her. “Sheri.”

She stopped next to the Impala. When she turned, her hand knocked the toolbox over and sent a pile of tools down into the engine.

The racket it caused made them both flinch.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’ve got to go.”

“Sheri, wait.”

She shook her head and raced out of the shop.

“Way to go, Carson,” he said under his breath. He moved over to the Impala and grabbed the toolbox and started picking up the tools.

“Carson?” Julia called out.

“Over here,” he called, rushing to finish gathering everything.

“I just saw Sheri.”

He nodded. “She’s a little upset right now.”

Julia knelt beside him and helped with the tools. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, but I just hurt a friend.”

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“No. I’m sure when she calms down, we can talk more about it. I just…” Carson frowned, then looked down into the Impala. “What’s this?”

“What?”

He removed the air filter, then pried out a screwdriver that had wedged itself down into the carburetor. But something else was stuck there. “This is odd.” It took a moment, but he was finally able to pull out a lumpy sack.

“Well, this would definitely keep your car from working.”

“What is it?”

He shook his head and unwrapped the strings that closed the sack. When he did, they both drew a sharp breath, then whispered, “The diamonds.”

Robin led Bobbi down a path that seemed to go on forever. Both of them were surprised that it had been so easy to escape the hotel without getting caught, but neither was ready to express her glee just yet. They wanted to get as far away from the hotel as they could first.

“Are you sure we’re not lost?” Robin asked, rubbing her wrist where the rope had once bound them.

“Of course not,” Bobbi huffed irritably. “It’s just a little farther down the road. We’re going the back way so that the bad guys can’t find us. Mr. Wilkins is an old friend of my grandpa’s. He’ll make sure we get back home.”

The girls continued to walk.

“Were you scared?” Robin finally chanced asking.

Bobbi looked at her, then confessed, “Of course I was. But I couldn’t just let them grab you like that. I had to do something. We’re sisters.”

Robin smiled. “Thanks. I’m glad you did. I’m also glad that you and Stanley used to play Houdini.”

Bobbi laughed. “It’ll take more than rope to hold me. Can you imagine those men’s faces when they discover we’re gone?”

Robin glanced over her shoulder. She didn’t find the scenario funny at all. “Maybe we should go a little faster.”

They broke through a small clearing, and a row of houses came into view.

Bobbi pointed at a brown house with a silver roof. “There. That’s Henry Wilkins’s house.”

Tony and his men arrived in Shiloh in record time and had no problems locating the abandoned warehouse Frankie had told Regis about. It looked as though everything was falling into place. However, they still didn’t know who their leak was in the Bureau. And because of that, Tony made sure he kept up his guard.

“It’s six-thirty,” Virginia announced, looking at her watch; then she glanced over at Tony. “If we’re going to get our guys in position, we need to get them in there now, before the kidnappers get here.”

Tony nodded and prayed that they would have enough time to set up. “Okay, get everyone into position.”

“Are we sure that we’re dealing with just two of them?” Virginia asked as an afterthought.

“That’s what the boss says.” He took in Virginia’s troubled expression. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “It just seems a little too easy, if you ask me.”

“You don’t like easy?”

“Easy makes me nervous,” she admitted.

“That makes two of us.”

Henry and Connie were surprised and elated when Bobbi and Robin showed up at their back door. Henry rushed to call Carson while his wife busied herself trying to get the girls something to eat.

Lilly answered the phone at the Georgia Inn, then cried in relief when he told her that Bobbi and her friend were safe and sound at their house. Since Carson wasn’t at the inn, Henry quickly called the shop. He was disappointed when no one answered the phone.

“I guess we’ll just sit tight until we can find him,” Henry concluded, then joined his wife in helping the girls get comfortable until their parents arrived to pick them up.

Paul hung up from his call to the New York field office, pleased with the news of Vinny Montello’s arrest. Of course, Montello was a long way from confessing his involvement, but Paul had satisfaction in making some headway on the case.

His cell phone rang again, and this time it was Tony on the other end. “Please tell me some good news.”

“We have everyone in position. There’s no sign of either the Montellos or Dr. Kelley and the mechanic. But we have time before the exchange.”

“What’s the bad news?”

“We haven’t been able to catch up with Dr. Kelley just yet. I have a funny feeling that she and this Webber fella are trying to take matters into their own hands on retrieving the children.”

“Okay, that definitely qualifies as bad news. Anything else?”

“Yeah, I just finished reading the faxed copy of the statement Dr. Kelley gave to Sheriff Benton down here. She supports Frankie’s claim that one of our guys killed David Mercer.”

Paul closed his eyes and clenched his jaw while he counted to ten. “Do you suspect anyone on your team?” he finally asked when he gained some control over his emotions.

“No, but hey, anything is possible.”

“I’m on my way down there. My cell phone should be out of range soon, so use the dispatch if you need to contact me again. You, on the other hand, watch your back.”

“Consider it done.” Tony ended the call and glanced casually over at Agent Virginia Jacobson across the way. He wondered absently if she could be the leak. Her wish to be a part of the team after Agent Newman’s death had seemed real enough.

But just as quickly, he forced the thought out of his mind.

Carson and Julia tried to devise a plan to get the girls back. Their best solution was to drop Carson off at a side road near the back of the warehouse to let him find a good hiding place somewhere within the building. If either of the kidnappers tried anything funny, he’d use the .38 he’d retrieved from his shop to protect them.

Both admitted it was a lousy plan, but it was the best they could do on such short notice.

“Having second thoughts about not involving the FBI or Sheriff Benton on this?” Carson asked.

“Second, third, a million—take your pick,” Julia replied with nervous humor.

Carson leaned over the seat of his truck and kissed her. “This is going to work,” he reassured her, then got out.

Julia slid behind the steering wheel while he shut the door. “Good luck,” she said.

He leaned through the open window and kissed her again. “You make sure that you come back to me.”

She smiled into his kind eyes. “I will. You do the same.”

They kissed again, then Carson turned away from the truck to trek up the back road.

At seven o’clock Frankie and Nicholas pulled into the parking lot at the side of the old warehouse.

“I don’t think that we’re going to be able to pull this off,” Frankie said with a firm shake of his head.

“We don’t have a choice,” Nicholas said, getting out of the car. “All we have to do is to make sure that she has the diamonds.” He looked up at the building. “Do you think that she’ll show up with the police?”

“I think she’s too scared to involved the police,” Frankie guessed, then glanced over at his cousin. “Are you ready to do this?”

“My father is going to be real pleased when we get those diamonds back. I bet the rest of the family will be ecstatic to welcome you back after this.”

Frankie gave him a half smile. “Yeah. I just bet they will.”

Nicholas opened his car door. “I’m going to go on inside and find a good hiding place inside the warehouse while you handle the exchange.”

“Are you forgetting that I don’t have anything to exchange?”

“Improvise.” Nicholas winked at him, then rushed into the building.

“Boss, someone just entered the warehouse,” Virginia said into her headpiece.

Tony nodded at the transmission he heard in the small earpiece he wore. “Did you get a good look at who it is?”

“Negative.”

Tony frowned. “I’ll get Pittman to go check it out.”

No sooner had Nicholas entered the warehouse than a stranger in the dark disarmed him, but his surprise faded at the sound of the stranger’s voice.

“You’ve got to get out of here,” the man said in a gruff voice. “This place is swarming with agents.”

“What? How did they know about the exchange?”

“An anonymous tip.”

“That’s bull. I picked this place out myself not more than a few hours ago. Did that doctor—”

“Shut up and listen. You need to walk out of here now and tell Frankie to call this whole thing off. Once the doctor gets here it’ll be too late.”

There was a beep in the agent’s ear, then he emitted a low curse. “Damn it, it’s too late. The doctor just pulled up.”

“What?”

“You’ve got to get out there and stop Frankie before it’s too late.” Agent Walt Pittman handed back Nicholas’s weapon, then watched as he raced back toward the warehouse’s side door.

When he turned to head in the opposite direction, he came face-to-face with Agent Tony Iaanelli.

Chapter 33

Tony and Walt drew their weapons at the same time and quickly developed a stalemate.

“So you’re the leak in the agency,” Tony said with a sad shake of his head.

Walt’s face flushed a bright red. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“You killed David and Eric Mercer?”

Walt allowed himself to smile. “It seemed like easy money. I just didn’t think it would get this complicated.”

“Was that what Agent Newman was—a complication?”

For a fleeting moment, regret flashed across Walt’s face. “Yes. We both responded to Dr. Kelley’s call. She had seen her husband’s face on some wanted poster and called in. It was Rodney’s idea to rendezvous at the mall. To tell you the truth, neither of us expected it to really be him, or for him to show at all. But instead Eric Mercer was there. Then I guess you can say I had an epiphany. I was well aware of the price Montello had on the Mercer brothers—dead or alive.”

“So you killed him.”

“Yes, but as you know, Eric got one good shot off. It was just unfortunate that Rodney was his victim. And since I had Dr. Kelley’s information, I decided to see if good old David was home. And he was.”

“So what the hell is all this about?”

“Montello still wanted the merchandise the brothers stole, so he sent some family members to retrieve it. He promised me a cut of the action. I took one look at my approaching pension and knew that it was the deal of a lifetime.”

Carson crept low as he listened to the two men’s exchange. Julia had been right about it being a crooked FBI agent who had murdered her husband. He reached a rickety crate and tried to get a good look at the two men. When he saw the men’s standoff position, he aimed his gun at the agent with the smug smile.

Tony shook his head. “You’re pathetic.”

“No. I’m rich—and you’re a dead man.” Walt fired his gun.

Tony dived, squeezing off a shot that he knew had missed its mark, but Walt’s bullet hit him solidly in his side and slammed him back against the wall. When he looked up, he saw Walt slumped against a steel pole with his hand pressed against his neck, trying in vain to stanch the blood gushing from it.

Julia had barely managed to get out of the truck when the sound of gunshots rattled her. “Carson,” she whispered, and her hand fluttered to her throat.

An Italian man who was just walking toward her from the other car jumped and glanced up at the warehouse, then rushed back to his car.

“Wait,” she shouted, clutching the sack of diamonds. “Where’s my daughter?”

Another Italian-looking man bolted from the warehouse door, and when his eyes fell on her, Julia saw, in what seemed like slow motion, his gun being raised toward her.

Instinctively, she turned back and dived for cover behind the truck. The sack she carried hit the pavement hard, and the diamonds burst from their confinement and scattered everywhere.

Bullets slammed into the truck, and with lightning speed, Julia retrieved her gun from her hip. She could hear the man cursing. He’d undoubtedly seen his precious diamonds everywhere now.

Suddenly it seemed as if there was gunfire everywhere, and Julia was too afraid to move from her hiding spot, but she swore that the first man who came around the truck would feel the sting of her Magnum.

As quickly as the gunfire had begun, it ended, and when she finally chanced a peek around the truck, she saw the Italian who had fired at her sprawled a few feet from the truck, the other Italian standing over him with a smug smile.

Shortly after that, a small team of men wearing jackets with large lettering identifying them as FBI agents surrounded the man still on his feet and led him away in handcuffs.

“Wait.” She stood from behind the truck. “What about my daughter?” she hollered out to him, but she received no answer.

“Are you Dr. Julia Kelley?”

Julia turned toward the feminine voice. A kind-faced female agent smiled at her. “Yes.”

“Hello, I’m Agent Virginia Jacobson. Can you come with me? We need to ask you a few questions.”

“But that man has my daughter.”

“Yes, ma’am. We know. Can you come with me?”

Julia glanced around, wanting desperately to get over to the Italian and demand Robin and Bobbi.

“Please,” the woman added gently.

Julia hesitated a moment longer, then allowed the agent to steer her into the warehouse. The moment she entered the building she saw Carson talking to another agent.

She pulled away from Agent Jacobson and rushed over to Carson with tears streaming down her face.

Carson opened his arms and Julia buried her head against his chest. “Our babies,” she murmured repeatedly. Her grief swept through her like a wildfire, and her tears drowned out all words of comfort that Carson mumbled against her ear.

When Lilly received Henry’s call about the girls, she’d quickly called Sheriff Benton. Sheriff Benton had then called the FBI’s Atlanta field office and talked to the agent in charge, Jonathan Mason. Mason had then reached Regis through dispatch.

Paul, startled by the turn of events, made sure his first stop in Shiloh was Henry and Connie Wilkins’ home. Once there, he retrieved the two girls and headed over to the warehouse, where the sting operation should have now been over.

But when he caught sight of the paramedics, Paul’s heart dropped a few notches.

Carson led Julia’s pliant body out of the warehouse and ignored all the agents who tried to interview him or Julia. They needed a moment alone to try to regroup. The fact that their daughters hadn’t been brought there by the kidnappers didn’t necessarily mean bad news, he kept saying. And he fought like hell to believe his own words.

Robin grabbed Bobbi’s hand. “Look, there are our parents.”

They turned excitedly toward the agent who had brought them. “Can we get out of the car?”

He smiled. “Of course you can.” He quickly got out and walked around the car to open their door.

“Mommy,” Robin shouted.

“Daddy,” Bobbi shouted in unison.

Julia’s and Carson’s heads snapped up and turned in the direction of their daughters.

“Oh, my God,” Julia murmured, then clasped her hand over her mouth.

Robin and Bobbi ran toward them while Carson and Julia sprinted to meet them halfway.

Each of the parents accepted their child into their arms and then switched to hug the other. Tears flowed freely, kisses were spread abundantly, and love bonded them together.

“It’s over,” Julia murmured against Robin’s hair. “It’s finally over.”

Epilogue

The morning of his daughter’s wedding, Paul fretted over his appearance in the mirror. “I hate this darn thing,” he exclaimed. He wrestled with his tie with trembling hands, convinced that, no matter what, it remained crooked.

Through it all, he tried not to think about the hundred and fifty-plus guests he had to receive in less than—he looked at his watch—twenty minutes. A fresh line of sweat dotted along his brow. Where had the morning gone?

“I’d better get going,” he mumbled in frustration. After another quick glance in the mirror, he decided he still didn’t like the way his tuxedo fit—it was a bit too snug around his arms.

Disgusted, he rushed out of his room. The church was at least thirty minutes away, and here he was pussyfooting around.

“Where are my keys?” he muttered, checking the pockets of his suit with no luck. He made a quick, mad search around the house and grew even more frustrated.

He searched his pockets again and they miraculously materialized with a jingle. He swore under his breath, then raced out of the house.

Another miracle occurred when he actually made the thirty-minute drive in fifteen. He made it to the doors of the church in time to receive the first guest, and he actually had to blink in surprise. “Virginia?”

Virginia smiled, then fixed his errant tie with the ease of an expert.

Paul blushed. “Th-thank you. I guess I was in a little bit of a hurry.”

“No need to thank me.” Her smile widened. “You know, had I not been here to witness this for myself, I would never have believed that the calm, cool and collected Agent Regis could be nervous about anything.”

“I’ve been nervous about plenty of things before now.”

“So the rumor is true. You’re human after all.” She winked, then moved along into the church, with Penny following demurely after her.

His gaze trailed after her. She was something else. They had shared lunch twice in the past week, and he was thrilled that she’d accepted an invitation to dinner in the coming week.

He turned at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. An older Italian gentleman with similar features to Tony climbed the stairs and extended his hand.

“You must be the father of the bride,” the man said with a widening smile.

“That would be me,” Paul answered good-naturedly.

“Name is Antonio Iaanelli, Senior. Tony’s father.”

“Nice to finally meet you.” He gave the man’s hand one good pump.

“Likewise. My wife and I flew in from New York last night. I believe she’s still somewhere helping your daughter get ready. Maybe I’ll get the chance to introduce you to her after the ceremony.”

“I look forward to it.” They stood facing each other during an awkward silence before Antonio said. “Nervous?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Afraid so. But I understand. I gave away my only daughter, Danielle, last year. The experience nearly killed me.”

“It’s hard letting little girls go.”

“Yes, it is. But that wasn’t what nearly killed me.”

Paul’s face split with a knowing smile “The bills.”

Antonio bobbed his head. “Weddings nowadays are highway robbery. Why, my wife and I spent less than three hundred dollars on our wedding. And mind you, that included the ring.”

The men laughed.

“Well, it was nice meeting you. Welcome to the Iaanelli family. Hopefully I’ll catch up with you at the reception.”

Paul nodded enthusiastically. “I hope so.”

A few minutes later Tony arrived and helped welcome more of the guests.

Paul noticed how stiff and mechanical Tony appeared next to him. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Wonderful. I’m just glad this day has finally arrived.”

“You almost missed it.”

“I almost missed a lot of things. Thank God for bulletproof vests.”

“And Carson Webber,” Paul added.

“Definitely Carson Webber.”

Paul smiled. “At least we finally have Vinny Montello off the streets. Frankie is in protective custody until the trial, then we’ll look to place him somewhere permanently.”

“Think he’ll stay retired this time?”

“I don’t think he really has a choice.”

They shared a brief laugh.

“You know what is still bothering me? How do you suppose that David Mercer knew his wife would take the ’62 Impala with the diamonds?”

Paul shook his head. “I don’t think he did. I think he was just telling Pittman that his ex-wife had the diamonds as a way to stall for more time. It was probably just a coincidence that she actually drove off with the Montellos prized diamonds.” He shrugged. “So, are you nervous?”

“About as much as you are,” Tony countered.

Paul laughed and pounded his son-in-law-to-be on the back. “You know, I think today is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship between you and me.”

Tony held Paul’s gaze as if assessing his sincerity, then happily replied, “I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”

Julia parked her new Ford Ranger in the driveway of her new home. Her smile grew even wider as she looked over at Robin. “So what do you think?”

Robin, already pushing the side door open, flashed an equally large smile back at her. “I love it.”

“That makes two of us,” Julia said, pulling off her seat belt and stepping out of the car.

Her daughter raced up the porch stairs, but before she could open the door, it opened and Bobbi greeted her new sister with a squeal. Champ danced excitedly around them.

“I thought you guys would never get here.” She looked out at Julia and waved. “Hey, Mom. Come and see what color I picked out for our room.”

Julia laughed. “You two go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

“All right. Come on, Robin. Wait until you see.”

The girls rushed inside the house in a flurry of excitement.

“I hope you realize we’re going to have our hands full with those two,” Carson said from behind Julia.

She jumped, startled that she hadn’t heard him approach. Before she could reprimand him for it, he leaned down and covered her lips with a hungry kiss.

“What took you so long, Mrs. Webber? I missed you.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” she answered with a wink. “Have the carpenters been here yet?”

“Nope, but I’m expecting them any minute. Oh, before I forget, Stacy called. She’s still bouncing off the walls since we bought the house from her.”

“I’ll call her back later.”

“Did you get over to Jerry’s place to sign the lease for your new office?”

She reached inside the truck and withdrew her briefcase. “Yep. You’re looking at Moreland’s newest physician.”

“Dr. Lockhart won’t be too thrilled, I can tell you that.”

“I thought Lilly said he was retiring?”

Carson shrugged. “Dr. Lockhart has been saying that he was retiring since I was in junior high.”

“Well, I hope he doesn’t think that I’m trying to run him out of town.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Carson returned his attention to the bright candy-apple-red truck. “Are these your new wheels?”

“Yeah.” She slid her arms around his waist. “Do you like it?”

“It’s nice. I just never figured you for the pickup-truck kind of girl.”

“I guess you figured me wrong.”

A car horn blared and the couple turned to see Lilly and her husband pull up behind them.

When Lilly got out of the car, she carried a cake plate in her hands.

Julia walked over to her new sister-in-law and gave her a fierce hug. “What are you doing here?”

“I brought you a little something to celebrate your new home.”

“Is there any occasion that you don’t bake for?”

“Of course not. I am a Southerner, you know. Besides, it’s Carson’s favorite.”

“Carrot cake?” he asked, reaching for it.

“Nothing but the best for my brother.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You must want something.”

“That’s a low blow. Can’t I just do something nice for my brother without it meaning that I want something?”

This time Julia’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right. She wants something.”

“It’s nothing big or anything. I just need you to check out some wiring in the house.”

Carson winked. “You got it.” He turned to Julia. “I’m going to put this in the kitchen.”

She nodded and kissed him before he left.

“Here. I’ll help you,” Rick said.

Lilly and Julia watched as they ascended the porch stairs.

“It sure is nice to see my brother so happy,” Lilly said. “Thank you.”

Julia faced her. “There’s no need to thank me. Carson makes me happy as well.”

“So what you’re saying is that I was right about you two?”

“It’s not nice to gloat.”

Lilly shrugged. “Fine with me if you can’t admit I was right and you were wrong. My job as Cupid has its own rewards.”

Julia shook her head. “All right, all right. You were right and I was wrong. Are you happy?”

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

They laughed; then Lilly’s face grew serious. “If I didn’t get the chance to tell you before, I want to tell you now that I am ecstatic to have you as a part of our family.”

“Thank you. I think Robin and I fell in love with the Webbers the moment we arrived. Thanks for having us.”

“I want you to know that I finally fixed Sheri Higginbotham up with Pierce Taylor.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. They are perfect for each other. You just mark my words.”

Julia laughed.

From around the bend, little Stanley appeared, wearing the widest lopsided grin Julia had ever seen.

“Good afternoon, Stanley.”

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Webber. Is Bobbi home?”

“She sure is. Are you guys going to play ball this afternoon?”

“Nah. I just figured I’d come over and hang out with her. No particular reason.”

Julia gave him a knowing smile. “I think she’ll like that very much.”

He flushed, then sprinted into the house.

“Honey?” Carson called from the porch. “Mom and Pop are on the phone. They want to know if we’re coming over for dinner.”

“Tell them we’d love to.” She shook her head at the slice of cake Carson carried on a saucer. “I swear, I don’t know where he puts all that food.”

“Ah, you know what he always says.”

“He’s a growing boy.”

“Let me help you with some of these boxes you’ve got here.” Lilly grabbed the first box from the cab of the truck.

Julia plucked up one of the boxes as well and followed close behind her. She glanced again at her new home—her new life—and smiled.

She thought about David, the Montellos, and the FBI, and marveled at what she had had to go through to reach her destiny. And she held no doubts that this place was, indeed, her destiny.

This was her third attempt at love, her third attempt at happily ever after, and this time she had a feeling she’d finally gotten it right.

SURRENDER TO LOVE

ISBN: 978-1-4268-4972-5

© 2002 by Adrianne Byrd

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