Listen to Your Heart

by Becky Harmon

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  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Other Books by Becky Harmon

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Bella Books

  Synopsis

  Attorney Jemini Rivers never planned to return to her childhood home in Riverview, the town that bears her family name. Being called back to deal with the house and property left to her after the death of her grandmother brings all the feelings of hurt and betrayal she had spent years pushing aside. She stopped caring about the people and the town long before she even became an adult.

  Deputy Steph Williams grew up in Riverview and has given her heart and soul to the people and the town. She wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else. She also gave up on the hope that Jemini would return many, many years ago…or did she?

  Copyright © 2018 by Becky Harmon

  Bella Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  First Bella Books Edition 2018

  eBook released 2018

  Editor: Medora MacDougall

  Cover Designer: Judith Fellows

  ISBN: 978-1-59493-594-7

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Other Bella Books by Becky Harmon

  Tangled Mark

  New Additions

  Illegal Contact

  Acknowledgments

  As always my first thanks has to go to Linda and Jessica Hill. Without them there would be no Bella Books. I love my Bella family. Each and every author at Bella makes us better and better.

  A big thanks has to go to all the folks that work behind the scenes at Bella. The amount of work that goes into creating each title is mind-blowing and you guys do it to perfection. And, of course, a big thanks to Kathy for another perfect title.

  To Medora MacDougall, editor extraordinaire, you continually amaze me. Your encouragement and knowledge bring out the best in every story you touch. Thank you for making this book another one we can both be proud of.

  Thank you, Judy Fellows, for making the cover reflect an insight to the story behind it. The cover is the first thing everyone sees and you always make us look good.

  The biggest thanks goes out to all the readers who take a chance each time they pick up one of my titles. Without you, I would be only entertaining myself and that would be very lonely.

  About the Author

  Becky Harmon was born and raised just south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Though she considers herself to be a Northerner, she moved south in search of warmth. Romance has always been her first love, and when she’s not writing it, she’s reading it. Her previously published works, Tangled Mark, New Additions, and Illegal Contact, are available from Bella Books. You can reach Becky at beckyharmon2015@yahoo.com.

  Dedication

  For DB

  I’m listening to my heart

  Chapter One

  Deputy Steph Williams unsnapped the holster on her hip as she slid from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department cruiser. Using her flashlight, she peered into the windows of the empty car, looking for any identification or illegal items. The black Mercedes with Tennessee plates was too nice to have been abandoned, but she didn’t see any obvious signs that it was disabled. The radio at her belt crackled as the dispatcher identified the owner of the vehicle.

  “Jemini Rivers.” Steph shook her head, repeating the name through gritted teeth and lamenting her decision to help out a coworker by working uniformed patrol. She wouldn’t have thought that Jemini would have the courage to return to Riverview, but apparently money still spoke to some people. It had been barely two weeks since Dorothy Rivers had passed away, and Steph’s anger at Jemini for never visiting her aging grandmother was stronger than ever. She slapped the roof of the car, reminding herself that it was her responsibility nevertheless to make sure she was not in danger. “Talk about no good deed going unpunished.”

  After making sure the Mercedes was secure, she returned to her cruiser. The closest town, Riverview, was several miles away. It seemed unlikely Jemini would have walked in that direction. Steph was fairly sure she knew where she would find her. Clearing the scene with dispatch, she made a U-turn and headed for Lake View Resort. The entrance gate there was secured at dark, but she knew the owner, Cassie Thomas, wouldn’t turn away a stranded traveler especially if she had an empty cabin.

  Steph shoved the turn signal a little harder than necessary as she slowed at the entrance to the resort. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened as she thought about coming face-to-face with Jemini Rivers. Each year on Dorothy’s birthday, Steph had begged her to go to dinner or a movie, but Dorothy had always refused. Instead they sat on the porch and waited for her granddaughter to visit. She never came, shattering Dorothy’s heart on more occasions than Steph could count and leaving her to try to ease the disappointment of her neighbor and surrogate grandmother. She pushed her anger and frustration to the back of her mind. Tonight, she needed to do her job. Later she could replay the emotional turmoil of the last twenty years.

  * * *

  Jemini entered the Lake View Resort office and smiled at the woman behind the counter. Her shoulder-length, light brown hair was pulled away from her face with a barrette on each side. Clad comfortably in casual gray sweatpants and a rumpled blue T-shirt, she looked like she had been settled in for the evening. Jemini felt bad for disturbing her.

  “Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure what to do. My cell phone battery was dead, and I didn’t realize I was traveling without the charger until my car died. I wasn’t sure how far I was from town, but I knew it was an easy walk back to your entrance.”

  “No problem.” The woman smiled. “I’m Kathleen. We’re happy to help and we have an empty cabin. Just fill this out and we’ll get you settled in. I can call my son, Greg, to pick up your car in the morning. He works at the repair shop in town.”

  “That would be great,” Jemini said as she took the pen Kathleen offered and quickly filled in the registration form. She had been r
elieved to see the speaker box hanging beside the locked gate when she arrived at the entrance to the resort. Although she made several early morning visits to the gym each week, she was fairly sure Riverview was farther than she would have liked to walk in the dark.

  Handing Kathleen the form and her credit card, she glanced around the small office. Two large cushioned chairs sat facing each other in the corner, and a Keurig coffeemaker with several racks of refills held the place of honor in the opposite corner. Adorning the walls were beach and forest photos framed in chestnut wood to match the office counter.

  “Cassie should be finished with your cabin. Here’s your key.” Kathleen pointed out the window away from the main road. “Your cabin is the second one on the right. Make yourself at home and call us if you need anything.”

  “Great! Thanks, again.” She stepped onto the porch and closed the office door behind her. Turning at the sound of an approaching vehicle, she was surprised to find a sheriff’s department cruiser pulling to a stop in front of her.

  The attractive woman who stepped from the cruiser was even more surprising, stopping Jemini in her tracks. Blond hair pulled back in a tight ponytail revealed high cheekbones and expressive blue eyes. As she stepped into the light spilling out from the office, her eyes settled on Jemini and their coldness penetrated her to the core. Jemini kept her voice friendly, even though it was hard not to feel wary at the reaction she was getting.

  “Good evening, Deputy.”

  “Ms. Rivers?”

  “Yes, I am. Is something wrong?”

  Startled by the flash of anger in the deputy’s eyes, she forced herself to wait for a response to her question, her mind racing to find an explanation for the hostility. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, not that that was always enough nowadays.

  The deputy’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I found your car.”

  “O-kay.” Jemini broke the word into several syllables, almost making it a question. She wasn’t sure if she should continue talking, but it seemed like the deputy was waiting for an explanation. “The engine died. I had to leave it. I’ve already arranged for it to be towed first thing in the morning.”

  “But why are you here?” the deputy demanded.

  “What?” Frowning, she took a step closer to the uniformed woman. Could she possibly not have heard her explanation? “My car broke down. I’ll have it towed in the morning.”

  The hum of a golf cart interrupted their conversation as it pulled to a stop in front them. The woman driving it was dressed comfortably, like Kathleen inside, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. The only inconsistency was her left foot resting loosely on the edge of the cart, which was covered in brown work boots. Her dark hair hung just above her shoulders, moving when she did. It was parted on the side and fell across her eyes as she studied them.

  “Hi. I’m Cassie,” the woman said with a soft friendly voice, giving the deputy a strange look before asking. “Is everything okay?”

  Jemini was relieved to see the harshness fade from the deputy’s face as her gaze focused on Cassie. She left the officer to answer the question. She wasn’t sure if everything was okay or not.

  “Sure, everything’s fine,” the deputy said gruffly.

  Cassie still seemed unsure; she gave the deputy a frown. “Hang out for a minute. I’m going to run Ms. Rivers over to her cabin and then I’ll be right back.”

  Jemini studied the deputy’s face to see if she would stop her from leaving. When there was no movement, she quickly climbed into the golf cart. Leaving this woman’s presence seemed like a good idea, especially since she didn’t know what she had done to get her so riled up.

  As soon as the cart pulled to a stop, Jemini stepped out. Turning, she pulled her briefcase and overnight bag from behind the seat and slowly met Cassie’s curious gaze.

  “Thank you for the ride and the room,” she said. She hoped she didn’t sound dismissive, but she really wanted to be alone. She was confused by the unpleasant interaction with the deputy, and she didn’t expect Cassie to be able to clear things up.

  “You’re welcome,” Cassie said hesitantly. “Is everything okay?”

  “Of course.”

  “I got the feeling I interrupted something. Did Steph upset you?”

  “Steph?” Jemini’s heart stopped. Stephanie? It couldn’t be.

  “Deputy Williams.”

  Stephanie Williams. “Oh, right,” Jemini spoke quickly, covering her shock. “She was just asking about my car.”

  She turned away from Cassie and climbed the stairs to the cabin. She couldn’t think with Cassie’s inquisitive stare on her. Although thinking was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. She’d barely arrived in Riverview, and she was already coming face-to-face with her past. Based on the reception she had received from Stephanie it was not going to be a pleasant homecoming.

  Remembering her manners, she turned after unlocking the door. “Thank you again. Good night.” Without waiting for a response, she closed the door and rested her head against it. Coming here had definitely been a mistake. With or without her car, she was leaving Riverview tomorrow.

  * * *

  Resting her head in her hands, Steph closed her eyes. This wasn’t the way she had imagined a meeting going between her and Jemini. She knew their childhood friendship was a thing of the past, but she would never have guessed that she would have trouble forming a sentence in her presence. After all, for twenty years she had been imagining all the things she would say to Jemini if she ever had the chance.

  No, things certainly had not gone the way she had planned. She had definitely not been prepared for the beautiful woman she had found herself standing face-to-face with. Jemini wasn’t the horrible monster she had always imagined she would be. The blue suit she wore looked freshly pressed despite the late hour and had been cut to mold the curves of her body. Short dark hair framed her face, setting off deep brown eyes that were several shades darker than her mocha skin.

  Steph remembered those eyes. Even as a child they could stop adults in their tracks. Steph had jokingly referred to it as her “lawyer look.” It was the look Jemini said she planned to use on opposing counsel when she became a famous attorney. Though Elaine Jones, a civil rights activist, was the hero Jemini’s mother had chosen for her to follow, it was really actress Phylicia Rashad, from an 80s television sitcom, who taught Jemini her look. Seeing Jemini now, Steph had no problem believing Jemini must have fulfilled her dream.

  In a flash, her anger was back, roaring in her ears. She fought the urge to go after Jemini and demand answers. She was so alive and vibrant and Dorothy was gone. It felt so unfair. Taking a deep breath, she stretched her legs out in front of her body. She watched the headlights on the golf cart as it came back toward her and she knew she had two choices: confess her feelings to the driver or leave. Cassie Thomas had already read more in her face than she would have liked to reveal. A one-time girlfriend, Cassie was now her best friend.

  “All right, spill it,” Cassie said with a nudge as she dropped down beside her on the steps.

  “Spill what?”

  “Let’s start with the look on your face and what it has to do with that woman.”

  Steph shrugged and stood. “I should get back to work.”

  “Wait a minute.” Cassie stood too. “We haven’t talked in weeks and you’re not going to blow me off. What’s going on with you? Do you know that woman?”

  “No, I don’t know her. Not really anyway.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “She’s Dorothy’s granddaughter.”

  Cassie sank back down onto the steps. “Oh, wow.”

  “Yeah.” Steph dropped beside her with a sigh. “Wow is right.”

  “What’s she doing here?”

  “I asked her the same question, but she didn’t answer. I guess she’s here for the reading of the will.”

  “That’s tomorrow afternoon, right?”

  “Yeah, at three.”

 
They sat in silence as the frogs around the nearby lake chirped their nightly tune. Her frustration faded with each moment that passed. She didn’t know how long it would take to get over her sadness at the loss of Dorothy, but she did know seeing Jemini again wasn’t helping.

  After a while, Cassie spoke softly, “Did you know she was so beautiful?”

  Steph shook her head. “She’s always been an ogre in my mind. Maybe with a few horns.”

  “And several extra eyes.”

  Their laughter died as the door opened behind them. Kathleen stepped onto the porch and handed each of them a mug of tea. “Hey, Steph,” she said as she ran her hand through the hair on Cassie’s head.

  Cassie stood. “Are you going to bed?”

  “I am.” Kathleen leaned in for a kiss. “Good night, Steph. It’s good to see you. Come by on Friday for the cookout if you can.”

  Steph watched the sappy look Cassie gave Kathleen as she disappeared back inside. She had never seen her this happy. The emptiness she felt at that realization surprised her. Two children, Greg and Chase, and a girlfriend had given Cassie an instant family. She didn’t want her life to be as complicated as Cassie’s had become as a result. She had always liked being alone, but lately…

  Cassie took a sip of her tea before speaking. “You should come Friday night.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Steph crossed to her cruiser and poured the tea into her travel mug. “You should get inside before Kathleen goes to bed without you.”

  Cassie smiled. “Yeah, I’m pretty lucky.”

  “Thrown into family life? I’m not sure I’d call that lucky.”

  She ducked her head, feeling her ears heat with embarrassment. The words she’d uttered sounded harsh, even to her own ears. She did believe Cassie was lucky to have Kathleen. But that didn’t mean her own life was missing something. She hated the maxim that everyone needed someone to complete them. She didn’t. Well, she was pretty sure she didn’t.