Widow's Secrets

by Shelley Shepard Gray

So why was she such a mess?

  “I don’t know if I have everything I ever wanted. I thought I did, but maybe I’m hard to please.”

  “You aren’t,” Angel pronounced. “Your trouble is that you’ve been living that life of Job.”

  Liana gaped at her. “Job, like in the Bible?”

  “Ah, yeah.” Angel folded her arms over her chest. “Here’s the thing, Liana. Job had a lot of trials and a grumpy wife. But he was also missing something really important. It was so important that he hardly survived.”

  “What was that?”

  “Hope, girl.” Angel looked at her carefully. “Don’t you know all about the group of threes?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Angel exhaled like she was a put-upon middle school teacher. “Liana, it goes like this. You can go through a lot and still survive. But you can only go about three weeks without food, three days without water, three minutes without air...and only three seconds without hope.”

  “Only three seconds without hope,” she echoed.

  “Good. You’re listening. Liana girl, you need to start looking at the future instead of the past. You need to grasp that hope and hold on tight.”

  “And if I do?” she asked, still afraid to believe that things could get brighter.

  Angel smiled sweetly. “If you do, then everything is going to be just fine.”

  Later, after the three of them had consumed almost the whole pie and cleaned her kitchen together, and then Liana had sent them on their way with promises of getting together soon... Liana finally reached out to two more of the people in her life whom she loved dearly.

  Keeping it simple, she texted Mason and told him that she’d finally like to take him up on his invitation to dinner.

  Then she gathered her courage and texted Kent. The message wasn’t long but it was to the point.

  I just want you to know that I love you.

  It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  And when her phone buzzed right back with responses from not just one of the men but both...she smiled.

  Mason had thrown out a couple of dates, which made her laugh.

  But Kent’s note? Well, it made everything in her life seem like it was going to be okay after all.

  I love you, too.

  Warmth and happiness infused her, feelings that were almost unfamiliar, they had been absent for so long.

  She’d found hope again. At last.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  One week later

  The ceremony had been short and with only a few members of the department present, but that had been by Kent’s request, not because his captain hadn’t considered his accomplishment to be noteworthy.

  But when Kent had stood next to Sergeant Crier in front of Captain Velasquez, he’d never been more proud, especially when he’d seen the look of joy in his father’s eyes.

  “Officer Olson, for your efforts to uncover the real story in the Billy Mann murder, and for closing the cold case in an efficient and thorough manner, I present to you this commendation.” He handed him a certificate in a small leather folder. “Thank you for a job well-done.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Kent said as he shook his hand.

  The captain said a few more words, but they were a blur to Kent. Though he was proud of his work, he wasn’t craving either the recognition of his captain or congratulatory words from men like Jackson and some of his other longtime coworkers.

  Actually, ever since he’d been sent down to the cold-case files, all he’d ever wanted was to get out of there. Until now. Now he was eager to get back to his desk and away from the politics that the rest of the precinct seemed to buzz with.

  After he spoke a few words to the captain, both his father and Sergeant Crier approached him.

  “Congratulations, Officer Olson,” his sergeant said. “It was a job well-done.”

  “I appreciate your help and patience with me, sir. Yours, too, Dad.”

  “I’m proud of you, son,” his father said as he shook his hand.

  “Thank you, Dad.”

  “Did I hear right that you have accepted Sergeant Crier’s offer?” Dad said with a grin.

  Sharing a look with Crier, Kent nodded. “You did. Within the year, I plan on being the sergeant in charge while this guy goes fishing every day.”

  “Some days that day can’t get here soon enough,” the sergeant grumbled.

  “Make that two of us,” his father announced. “I’ll be retiring at the end of the year, too.”

  “Dad, really?”

  “It’s time. Past time, really. I realized when I visited Joe and those guys the other day that a lot of time has passed. A lot of years. I’m ready to spend more time with your mother and relax more, especially since I’ve passed the baton on to my son.”

  Kent couldn’t believe it, but everything his father said made sense. “I’ll miss knowing that you’re here.”

  “Oh, I’ll still be there for you, Kent. But I promise you’re going to be just fine.” He rested his hand on Kent’s arm. “Better than that, I think.” Turning to the sergeant, he said, “We need to make plans to go out to the lake soon.”

  Crier grinned. “Those bass won’t stand a chance.”

  * * *

  Later that night Kent called Liana. Ever since she’d sent her text and he’d told her he loved her back, they were making strides in their relationship. They’d started seeing each other every couple of days and calling and texting several times a day.

  Liana had told him about Angel and Viv’s visit, along with the hours she’d spent with Mason. It looked like everyone was healing and moving forward.

  “So how did your painting go today?” he asked after they exchanged greetings.

  “It went.” She chuckled. “I worked at home for a couple of hours before going with Serena to deliver two of my paintings to a buyer’s home.”

  He smiled. She’d told him that delivering paintings was now one of her favorite things to do. “How did it go?”

  “You know what? It went great. We hung the canvases next to each other in their entryway. They looked amazing.”

  “I hope you took some pictures of them hanging up.”

  “I think I took one or two. Or maybe ten,” she teased. “I’ll show them to you next time we see each other. Now, tell me how your big awards ceremony was.”

  “It lasted all of ten minutes, but it was great. My dad was there, and Sergeant Crier, too. They seemed very pleased.”

  “It’s nice for your hard work to be recognized, Kent. I’m proud of you.”

  That meant a lot, especially given how much this case had cost her. “So when can I see you? Tomorrow?”

  “So soon? I’m planning to go to church and lunch with you and your parents on Sunday.”

  “Sunday isn’t soon enough. How about we spend tomorrow together? We’ll go for a walk on the bike trail.”

  “That sounds perfect, Kent.”

  Now that their plans were finalized he settled in to talk with her some more, which they did for the next hour, not a bit of it too serious or important. But that was what they’d needed, he realized. They needed time to simply get to know each other. Time to fill in all the gaps that the tumultuous beginning of their relationship hadn’t allowed them to explore.

  Time to fall in like the way they’d fallen in love.

  Chapter Thirty

  Two months later

  “What a difference two months makes,” Kent teased.

  Looking at her dark navy dress and matching handbag, Liana had to admit that she agreed completely. Two weeks ago Serena had called in a panic, asking if she would please, please attend another showing at Gallery One.

  Liana had hemmed and hawed a bit, but mainly out of habit. Now that she’d met a couple of her buyers
in person, Liana was starting to realize that she needed this connection to them as much as she needed her art. The buyers she’d met seemed to provide a link that she hadn’t even realized had been missing. Though she still painted her bold abstracts according to wherever her mood took her, she also would sometimes imagine how they’d look in a home or business. It made her feel as if her new profession wasn’t quite as solitary as she’d once believed it was.

  So of course she’d said yes to Serena. When she asked Kent if he wouldn’t mind attending another showing, he said he’d be happy to go...if she’d invite Viv, Gabe and Angel, as well.

  Of course, when she’d done that, Angel had insisted a fancy gallery party needed a fancy party dress. The two of them had ended up spending an afternoon at Kenwood Mall in Cincinnati, trying on dozens of gorgeous dresses. It had been so much fun, Liana had bought two dresses for herself and Angel’s dress, too. It made her so happy to be able to do something for the woman who had been so encouraging.

  Looking down at her navy dress, Liana had to admit that it was a giant step up from her previous waiter look.

  Returning her attention back to Kent, she said, “Sometimes, when I think of how blessed I am, I get a little dizzy. It’s just so hard to believe.”

  “Your career is pretty amazing, but you deserve all of your accolades. You work hard and you’re talented. I’m proud of you, honey.”

  “I wasn’t just talking about my art. I was talking about us.”

  “Well, in that case? You’re exactly right. We are blessed.” He reached down and kissed her brow. “Incredibly blessed.”

  She beamed at him, thinking how far they’d come over the past two months. They’d gone from texts, calls and occasional dates to trying to spend time with each other every day. Well, as much as Kent’s job allowed. He’d already solved another case and was now working on two more concurrently.

  She was learning how much solving these forgotten cases meant to him. He really felt as if he was making a difference in peoples’ lives. And, since she knew that to be true, she was as supportive as she could be.

  Yes, they really had gone a long way from being just friends to their status now as an official couple.

  “Here we are,” Kent said as he pulled into Gallery One’s parking lot. As he backed into the spot that Serena had left open for them, he pointed at the windows of the gallery. “And just like last time, your paintings look incredible.”

  “They really do.” Glancing through the large plate-glass windows, she saw five of her biggest paintings on one wall. And in the entryway was Roses Bloom, her pride and joy. Serena’s, too. Serena had cried when she’d seen it.

  After he helped her out of the car, he said, “So what have you decided to do? Chat or give a speech?”

  “Chat, of course. I might have come a long way, but I’m not ready to go crazy and start speaking in front of crowds!”

  He chuckled as he opened the door. “Maybe it’s time to go a little crazy,” he murmured.

  She turned to him with a puzzled frown. “What did you say?”

  “Turn around, Liana.”

  “What? Why?” she asked as he practically turned her body himself.

  Just as all of their friends appeared out of hiding in one fell swoop.

  “Surprise!” they chorused.

  Liana gasped as she placed her hand on her chest. “What in the world?” Her eyes darted from Kent’s parents to Viv, Gabe and Angel, to Jeanie and Mason to about a dozen of Kent’s friends and acquaintances from work.

  As they all started laughing from her shock, she reached for Kent’s hand. “What is going on?” she whispered.

  Grinning, he replied, “Well, it’s a party for your paintings, because you’ve been way too secretive about them all.”

  “Oh my gosh. Oh, I better go thank Serena!”

  “Hold on, Li. It’s um, also another type of party.”

  “What?” She was starting to realize that the whole room had gone quiet and everyone was staring at them. “Kent,” she whispered again, “what is going on?”

  He kissed her forehead. “Trust me?”

  “Always.”

  He knelt down on one knee. “Liana, you know how much I love you. You know how proud I am. You even know how I don’t care that practically all of your clothes are splattered with paint. You’ve changed my life and given me hope and a future. My only goal in life is to try to make you happy. Will you marry me?”

  Biting her lip, she nodded. “Oh yes.”

  He stood up, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Even though everyone was whistling and cheering, she closed her eyes and ignored them all as he deepened the kiss. All she cared about was this moment with Kent.

  “Come on, Kent. Let her breathe!” Mason called out.

  With everyone laughing, including both of them—though she was pretty sure her face would never stop being bright red—Kent linked his fingers in hers and turned so they could face everyone. All their friends and family and people who had been through some of their darkest days were now standing with them in the light.

  Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Kent said, “Everyone, please come say hi to my beautiful and talented fiancée, Liana.”

  When she heard the clapping, Liana felt a lump form in her throat. This time the clapping was for them and the happiness they’d found in spite of the greatest odds.

  And they were all clapping to celebrate the fact that happily-ever-afters really did still exist. For everyone.

  Even for Liana and Kent.

  * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Cold Case Manhunt by Jenna Night.

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  Cold Case Manhunt

  by Jenna Night

  ONE

  Bail bondswoman and bounty hunter Cassie Wheeler had already survived several storms in her life. This late-spring squall, complete with booming thunder, jagged lightning arcing across the night sky and pouring rain was not going to bother her. She wouldn’t allow it.

  She was driving her SUV along the eastern edge of Lake Bell in Stone River, Idaho, heading for home after spending the last three hours in a courtroom. Bryan Rogan, a former bail-jumping client who’d been recovered by Cassie and her team, had been on trial for selling weapons stolen from a national guard armory.

  Rogan was a thirty-year-old man with a string of increasingly violent crimes behind him, and he was known to associate with hardened criminals. The prosecutor had asked Cassie to testify to her interactions with Rogan when she’d apprehended him after he’d jumped bail. How he’d fired several rounds at her and screamed that was going to kill her. The intent of her testimony was to influence the sentence he ended up serving. The man was a danger to society. He needed to be put away for a while.

  Cassie had been happy to appear in court, ready to describe the events in detail. But, as sometimes happened, the court proceedings had not moved along as briskly as scheduled. She would need to go back tomorrow.

  Several of Rogan’s criminal buddies had sat in the courtroom, glaring at her in an obvious attempt to intimidate her. Cassie had not been impressed.

  Her phone rang and she glanced toward the screen in the dashboard. It was Leon Bragg. One of the bounty hunters who worked for her at Rock Solid Bail Bonds.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I just wanted to let you know that I personally saw Rogan get into the transport van,” Leon said in his signature deep drawl. “I followed him over to the county jail where the van drove into the sally port and the security door dropped down behind it.”

  Cassie felt a slight smile lif
t the corners of her lips. Leon was worried, so he thought she must be worried.

  “He’s on a no-bond hold thanks to his escape attempt. Since I didn’t put up a bond for him to appear in court this time, I’m not out any money if Rogan takes off again. Rock Solid Bail Bonds has no financial investment at all in him right now. So stop worrying, Mom.”

  Leon laughed, and the low rumbling sound coming through the speaker in Cassie’s SUV had the effect of a warm, relaxing bath, easing all the tense muscles that usually led to a slight headache and neck ache by the end of every working day. In a world gone awry, where so many things were not okay, Leon—who’d had her back more times than she could count—often made her feel like things could be okay. Even if just for a short while.

  Cassie gave herself a few seconds to enjoy the feeling before she made herself stop. Because Leon was her employee. And she believed in maintaining strong business ethics guidelines, which included a business owner not becoming romantically involved with an employee.

  And beyond that, Cassie wasn’t someone who should be involved in a romantic relationship, anyway. Her husband, Idaho State Trooper Jake Hollister, had been murdered five years ago. There’d been no known witnesses and minimal physical evidence left behind. The few leads that were developed had quickly turned into dead ends. The investigation had eventually become a cold case.

  Cassie thought about her husband’s murder several times a day, every single day. More so lately, after getting a hint of information that might be helpful in solving the case. Then again it might not pan out at all. She’d gotten her hopes up only to be disappointed before.

  “I know you want to make certain Rogan stays off the streets whether or not you have a financial interest,” Leon said, continuing the conversation he’d started. “I think we all feel that way.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Okay, I’m heading back to the office,” Leon said. “Harry and I both have some files we need to update, and then we’ll close everything up for the night.”