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Elastic Heart: (The Happy Endings Resort Book 6)

Page 8

by Evelyne Stone


  Five years. My eyes drifted to the middle of the lake. I listened closely. I waited a beat until the night’s silence morphed into our familiar melody, the one we both knew so well. I hummed along with her voice singing the words we penned so long ago in my head.

  Sister, Sister, hold me near.

  I waited, although the thing I had been longing for after all of this time would never come. I knew this, but I waited still. The one piece of my cracked open heart was much too far to reach. The only thing to stop me from running away from my reality was that I’d never see her crystal blue eyes again. Living was all I could do.

  Sister, sister, have no fear.

  My truth lives there, smack dab in the middle of the lake, right alongside the echo of her sweet voice. I stared in disbelief at the place where the muddied water met the dry unkempt land on the other side.

  As a distraction, I closed my eyes, as I always did when I desperately needed to remember her. It stopped my mind from going to the dark place. Instead, I was instantly transported back in time. It was the summer of 2010, our last summer together. The scent of barbecue surrounded me and I breathed it in deeply. In my head, my safe place, Caitlyn was standing right beside me. I reached my hand out and imagined holding hers, our fingers intertwined. I breathe a sigh of relief. In the safey of my mind, I wasn’t with Caitlyn in death anymore. Behind my eyelids, our lives were still being lived out under the sun and deep within our hearts. Memories, my real-life time travel, always kept her alive.

  Sister, sister, I’m always here.

  A hot tear rolled fast down my cheek. My daydreams both comforted me and caused me terrible pain. There was no relief in the loss I felt, not even in her memory, as much as I tried to fool myself.

  All of these years I have waited for her killer to be identified and apprehended. I prayed he would be locked up so he would never hurt another person again. For me, however, it wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing would bring Caitlyn back.

  Oh, my sister, I love you, Dear.

  I responded to my memory aloud. “I love you more.”

  It had been five years since Caitlyn was brutally murdered and left for dead in the lake behind our cabin at Happy Endings Resort, our sacred place. Yet, it felt as if no time had passed at all. Until her killer was found, I’d never be able to move on and she would never be able to rest in peace.

  I uncorked the chilled Sauvignon Blanc and slowly poured it into my souvenir glass from the first annual music festival dubbed, “Caitlyn’s Concert” in 2010. As I drank down the perfect white wine, I knew exactly who would force me into closure. After five years, it was time for an in-person reunion.

  Happy Endings Resort Series

  The Happy Endings Resort Series FB Page

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Happy-Endings-Resort-Series/793762117371160

  Find each HERS book listed on Goodreads

  https://www.goodreads.com/series/147104-happy-endings-resort

  Book 1: The Inheritance by: Jennifer Benson

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Happy-Endings-Resort-Book-ebook/dp/B00TXVMOL0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437264204&sr=1-1&keywords=happy+endings+resort+series&pebp=1437264213684&perid=0ST3THW7RBF9RNTWDPGC

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Benson-Author/245003878989266

  Book 2: Anywhere With You by: Danielle Jamie

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-You-Novella-Endings-Resort-ebook/dp/B00VH7FWLC/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437264204&sr=1-2&keywords=happy+endings+resort+series&pebp=1437264346048&perid=0ST3THW7RBF9RNTWDPGC

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDanielleJamie

  Book 3: Drunk on You by: Glenna Maynard

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Happy-Endings-Resort-Book-ebook/dp/B00VXYTTHC/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437264204&sr=1-4&keywords=happy+endings+resort+series&pebp=1437264456443&perid=0ST3THW7RBF9RNTWDPGC

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGlennaMaynard

  Book 4: Finding Us by: T.H. Snyder

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Happy-Endings-Resort-Book-ebook/dp/B00YAQV464/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437264204&sr=1-3&keywords=happy+endings+resort+series&pebp=1437264546686&perid=0ST3THW7RBF9RNTWDPGC

  https://www.facebook.com/authorthsnyder

  Book 5: Summer Maintenance by: Jennifer Foor

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Maintenance-Happy-Ending-Resort-ebook/dp/B010E4UZXS/ref=sr_1_sc_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1437264664&sr=1-5-spell&keywords=jennifer+floor

  https://www.facebook.com/JenniferFoorAuthor

  Book 6: Elastic Heart by: Evelyne Stone

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evelyne-Stone/434966173278127

  End of August 2015

  Kristina Rienzi

  https://www.facebook.com/KristinaRienziAuthor

  End of September 2015

  Jenn Braddock

  https://www.facebook.com/JennBraddockAuthor

  End of October 2015

  M. Stratton

  https://www.facebook.com/MLStrattonAuthor

  End of November 2015

  Lisa Survillas

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLIsaSurvillas

  End of December 2015

  Antoinette Candela

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antoinette-Candela-Author/338524812920607

  End of January 2016

  Liv Morris

  https://www.facebook.com/LivMorrisAuthor

  End of February 2016

  Heather Dahlgren

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherDahlgren

  End of March 2016

  Kari March

  https://www.facebook.com/karimarchauthor

  End of April 2016

  Renee Ericson

  https://www.facebook.com/ericsonrenee

  End of May 2016

  Chelle C. Craze

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelleCCraze

  End of June 2016

  Andrea Michelle

  https://www.facebook.com/booksbyandreamichelle

  End of July 2016

  JL Beck

  https://www.facebook.com/Jo.L.Beck

  End of August 2016

  N.m. Silber

  https://www.facebook.com/NMSilber

  End of September 2016

  Neeny Boucher

  https://www.facebook.com/authorneeny.boucher

  End of October 2016

  Scarlett Dawn

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorScarlettDawn

  End of November 2016

  Heather Gunter

  https://www.facebook.com/Author.HeatherGunter

  End of December 2016

  Brandy Lynn

  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBrandyLynn

  End of January 2017

  Isabella Bearden

  https://www.facebook.com/isabellabeardenauthor

  End of February 2017

  Nickie Seidler

  https://www.facebook.com/Author.Nickie.Seidler/

  Elastic Heart

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via 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.

  Elastic Heart is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Also by Evelyne Stone:

  Destroying the Wrong (Book 1 in the Wrong Series)

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Destroying-Wrong-
Book-1-ebook/dp/B00FE68RB4/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

  Denying the Wrong (Book 2 in the Wrong Series)

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Denying-Wrong-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00NUSWD68

  Contact the author via

  Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evelyne-Stone/434966173278127

  Twitter: @evelynestone78

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7106623.Evelyne_Stone

  Acknowledgments

  Kimberly Brancatelli, you are so patient and kind. I love you and can’t wait to work on the next one with you!

  Bryan Miller, I hit the jackpot when I found you for proofreading!

  Jennifer Short Benson, you are an amazing friend! Thank you for organizing this series. It’s been so much fun and I can’t wait to work on another project with you!

  Michele Stratton, you and I go together better than peanut butter and jelly. You know my love for you is never ending.

  Chelle Craze, my crazy ass friend, you know exactly what to say and when to say it...I love you. And, thank you for finally making me an aunt!

  My parents have loved and supported me my whole life. I love you both more than you’ll ever know.

  My kids: Eric, Julianne, Trinity and Abygail. Every day I love you more. Thank you for putting up with my time on the computer and the many nights I didn’t cook.

  Last, but not least, my better half, Steven. You never let me give up and I am forever grateful. I love you so much.

 

 

 


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