Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four)

by Kennedy Layne

  Gwen allowed his words to settle over her. For some reason, they soothed her remorse in a way she couldn’t explain.

  “I fulfilled the legacy, but I also used it to my advantage,” Gwen reluctantly admitted, cringing a bit at the harsh reality. “It sounds petty now, but growing up in a house full of brothers wasn’t always easy. My parents did their best to shelter me, my brothers took over that duty whenever I left the threshold of our house, and this small town that I truly love had a way of suffocating me back in the day.”

  Chad’s green eyes lightened a bit as recognition dawned on the direction she was taking this conversation. He nodded his understanding, yet he hadn’t been the one to leave all this behind in his rearview mirror.

  “Once again, we don’t see things as adults the same way we saw them as children.” Chad had poured himself a bit more whiskey and drained it immediately. Gwen was only halfway through drinking the potent brew. “You know that families are usually scattered all over the world. Phone calls, video calls, and texts keep us connected. It’s not like you cut off all communication with your family.”

  “I should have been here for her, Chad.”

  There. Gwen finally confessed to what was in her heart. She would have thought she’d be having this conversation with Mitch, but she’d never been able to get the words around the lump in her throat.

  “And you’re different from your brothers…how?” Chad wasn’t being accusatory. The tilt of his head told her he really wanted to hear her response. “Didn’t you just get done saying that you didn’t appreciate being treated differently when you were younger? Why should you get to be different now?”

  “That’s just nonsense psychology,” Gwen said with a laugh, admiring that he wasn’t allowing her to wallow in self-pity. Her laugh faded quickly. “All of my brothers were still in the service. They had an obligation. I’ve been out for years, checking off those boxes I’d mentioned earlier when I could have been here.”

  Gwen didn’t have to add on that she could have been here spending more precious time with her mother. When the cancer diagnosis came down, they’d all heard the word…but accepting that fate had been harder to accomplish.

  “Creating those mental boxes, as well as those written ones, made you who you are today. That’s not a bad thing, Gwen. We live and we learn. It’s the cycle of life. We all come to our end in our own way.”

  “It’s foolish to say I thought we’d have more time in that eventuality. I should have come home.” Gwen shrugged, deciding it was time to bring this conversation to an end. She was just grateful that she’d made it this far without breaking down into a blubbering mess. “Believe it or not, my father warned me that he’d be waiting up for my arrival tonight.”

  Chad rubbed the side of his jaw, almost as if he were debating whether or not to let her off the hook after she’d all but bared her soul. He then said something totally unexpected.

  “I, for one, like those lists you texted me today. I’m thinking one of those old-fashioned chalkboards can be added to the small wall in the kitchen that’s basically wasted space.” Chad nodded toward her phone with a smile. “Text that to me, so I don’t forget.”

  “I like you, Schaeffer.”

  Gwen doubted that she’d ever truly forgive herself for wasting such precious time, but opening up to someone somehow lessened her burden. She’d even started creating an inventory of what she’d need to host those weekly poker nights her brothers had mentioned at dinner yesterday. It was time to make more memories that her mother could view from above.

  “Really? You like me?” Chad slapped a hand on his chest and over his heart. “And here I thought—”

  Police sirens cut off whatever he was about to say, causing both of them to jump to their feet and turn toward the sound. Chad hit the front door first and twisted the knob before swinging the heavy oak wood open just in time to see the sheriff’s vehicle coming to an abrupt skidding stop.

  “This can’t be good,” Chad muttered, stepping out onto the small front porch. “If your brother is here for me, will you do me a favor? Call Irish. He took over Delaney’s garage when the old man had a heart attack.”

  “You want me to call your mechanic?”

  There was absolutely no way that Gwen could keep the skepticism out of her voice.

  “Turns out, Irish was a lawyer in one of his past lives.”

  Mitch stepped out of his vehicle, a fierce protective expression on his face that she hadn’t seen since she’d come home one day from elementary school and told him that one of the boys had pushed her on the playground. It was a look that the red and blue lights of the siren couldn’t camouflage.

  This wasn’t about Chad at all.

  Mitch had discovered something when he’d gone out to her property after receiving that text message from Chad earlier this evening. This wasn’t how Gwen had pictured her homecoming, and she’d give anything to go back in time to…well, she would have made a lot of different decisions had she been granted that gift.

  “Mitch?” Gwen stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her middle in a move that had nothing to do with the cold. “What did you find out at my place?”

  Chapter Nine

  Chad walked into the diner, not surprised that the place was nearly standing room only at seven-thirty in the morning. There were only a couple of tables to spare and one stool left at the counter. That wasn’t totally unexpected seeing that it was Sunday before church. This was one meal most folks in these parts enjoyed eating out on a regular basis.

  Of course, the usual suspects had taken their regular spots, though Harlan and Chester were with their wives this morning. They’d taken one of the booths instead of their seats at the counter where they usually ate lunch together during the week.

  “Chad.”

  He turned to catch sight of his father’s hand in the air, signaling that he’d grabbed them a table near the back.

  Son of a bitch.

  He should have known this morning wasn’t going to go as planned when it had taken him fifteen minutes to find the keys to his truck.

  Wes was sitting in one of the four chairs, looking forlornly into his coffee cup as if his outward behavior would ever have Chad feeling sorry for him. He had about the same chance as a snowball in hell.

  “Morning.”

  “Good morning, Chad.”

  “Mornin’.”

  “Coffee?” Molly asked over the chorus of greetings, not stopping as she walked briskly around the counter. Nothing could wipe the smile from her face, though. “And did you hear about Jack? He got that promotion on the construction crew.”

  “I didn’t hear that, but let Jack know that I said congratulations.” Clay had hung around with Jack during high school, even though he’d been a bit older. The man had been held back in school at a young age, but no one ever questioned it. Things like that happened in small towns when kids rebelled against learning their lessons early on. “And yes, I’d love some coffee.”

  “The usual? Your dad and brother already placed their orders.” Molly slipped one of the order slips into a metal clip and slapped her hand on the high counter. “Order up!”

  “Sounds good.”

  Chad wouldn’t have minded if their conversation had continued a little longer. He’d been looking forward to breakfast before heading out to Gwen’s house, but Wes’ unexpected presence had soured his mood.

  “I heard there was some excitement out at Gwen Kendall’s new ranch last night,” Miles said, not even waiting for Chad to take a seat. He was still pulling the red and silver chair out from under the table as the inevitable question was being uttered. “Everything alright with the jobsite?”

  “Someone painted some graffiti on the side of the old barn. Gwen was going to pull the old siding off anyway. It’s a damn shame. It’s a waste of weathered barn planking, but most of those old boards were rotten anyway.” Chad wasn’t about to share details of last night with his dad while Wes was still in attendance. Anyth
ing said would get right back to Clayton, and the last thing anyone needed was for their older brother to come back to town and involve himself back into the investigation. “It’s no big deal. Like I said, Gwen is having the barn redone with metal siding and a new roof.”

  Chad hadn’t lied, but he sure as hell hadn’t told the entire story.

  Welcome home had been spray painted on the side of the barn in blood red paint.

  Gwen and Mitch had spent a good half an hour arguing over the ramifications of such a violation. Mitch signed Gwen’s concealed carry permit application last night and had given her a Beretta M9A3, just like the one she’d used during her service with one major difference—the one Mitch gave her had an extended threaded barrel which accommodated a suppressor.

  Against Mitch’s wishes, Gwen had all but decided that she was moving into the place on Wednesday, which was the first day the moving delivery service could arrive in Blyth Lake with her household goods. Mitch thought that she should continue staying at their dad’s place until they caught the individual responsible—both of them assuming that it was the serial killer.

  Chad had to play referee, which hadn’t gone over so well with the new sheriff. In the end, Mitch had followed Gwen home. Most likely, the two continued to argue well into the night. Chad had no idea how that had turned out.

  “I ran into Deputy Byron outside the diner, and he mentioned that Mitch believes it was that damned serial killer.” Wes leaned back when Molly returned with Chad’s coffee. She refilled the other two cups, but she was immediately called away by one of the other tables. Had it been slower, Chad had no doubt she would have stayed and joined in on the conversation. “Byron said something about the killer finally coming out of hiding to claim another victim.”

  “I try not to involve myself into things that are none of my family’s business.” Chad’s dig hit home, causing Wes to shake his head in irritation. “What are you doing here, Wes?”

  “Dad invited me to breakfast.” Wes shared a concerned glance with Miles, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’ll tell you what I told him. We made a mistake. We want to come back home and be part of the business again.”

  Chad managed to buy enough time before answering by taking a cautious drink of his coffee. He wasn’t sure what Molly did, but the rich brew was hot enough to burn a man’s tongue right out of his mouth.

  “Chad, don’t you think it’s been long enough?”

  No, he didn’t. Not even close. Clayton and Wes hadn’t been here during the hard times, when the jobs had all but come up dry due to various reasons that were beyond their control. Living in a small town limited their family business to the county line for the most part, and when times were tough…well, they suffered right along with the people they grew up living next to.

  It was one of the reasons Miles and Chad had brought in Noah Kendall. He was an expert in the commercial and residential electrician field, which had kept Schaeffer’s Contracting & Flooring from taking more than a few jobs that would have brought in quite a bit of money had they not had to subcontract to someone else.

  Surviving meant adapting to the new environment. It was a paradigm shift that would allow them to adapt to a new business model.

  “Dad, the final decision is yours.” Chad hadn’t planned to bring up the idea he’d been working out in his head, but his brother’s visit had sped up the timetable. “I’ve been thinking that maybe you can handle the larger contracting jobs that come in, while I concentrate on flooring, tile, and the like. Let’s face it, restoring old floors is what I know best. I haven’t wanted to say anything, because I didn’t want all the stress to fall on your shoulders. Noah being brought in helped, but having Wes and Clayton back to share the contracting duties isn’t a bad idea.”

  “Clayton and I have lost quite a bit of business due to the ongoing court case, but we still have a few jobs that need to be finished up.” Wes regarded Chad carefully to see if he was serious about letting bygones be bygones. Chad hadn’t gone so far as to say all was forgiven, but the talk he’d had last night with Gwen about time lost made him realize that he’d been doing the same thing. “I’m hoping we can wrap things up by the beginning of the year.”

  The thing about being brothers was that years and years could pass, and siblings would still be able to read each other until the day they died. That kind of understanding never faded.

  “I don’t think Clayton’s ever coming back home, though.” Wes now had Chad’s full attention, and that of the surrounding tables. His brother didn’t seem to notice as he was studying their father intently and waiting for a response. “I’m sorry, Dad. I know you thought both of us would return home, but he’s too caught up in worrying about what people think of him and what he did. Clay says he’s going to take a job with a construction crew in the city once he’s cleared of this mess with the district attorney.”

  Chad locked eyes with Jimmy Webb.

  “You just let him know that our door is always open,” Miles said, clearing his throat in a way that told his boys it hurt to hear that his oldest wasn’t returning home anytime soon. The way the conversation had been steered, the impact of Chad’s proposition didn’t sting as much as Clayton’s decision. “What is new with Clay’s case? Lance and Brynn didn’t press charges. I’m sure that will help in some way when it comes to sentencing.”

  Miles and Wes continued to talk about the pinch Clayton had gotten himself into, but Chad really didn’t want to start his day off with such a depressing discussion.

  “I’m going to use the restroom before Molly brings out our breakfast.”

  Chad used his work boots to scoot his chair back, giving him just enough room to stand while not bumping into…damn it. If it wasn’t Charlene Winston. No doubt, she’d heard every word uttered. She’d most likely spin Clayton’s aversion to returning home to her advantage.

  It was a damn good thing Chad hadn’t said too much about Gwen and the trouble she’d run into last night.

  “Chad.” He’d been so wrapped up in going over every word he’d said that he hadn’t seen Jimmy try to catch his attention. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure.” Chad didn’t take a seat, though. He remained standing, crossing his arms and leaning a hip against the opposite booth that sat empty. Jimmy Webb didn’t have that many friends around town. “What’s up?”

  “How is she?”

  Chad weighed whether or not to answer the question that was no doubt about Gwen. Jimmy’s fallout with the Kendalls was well-known, but he wasn’t a bad man. He was just someone who’d made a lot of mistakes.

  Hadn’t they all?

  “Gwen is fine,” Chad chose to reply, believing that she would ultimately reach out to her uncle on her own. “I saw her red Jeep parked on the street in front of her new office on the way over. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a visit from her uncle.”

  Jimmy nodded his head as if he were taking that suggestion under advisement.

  “Is she staying with Gus?”

  “For the time being, I guess,” Chad responded with a bit of caution. Another look around the diner revealed there were a handful of strangers, most likely reporters waiting for anything that would make a story. “Have you been out that way since the boys arrived in town?”

  “No, not yet. Gus and I…well, there are still some unresolved issues between us and how the family handled things after my father’s passing.” Jimmy apparently had heard enough to satisfy his curiosity about his niece. “How’s the project coming along up at the lake?”

  “Coming along nicely.” Chad glanced over his shoulder to see Molly heading toward their table with three plates loaded up on her tray. “Not a lot of traffic since the police dragged the lake. The cooler weather has moved in, as well. We shouldn’t have any problem getting those cottages done before the first snowfall.”

  “I won’t keep you,” Jimmy said, also having noticed Molly serving Miles and Wes. “I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”


  Chad hesitated, believing that Jimmy had wanted to say something more. When the man went back to reading his newspaper, Chad had no choice but to make quick work of the restroom. He was back at the table before his pancakes could get cold.

  The way his morning had started out, he should have known that was only a precursor of what was to come.

  The bell above the door chimed, but it was the following silence that told him not to bother reaching for his silverware.

  “Who is that?” Wes asked in a low voice, one of the only patrons in the diner that didn’t recognize the suit that walked through the front door with purpose. “And why is he looking our way?”

  “Jimmy Webb? I’m Agent Jay Thorne.” Chad pushed his plate away, having lost his appetite way before the federal agent made his entrance. “I was hoping you’d have time to answer some questions for me this morning.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Beth Ann, I don’t understand why you would want to leave Harlan.”

  Gwen considered the fallout of hiring Beth Ann Mason. As much of an asset as she’d be, the consequences were almost too high. This wasn’t a random city where great resumes were a dime a dozen. The scene around here didn’t allow for hard feelings.

  Blyth Lake?

  Any small pebble thrown in the wrong direction could create a tidal wave instead of a small ripple. Gwen would undoubtedly be accused of luring Beth Ann away from Harlan. Was it her imagination or could she hear the tsunami siren wailing already?

  “I need something new,” Beth Ann said with a bit of desperation in her tone. It wasn’t quite the despair of needing more money, but more the misery that came along with doing the same thing day after day. “Gwen, our families have known each other a very long time. You know that I love Harlan, but I’ll pull out every strand of red hair from my head if I have to smell his egg sandwich one more time that his wife packs in his lunch when he doesn’t eat at the diner.”