“And it is something that is not easy for me to say.”
Veronica heard the tremor in her mother’s voice, and hesitated. What would make her mother sound so scared? Was she sick? Did she have cancer?
“I know I should have told you before…about your father.”
Heart pounding, Veronica set Winston on the floor and crossed to stand beside her mother. She waited, not wanting to interrupt, not wanting to give her mother any reason to stop talking.
“I know you’ve been going to see Dr. Horn lately, and…I made an appointment, too. I figured, if you were brave enough to go…”
Questions rose in Veronica’s head, but she forced herself to remain quiet. This was her mother’s story to tell.
“Dr. Horn said I should tell whatever feels right when I’m ready. But I think that day might not ever come, so…I’ll tell you now.”
Drawing in a deep breath, Ling looked out the window, keeping her eyes on the garden beyond.
“When I met your father, I thought he was a wonderful man. I was so young, and I loved him…very much.”
Ling choked on the words, and Veronica reached out and put a hand on Ling’s thin shoulder.
“Or, I should say, I loved the man he pretended to be. But he had lied to me. About everything. His name, his background, and the way he made his money.”
A sick ache started up in Veronica’s stomach as Ling spoke. Somehow she’d known the truth would be ugly. But she’d always held out hope she was wrong.
“Eventually, I found out enough to be scared, and I decided to leave. I was young and…well, I thought it would be best.”
She paused, as if building her courage, and when she continued, her voice was thick with pain.
“Your father went…mad. He did things I cannot bring myself to speak of. But I’ve written it down. If you choose to read what your father has done…what your mother has suffered, then I’ll show you.”
Ling turned and looked into Veronica’s eyes.
“But if you want to let it go, then I’ll burn the paper, and you and I can move on with our lives. It is your decision.”
The pain in Ling’s eyes was more than Veronica could bear. She pulled her mother to her, feeling Ling’s thin shoulders shaking with emotion.
“Don’t worry about that now,” Veronica soothed, murmuring the words Ling had always used to comfort her as a child. “Everything will be okay. Whatever happens, and whatever I decide, we’ll always have each other. That will never change.”
But as she finished making her tea, Veronica wondered what her decision would be. She thought of the book on her dresser, and the new story she’d been working on, and wondered if fate was trying to tell her something.
✽ ✽ ✽
Veronica steered the Jeep toward the highway, knowing she had a lot of thinking to do in the three hour drive ahead of her. Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she reached in to pull it out. The number on the display made her heart stop.
Hunter Hadley hadn’t tried to contact her since the day on the beach two weeks ago, and she hadn’t called him.
She’d needed time to come to terms with everything that had happened, and she had assumed he was busy moving on with his life.
But she had missed him, and she had planned to reach out to him once she’d completed her story. Hunter may not be her boss anymore, but she respected his judgment as a reporter, and he’d be honest enough to tell her if her piece was good or not.
“Veronica? How are you?”
His familiar voice sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
“I’m good, thanks.”
She forced a cheerful tone.
“Just heading out to finish up a report I’ve been working on.”
“A report? That’s great,” he said, clearing his throat. “I was wondering if you could stop by the station. It won’t take long.”
Hesitating, her eyes fell on the corner of the book sticking out of her bag. She drew in a deep breath and made a decision.
“Okay, I can be there in ten minutes, but I can’t stay long.”
She steered the Jeep toward Channel Ten and tried to calm her nerves. She’d hear what he had to say, and then she’d be off.
As she stepped into the station, she saw Hunter and Finn standing with the crew under the big screen on the wall. Hunter called her over with a smile, pointing to the screen.
“This is the special report I wanted you to see. It’s almost done. Just needs a few finishing touches.”
Hunter moved closer as the segment began, whispering in her ear.
“We put this together for you.”
Puzzled, Veronica watched as the exposé on Nick Sargent unfolded, revealing a long list of illegal and unethical activities he was accused of committing.
She was stunned to see they’d even included his role in obtaining her notes about the Xavier case and leaking the story before the WBPD was ready. Nick’s actions had prompted Greyson to leave town and had ultimately led to his attack on Veronica.
At the end of the report, she saw footage of Detective Jankowski walking Nick into the police station. Riley Odell was smiling in the background.
“Well, what do you think?” Hunter asked, after the segment had ended. “Of course, we need a reporter to introduce the story to the rest of the world. Someone who knows what she’s talking about.”
“I can’t believe Nick did all that.”
Veronica shivered at the thought of the harm he’d caused.
“How’d you and Finn pull it all together?”
“Well, that’s a trade secret,” Hunter teased, “and we can only tell the secret to employees of our station.”
Standing in front of the crew, Finn held up his hands.
“Can I have your attention? I want to make an announcement.”
The room grew silent as all eyes turned to Finn.
“The pending sale of Channel Ten has been canceled,” he called out, catching Veronica’s eye and smiling. “The buyer backed out, which is good news, because that means Hunter and I have put a bid in for the station ourselves.”
As the crew began to cheer, Hunter held up a hand.
“It’s not official yet, but if things work out, we’ll all be able to keep on doing our work. Finn and I will keep you all posted.”
Veronica felt a rush of relief. She hadn’t caused the station to go under, and Hunter and the crew were going to be all right.
“I hope you’ll come back. Your job’s still waiting for you,” Hunter said in a low voice as the crew began to disperse. “Unless you’ve gotten another job. You said you’re working on a new story?”
Feeling suddenly shy, Veronica nodded.
“Yes, I mean…I haven’t gotten a new job, but I am working on a new story.” She bit her lip and looked up at him. “In fact, I was just on my way to finish up my investigation.”
She looked at her watch.
“And I’ve got to leave now if I’m going to make it on time.”
Hunter’s face fell, but he nodded.
“Okay, I understand.”
“But, if you’re up for a road trip, you can come along with me.”
A smile lit up his face, and he called out to Gracie.
“Come on girl, we’re going for a ride.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Hart Cove Cemetery sat in the afternoon sun. It’s neat rows of gravestones, and the mourners gathered around the newly dug graves, shaded by a family of sprawling oak trees.
Veronica lifted her face to the east, imagining she could feel the breeze from the ocean half a mile away. The service had been emotional, with several friends and neighbors offering touching tributes to the siblings who were being laid to rest side to side next to their parents’ well-tended graves.
As people began to move back toward their cars, Veronica greeted several of them, and waved to others.
“You met all these people when you were working on your story?”
Hunter’s eyes were curious as
he watched her.
“Well, I tried to talk to everyone around here who knew Portia or Julian,” she said, pulling out her notebook. “You’d be amazed at how much people around here admired them.”
Scanning through her notes, Veronica thought about the impact the Hart’s had made on the little town.
“Xavier Greyson lied to me, and to the police about Portia,” she said. “He told us that Portia had lost her money to bad investments. But that’s not true. She gave away most of it to help others.”
Pulling her copy of Simply Portia out of her purse, Veronica opened it to the last page.
“It’s right here in her book. I guess Xavier Greyson never read it.”
Veronica cleared her throat and read aloud in a clear, soft voice.
“I want to spread my good fortune to others before I go. That’s why I make it a point to donate to as many worthy causes as I can. It’d be a shame to die holding on to money that could’ve helped someone else.”
Hunter smiled at the words, his eyes lingering on her face. She blushed and looked down at her notebook again.
“And Julian’s paintings are incredible. He was truly talented. They both were. I wish I’d had the chance to meet them.”
“I guess you have, in a way,” Hunter said, gesturing to the people who were getting into their cars in the little unpaved lot. “You met the people they helped, and felt the impact they had, and now you can tell their story.”
Veronica felt her eyes tear up, and she looked away, not wanting him to see how much she was still hurting.
“I just didn’t want them to end up being a horror story on the news. I didn’t want them to only be remembered for the terrible way they died.”
She lifted her eyes and tried to smile.
“Maybe my story will remind people that it isn’t how we die…it’s how we live that matters.”
“Is that in Portia’s book, too?” Hunter teased, reaching for her hand. “Because I think it makes a lot of sense. And I also think I’ve been focusing on the wrong things for too long.”
Squeezing his hand in hers, Veronica stepped closer, intoxicated by the heat of his skin and the longing she saw in his eyes.
“I have, too,” Veronica said, lifting her face to his. “But I’m making the decision here and now, to focus on what’s important.”
Hunter smiled, his mouth only inches from hers.
“And what is it that’s important to you?” he murmured.
“It’s simple,” she said, pulling him closer. “The only thing that really matters…love.”
If you enjoyed this book, try the Mercy Harbor Thriller Series
By Melinda Woodhall
Read The River Girls, Book One Now
Acknowledgements
IT’S EXCITING TO BE INTRODUCING a new thriller series to my readers, and I first want to thank everyone who has read the Mercy Harbor series and provided me with feedback and encouragement. I was truly grateful for their kind support as I was writing this book.
I wrote this book during the winter holidays and spent many nights and weekends to get it finished on time. I’m incredibly lucky that my wonderful husband, Giles, and five amazing children, Michael, Joey, Linda, Owen, and Juliet, give me the time and support I need to write.
I give thanks every day that I have such a supportive extended family, including Melissa Romero, Leopoldo Romero, Melanie Arvin Kutz, David Woodhall, and Tessa Woodhall.
My mother’s love of reading stays with me as I write each book, and I know without her early encouragement, I never would have found the courage to write my stories and share them with the world. Thanks, Mom!
If you enjoyed this book please
Leave a review for Her Last Summer
About the Author
Melinda Woodhall is the author of the new Veronica Lee Thriller series, as well as the page-turning Mercy Harbor Thriller series. In addition to writing romantic thrillers and police procedurals, Melinda also writes women’s contemporary fiction as M.M. Arvin.
When she’s not writing, Melinda can be found reading, gardening, chauffeuring her children around town and updating her vegetarian lifestyle website.
Melinda is a native Floridian, and the proud mother of five children. She lives with her family in Orlando.
Visit Melinda’s website at www.melindawoodhall.com
Other Books by Melinda Woodhall
The River Girls
Girl Eight
Catch the Girl
Girls Who Lie
Her Last Summer: A Veronica Lee Thriller Page 28
