“I’m not!” Chloe cried.
A.J. peeked around Jake’s shoulder in time to see Jennifer point what looked like a small cannon at Chloe—who happened to be clinging to Elysia. The floor seemed to tilt, and A.J. wondered if she was going to faint. She grabbed Jake’s free arm and sunk her nails in. He barely spared her a glance. She wondered if he was really capable of shooting a terrified young woman. She had no doubt Jennifer was.
“Now, shush,” Elysia said crisply. “This is silly talk. We need to think how to get you two out of this jam.”
“I don’t want her out of it,” Jennifer said. “I want her dead.”
Jake stepped out of the safety of the hallway, moving soundlessly toward Jennifer. Elysia’s eyes rested on him for a moment and returned to the hysterical girl standing before her.
“I understand, my dear, but the problem is, you can’t harm Chloe without destroying yourself. Do you understand?”
Chloe’s eyes went as wide as saucers as she watched Jake sneaking up behind Jennifer. Noticing the other girl’s expression, Jennifer spun around and tried to turn the gun on Jake. He grabbed her arm, yanking it upward, and the pistol fired harmlessly into the ceiling.
Chloe screamed and buried her face in Elysia’s shoulder. Elysia made clucking noises.
Jake wrested the gun from Jennifer, who was shrieking like a madwoman, trying to kick and claw him. A herd of cops nearly knocked A.J. to the ground as they rushed in to aid Jake.
Jennifer was thrown to the ground and immobilized in a matter of moments. She sobbed furiously into the carpet.
A.J. gasped, “Mother, are you all right?”
Elysia’s face quivered, and for just a moment she looked like she might burst into tears. She put an arm out to A.J., who joined her on the sofa. A.J. locked her arms about her mother’s narrow shoulders, breathing in the peculiarly reassuring scents of cigarettes and Opium.
“I’ve never been so frightened in my life!” A.J. cried. “You were wonderful!”
Elysia’s cheeks stained a delicate shade of rose. For a moment her eyes fastened doubtfully on her daughter’s face “You’re joking.” She swallowed hard. “Do you really think so?”
“I do,” Jake said, looking up from handcuffing the still furiously sobbing and struggling Jennifer. “I think you seriously ought to consider a career in acting.”
An hour later Jennifer was in the back of a police car heading for jail, Chloe was in the back of a police car heading for home, and Elysia and A.J. were in the living room bidding good night to Jake.
“And I take back all those dreadful things I said about you,” Elysia added, having thanked Jake one final time for saving her life with virtually no structural damage to the house.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Jake said gravely.
“I’ll walk you out,” A.J. offered.
They strolled outside. The night was crisp and clean, the stars twinkling overhead. Their feet crunched on the frosty grass as they walked to the SUV.
“What do you think is going to happen to her?” she asked quietly.
She didn’t have to explain to Jake who she meant.
“I don’t know. She’ll get the best legal advice there is, and given her family’s money and influence…”
“She needs help. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m sorry for her. I can’t help but think how different my life might have been if I hadn’t had Aunt Di’s stabilizing influence.”
Jake said crisply, “Jennifer Stevenson has had every advantage a kid could have growing up, apparently including your own aunt’s influence. She’s an adult and she’s going to have to live by the choices she made.”
Nothing warm and fuzzy about a cop’s view of the world, thought A.J. Not a lot of patience for mistakes or weakness—which was good to know up front.
She changed the subject, saying, “So Jennifer was watching and waiting for UPS to deliver the dress, and when the dress was finally delivered, she firebombed my house, though not very effectively because it was really only luck that the dress was destroyed.”
“She isn’t exactly a criminal mastermind,” Jake said.
“Do you think she deliberately tried to run me down in the Hummer?”
“I don’t know. I believed what she said when I interviewed her, that she took the vehicle on impulse and that she thought it was funny to see you run.”
“Playful little tyke,” A.J. murmured.
“Yeah. A real charmer.” His eyes were grave as he gazed down at her face. “You took a big chance tonight, A.J.”
“Sometimes you have to.” She realized the truth of that now. “So did you. Thank you. There’s no telling what would have happened….”
He tucked an errant wisp of hair behind her ear, and the touch of his fingertips sent shivery sensations across her skin.
“It’s finally over,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t have to be,” he said, and kissed her.
Epilogue
The parking lot was packed on a Saturday afternoon in April when Suze MacDougal parked her baby blue Beetle next to A.J.’s Volvo outside Sacred Balance Studio.
Suze got out, wincing as her car door banged into the side of the Volvo. She raked a nervous hand through her hair. But there was nothing to be nervous about. A.J. had been so cool about giving Suze her shot at teaching. She would be making her first official appearance as an instructor at today’s open house.
And who cared what Lily thought. Suze was pretty sure Lily wasn’t going to be teaching at Sacred Balance for much longer.
Suze walked up the cement path, past the flower beds now in tentative bloom. She pushed through the glass doors and walked into a party. Balloons and streamers filled the crowded lobby. Music floated down from upstairs where free yoga lessons were being offered to anyone interested. Trays of organic goodies and nonalcoholic beverages circulated through the crowd. A sign hanging from the wall announced the reopening of Sacred Balance.
It could happen….
It sure could, thought Suze. And it sure had. The last couple of months had been incredible, starting with Jennifer Stevenson’s arrest. Talk about scandal! But the most incredible thing had been the way Mrs. Stevenson had rallied to Jennifer’s side—and the way she had changed since Jennifer’s trial had started. Instead of continuing to close herself off from the world, she had actually begun volunteer work with disabled teens in the community.
Oh. My. God. Was that Nicole Manning? It was.
Suze watched A.J., who was looking incredible in a little black Vera Wang dress, move to greet Nicole. Nicole’s breathy voice carried to where Suze stood nibbling on a cracker smeared with crunchy soy nut spread.
“Oh, hey, I got so much free press out of that dress. It was worth every penny. You know the producers are talking about doing a movie of the week? Teen angst is so hot right now.”
“You are so gracious,” A.J. told Nicole.
They air-kissed. A.J. turned to greet Chloe, looking radiant on the arm of her fiancé, Steve Cussler. Suze was really glad that had all worked out. Chloe was a sweetie, and she’d sure had more than her share of tough breaks.
A.J. introduced Chloe to Nicole, who proceeded to demonstrate just how gracious she could be.
Spotting Suze, A.J. offered a big grin. “So, how’s your first official day as an instructor at Sacred Balance?”
Suze laughed. “Great. How am I doing so far?”
“Great!” A.J.’s eyes moved automatically to the glass doors as new arrivals pushed through.
She didn’t exactly look disappointed, but the lanky good-looking guy and his hawkishly handsome companion were clearly not who she was waiting for. Suze had a pretty good idea who A.J. was waiting for.
Maybe a better idea than A.J. did herself.
“Andrew, dear boy!” exclaimed Elysia brushing past them. She was looking, well, extraordinary in a slinky scarlet designer jumpsuit. She embraced A.J.’s ex—and what a shame about that guy—and said in a funny tone, “And this must
be Nicholas.”
Andrew grinned at Nicholas, who grimaced good-naturedly. He was supposed to be FBI or something, and he looked kind of like how FBI guys on TV looked.
Elysia was razzing Andy mercilessly about missing their Broadway outings.
“Mother,” A.J. protested. “Give it a rest.”
“Hey.” Nicholas seemed amused by Elysia. “Better you than me. So long as Andy steers clear of any more murder investigations.”
“Nick’s gone half the time anyway,” Andy admitted, and Nick’s eyes rested on his face briefly.
“I might be in the mood for the occasional theater outing meself,” Mr. Meagher suggested, appearing at Elysia’s side with a flute of sparkling cider.
Andy exchanged a smiling look with A.J.
A.J. glanced instinctively at the front entrance. Suze glanced, too. It was Michael Batz and his wife, Lorraine.
Now that was a shocker—when Michael dropped out of the Olympic trials. The word was he had decided he was more suited to coaching than competing. The Batzes were greeted by everyone, and then they moved off into the crowd.
“He’ll be here,” Suze told A.J.
“Who?”
Suze giggled, and at that moment the front doors opened and Jake walked in. Even if Suze hadn’t spotted him, she would have known from the way A.J. got that flushed and sparkly look.
Jake spotted A.J. and moved straight through the crowd; Suze was willing to bet he didn’t even know there was a crowd.
“Sorry I’m late,” he told A.J. He looked her up and down. “You look amazing in that dress.”
“Thanks,” A.J. said. “Come and get something to eat.”
They made a cute couple, no doubt about it. Of course, A.J. was always saying she wasn’t ready for a serious relationship yet, and Jake never had been ready for a serious relationship as far as anyone in Stillbrook could tell. A lot of people had bets as to how long A.J. would be able to put up with small-town life and small-town attitudes, but Suze had high hopes.
She looked up at the black-and-white art posters with Diantha’s slogan beneath, and smiled.
It could happen.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT
CORPSE POSE
Corpse Pose or Savasana, is the final pose of your yoga routine. It’s a relaxation pose but it is also useful for meditation.
Step One: Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you.
Step Two: Lie back on your elbows and slowly lower yourself until you’re lying on your back.
Step Three: Spread your legs about hip width; relax your muscles, allowing feet to drop to the side.
Step Four: Gently sweep your arms out along the floor about ten inches from your hips; turn your palms up.
Step Five: Keep your shoulders down and spread wide—don’t pinch.
Step Six: Relax your entire body. Empty your mind. Feel the top of your head soften…relax the muscles in your face…in your throat. Breathe deeply and evenly. Soften your belly…soften your groin. Feel the muscles in your thighs release…release your calf muscles…soften the soles of your feet.
Step Seven: Close your eyes and breathe deeply and evenly through your nose.
Step Eight: Focus on your breathing…deep even breaths in…and out. Stay in this relaxed and boneless—but focused state—for ten minutes.
Organic Recipes
Cuppa Cocoa
(Serves 2–4)
Ingredients
3½ oz Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
½ cup Organic Double Cream
Organic Greek-style Yogurt
1 shot Espresso Coffee
Directions
1) Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a thick mixing bowl. Heat cream over a gentle heat in a thick bottomed saucepan until it just reaches boiling. Do not scorch!
2) Add a quarter of the warm cream to the chocolate and stir to melt. Gradually add the remaining cream until the chocolate has completely melted. (NOTE: If the chocolate does not melt evenly, place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water like a double-boiler, but make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.)
3) When chocolate has melted to a smooth and even consistency, place bowl with melted contents in the fridge. Mix the extra thick and creamy Greek-style yogurt with the espresso coffee. Fill two espresso cups—or four regular sized cups—about two-thirds full with the coffee and yogurt mixture.
4) Remove cream and chocolate from the fridge, topping the rest of the cups to the rim. Place espresso cups in the fridge and leave them overnight.
Remove cups from fridge one half hour prior to serving.
Basic Stir Fry
(Serves 6–8)
Ingredients
(All vegetables should be organically grown)
4 oz tempeh (soybean cake, similar to tofu)
8 oz baby portabella mushrooms—organic
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 small chopped onion
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
Small bag frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen red, yellow, and green pepper strips
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups brown rice
Directions
1) This is almost too simple to require directions! Cube tempeh and chop vegetables.
2) Sauté tempeh, mushrooms, garlic, and onion in olive oil over medium heat.
3) Add peas and carrots, broccoli, pepper strips, soy sauce (or favorite low-sodium marinade) and cook for 10 minutes.
4) Add rice and cook another 5 minutes.
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