Anna turned and took one of Lorna’s hands. “I will never be able to thank you enough. You had every right to tell me to go to hell. You still have every right. You’re one fine woman, and anytime you need anything, I’m here for you.”
Sadie stepped next to her and put an arm around her waist. She looked up into Anna’s eyes and winked, which made Anna want to cry. “We’re here for you.”
Tonight was full of miracles of a kind she could never have imagined. Finding Sadie was first and foremost, and she would never, ever take her for granted again. The thought of losing her had shaken Anna to her core. Life simply wasn’t fine without her in it. Right now she felt as though she was being given a second chance with Sadie, and she planned to make it a chance that counted. Loving her was the most incredible thing in the world, and she planned to cherish every minute they had together.
“Yes,” Anna said. “We are.”
Lorna smiled, and Anna’s heart melted a little more. She hadn’t seen that smile in several years, and it telegraphed the one thing she didn’t deserve and never thought she’d receive: forgiveness.
“Hey,” Katie said from the bottom of the stairs, one foot on the first step, her hand on the banister. “You guys might want to hang out in this mausoleum, but I’ve had enough of this place to last a lifetime. Can we get the hell out of here? I’ve got backup coming, and we’ll let them sort out that mystery.” She waved a hand toward the hidden storeroom.
Anna looked around and then inclined her head in Katie’s direction. “I think that’s a great idea. I say we all head home.” Home…what a beautiful word. She was going home, with Sadie. With her wife. She squeezed Sadie’s hand and started toward the stairs.
“I second that,” Renee said as she leaned into Lorna while cradling her arm. “This shoulder is killing me.”
Epilogue
Lorna hadn’t been able to sleep. After all her months of training, all the pains, the pulled muscles, and finding a way to overcome the fear, the day was finally here. Today she was going to be an Ironman. Or fall flat on her face. It could go either way.
When she’d started this journey, it had been her whole focus. It was the thing that had saved her from diving wholeheartedly into deep despair when she’d first broken up with Anna. It was a pretty good plan, even if she did say so. It kept her busy and focused, not to mention pretty darned healthy.
Then everything else had happened.
The house on the ocean.
The psychic abilities.
Renee.
Everything had crashed together to create a life she’d never imagined. Thinking back on it now, she recalled how it had been one crazy-ass ride that she wouldn’t trade for the world. Rather than wake up her wife…the word still made her smile…she got up.
Three days ago, their wedding had been a double affair. Standing with the ocean as their backdrop, Renee and Lorna, and Jeremy and Merry, had shared their wedding vows with friends and family. What a day that had been. Merry, after her scare in Spokane, had looked healthy and radiant. In a flowing gown, she’d been an absolute vision, and Lorna wasn’t the only one who thought so. The look on Jeremy’s face when he saw her come walking down between the rows of white folding chairs was something Lorna would never forget. Her only regret was that Mom wasn’t there to see him. She’d have been so proud of her little boy and the man he’d become.
Renee, her beautiful bride, had been stunning in a pale-golden dress. Her hair was flowing and shiny, flowers tucked into the curls. She was pretty sure she’d had the same expression on her face as Jeremy had had on his. She’d never realized until now how it was possible to love someone this much.
The day couldn’t have been more beautiful. The weather was lovely, all their friends had showed up, and that included Anna and Sadie. She’d learned some important lessons during the trip to Spokane. When they’d raced to the hospital with Merry, she’d realized how life could change in a moment. It holds no guarantees, no assurances, and no warning, so it was important to cherish those of the heart. Even those who broke hearts.
She also had realized that holding on to bitterness was a waste of time and energy. Every second that she had resented Anna was a second lost. What had happened between them hadn’t torn either of them down. It hadn’t broken them. No, it was simply part of the journey that had brought them to where they needed to be. Anna with Sadie and Lorna with Renee. The universe had a way of working its own brand of magic.
Standing in that hidden room with the rows upon rows of urns holding the remains of so many forgotten souls was a lesson in itself. She didn’t want to hold on to destructive emotions and risk becoming even close to what they’d seen in Nurse Thompson. She’d destroyed untold lives in the name of control and power. She’d embraced darkness, and it had damned her own soul. Life was too short and far too precious.
Lorna had returned home from Spokane a changed woman as well as a formally engaged woman. After everything that had happened while they were there, no way in hell was she going to risk losing Renee. She’d found a fabulous ruby ring before they packed up and had it on Renee’s finger before they ever left the Spokane city limits. Their wedding day had made her feel like the luckiest woman alive.
Now she felt like the most nervous woman alive. She sure hoped this reaction was normal. Friends who had already competed in the endurance test told her it was the way everyone felt before their first race. It was hard to envision how anyone could get through the race when they felt like throwing up. She looked up at the clock and sighed. Still two hours to go before she made the drive to Coeur d’Alene, put on her wetsuit, and started the longest race of her life.
Twelve hours later, Lorna was hurting like crazy and smiling just as crazy. People were screaming and clapping as she trotted toward the massive finish line. She’d completed her two-plus mile swim, ridden her bike one hundred and twelve miles, and was now less than twenty feet away from completing a full marathon.
As she crossed the finish line and heard them call out her name, tears flowed down her cheeks. Everyone more than likely believed she was crying because she’d made it through the grueling race, but they’d be wrong. It wasn’t the medal they hung around her neck or the pats on her back that made her feel alive and special. It was the woman standing at the end of the finishers’ chute, her face glowing and a golden band on her left hand, that made those tears flow.
About the Author
Sheri Lewis Wohl grew up in northeast Washington State, and though she always thought she’d move away, never has. Despite traveling throughout the United States, Sheri always finds her way back home. And so she lives, plays, and writes amidst mountains, evergreens, and abundant wildlife.
When not working the day job in federal finance, she writes stories that typically include a bit of the strange and unusual and always a touch of romance. She works to carve out time to run, swim, and bike so she can participate in local triathlons, her latest addiction.
Sheri can be contacted at [email protected].
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
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Courting the Countess by Jenny Frame. When relationship-phobic Lady Henrietta Knight starts to care about housekeeper Annie Brannigan and her daughter, can she overcome her fears and promise Annie the forever that she demands? (978-1-62639-785-9)
Dapper by J
enny Frame. Amelia Honey meets the mysterious Byron De Brek and is faced with her darkest fantasies, but will her strict moral upbringing stop her from exploring what she truly wants? (978-1-62639-898-6)
Delayed Gratification: The Honeymoon by Meghan O’Brien. A dream European honeymoon turns into a winter storm nightmare involving a delayed flight, a ditched rental car, and eventually, a surprisingly happy ending. (978-1-62639-766-8)
For Money or Love by Heather Blackmore. Jessica Spaulding must choose between ignoring the truth to keep everything she has, and doing the right thing only to lose it all—including the woman she loves. (978-1-62639-756-9)
Hooked by Jaime Maddox. With the help of sexy Detective Mac Calabrese, Dr. Jessica Benson is working hard to overcome her past, but they may not be enough to stop a murderer. (978-1-62639-689-0)
Lands End by Jackie D. Public relations superstar Amy Kline is dealing with a media nightmare, and the last thing she expects is for restaurateur Lena Michaels to change everything, but she will. (978-1-62639-739-2)
Twisted Screams by Sheri Lewis Wohl. Reluctant psychic Lorna Dutton doesn’t want to forgive, but if she doesn’t do just that, an innocent woman will die. (978-1-62639-647-0)
A Class Act by Tammy Hayes. Buttoned-up college professor Dr. Margaret Parks doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into when she agrees to one date with her student Rory Morgan, who is fifteen years her junior. (978-1-62639-701-9)
Bitter Root by Laydin Michaels. Small town chef Adi Bergeron is hiding something, and Griffith McNaulty is going to find out what it is even if it gets her killed. (978-1-62639-656-2)
Capturing Forever by Erin Dutton. When family pulls Jacqueline and Casey back together, will the lessons learned in eight years apart be enough to mend the mistakes of the past? (978-1-62639-631-9)
Deception by VK Powell. DEA Agent Colby Vincent and Attorney Adena Weber are embroiled in a drug investigation involving homeless veterans and an attraction that could destroy them both. (978-1-62639-596-1)
Dyre: A Knight of Spirit and Shadows by Rachel E. Bailey. With the abduction of her queen, werewolf-bodyguard Des must follow the kidnappers’ trail to Europe, where her queen—and a battle unlike any Des has ever waged—awaits her. (978-1-62639-664-7)
First Position by Melissa Brayden. Love and rivalry take center stage for Anastasia Mikhelson and Natalie Frederico in one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the nation. (978-1-62639-602-9)
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