Hurst turned toward the defense table. “In light of this testimony, I will exercise my right to dismiss the charges of murder against Laurel Wilson Hatcher.”
A cheer broke out, and Hurst tapped his gavel. When it was quiet, he said, “Mrs. Hatcher has suffered for two years under the public perception that she murdered her husband. She spent several months in the Kennebec County Jail for a crime she did not commit. For that, I am deeply sorry.”
Laurel inhaled slowly, unable to take her eyes from the judge’s face. Her hands trembled, and she clasped them in her lap.
Judge Hurst nodded at her. “Mrs. Hatcher, I would like to say, on behalf of the state of Maine, you are free to go, and we regret the suffering and sorrow you have endured.”
Tears ran down Laurel’s face. She turned toward Jim. He was smiling. She turned around, and Dan catapulted toward her. He hugged her close, his eyes shut.
“Thank you, Lord,” he breathed in her ear.
Judy embraced her next, then Jim. Dan placed a clean handkerchief in her hand, and she swiped at her errant tears. Around them, spectators gathered their belongings to leave. Wayne and Renata Hatcher strode toward the door, Renata’s face etched with bitterness.
*****
“There will be reporters in the hallway,” Jim said, and Laurel nodded. She could face the lions now without fear. Dan’s tender smile encouraged her, and she squeezed his hand.
“You can speak freely now,” Jim went on. “Give them a positive spin. ‘I’m thrilled with the outcome,’ something simple like that.” He closed his briefcase and lifted it. “Ready?”
Judy walked ahead with Jim, and Dan stayed at Laurel’s side. As they left the courtroom, cameras flashed in Laurel’s face.
“Mrs. Hatcher, Mrs. Hatcher!”
The press crowded around with questions.
“How do you feel about the judge’s ruling?”
“Are you staying in Maine?”
“Were you surprised at Mrs. Mason’s testimony?”
Laurel pulled in a deep breath. “I’m pleased, of course, at the way things went today. I thank God for the outcome, and for my freedom.”
She walked quickly with Dan down the stairs to the lobby. Jim and Judy came close behind.
“Get out of here,” Jim advised. “I doubt the press will find you, but if they do, refer them to me. I’ll wrap up the paperwork and call you tomorrow morning.”
They hurried to Judy’s car.
“Get in the back with Dan,” Judy said. Laurel started to protest, but saw several photographers headed their way. Dan opened the door, and she dove into the back seat. Judy pulled into the street and away from the crowd that had gathered in front of the courthouse.
They rolled past the county jail, and Laurel stared toward the unforgiving stone walls. Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m so glad I’m not in there right now!”
Dan reached for her hand. “It’s over,” he said softly.
“You told me it would be. I should have believed you.” She smiled up at him.
Dan leaned over to kiss her. “What do you want to do now?”
“Jim wants me to stay for a few days to tie up some loose ends. Do you mind being at the cottage a little longer?”
“How about it, Judy?” Dan asked.
She glanced at him in the rearview mirror as she pulled up at a stoplight.
“Stay as long as you want.”
They drove back to the cottage and changed into casual clothes. Dan called his parents with the good news. Judy insisted on cooking dinner, so Dan and Laurel walked down the path to the dock. Laurel sank into a deck chair and sighed.
Dan pulled another chair close to hers and sat down. “Tired?”
“Mmm.”
They sat in silence as the sun sank behind the pines. A loon called, and its mate answered. Laurel could see them bobbing in the water, near the point across the cove.
She reached for Dan’s hand. “I can never thank you enough.”
He took a deep breath. “Laurel, we agreed to wait until the trial was over to dicuss the future. I don’t want to rush you ...”
She rolled her head to the side and gazed into his gray eyes. “I think the right time has come.”
His smile was eager and at the same time content. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
He turned sober. “Can you wait just a minute? There’s something I need to …” He glanced anxiously up toward the cottage.
“I’ll be here.”
He leaned over and kissed her, then got up. “I’ll be back in thirty seconds.”
*****
Dan dashed through the kitchen, conscious of Judy’s stare, and into his room. He fumbled with the dresser drawer and pulled out a small box.
“Supper in ten minutes,” Judy called as he charged back through the kitchen.
Dan slowed and glanced at his watch. “We might be delayed a bit.”
“What’s up?” Judy opened the oven and slid in a tray of biscuits, then looked at him more closely. “What’s that?”
Dan smiled. “It’s, um, something I bought for Laurel.” His smile was becoming a first-class clown grin.
Judy’s jaw dropped. “Now? You’re asking her now?”
“Well …”
Judy untied the strings of her apron. “Wait! Let me get the violin!”
“Oh, I don’t know …”
She ran for the next room. “Go! Just go slowly.”
Dan went through the closed-in porch and down to the dock.
“Sorry,” he told Laurel. “Judy waylaid me.”
Strains of Mozart drifted over them.
“I thought she was cooking.”
“She is. She’s a versatile woman.”
Dan knelt on the dock and took Laurel’s hands in his. The moon rose behind him, sending its rays across the dark water. They looked at each other for a long moment.
“I love you so much,” he whispered.
Laurel squeezed his hands. “I love you, Danny.”
He nodded. “Laurel, will you marry me?”
Two tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “Yes.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I … got a ring.”
She laughed. “When?”
“Last night, after you went to bed. I made a run to the mall.” He sat back on his heels and held out the box. “If you don’t like it …”
“Hush.” She bent forward and kissed him lightly.
Dan smiled and opened the lid, revealing a sparkling diamond nested in a twined Celtic band of white gold.
Laurel caught her breath. “It’s beautiful.”
He reached for her left hand. “I’d be honored if you wore it.” He slid the ring onto her finger. “This means I’ll always love you.”
She melted into his arms once more, as the music drifted over the lake.
Epilogue
Six months later
Laurel watched the mirror through tear-filled eyes as Judy arranged her veil. Judy caught her gaze in the glass. “Hey, there, the bride’s not supposed to cry.”
Laurel looked down at her ivory satin gown. “I’m just so happy. It seemed like this day would never come.”
“Well, it has, and you need to go out there with a radiant smile.” Judy put a tissue in her hand, and Laurel wiped her eyes.
“Did I ruin my mascara?”
Judy eyed her critically. “Nope. You look super.”
The door to the room opened and Dan’s sister, Becky, came in, holding up the skirt of her rose gown.
“How are you doing, almost-sister?”
Laurel smiled. She and Becky had become close friends over the past few months. “I think I’m ready.”
“Great. You look wonderful.” Becky kissed Laurel’s cheek. “Mom and Dad are being seated. Pastor Newman is in the foyer with Donna, Marissa and the kids, and the church is full and eager.”
Judy laughed. “You and Dan have a lot of friends.”
“Mostly Dan’s friends, but they’ve all been good to me.”
“It’s nice that your old pastor and his wife could come from Maine,” Becky said.
Laurel nodded, wiping away a last tear. “I was thrilled when Pastor Newman said he’d come to give me away and take part in the ceremony.”
Judy lifted Laurel’s bouquet of pink and white roses from its box. “Here you go.”
Laurel held out her arms as the scent engulfed her. “Thanks. Aren’t they beautiful?”
“Everything’s perfect,” Becky said. “Even the weather. I thought yesterday you’d have a terrible day. But it’s sunny and warm out now.”
“Are all of the musicians here?” Judy asked.
“Yep.” Becky grinned. “Musicians and cops. The church is crawling with them.”
Judy laughed and picked up her bouquet. “I’m glad so many of Dan’s friends could come. We’ll have some great music at the reception.”
“We’d better get out there,” Becky said. “Are you ready?”
Laurel nodded and reached to kiss Judy. “Thank you for everything, dear friend.”
Judy winked at her and led the way to the door.
In the foyer, Marissa Ryan was holding Patrick’s hand, and Donna Wyman, Laurel’s other bridesmaid, was helping her four-year-old daughter, Reagan, decide in which hand to hold her basket of flower petals. From inside the auditorium, strains of Beethoven floated to them, and Laurel knew Judy and Dan’s friends were on the job.
She stepped up to embrace Pastor Newman, and he grinned and tucked her hand through his arm. “You look lovely.”
They waited while the wedding party entered the church. Judy gave her a last smile and went down the aisle.
Laurel took a deep breath and stepped into the doorway with Pastor Newman. The size of the crowd surprised her, but she focused her attention farther away, at the end of the long aisle, where Dan stood with his three brothers and Terry Wyman. He stared at her, and his eyes held a look of such pride and joy that Laurel caught her breath. Lord, thank You! Help me to measure up to his expectations.
And to think, she had almost turned Dan away last spring, too fearful to let him into her chaotic life. As the music cue changed and she stepped forward, she returned his smile. A flash of nervousness hit her, but Pastor Newman patted her hand, and she went on beside him with renewed courage.
God had answered her prayers, and she and Dan would have the future they had dreamed of. She’d won the civil lawsuit against her in-laws, enabling her to pay Jim Hight after all, and they had found an old brick farmhouse five miles from Dan’s parents’ home. Laurel had used part of the remaining money from her settlement to furnish and decorate the house. Now she was ready to start a new stage of her life. Dan had been promoted to detective, and Laurel had set up her studio in an upstairs bedroom in their new home.
She smiled at Dan as she approached the altar, and her groom’s eyes gleamed with love. Life as Mrs. Dan Ryan could only be good!
THE END
Keep reading for group discussion questions, an excerpt from another book, and more.
Dear Reader,
The idea for Laurel and Dan’s story came to me several years ago, but it took me some time to put it all together. I knew I wanted to write about a woman who felt she stood alone against the world, and the good man who came along to champion her cause. Dan and Laurel are tested physically, spiritually, and emotionally as they seek to clear Laurel’s name. Both grow as they learn to trust God and follow the leads He places in their path. Laurel almost gives up hope that she will be vindicated. Dan, Judy, and Jim help her to find the strength she needs to continue the fight.
There are really two heroes in Just Cause. Laurel’s deceased husband, Bob Hatcher, stood strong against people who wanted him to do evil. Dan supports Laurel in honoring Bob as an honest man who died because he did right. Bob’s presence is felt throughout the book. Dan and Laurel find that the best memorial for him is proving his high character.
Writing about people who need God’s power in their lives and showing them grow stronger as they recognize it is a real challenge, but very satisfying. I hope it will encourage others to turn to Him.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review wherever you go to talk about or buy books. I love to hear from readers. Contact me through my website, where you can e-mail me or sign up for my occasional newsletter and my monthly book drawing, at www.susanpagedavis.com.
Sincerely,
Susan Page Davis
Questions for Discussion
1. Have you ever been accused of a crime you didn’t commit? What were your feelings? Where did you turn for help and support?
2. Laurel receives permission from the court to leave her home state and use her maiden name. Are there times when you wish you could disappear and start a new life incognito? Why? What would you do instead?
3. Laurel avoids telling people about her past because she fears their reaction. At what point would you tell a new acquaintance about something painful in your past? How would you deal with rejection or misunderstanding?
4. Dan wants to take his relationship with Laurel slowly because of his past disappointment, in spite of his early feelings for her. When he learns she is widowed, he renews this resolve. How long do you think a man or woman should wait after a breakup or bereavement to start a new romantic relationship? How can rushing in be harmful?
5. What could Laurel have done for Renee when she got out of prison to keep Renee from feeling she’d broken her promise, and yet not abet her in doing more wrong?
6. Music is an important part of Dan’s life. What does music add to your life, and how do you incorporate it into your daily activities?
7. Laurel feels vulnerable after her apartment is broken into twice. She and Dan take precautions to keep her and the people around her safe. What security measures do you take to safeguard yourself and those you love? Will God always protect you from physical and emotional harm?
8. When bad things happen in spire of our best precautions, how can we feel secure?
9. Laurel lost her family early, and she envies Dan his large, loving family. How can we extend the love and feelings or belonging our families have to those with no family?
10. When Laurel’s trial is dismissed, the judge makes a formal apology to her from the State of Maine. When is a public apology appropriate? Have you ever made one? How did you feel afterward?
About the Author
Susan Page Davis is the author of more than eighty published novels and novellas. She is a winner and four-time finalist in the Carol Awards, sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers; a two-time winner of the Will Rogers Medallion for excellence in western fiction; a two-time winner of the FHL Reader’s Choice Award, sponsored by the Faith, Hope and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America; and a finalist in the WILLA Literary Awards.
A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky with her husband, Jim, one of their six adult children, and two cats. Susan and Jim also have ten grandchildren. Visit her website at: https://susanpagedavis.com/, and her Facebook author page at: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor. You can see all of her books on Amazon, where her author page is: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Page-Davis/e/B001IR1CGA/
Excerpt from Susan Page Davis’s
Hearts in the Crosshairs
Chapter 1
Governor Jillian Goff pulled on dark knit gloves as she walked across the lobby of the Statehouse flanked by the president of the Maine Senate and two Executive Protection Unit officers. Another security officer opened the door, and she stepped out into the bright but cold January day. The sky overhead, between the Capitol and the state office building, shone a vivid blue. Several hundred people had crowded into the limited space. Jillian waved as she walked across the paving stones to the microphones, touched that so many had come out to see her just minutes after she took the oath of office.
She smiled and looked into the television ca
mera with the red light. “I want to thank all of you, the people of Maine, for choosing me as your new governor. The past few months have been hectic, but they’ve been good preparation for what’s ahead. Together we can bring Maine into a productive new era. I look forward to—”
A muffled crack made her freeze. Something zinged past her ear, and a small, sharp object struck her cheek.
Someone seized her shoulders from behind and shoved her down behind the bank of microphones.
“Steady, ma’am. Keep still for a minute until we secure the area.”
Security. She’d only been governor for fifteen minutes, and an officer from the EPU was holding her head against the cold stone pavement before the door of the Capitol. Her right cheek stung. People shouted and scrambled about. A puff of white vapor formed in the air each time she let out a shallow breath. Her pulse thudded in her temples, and her knee hurt, folded beneath her on the freezing stone.
She turned her head, but that wasn’t much better. Her cheekbone contacted the icy pavement and she shivered. “W-what happened?”
“Shooter. Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
Jillian swallowed hard and tried to squeeze smaller. This morning the chief officer of the Maine State Police, Colonel Gideon Smith, had urged her to wear a bullet-proof vest beneath her coat during the press conference, and she had laughed at him. “When was the last time a Maine governor was attacked?”
“I take your safety seriously, ma’am,” Smith had replied.
I should have listened to him.
Another man came and kneeled beside her head.
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
“I think so.” The cheek that was pressed against the stone still stung.
“We’re going to help you up and get you inside. We’ll take you right up to your office. When we’re certain it’s safe, we’ll escort you home. Do you understand?”
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