Skeleton's Key (Delta Crossroads Trilogy, Book 2)
Page 31
News of the historical finds in the passage had spread to the National Register, and Ironwood was granted a spot on the list without hesitation. The historical foundation was already fielding requests for tours, and Dani had been busy deciding which Laurent family items to use in the house and which to donate to the foundation.
Lee had groveled and begged her to stay. With Cage on the mend and her temper eased, she was able to start down the path of forgiveness. Lee had made some big mistakes, but his intentions had been in the right place. And if he hadn’t contacted Gina when he had, she and Cage would both be dead.
“The restoration guy does good work.”
Cage grunted as he came to sit next to her. “He better after that ordeal.”
“You feeling okay? No pain?”
He kissed her shoulder. “I’m fine. You’re red-faced and looking melted, though.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Jaymee’ll be here to help soon. I can get her to make you some sweet tea if you want. I know how much you love it.”
Dani gagged. “Awful stuff. You Southerners have questionable tastes.”
“Hey now.” Cage stretched out his long legs and propped himself up on his elbow. “I happen to hate that sugary goop. And I have excellent taste.”
“Well, you did fall for me. That gives you some bonus points.”
“There you go.”
Dani rubbed her face. “Ugh. I need a shower. What time is the service again?”
The bones of Camille Semple were being laid to rest in the Roselea Historic Cemetery in the family plot, and the descendants Ben Moore and Norton Investments had run off the farm had invited Cage and Dani to the service.
“Two hours.” Cage trailed his fingers down her arm. “And we haven’t christened the bathroom since the new shower was installed.”
Heat raced through Dani. She leaned down to kiss Cage, her lips lingering against his. “Then we’d better get moving.”
She pulled him to his feet and then allowed him to lead her through the hallway to the bathroom. The heavy pall that had hovered inside Ironwood was lifting. They had the floors shined and the marble restored in the past month. A crime scene crew had cleaned the basement and a cement floor would be laid eventually, but the rest of the house smelled clean and fresh thanks to the restoration efforts.
As Cage led her into the bathroom, Dani glimpsed her new life over her shoulder. The grand dual staircase had been made safe, and hours of elbow grease had the mahogany gleaming in the afternoon sun. So much work left to do, but so much promise lay ahead of her.
“You coming?” Cage pulled his shirt off revealing the still red scar. It made butterflies ripple through her stomach every time she saw it, but it was also a reminder for everything she’d never realized she’d needed until she almost lost it.
Her mother would be proud.
And finally, Dani could allow her mother’s grip on her soul to ease. She was no longer the unsure child needing guidance or the frustrated adult stuck with taking care of an invalid mother. She was an independent woman who had to make her own choices. Her mother might not have agreed with all of them, but that was all right. It was time to let her go.
“D?”
She smiled at Cage standing naked in the bathroom doorway. “Yeah. Just make sure the water’s cold.”
“Crazy Yankee.”
“Good old Southern boy.”
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Check out the rest of the books in Delta Crossroads Series
Click on the covers below to learn more!
Tin God
Skeleton’s Key
Ashes and Bone
Books by Stacy
Click on the covers below to learn more!
The Lucy Kendall Series
She’s no killer. She’s just taking out the trash.
Hear No Lies
All Good Deeds
See Them Run
Gone To Die
All Fall Down
Delta Crossroads
Tin God
Skeleton’s Key
Ashes and Bone
Delta Detectives
Living Victim
Dead Wrong
Night Terror
Last Words
Shots Fired
Standalone
Into the Devil’s Underground
Welcome to Las Vegas
Twisted Minds
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a lonely experience, with the author often living in his/her head for hours at a time. Without a network of supportive and talented professionals, I wouldn’t have the ability to bring my writing to you.
First and foremost, thanks go to my family: Rob and Grace, for their tolerance of my hours with my head in the story; Mom and Dad, for their unending support and confidence; and to all of my husband’s family for being wonderful cheerleaders.
Skeleton’s Key is my toughest novel to date, and I relied heavily on Dr. Erin Barnhart, Deputy Medical Examiner for the state of Mississippi. Thank you for your patience and eagerness to answer questions and for putting so much time into my writing. Many thanks to the Natchez Historical Society for its guidance in getting the historical details correct.
I have to thank my good friend Kristine Kelly for her faith my writing and her diligence in editing. To Catie Rhodes, my critique partner and friend: thank you for the hours and hours of plotting and nursing my always-fragile ego. Many thanks to the women of misterio press for their help in bringing Skeleton’s Key to print.
And thank you to all of my readers who are on this journey with me. Your reviews and support and excitement for the Delta Crossroads Series are more than I ever expected. I hope you enjoyed Skeleton’s Key, and I can’t wait to bring you the series finale.
About the Author
Stacy Green is the author of the Lucy Kendall thriller series and the Delta Crossroads mystery trilogy. ALL GOOD DEEDS (Lucy Kendall #1) won a bronze medal for mystery and thriller at the 2015 IPPY Awards. TIN GOD (Delta Crossroads #1) was runner-up for best mystery/thriller at the 2013 Kindle Book Awards. Stacy has a love of thrillers and crime fiction, and she is always looking for the next dark and twisted novel to enjoy. She started her career in journalism before becoming a stay at home mother and rediscovering her love of writing. She lives in Iowa with her husband and daughter and their three spoiled fur babies.
Stacy is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo, Helin and Fountain Literary Management for literary and dramatic rights.
Stacy loves to hear from readers!
Website: stacygreenauthor.com
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Twitter: @StacyGreen26