Death by Temptation
Page 20
Tracy told me she thought you were wonderful and so did Alan. Keep up the good work, Cindy. There are so many more out there who need your help.
*
Cindy and Mattheus sat reading the papers and emails together. Mattheus was restless and out of sorts, however. When he last saw Rod, Rod had not even given him the time of day.
“Rod used you as a cover,” Cindy said to Mattheus after the family left. “All the time he said he was falling apart, Rod was busy getting rid of Shane.”
“Not all the time, but part of the time, definitely,” Mattheus said.
“That’s incredible,” breathed Cindy.
“You’re right,” said Mattheus, “I was taken in, big time. I’m ashamed.”
“Go deeper, Mattheus,” Cindy said. “How did that even happen?”
“Beats me,” said Mattheus.
“What was it you needed so much from Rod?”
“He was my old friend, my good friend,” said Mattheus softly. “It’s been a long time—”
“Do you miss being home in the States?” Cindy asked then. “Do you miss having good friends?”
“Could be,” agreed Mattheus.
“Is it possible this is not the life for you anymore?” asked Cindy.
“That’s going too far,” said Mattheus.
“Think about it, Mattheus, it’s an important question.”
Mattheus remained sad and silent though, unable to say anything. All of this had ended up being a shock to him and Cindy knew he would need time to figure it out.
The phone, which had been ringing all morning, rang abruptly once again then. This time the call was from Bonaire.
“Cindy and Mattheus, Cindy and Mattheus, we need you,” a frantic woman’s voice called out on the other end.
Cindy held the phone away from her. “A call from Bonaire,” she said to Mattheus.
Mattheus looked at Cindy and perked up. “Let’s start again. Let’s go there together,” he remarked, the light returning to his eyes.
“Just like that?” Cindy asked, startled.
“We’ll go back to the beginning. We’ll start slow again. Ask the woman what the problem is,” Mattheus answered, quickly returning to his old self.
Cindy smiled, relieved to see him this way again. Indeed, the power of the work they did was a true medicine, not only for Cindy, but for Mattheus as well.
“We do well as working partners,” Cindy said slowly then.
“You’re right, it’s true,” Mattheus conceded, “but like it or not there’s much more between us. And I have every confidence that one of these days, we’re going to work all of it out.”
Cindy pulled the phone closer to her. “What’s the problem?” she asked. “What’s going on in Bonaire?”
COMING SOON…
Book #15 in the Caribbean Murder Series
Now Available: Jaden’s Skye NEW romance series!
A PERFECT STRANGER
(Book #1 in the Tom’s River Saga)
Nestled among trees and hills, set alongside a winding river, the small town of Tom’s River, Wisconsin, so beautiful and protected, is a place where everybody knows each other, a place where nothing ever changes and where people can feel safe. But one day, all that changes. Megan’s husband has gone missing, and no one can find him.
As the search deepens, Megan discovers the truth not only about her husband, but also about the secrets he’s been hiding in their marriage. Her world is shook as she realizes she’s been living a lie, has been in a relationship with a man who’s been living a secret life, a man she never really knew.
Some months after his disappearance, as the snows of winter melt, Hunter, a handsome, magnetic stranger, arrives in Tom’s River. A loner with a mysterious past, he is content with his solitary job at the lumber yard. But as a tornado ravages the town, he is destined to cross paths with Megan, as she seeks help to repair her damaged home.
Once Hunter and Megan meet, nothing is ever the same again. As he repairs the roof that blew off her home, the two cannot hold back their feelings for each other. They fall madly in love. Yet Megan cannot, once again, live with a man who is keeping secrets from her: she needs Hunter to open up about who he is, about what he’s running from. And that is not something Hunter may be ready to do.
As they face a crucial crossroads in their affair, a shocking and dramatic twist hits the town: one that will test their love, and will test the town. Nothing will be the same in Tom’s River again.
Please visit Jaden’s site, where you can join the mailing list, hear the latest news, see additional images, and find links to stay in touch with Jaden on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and elsewhere:
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Also by Jaden Skye
THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES
DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)
DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2)
DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3)
DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4)
DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5)
DEATH BY JEALOUSY (Book #6)
DEATH BY PROPOSAL (Book #7)
DEATH BY OBSESSION (Book #8)
DEATH BY DEVOTION (Book #9)
DEATH BY BETRAYAL (Book #10)
DEATH BY REQUEST (Book #11)
DEATH BY ENGAGEMENT (Book #12)
DEATH BY SEDUCTION (Book #13)
DEATH BY TEMPTATION (Book #14)
THE TOM’S RIVER SAGA
A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1)
* * *
[cl1]You spell this both one and two words throughout. Since Merriam’s has two words, changing where necessary for consistency.
[cl2]“wiry” implies thin