Gone by Dark (Carolina Moon Book 2)

by Christy Barritt

  “So you’re leaving tomorrow?” Joshua said.

  Charity licked her lips. “I am.”

  “You should have seen the town come together for you, Charity. You would have been touched.” He glanced at her, the moonlight hitting his face and making it glow.

  “The people here surprised me. I may not have seen what they did when I was abducted, but I’ve realized there are a lot of good people here. I’m just sorry I’ve been blinded all these years.”

  “I’m glad you have some answers, some of that closure you were seeking.”

  “I’ve never quite had the perspective that I had when I thought I was going to die, Joshua,” Charity started, glancing down at her dress. “I had some spiritual realizations and some relationship ones, as well.”

  “And?”

  She stood and walked toward the water, unable to sit any longer. Instinctively, Joshua seemed to appear behind her. When she turned, she found herself in his arms. “And I realized just how much you mean to me. There’s never been anyone like you in my life, Joshua. I don’t want to lose that.”

  His eyes turned from glimmering pools of confusion to bright with hope. “I was hoping you might say that. Charity, since the day I met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. You make me want to believe in forever again, and that’s not something I ever thought I’d say after my divorce.”

  “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that.” Her smile slipped. “But I do have to go back to Tennessee.”

  “I’m willing to give this a try if you are. We can take it day by day. We’ll figure things out.”

  “I think that sounds like a great idea, Joshua. One of the best I’ve heard in a long time.”

  With that, his lips brushed hers. He pulled her into a long kiss, one full of promise and hope.

  EPILOGUE

  Charity squeezed Joshua’s hand as she watched Ryan and Daleigh Shields take their first dance as a married couple. Charity had come into town for the wedding—and to see Joshua. The ceremony had been beautiful.

  Jars filled with lights hung around the perimeter of the dance floor, a singer crooned ballads on a makeshift stage, and sweet tea was in abundance. Stars shone overhead, as well as a full moon. Charity couldn’t imagine the night being any more perfect.

  Ryan and Daleigh looked so incredibly happy together. At one time, Charity would have never been able to imagine that for her own life. Now, with Joshua by her side, it seemed like more of a possibility all the time.

  As the reception lingered on, Charity stepped back and smiled. Weddings were beautiful things, and she knew Daleigh and Ryan would be happy together for a very long time.

  A few people stopped by to say hello, and Charity chatted with them for a few minutes. Charity wasn’t sure if everyone else truly accepted her more now or if she simply accepted herself. She’d been so overrun with guilt that she couldn’t see clearly.

  She only knew that she was happy to put that part of her life behind her.

  “Charity?” Joshua asked, squeezing her hand.

  She glanced up at him. “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  A huge grin stretched across her face. “I love you, too . . . more than anything.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to plant a kiss on his lips.

  His arms seemed to instinctively wrap around her waist. “Do you have to go back to Tennessee tomorrow?”

  She stepped out of his embrace and took his hands into hers. “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

  His smile slipped. “Okay.”

  “I was thinking of moving back to this area. I wanted to hear what you thought of the idea.”

  His eyes widened before his grin appeared again, wider than ever. “I think that’s an excellent idea. In fact, I’ve been talking with the county sheriff, and we’ve agreed it’s a good idea to hire a victim advocate for this area. Your name was thrown out there.”

  “I guess as police chief you have a little more pull now, huh?”

  His arms went to her waist again. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “Daleigh mentioned that I might be able to rent her old place, now that she’s moving out. At least until I figure out something more permanent.”

  “Funny that you mentioned that, because there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” His eyes danced with happiness. “You know that offer you got on your property?”

  “I do.” She hadn’t had time to hear any of the details. The paperwork was taking a long time to process. Plus, too many other things had been going on.

  “It just so happens that I’m the one who made that offer,” Joshua told her, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight.

  This time, Charity’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded, a grin pulling at his lips. “I have visions of building a new house there. There will be plenty of land, ample peace and quiet, and not a lot of drama.”

  “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Joshua.”

  Before he could respond, a little boy took off across the grass and threw his legs around Joshua. “Daddy!”

  Charity smiled down at Rider. She’d been able to meet him once before, and she already knew that the little guy was a jewel. He was full of laughter and love and childhood wonder. And he was handsome to boot, just like his father.

  “Hey, buddy.” Joshua picked him up and swung the boy around. “Where did you wander off to? I thought you were with Mrs. Sarah.”

  “I was dancing with Mrs. Daleigh.” Rider turned toward Charity. “Can we dance, too?”

  “I’d love to,” Charity told him, her heart warming at the thought.

  Joshua and Charity exchanged a smile. As quickly as he appeared, the boy scrambled from his father’s arms and headed back toward the dance floor. “Until then, I’m doing the waltz with the flower girl.”

  Charity chuckled. “He’s quite a charmer. Just like his dad.”

  Joshua took her hand again. “Charity, I know it’s too soon to jump into anything. But I just want you to know that I see my future with you. I want my future to be with you. I think Rider would like that also.”

  Joy exploded in her heart. Each wave brought more delight and satisfaction—satisfaction that she never thought she would get to experience. “I want the same thing, Joshua. More than I could have ever imagined.”

  “You’re okay with coming back here?” Joshua asked.

  She nodded, not a doubt in her mind. “I am. I’m ready to move on. I realize that there are a lot of good people here, people who never turned their backs on me. I just couldn’t see it through my pain.”

  He brushed his lips against hers. “I love you, Charity White.”

  “I love you too, Joshua Haven. Now and forever.”

  ###

  Other books in the Carolina Moon series:

  Home Before Dark (Book 1)

  Nothing good ever happens after dark. Those were the words country singer Daleigh McDermott’s father always repeated. Now her father is dead, and Daleigh fears she’s returned home too late to make things right. As she’s about to flee back to Nashville, she finds a hidden journal belonging to her father. His words hint that his death was no accident. Small town mechanic Ryan Shields is the only one who seems to believe that Daleigh may be on to something. Her father trusted the man, but Daleigh’s instant attraction to Ryan scares her. She knows her life and career, however dwindling it might be, are back in Nashville and that her time in the sleepy North Carolina town is only temporary. As Daleigh and Ryan work to unravel the mystery, it becomes obvious that someone wants them dead. They must rely on each other—and on God—if they hope to make it home before the darkness swallows them whole. Home Before Dark offers a blend of Nicholas Sparks meets Mary Higgins Clark, a mix of charming small town life in North Carolina tangled in a gripping suspense.

  Wait Until Dark (Coming Late 2015)

  Standalone Novels:

  Dubiosity

  Savan
nah Harris vowed to leave behind her old life as an intrepid investigative reporter. But when a friend raises suspicions about two migrant workers who’ve gone missing from the sleepy coastal town Savannah calls home, her curiosity spikes.

  As ever more eerie incidents begin afflicting the area, each works to draw Savannah out of her seclusion and raise the stakes—for both Savannah and the surrounding community. Even as Savannah’s new boarder, Clive Miller, makes her feel things she thought long forgotten, she suspects he’s hiding something too, and he’s not the only one. Doubts collide in Savannah’s mind: Who can she really trust?

  As secrets emerge and danger closes in, Savannah must choose between faith and uncertainty. One wrong decision might spell the end…not just for her, but for everyone around her.

  Will she unravel the mystery in time, or will doubt get the best of her?

  The Good Girl

  Tara Lancaster can sing Amazing Grace in three harmonies, two languages, and interpret it for the hearing impaired. She can list the Bible canon backward, forward, and alphabetized. And the only time she ever missed church was at seventeen because she had pneumonia and her mom made her stay home. But when her life shatters around her and her reputation is left in ruins, Tara decides escape is the only option. She flees halfway across the country to dog-sit, but the quiet anonymity she needs isn’t waiting in her sister’s house. Instead she finds a knife with a threatening message, a fame-hungry friend, a too-hunky neighbor, and evidence of...a ghost? Following all the rules has gotten her nowhere. And nothing she learned in Sunday School can tell her where to go from there.

  Death of the Couch Potato's Wife (Suburban Sleuth Mysteries)

  You haven’t seen desperate until you’ve met Laura Berry, a career-oriented city slicker turned suburbanite housewife. Well-trained in the big city commandment, “mind your own business,” Laura is persuaded by her spunky 70-year-old neighbor Babe to check on another neighbor who hasn’t been seen in days. She finds her neighbor, Candace Flynn, wife of the infamous “Couch King,” dead, and at last has a reason to get up in the morning in suburbia: murder. Someone’s determined to stop her from digging deeper into the death of her neighbor, but Laura is just as determined to figure out who’s behind the death-by-poisoned-pork-rinds.

  The Trouble with Perfect

  Since the death of her fiancé two years ago, novelist Morgan Blake’s life has been in a holding pattern. She has a major case of writer’s block, and a book signing in the small mountain town of Perfect sounds like just the solution to help her clear her head. Her trip takes a wrong turn when, on her way there, she’s involved in a hit and run—she’s hit a man, and he’s run from the scene. Before fleeing, he mouthed the word “help.” She plans to give him that help, but first she must find him. In Perfect, she finds a town that offers everything she’s ever wanted. But is something sinister going on behind the town’s cheery exterior? Was she invited as a guest of honor simply to do a book signing? Or was she lured to town for another purpose—a deadly purpose?

  Other Books by Christy Barritt:

  The Squeaky Clean Mystery Series:

  Hazardous Duty (Book 1)

  On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. “Yeah, that’s me,” she says, “a crime scene cleaner. People waiting in line behind me who strike up conversations always regret it.”

  When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

  With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

  Suspicious Minds (Book 2)

  In this smart and suspenseful sequel to Hazardous Duty, crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire finds herself stuck doing mold remediation to pay the bills. But her first day on the job, she uncovers a surprise in the crawlspace of a dilapidated home: Elvis, dead as a doornail and still wearing his blue suede shoes. How could she possibly keep her nose out of a case like this?

  It Came Upon a Midnight Crime (Book 2.5, a Novella)

  Someone is intent on destroying the true meaning of Christmas—at least, destroying anything that hints of it. All around crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s hometown, anything pointing to Jesus as the “reason for the season” is being sabotaged. The crimes become more twisted as dismembered body parts are found at the vandalisms. Who would go to such great lengths to dampen the joy and hope of Christ’s birthday? Someone’s determined to destroy Christmas . . . but Gabby St. Claire is just as determined to find the Grinch and let peace on earth and goodwill to men prevail.

  Organized Grime (Book 3)

  Gabby St. Claire knows her best friend, Sierra, isn’t guilty of killing three people in what appears to be an eco-terrorist attack. But Sierra has disappeared, her only contact a frantic phone call to Gabby proclaiming that she’s being hunted. Gabby is determined to prove her friend is innocent and to keep her alive. While trying to track down the real perpetrator, Gabby notices a disturbing trend at the crime scenes she’s cleaning, one that ties random crimes together—and points to Sierra as the guilty party. Just what has her friend gotten herself into?

  Dirty Deeds (Book 4)

  “Promise me one thing. No snooping. Just for one week.”

  Gabby St. Claire knows that her fiancé’s request is a simple one that she should be able to honor. After all, Riley’s law school reunion and attorneys’ conference at a hoity-toity resort is a chance for them to get away from the mysteries Gabby often finds herself involved in as a crime scene cleaner. The weeklong trip is a chance for them to be “normal,” a word that leaves a bad taste in Gabby’s mouth.

  But Gabby finds herself alone for endless hours while Riley is busy with legal workshops. Then one of Riley’s old friends goes missing, and Gabby suspects one of Riley’s buddies might be behind the disappearance. When the missing woman’s mom asks Gabby for help, how can she say no?

  Secrets abound. Frankly, Gabby even has some of her own. When the dirty truth comes out, the revelations put everything in jeopardy—relationships, trusts, and even lives.

  The Scum of All Fears (Book 5)

  “I’ll get out, and I’ll get even.”

  Gabby St. Claire is back to crime-scene cleaning, at least temporarily. With her business partner on his honeymoon, she needs help after a weekend killing spree fills up her work docket. She quickly realizes she has bigger problems than finding temporary help.

  A serial killer her fiancé, a former prosecutor, put behind bars has escaped. His last words to Riley were: I’ll get out, and I’ll get even. Pictures of Gabby are found in the man’s prison cell, and Riley fears the sadistic madman has Gabby in his sights.

  Gabby tells herself there’s no way the Scum River Killer will make it across the country from California to Virginia without being caught. But then messages are left for Gabby at crime scenes, and someone keeps slipping in and out of her apartment.

  When Gabby’s temporary assistant disappears, Gabby must figure out who’s behind these crimes. The search for answers becomes darker when Gabby realizes she’s dealing with a criminal who’s more than evil. He’s truly the scum of the earth, and he’ll do anything to make Gabby and Riley’s lives a living nightmare.

  To Love, Honor, and Perish (Book 6)

  How could God let this happen?

  Crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire can’t stop asking the question. Just when her life is on the right track, the unthinkable happens. Gabby’s fiancé, Riley Thomas, is shot and remains in life-threatening condition only a week before their wedding.

  Gabby is determined to figure out who pulled the trigger, even if investigating puts her own life at risk. But as she digs deeper into the facts surrounding the case, she
discovers secrets better left alone. Doubts arise in her mind and the one man with answers is on death’s doorstep.

  An old foe from the past returns and tests everything Gabby is made of—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Will her soul survive the challenges ahead? Or will everything she’s worked for be destroyed?

  Mucky Streak (Book 7)

  After her last encounter with a serial killer, Gabby St. Claire feels her life is smeared with the stain of tragedy. Between the exhaustion of trying to get her fiancé back on his feet, routine night terrors, and potential changes looming on the horizon, she needs a respite from the mire of life.

  At the encouragement of her friends, she takes on a short-term gig as a private investigator: a cold case that’s eluded investigators for ten years. The mass murder of a wealthy family seems impossible to solve but quickly gets interesting as Gabby brings more clues to light. Add to the mix a flirtatious client, travels to an exciting new city, and some quirky—albeit temporary—new sidekicks, and things get really complicated.

  With every new development, Gabby prays that what she’s calling her “mucky streak” will end and the future will become clear. But every answer she uncovers leads her closer to danger—both for her life and for her heart.

  Foul Play (Book 8)

  Gabby St. Claire is crying foul play, in every sense of the phrase.

  When crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire agrees to go undercover at a local community theater, she discovers more than backstage bickering, atrocious acting, and rotten writing. The female lead is dead and an old classmate who’s staked everything on the musical production’s success is about to go under.