by Toni Shiloh
Grace Restored
A Freedom Lake Novel
Toni Shiloh
Published by Toni Shiloh, 2018.
Copyright © 2018 by Toni Shiloh.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or other—for brief quotations embodied in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Edited by Marylin Furumasu.
Cover design by Toni Shiloh.
Cover art photos © 4774344sean/Crestock used by permission.
Published in the United States of America by Toni Shiloh.
www.ToniShiloh.wordpress.com
Grace Restored is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To the Author and Finisher of my faith.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Prologue
June 11, 2003
“Promise we’ll always be friends.” Michelle Thomas glanced at her best friends, Jo Ellen Baker and Chloe Smith. Graduating from high school was going to change their relationship no matter what. She just prayed it would stand the test of time.
“Of course, we will,” Jo said in her no-nonsense tone of voice.
“Just because we’re going to college doesn’t mean our friendship will change,” Chloe stated in her soft voice.
Michelle sighed. She loved her friends, but sometimes, they didn’t seem to understand how tenuous time could be. In the blink of an eye, life could be altered.
“I love you, guys.” She smiled at them, eyes misting over.
“Aw, group hug.” Jo exclaimed.
Michelle wrapped her arms around them. Life couldn’t get much better.
The sound of the doorbell brought the hug to a close. Her parents had gone out for date night and had allowed her to have a sleepover with her girls. She knew they didn’t like her opening the door when they weren’t home, but she was an adult now.
She peered through the peep hole and frowned. Why was there a police officer at her door? She opened the door. “May I help you?”
The officer removed his hat, a somber look coloring his features. “Are you Michelle Thomas?”
She nodded. This was getting stranger by the minute.
“I’m Officer Simpson with the Kodiak City Police Department, may I come inside?”
What were the Kodiak City Police Department doing in Freedom Lake?
“Who’s at the door, Chelle?” Jo called out.
“The police.”
Jo quickly padded to the door to stand next to her. “How do we know you’re really the police?”
Trust Jo to be cynical and non-trusting. Who would lie about that?
He handed over his badge and Jo examined it. Michelle wanted to laugh at her serious expression, but something was off. Something wasn’t right.
Chloe peeked over Jo’s shoulder. “Looks real to me.”
“I suppose,” Jo replied. She handed the badge back. “Just say what you have to say right there.” Jo pointed past the threshold, as if the officer wasn’t strong enough to cross it if necessary.
The officer met Michelle’s gaze, his gray eyes softening. “Ms. Thomas, your parents have been involved in an accident.”
“What? Are they okay?” She swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. She met Jo’s eyes, noticing the creases in her forehead. She vaguely noted Chloe’s hand on her back.
“Ma’am, I regret to inform you...”
It sounded like a recording. The words didn’t make sense. How could they be dead? She just saw them. Her dad had teared up after the graduation ceremony while they were taking family photos.
Slowly, the sound of wailing penetrated her thoughts. She wished they’d shut up. How could she hear what the officer was saying if they wouldn’t stop?
Her knees buckled and she felt arms come around to steady her.
It was her.
She was the one wailing. She was the one making the incessant noise.
They were dead. At the blink of an eye, her parents were dead.
Chapter One
Victory was hers. The judge had sentenced Brett Donn to twenty years in prison for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. It was his third OWI and the judge was all too happy to remove him from the streets of Indiana.
Michelle Thomas loved her job.
She stepped outside, enjoying the cool breeze that blew as her hair fluttered in the wind. Spring was coming and she couldn’t wait. It was her favorite time of year. Not too hot, not too cold. Plus, the constant snow had grown tiresome. Her heels reverberated against the cobbled street. Now that court was over, she could head back to Freedom Lake for her afternoon appointments.
She opened the door of her coupe and settled into the leather seat. The new car smell greeted her, thanks to the air freshener that sat out of sight beneath her seat. Placing her leather briefcase on the passenger seat, Michelle pulled out her iPhone. It was time to let Mrs. Flake know the results of Mr. Donn’s arraignment.
The widow had wanted to attend the sentencing hearing, but ended up at home sick with the flu. Michelle knew Mr. Donn’s imprisonment would bring closure to the woman. Although it wouldn’t bring her husband back, at least she would be able to sleep at night knowing the man responsible couldn’t hurt anyone else.
She wished her parents’ murderer had been handed the same punishment.
Michelle shook her head, trying to jar the thought from her mind. Her chin-length hair brushed her cheeks and she swatted at it in irritation. Why did the verdicts always have to point back to her parents’ injustice?
The man who hit her parents’ head on...well, boy really considering he’d only been seventeen...had received probation as it was his first offense. The fact that he was an honor roll student with wealthy parents caused the judge to take pity on him. Her parent’s death had been rendered meaningless.
She hated drunk drivers.
Why someone would get behind the wheel of a car intoxicated was beyond her. There were no guarantees in life and operating a vehicle while plastered simply upped the stakes for a chance meeting with the Grim Reaper.
Worst: she had no closure. That boy ha
d been able to grow into a man. He was out there somewhere in the state of Indiana. Hopefully, he never picked up a drink again, but she doubted it. The majority of her cases were repeat offenders.
Every OWI case that landed on her desk received her full attention. If she could ensure they received the maximum penalty, she could honor her parents even in death. They wouldn’t be forgotten. Even if she could no long remember the way her mother laughed. Even if the memory of her dad’s smile was relegated to a picture. They could no longer be restored to her. They were gone.
Dead.
Killed in less time than it took the boy to consume the number of beers that pushed him over the legal limit.
She heaved a sigh and cleared her throat at the sound of the voice-mail prompt.
“Mrs. Flake, this is Michelle. I have some good news for you. Please return my call at your earliest convenience.”
She hit end and started her car.
Driving used to be her stress reliever. Then Guy Pierre had moved back to Freedom Lake, taking up the mantle of Sheriff. Now, she found herself glancing in her rearview mirror searching for his vehicle.
Guy Pierre.
Why did he have to move back to town? She swore up and down she’d never see him again. She didn’t want to remember what happened. And by his abrupt departure, he didn’t either. Then again, she couldn’t really blame him for moving back. Her roommate, Jo, said he needed someone to help watch his twin girls. Jo’s grandmother, affectionately known as Nana Baker, was enjoying babysitting the twins. It was a miracle the woman had the stamina to do so after suffering a heart attack.
Michelle had to admit, the little girls were beautiful. She gave a mental shake of her head. Guy Pierre with kids. Twin girls at that. That’s what he got. He needed to experience the impending horror of his teenage daughters dating.
Her mouth dried as her conscience tugged at her. What he did to her shouldn’t be the reason he’d have to go through life alone. She did kind of feel bad that his wife was dead.
Who are you kidding? Your heart is breaking for him.
“Well not for him. More like I’m empathetic.”
You’re talking to yourself again.
She shrugged. “No one to hear me.”
You hear you.
She frowned and turned the radio on. Music was nothing but background noise to her. She never knew who was singing and frankly couldn’t care less. But if it would drown out the voice in her head, then she was all for it.
Michelle remembered the suspense audio book she downloaded to her iPhone. Even better. She switched to the mp3 player input and selected the novel. She knew the killer would be revealed soon, and she was pretty sure it was the town sheriff. The irony did not escape her.
GUY PIERRE CRACKED his neck and looked at the clock.
9 o’clock in the morning.
He bit back a word he tried to hide from his girls. It was going to be a long day. He’d only been in the office for an hour. How would he make it to the end of his shift? He was so tired he could barely think straight.
Rachel had been up all night with the stomach flu. Thankfully, Rebekah had managed to avoid. The thought of both twins having the bug made him want to run. He shuddered. How he wished Charlene was still here. He would have liked having her help.
He stared at the picture of his late wife on the corner of his desk. Charlene was gorgeous. Her smile could light a room and often drew the attention of strangers. He had always teased her that she was an angel, sent to Earth to be with him.
His eyelid twitched. Now, she was an angel in heaven.
Guy stood up swiftly, his chair slamming into the wall as it rolled back from the force in which he shoved upward. Why did she have to die? The question haunted him. At night. During the day. When his girls were sick. When they were happy and full of life. When he slipped into bed and felt the cold from the sheets.
Once upon a time, his days had been full of life. Loving Charlene, living with her, had been like a Van Gogh painting. Full of purpose and vibrancy. Her favorite painting, “Blossoming Almond Tree,” used to hang in their living room. It spoke to her personality and the simplicity in which she lived life.
Now, it lay in storage. He couldn’t look at it without feelings of rage and the unfairness of it all threatening to choke him. But he couldn’t let the anger show. His girls depended on him. They needed him. To be their father. To fill the absence left by their mother.
When would he have a chance to rest? To close his eyes from the weariness that threatened to weigh him down every morning when his alarm clock went off?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
“Leave me alone!” His slight Haitian accent thickened with annoyance. Although he hadn’t grown up in Haiti his parents’ influence had left an imprint on his speech.
“Sorry, Sheriff. I didn’t mean to disturb you, but Mrs. Baker is on the line.” His secretary stared at him, caution reflected in her wide eyes.
Had he said that aloud? When had she even come into his office? He sighed, running a hand down his face. “I’m sorry, Holly. My mind was somewhere else. I’ll take the call.”
She nodded and backed out slowly, closing the door without a sound.
He grabbed his chair and brought it forward. The green light blinked, showcasing the waiting call. He cleared his throat. “Hey Nana, how are my girls?”
“Good morning, Guy. They’re just fine. I wanted to give you a call and let you know that Rachel has kept some broth down. I think the worst is over.”
A sigh slid out as he closed his eyes in relief. He tightened his mouth trying to keep his lips from uttering a prayer of thanks. He didn’t deserve his thanks. “Thank you so much for watching them Nana. I’m sorry I couldn’t take the day off.”
“Oh, hush. You know I don’t mind.”
He smiled. Nana Baker was a life saver. He hoped Jo knew how lucky she was to have her. “I appreciate you, Nana. If nothing comes up, I’ll be there by five to get them.”
“You take your time. You know what...why don’t you go eat dinner with Evan or Darryl and take some time for yourself. You’ve got to be exhausted from staying up all night.”
“Maybe I’ll do that.” Or not.
Even though Evan and Darryl were his boys, he had no desire to hang around with them. They were in too deep with God and he wanted no part of it. But a couple of hours to himself did sound nice. Maybe he’d take a nap.
“Yes, you do that. I’ll see you sometime after seven, Sheriff.”
“Thanks, Nana. See you then.”
He glanced at the phone then to his office door. Should he call Holly and apologize or do it face-to-face? Guy knew he’d reacted badly, even if he hadn’t been talking to her. The look of fright on her face was enough to propel him toward his door.
“Hey, Holly?”
His secretary looked up. Her red hair was pulled into a bun with a pencil sticking out of it. The brown rimmed glasses matched the freckles running across her pale face.
“Yes, Sheriff?”
“I really am sorry about earlier. I was thinking about something and...”
She held a hand up. “No worries. I’ve had days like that. Let’s just chalk it up to a case of Mondays, okay?” Her smile was almost blinding.
Guy exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath. “Thanks. I’ll try to make sure the rest of my Monday improves.”
“Of course. It’s hard being a single parent, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.”
She snickered. “You definitely have it harder than me though. I only have one.”
Holly was a single parent? He could only hope the shock didn’t show on his face. How did he miss the fact that she had a kid? How could he be so oblivious? “How old...” he trailed off. He had no clue if she had a boy or girl.
“Samantha just turned four. Your girls are three, right?”
He nodded. What happened to her husband? Then again, s
he didn’t wear a ring. Maybe she had never been married. He wanted to ask, but it felt weird. There were so many laws about what you could and couldn’t ask your employees.
But Freedom Lake is different.
“How long, um...have you been a single parent?”
Please don’t have already told me.
“Two years, now. Jake was in the Army on deployment...and he didn’t come back.”
Ouch. He felt like a heel. Guy looked at her as she continued talking.
“He’d been gone for six months and was supposed to come home the next day, but he didn’t.” She cleared her throat then turned to her desk, shuffling items. “Most days I’m okay, but then there are those moments like the one you had earlier.” She turned back to him and smiled.
He stood straighter. He’d been single for three years, but he still recognized the look of interest she was throwing his way. Guy blinked. “Yeah. Thanks again for accepting my apology.”
The phone rang, and he suppressed a prayer of thanks. Saved by the bell. He turned and headed back to the sanctuary of his office.
Chapter Two
Michelle pressed the lock button on her car key fob. She shivered as she walked toward her office. Freedom Lake was a few degrees cooler than Kodiak City, but it was also prettier. When she had driven through the small town, the lake’s surface had gleamed, winking at her. The bloodroots’ white color had been almost blinding. Freedom Lake showcased spring well, in her opinion.
She waved to her friend as she walked by. Chloe owned the interior design business, The Space, which was right next door to Michelle’s law office. Chloe motioned her to come in, so she stopped and headed for her friend’s business instead.
The chime tinkled softly as she entered. The soft yellow color scheme Chloe used was masterful. She loved the colors in her own office, but she could spend all day in the soothing atmosphere of The Space.
“Hey, Chlo, how are you?”
“Good. How was court?”
She couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face. “We got him. He’ll be hanging out at state for twenty.”
