Julie, while recovering from wounds sustained in the line of duty, discovers she isn't who she believed herself to be. Her journey into the past, leads her on the path to her future, but there are those who would prefer the past not to resurface. Determined to find out the truth about her family, Julie is in a race to sift through years of secrets before the past has a chance to silence her for good.
“Well, you said you needed to talk, so spill. I’ve got hours to listen, drink coffee, and eat pie.” Allie grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.
“You really should be a cop.” Julie shook her head at Allie’s intuition, and relayed the conversation with her grandmother from earlier in the day.
“I’m very confused. What do I do about this situation?” Julie concluded.
“Do you want to go to Georgia and meet your grandmother?” Allie watched Julie’s face closely.
“Yes, but I feel like I’m betraying Grams. I mean, she’s the one that wants me to go, but doesn’t meeting Mimi Millie lessen all the things she’s done for me over the years?” Julie grimaced in frustration.
“Absolutely not,” Allie exclaimed vehemently. “She will always be your grandmother, and she knew this day would come eventually. It would be good for you to expand your horizons and meet more of your family. Admit it, you might find a handsome man to fall in love with, ’cause Lord knows, you won’t find one here.”
“Allie, I can’t meet a man there. He might be my cousin or uncle, or something weird. There are no men knocking down my door, but I haven’t been overly friendly with guys either.” Julie looked disgusted.
“Julie.” Allie laid a hand on her arm. “There are plenty of men in the entire state of Georgia that aren’t related to you. You just have to be willing to open up and let them get to know the real you.”
“I can’t. As soon as they find out that I carry a gun and run toward danger, guys run in the opposite direction. Besides, if I went out there, it would be to meet my family, not a guy. My life is here,” Julie finished, firmly running out of reasons she couldn’t date a guy.
“Really, your life is here? Where you grew up and know about everyone and their dating histories? Unless you know someplace where they have mail order grooms that don’t need a green card, then you could just order the perfect man,” Allie joked.
“See? This is why I called. I knew it was crazy to go across the country and meet people who might be criminals themselves.”
“Nope, not what I said. Besides, we have serial killers right here. You helped to take one down that you’ve known your whole life, so at least give these new people in your life the benefit of the doubt, okay? They can’t be any worse than the people here in this town.”
“Crap. Why did you have to bring up sensible reasons when I was looking for excuses?” Julie pouted.
“So are you going to tell them you’re coming, or just show up on Mimi Millie’s doorstep?” Allie asked practically.
“I’m going to wait until Grams leaves for church in the morning. She won’t know until she gets home what I’m doing.” Julie pulled out the key to the cedar chest. “I’m going to read through sixty years’ worth of letters before I go traipsing about. I might get all the answers I need and not have to go anywhere.”
“Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that. I’ll just explain it to Justin that you needed to go on an epic adventure and destroy a ring at the top of a mountain.” Allie laughed at the bewildered expression on Julie’s face. “Justin made me watch this movie about a Hobbit who goes on an adventure. He said my movie education was sadly lacking.”
“Oh, I get it now. Haha.” Julie gave her a tight smile.
“All right, that’s it. Get up.” Allie stood abruptly.
“Wait, where are we going?”
“To get you packed for your journey.” Allie collected the trash to dispose of it as they left.
“But I’m not sure if I’m going yet,” Julie protested.
“Julie, do I need to call Megan on her honeymoon?” Allie was referring to their friend who had been chased by a serial killer and poisoned. She was now recovering with her new husband, and wouldn’t want to be disturbed, but the threat of calling her would be enough guilt for Julie to comply.
“No,” Julie whined. “Let’s go.”
Ding-Dong—Is She Dead
After witnessing a Mob murder in NYC, Allie Foster is placed in the witness protection program. Starting a new life in Texas is hard enough—but finding a front door hanging on its hinges while delivering Nova beauty products makes it even more difficult. A grisly trail of blood leads her to a terrifying discover… a body. After a heart-stopping moment of fear, Allie realizes her friend is still alive, although badly beaten. When she rushes Megan to the hospital, it puts Allie right back where she doesn’t need to be—embroiled in yet another mystery.
Allie offers to help her friend protect her daughter, even as a second attempt on Megan’s life reveals her husband will stop at nothing to prove he’s above the law. When it fails again, Megan’s abuser decides to take his anger out on Allie instead. With the help of a handsome stranger, Allie escapes, but now both women are in danger. Justin Greenley, the gallant protector, offers them a safe haven until the would-be murderer is caught. His family’s ranch seems the idyllic choice, but Allie isn’t sure if she should trust Justin with her life… even if her heart tells her she should.
Death by Poison
Her tentative relationship with Mark Greenley takes a nosedive when Megan starts to investigate his mother’s death by supposed suicide, uncovering a trail of hidden money and blackmail twenty-five years in the making. Mark doesn’t want to dredge up the past, but Megan is determined to dig deeper, despite her overwhelming urge to give into her inclinations to obey men, a lesson her ex tried to beat into her. When the mystery starts to endanger not only her life, but the life of her daughter, Megan must decide if her new love and life are worth the pursuit of justice.
A B.S. in History and English gave wings to her vivid imagination in book form. A supportive and loving husband has given her the chance to make her dreams a reality. Their three daughters and three dogs keep her busy while writing is a great way for her to wind down and destress.
