Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
The worst part of his death was that the doctors couldn’t find the cause. He’d seemed to have had a reaction to something, an insect or plant. Something toxic for certain. There was talk about bringing in infectious disease experts. Every spare minute she had, she had sat by his side, whispering encouragement, sponging the sweat from his body, doing everything she could to keep him comfortable, but early that morning, he had succumbed to the terrible unknown pathogen.
The leaves were beginning to turn color, creating a magnificent photograph in her mind. Spring was giving way to summer, but slowly, as if unveiling a lush landscape painted by a master. Spring had brought unusual amounts of rain, turning every meadow into a riot of color. The wildflowers grew in abundance on every conceivable ground surface. Even now, in late spring, flowers were everywhere, their colors adding to the striking shades of green from the trees and brush.
Looking at the beauty that always brought her peace should have settled the churning in her stomach, the knots that refused to go away. Or the ominous feeling she couldn’t rid herself of. A storm was brewing; it might be in the distance, but it was coming toward Knightly—or maybe it was already here. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the peace they’d had throughout this last year was about to be shattered.
The year before, one of her best friends, Shabina Ashcroft, originally Foster, had been set up to take the fall for a series of murders. Worse, she had been slowly maneuvered into a severe PTSD episode that nearly took her life. Thankfully, Rainier Ashcroft had arrived on the scene, and no one ever went against Rainier and survived intact. He had worked for the Special Activities Division in the CIA for years and now owned a security company made up of men who had also worked in that division. He was a force to be reckoned with, and Harlow loved that Shabina had his protection.
Rainier stayed away from most people, but those he considered family were under that umbrella of protection, just as Shabina was. That meant Shabina’s closest friends, Harlow included, were looked after by him. Honestly, that could be a pain in the neck. Rainier tended to be the kind of man who gave orders and expected everyone to follow them—and they did. This last year, as quiet and peaceful as it was, had made that trait in him difficult, but she had to admit, with the ominous feeling growing stronger every day, Harlow was grateful to have him.
As if losing Lawyer wasn’t bad enough, Harlow’s father, a US senator, had come under suspicion in the disappearance of a very young woman. Harlow hadn’t had anything to do with her father in years. He was one of the reasons she had moved to Knightly, to be far from him and the media. Now, her family was back in the spotlight, which meant reporters were calling continuously. Things were stacking up, one after another, to bring about a terrible storm, the last thing Knightly and its inhabitants needed. The last thing she needed.
* * *
—
Two weeks later, Harlow sat at the back table in the Sunrise Café, her favorite place to eat, and where she normally met with her best friends. Shabina Ashcroft owned the café with her husband, Rainier, although Rainier liked to refer to himself as a silent partner. Personally, Harlow didn’t think there was anything silent about Rainier, other than his walk. He could enter a room and take command. Just his presence, one piercing stare from him, said it all.
Harlow looked around the table at the faces of her friends. These five women were more like family to her than friends. Over the years, she had learned she could count on them no matter what the circumstances. They had proved themselves to one another over and over. That was more than her family had ever done.
Stella Harrison-Rossi sat directly across from her. Stella had called the meeting. If the six friends had a center, Stella was it. She had brought them all together, first with climbing the boulders, so famous in the Knightly area, and then by inviting them to go dancing at the Grill. Stella was a powerhouse in Knightly. She had saved a resort, turning it into a fishing mecca, where fishermen came from all over to compete in tournaments. That had helped every business in the town of Knightly. She owned a second resort, higher up the mountain, devoted to skiers. The love of her life was Sam Rossi. Sam had worked for the Special Activities Division at the CIA, as had Rainier, Shabina’s husband, and Zale Vizzini, Vienna’s fiancé.
Sam had come to Yosemite to find peace. Two years before his marriage to Stella, he’d become part of their circle of friends, always volunteering to be their sober driver. Stella hired Sam as a handyman when she first took over the resort. He was excellent at just about anything to do with motors or carpentry. They were a good fit. All the friends had come to love Sam like a brother, and he treated them like family. She was also certain that Sam knew about her parents and the shame she felt. As was his way, he didn’t say much, but he was watchful, and she knew if she wanted to talk to him, he would listen. She hadn’t said much about her family to the others, not the really bad things, but she intended to. They knew about the senator’s penchant for young teens, but not the ordeal that had been her childhood, or the suspicions she had when other teens had disappeared.