Secrets We Keep

by Barbara Freethy

  When the ceremony ended, the bride and groom greeted their friends and family on the church steps.

  Cassidy moved off to the side, watching from under the shadows of a tree as the Callaways greeted their newest member.

  * * *

  Hunter wanted to get to Cassidy, but he kept getting caught up in hugs and conversations and more photos. As he paused on the steps to the church, his gaze swept the crowd, and he didn't immediately see her. But he wasn't worried. A feeling of joy followed that thought. He knew she was somewhere nearby. He trusted her, and she trusted him. And the hole in his gut that had been bothering him for years was no longer there. He didn't know why it had taken him so long to understand that the only one who could fill that need for him was her, the only woman he'd ever really loved.

  "Relax," Dylan said, joining him with a knowing smile. "She's under the tree over there."

  He looked over to the patch of trees where Dylan was pointing and saw not only Cassidy but his sisters Mia and Kate.

  "She might be getting a grilling," Dylan said. "But she's definitely not gone."

  "I wasn't worried."

  "Sure you weren’t."

  "I wasn't. Cassidy and I are together."

  "You have no doubts?"

  "Not one. You might think that's crazy—"

  "No, I think that's love. Before you join her, I heard you talking to Dad about building a summer camp. What's up with that?"

  "It's an idea I've been pondering for a while."

  "Can I be a part of it?"

  He was surprised at his brother's request. "If you want to."

  "Why wouldn't I?"

  "I didn't think you'd be thrilled about me changing careers. I know you and Burke got me the temporary assignment, so I could get my foot back in the door. It's not that I don't like being a firefighter—"

  "You don't have to explain," Dylan said, cutting him off. "I want you to be happy, Hunter. If doing something else is the answer, then do it. You only get one life. We know how fast things can turn. I'm confident you're going to do great things whatever you do."

  "I hope so. And I appreciate your words. I've been conflicted."

  "Clearly. You can walk away from firefighting without walking away from the family. I hope you know that."

  "I do know that. It wasn't really the family that was holding me back—it was myself. I didn't see a clear path until now. Anyway, the new idea is still in the idea stages. There are a lot of hoops to jump through."

  "Nobody better for jumping through hoops than Callaways. Cassidy is on board, too?"

  "My biggest cheerleader."

  "I always knew you were going to end up with a cheerleader."

  He grinned. "Not that kind of cheerleader. At any rate, I want you to know that nothing is happening soon. I'll work the job until MacKinney is ready to come back."

  "I wasn't worried. So, when are you going to marry Cassidy?"

  "One wedding at a time," he said with a laugh.

  "You'll be the last one in our family. What will Mom do?"

  "Probably start hounding everyone for grandchildren."

  "She has already started—as if we need more Callaways." Dylan waved his hand at the crowd. "Look at all these people. We have an amazing family."

  As he perused the group in front of them, he felt a swell of love in his chest. "We really do. I never really knew how lucky I was until I saw our family through Cassidy's eyes."

  "She's going to make a nice addition." Dylan paused, as one of their cousins on their mom's side came over to join them.

  "Lizzie Cole," Hunter drawled, giving the attractive brunette with the beautiful green eyes a hug. "When did you grow up?"

  "Same time you did," she returned. "I'm only three years younger than you, Hunter."

  "How is everyone in your family?"

  "They're good. I wish more of them could have made it today, but we're all spread out."

  "Where are you living now?" Lizzie's parents had taken Lizzie and her four siblings to Colorado ten years earlier. "Still in Denver?"

  "I'm actually making a move. I got a new job. I'm going to manage an inn at Whisper Lake. It's in the mountains of Colorado, and it is the most inspiring place. I can't wait. You should come visit sometime. We're only two hours out of Denver. There's everything you could want there—boating, paddle-boarding, fishing, hiking, climbing, biking. You name it, we've got it."

  "That does sound like everything I could want," he said. "Good luck with the job."

  "Thanks. I've been wanting to manage an inn since I got my degree in hotels and hospitality, and this is a dream come true. Plus, there's something about the town that's kind of magical, mystical."

  He exchanged a grin with Dylan, then said, "You never change, do you, Lizzie? You might have been the last one of us to stop believing in Santa Claus."

  She made a face at him. "Not everything always has to make sense. Sometimes things happen you just can't explain. By the way, I heard from Kate that you just got reunited with your high school sweetheart. That's cool."

  "It's very cool." He was about to excuse himself to join Cassidy when his mom clapped her hands and hushed the milling crowd.

  "We're going to take one big family photo," Sharon said. "Anyone who is related, come to the steps."

  A crush of Callaways gathered around him: Jack and Lynda, Burke and Maddie, Aiden and Sara and their two kids, Nicole and Ryan and their two kids, Drew and Ria and her niece and daughter, Sean, Jessica and Kyle, Shayla and Reid, and Colton and Olivia. And then his family gathered around: Dylan and Tori, Ian and Grace, Mia and Jeremy and their daughter Ashlyn, Kate and Devin and, of course, Annie and Griffin.

  Lizzie stood next to his mom and dad while a few other Callaway cousins joined the photo on the other side of Jack and Lynda. And finally, the two most important people came to the bottom of the steps—his grandparents, who had left quite a legacy behind them.

  But the picture wasn't complete—not to him.

  To his mom's dismay, he broke away from the crowd.

  "One second," he yelled, jogging down the steps to grab Cassidy's hand.

  "No, I'm not family," she protested.

  "Yes, you are." He gave her a pointed look. "I want you there, Cassidy. You're with me."

  "Come join us, Cassidy," Annie echoed, followed by a chorus of others, who started chanting her name.

  At one time in her life, Cassidy probably would have run away from all that attention, but now she took his hand and smiled. "Okay. I'm with you."

  He led her into the middle of the group and held her hand as the photographer ran them through a series of photos. And then it was time to go to the reception.

  As he and Cassidy walked down the steps, his mom stopped them.

  "After this, we can start talking about the two of you tying the knot," his mother said.

  "Mom, I haven't even proposed."

  "Haven't you?" she said with a sweet, loving smile. "I'll see you both at the reception."

  "You don't have to propose," Cassidy said quickly, as they walked toward the Jeep.

  "Don't worry. When I do it, I'm going to do it right."

  "What does that mean?"

  He paused by the car. "It means it's going to be our day, our moment, and it won't involve the family. I'll let them come to the wedding."

  "I'm sure they would insist on that."

  "I don't know. Kate ran off and got married."

  "We could do that. It's not like I have family to fill a church."

  "I've got enough family for both of us, and I don't really care where we do it, but I don't want to skimp on it. I want you to have your dream wedding, whatever that is."

  "As long as you're the one I'm marrying, it will be my dream."

  He cupped her face. "I love it when you say things like that."

  "And I love you, Hunter. Sometimes, I'm sad about all the time we missed together, but then I think maybe this was always meant to be our time."

  "It was. N
o more looking back. We've done enough of that. It's all about now and forever more. I'm going to make you happy, Cassidy."

  "I'm already happy. I want you to know that I'll never leave you. You're stuck with me for the rest of your life. I hope you can trust that. I probably still have something to prove, but—"

  He put his fingers against her mouth. "You have nothing to prove. I know you won't leave. And I won't leave, either. No more secrets between us."

  "No more secrets," she promised. "Just love."

  "Just love," he echoed.

  # # #

  Did you miss any of the Callaway Cousins? Each novel is a complete standalone read filled with romance, mystery and adventure!

  For a complete list of my books, click here!

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed Hunter and Cassidy's second chance at love story. They definitely needed a happily ever after. While this book finishes up a branch of the Callaway family, I'll be launching a new series called WHISPER LAKE, where you'll meet some other cousins as well as some very intriguing characters. The series will launch in 2019. Please check my website for details.

  In the meantime, if you've missed any Callaway novels, be sure to go back and grab them. You can also check out my OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES for some thrilling romantic suspense. An excerpt from the first book in that series PERILOUS TRUST follows this note.

  If you also like sweet romance, you'll want to take a look at the BACHELORS AND BRIDESMAIDS series.

  To keep up with new book releases and fun prize opportunities, sign up for my newsletter. That will also give you access to the MEMBERS ONLY section of my website where you'll find some free books and other cool games.

  Want to chat with other fans? Please join the fun in my Facebook group. Happy Reading!

  Barbara

  Excerpt – PERILOUS TRUST

  (OFF THE GRID:FBI Series #1)

  © Copyright 2017 Barbara Freethy

  All Rights Reserved

  In PERILOUS TRUST, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy brings you the first book in a new romantic suspense series! OFF THE GRID: FBI Series offers breath-stealing books filled with action-packed plot, heart-stopping romance, and page-turning suspense.

  It was one dark night that brought Damon Wolfe and Sophie Parker together. They were two tortured souls, looking for escape, and they weren't supposed to see each other ever again…

  Four years later, Sophie's FBI father, who is also Damon's mentor, is killed in a suspicious car crash after leaving Sophie a cryptic message to trust no one. When Damon shows up looking for her, she isn't sure if he's friend or enemy, but she knows he could easily rip apart what is left of her heart.

  The last thing Damon wants is to get involved with Sophie again. It was hard enough to walk away the first time. But she's in trouble, her father's reputation is under attack, and the lives of his fellow agents are at stake if there's a traitor in their midst.

  When someone starts shooting at them, they have no choice but to go on the run and off the grid. Everyone in their world becomes a suspect. They want to uncover the truth, but will it turn out to be the last thing they expect? Proving her father's innocence might just cost them their hearts…and their lives…

  Prologue

  "Sophie, I'm sorry." It wasn't the best start to the worst message he would ever have to leave, but it had to be done. He'd spent the last six hours creating a trail that would hopefully lead away from his daughter. He'd left New York City hours ago and was now driving along lonely, rural, winding roads in northern New Jersey, the beautiful scenery barely registering in his brain as he escaped from his life.

  His left hand tightened on the steering wheel as he cleared his throat and tried to find the right words. "I've made a mistake—more than one. I thought I could stay out of the mud, but it turns out that I'm covered in it. I don't have time to explain, but—" He stopped abruptly as the beep from her voicemail cut him off.

  He punched in her number again, knowing she wouldn't answer. It was two o'clock on a Wednesday, and she'd be teaching a class in archaeology at NYU, probably getting her students ready to go on one of the summer digs starting next month. Ever since she was a little girl, Sophie had been fascinated with history, with the past, with finding answers to century-old questions. Now she taught during the school year and went on digs in the summer—the perfect combination.

  It had been worth it—giving Sophie everything she wanted. Hadn't it?

  He glanced back at the phone. With Sophie's schedule, he doubted she'd get the messages for a few more hours. Maybe by then he'd be somewhere safe and they could actually talk. But if that didn’t happen…he had to tell her what to do. He couldn't wait another second. He couldn't keep pretending everything would be all right. He'd been preparing for weeks…just in case. He now had to execute the plan.

  Her voicemail encouraged him to leave another message.

  "Remember how much your mom loved spring cleaning and how we hated to get rid of the things we loved—like my beer bottle collection? Remember our secret stash? Well, I've left you something there. But in order to get it, you'll need to find the key that's hidden away at your favorite place in the world."

  He was being cryptic, but he couldn't risk the information being heard by the wrong person. Hopefully, only Sophie would be able to figure out what he was talking about. While she might wonder why he was sending her so far away, he needed to get her out of town as quickly as possible. That would buy her time.

  "Get the key and follow my instructions," he continued. "I know you'll have a million questions about this message. You'll try to call me, and I won't answer. You'll wonder why I didn't talk to you before now. You'll think twice about doing what I'm asking you to do, but you can't do that, Sophie. Above all, you have to be safe. You have to live a long life. It may not be the life you planned, but it can still be happy. So, no questions, no second thoughts, no wondering if there is another way. You can't trust anyone. Not the police and definitely not the Bureau—no one. Whoever you think might be my friend or yours—isn't." The phone cut off again.

  "Dammit," he swore, seeing a vehicle appear on the road behind him. It could be just another motorist, but as the car picked up speed, he realized that his sins were gaining on him fast. He hadn't been smart enough. He hadn't done enough to make a clean exit.

  He pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, his small sedan almost trembling with the speed required to get away. He'd once been an incredible driver, able to avoid almost any tail, but so many of his skills had broken down in recent years, he could barely remember the person he used to be. He had many regrets, but if he lost his life on this road, maybe no one would ever really know why. Maybe that was a good thing.

  He called Sophie again. "If I can find a way out of this, I will. In the meantime, do exactly what I told you. I want you to know how proud I am," he said, his voice choking with emotion. "Everything I did—the choices I made—were to make our lives better, especially your life. I feel sick at the heartache you may have to go through. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. You have always been my everything. If something happens to me, don't try to find out who is responsible. Don't go to my house. Don't go to your apartment. Don't trust anyone, especially not those you think are my friends."

  He should give her a name, but then she might think that was the only person to avoid, and there were more…more than he knew…

  "Just run," he continued. "Get rid of your phone as soon as you finish listening to these messages, so they can't track you. I'm sorry again, Sophie. I hope you can make a new life for yourself, and I pray one day you'll be able to forgive—"

  The phone flew out of his hand as his car was rammed from behind. He pushed the pedal all the way to the floor, but the vehicle behind him had more power. He swerved around another turn, down a straightaway, to a harder curve. He saw the narrow bridge ahead as his car took another hit.

  He yanked the wheel, trying to regain control
, but the car skidded across the concrete. He was headed straight for the guardrail. He had some impossible hope he might clear the water and land on the other side of the pond, but that would take a miracle.

  The last thing he deserved was a miracle.

  One

  Her second-year university students were restless and as eager as she was for the academic year to be over. It was the first of June, and with the unusually hot weather, Sophie Parker could see their gazes straying to the windows as she spoke, the lure of summer interesting them far more than the study questions for the final exam they would take next week. She couldn't blame them.

  Six weeks from now, she'd be out of the classroom, too, taking eight of these students on an archaeological dig in Egypt. They would finally get a chance not just to read about history but to experience it, to feel the heavy, haunting atmosphere at a century-old site, to dig for something real, something from the past, something that could change what they knew of history.

  Discovery was an addicting thrill—one she'd never been able to shake. Unfortunately, she had to limit the thrilling moments to the summer months. The rest of the year, she was a professor at NYU, where she shared her passion with her college students.

  Glancing over at the clock, she realized it was one minute to four. Time to free them for the weekend.

  "That's it," she said. "I'll see you for our final exam next Wednesday. If you have questions, you can email me, or come by my office hours on Monday from ten to noon. Good luck with your studying."

  As the class ended, she answered a few questions about the exam, then gathered her things together. She was about to leave when a man in a dark suit entered the room. He was in his fifties and had short, pepper-gray hair and dark eyes. He walked toward her with a deliberate, purposeful step, the expression on his face intensely serious.