Secrets at Cedar Cabin

by Colleen Coble

  Mac returned their waves. “There they are, right on time.”

  Bailey leaned against the railing and watched the big man row them out. She was eager to make new friends here and was beginning to think she didn’t ever want to leave this place. Lavender Tides held a special charm that had quickly ensnared her.

  The couples laughed and talked as they climbed the access ladder. They looked to be in their twenties or thirties, and Bailey hung back a bit as they boarded the ship.

  The first woman to step aboard smiled at her. “You must be Mac’s new friend. I’m her sister, Ellie Blackmore.”

  In her mid- to late twenties, the young woman had unusual eyes that were almost golden. Her friendly expression set Bailey at ease. “Pleased to meet you, Ellie.”

  In quick succession the rest of the party boarded and stood waiting for introductions. Lance and the big man Bailey assumed must be Grayson Bradshaw had clapped each other on the back and immediately began to talk shop.

  Mac pulled Bailey forward to stand by her. “Guys, this is my new friend. She’s a nurse and has been helping Jason so much. You’ll see he’s here tonight. She’s brought him out of his cave.”

  “You’re forgetting her name. We can’t just call her nurse,” Ellie said.

  Mac grinned. “Sorry, I’m a little airheaded tonight.”

  “Tonight?” the other woman said. She had black hair and wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Her friendly smile came quickly as she stepped forward. “I’m Shauna Bannister, and this is my husband, Zach.”

  Bailey took her hand and felt a warm sensation of instant liking. “Bailey. Bailey Fleming.”

  The woman’s eyes went wide, and it was only then that Bailey realized they were a vivid green, just like hers. Lance would have to admit he was wrong. She wasn’t the only one in the world with that shade of eye color.

  Shauna sought the big guy’s gaze. “Grayson?”

  Grayson was easily six six with shoulders like a linebacker. He stared down at Bailey with his mouth dangling open. His gaze traveled from her hair to her face and back again. “Um, did you used to live in Rock Harbor, Michigan?”

  “I did. I arrived in town a few days ago. Are you from there? Have we met?”

  Shauna let out a gasp and took her husband’s hand, then reached for Bailey. “We’ve been looking for you. You colored your hair, which is why I didn’t recognize you immediately.”

  She took a step back. How would this woman know she’d colored her hair? “I don’t understand.”

  Grayson stepped closer to Shauna. “Shauna is my sister.” He stared down at Shauna for a long moment with an appeal for assistance on his face. “Um, I just got back from Rock Harbor, and the sheriff told me you’d left after someone tried to kill you. We weren’t sure we’d ever be able to track you down again.”

  Bailey took a step back and locked gazes with Lance. He hurried to her side and took her hand. What was going on? “This isn’t making any sense. I’ve never seen either of you before. Why would you want to track me down?”

  Shauna’s green eyes glimmered with tears, and her smile beamed out. “You’ve seen us but you wouldn’t remember because you were only minutes old.”

  Bailey had to swallow before she could speak again. “Minutes old?” Lance’s strong grip on her was the only thing steadying her right now. She had the sensation that the universe was about to tip, to spill her right into the sea, but maybe it was the gentle roll of the waves making her feel that way.

  Shauna held her hand out. “This is going to come as a shock, Bailey. Grayson and I are your siblings. You were born to our mother during an earthquake that killed her. I thought you’d both died in the quake, but I found out two months ago you both survived. Grayson was adopted, but you . . .” She swallowed hard. “Your mother was the paramedic who delivered you.”

  Shauna dropped her hand and bit her lip. “There’s no easy way to say this, Bailey. She took you. The paramedic, Olivia Fleming, took you. Stole you right out of the rubble.”

  Took you. Stole you.

  Bailey gasped. Her vision blurred. Was she going to throw up? “You’re wrong,” she whispered through numb lips.

  But it was the truth. She saw it in Shauna’s black hair and green eyes, in the shape of her face and the length of her fingers. She saw it in the little bow in her upper lip and the tiny dimple by her lips when she moved her mouth a certain way. She saw the widow’s peak in Shauna’s hairline—just like the one Bailey saw in the mirror every morning.

  They were carbon copies in appearance even though Bailey was taller.

  Her knees gave out, and she would have fallen to the deck if Lance’s strong hand wasn’t holding her up. He hadn’t said anything, but the compassion in his eyes told her he saw it too.

  Shauna was telling the truth. Her mother, the woman she’d loved so much, had lied about her entire life.

  Took her.

  “I-I have to sit down.”

  Lance led her to a chair, got her seated, then knelt beside her. “Can you grab her some water?”

  Shauna quickly brought her a bottle of water, then stood back to give her air. “I’m sorry this has rocked you, Bailey. Just know that I love you. I held you for a little while and loved you immediately.”

  Bailey looked up at her through a haze. “How old were you?”

  “I was eight when you were born. There’s so much more to tell you, but it can wait. Just know we’re here, Grayson and me. We’ll do whatever we can to make this easier on you. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.” Her voice trembled.

  Bailey saw the great love in her eyes and sighed. She didn’t know what it all meant yet, but maybe she wasn’t alone after all.

  Chapter 29

  Night had fallen quickly, shrouding his garden in shadows. The trees and shrubs blocked most of the wind, and King strolled through the walkways without a jacket. This was his favorite part of the day, just as twilight fell and the moon showed its face. Out here he had peace and could usually forget the past for a bit.

  Not tonight though. Why was he still so sad about Olivia? He hadn’t seriously thought she would ever come back to him. He’d promised to protect her as long as she kept his secret. Once she’d told him Bailey’s kidnapping as an infant would likely bring out everything, he couldn’t continue to risk her testifying against him. It was as simple as that.

  But tonight it didn’t feel simple—it felt as tragic as the plot for Romeo and Juliet, though he wasn’t about to follow Olivia in death. He had too much to live for.

  He heard a sound behind him and turned as Chey opened the French doors and headed his way. “Good news I hope,” King said as Chey stopped in front of him. “Are the girls all sold?”

  “They are, sir. Their new owners will take possession in about four days.”

  “Four days is too long. Speed it up.”

  “I wish I could. It takes time to arrange the right boat and method of concealing them. I have a freighter heading this way to drop off its cargo. The captain has agreed to take them with him to Japan. Some of the girls will stay there, and the others will be sent on to their owners.”

  “How much did we get?”

  Chey smiled and named a figure that made King whistle through his teeth. “That much? Excellent work, Chey.”

  “Thank you. I do my best.”

  Chey’s best was always exemplary. “What about Bailey Fleming? Are you close to picking her up?”

  “I’ve had a drone watching the house, but she’s been gone most of the day. Right now she’s aboard the tall ship Lavender Lady for a crab boil. She should be home soon.”

  “Take her tonight. When you have her, deliver her to my place in the mountains and let me know. I’ll talk to her there. And have my attorney draw up the deed transfer. I’ll get her to sign it before she’s disposed of.”

  “I’ll send out a couple of people tonight, and they can take her by boat.” Chey cleared his throat. “Do you want her killed or sold? I think she could bring i
n a large price.”

  King wasn’t one to turn down a profit. “Arrange to sell her then.”

  “I’ll do it immediately.”

  “I’ll go ahead and tell my wife I’m spending the night at my hunting lodge. I’ll drive up and be waiting.”

  “I’ll send some men out right away.”

  With Chey gone King continued to walk in his garden for a few minutes to calm himself. The door opened, and his wife stepped onto the brick path.

  “There you are. Dinner is nearly ready.”

  Her smile seemed genuine, and there might even be a come-hither expression in her eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen that.

  With a surreptitious glance at the time, he smiled. “I need to attend to an issue up at the hunting lodge, but I have time for dinner with you. You look beautiful tonight.” He almost regretted having to leave.

  Displeasure glimmered in her eyes. “We’re alone tonight, and I’d hoped we could sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy the evening.”

  “It’s only six. I can stay awhile.” He looped his arm around her waist and drew her in for a kiss.

  She stiffened, then relaxed and kissed him back but it was perfunctory and held no passion. What was her deal? He’d thought she wanted a romantic evening. Or did she have some other kind of “talk” in mind?

  “What’s going on, honey?”

  She pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you? You never make anything easy.”

  His gut clenched at the way her eyes narrowed. “Make what easy?”

  “I want a divorce.”

  A bomb explosion couldn’t have caused him to flinch more. “You’re joking.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not kidding. I’ve found someone else.”

  The thought of his wife in the arms of another man nearly stole his breath. He clenched his fists. “Who?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re never here anyway. All you care about is the business. When was the last time you even noticed my hair or what I was wearing? I’ve lost twenty pounds, and you haven’t even noticed. I put highlights in my hair last week, and you didn’t say a word.”

  “This is about losing weight and getting your hair done?” He raised his voice.

  “Of course not. It’s just a symptom of how you’ve ignored me for years. I want the house, of course.”

  And half of everything. His wife would hire a high-powered attorney to poke into every single bit of his business. His thoughts raced. He couldn’t allow that. While he thought he had most everything hidden too well to be found, there was no telling what a determined divorce lawyer could dig up. And his business was her family business. All his income would be stripped away.

  “Have you filed yet?” He modulated his tone.

  “Not yet, but I have an appointment on Friday. I wanted to give you fair warning. I hate it when women lock the man out of his own house without so much as a word.”

  “I appreciate that. To say I’m breathless over this would be an understatement. I’d be willing to go to counseling.”

  “But I’m not.” Her smile was sad. “You forget I know how much you despise counselors. It would just be a way to talk me out of this. And I’m in love. Really in love. You can’t change my mind.” She spun around and vanished back inside.

  He would have to arrange an accident for her. A fatal one. He couldn’t kill her lover. She’d immediately suspect he’d done it, even if it looked like an accident. And she had to be stopped before she filed, because law enforcement would examine it more in-depth if they were separated.

  He hated the pain this would cause the family, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Bailey was still shaking, and it wasn’t just from the breeze that had kicked up. They’d moved the feast below deck. The aroma of the crab boil—corn, potatoes, crab, bay seasoning, lemon, and garlic—filled the space, but she couldn’t think about food right now.

  Shauna’s green eyes never left her, and Bailey didn’t know what to think, what to say.

  She sat quietly on a chair at the big wooden table by the galley. She was cold, so cold. The trembling had started the minute she’d learned her mother had stolen her, and it only intensified.

  Lance pressed a cup of coffee into her hands. “Have something to drink.” His dark eyes pinned Shauna in place. “You’re sure of your facts?”

  Grayson put his hand on Shauna’s shoulder. “Aren’t you? Take a look at Shauna and compare the two of them.” His voice rose and he glared at Lance, who shrugged.

  “When I met Shauna the other day, I knew she reminded me of someone, but I was too intent on my mission to take the time to figure it out. The resemblance is astonishing.”

  Bailey took a few sips of coffee, and the shaking eased a bit. “Why do you say Mom stole me? How could something like that happen?”

  “You were born in the debris of a grocery store after an earthquake,” Shauna said. “We were trapped there, and our mom went into labor. I scrambled through the pieces of cinder block and debris to try to find help. Your mom quickly came with me to assist Mom. You were born pretty fast, and I held you while she tried to save Mom, but it was no use. She d-died.” The muscles in Shauna’s throat convulsed as she swallowed hard.

  “Then what happened?” Bailey rubbed her hand over her face. “It’s so hard to understand all this. Maybe that’s why Mom moved so often. She was afraid of being discovered with me.”

  “I don’t know about that, but everything was in chaos, and the rescuers finally broke through. I was hustled off to the hospital, and I never saw you or Grayson again until this year. I didn’t even know to look. I was told you’d both died, but Zach found out Grayson went into the foster-care system and was adopted. He was two. There was never any mention of you. It was as if you’d never been born.”

  Bailey pleated a paper napkin in her fingers. “How’d you find me?”

  Zach slipped his arm around his wife’s waist as if he sensed how distressed she was. “We were actually just trying to find the paramedic who delivered you. We thought she might have some information to help us. Shauna remembered the name of the department she worked for, so I found a picture of the group of paramedics that year.”

  Shauna nodded. “I was able to pick your mom out of the photo, and we had her name.”

  “My sister, my adopted sister, is a writer and a great researcher,” Grayson said. “She found out where your mom was living, and Shauna called her. Olivia hung up on her. That really got us wondering.”

  “I think I remember that,” Bailey said. “The call came kind of late, and Mom said it was a telemarketer, but she was shaking after the call. I heard her calling someone in the middle of the night too.” Her mother had refused to talk about it the next day.

  Grayson took up the story again. “We found a current picture of your mom—and you. From the second we saw you, we knew she’d taken you. The age was right, and you looked exactly like Shauna.”

  Bailey couldn’t deny the resemblance. It was like looking at herself in a few years. “So you were never able to question Mom?”

  Shauna shook her head. “She claimed she wasn’t the paramedic and had never been here.”

  Did she reveal what she knew so far? Bailey glanced at Lance, who gave her a quick nod. “My grandmother is still here. She lives down the road from my cabin.”

  Shauna leaned forward. “So you came here not knowing anything about this? Why?”

  Bailey launched into the story of her mother’s death, her so-called marriage to Kyle, and the deed. “After the guy tried to kill me, too, I knew I had to get away and hide. Since I had the deed anyway, the cabin seemed a good place to hole up.”

  Shauna addressed Lance. “And you’re protecting her?”

  “I’m FBI. I’m investigating a human-trafficking ring here. And I’m trying to keep her safe, yes.”

  Shauna clasped her hands together and stepped nearer to Bailey. “And this traff
icking ring is connected somehow to Bailey?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. We’ve found three victims on her property so far.”

  Shauna winced. “Is this Kyle person involved too?”

  “Most likely. We’re still investigating.”

  Shauna’s concern started a thaw in Bailey’s frozen emotions. For too long she’d felt so alone. “There’s Lily also. She might know more than we realize, but she has dementia, probably Alzheimer’s.”

  “You’re not staying at the cabin alone, are you?” Grayson’s voice boomed out, and he frowned.

  “As soon as I can get her house clean enough to inhabit, I’m going to stay with Lily. Lance plans to stay in one of the guest rooms too. The FBI is trying to keep an eye on the property.”

  Shauna squatted in front of Bailey’s chair. “You can stay with us, Bailey. I’m frightened for you. We have room.”

  Zach stepped closer and set his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I’ll second that suggestion.”

  Bailey shook her head. “I can’t leave Lily alone. Lance will take care of us.” She glanced his way, and he smiled back at her.

  “I’ll help,” Grayson said.

  Lance gave a nod his direction. “I’ll accept the offer.”

  Bailey stared at Shauna and Grayson. “I really have siblings? I can’t quite believe it.”

  Shauna took her hand. “We’ll have lots of time to get to know each other better. All the time in the world. You have a nephew too.” Color touched her cheeks, and she put a hand over Zach’s on her shoulder. “And we’re going to have a new baby.”

  Ellie whooped. “A baby! I hadn’t heard.”

  “We just found out.” Shauna rose and went toward the crab pot. “I think it’s time we ate. It’s been quite a day.”

  Bailey’s family was expanding by the minute, but Shauna hadn’t mentioned their father. Who was he and where was he?

  Chapter 30

  The aroma of garlic, tomato paste, and cheese filled the warm kitchen. In any other situation it would have given a homey feel to the scene, but there was nothing normal about the situation.