Her pulse skipped when she saw Lance and Ava through the window. Bailey threw open the door. “Oh, good, you’re early. I was hoping you’d come sooner than four.” She stepped out of the way. The scent of fallen leaves and sunshine followed in their wake, and she shut the door behind them.
Lance sniffed. “Smells good. Pumpkin pie?”
She nodded. “And cherry.” She hugged Ava. “You look great.”
The shadows in Ava’s eyes were still there, but a glimmer of joy snuck in when she looked at her brother. She appeared to have gained a couple of pounds, too, and her face wasn’t so gaunt. Jeans and a sweatshirt hugged her slim curves, and she’d gotten a trim to neaten up the ragged edges of her black hair.
Ava held on to her for a long moment, then released her. “Thank you. I’m so glad to be home, though Mom won’t quit hovering. I’m glad to be staying with Lance where I get some peace. They’ll be here at four. I threatened them with dire consequences if they came early. I’m just happy they put away their boxing gloves for now.”
Bailey smiled. “You mean Lance is not hovering? I find that hard to believe.”
He dropped his arm around Bailey’s shoulder. “I try to do it while she’s sleeping. She doesn’t know it, but I’ve added several locks and alarms to the doors and windows.”
Ava punched him gently in his belly. “Liar. There are no new locks. You’re just as bad as Mom, but you don’t make me feel like a zoo specimen.”
Bailey chuckled and led them to the kitchen. “I just made coffee, and I made some vegetable soup yesterday if you want something before the big dinner.”
“I wouldn’t say no to soup,” Ava said. “I could eat a horse these days, and dinner is still four hours away. You mind if I go outside? I’ve been cooped up so long, I get antsy inside. I can’t get enough of the blue sky and fresh air.”
“Of course. I’ll bring your soup out when it’s warm.”
Ava opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck.
Bailey stepped into Lance’s arms for a kiss and brief embrace. “Until I came here, I wasn’t sure there were truly good men in the world. Then I met you.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head. “What about Zach and Grayson? There are lots of good men in the world. You just had the bad luck to meet some skunks.”
“Them too,” she agreed.
“I love you, you know,” he said into her hair.
Though he said the words often, she never tired of hearing them. “I love you too.” She pulled away and met his eager lips with passion of her own.
They didn’t have all the details figured out, but they would. Marriage, a life together with children—that would all come in due time. She was content to wait until God put all the pieces into place. She was finally home and would never have to wander again.
Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER
The aroma of flowers permeated the air: roses, gardenias, and honeysuckle. The white jasmine over the wedding bower had the strongest fragrance, and Shauna inhaled the intoxicating scent as she placed the last blossom. Grayson and Ellie would say their vows today, and Bailey would marry her handsome FBI agent next month. Jason and Mac had already remarried.
Zach came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. “How’s our son?” His hands slid down to her swollen belly.
“He’s been kicking me. Little pistol is going to be a handful.”
“I think we can handle it.” Zach spun her around to face him and smiled down into her face. “Life’s changed a bit, hasn’t it, Flygirl?”
“I was just thanking God as I finished up. A year ago I could barely put food on the table, and every day was a struggle to get past the grief. I didn’t see how anything could ever be good again, yet here we are. I’m married to my wonderful husband, and my brother and sister are alive and with me. I never dreamed there could be so many blessings to rise out of the ashes.”
Zach pulled her close, as close as he could with her belly between them. “My heart is full too. Life is never static. God’s given us so many good things, and I’m grateful beyond words.”
His freshly shaven chin felt heavenly, and she inhaled the scent of his aftershave. “Life won’t always be perfect.”
“That’s okay. If there were no downs, we wouldn’t know to enjoy the ups. No matter what happens we know God has us. And that’s enough for me.”
“And for me,” she said. “Well, it’s enough if I get some chocolate ice cream at this wedding. The baby is clamoring for some.”
Zach’s blue eyes crinkled in a smile. “I have a whole carton reserved just for you.”
“What a guy.” She linked arms with him, and they turned to watch the wedding party begin to assemble.
Her gaze lingered on Bailey and Grayson, and she waved at them. Her heart nearly burst when they linked arms and walked her way. She had found her siblings, and Shauna would never let them go again.
A Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
Lies slip off our tongues so easily. We convince ourselves that little white lies aren’t so bad and we forget falsehood leads to bigger and bigger sins—sins that keep us from being real with each other. Bailey found herself the victim of so many lies that she found it hard to know what was real and what was false. God is the one true foundation we can cling to when everything else is shifting around us. Bailey managed to keep that in mind through all the lies bombarding her.
I hope you close this book with a happy sigh at the ending. Life doesn’t always turn out perfect like it does in a novel—in this life. But our real life in heaven is perfect, and God is in charge of our happily ever after no matter how impossible it seems sometimes. ☺
I love hearing from you! Email me anytime at [email protected].
Acknowledgments
I’m so blessed to belong to the terrific HarperCollins Christian Publishing dream team! It’s been sixteen years, friends! Can you believe we’ve been together that long? You are like family to me. I learn something new with every book, which makes writing so much fun for me!
Our fiction publisher and editor, Amanda Bostic, is as dear to me as a daughter. She really gets suspense and has been my friend from the moment I met her all those years ago. Fabulous cover guru Kristen Ingebretson works hard to create the perfect cover—and does. And, of course, I can’t forget the other friends in my amazing fiction family: Becky Monds, Kristen Golden, Allison Carter, Jodi Hughes, Paul Fisher, Matt Bray, Kimberly Carlton, Kayleigh Hines, Laura Wheeler, Jocelyn Bailey. You are all such a big part of my life. I wish I could name all the great folks at HCCP who work on selling my books through different venues. I’m truly blessed!
Julee Schwarzburg is a dream editor to work with. She totally gets romantic suspense, and our partnership is pure joy. She brought some terrific ideas to the table with this book—as always!
My agent, Karen Solem, has helped shape my career in many ways, and that includes kicking an idea to the curb when necessary. We are about to celebrate twenty years together! And my critique partner of over twenty years, Denise Hunter, is the best sounding board ever. Thanks, friends!
I’m so grateful for my husband, Dave, who carts me around from city to city, washes towels, and chases down dinner without complaint. My kids—Dave and Kara (and now Donna and Mark)—love and support me in every way possible, and my little granddaughter, Alexa, makes every day a joy. She’s talking like a grown-up now, and having her spend the night is more fun than I can tell you. Our little grandson, Elijah, is twenty months old now, and we just added a new baby brother, Silas, to the family. Exciting times!
Most important, I give my thanks to God, who has opened such amazing doors for me and makes the journey a golden one.
Discussion Questions
1.Kyle was willing to do anything to get what he wanted from Bailey. Have you ever known someone that ruthless?
2.Bailey wanted to remain pure for her husband, which seems a rare trait these days. Wh
y do you think purity is ridiculed today?
3.Lance’s obsession with finding his sister went on for years. Many people would have given up. What drives someone to continue when hope seems lost?
4.Bailey valued honesty above all else. Why can it be so hard to be real with people?
5.We hear about trafficking all the time in the news. What would you do if you suspected a woman was being trafficked?
6.Bailey’s trust had been shattered by her mother’s lies. Most of us have been lied to and hurt. What steps do you go through to forgive and still trust people?
7.It’s easy to put on a false mask even with friends. How do we stay real with each other?
8.Ava had a long road to recovery after being rescued. How would you cope with real life after such an ordeal?
About the Author
Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her romantic suspense novels, including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, Rock Harbor, and Sunset Cove series.
Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com
Twitter: @colleencoble
Facebook: colleencoblebooks
Secrets at Cedar Cabin Page 28