The Bookstore on the Beach - Brenda Novak Page 0,13

the judge for leniency during the sentencing phase of the trial, claiming Sarah needed psychiatric help.

Sarah Vanderbilt wept as she heard her husband read his prepared remarks. She called out, “I will always love you,” as he left the courtroom.

The judge sentenced her to ten years.

Autumn set her computer on the nightstand and leaned against the headboard. Did Quinn’s actions indicate he had some culpability in what happened? Maybe he had been cheating. It wasn’t legal to stab an adulterer, but if he had gotten involved with another woman and broken Sarah’s trust, the argument could be made that he’d wronged her first.

She slid down beneath the covers. She’d wanted him so badly when she was in high school that she couldn’t help wondering how different things would be if he’d been interested in return.

Maybe they’d both be living different lives.

* * *

Mary jerked awake, skin clammy, heart racing.

Breathe. It was only a nightmare, she told herself. It wasn’t as though this was the first one she’d ever had. But it had been a while since she’d remembered the details so clearly.

She looked around her bedroom, searching for movement or anything that might be out of place. Although she saw nothing alarming, she got out of bed and went through the house to double-check that all of the doors and windows were locked.

The wind tossed the chimes on the back porch and caused the screen door to creak. Those were familiar sounds during a storm, and yet, tonight they raised the hair on the back of her neck.

Did she also hear footfalls?

She moved the drape aside to peer out into the backyard. A jagged bolt of lightning lit the sky. Thunder boomed several seconds later.

She couldn’t see anyone. But occasionally, on nights like this, she thought she saw his face at the window—

“Mimi?”

She jumped and dropped the drape. Taylor had come out. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Of course I’m okay.” Mary spoke softly so they wouldn’t wake Caden, who was in the living room on the couch, and clasped her hands in front of her to hide a slight tremor. “It’s only a little bad weather.”

“I know that. I thought I heard—”

“Someone trying to get in?”

As soon as Taylor’s eyebrows snapped together, Mary regretted answering so impetuously. She hadn’t given herself enough time to get over the residual effects of the nightmare.

“What? No! It sounded like you were crying out for help. I thought maybe—” she fell silent, raked her hair back off her face and drew a deep breath before finishing with a reluctant “—you were having a heart attack or something.”

No one had ever accused her of crying out in her sleep before, not even when Autumn lived with her. But like Caden, Autumn had been a deep sleeper. Mary had always been grateful for that. Things would’ve been much worse if that hadn’t been the case.

Mary gestured at the window. “Are you sure it wasn’t the thunder?”

“I’m positive. I’ve been up watching the storm. I heard the thunder, too.”

Since she was unable to convince Taylor that it wasn’t her, she could only try to minimize the truth. “Well, then. I must’ve been having a bad dream. Because I’m fine.”

“You thought someone was trying to break in?”

“No.” She waved her granddaughter’s concern away. “That must’ve been what I was dreaming about. Don’t mind me. I’m still a little groggy.”

“Oh.”

Mary peered out the window again, this time craning her neck to be able to see the detached garage. “I wish there was room for your mother to stay in here with us.”

“I do, too. But she’s okay where she is, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just texted her to see what I should do, and she told me to get up and check on you.”

“She’s awake? It’s after two. I worry about her getting enough rest. But it’s daytime in Ukraine, so I guess that makes sense after all the late nights she’s put in the past eighteen months.”

“Are you saying she’s still searching? She’s not giving up on finding my father?”

Mary hated seeing the pain in her granddaughter’s eyes. “I’m saying her internal clock has got to be a little mixed-up. That’s all.”

“Then she is giving up.”

“Without new information, fresh leads, there’s only so much she can do, right? And she’s torn. She still loves your father very much, but she feels as though you and Caden have lost two things—Nick and the normal