sin again. My life is going to be perfect from here on out. Absolutely, blissfully perfect.”
With a conscience as clear and bright as the sun, I step out of the confessional and wait at the back of the church for Joanna’s service to end. The nave is dark and smells like well-oiled wood and incense, a mixture that reminds me of my childhood, when my parents would take me to Mass. A gorgeous brunette sits near the altar, next to Michael. Decked out in black, she has narrow shoulders and dark, glossy hair swept back and pinned on the side of her head. When she turns to glance at the man beside her, I can see a heart-shaped chin and a narrow, sloping nose. Even though I haven’t seen Joanna since last summer, I know instantly that the woman is Heather, her sister. They look so much alike; my heart hitches at the sight.
In the second row, behind Michael, Travis sits with his arm casually resting on the back of the pew. Rachael is a solid yard away, dressed in black with her pale golden hair falling down her back. It looks like he’s trying to mend things between them, but she’s keeping her distance. Before the ceremony, I caught up with her for a few minutes. She said she’s done keeping secrets in her glass house, and has already signed a lease for a new apartment in the city.
The service goes on for the next ten minutes, honoring Joanna’s glory days with a video montage Heather must’ve put together. The moment the priest concludes the service, Michael stands and searches for me through the crowd. Everyone moves toward him, hands outstretched, eager to hug his grief away. But when Michael catches my gaze, he strides down the main aisle with purpose, ignoring those around him.
Suddenly, he stops in the middle of the aisle. Something distracts him. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his phone. The corner of his lips twitch as he reads a text.
Was he holding back a smile?
When he glances up, his expression changes again. A warm blush rises to his cheeks, and a glimmer of something mischievous flits across his eyes. I wonder what that text message was about….
“What is it?” I ask when he’s closed the distance between us.
“Just the office.” He grips me gently by the shoulders. “They can’t seem to finish this proposal without me. I’m going to have to pull another all-nighter. You’ll be all right if I leave once we get home, won’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
I know he’s lying. This is the third “all-nighter” this week. I clasp my hands in front of me and squeeze until my fingers go numb. He’s going to be spending time with her again. My replacement, Tiffany. The eager secretary sitting right outside his office door, willing to do anything for him. I know she’s trying to seduce him—because I did it myself not too long ago.
Only she’s made one grave mistake. She’s underestimated me.
As Michael escorts me outside, a black-and-white patrol car drives past the church. It brakes suddenly before swerving against the curb, only a few car-lengths away. My heart leaps into my throat when I see the silhouettes of Detective Shaw and Detective Patel. And now I can’t breathe.
“Are you all right, Coll?” Michael rubs his hand up and down my back reassuringly. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” Detective Shaw’s beady eyes are watching me through the rearview mirror, I’m certain of it. “Let’s get out of here.”
I fold my arms over my stomach and brace for the coming of another storm. I will do what I need to secure my future, and all will be forgiven in the end.
For His mercy endures forever.
Several years ago, my husband and I took a leisurely drive along Northern California’s coast and discovered the Moss Beach Distillery perched on the edge of a cliff just north of Half Moon Bay. We ducked inside, seeking reprieve from the rainy weather, and were illuminated by tales of the Blue