and give her a permanent home.
But for the moment, she just needed to breathe. She poured two cups of coffee and slid in beside Jack at the table.
“I’ve decided to do the Scarlett O’Hara thing and think about my problems tomorrow. I just want to spend the rest of the holidays trying to recapture the wonder and innocence of childhood for Annabelle and Cee Cee. They’ll be grown and gone before I know it.”
“That’s a great plan. I want to help.”
“You always do. And I always appreciate it.”
“Lily, this time I want it to be different. I’m helping you both as a friend and a man who cares deeply about you—and has for a very long time.”
“Jack…”
“Before you say anything I know you’re facing a media frenzy, and you need time to heal, probably as much or more than Cee Cee.”
She reached for his hand. “Thank you for that.”
He glanced at their intertwined hands and then deep into her eyes. “I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m leaving things to chance, the way I did after your mom died. When you’re ready, I want to be at the top of your date card.”
When we come to a crossroads and see the right path leading into our future, there’s a small, still voice in all of us that whispers yes.
“Jack, don’t you know? You’ll be the only man on my date card.”
FamilySecrets.Life
It takes courage to change directions and start all over. Do your homework, listen to your mind as well as your heart, then relax and enjoy the journey.
FamilySecrets.Life
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Get the final BEHIND CLOSED DOORS novel, Fatal Deception, by Cindy Gerard.
Sneak Peek
Deadly Reflections © 2020 by Regan Black
When questioning a family member about the past,
it is vital to be prepared to listen.
The fewer expectations you have for that conversation,
the more likely you are to discover sincere answers.
FamilySecrets.Life
ONE
Paige Coker stared at the bustling activity behind the uniformed police officer at the front desk of the station. The flurry of voices and movement struck her as chaotic, though that couldn’t really be the case. Several men and women were seated at desks, islands of calm surrounded by the constant, swirling hum of activity.
“Can I help you?” the officer asked.
“I’m Paige Coker,” she replied with a smile. “Detective Lewis asked me to come by.”
The officer lifted his chin toward the chairs lined up against the wall. “Have a seat.”
She sat down to wait, her mind wandering. She remembered visiting this same police station on school field trips through the years. They’d come by in fourth or fifth grade the first time. Years later, her high school criminal justice class toured this station, as well as the courthouse, in order to observe the system in action. The detective she was meeting today had been a classmate and friend on that trip.
Those visits had left her feeling proud of the people who served her community and several of her peers had been inspired to study law or go into police work, like Ronnie. Paige had known she would need to find a different way to contribute. The front lines weren’t the right place for her, an only child groomed from the cradle to take the safe and secure path through life.
Not that she didn’t crave her share of adventure, she just chose her battles carefully. The daughter of wealthy parents who often hosted or headlined the guest list of elite Charleston, South Carolina events, her dreams were carefully analyzed and moderated for risk factors. Anything that had the potential to stir up scandal or, more importantly, to upset the delicate emotional balance at home was set aside.
Her mother, Cora Alden Coker, had a history of debilitating depression that went back to before Paige was born. She recalled times as a child when her mom was off limits for a few days. Her dad, Jack, always made the best of it, taking time off work or inviting his sisters to come and stay with them. Paige had been trained to always be cautious and thoughtful with her mom and though Cora hadn’t had an episode in several years, those habits were set in stone now. Whenever Paige and her dad could shield her from potentially upsetting news, they did.
Cora wasn’t a burden, but her tolerances always factored into Paige’s choices from education to career to where she chose to live.
There had been private academies from kindergarten through high school. She’d been encouraged to