Please welcome our fellow Soul Mate author Ryan Jo Summers. Check out her November 24th release When Clouds Gather!
Click here to buy it on Amazon! What a pretty cover, right?4
Darby Adams has a full, happy life with a successful Bed and Breakfast Inn called
'The Brass Lamplighter', her teenaged son, Matt, and a menagerie of stray pets she
oversees. Then a guest is found dead in one of her rooms, murdered, stabbed to
death. Suddenly she becomes Driftwood Shores' number one suspect. With her
world spiraling out of control, she desperately needs a friend.
The surviving family wants answers so they hire private investigator Sam Golden
to prove her guilt. Busy with his own rebellious, disobedient teen daughter,
Madison, Sam takes the case. He begins in a dial role; in the guise of a much
needed friend for Darby yet still planning to investigate and send her to prison.
Then strange things start happening at the B & B--scary things. Darby leans on
Sam's friendship and he has to seriously question her guilt or innocence, Until
feelings start to develop between them in the heat of the mysteries. Until the day
arrives Sam has to tell her the truth. Until someone kidnaps the children.
Reeling from Sam's confession, Darby knows she has to trust him to get their kids
back. But can she ever trust him with her heart?
Excerpt:
Finding an empty cashier line, grateful for it, Darby piled groceries on
the belt, tossing on a few tabloids for Matt and his friend and then stood,
impatiently drumming her fingers, waiting for the total.
“Eighty four dollars and seventy-three cents,” the cashier announced,
taking a step backward. Her look spoke volumes to Darby. The woman was scared
witless.
She threw down four twenty-dollar bills and a five. “Keep the change,” she
snapped, reaching out to pile the supplies into bags by herself. She’d never
shopped without adequate assistance before. “And yes I am that woman. And no I
haven't killed anyone, yet.” Slamming the bags back into the cart, she shoved
it toward the exit, leaving both her change and a speechless cashier behind.
Stalking out to her car, she noticed the same group of people standing
nearby. Her blood ran cold when she recognized the one who had followed her
inside and grabbed her cart. He whispered something to his pals, glancing up and
grinning as she walked by.
This is a peaceful town. His words echoed in her mind, still seeing his face,
smelling his breath, as he leered close to her, holding her cart hostage.We
don't want no murders going on round here. As if she did! The group collectively
turned to face her, snickering and poking each other in the ribs.
Her parking spot seemed so far away. Behind her she could still hear their
snickers and giggles. She could not get away fast enough. It had to be on the
other side of that big red van.
Rounding the van, her eyes fell on her car, relief quickly washing away as
her heart plummeted in her chest. Stuck to the windshield was a poster bearing
tall red letters spelling out the words 'Murderer Go Home'. Still wet, the
paint ran down the poster, giving the illusion of fresh blood. Her hand going
to her belly, Darby stared at the gruesome sight, her stomach rolling and
pitching as nausea rose from within her.
“Oh, God.”
Suddenly, she noticed something else. Panic welled up inside as she stepped
closer, jaw dropping in shock.
“Oh no. God, no.”
Tears of frustration stung her eyes as she stared at the damage, not able
to believe what she was seeing. Both right side tires were hopelessly flat.
A white-hot bolt of rage
tore through her. She whipped the poster off the windshield, wadding it up and
tossing it to the ground, grinding it into the pavement with her shoe. Giving
in to the mounting emotions, hot tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at
her crippled car.
Now what?
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