"Compelling story of intrigue, along with a romantic story of love, forgiveness and faithfulness."
Reviewed by Viki Ferrell
Posted April 19, 2010
Romance Contemporary
Brianna Kane and her son, Lucas, have come to Angel's Bay
to bury her husband, Derek. He was killed in a prison
accident just before he was due to be released. Brianna has
always believed in her husband's innocence and she is back
in Angel's Bay to prove it. Derek was convicted of stealing three famous paintings from
the local art gallery (although they were never found) and
assaulting the night guard. His best friend, Jason Marlow,
made the arrest and testified against him at the trial.
Jason is at the cemetery at the close of the service and
Brianna spots him. She and Derek's parents are still very
angry with Jason and do not hesitate to let him know they
still hold him responsible for Derek going to prison. A strange twist of fate has Jason house-sitting next door
to where Brianna and her son are living. A mystical,
magical aura of electrical charges is elicited every time
they come in contact with each other. Brianna tries to stay
away from Jason, but her life keeps getting drawn to his as
she searches for answers to her questions about Derek. Brianna does find answers in some old letters she discovers
in Derek's belongings and in some drawings he sends her,
through his attorney, after his death. Was Derek involved
in the robbery, or not? Was there a hidden family secret in
his ancestry that held the clues to why the paintings
disappeared? Revisit old friends in this Angel's Bay series as Brianna
searches for the truth. There are also other developments
with other familiar characters you won't want to miss.
Barbara Freethy has given us another compelling
story of mystery and intrigue, along with a romantic story
of love, forgiveness, and faithfulness.
SUMMARY
A long ago shipwreck off the California coast led the
survivors to the haven they named Angel's Bay. Their shared
adversity brought fellowship and joy ... but also
unsuspected secrets. Acclaimed author Barbara Freethy
returns to the town where angels still keep watch, with a
compelling story of a young widow trying to find the truth
and bring closure for her son and herself.
The theft of three priceless paintings sent Derek Kane to
prison and destroyed the dreams of his wife, Brianna. When
Derek unexpectedly dies just weeks before his release,
Brianna returns to Angel's Bay with her young son,
determined to prove her husband's innocence and find the
missing paintings. Her efforts are stymied by Jason
Marlow, the police officer who sent Derek to jail --
betraying his former friend. And when unexpected passion
flares between Brianna and Jason, she must choose between
the past and the present, the guilty and the innocent, the
truth and the lies. For nothing is what it seems ...
ExcerptPrologue
150 years ago …
Grief ripped through him as midnight approached.
During the day he could stay busy enough not to think, but
at night the agony always caught up to him. His fingers
tightened around the paintbrush, his hand shaking from not
enough sleep and too much whiskey. His eyes blurred with
weary tears; he could barely see the canvas in front of
him. It was wrong that he was alive to paint, and that his
beloved Eve was gone. He could still see the terror in her
blue-violet eyes as the waves crashed over the bow and the
ship splintered apart. She’d reached for him, her fingers
curling around his, as she begged him to stay with her.
Ruthlessly, he’d had to break her grip. Not for his sake
but for hers. It was women and children first. He’d
forced her to get into the lifeboat. He’d thought he was
saving her life, but her boat had never made it to shore.
For days, he had walked the beach, searching for her, but
she was lost to him. Two years later, he was still trying to bring her
back. He dipped his brush into the paint and placed it on
the canvas. Her face took shape in front of him, the pure
porcelain quality of her fair skin, the soft dip of her
dark red hair in the center of her forehead, her delicate
shell-like ears, the perfection of her sweetly curved
mouth, the soft thrust of her sometimes stubborn jaw, the
deep love in her eyes. She’d given up everything to be
with him, and he’d never been worthy of such sacrifice. Tears ran down his cheeks as he gazed into her eyes.
She seemed to be trying to tell him something. “That’s not me. Not really me.” Her voice was sad
and a little angry, as if she were frustrated with his
inability to paint her portrait. “Try again. See me,
Victor. See me for who I really was. Don’t be like the
others; see what was real about me. That’s who I want you
to remember.” "Not was!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the
small cottage. He put the painting aside and picked up
another canvas. He would get it right, and then she would
come back to him. He painted all night, into the next day and the next
after that, until there were three portraits. He called
them The Three Faces of Eve: the sweet saint, the seductive
siren, and the desperate woman. Exhausted by his efforts, he set down his brush.
Stumbling to the couch, he drank the last bit of whiskey
and waited for her to return. In the dark of his dreams, he saw her arising from
the sea, triumph in her eyes. He felt a surge of hope, a
certainty that she’d somehow made it to shore, to some
sheltered cove, and found her way to where he’d been
waiting for so long. But every time she drew close to him,
her image began to blur. He fought against the fading
colors. He didn’t want her to be with the other angels,
the lost souls of the Gabriella. He wanted her to be with
him where she belonged. How long he slept, he didn’t know, but when he
finally awoke, the sun was high in the sky. He was alone,
and the paintings were … gone. She’d been taken from him
again. He howled with rage and anguish, raising his fist to
the sky. He would do whatever it took to get her back.
Chapter One
Present day, late October … Brianna Kane shivered as the ocean breeze sliced
through her black dress. The hillside cemetery in Angel’s
Bay overlooked a restless sea, whitecaps crashing against
the boulders below, dark clouds blotting out the sun. The
ocean was angry, and so was she. This should have been
just another Monday morning. Lucas should have been in pre-
school. She should have been in her own classroom,
teaching French to middle-schoolers. And Derek -- Derek
should not have been dead. Everything about this moment
was wrong. Five years ago, she’d come to Angel’s Bay to marry
Derek Kane. They’d planned to wed by the edge of the sea.
She’d pictured the moment a thousand times. She’d wear an
off-the-shoulder white satin dress with a lacy train that
went on forever. The wind would blow through her long
blond hair, and the sun sparkling off the ocean would light
up Derek’s face, his hazel eyes always so beautiful and
eager for her. But she hadn’t married Derek on a windswept bluff.
She’d said her “I do’s” in a cold, sterile room at a prison
a hundred miles away, and her husband hadn’t been wearing a
tuxedo but an orange jumpsuit. Despite the bad start, she’d believed that one day
their lives would get back on track, that Derek’s innocence
would be proven, his appeal would be granted. He’d be
released, and they’d have the life they were supposed to
have. That dream had died five weeks ago along with Derek,
leaving her with nothing but frustration, anger, and a lot
of questions. As the minister prayed for Derek’s soul, she glanced
around the small group of mourners. They’d waited to have
the memorial service until she could pack up her apartment
and move to Angel’s Bay, where Derek’s parents lived. Over
the past month, she’d kept herself too busy to think beyond
immediate plans. Now she was here and forced to confront
what she'd been avoiding -- Derek’s death and the end of
all her dreams. Her mother-in-law, Nancy, a short, plump brunette,
sobbed in her husband’s arms. Her father-in-law, Rick, so
tall and lean, had lost even more weight in recent weeks
and now appeared almost gaunt as he tried to comfort his
wife. Nancy’s sister, Margaret, stood across from them,
surreptitiously wiping tears from the corners of her eyes
with a delicate handkerchief. Wyatt Kane, Derek’s
grandfather, stood next to her, a grim, forbidding man with
fierce brown eyes and shocking white hair that was long and
wild. Wyatt, an internationally acclaimed artist, had once
been Derek’s biggest supporter, but their relationship had
been shattered by Derek’s conviction. Brianna was
surprised he’d come to the funeral. He’d certainly never
visited the prison. Neighbors and friends of the Kanes filled out the
group. Most of the mourners were of Derek's parents’
generation, with only a few former friends in attendance.
The rest had vanished long ago. “Mommy,” Lucas whispered, as he tugged on her
hand. “How can Daddy fit in that box? Won’t he be scared
to go into the hole?” Her stomach turned over at the earnest, worried
question. Derek's ashes were enclosed in a small wooden
box that would be buried in the family plot. She squatted
down, putting her arm around Lucas's shoulders as she tried
to think of an answer that wouldn’t scare him. How did one
explain death to a four-year-old? “Mommy?” Lucas's curious light eyes were so like
his father’s it made her heart hurt. “Daddy’s in heaven,” she said gently. “He’s with the
angels now. He’s not scared, and you don’t have to worry
about him.” "Then what's in the box?" "It's just a symbol, something to remember him by."
She hoped the answer would be enough for him. “Do you think Daddy is looking at us right now?” “He’ll be watching over us wherever we go,” she
assured him. Lucas lifted his gaze to the sky, his eyes
searching. She'd seen the expression on his face before,
and not just since Derek had died. Lucas had always been
looking for his father. He’d never understood why Derek
didn’t live with them like the other daddies did. He
couldn’t understand why his father stayed in the big ugly
house with the bars. She’d hoped that when Derek got out of prison, he
could explain what had happened in a way that Lucas would
understand and that after a while the prison years would be
forgotten, replaced by happier memories. But Derek had
died just before he was due to be released. When the minister ended his prayer, the mourners
filed by, each placing a white rose on the box of ashes.
The Kanes took Lucas back to the car to give Brianna a
moment of privacy, but Derek's grandfather lingered
behind. “Derek was a damn fool,” Wyatt said abruptly. “He
could have had everything, but he threw it all away for
greed and ambition. He didn't want to work for success.
He just wanted to take it.” His harsh words caught her by surprise. "That's not
true. Derek was innocent. He didn't steal those paintings
from the museum, nor did he assault the security guard. He
was set up to take the fall for someone else." Wyatt gave her a scornful look. "If you still
believe that, you're a damn fool. Derek was the best liar
I ever met. It might have been his best talent -- his only
talent. You should forget about Derek, concentrate on your
son, and make sure he doesn’t turn out like his father
did.” Wyatt tossed his rose onto the grass and strode away. Brianna drew in a shaky breath and slowly let it out,
rattled by his harsh words. Her fingers began to sting and
she realized she was gripping the thorny stem of her rose.
A drop of blood appeared, bright red against her pale skin,
and she stared at it in fascination. Derek had brought her a lot of pain in recent years,
but she still remembered the man she'd fallen in love with -
- the one who had been outgoing, charming, and handsome,
with blonde hair and eyes that changed with the colors of
the season. Derek had made her feel special and important,
as if she were the only one who mattered. He'd swept her
off her feet with his big dreams -- the places he wanted to
go, the life he wanted to lead. That was the man she
mourned now, the one with so much unrealized potential. Stepping forward, she laid her rose on top of the
others. “I guess this is it, Derek," she whispered. "It's
hard to believe you're really gone. We should have had
more time -- a lot more time." She swallowed hard, a knot
growing in her throat. "But we have a beautiful son. I’ll
make sure that Lucas knows who his father was. He’ll see
where you grew up, and he'll walk in your memories -- at
least for a while.” Tears blurred her eyes. “I’m going to
keep fighting for you, too. I won't stop until we get to
the truth." The wind brushed against her face like the caress of
a man’s hand. She touched her fingers to her suddenly warm
cheek and raised her face toward the sky. There was a
small break in the clouds, a whisper of blue sky -- then
the wind blew, and the dark clouds returned. As two men began to bury the box of ashes, she
stepped back, unable to watch. Nancy and Rick were
waiting by their car with Lucas. She turned to move towards
them and caught a glimpse of a man standing just beyond the
trees. Her heart jumped into her throat. He wasn’t wearing
a police uniform today, but she recognized him all the
same – Jason Marlow. He was the one who’d built the case against Derek and
sent him to jail. And he had the nerve to come to his
funeral? She was halfway across the grass before she even
realized she was moving. She’d kept a tight rein on her
emotions for years, but now she couldn’t hold them in for
one more second. Jason straightened when he saw her coming. He wore
jeans and a black sweater that emphasized his broad
shoulders. His hair was sandy brown, his eyes dark and
wary. He stood by a dusty Jeep and judging by his stance,
the way he held his keys, he was considering making a run
for it. Too late. If he didn’t want to talk to her, he
shouldn’t have come. “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded. “I came to pay my respects.” “To the man you sent to prison? Why?” She didn’t bother to fake politeness. She’d wanted
to yell at someone for a long time, and he was the perfect
target. “I grew up with Derek,” he said. “You know
that.” “Your friendship didn’t matter when Derek begged you
to help him. Do you really think he’d care that you were
here now-- after what you did to him?” Anger flashed in his eyes. “I did my job.” “You sent an innocent man to jail. Now he’s dead.” Jason swallowed hard, a battle going on in his eyes.
She willed him to try to refute her statement, because she
wanted a fight. She needed to release the unbearable
tension in her body. Her hands clenched into fists, and
it took all of her willpower not to take a swing at him.
She’d never hit anyone in her life, but damn if she didn’t
want to punch him. Before Jason could speak, Lucas ran over,
interrupting them. He threw his little arms around her
hips and gave Jason a curious look as he asked. “Who are
you?” Jason’s face paled; her son was the mirror image of
his father. “He’s no one, Lucas,” Brianna answered, “Go back to
the car.” “Grandma Nancy says to come,” Lucas told
her. “People are waiting at the house.” “I’ll be right there. Go on.” Lucas gave Jason another look and then ran back to
his grandparents. Jason's lips tightened as his gaze met hers. "This
must be rough on him." "Don't pretend to care." She refused to soften at
the pain in his eyes. "I can't believe you're here. Did
you really think you'd be welcome?" His gaze burned into hers. "It was probably a
mistake," he conceded. "I couldn't stop thinking about
Derek -- and about you." She stiffened. "I'm not interested in what you think
about." "Then why are you still talking to me?" "I'm not." She turned, then glanced back at
him. "I'm not leaving town. I intend to find out what
really happened five years ago." “You know what happened.” “Derek swore he was set up.” “Not by me,” Jason said flatly. "You need to let it
go, Brianna." "That would certainly make things easier for you." "And for you. Be realistic. Your private
investigator couldn't come up with any new information,
because there's none to be found." She shook her head. “No. You were wrong about Derek,
and I’ll prove it.” She walked quickly back to the car, feeling Jason’s
gaze follow her every step. “What was Jason doing here?” Rick asked, concern
etched across the deep lines of his face. “He said he wanted to pay his respects.” “Maybe after all these years he’s finally sorry for
not believing in Derek,” Nancy suggested. Brianna watched Jason slide behind the wheel of his
car and drive away. He wasn’t sorry at all, but she would
find a way to change that.
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