Deception
TRAIL OF SECRETSJewel Caraway thought she’d left her mistakes in the past—but then her past arrives at her door. Though she’s thrilled to reunite with her estranged sister, something about her sister’s new husband makes Jewel uneasy. Does he know her secret? Is he the one behind the growing list of attacks against her? And if he is involved…does that mean her sister is, too? With nowhere else to turn, Jewel must rely on police chief Colin Winters—the first man to make the widow question her resolve to never love again. But will he stay by her side when her guarded secrets are revealed?MOUNTAIN COVE: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide.
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TRAIL OF SECRETS
Jewel Caraway thought sheâd left her mistakes in the pastâbut then her past arrives at her door. Though sheâs thrilled to reunite with her estranged sister, something about her sisterâs new husband makes Jewel uneasy. Does he know her secret? Is he the one behind the growing list of attacks against her? And if he is involvedâ¦does that mean her sister is, too? With nowhere else to turn, Jewel must rely on police chief Colin Wintersâthe first man to make the widow question her resolve to never love again. But will he stay by her side when her guarded secrets are revealed?
Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide
Her attacker was back.
Panic sent her pulse racing. Flashlight in hand, she ran to the attic steps, taking the offensive. She wouldnât be a victim again.
âDonât move,â she shouted.
But it wasnât her attacker coming up the steps. Chief Winters came toward her. She should take a step back but she couldnât move. Something about him had her heart fluttering. He lifted her chin with his finger.
She wanted to tell him what a romantic cliché his action was, but then sheâd be admitting her attraction. And she couldnât admit that. Sheâd never risk her heart again. Even if she were willing, something stood between them.
âWhat are you doing up here again?â he asked her.
She couldnât tell anyone what sheâd done, especially not him. âChiefâ¦â
âJewel, donât you think itâs about time you call me Colin?â
His voice was so gentle, she could almost forget he was here on official business. But that would be a mistake.
âColin, Iââ
But she never got a chance to speak. A scream tore through the attic.
ELIZABETH GODDARD is an award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including the romantic mystery The Camera Never Liesâwinner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
âPsalms 103:12
Dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
who paid my ransom.
My heartfelt thanks and gratitude goes out to all those who support my writing endeavors. First I thank my family, of courseâmy husband and boys who put up with my frequent forays into other worlds without them. Weâve been eating a lot of pizza and fast food lately, I know, but hey, donât you love it when Mom gets that book money? I also want to thank my dear writing buddies, you know who you are, and my new writing friendsâI couldnât do this without your encouragement and support. And as always, thanks to my amazing editor, Elizabeth Mazer, for her insights into making my manuscripts the best they can be. Last and never least, I appreciate the encouragement from my agent, Steve Laube. Signing me as a client (has it already been over five years?) was a huge validation to me as a writer. Thanks, Steve!
Contents
Dead Man Falls
Mountain Cove, Alaska
Edging closer to the precipice that overlooked the plunging waterfall, Jewel Caraway risked a glance down. Vertigo hit. Dizziness mingled with worry.
Meral and Buck should have beaten Jewel to the falls where they had planned to meet up.
âMeral!â she yelled.
The roar of the water that cascaded hundreds of feet below drowned out her calls, sucking them down with the rushing water. A foaming whirlpool twisted where the frothing, tumbling force pounded the pool at its base. Misty spray drifted up and enveloped Jewel in a sheen of moisture. The sound of her voice could never compete with the rumbling growl of the cataract.
She tugged out her cell phone before she remembered she would get no cell signal here. The only signal she ever had was in Mountain Cove proper. She put the cell away, her gaze drawn back to the waterfall.
Powerful and dangerous.
Beautiful and terrifying.
Dead Man Falls was a force to be reckoned with. That was if one were to take the plunge and get sucked into the swirling torrent at the base.
Kayakers had attempted to navigate the drop and failed.
Part of a rainbow, transparent and fading into the mist, caught her attention. Mesmerized, Jewel stood at the edge of the rocky, moss-covered ledge that was flanked by spruce and hemlock, firs and cedars in the lush, temperate rainforest. She watched the churning at the bottom of an endless vortex that would trap anyone or anything unfortunate enough to fall. She wondered what secrets it held in its depthsâthen flinched at the memory of how she had buried a secret of her own and never thought about it again. That was until Meral, the sister she hadnât seen since Jewel had eloped twenty years ago, had arrived on her doorstep with her new husband.
