Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Ava Steel is haunted by a ghost that has come back from the grave. She questions who she is and whether she's capable of being in a relationship with Brendan Murphy, the man she loves. As she shuts down her bakery—something she never does—to deal with these newly discovered secrets, she shuts down her relationship with Brendan as well.
Brendan doesn't want to let Ava go, but he's dealing with his own issues. As his connection to the Steel family is finally revealed, he and the townspeople of Snow Creek face a financial crisis—one the Steels can't help them solve.
As more and more secrets are unburied from both Ava's and Brendan's past, they fight to find their way back together. But the obstacles are large and seem insurmountable.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Ava
Donny and Callie are hardly in the door when I pounce.
“I need to know everything you know about the future lawmakers club at Snow Creek High School.”
Donny takes Callie’s jacket from her and hangs it on the coatrack in the entryway. “Good evening to you too, cuz.”
Michaela takes Donny’s blazer once he removes it.
“Goodness, Ava,” Mom says. “Let them get inside the house first.”
I can’t help myself. I’m starved for information. I’ve finally got a lot of the story behind my ancestors, and though it’s nausea-inducing, I’m determined to find out everything.
“Don, Callie, what do you want to drink?” Dad asks.
“Just Diet Coke or water for me,” Callie says. “Thanks.”
“Water’s good.” Donny follows Mom into the kitchen and then the family room. “Something smells good.”
“Michaela made rigatoni.” Dad takes his place behind the bar. He pulls a can of Diet Coke out of the refrigerator for Callie and a bottle of water for Donny. Then he pours a glass of one of his reds for himself. “Ava, Ruby? Anything to drink?”
“I’ll have some of the Ruby,” Mom says, smiling at the mention of her namesake wine.
“Just water for me, thanks.” I take a seat next to Donny and Callie on the leather couch. “So…the future lawmakers…”
“Sounds like something from the past,” Donny says.
“How much do you know?” I ask him.
“I know a lot, unfortunately.”
Yes, he does. But I can’t go there. The thought of what happened to him and Dale, to Uncle Talon…
“I can answer your question,” Callie says. “The future lawmakers club didn’t exist when Dale and Donny were in high school. But they did when Rory and I were there. It was a newer club, and I went to a meeting.”
I drop my jaw and look to Donny.
“Callie and I don’t have any secrets,” he says.
“So you and she both know…”
“About the future lawmakers of the past? Yeah, we do.”
“It was called the FLMC for short. I don’t know who started the club when I was in school.” Callie takes a sip of Diet Coke. “But as I’ve always been interested in law, I went to a meeting once.”
“And…?”
She takes another sip. “There was no discussion about the law or making law at all. It was all about”—air quotes—“sticking it to the man.”
“What’s that mean?” I ask. “I mean, I know what it means. But what did it mean with regard to the club?”
“I don’t know,” Callie says. “I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Soon after that, the club became invite only.”
“Oh?” I lift my eyebrows.
“Yeah, but anyone could get an invite. The FLMC members soon established themselves as troublemakers. They took credit for a lot of the crap that went on at school. When Rory and I decided to try to figure out who had spiked the punch at the homecoming bonfire her senior year, the FLMC was where I was going to start investigating.”
“What did you find?”
“Nothing, because I never got that far. I ended up overhearing Pat Lamone and Jimmy Dawson bragging about it, so I had my answer.”
“Do you know anything else about the club?” I ask. “Was Pat Lamone a member?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I don’t even know if the club still exists.”
“The question,” Donny says, “is whether the reincarnation of the club had anything to do with the club our grandfather belonged to. And I sure hope not.”
“I hope not as well,” I say, “but with everything else that seems to be reappearing…”
“So Brock told you.”
“He did. It made me sick. A lot of things have made me sick lately. It’s getting easier to stomach each time I learn something new…which in itself is disturbing.”
“I know. I hear you, Ava.”
“You know about…Wendy?” I ask.
Donny nods. “Yes.”
“So you know I’m not a full-blood Steel.”
Donny frowns slightly. “You’re more of a full-blood Steel than I am.”
“I didn’t mean—”
Donny nods, though he doesn’t smile. “I know you didn’t. Blood doesn’t matter. Dale and I were fathered by a man who sold us into slavery for five thousand dollars.”
I drop my jaw.
“I guess you don’t know everything,” Donny says.
“Donny, go easy on her,” Callie says. “This is difficult for all of us.”
“I know. I’m only saying that blood doesn’t matter. Our ancestors don’t matter. What matters is who we are. Who we want to be.”
I nod, swallowing. “I’m so sorry for everything you and Dale have been through.”
“It’s ancient history, Ava. It sucked. I won’t lie. But it was so long ago, and we’ve had amazing lives here on the ranch.”
“I know. So have I.”
“So our true parentage doesn’t matter. We’ve all got major skeletons in the closet.”
I take a drink of water. “How can we find out what this FLMC is up to now?”
“I don’t even know if they still exist,” Callie says. “I graduated eight years ago.”
“Our family doesn’t have anyone at that school anymore,” Donny says.