Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Ginny had lunch ready for them when she arrived at her place. After they ate the chicken salad, Ginny left her to take a quick nap. Gavin, Freddy, and Ginny were going to an Easter party at one of The Last Riders’ member’s houses. Easter wasn’t until Sunday, but they were having a party tonight so the children could have an egg decorating contest.
She watched the clock, and about half an hour before Ginny was supposed to wake, Alanna gave Freddy a bath and changed him.
“You are so adorable,” she crooned, picking him up. She was packing him out the bathroom when Ginny came out her bedroom. It took her a minute to realize she had dressed him in his Easter suit already.
She carried Freddy out to Ginny’s car for her, watching as they drove away. She checked the cell phone Silas had loaned her and headed back to his house. She should make it just before Mrs. Bates arrived.
She was relieved to see there were no cars in Silas’ driveway, meaning she had made it in time.
As she was going up the side steps to Silas’ home, Matthew and Isaac pulled in.
Grinning, Matthew hopped out of the car. “I told you I’d make it in time.”
“I knew you would,” she assured him, as he and Isaac came up the steps.
Matthew opened the door for her to go inside.
“Anyone want a cup of coffee?” Silas asked as he came down the stairs.
“No, thanks.”
“I do,” Isaac said. “I can get it if you want one.” He headed toward the kitchen.
Silas followed him, leaving her and Matthew in the living room.
Taking her hand, he tugged her down onto one of the two couches that stood on opposite sides of the room, facing each other.
“Diamond’s here,” came from the kitchen as Silas carried two cups, handing one to Matthew.
Alanna waited breathlessly for the knock, terrified Mrs. Bates would tell her that they would try the case in Ohio, where Elizabeth had been kidnapped, or that she was given a court date. She knew she was innocent, but proving it with so much evidence against her wasn’t a forgone conclusion.
Silas opened the door at the knock as Isaac came out of the kitchen.
Alanna stood when Diamond walked in the door, with Elizabeth walking in behind her and a deputy whom Alanna recognized at Rod MacNeil.
Deputy MacNeil closed the door.
Alanna didn’t know how to react to the unexpected sight of Elizabeth. Then Elizabeth saw her and broke into tears, running toward Alanna.
“I’m so sorry I lied,” she sobbed. “I was so afraid …”
Alanna immediately broke at seeing the woman she had loved from a young child. Reaching out to hug her, Alanna patted her back, trying to get Elizabeth to stop crying so hard. “I knew you were.”
“I should have told you that Mom contacted me when we moved to Ohio. That’s why I moved out. I didn’t want to take the chance she would hurt you.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Please forgive me?”
“Of course.” Alanna soothed her as she looked toward Mrs. Bates. “Does this mean …?”
Diamond nodded. “We just came from the sheriff’s office, where Elizabeth gave a statement of what really happened when she was kidnapped by Owen.”
“I told the sheriff you had nothing to do with my kidnapping, that Owen forced me to give him your realtor code for the homes you were showing.”
A buzzing sound had everyone looking around.
“Excuse the interruption.” Silas took his cell phone out of his pocket, leaving the room to head into the kitchen as he put the phone to his ear.
Alanna felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. “You knew who Owen was when you were kidnapped?”
Elizabeth pulled out of her arms. “I’m sorry I lied when you would ask me about him. Mom threatened to never let me see you again if I did.”
“I wish you had told me. I would never have let you go back to her. I shouldn’t have, anyway.” Self-recriminations were filling her as Silas came rushing in from the kitchen.
“That was Gavin on the phone. The school bus that Fynn was on was run off the road by a speeder who didn’t see the stop sign out when Greer’s nephew was let off. The bus rolled down the mountain with the kids on board!”
Silas snatched his car keys off the table. Isaac stood up from the table, as well as Matthew.
“Matthew, you stay here with Alanna and text Jody and Jacob to leave the job they’re finishing. Isaac, you take Matthew’s truck to round up Ezra and Moses.”
Matthew tossed Isaac the truck keys, which he caught while rushing out of the dining room.
“Call as soon as you find something out,” Matthew called out to them as they left.
Deputy MacNeil’s radio started beeping. Alanna and the rest of them listened as the sheriff’s voice came through the radio, calling the deputy and Diamond to the station so the car could be used to block the traffic coming up the mountain.