Cassie rose early and with Mooch in tow, headed straight to the barn. Overnight a blanket of fresh fluffy snow covered the slush by at least two feet, but the still air defied the evidence of last night's blizzard. The silence was amazing. She paused, closed her eyes, and inhaled a long slow calming breath. The cool morning air flushed her cheeks, but she welcomed the feeling, she welcomed the prairie chill that ripped through the fabric of her jacket. She was alive. Bolton was gone and she could really live again. As she continued towards the barn, she noticed a spring in her step, and her body didn't feel rigid with worry. She fed the horses and then took Mooch for a walk around the property.She imagined a check list of things to deal with and crossed off Bolton's name. Immediately below his was Melody. Crazy, bonkers, completely unbalanced, Melody. The only person left wandering around that hated Cassie with a passion fueled by serious imbalance.What would Bolton's de
By noon, they arrived at the office, ready to roll. Feeling safe, Cassie and Randy strolled hand in hand through the front door in broad daylight. Gone was the sense of doom. Gone was the man who wanted her dead. Karly rose from her place at the front desk and greeted them with a smile. Her brown bob framed her face which held a lovely glow. "Welcome back. You must be relieved that Bolton's under house arrest," she said, her eyes conveying concern for Cassie. Karly didn't know that Bolton took his life the night before, and neither did Daniel, unless his precognition revealed the truth. They had no way of telling Karly without giving up Randy's initial intent or Daniel and Cassie's abilities, so Randy and Cassie agreed to just let it all play out.Cassie grinned with relief. "It's definitely good to know he'll have a difficult time taking another shot at us."Daniel appeared next, moving down the hall towards them. He smiled and nodded a hello as if all was well in the world. He
Focused on work, the hours passed. Again, voices from out front caught Cassie's attention although she hadn't heard the door chime. She stepped out into the hall and almost fell over with shock. Sara stood in a small circle with Daniel and Karly. She spoke quietly while holding Karly's hand and resting another on Daniel's arm.They appeared engrossed in whatever she was saying. Nothing about the conversation seemed hostile, so Cassie quietly backed into her office while briefly catching her sister's eye. It looked as though Sara had it handled. Cassie knew it wasn't her business and hoped it would stay that way.A few minutes later, Sara knocked and then entered the office. Cassie noted a sense of peace on Sara's face that could be attributed to the 'cleaning of house'."I've put everything to right, except for Greg," she sniffed as if trying not to cry. "I've tried, but I just can't find the words. And how do I explain my gift or your gift or dad's or all of it?"Cassie shrugg
Margot Woods whipped open the door and beamed before yanking Cassie into a mama-bear hug to beat all hugs. Cassie went limp in her arms as Randy chuckled at the exchange."My sweet girl," Margot cooed as she pulled from her embrace. "I've missed the dickens out of you.""I've missed you too, Mom." Cassie giggled, reached for Randy's hand, and followed Mom inside. They entered the living room where her father was seated, and Mom disappeared into the kitchen. Cassie scanned towards the kitchen and then the dining room, looking for Sara and Greg. She had been dreading this encounter, but Randy forced her to put on her big girl panties and face them. So here she was. Baby steps.Sara's laughter could be heard from outside. Cassie moved to the sliding doors to the backyard and stared out through the glass as Randy moved in behind and kissed the back of her head. The scene before them was like something out of a mushy Hallmark Christmas movie. A young couple laughing and throwing
An invisible force, beyond her control, steered her through the dark, second floor hallway towards their bedroom door. Apprehension mingled sadistically with a hint of terror, and it lingered in the air like a sick stagnant fog. Desperate to catch her breath in protest of the ominous air, she paused outside the sealed door. Her legs quaked, sending tremors to every point in her body. If she didn't get a grip, she'd be taking a knee or worse. Staring at the door, she sucked in one sharp composing breath before delving deep to muster the courage to open it. Intense trepidation had a grip on her mind, making it impossible to be rational. The other side of the door held the reason for her unease, and the impending doom taunted her without mercy. Something horrific waited for her - something that made her stomach clench and her heart ache. Attempting to shake off the uneasy feeling, she rolled her shoulders and stepped forward. Her hand trembled uncontrollably as it reached out but
As a rookie P.I. at Tyler Investigations, Cassie was still in the learning stages but determined to advance in her career. A couple of weeks ago, the client, Jason Schmidt, hired them to keep an eye on his wife, Tricia. Jason believed Tricia was having an affair because he discovered sexy dresses and lingerie that she apparently never wore for him. He believed Tricia's alleged lover was Jack Brady, the karate instructor who taught their son, Chase. For the past two weeks, Cassie had been attending the same karate classes as Chase but nothing unusual was happening there. Tricia was at every class, but there were no questionable interactions between her and Jack. Of course, Jason's suspicions were understandable where Jack Brady was concerned; Jack was exceptionally hot, but his hotness went unnoticed by Tricia. Cassie hadn't seen anything between the two that supported Jason's theory of an affair, but as far as Jason was concerned, Jack was the only possible candidate.Tricia's rec
The white bungalow, across the street, stood oddly out of place in the neighborhood. New windows, shingles, and siding, meshed perfectly with its immaculate yard that was minimally landscaped with rock, grass, and shrubs. An ancient elm tree in the front yard stood half bare as the leaves had begun to fall, but there wasn't a single dead fallen leaf on the ground. There were no flowers or weeds, and the thriving lawn clearly defied the forthcoming winter. The owner obviously took pride in his well-maintained property, or he had OCD. Cassie admired the brick work that cradled juvenile evergreen shrubs in front of a bay window. She scanned to the houses on either side of the white bungalow and shook her head. The rundown shacks with weedy, garbage strewn yards, brought down the white bungalow's property value, and it was a tossup as to whether or not they should be condemned. How anyone could possibly live in them was a mystery.It was as if the rundown houses existed in a separa
Jack tapped on the window, again. "Fuck," Eryn said, nudging Cassie. "You owe me. Stay down." Inhaling nervously, she ruffled her hands through her hair and then flung the passenger door to the van open. She stepped on the frame while leaning on the door and looking over the van at the street. Eryn's momentary silence could only mean that she was assessing Jack. A knowing smile curled Cassie's lips as she stifled a giggle. Glancing to Eryn, she could only assume that Eryn was as affected by Jack as most women. Curious and wanting to watch the scene play out, Cassie lifted her head to peek through the windshield. Her eyes travelled back to Jack, who stood before them looking every bit as beautiful as usual. But tonight, he looked like a god, standing aglow beneath the streetlight that illuminated his magnificently flawless body against the midnight sky. Clearly annoyed, Jack glared expectantly at Eryn with his hands casually stuffed into his jean pockets. His tight, black, Guns