Alice Sharpe - Westin Family Ties

For one interminable moment, he stared into Cassie’s startled sky-blue eyes and couldn’t have felt more winded if a runaway horse had tossed him to the ground and landed on top of him.

But in the end, nothing had prepared him for the almost physical punch in his heart that came with the first glimpse of her face. The creamy skin, the gently arched brows, the too-wide mouth and slightly long nose, attributes that saved her from cuteness and transported her to true beauty.

And then his gaze dipped lower and everything changed forever.

The simple gold band he’d given her three years before still circled her ring finger.

What was new was the bulging belly beneath where her hand rested. She was pregnant.

And not just a little bit.

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This book is dedicated to my mother, Mary Rose LeVelle.

I will miss you forever.

Many thanks to Kellie Waggener who shared not only her

expertise, but also her passion and excitement for the animals and

lifestyle that define family ranching.

Alice Sharpe met her husband-to-be on a cold, foggy beach in Northern California. One year later they were married. Their union has survived the rearing of two children, a handful of earthquakes registering over 6.5, numerous cats and a few special dogs, the latest of which is a yellow Lab named Annie Rose. Alice and her husband now live in a small rural town in Oregon, where she devotes the majority of her time to pursuing her second love, writing.

Alice loves to hear from readers. You can write her at P.O. Box 755, Brownsville, OR 97327. An SASE for reply is appreciated.

Cody Westin —The oldest of the Westin brothers, he thinks he knows why Cassie left him but he’s in for a surprise. Now he must not only plumb the very depths of his heart to understand himself, but also foil the relentless killer who is after her—and their future.

Cassie Westin —She’s been living in limbo with a broken heart and an explosive secret. Can she can rebuild her marriage—or will her recent past exact an excruciating price on everyone she loves?

Vera Priestly —What does this wealthy, elderly woman really see the night she peers out her window into the dark?

Dennis Garvey —This rebellious teen has plenty of reasons to feel vengeful toward the Westin family. Is he angry enough to target the most vulnerable member for ultimate destruction?

Victoria Banner —Vera’s daughter likes the good life. When that is threatened, she goes on the attack and it doesn’t appear anyone is safe from her wrath.

Emerson Banner —He’s been handling his mother-in-law’s finances for years but she’s on to his cheating ways. How far will he go to protect himself? Who will he destroy in the process?

Robert Banner —After his grandmother’s death, this successful restaurateur begins to implode. Is his grief fueled by family troubles or are there other factors at work?

Donna Cooke —She’s under a lot of stress, but there’s one thing she knows for sure: what’s hers is hers.

Bennie Yates —What part, if any, did he play in the events that resulted in death and destruction?

Kevin Cooke —He disappears the day after a murder. Now it seems he’s everywhere but in plain sight. What is he up to? Can anyone find him before it’s too late?

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Late October, Saturday Night

Her new name, spoken in a whisper, woke her from a troubled sleep.

“Laura?”

She glanced at the clock as she reached for the monitor button. Two o’clock. Before she could respond, the voice continued.

“Come quickly. Don’t turn on any lights. Hurry.”

Untangling herself from the rumpled bed sheets, Laura grabbed her robe off the end of the big four-poster, fumbling in the dark.

No lights? Why?

Her employer’s suite was through a connecting door, and Laura took the familiar steps quickly, concern for Mrs. Priestly making her heart race. The old lady wasn’t well, and after the stress of the evening who knew what had happened?

The bed seemed to be empty. Fearing a heart attack or a broken hip, she scanned the Persian carpets. “Mrs. Priestly?”

The responding voice crackled with undercurrents of distress. “Over here, by the window.”

Laura finally made out Mrs. Priestly’s frail shape enveloped in the chair that overlooked the riverside garden at the back of the house. In the daylight hours, the view was one of Mrs. Priestly’s favorites.

But this was the middle of a fall night and not a typical night, either, not even for Idaho. A storm had broken earlier that evening, and all that was visible through the window now were shifting shadows thrown by wind-whipped branches and shrubbery. “You shouldn’t have gotten up without calling for my help,” Laura said gently. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Mrs. Priestly grabbed Laura’s arm. “I think I just witnessed a murder!”

“What! Where?”

The old lady pointed a gnarled finger at the window. “Right out there by the fountain. Can you see a body?”

Laura peered into the night, but the shadows were too deep. “No. Can you?”

Mrs. Priestly craned her neck but finally shook her head. “No, not now.”

“Tell me what happened,” Laura coaxed, hoping the act of talking it out would convince Mrs. Priestly she’d been having a nightmare.

“Well, I just couldn’t sleep. You know when your mind just keeps racing and racing and you wish you’d said this or you hadn’t said that?”

“Oh, yes,” Laura said, kneeling beside the old woman’s chair with some difficulty. “Yes, I know that feeling.”

“Well, I decided I could make it as far as the window without bothering you. You do need your sleep, you know. So I sat here for a while, and then I guess I dozed. I don’t know what woke me, but I swear I saw movement out by the fountain, so I stared harder. It looked like two people. One turned toward the river and took a few steps. I think it was a man.

“The next thing I knew, the other person struck him to the ground, but when I looked again it all seemed to dissolve. That’s when I called you, Laura. I hate to admit on tonight of all nights that I need Victoria and Emerson’s help, but I guess I do. You’ll have to go awaken them.”

Every protective bone in Laura’s body recoiled at the thought of involving Mrs. Priestly’s son-in-law. She’d witnessed Emerson Banner sneering behind Mrs. Priestly’s back more than once before tonight. And then there was the argument she’d overheard after dinner. Mrs. Priestly had been shaking when she finally allowed Laura to help her into bed.