Arissa smiled when they both looked her way. Cassidy waved and giggled, and Hank gave her that look, the one reserved just for her. Two years into their marriage and life continued to get better and better. There were still things she was learning about Hank, and him her, but like it had been from the beginning, they fit and had created a beautiful life and family together, one that was still growing. Her hand rested on her stomach. Their son was due any day now. The crazies had started a pool on baby names because like they had with Cassidy, Summerville wanted to be a part of it.
The scent of Hank’s burgers drifted to her. Her stomach growled. And as was his way, he walked across the lawn, placing Cassidy on her lap, leaning over and kissing her before he said, “I need to feed you.”
She reached for his hand before he could walk away. “I love you.”
Hank’s eyes connected with his Arissa’s, and she saw love looking back. “Ehh, you’re okay.” He winked. “I’ll keep you around.”
Cassidy giggled. Hank looked at his daughter, his grin widened when he winked at her before moving away from his girls. “Daddy loves you Mommy, he’s just joking.”
Arissa wrapped her arms around Cassidy, chuckling, before she pressed a kiss on her dark hair. “Mommy knows, Sweetie.”
When Hank suggested Cassidy as the name for their daughter, it was perfectly right. She never got to have a part in Hank’s life, but she was with them and always would be. Her focus drifted to Hank at the grill. When she moved here, she’d been looking for a break from the rat race, but never had she thought she’d find what she did with him. This man, this life.
A comfortable silence settled, the sound of birds filling the quiet. The family surrounded by the tranquil setting of their backyard. Sunday afternoons together was a Weathers’ family tradition. Each was lost in the beauty and comfort of the day until Cassidy’s brow scrunched together in thought before asking her parents, “Why does aunt Hya call uncle Elmer a carpet muncher?”
In unison, Hank and Arissa shouted, “What?”
Before you go, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for choosing to read SECRETS. We hope you enjoyed visiting Summerville as much as we did. Don’t forget to tell us in your review who your favorite character is. :)
Our best- Liz & Anthony
Acknowledgments
It’s been a tough year with lots of ups and downs. We’d like to thank all of you who have stuck by us through the roller coaster of the last year. We wouldn’t be here if not for you. Thank you for taking this ride with us.
Also by L.A. Fiore and Anthony Dwayne
Read the Prologue for
Ring around the Rosey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2019, L.A. Fiore and Anthony Dwayne
All rights reserved
This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1098898588
Cover design by Dana Lamothe, Designs by Dana, [email protected]
File creation, mobi and epub, by Melissa Stevens, The Illustrated Author
Typeset graphics and paperback and eBook formatting by Melissa Stevens, The Illustrated Author, www.theillustratedauthor.net
PROLOGUE
Danville Creek, Alabama
1997
Twigs broke, the sound echoing in the woods as they ran. The sting of scratches on their legs went unnoticed, their laughter unhindered by the pain. Breaking through the trees, they saw the pond. Mr. Duncan didn’t like them swimming there, but that never stopped Branch and Emma. If anything, it made them want to swim there more.
Branch reached it first, his long thin legs carrying him faster than Emma’s much shorter ones. He was already pulling his tee off, kicking off his shoes when she reached his side.
“Last one in has to get the crawlers,” Branch screamed, even as he threw himself into the cold water.
Emma’s protest was cut off when the water engulfed him. The cold icing his overheated skin felt good. He broke the surface, shook his head to get the water out of his eyes, then grinned up at Emma in time to see her cannonball.
She surfaced next to him, her frizzy hair slicked back from her face. Eyes that were too large for her face, shining in excitement. “It’s cold.” She said, her teeth chattering.
“You’ll get used to it,” Branch said, sounding wise, wisdom earned from the two months he had on Emma in age.
A sound turned Emma’s head; there was a touch of fear in her voice. “Mr. Duncan said we’d have to clean out the pig pen if he caught us here again.”
Branch flashed her a smile. “Then we better not get caught.”
Her lips twisted a second before she pushed up in the water, dropping her hands on Branch’s head and pushing him under. “Smartass.”
He was stronger, and a better swimmer, so he effortlessly pulled away from her and changed their positions. He gave her time to take a deep breath before he pushed her head under. She wasn’t down a second before she felt his hand grip her arm and yank her up.
“We gotta go.” He said, but he was already pulling her to the edge.
“What’s wrong?”
“I hear Mr. Duncan’s dogs.”
Emma didn’t need to hear any more. She didn’t even put her shorts back on, grabbing them and her flip-flops and running after Branch as they made their way back into the woods. They didn’t stop running until they were almost back at Branch’s house
