The early morning sun filtered through the bunkhouse blinds, dancing across Mary’s eyes and nose. She turned and buried her face in the pillow. The faint scent of yesterday’s fire lingered in the air and caught her attention. The thoughts of last night flooded her mind, and her eyes flew open in fear.

 She looked around the unfamiliar space. Tossing aside the sheet, she rolled over and put her bare feet on the floor. It felt cold against her skin. After the rain, temperatures had cooled more than usual during the night. Mary shivered and pulled the sheet around her shoulders.

 She did not know what time it was, but she needed to get to Faith and find out about Annie. Her first attempt at standing was unsuccessful. She was wobbly from yesterday’s events. She tried once again, able to stand, but she swayed back and forth.

 A knock at the door brought her to a sitting position on the bed.

 “Yes, come in.” Mary waited for the door to open.

 “I didn’t wake you, did I?” Emmy smiled and handed Mary a cup of coffee. “If you need sugar or creamer, I can get you some from Darryl’s office.”

 “No, black is fine. It’s very kind of you." Mary accepted the coffee and sipped it.

"Hank is right outside. He wanted me to check on you first to make sure it was alright for him to come in.”

 “Your husband is quite the gentleman. Of course, he can come in.” Mary looked down at her clothes. “I can’t say that I’m at my best.”

 Emmy sat on the chair beside the bed. “You had a rough night. No need to worry about how you look.” Emmy jumped up and walked to the door. “I forgot to tell Hank to come in.” She opened it and waved for him to join them.

 “Have you heard anything about Annie?” Mary rubbed her hands together. “Did the young man tell you anything?”

 Hank nodded. “The storm washed away pretty much all the evidence. But Michael has given us a few potential leads.”

 “Was he in on it? He seemed so concerned when I found him.”

 “No, he heard Annie scream for Sebastian only moments before falling into the ravine. He also heard a car spinning its tires on the pavement.”

 “Oh Lord, she could be anywhere by now. This nightmare can’t be happening. Why would someone take Annie? So few people even knew we lived there.” Tears rimmed Mary’s eyes. “Jack warned us we could be in danger. I tried to be so careful.”

 “Did Jack tell you why? Did he have any idea who was behind this?”

 “No, he said he suspected certain things, but he needed to investigate first.” Mary shook her head. “He was so kind to us.”

 “Did Jack ever mention his wife, Liz?” Hank paused, waiting for an answer, then continued, “He didn’t tell Liz about the cottage and the three of you living there.”

 “I can’t tell you why he didn’t tell her, but I know Jack was shaken when he met Faith. He didn’t say why, and I didn’t press him for an answer. Maybe I should have.”

 “No, I am sure Jack had his reasons and would have told you in time. He was shocked to see someone so young and so frail. Faith is the same age as his wife.”

 “Oh, I didn’t know. That might be what it was.” Mary swallowed some coffee and then turned to Hank. “I hate to be a bother, but I should get back to the cottage. Faith will need me to help with her medicine and breakfast.”

 “Dr. Copeland sent a nurse. Faith is in excellent hands.” Emmy reached over and squeezed Mary’s hand. “You need to take care of yourself too.”

 “I would like to get back to her. I am sure she is frantic about Annie.”

 “If that’s what you want to do, I can run you back to the cottage in the Jeep. Off-roading isn’t one of my Mercedes' finer points.”

 **************

Darryl brought the Jeep from the garage and tossed the keys to Hank. He put his arm around Mary’s waist and swept her off the floor. She squealed as he swung her in the air.

“Darryl, you set me down this minute.”

“Nope, I’m taking you right to the Jeep. Can’t have you trekking through the mud and getting it dirty.”

“Young man, I’ve seen that vehicle of yours. It has more mud clinging to it than my garden. Now put me down.” She beat against his shoulder.

“Mary, you know you can’t win against me unless you’re serving those chocolate chip cookies. Then, you might have a chance.”

“You brash young man, you know I don’t have any cookies.”

”And you know, I’m carrying you to the Jeep” They were both laughing as Darryl carried her outside.

 **************

“I’m glad she’s smiling, even if it’s only temporary. I sure hope Garth discovers something today. That little girl must be terrified.”

 Hank bent and kissed his wife. “It’ll only take me about thirty minutes. Maybe we can have a little breakfast together.”

 “We’ve got a house full of people, Hank. We might have breakfast, but I can almost guarantee it won’t be alone. Especially if Tango and Poppa smell anything cooking.”

“I suppose you’re right. Can’t blame a man for trying, right?”

 Emmy stood on her tiptoes and kissed her husband. “I love you, Hank Armato. When I caught you, I caught one of the best.”

 “When you caught me. Oh, girl, we need to sit down, and I need to remind you about the truth behind our first date.”

“You do that, but now Mary’s waiting in the Jeep.” She kissed his cheek. “Now go.”

 ***********

Mary had seen little of the house last night. Sitting in the Jeep waiting for Hank, she admired the roses and the trimmed bushes around the patio. She could see rows of grapevines and the hills in the distance.

 As Hank settled in behind the steering wheel, Mary commented on what a beautiful house it was.  

 “Yeah, it took my breath away the first time I saw it, too. It would be a shame if Liz sold and moved back to the city.”

 “Is she thinking of selling? How will that affect Faith and Annie?”

 “The land and the cottage belong to Faith. Nothing would change for you.” Hank smiled at Mary. “You’ll always have a home as long as you want to stay there, Mary. No one can take it away from you.”

“Do you think that’s why they took Annie? Do they want the property? Faith and I will give it to them in a heartbeat if they’d return her to us unharmed.”

“We’ll find her, Mary.” Hank put the Jeep in gear and backed away from the barn. “I’ll drive around the loop so you can see the house closer. It’s quite beautiful.”

 Mary stared out the window, fascinated by the architecture and the massive beams supporting the front veranda’s roof. The walkway consisted of enormous stones sunk deep into the ground. Clusters of small pink and yellow flowers dotted each side. In the front, she saw another hedge of bright red roses and more grapevines behind them.

As Hank rounded the corner of the house, Mary focused on a woman sitting on the patio. She pressed her face and hands against the glass.

“Hank, stop. Please stop the car.” She spun around and yanked Hanks’s arm violently. The pitch of her voice climbed as she screamed at Hank, “Stop!”

Hank brought the Jeep to a stop and grabbed Mary’s shoulders as she beat her fists against him. “Mary, what’s wrong?”

Mary looked back at the patio, but the woman was gone. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Hank. I must be losing my mind.”

Unaware that someone had been on the patio, Hank asked, “What was it, Mary? What frightened you?”

“My eyes are playing tricks on me. I was sure I saw a childhood friend. Her brother and I were in love. He’s the father of my babies. He died in a car accident before the twins were born.”

 A violent war erupted inside Hank’s head. A sour stomach swirled around. He didn’t know what to do, but his gut told him he couldn’t lie to Mary. “What was your friend’s name?”

“Cassidy--and her brother’s name was Jon. The family moved to Italy after his death. I was pregnant, and my alcoholic father kicked me out of the house. I lived on the streets until a wonderful woman took me and changed my life.”

Bile churned and rose in Hank’s throat. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and fought to control the emotions sweeping over him. He struggled with his thoughts.

This poor woman lost everything and has been fighting back all her life. She deserves to know about Cassidy and Jon, regardless of the circumstances. Faith and Annie are part of their lives, too.

His next thought made him gag, and he swung open the Jeep door. His vomit splattered against the muddy ground. He leaned out of the vehicle and let his head hang.

Faith, Annie, Mary, and Cassidy were all part of Liz’s life as well.

“Hank, what’s wrong? Are you sick? Should I get someone?” Mary had forgotten about the woman. A water bottle sat on the console. She grabbed it and shoved it toward him. “Hank, wash your mouth with the water. Drink some of it.”

He took a swig of the water, swirled it around his mouth, and spat it on the ground.

“Mary, the woman you saw, her name is Cassidy. She’s in hiding. A man tried to kill her.”

Mary gasped. “Oh, Hank. I know it was her. Please, I need to talk to her. I need to share so much with Cassidy.”

“But Annie—”

“Hank, I can’t search for my granddaughter, and there’s a nurse with Faith. Please, if only for a few minutes. I need to see her.”

Hank nodded. He understood, but no matter what, this would not be easy. Cassidy would have to tell Mary that Jon wasn’t dead.

“Wait here.” He couldn’t see Cassidy on the patio. “I’ll go find her.”

Mary pressed her face against the glass, trembling as Hank disappeared inside the house.







Summary... Cassidy is framed for murder. Allie goes undercover to protect Cassidy, but they are both stabbed. Cassidy's life is threatened again in the hospital, and she is pronounced dead (but actually in protective custody). Mason Caldwell runs many illegal businesses, including drugs and human trafficking. Jon, a priest and Cassidy's brother, has sold his soul. Mary, a caregiver, discovers her child she gave up for adoption thirty years ago. Cynthia and Michael are searching for gold on Liz's property. The mysterious woman (Faith) is dying from cancer and lives in a secret cottage with her daughter, Annie, Sebastion, and Mary. Darryl runs the winery, and Miguel is in charge of the vineyards. Garth and Hank are trying to solve the cases.