Page 1 of Forbidden Secrets
CHAPTER ONE
“Where do you want this desk, Mel?”Paul asked.
“Office.”Lugging the box with her printer, Melanie followed her mom, Donna, and stepdad, each holding an end of her desk, into the room that would be her writing space.She set the printer in a corner.A small room in a small house but a space specifically for writing.The thrill had yet to wane.
Added bonus?A French door that opened to a wide patio with a table and umbrella and incredible views of the jagged peaks of the Sierras that dominated the eastern sky.In the spring she and her little girl would fill terra-cotta pots with geraniums and petunias, or whatever pretty plants they fancied.
Melanie had bought the small house on the big piece of property at the end of Bluebell Lane, which sounded cute but was an unpaved road with nary a bluebell in sight.Maybe they’d see some in the spring.
Her house-purchasing timeline had been shortened significantly with the unexpected success of her book series.That success had also bought her time to see if she could make a living as a full-time author.Her stomach clenched at the thought.If she stuck to her budget and could finish her current manuscript and build on the success of her last release, then maybe she wouldn’t have to find a day job.
Paul and Donna followed her outside, Donna brushing her hands on her jeans.“That’s the last of the furniture.If we want to get the U-Haul back in time, we need to go.”
“Thank you,” Melanie told her parents.“I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Donna put her hands on her hips and scanned the area.“I know what’s done is done, but I still don’t like you being so far from town.”
“I know, Mom.But we’re not all that far, and this is what I want.”Donna had been her rock for so many years, which made it doubly hard to withstand her disapproval of the house and property Mel had chosen.
Addy came tearing across the spotty grass of the yard as fast as her six-year-old legs could carry her.“Mom, Mom, Mom.”“Mom” times three was Adelyn’s new thing when she was excited.She skidded to a stop, dirt clinging to the knees of her jeans.
Grabbing Melanie’s hand, she tugged.“Mom, there’s apumpkinin the garden.A real one.It’s connected to a vine.Can I pick it?Can we make a jack-o’-lantern?Or a pie?I think there’s a tomato plant too, and it has tomatoes on it.They’re all shriveled up.Yuck.Tomatoes are gross.”
“Hang on, Addy.Nana and Grandad have to leave.”
Addy let go of Mel’s hand to fling her arms around Donna.“Bye, Nana.Love you.”
Paul crouched for his hug and Addy wrapped her arms around his neck.“Thank you for the new bed you got me.”
Melanie moved in for her hugs.“Love you.”
Donna hugged her back.“I’m glad you found what you wanted, my girl,” she murmured.“We’ll come back in the morning and help you get settled.”
Once Donna and Paul had driven away, Addy took Melanie’s hand.“C’mon, Mom.Youhaveto come see the pumpkin.”
Melanie allowed herself to be tugged across the yard.“Show me this pumpkin, then we’re making tacos to celebrate our first dinner in our new house.”
“I love tacos.”Addy’d be happy with tacos for dinner seven days a week.
Melanie shivered, glad for the heavy flannel she wore.“It’s getting cold.”
“I’m not cold.”How many times had Melanie heard that when she wanted to bundle her girl up?
The high wire fence bordering the garden probably meant deer were a problem.The gate hung open, and Addy pulled her across the uneven soil.A sad-looking tomato plant with a couple of sickly tomatoes, which did indeed look gross, grew at the end of one long row.Along the back fence that bordered the creek, a leafy vine had twined itself through the wire.
Addy pulled back a large leaf.“See?It’s a pumpkin.”Her gummy grin highlighted the recent loss of her top front baby teeth.
Melanie crouched to examine the bright orange pumpkin about the size of a soccer ball.“That’s a terrific pumpkin.I wonder if there are more.”
Addy began searching through leaves already turning brown with fall.“Do you think the person we bought the house from planted this pumpkin and forgot to take it with them?”
“The house was vacant for a year, so I think anything growing came up volunteer.”
“What’s volun ? ” Addy stilled, and Melanie followed her line of vision.
“Mom.It’s adogand it has a ball in its mouth.”
A beautiful golden retriever stood at the open gate with a tennis ball clamped in its jaws, tail wagging.Knowing her daughter, Melanie laid a hand on her shoulder.
