More than life, p.1
More Than Life, page 1
More than Life
Book Two
Ridge City Series
By Kristen James
Copyright 2023 Kristen James
All Rights Reserved
http://www.writerkristenjames.com/
He had it all with the woman of his dreams. But now she’s gone.
Did she leave him and her daughter behind—as some clues say? Or is she in danger? Can he save her and their marriage before it's too late?
© 2023 Kristen James
www.writerkristenjames.com
www.facebook.com/WriterKristenJames
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PROLOGUE
“One, two, three… say cheese!” Candice, the Ridge City Review reporter, clicked several photos of the Williams family for the festival coverage.
Molly smiled, standing next to her husband Trent, with their daughter Shyann propped on her hip. They stood in front of the booth for her business, Plant Paradise.
“Wow, it’s hot.” Molly fanned her shirt. Somehow Trent looked fine in the heat while wearing his hat, an open plaid short-sleeved shirt over a black tank top, and jeans. She was dying in shorts and a loose floral shirt.
Shyann wiggled. They were all ready to go have some ice cream and fun, and forget about the heat. Alicia and David were coming soon with their children. Trent’s parents were on the way as well.
The reporter checked the photos. “Wow, that last one looks great. Would you like to see?”
The question was directed at little Shyann but Molly answered with her. “Yes!”
That was one perk of living in a small town. Trent stepped closer with them. The camera screen showed the family from the knees up to make sure the banner reading “Molly’s Plant Paradise” fit in at the top. Trent and Molly happily gazed at the camera. He had his arm around her and a big, handsome smile. She loved that he kept his brown cowboy hat on despite the heat–she’d gotten it for him because it set off his brown eyes.
She looked good, too, with her hair long and wavy. It was Shyann who stole the photo, though, with her big hazel eyes and her long ringlets framing her face. Even her light freckles showed in the photo. She wore a huge grin that showed off her cute little teeth.
“Look at my beautiful daughter,” Trent said, gently tugging a curl. “You’d never know what a rascal she is!”
“I’m the best rascal there ever was!” Shyann announced proudly, smiling up at her dad with the fantastic confidence of a three-year-old. When asked, Shyann liked to describe her age as three-almost-four, probably five by now.
“That you are,” her daddy agreed. Molly gave Trent “The Look” while trying not to smile. Shyann was being so good and patient. It wouldn’t hurt to encourage that behavior. However, their daughter was bouncing with glee because she felt so good about herself…being a rascal.
“Thank you all so much!” Candice glanced around. “I better get some photos of the blackberry jam contest.”
“Thank you, Candice! This will be great exposure.” Molly couldn’t wait to read the article. She planned to frame a copy to hang at the nursery.
They all waved, Shyann giving a chubby baby-hand wave goodbye. Candice hurried off, and Molly said goodbye to the two employees who would man the booth for her. She was selling small succulents, bonsai trees, baby ferns, painted pots, and other odds and ends. The main purpose was to keep Plant Paradise in people’s minds and advertise upcoming events.
As they made their way out of the seller’s booths, Molly started thinking about fry bread with blackberry jam. The hot air carried the scents of heavenly bread and cotton candy. Her mouth watered. She loved the annual Blackberry Festival for all of the treats: fry bread, shave ice, blackberry ice cream, blackberry cobbler, and blackberry everything-under-the-sun.
What if she could get a scoop of cold blackberry ice cream on her fry bread?
“Mol, I saw that hungry look in your eyes. I know what you’re thinking about.” Trent gave her a knowing smile and took Shyann. “I have a feeling your eyes are bigger than your stomach, like usual.”
“Is that a dare?” She raised an eyebrow at her husband, her stomach doing a little dance. Or maybe it wasn’t her stomach. He had that teasing, flirty smile right now that drove her crazy.
He stood six feet tall with striking dark eyes, wide shoulders, and a slim figure. He wasn’t giving into a “dad bod” yet, thanks to staying in shape for work.
“I love dares!” Shyann shouted. “And rides! And ice cream!”
“Well, today we’re doing ‘em all!” Molly grinned at her daughter.
They made their way through the people meandering around, moving toward the Ferris wheel on the other end of the city park that hosted all of the town’s events. The path to the rides conveniently went right by the food booths, but maybe she wanted to wait for blackberry themed treats after the rides.
A hand waved halfway down the way. Molly spotted Alicia’s blond hair first, then her wide smile. How did she look like Cameron Diaz after having two kids? On top of running a successful author business. If Alicia were anyone else, Molly would be green-eyed over her success. Alicia, however, was the sweetest, most giving person on the planet.
Alicia held hands with David, who pulled a wagon with his other hand. Their son Michael, a mini version of David, sat in the wagon on his knees, waving to people like he was in a parade. Olivia, who looked like a tiny angelic Alicia, slept in her car seat.
“They’re too cute.” Molly waited for Shyann to notice her cousins and go crazy.
“They are.” Trent paused, and Molly knew what would come next. “We could have that same little picture.”
“Trent…” She tilted her head to throw him a pleading look. “Maybe when we’re both ready, when the time is right.”
“How do we know when the time is right? We didn’t wait and plan it perfectly when we had Shyann.” He lifted a shoulder, using a light tone.
“Why rush it?” She used an equally light tone, as if they were discussing a vacation.
He opened and shut his mouth. This wasn’t the time or place for a discussion like this. It never was, really. She couldn’t fully explain how she felt even when they were home alone together.
She tried for a smile that fell flat. His occasional comments on growing their family were becoming less occasional, and more and more common. They had discussed it a few times, but she didn’t want to take on more right now. Her daughter and business kept her busy.
The truth was, everything was perfect. What if trying for another baby tempted fate? Sometimes a sense of doom hit her out of nowhere, reminding her that she had lost everything before…and could again. It was silly, but it refused to let go of her. There were days when she had trouble eating or concentrating because of that feeling.
It wasn’t always just a sense of foreboding. Bad things did happen. Two years ago in August, Trent was involved in a shooting. A cult leader pulled a gun on him, and Trent was forced to shoot. The man’s wife jumped in front of him…and died.
Molly glanced at Trent. It stuck with him, but it bothered him even more every August. Was it on his mind today? She slipped her arm through his free one. They shared a look, a half smile, and he kissed her forehead. He hated tension between them as much as she did.
“Mommy, there’s Michael!” Shyann wiggled until Trent let her down. She ran to the wagon with her long curls bouncing. She looked it over with her little hands on her hips. She wanted to ride in it too but couldn’t figure out how she could fit in with her cousins.
“Shyann, did you see that train ride?” She pointed so her daughter would look.
Alicia laughed. “And we’re off.”
The adults took them to the short line and watched as they boarded, strapped in, and took off on the kiddie ride. Both moms pulled out their cell phones to take pictures.
Alicia and Trent’s parents arrived in time to see the cousins on the train ride. They were both dressed up, Brenda in an old fashioned dress with a delicate flower print, and Robert in nice pants and a dress shirt. Molly loved how they had old fashioned styles and values.
Molly glanced up at Trent. He caught her look, smiled, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He was the one person who could chase that bad feeling away. Most of the time. There wasn’t any room today for gloomy thoughts or worries about having more babies. Today was about fun, food, family, and friends. The way it should be.
~ ~ ~
He trailed behind them, just an invisible guy with a white raspberry snow cone. He really wanted blue raspberry, but he couldn’t draw attention to himself with blue lips.
That was okay. He knew how to be smart and sacrifice. He also knew how to be patient.
It was a virtue so few people had these days. Take a person like Trent Williams. The man smiled at his wife, yet there was a yearning in his eyes. The conversation was lost in the noise of the crowd, but he didn’t need to hear the words. That look said it all. Trent Williams wanted something that his wife didn’t. Trent Williams wasn’t being a patient man.
Molly Williams, what about her? She didn’t seem like a patient person either…except for this one thing that Trent wanted.
He had come here to watch the older parents, and had been rewarded with more insights, things he wouldn’t have seen if he were impatient. Slow and careful always won the race.
The new idea sent shivers through him despite the August midday heat. He watched the older Williams from a distance, their love for the others so clear. However, the key wasn’t the parents or their petite bl
This would be perfect. Almost too perfect. Poetic justice wrapped up in an infallible plan.
Molly’s laugh rang out. Other people looked her way. They wanted to see the woman who laughed like that. People liked to watch her.
He liked to watch her a little too much–it had distracted him. He should have been watching Trent. He needed to understand Trent.
Yet, look at that.
Trent tilted his head to smile at Molly, his eyes lit with love. He would do anything for that woman.
CHAPTER ONE
Two Months Later
“Hey, just checking in, babe... I might head home early.” Trent left Molly a voicemail and frowned at his phone. He’d tried her several times today. It was strange that she wasn’t answering texts or his calls—unless she was that upset with him?
“That sounds like a good idea.” Mark Stone leaned back in his chair to look at Trent. He ran his fingers through his short, curly hair before patting it back down. “Paperwork’s done. Go get some rest and ice that cheekbone.”
Trent reached up but stopped himself from touching the hot knot forming on his cheekbone. He gave a sigh and grabbed his hat. “Alright, I’m heading out. See you Monday, unless our wives have something planned before then.”
“Yup. Let’s hope for a quiet weekend.” His partner gave a casual salute and went back to typing as Trent left their shared office in the Ridge City Police Station.
He headed outside, fighting off a headache. It was only four o’clock but the sky was darkening already, something he didn’t love about this time of year. The heavy cloud cover threatened the return of the rainy season. It always hit before Halloween so the trick-or-treaters got soaked.
He slid into his Tundra and set his brown cowboy hat onto the passenger seat. He gave it a quick tap, a habit he started after Molly gave him the new hat for his birthday last year.
Just as he started his truck, he remembered his broken body cam, then decided it could wait until tomorrow. He had been investigating a blackmail situation between the owners of two local taverns. This morning, one of the tavern owners sent a thug to the other location. It was meant as a threat and things got heated.
Trent arrived in time to see the thug making a run for it out the side door. He pulled his Tundra alongside the tavern as the stout man went for the fence. Trent pursued and caught up to him right at the fence. The scuffle that ensued damaged the body cam... and left Trent with a bruised cheekbone. The punch was a gift that kept on giving in the form of his headache. Hopefully it wouldn’t worry Molly too much.
The cam still recorded audio but the camera lens must have been shattered. He left it sitting in the cubby by the gearshift. He’d probably have to get a new one.
At least they finally had some evidence of the blackmail, plus a witness statement. It’d be nice to close that case out.
He pulled out of the department’s small parking lot, nodding to an officer pulling in, and turned toward the mountains and his house on the far end of town. Each day as he drove home, he tried to clear his head of work worries so he could focus on his family.
A mile and three traffic lights later, he gave a nod to his right, toward his parent’s property that touched the south side of town. He had plans to help them clear around the filbert orchard next weekend. The land was valuable and they’d gotten quite a few offers over the years, but thankfully his parents planned to live their lives there and pass the property down to their children.
His sister Alicia and her husband David had already built a new home on the town side of the hundred acres last summer. It was a big house.
Good for her. Who would have guessed his sister could write? It had surprised all of them to learn that Alicia and David had started writing together. After a year, Alicia quit teaching. David still did occasional online work, but for the most part, they worked from home and were doing very well writing mysteries. They constantly had questions for him and he loved being involved in their process in a small way.
Trent had always been the over-protective big brother, so he was hard on David in the beginning. Alicia’s husband had his secrets back then, and it’d put a strain on their marriage, but they worked through it. Now Trent couldn’t be happier for his sis and her choice.
He glanced out in that direction again and called his mother, using the voice function on his Bluetooth. “Hey mom, are the girls out there?”
“Nope, I haven’t seen them today. Why?”
“Oh, nothing. Molly isn’t answering her phone. I’m heading home early so I’m sure I’ll see her soon.” He didn’t want to worry his mother, so he asked how they were doing and got off the phone.
He passed the small strip mall and main grocery store. After that, it was just houses until the road turned into a country highway and headed up into the mountains.
Trees throughout town and the surrounding hills had turned red, orange, and yellow, making Ridge City a celebration of fall. Molly loved this time of year. Heck, she loved all year and found reasons to celebrate just about everything. It was one more thing to love about her.
Trent was happy their daughter Shyann shared her mother’s zest for life. The little three-year-old girl was giggly, bouncy, and full of adventure. There was a good dash of mischief in there too.
He chuckled, knowing he’d feel better once he was home with them, telling Shyann about his day catching the bad guys. Normally, he arrived home around six and Shyann would bounce down the hallway and up into his arms, jabbering a million words a minute. They had a family project in the backyard, building her a princess castle playhouse. She had plans for painting it soon with her mother.
He almost called Molly again but he was minutes from the house. It was a little strange that she hadn’t answered before, but she could have been in the bath while Shyann slept, or taking a nap with their daughter.
Or maybe not. When he pulled up to the garage, he discovered her Civic was gone. He searched his memory for a conversation that morning and came up empty. She must be at Plant Paradise.
There was that half-asleep conversation in the middle of the night. He had pressed to know why she didn’t want to have another baby. She finally said she didn’t want to explain because he would dispute her reasons. Maybe she was right.
He would give her some time and call her again later.
He reached into his middle console to retrieve a cop bobble head that Shyann had gifted him last Christmas. Shyann loved seeing it bobbing back and forth in his work truck, but he couldn’t display it while actually working. He slid the base into its holder on the dash so it’d be there for the weekend.
In the garage, he stashed his weapon and work things in the safe by the door, then grabbed a water from the drink refrigerator. The cold water brought some relief but it was getting to the point that he’d better take something to keep the real headache at bay.
He went inside to a quiet, dark house, and yawned as he headed toward his bedroom.
Something made him pause halfway there. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Was that soft breathing? Yes. His daughter’s breathing. Confused, he stepped into her room to find her asleep.
She lay on her back with her hands up in fists, the same way she’d slept since she was an infant. Her dark curls fanned out around her, another trait from her mother.
It was naptime, but why was she home alone? His headache changed, tightening around his entire skull.
He checked Shyann’s forehead for a temperature, thinking there could be an emergency situation. She felt fine.
He called Molly’s cell again. No Answer. Molly’s Plant Paradise was less than two miles from the house. He called her business and an employee said she hadn’t been in yet today.
Molly had to be outside. Maybe she’d taken the car in for maintenance and got a lift home. He walked to the back of the house and out into the expansive backyard, expecting to see her. When he didn’t, he called her again. What was that, the tenth call he’d made?
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