Always & Forever Read online

  Table of Contents

  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

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Author’s Note

  Always & Forever

  Chantel Rhondeau

  Published by Chantel Rhondeau

  Cover Design: LFD Designs for Authors

  Copyright © 2012 Chantel Rhondeau

  First Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of a brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please send an e-mail to the e-mail address listed below, subject line “Attention: Permissions Coordinator.” [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, names, events, and places in this novel are used fictitiously or are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or to actual places, businesses, or real-life events, is entirely coincidental.

  This book was formatted without Digital Rights Management to benefit the reader. However, if you purchased this electronic book from somewhere besides a major book vendor or www.chantelrhondeau.com, please know you have purchased a pirated version and the author did not received payment. Help stop book theft by e-mailing [email protected] to report the source. Thank you.

  DEDICATION

  I’d like to dedicate this book to Elaine Hansen. Thank you for encouraging me along the way and for always believing I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. I love you bunches, Mommie!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  A lot of work goes into a book, and I could not have accomplished this on my own. A heartfelt thanks goes to my fellow authors and steadfast critique partners. You have truly become more than simple “crit buddies.” Thanks for all you do to encourage me and help chase my dreams.

  The following is my All-Star Team of fellow authors! These wonderful friends read every word, calmed each panic attack, and sent countless e-mails brainstorming about plot issues:

  ~

  Travis Casey

  Monterey Sirak

  Rachelle Ayala

  Kimberly Sullivan

  ~

  Also, thanks to Michelle Wright, Nickie McBride, Melinda Dozier, Judester, Conra, and Michele Shriver for advanced reading/early critiquing to help this project get off to a great start.

  Thanks to my editor, Stephanie Pace, and my cover designer, LFD Designs for Authors.

  Chapter One

  Aren’t you the woman who murdered her fiancé?

  Limping toward the desk on shaky legs, Lilly Price prayed those wouldn’t be the first words on Margaret Woodbridge’s lips. She already heard them too often.

  She fought off the panic as she looked at her possible future employer. Lilly assured herself the older woman would never recognize her as she reached out to shake Margaret’s soft hand. Even if Margaret noticed the faint resemblance to the socialite whom everybody assumed hired a hit man, surely she would attribute it to coincidence. After all, the woman whose picture appeared all over the news and in the papers seven months ago had hair dyed a deep sable and kept curly. Now, Lilly left it her natural red hue and painstakingly straightened it every morning.

  In addition, she now went by her middle name. Even though Margaret moved in the upper levels of society, it was unlikely she would connect Lilly to a scandal that happened on the other side of the country. Unless Margaret investigated Lilly’s past.

  She needed to convince Margaret to hire her on the spot. It was her only hope of avoiding discovery.

  “I’m honored you agreed to meet with me, Mrs. Woodbridge.” Lilly smiled and pushed down her nerves. This interview would be no worse than hosting Daddy’s dinner parties. She could make it through.

  Margaret nodded her head regally and pointed to the chair across from her. “Please sit, Miss Price. I have some questions to ask you. Though I must say, you’re the best of the bunch.” Margaret laughed and shook her silvered head. “I really don’t want to put up with Sally Jansen’s eighteen-year-old daughter every day, and you’re the only other applicant. Not many of the townsfolk are willing to deal with a crusty old woman like me.”

  Lilly grinned reflexively and took the indicated chair. “What a pity for them. I have a feeling you aren’t near as crusty as you claim to be.”

  Schmoozing with the fabulously wealthy wasn’t new to Lilly. Perhaps that would serve her well here. She desperately needed this job.

  Her savings dwindled more rapidly than she imagined once she moved to Serenity, Oregon. Forget renting one of the lovely cottages along the lake pictured in the brochure she had received. A run-down, one bedroom house was all Lilly could afford. Even that made serious inroads into her available money. Unless she found a job soon, Lilly didn’t know how she would manage her rent next month. She already skipped the utility payment, and hoped they didn’t disconnect her before she found a way to pay the bill.

  Everyone in this tiny, lakeside community had a connection to the others. It made finding work hard, as employers passed on hiring Lilly for available positions in favor of people they knew. Lilly was an outsider, and no one wanted to take a chance on her.

  Margaret settled into her chair and regarded Lilly with lively blue eyes. “Truth be told, child, my bark is worse than my bite.”

  She laughed, and Lilly joined in, relaxing slightly. For a member of the upper class, Margaret seemed quite casual.

  “But it does get lonely here,” Margaret admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved this town. Living here full time has been wonderful in many ways, but I miss my house in Seattle and being near family.”

  “I’ve heard your family come out and spend the entire summer on the lake. It must be nice for you then,” Lilly said. The small town was full of insatiable gossips, and their favorite topic was the famous Woodbridge family. Lilly felt better equipped with the armor of knowledge gained through eavesdropping.

  “Yes,” Margaret agreed, “but I rarely see them the rest of the year. That’s why I’m hiring an assistant. My old eyes aren’t what they used to be, and I can’t read my stories anymore. Do you like to read, Lilly?”

  “More than anything. I read several books a week.” Lilly breathed a little sigh of relief. She’d heard Margaret was partial to books, but she hadn’t thought that would be an interview question. One more point to connect with her on.

  “Excellent answer.” Margaret grinn
ed. “What about card games? Know any of those?”

  Lilly tried to think up a response to cast herself in a better light. She had never played in her life.

  Still, if Margaret searched for a companion to keep her company, rather than a person to run errands, that should work in Lilly’s favor. Certainly, she had more in common with the older woman than Sally Jansen’s young daughter would.

  She glanced at Margaret and shook her head regretfully. “I’ve never played, but I’m a quick study. You could teach me.”

  Margaret waved her gnarled hand through the air. “Can’t have everything I suppose.”

  Hope blossomed in Lilly’s heart at those words.

  “Now for the hard stuff,” Margaret said, snuffing out the hope as soon as it bloomed. “I see you didn’t fill in anything under work history. Care to explain that? How have you been living? I don’t mean to be pushy, but that sounds rather odd.”

  Lilly’s life had been rather odd the past two years. She thought of the dank little cell and the horrendous two months she spent there. The guards looked for excuses to use brutal force whenever possible and took pleasure enforcing their dominance over the inmates. Lilly lived in terror of her cellmate, who had stabbed an old man on the street and then stolen his wallet.

  She took a deep breath. “I worked for my father, catering for his business and doing event planning. He has an investment firm. We’ve had a bit of a falling out, and I decided it was time to strike out on my own, find my own path.” The best stories contained portions of the truth. Lilly hated to lie, but she definitely had to leave parts of her life out.

  A media frenzy had exploded upon her release seven months ago. Every reporter wanted an exclusive, and made things up when Lilly refused interviews. Charles Danner had been an awful man in life but, in death, he sold newspapers.

  Of all the women available, why had Charles chosen her as his intended bride? His actions during the last few months of his life destroyed any chance of peace Lilly expected to find after his murder.

  Margaret leaned forward in her chair, recalling Lilly to her present surroundings. “Your father isn’t willing to provide a reference?” she asked. “That seems strange.”

  Lilly blew out a nervous breath. She had hoped this subject wouldn’t come up. “Daddy and I don’t really get along. He was quite angry when I decided to leave.”

  Would Margaret accept that answer? In truth, Lilly’s father hadn’t summoned any regret when she told him her plans to leave. Then again, he would never win the prize for father of the year.

  Margaret shook her head. “I’m inclined to make my own decisions about people, anyhow.” She set Lilly’s job application aside. “Now, I need to understand a little bit about your injury. I hate to point out your handicap, but I saw how badly you limped walking in here.”

  Lilly looked down at her hands and blinked tears from her eyes. She couldn’t lose this job based on that. Good thing she left her cane in the car, afraid of drawing attention to her weakness. Apparently, Margaret wouldn’t be pleased to see Lilly hobbling around on it.

  Margaret reached out and patted Lilly’s shoulder. “Please understand, dear, I’m not trying to be unkind. I need an able body to run errands in addition to reading and playing games. Also, I’ll have the occasional guest to my suite for dinner or coffee. I need to know you can handle taking care of those things for me, and you won’t have any problems because of your leg.”

  That limb would never be the same, but she could walk, and she would handle anything Margaret required of an employee.

  Images of that brutal night flashed through her mind. Cold steel caressed her neck. The slashing blade seemed to be everywhere, and white-hot pain exploded in her belly, across her arms, in her thighs. Lilly shuddered as she once again smelled the onions on her attacker’s breath. She coughed, remembering the scent of his cloyingly sweet cologne.

  After months in the hospital merely existing through the pain, Lilly finally became strong enough to start physical therapy. The injury to her leg was extensive, made worse when an infection attacked the muscles. The doctors told her to get used to the wheelchair and accept her fate. Lilly struggled through, determined to walk again and regain her independence.

  Unfortunately, soon after hospital discharge she found herself facing charges of conspiracy in Charles’ murder. Then again, anything was worth escaping life with him.

  She took a deep breath and met Margaret’s eyes. “I had an accident, and I’m still recovering. I really need this opportunity, Mrs. Woodbridge. I promise I can do the job. I’m used to entertaining guests because of the work I did with my father, I love reading, and I’ll learn to play card games with you. I know I can do this, if you’ll just give me a chance to prove it.”

  Margaret squinted and pursed her lips. “Let’s have a trial period. I’ll give you an opportunity to show me the truth of that statement.”

  A smile spread across Lilly’s face, and she couldn’t help but feel triumphant. She finally obtained her first job.

  “But,” Margaret continued, tapping her fingers against her pale lips, “if at any point we have a problem, it will result in your immediate termination.”

  Lilly swallowed hard past the sudden lump of fear in her throat. “I promise you won’t regret it, Mrs. Woodbridge.”

  “I’m sure I won’t.” Margaret tilted her head to the side and half grinned. “I can’t wait for you to meet my grandson. I think you’ll get along famously.”

  Lilly struggled to keep her face perfectly straight, uncertain why Margaret would say something like that to an employee. “I’m sure that will be lovely,” Lilly agreed. Even if it wasn’t lovely, she would pretend to anything in order to keep this job.

  Margaret threw her head back and laughed. “I can almost see what you are thinking, child, but I know you are going to love him—he’s an author.”

  Chapter Two

  Zach Woodbridge glanced at his watch and looked out the window. Were those rain clouds? The drive to Seattle from Serenity would be agonizingly long if it rained. Still, he didn’t want to cut the visit with Grandma short. She spent so much of the year without family around, and he hadn’t seen her in over two months.

  Zach’s father had designed Woodbridge Manor, and it was the premiere nursing home in the country. Grandma’s rich contemporaries lived in the other suites. Zach knew she didn’t lack for company, but nothing replaced family.

  Margaret Woodbridge was the heart and soul of their family. Zach missed living in the same town as her, missed visiting her several times a week. It was good to be in Serenity for a visit, even if it was a short one.

  “When are you coming here to stay for the summer?” Margaret asked, perched across from him in her favorite rocking chair. “Your parents and Sarah’s family plan to arrive next month.”

  As was tradition, the Woodbridge clan met every summer in Serenity. The cluster of houses huddled against the western shore of the small lake in northeastern Oregon belonged to Woodbridge, Inc. Along with the other buildings in town they owned, the rental houses brought in a small fortune every year as tourists flocked to spend their summers living on the lake.

  “I won’t be down to stay until August, Grandma. I have too many obligations right now.”

  “That’s three months away.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re a thirty-year-old heir to a fortune. You can put off some of those so-called obligations to spend time with your family.”

  Zach’s gaze softened as he looked into her watery blue eyes. “I know how important that is, and I promise I’ll come down as often as I can on the weekends. It’s only a five-hour drive from Seattle, and I do want to spend time with everyone. August will be here before you know it.”

  “You know, your mother will have to rent out the little house she redid if you don’t come sooner.”

  Zach shrugged and tried not to laugh at her subtle threat. “I can stay in mine and Victoria’s if I have too.”

  Margaret shook
her head. “I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, boy, but your wife had deplorable taste when it came to interior decorating. Your cottage needs a makeover.”

  Zach thought of the red and black colors Victoria had insisted on using and shuddered. “I can’t argue there, but you know everyone else loves what she did.”

  Grandma never did approve of Victoria. It would be diplomatic to change the topic, or she’d grumble about his late wife the rest of the visit. One subject was sure to distract her.

  “Tommy’s not coming until August.” Zach grinned at the thought of his baby brother’s excitement the last time they talked. “He found some lady in New York he’s set on marrying, and they’re spending the first half of the summer with her family.”

  “Oh, I know all about that little rascal.” An indulgent smile graced Margaret’s lips. “I hope this is finally the right girl. He’s been engaged so many times.”

  “At least he hasn’t married any of the others. He falls in love easily, but he’s cautious.” Unlike Zach had been with Victoria.

  “Speaking of marriage,” Margaret patted ineffectually at her perfectly-coiffed, silver hair, “what are you doing about your single status?”

  Zach groaned. “You too, Grandma? Mother’s been harping about that for months now.”

  “Darling, you know how I hate to agree with that woman about anything, but in this case, she’s right.” Margaret gave him a firm look. “You haven’t brought anyone home to meet the family. Have you dated at all?”

  “Not for a long while,” he admitted.

  Zach avoided his grandmother’s eyes, staring across the room to the picture window facing the lake. Victoria had been dead for three years now. His farce of a marriage had been far from perfect, and Zach really didn’t want to try again. Victoria’s motivation had never been love. From the second she allowed him to seduce her to the moment they said, “I do,” she only wanted his money and the prestige of becoming a Woodbridge.