Page 132 of Indigo Ridge (The Edens 1)

And she found her way back.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Winslow

“Ready?” Griff asked as we stood beside his truck.

I clasped my hand with his. “Ready.”

We walked, side by side, to Melina Green’s front door. My pace was slow and awkward. Everything over the past two weeks had been slow and awkward. But it gave me time to study her yard as we walked.

Her flower beds were overflowing with purple coneflower blooms. The lawn had been recently mowed and the scent of grass filled my nose. Robins chirped as they landed in the large oak tree that shaded part of her house. A fresh morning.

A new day.

Before Griff could knock, the door opened and Melina stepped outside. Her face was alight with gratitude.

“Hi.” I smiled.

“Hi.” Her eyes turned glassy and then she was there, hugging me too tight.

It hurt. My shoulder had been dislocated and only yesterday I’d stopped wearing the sling. But I didn’t dare flinch. I simply squeezed Griffin’s hand because he’d been helping me bear the pain for the past two weeks.

Melina held me for a long moment, until Griffin must have realized I was hurting because he put his hand on her shoulder.

“Should we go inside?”

“Of course.” She let me go, wiping the tears away, and waved us inside.

Sunlight streamed through the bay window in her living room. Griffin and I sat on the smooth leather couch, his arm going behind my shoulders the moment I was down so I could lean into his side.

My body was healing but it wasn’t happening as fast as I’d like. He’d tried to convince me to put this visit off for another week and spend yet another day resting at home. But it was time to get back to life.

Living was precious. Ever

y moment. If the night at Indigo Ridge had taught me anything, it was to make the most of my time on this earth.

For a first major excursion out of the house, visiting Melina was exactly the way to start.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, taking the chair across from the couch. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, thanks. And I’m okay. This guy has been taking good care of me.”

Griffin leaned over and kissed my hair. “When she listens. She’s not the best patient.”

I elbowed him in the ribs. The fast movement caused a stitch of pain and I grunted.

“See what I mean?” he teased.

“Thank you for coming over.” Melina looked to the fireplace mantel, crowded with framed photos of her daughter. “And for everything you’ve done for Lily.”

“I was just doing my job.”

“No.” She gave me a sad smile. “You did so much more.”

In the past two weeks, numerous suicide cases had been reopened and their files flooded with new information. Frank had been arrested the night Rain had tried to kill me, and his confession had shocked the entire community.

Four of the seven suicides in the past decade hadn’t been suicides. He’d been having an affair with each of those young women and each had been murdered by his wife.