Earth Enchanted Read Free

girl’s shirtsleeve. She didn’t have to read the paper to know what it said, but she did so anyway.
    “Only one left, Macy. How much longer will it be before I come for you? Her sins are forgiven. Yours never will be.” The killer had left notes on the other eleven bodies, and they all said the same thing. Was he still here, lying in wait for her? She took her little flip phone out of her pocket, dialed 911. “Lieutenant Macy Dean, I need to report a homicide at the old Saint Michael’s parish.”
    “…Please fasten your safety belts,” the stewardess’ cheery voice announced over the intercom. It scared her right out of her skin, and for a moment, she thought her own creation had come off the page. Forgetting about everything except the story, Liv hadn’t worried about the plane crashing, which she did anytime she had to fly. Her newest novel was almost finished. It was bloody, terrifying, and confusing. No way would the reader know who the murderer was until he had killed his last victim. If time allowed, she’d be finished before she made the trip back across the foam. Most of her waking hours, and some of the dreaming ones, filled her mind with knife-wielding psychopaths, axe murderers, dispensable characters, and cold calculated plots. Who else could say that? Never would she dream of doing anything else for a living. Liv buckled her safety belt and waited with clenched fingers for the plane to land. With work set aside, panic grabbed hold, prompting fervent prayers that it wouldn’t crash, or blow up, or suddenly be under siege by a group of terrorists, or…
    * * * *
    Ryan Corrigan stalked back and forth in front of the courtesy desk. Liv’s flight was late, and now he would be too. He scowled at the board announcing arrivals and departures. The receptionist at desk was saying something about the weather being a factor in the delay, but he wasn’t paying attention. The plane taxied to a stop and began to unload passengers.
    Liv dropped her carry-on and ran to meet him, her laptop banging against her hip with every stride. Lifting his sister off her feet, he twirled her round in a circle. “I missed you.” He set her on wobbly feet and picked up her bag. “Liv, you look great. I’m glad you’re finally here. It’s been too long. You couldn’t talk Skye into to coming with you? How’s Ma?” His grin split from ear to ear as he studied his little sister. She had grown into a pretty young woman since he’d last seen the girl she had been. Ten years had transformed her.
    “One question at a time. No, he’s all broody about something dire happening to me. I left him to his doom and gloom. It will pass soon enough. He’s courting the Riley girl, if that’s what you’d be wanting to call it, and who knows else. Ma sends her love and biscuits.”
    “Well, let’s get you home and settled in.” Ryan picked up on that survey of hers and hoped the worry didn’t show. Liv would nag him till his grave to get the heart of it, and he just couldn’t tell her.
    “You’ve been in America too long, Ryan Michael, as you’re sounding like more and more like a yank.”
    The house was a two story in an upscale neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. Living in the middle of all those people was more than he could have tolerated. Yellow roses twisted and turned up the side trellis. It boasted a garden in back. That had been his doing. His personal touch. Flowering fruit trees lent calm to the well-used small space. Their scents wafted heavily through the air. Petals from the cherry trees fell haphazardly on the ground in natural decoration. Two iron and wood benches stood facing each other, prompting an afternoon among the flowers or conversation. In the center of it all was a whimsical fountain featuring a young maiden and her frog prince. Water spouted from the golden ball where each of their hands rested.
    He’d decorated the interior tastefully in dark wood tones, brilliant true colors, though it