Secrets Read Free

in Laurelwood, hadn’t diminished Casey’s propensity to see life through an upbeat lens. Sometimes he was a problem child for Jackson because of his tendency to see humor and craziness in most things, but she enjoyed his easy temperament. It was a pleasure tinged with sorrow, because she sensed he held himself apart from others.
    “Is this the crazy but beautiful blond cat lady of Laurelwood?” Teasing was his solid MO.
    “No. You’ve got the wrong number.” She never considered herself less than sane and loving cats did not make her so. She giggled. “Am I speaking to the crazy lawyer turned PI of Laurelwood?”
    “Oh, that hurt. Seriously, do you have a minute? I’d like to drop by your office and deliver a small donation from my parents. Something to help keep your kitty rescue going another month. I also have a delivery of cat food.”
    “Lovely. When do you expect to be here? I can meet you outside.”
    She’d met Casey four months ago at a picnic at Lacey and Jackson’s house. Their paths crossed now and then because of the close relationship between the sisters’ husbands and Casey. Michelle appreciated Casey’s friendship, but when they’d dated briefly she’d gotten scared and told him her life was too busy to have a serious relationship. He’d been gracious, but something was always there, unspoken, between them. Though he was fun to be around, he remained a bit aloof. Which worked for her, because she needed space with nearly everyone, a buffer zone, since her rape. Boundaries surrounded her that helped her feel in control. Though it made her sad that she couldn’t enjoy closeness.
Another possibility taken from me by the man on the university quad.
    But seeing Casey always managed to elevate her mood
.
Waiting for news about Madeline, getting bad news about my new home … I could use a lift.
    They made arrangements to meet in the parking lot across the street from the office so Casey could load the cat food into her cherry red Jeep.
    “I’m going out for a minute. I’ll be right back,” she called to the sisters.
    Lacey ambled out. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Go finish moving, take care of Madeline, and look into this stupid letter you just got.” She ran her fingers through her copper waves and looked stern, for Lacey. “We can manage without you and you need to take care of things.”
    Resting her chin on her hands, Michelle thought for a moment. It wasn’t like she couldn’t handle these pressing things, she was a big girl. Still, it would ease her concentration to address them sooner rather than later. “Hmm … I guess you’re right.” She grabbed her fall jacket from the back of her chair and shrugged it on as she headed out. “Thank you.”
    Outside, she buttoned up her coat and waited for Casey. The fall air felt crisp and clear as she breathed it in. It sharpened her thoughts.
    Alone with her buzzing brain, Michelle let the possibilities of problems with her new home expand. How could anything be wrong? She’d done all the right things. It had to be a mistake. It dampened her excitement for getting settled in. The home held so many good memories of growing up and being a family—Michelle had lived there into her teens before her parents sold the house and moved into a bigger one across town. The thoughts of losing it churned inside her gut like a bad cheeseburger from a fast-food place. The home would be her haven, her safe place, a place where she could keep out the fears that had invaded her life that fateful night.
    She shuddered, letting the various versions of emotions floating by from passing people pass through her. As a highly sensitive person, or HSP according to the experts on the subject, she was still learning not to let emotions of others swamp her. She could feel the anger, just know it wasn’t hers to act out, her counselor told her. Funny how much the chaos of emotions floating around felt like hers. She didn’t mind being abnormal,