Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

something in it for you.”
    “I’ll let you marry Rose Gardner, but only if you do as I ask in regards to the Fenton County situation.”
    There had to be something huge brewing in Fenton County if my father was willing to allow Hilary to give birth to a Simmons bastard in exchange for my cooperation. “I let Gentry murder Skeeter Malcolm?”
    “He’s a criminal, Joe. Malcolm got himself into this situation. You’re just allowing the natural order of things to take place.”
    “And Mason Deveraux?”
    “Call it a blessing in disguise.”
     
     
     
     

Chapter Three

    Rose
     
     
     
    Every Christmas before this one had been a mixed blessing. While I loved spending time with my Aunt Bessie and Uncle Earl, Momma had always gone out of her way to make the day difficult for me. After learning some of the details about Daddy’s affair with my birth mother, Dora, I finally understood why she’d treated me poorly, and with Jonah’s help, I was working on forgiving her.
    But Christmas this year was everything I’d always hoped it would be. We gathered together at the farmhouse my birth mother had owned—me, Mason, his mother, Violet and the kids, Jonah, and Bruce Wayne. The only ones missing were Mike—who was spending the day with his parents—Aunt Bessie and Uncle Earl, who’d gone on a cruise with their friends, and Neely Kate, who was with her crazy family. She’d texted to tell me that Ronnie had begun drinking around ten in the morning in preparation for a day with her cousins.
    When we sat down to Christmas dinner, I looked around the table, thankful to be blessed with so much love and friendship.
    But if I were honest, part of me wondered how Joe was doing. Christmas had been difficult for both of us growing up, so when we were together we’d promised each other to make this Christmas a holiday neither one of us would ever forget. Now I was surprised that I found myself wondering if he was spending the day with his parents. It made me sad to think of him being sent back to the prison of his past when I’d escaped mine. But I reminded myself that I wasn’t responsible for Joe’s happiness. While I knew that to be true, why did it weigh so heavy on my heart anyway?
    I glanced up at Mason and my chest warmed when I found him looking at me with unabashed love. I reached my hand toward him and he took it in his and squeezed.
    “How was your trip?” Violet asked, scooping a small helping of lasagna onto Mikey’s plate. Violet hadn’t been happy that I’d decided to go non-traditional with the meal, but she hadn’t put up too much of a fuss either. It was more progress for us.
    I blinked at her in surprise. “What trip?”
    She looked up and scowled. “I know you left town for a few days, Rose Gardner, so don’t you try to lie to me.”
    Crappy doodles.
    I glanced at Mason, unsure of what to say. He’d taken a short trip to Little Rock, and he’d given me the early Christmas gift of a girls’ trip to New Orleans with Neely Kate to see the musical Wicked . But he’d asked me not to tell anyone, not even Violet. And although he’d refused to tell me why, I suspected it had more to do with his trip to Little Rock than it did with my vacation with Neely Kate. Still, I’d respected his wishes, so I had no idea how my sister had figured it out.
    “Maeve stopped by the nursery and she had Muffy with her.”
    Mason’s mother gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was a secret.”
    Mason squeezed my hand, then cleared his throat. “It wasn’t necessarily a secret. It all just came together quickly.”
    Violet pinned my boyfriend with her gaze. “Where did you go?”
    “Rose and Neely Kate were in New Orleans while I was in Little Rock on business.”
    Violet’s mouth dropped. “You went to New Orleans? Alone? ”
    “I wasn’t alone. I had Neely Kate with me.” My shoulders tensed as I waited for her verbal berating.
    “That’s amazing, Rose. You’ve never been