Lost and Found
Authors: Lorhainne Eckhart
| Lost and Found |
| Walk the Right Road [2] |
| Lorhainne Eckhart |
| (2012) |
On a warm fall morning in Gardiner, Washington, Richard and Maggie celebrate happy couple Sam and Marcie's return. What happens next changes their lives forever. A hit and run driver on a deserted country road, and Richard and Maggie suffer a parents worst nightmare.
Now a year later Maggie McCafferty struggles to put her life back together...hiding her pain with outrageous behavior and her own secret she's unwilling to share. Until her friends step in and her strong willed soon to be ex-husband sets out to bring Maggie home-- the only way he knows. Just as Maggie begins to trust again, Dan McKenzie calls after disappearing for over a year. But now he's back. And instead of Richard coming clean with the truth of their involvement, Richard digs himself in deeper, with mounting debts, a partner who refuses to buy him out--secrets shared only with Dan. Until one night a mysterious 911 caller witnesses a fight and Richard shooting Dan. But when the police arrive at the deserted construction site the only evidence of a crime is a pool of blood, and a surveillance video.
Under mounting pressure from the police Richard's arrested and interrogated -except fiery secretive Richard is adamant he was home all night. In this bizarre twist of fate, Sam, Marcie and Diane work against the clock and wonder how well they really know their evasive friend. With Maggie by his side, Richard stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Richard didn't do it, where is Dan? And who is the mysterious 911 caller?
Praise for
Book 1 of the Walk the Right Road Series
…
From Lorhainne Eckhart, author of The Captain’s Lady, comes a romantic, mystical tale of suspense sizzling with passion and unforgettable drama.“A wonderful tale of courage, and real-life choices that’ll keep you riveted.”
Mimi Barbour, Author of The Vicarage Bench Series
The writing is gripping and kept up the pace right to the end. The author has great visuals and the story played out in my head a lot like a movie, which is probably why I liked this book more than the typical mystery/suspense - I thought it rocked.
~ Jessie Field, Love on The Bookshelf ~
Engrossing and powerful read! I was drawn right into the story and lives of the characters to the point I stayed up late just to finish it. I do that a lot with the MM romance reads but not with with many others so, for me, that said a lot about how engrossing and powerful the story was.
Anya @ House Millar
A dynamic catch-22 From the Pacific Northwest to New Orleans, with its rich Cajun heritage, dialect, food...and voodoo, comes this spellbinder from Ms Eckhart. The ultimate heroine is not completely aware of what she has gotten into, but quick to find out. And it's not for her wellbeing or grip on reality that she discovers a prime, supernatural source of evil...hadn't the old woman told her? From drugs to the DEA, all combines into a masterful book of suspense...you cannot put down, or look away from.
Elysabeth Faslund
Romantic suspense with a mystical, supernatural slant. This book has well developed characters, lots of action and a fast-paced plot full of twists
and
turns that kept me riveted to the last page. Highly recommended!
Loves Romance
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Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart
Each choice we make causes a ripple effect in our lives. When things happen to us, it is the reaction we choose that creates the difference between the sorrows of our past and the joy in our future.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line
“Hey baby
, you look great.” Richard propped his axe against the woodshed and strode away from the large stack of chopped
fire
wood. He wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his heavy work glove.
Marcie shivered underneath her purple down vest, her fingers linked with Sam
’s
. She leaned against him, into him, and couldn’t
erase
the smile she’d swear was
now
etched permanently into her face. She couldn’t explain the joyful sense of lightness that filled every part of her. Maybe that’s why she needed to touch Sam
,
be with him
,
near him.
Richard gripped Sam’s hand the way good friends do. He winked down at
her
as if he could read her every secret. She dropped her eyes
;
after all, when had she ever
been successful at keeping
something from Richard?
“Your cast is gone; you’re all tanned and healed. Those beaches down in Mexico look like they agreed with you, Marcie. So when’d you get back?”
Sam wrapped his arm around
her
shoulder and rested his chin on the crown of her head. “Last night. Rented a car in Seattle and drove around the peninsula. Thought we’d stop in. Check on you and Maggie before heading over to Marcie’s granny’s place.”
The screen door squeaked.
“Hey you two, didn’t know you were back.” Maggie dashed down the stairs yanking on a thick green sweater. She skidded around the pile of raked leaves, nearly tripping over a garden rake lying on the ground. She hugged Marcie and then kissed Sam on cheek.
“You
’ve
got quite the glow happening there, Marcie.” Maggie shoved in between Sam and Marcie. “The way you two are glued together, you’d think you’d not seen each other in like forever.”
Sam leaned against the black SUV he’d rented. His blue eyes
,
brighter
than before they left for Mexico
, watching Marcie in a way that let her know how much he loved her. His look would have told her even if he hadn’t said the words a few hours ago and every day since she’d told him the news.
Maggie was eye to eye with Marcie. Toffee-colored eyes lit up as if she’d guessed what Marcie held onto.
“Should we tell them, Sam?” She was teasing, and Richard gave nothing away as he stared first at Sam and then her.
“Okay guys, what gives?”
Sam blurted out, “Marcie’s pregnant.”
Richard grinned and high fived Sam. “Congrats guys.”
Maggie squealed and hugged Marcie and then patted her still flat stomach. “So how far along are you?” Maggie was almost bouncing with excitement as she tucked her shoulder-length, dark curly hair behind her ears. Her pale cheeks glowed a natural rosy pink, most likely from the chill in the late fall air.
“Not far, just a few weeks.”
Marcie would swear her joy shimmered in the air between her friends.
“Mom,” Ryley called from the door.
“Oops, come on in guys.” Maggie hurried to the steps. Ryley burst out the door, his sneakers undone, wearing only a dark long-sleeved T-shirt
hanging outside
jeans with patched up knees. “Put your coat on and go finish raking those leaves before I kill myself. And this time, put the rake away when you’re done.”
“Hey Ryley, no school today?” Sam bent down and retrieved the downed rake while Ryley pulled on his red jacket.
“Naw, it’s
a teacher work day
, and Mom won’t let me play on the computer. She’s making me work.” Ryley skulked down the steps.
“What’s a teacher work day?” Marcie asked.
“It’s where all the kids stay home from school and teachers are supposed to have a continuing education day, where they learn something. Or so we’ve been told.”
Maggie shook her head and went inside.
Marcie couldn’t hear what Sam said when Ryley took the rake, but he laughed so hard
he wiped what she assumed were tears from his eyes
.
“Sam looks pretty happy, Marcie. He wants kids. See how he is with Ryley?”
Marcie looked up. Richard was so tall, and his dark hair was a little on the shaggy side. “Yes he does.” Marcie swallowed. Her head felt a little thick this morning, but she’d heard that was normal.
“How are you feeling? Maggie was sick the first few months with Ryley. With Lily, she was just tired all the time.”
The lines around his eyes made him appear older, wiser, and damn handsome. And he knew darn well he still had every woman taking a second look when he entered a room.
“Tired, feeling like I’m coming down with something. But it’s good.”
He shook his head; a grim line stretched taut across his lips. “You know Marcie, I’m glad you and Sam had time to get away. Does Sam regret leaving the DEA?”
“He hasn’t said. But being with him in Mexico… Just us and nothing hanging over our heads… I’ve got to tell you Richard, I didn’t want to come back. It was magical, as if I was inserted into my fairy-tale ending where everything was perfect, and nothing could touch us. I worried coming back on the plane if maybe th
ere would be some repercussions when
setting foot back here. I can’t say this to Sam, but I can’t shake this feeling there’s something brewing in the wind with Dan and his crew. You know
…
payback.”
Richard yanked off his work gloves and stuffed them in his back pocket. He stared up at the house for a moment before turning and looking at her in a meaningful way. She was sure he knew more than he was telling.
“Marcie, this game, this business…even the people who aren’t involved but know about what Dan and Lance and that whole underworld do…they don’t talk.”
“Richard, are we in danger?” She shivered as a light breeze swirled her hair. Marcie swept her fingers through the strands
, distracted for a minute by how silky, wavy, and long her hair had recently become
.
“You need to know something. And I haven’t told Maggie this. That social worker contact of Diane’s told her one of the disabled kids Sandra had at her home the night you and Maggie delivered all the marijuana…well, he died last week while you guys were gone. Whoever his full time aid was had a way of communicating with the kid. She said the kid was scared of Sandra and before he died, he told her—Sandra hurt him.”
