What Laurel Sees: a love story (A Redeeming Romance Mystery) Read Online Free

There was no way she wanted to risk having a mentally unstable ex-wife horn in on the first meal the three of them would share after Frank’s early morning return, direct from out-of-town business.
    Carefully, Shana maintained a cordial exterior. Inwardly she fumed. The timing was terrible. Even a short phone call with Laurel would change the tenor of their family reunion. The maternal relationship she’d worked so hard to establish with Grace would most assuredly be set back. It had taken time, but she was finally beginning to see hopeful signs. Grace was beginning to accept her as a stepmother. It had been hard-gained ground, territory she’d have to defend and cultivate.
    It wasn’t entirely about Grace, though. On levels deeper than Shana dared to admit, it was about Frank. It was about the lingering hold Laurel had on him. As deluded and fanatical as Frank had claimed Laurel to be during the divorce proceedings, Shana couldn’t escape the fact that something in Frank still listened to Laurel’s far-flung imaginings. He’d brood for days over whatever new vision Laurel would put forth. She’d seen it in his eyes plenty of times.
    Frank would wrestle with the question of what might actually come to pass after one of Laurel’s supposed prophecies. Frank would allow his ex-wife to slip into his consciousness, to preoccupy his thoughts. Shana vowed anew. She would not to allow that to happen again.
    Another of Frank’s phone lines began to ring. Shana smiled at Rene. Finally, an opening. “Rene, why don’t you get that? I’ll take over the call with Laurel.”
    Rene took Laurel off speaker, extended the receiver to Shana, then stepped to another phone.
    Shana set the picnic basket down and took a measured breath. Things were civil between Shana and Laurel, almost too civil. It was the kind of icy ease that did little to mask what went unspoken between them, at least in Grace’s presence. But before Shana could take hold of the phone, little Grace extended an eager hand toward the receiver.
    “Can I speak to Mommy?”
    Shana mulled it over. She would take this opportunity to give Laurel a taste of their new family dynamic, through the open line.
    Gently, Shana brushed a hand across Grace’s shoulders. “May I, Darling. Remember we’ve been working on that for school? And I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you go put our brunch in Daddy’s office so we can surprise him, okay? That’ll be fun. Think you can carry our goodies in there?”
    Grace nodded eagerly. “I can carry it.”
    Shana handed the picnic basket to Grace. “Good, then. You can talk to her after.”
    “Okay.” Grace picked up the basket.
    “Two hands, now.” Shana waved sweetly at Grace. Laurel could wait. Grace had easily agreed to the diversion. She padded toward the double doors of her father’s office.
    Shana raised the receiver to her chin. There was no need to translate what allowing Grace to talk to her after meant for Laurel. It meant waiting for the regularly scheduled visitation hours that had been dictated by the court. Laurel would have to live within the law.
    As Grace left earshot, Shana set her shoulders back. She would not be indiscreet, but any hint of an amiable tone wouldn’t serve her with Laurel. Her cadence took on a deliberate clip. “So, Laurel. What is it this time?”
    “Look, Shana, I…”
    Shana blotted her lips. Laurel was already sputtering. Laurel had to know there was no way Shana was going to let her talk to Grace, much less have access to Frank.
    “Shana, it’s just...” Laurel paused. “It’s just that I woke up early this morning and…you know how I…? Shana, I just had a bad feeling.”
    Shana faced away from Rene. She lowered her lashes in stony silence.
    Unbelievably, Laurel persisted. “Do you know for sure that he’s okay?”
    Shana wasn’t about to lose her composure, certainly not in front of Rene, let alone her own stepdaughter. Instead, she affected an intentional calm. “Last