A Different Light

Fall back in love with the rich, deeply moving novels
of
New York Times
bestselling author
MARIAH STEWART

“She excels at creating emotionally complex novels that are sure to touch your heart.”

—Romantic Times

“Someone to watch and savor for a long time.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“One of the most talented writers of mainstream contemporary fiction. …”

—Affaire de Coeur

“Stewart’s storylines flow like melted chocolate.”

—America Online Writers Club Romance Group

A DIFFERENT LIGHT

“Warm, compassionate, and fulfilling. Great reading.”

—Romantic Times

“This is an absolutely delicious book to curl up with … scrumptious … delightful.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

PRICELESS

“The very talented Ms. Stewart is rapidly building an enviable reputation for providing readers with outstanding stories and characters that are exciting, distinctive, and highly entertaining.
Priceless
continues to expand on this truly winning storytelling tradition.”

—Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

“Flowing dialogue, wonderfully well-rounded and realistic characters, and beautifully descriptive passages fill the pages of
Priceless
. … Not to be missed.”

—RomCom

“In the style of Nora Roberts, Stewart weaves a powerful romance with suspense for a very compelling read.”

—Under the Covers Reviews

MOON DANCE

“Enchanting … a story filled with surprises!”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“An enjoyable tale … packed with emotion.”

—Literary Times

“Exciting … a joy.”

—Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

“Stewart hits a home run out of the ball park … a delightful contemporary romance.”

—The Romance Reader

WONDERFUL YOU

“Compares favorably with the best of Barbara Delinsky and Belva Plain.”

—Amazon.com

“
Wonderful You
is delightful—romance, laughter, suspense! Totally charming and enchanting.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

DEVLIN’S LIGHT

“A magnificent story of mystery, love, and an enchanting town. Splendid!”

—Bell, Book and Candle

“With her special brand of rich emotional content and compelling drama, Mariah Stewart is certain to delight readers everywhere.”

—Romantic Times

CAROLINA MIST

“Ms. Stewart has written a touching and compassionate story of life and love that wrapped around me like a cozy quilt.”

—Old Book Barn Gazette

“An entertaining read … atmosphere abounds.”

—Literary Times

“A wonderful, tender novel.”

—Rendezvous

MOMENTS IN TIME

“Intense and unforgettable … a truly engrossing read.”

—Romantic Times

“Cleverly and excellently done—Ms. Stewart is an author to watch.”

—Rendezvous

Also by MARIAH STEWART

Brown-Eyed Girl

Priceless

Moon Dance

Wonderful You

Devlin’s Light

Carolina Mist

Moments in Time

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1995 by Marti Robb

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address
Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department,
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This Pocket Books paperback edition January 2010

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Cover design by Melody Cassen
Photo of woman © Veer

Designed by Peng Olaguera / ISPN

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-1-4391-5510-3
ISBN 978-1-4391-6660-4 (ebook)

To Lauren, with best wishes
for your happily ever after

A
Different Light

 1 

The first light of day filtered into the room through lace curtains that fluttered in the dawn breeze, a remnant of the storm that passed through in the early morning hours. The soft scent of roses wafted upward, their branches sagging against the brick and stucco house like tired old ladies hunched together on a park bench.

Athena Moran opened her eyes and stared miserably toward the window through which the pale rays of sunlight had begun to dance. Last night’s forecast for rain to last throughout the morning had raised her hopes that the inclement weather could perhaps even last the entire day. No such luck, apparently. She kicked off the thin blanket and went to the window to look up through the trees. The blue May sky was unblemished and the sun sparkled. It would be a perfect late spring day.

Damn.

Athen sat on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through the cascade of straight black hair that flowed down her back, and sighed. With the passing of the storm, her only excuse to avoid the annual Woodside Heights Memorial Day picnic had passed with it.

“Mommy! Look! The rain stopped!” Nine-year-old Callie danced into the room and pulled the curtains all
the way back. A splash of gold spilled gleefully across the green carpet, mocking Athen with its cheerfulness.

“So it has.” For Callie’s sake, Athen forced a smile. Her daughter had eagerly looked forward to this day for the same reason she had dreaded it.

“So what time?” Callie skipped back across the hall to her room. “The picnic starts at eleven. What time can we leave?”

“Well.” Athen debated the merits of going early and leaving early, or going late and possibly missing some of the people she most wanted to avoid.

Like, oh, maybe her father’s mistress.

“Can we go right at eleven?” Callie pleaded.

“We have a few other things to do today, Callie,” Athen hedged, trying to buy a little time before making a commitment.

“What other things?” Callie poked her head back into the room, half in and half out of a Hannah Montana T-shirt.

“Well, we have to go see your grandfather.”

“We can do that on our way to the park. We can have breakfast right now and then go see Grandpa. Then we can go right to the picnic.”

Pleased with the agenda, Callie ran off to finish dressing.

“It’s only a picnic,” Athen muttered under her breath as she grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed and headed to the bathroom. “I’ve gotten through worse days than this over the past couple of years.”

She turned on the hot water and watched the shower stall steam, repeating, as if a mantra, “It’s only a picnic.”

The annual Memorial Day picnic sponsored by the Woodside Heights city fathers at Enid Woods Memorial
Park gathered together all past and present city employees and their families for a day of fun and games. As daughter of a former, much-loved city councilman, Athen had attended every year for as long as she could remember. As the wife of a city police officer, she had served willingly on various committees over the past twelve years.

Her father’s stroke three years ago had been devastating. Paralyzed and deprived of speech, Ari Stavros was confined to a wheelchair at Woodside Manor, a small private nursing home on the grounds of an old mansion. It was never easy for Athen to sit and chat with her father’s old cronies, especially on the one day each year when stories of him in his prime abounded. His old friends always made a special effort to share their favorite recollections with her, as if they needed to remind her of how witty he had been, how devoted to the city, in particular to the Greek community he had served for so long.

And then, there was
that woman,
the one her father never discussed with her even before his stroke took away his ability to speak.

If in the past facing her father’s cohorts had been difficult, this year would be endlessly more painful. This year she would attend as the widow of the town’s only police officer killed in the line of duty in over twenty-two years.

John Moran had been an enormously popular figure in the Woodside Heights Police Department. Street smart and well educated, handsome and affable, he’d been dubbed “Lucky” by the local press for his daring in the face of the dangers that increased steadily as the drug traffic began to flow from New York City, a mere twenty-five miles away. The new bypass off the interstate made it easy for the runners to slip into this small northern New Jersey city, make their
connections, then zip back onto the highway toward New York or Washington. Often, John Moran would be waiting for them when they hit the city limits. He’d made more drug-related arrests than anyone else on the force and, more than once, had been heralded for his bravery.