To the Grave (45 page)

Finally they swung a wide circle in the road, and after passing distant lines of trees varying from dark red to yellow to orange James pulled to the side of the road. For a moment he didn't say anything. Then he asked, “Well?”

“This isn't the same place—I mean I know it must be—but it looks so different from where the cottage was.”

“I had the cottage completely destroyed and all the trash hauled away along with the diseased evergreens. I had the land flattened and a big birdhouse put about a hundred yards north of where the cottage used to stand. I thought it could be sort of a focal point for what's now the center of the lot. It always was the center of the lot, actually. Grandpa put the cottage nearer to the dock.”

“I see.”

“In the spring, I plan to have the dock rebuilt, build a fabulous boathouse, have the riprap replaced on the riverbank, put in a sturdy fence to separate the level ground from the riverbank, and lots of trees and shrubs planted for color and … well, interest.”

“What about the cistern?”

“It's been removed, Catherine. Every last trace of it.” She stared at the spot where she remembered it being. “Your line of sight is off,” James said. “That's quite a few feet from where it was. You see? You don't even remember it that well.”

“Oh, I remember it. Maybe not the exact location, but I remember it.”

“Okay, I stand corrected. Anyway, I'm going to hire a landscape artist to design and plant a big perennial garden with brick walkways. That will completely cover the area where the cistern was. And hey, look at my grandmother's apple orchard! The leaves on the trees are turning brown now. And to my way of thinking, it's pretty small to be an actual orchard. It could be expanded. Let's take a closer look.”

Catherine got out of the car slowly and closed her door. She had to admit that without the shabby cottage, the overgrown, diseased evergreens, the fallen shutters, the pothole-filled gravel driveway, the place looked entirely different. Although some heavy clouds floated over now and then, a pale golden sun still shone through onto the turning leaves of the trees. Even a few birds were already investigating the big birdhouse.

“What do you think?” James asked.

“Well … I'd like to say it looks better than it did, but actually, it doesn't even look like the same place.” After a moment of silence, she said, “It looks like it could be beautiful.”

“
Could
be beautiful?”

“With the right house. Maybe a ‘Cape Cod,'” they said at the same time, then broke into laughter. “I guess great minds run the same.”

“Great taste runs the same.” James stepped closer to Catherine, putting his left hand in his jacket pocket and his right arm around her neck. “Do you think you might like to live out here? I know it's farther from the center than you are now and there aren't many neighbors, although I've heard that a few folks are buying up land out here with plans to level the old fishing cottages and build nice houses.”

“Are you telling me you're going to build a house out here, James?”

“I'm telling you that I've given it a lot of thought. It all depends on one thing.”

“And what would that thing be?”

“On whether you think
you'd
like to live here.” Catherine could do nothing but stare at him. “Catherine Gray, I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. When I was young, I was too stupid to know it, but I hope time has taught me a few lessons.” Catherine felt her eyes fill up with tears. “My darling girl, will you at least think about marrying me?” Catherine burst into a hiccoughing sigh. “Good lord, is that a yes?” She nodded. “When you make up your mind, and if the answer is ‘yes,' tell me when you're ready for me to propose. I'll get a ring.”

“A
very
big one.” She sniffled. “Yes. Ten carats at least.”

“Twelve.”

“Anything you say.” James glanced over the land where the cottage had once stood. “We don't have to live here, you know. If you think you'd be the least bit unhappy, we can buy land at the other end of town.”

Catherine gave the three-acre lot a long look, picturing a beautiful Cape Cod house, a multitude of flowers in the summer, lights on outside evergreens in the winter. “I'd like to live here and raise flower gardens and expand the apple orchard and add peach trees and have lots of cats and dogs.”

“That's all?”

Catherine frowned as if lost in thought. Finally, she said, “Oh, and I'd like to have at least two kids. Maybe three, sir, if you don't think you'd mind.”

“I don't think I'd mind at all.” James beamed, then leaned over, gently pushing her long hair away from her face. Just before his lips met hers, he whispered, “Catherine, dreams do come true. I know, because at last I have mine.”

 

Also by
CARLENE THOMPSON

Nowhere to Hide

You Can Run …

If You Ever Tell

Last Seen Alive

Last Whisper

Share No Secrets

If She Should Die

All Fall Down

Black for Remembrance

Since You've Been Gone

Don't Close Your Eyes

In the Event of My Death

Tonight You're Mine

The Way You Look Tonight

PRAISE FOR CARLENE THOMPSON

NOWHERE TO HIDE

“[An] entertaining, action-packed thriller.”

—
Mystery Gazette

“This book provides fast-paced action, gripping suspense, a sweet rekindling of romance, and a solid mystery. Thompson is a skilled writer who does a fantastic job.”

—
RT Book Reviews

YOU CAN RUN …

“Mary Higgins Clark fans, take note.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A compelling writer who keeps the pace moving, the clues coming, and the outcome hidden until the unexpected conclusion.”

—
Night Owl Romance Reviews

IF YOU EVER TELL

“A tense … engaging, romantic suspense thriller.”

—Harriet Klausner,
BookReview.com

LAST SEEN ALIVE

“This story has plenty of suspense and an excellent mystery.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Gripping suspense.”

—Judith Kelman, bestselling author of
Hush Little Darlings

LAST WHISPER

“The characters are so well drawn that the reader will feel like she knows them personally. Thompson offers suspense and an intriguing mystery.”

—
RT Book Reviews

SHARE NO SECRETS

“Intriguing … brims with madness and creepy thrills.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Turns and twists make you change your mind about who the killer is and the ending is a real shocker. Get this one quick.”

—
Rendezvous

“Thompson knows how to write gripping suspense and keep readers enthralled throughout. A great mystery with thrilling intrigue.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“A chilling murder mystery with lots of twists, turns, and unexpected curves … one of the best romantic mysteries I have read … a great book that you don't want to miss.”

—
Romance Junkies

“A page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat … another wonderful thriller from Carlene Thompson … a must-read.”

—
A Romance Review

“An intriguing tale told in a wonderfully fresh voice. Thomp-son has a truly unique style that blends beautiful prose with compelling plots … this novel reads like lightning—and has the same effect on the reader … Thompson has created sharp, smart characters with motives that drive the story along. They are enough to keep the story moving at a quick pace. Her voice has a sense of rhythm and a rustic beauty that lingers in the reader's memory.”

—
Romance Divas

“An action-filled read with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end! This story is highly detailed with an array of in-depth characters that are smart, funny, and engaging.”

—
Fallen Angel Reviews

IF SHE SHOULD DIE

“A gripping suspense filled with romance. Ms. Thompson has the reader solving the mystery early in the novel, then changing that opinion every few chapters. [An] excellent novel.”

—
Rendezvous Review

“With engaging characters and intriguing motives, Thompson has created a smart, gripping tale of revenge, anger, and obsession.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A riveting whodunit!”

—
Road to Romance

“In the tradition of Tami Hoag or Mary Higgins Clark, Thompson has created a gripping page-turner. The story line is engaging and the characters' lives are multidimensional. This is literally a book the reader will be unable to put down.”

—
Old Book Barn Gazette

BLACK FOR REMEMBRANCE

“Bizarre, terrifying … an inventive and forceful psychological thriller.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Gripped me from the first page and held on through its completely unexpected climax. Lock your doors, make sure there's no one behind you, and pick up
Black for Remembrance
.”

—William Katz, author of
Double Wedding

“Thompson's style is richly bleak, her sense of morality complex … Thompson is a mistress of the thriller parvenu.”

—
Fear

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE

“This story will keep readers up well into the night.”

—
Huntress Reviews

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES

“
Don't Close Your Eyes
has all the gothic sensibilities of a Victoria Holt novel, combined with the riveting modern suspense of Sharyn McCrumb's
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
. Don't close your eyes—and don't miss this one.”

—Meagan McKinney, author of
In the Dark

“An exciting romantic suspense novel that will thrill readers.”

—Midwest Book Review

IN THE EVENT OF MY DEATH

“[A] blood-chilling … tale of vengeance, madness, and murder.”

—
RT Book Reviews

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARLENE THOMPSON has a Ph.D. in English and is a native West Virginian.
To the Grave
is her fifteenth book. She lives in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where she spends her time writing and caring for the many cats and dogs she has taken in, including a lovable, blond, mixed breed canine named Lindsay, who also appeared in
Nowhere to Hide
.

Visit her website at:
www.carlenethompson.net

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

TO THE GRAVE

Copyright © 2012 by Carlene Thompson.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

www.stmartins.com

eISBN: 9781466801943

St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / August 2012

St. Martin's Paperbacks are published by St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.