After making the decision to move from Los Angeles, Christine Lancaster quits her job and begins a journey up north. Low on gas she stumbles upon the sleepy town of Serenity and its mysteriously intriguing sheriff, Jason Williams. Feeling instantly drawn to the town and Jason, Christine decides to stay and get to know each better. Little does she know, the town and its sheriff are more than they appear to be.
Strange occurrences begin to plague Christine, ones that leave her questioning her very sanity. Her dreams begin to invade her waking mind, weaving them into a new reality. As they grow closer, Jason begins guiding her, leading her to a puzzle she is terrified to solve, a puzzle that challenges time and space as well as life and death. If she gets it wrong it could cost her the love of her life.
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Things couldn't be going any better for December Monroe. Fresh out of nursing school, she decides to pursue her dream of moving out of Orange County, California and opening a healing center. After falling head-over-heels in love with the town of San Luis Obispo and all of it's charm, she wastes no time putting an offer in on a home and getting her business up and running. With the support and encouragement of her family, December feels she has finally arrived.
Amidst the excitement and chaos, her long-lost first love, Bennett Carlton, walks back into her life arousing emotions in December she thought she would never feel for anyone again. She throws caution to the wind and opens her heart up to falling in love with him once more.
Their life together begins to unfold like a fairytale, until tragedy strikes. In the blink of an eye, December's entire world is turned upside down, the rug ripped out from underneath her without warning.
From the author of Serenity Falls comes an inspiring story about coping with grief, learning to forgive, and most importantly, finding the strength and the courage to hope again.
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Chapter One
December Monroe stands alone in a cemetery as the sun is just beginning to set. Her head is cast downward, eyes fixed on the memorial bench at her feet. The tears rolling down her cheeks catch her long dark hair as a gentle breeze blows it across her face. She looks up and out across the serene lake, thinking of nothing but him. It had taken over a month to come to terms with her anger and grief and find the strength to do what she was about to. In that time, Bennett had tried to contact her more times than she could count. But she never took his calls and never once let him know where she was. She had needed that time to heal.
She had called this morning and given him the address of where she would be and a time to meet her. When she hears a car approaching December doesn’t turn to look, she already knows who it is. Though time had passed since they had last seen each other, at the moment it felt like it was yesterday. She takes a deep breath as his car comes to a stop. The door opens and closes, and then she hears Bennett coming up behind her. She slowly opens her large hazel eyes and turns to face him.
“Bennett…” she whispers.
“December…” he manages, tears threatening to escape.
Memories come flooding back and her heart fills with the pain and sadness he had caused her. Beyond the pain, was what his actions had cost the both of them, a price he had yet to discover. Regardless of the heartache she still loved him. She always would. He had been her first real love and despite everything, he still gave her butterflies. Her tears begin to flow again. Bennett reaches out, gently wiping them away.
“Don’t cry, December.” His eyes are filled with guilt and shame. Beyond that is love, always love. “I’m so sorry,”
“Stop,” she implores. Before any type of conversation could begin, there was something he needed to know.
He reaches out, grabbing her hands, “I wanted to die when Zak showed me the pictures from that night,”
She pulls her hands away, not yet ready to connect with him. She knew he had been a victim as well, but that didn’t change the role he had played that night at Cain’s. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she begins. “Something you should know.”
He looks at her questioningly as she turns back to face the bench behind her. His eyes follow her gaze and though it takes a few seconds, he slowly realizes what he’s looking at. As he turns back to her, his face a mask of pain, Bennett’s knees buckle and give out. Crying, he falls to the ground.