Mountain Secrets Elizabeth Goddard (life changing books to read .txt) 📖

moved she’d used in the attic on Buck, slamming her head back. It worked beautifully and left Stella splayed on the deck, gun sliding away.

And then Colin was there, standing slack mouthed and staring at Stella. He looked from her up to Jewel and grinned.

“Finally.” Jewel dusted off her hands. “Meet Buck’s daughter and partner in crime.”

Colin radioed to the other officers, who quickly boarded the yacht and took Stella into custody. Jewel went back into the salon to find Meral curled in a ball, sobbing. It would take her time to accept all that had happened.

Back at the B and B, Meral and Jewel tried to come to grips with everything they’d been through during the past few days. Statements had been given, the Krizan Diamond referred to as a family heirloom. Meral explained it had never been reported missing or stolen, convincing Jewel that it belonged to her as much as anyone in the family. Jewel wasn’t sure what to do or how to feel about that.

With everyone questioned, finally the investigation was closed. Stella had been arrested and charged as an accomplice to murder, plus attempted murder and numerous other crimes involving jewel theft throughout the country.

But that didn’t mean it was over. Not for Meral, whose life as she knew it was ruined.

“I’m so sorry, honey.” Jewel ran her hand over Meral’s head, hoping to comfort her, but there could be no comfort for Meral. Only time would bring healing. Jewel was glad Meral would stay with her for the time being.

“How could he do this to me? I thought he loved me. I don’t understand.” Meral sobbed into another tissue and shook her head. The pain in her eyes broke Jewel’s heart. She couldn’t help but feel that in a way—a long, roundabout way—she’d done this to her sister.

“How can I ever trust again? How can I ever love again?” Meral asked.

Jewel had thought she would never trust or love again herself after losing Silas, so she understood Meral’s misgivings. “First you have to heal and you need to give yourself time. I once thought I could never love again. But now I realize I was just scared. Trusting is a risk, yes. Loving again is a risk. Then I found someone special, and now I’m willing to take that risk.”

Meral blinked up at her. “Chief Winters.”

“Colin. I’m in love with him. I tried to deny it, to hide it, to keep it from surfacing, but what is life without love?” Jewel regretted her words. This wasn’t the time. “I’m sorry, Meral. I shouldn’t have...”

“No, it’s okay. I think...deep down, I knew something was going on with Buck. That his business wasn’t on the up-and-up. I didn’t understand it anyway, so I just chose to look the other way. If anything, I should be the one who is sorry. If it wasn’t for me, he never would have come after you.”

“No. You have nothing to apologize for. Wait here. I have something to show you.” While they’d dined on the deck that first night, Jewel had left to quickly refresh herself in her cabin, and she’d taken that chance to transfer the diamond to Meral’s luggage, where no one would think to look. Jewel tugged open Meral’s luggage now and rummaged around until she found the inner lining. From there she pulled out the Krizan Diamond and held it out to Meral. “I want you to have this. I don’t want it. I don’t want to be wealthy. I don’t want or need anything except, well maybe...”

“Your police chief.”

“Right, except I’m not sure he’ll have me now that he knows I stole a diamond. That I’m kind of a jewel thief like the man who killed the woman he loved years ago. To have a chance with him, I think he needs to know I no longer have the diamond. I’m giving it up. He needs to know that I trust him. I didn’t trust Silas, not enough, but somehow I have to convince Colin that I trust him enough not to need a backup plan anymore. I have to convince him to forgive me for not telling him everything when it mattered the most. When it could have made a difference.”

Meral eyed the precious gem. “I don’t want it, Jewel. I can’t take it. It will only remind me of Buck’s duplicity. You keep it.” Meral curled back into a ball.

Jewel held on to it, wanting nothing more than to throw it into the ocean. She hung her head, wishing she could get back the past few days. If she could, she would do everything differently. She would tell Colin everything, maybe even that she loved him.

Someone cleared a throat.

Jewel looked up. Colin. He gestured that he wanted to speak with her. Meral was resting with her eyes closed. Jewel left her sister, who needed privacy, time alone anyway. Meral needed some space to process the pain. It would take years for it to go away completely, but now that she had fully faced the truth, she could start the healing process.

Heart beating unevenly, Jewel approached Colin and held out the diamond for him to see. “How long have you been standing there?”

Had he heard her confession of love?

He tipped her chin up. “Long enough.”

Her gaze widened slightly. He saw uncertainty there as he drank deeply from the pool of her hazel-green eyes. He touched the soft skin of her cheek, twisted his finger in a tendril of her ash-blond hair.

She held the diamond out, and it shimmered in the dim light. He’d been so busy with everything there hadn’t been time to see the “family heirloom” that had caused the trouble.

The yellow stone glistened and sparkled and took his breath away. Never had he seen anything like it up close and personal.

Jewel began explaining about cut, color and clarity. “It’s just over twenty carats, natural fancy intense and internally flawless.”

“If you say so,” he said. All the diamond-speak had his head