Chasing Georgia E-Book

June V. Bourgo

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

In the sequel to Winter's Captive, Georgia's happy new beginnings hang in the balance as her resilience is challenged by close confidantes, life-altering requests, and unknown pursuers.

Five years after surviving a cruel winter, delivering a daughter, and experiencing whirlwind celebrity after telling her story, Georgia Charles' ex-husband passes of a sudden heart attack. While attempting to settle into a quiet life with her child and boyfriend Sean, her ex-husband's widow Julie visits - and turns Georgia's world upside down.

The enthralling second novel in the eponymous series, Chasing Georgia is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and the knowledge that family is born not from blood, but from love and respect. As Julie presents Georgia with an earthshaking appeal, Sean tests her newfound confidence, and a stalker mysteriously surfaces, she relies on her inner strength - but can she find a way to forge a new path for herself?

Leseprobe

Chasing Georgia

The George Series, Book 2

June V. Bourgo

Copyright (C) 2017 June V. Bourgo

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2019 by Next Chapter

Published 2019 by Next Chapter

Cover art by CoverMint

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

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

DEDICATED TO ALL THE CHILDREN IN MY FAMILY CIRCLE

Adam, Aiden, Braelynne, Brenden, Brody, Callee, Deklan, Desiree, Emily, Haley, Jayden, Jennifer, Jessica, Josh, Kaylyn, Logan, Maya, MacKenzie, McKenna, Nathan, Samantha, Shayla, Teagan, Zach and one who remains forever in my heart

IN MEMORY OF MY FRIEND AND NEIGHBOUR

SHARON MARIE MARCHANT 1951-2013

Sharon left us on July 1st, 2013 for her next big adventure. Her zest for life, enthusiasm, caring and intelligence touched all who knew her. She devoted her life to her family, her pets and her gardens. She was also a special mother, mentor, friend and grandmother to her blended family. Sharon, I miss seeing you working in your garden and hearing the squeak of your clothesline!

PART 1

Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them.

Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them.

Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him.

Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it.

Pamela Glenconner

Chapter 1

The lock on the door slipped into place, shutting out the world and securing his privacy. A few steps took him across the room to his desk. One flip of his finger turned on the desk lamp. Finally, some peace and quiet, he thought. He settled back into his leather chair, retrieved a key from its hiding place and unlocked the bottom drawer. A thick blue folder sat on top. He picked it up and ran his hand over the front cover, then dropped it onto the desk top. A cloud of dust blew up into his face.

“Damn…” he sputtered, wiping his face with the sleeve of his terry cloth robe. A glance around his study confirmed the room needed a good dusting and sorting out. Books from the bookcases were scattered around the room on any available surface; a small table in the corner by the couch, on chairs, and piled in the corners of the room. Newspapers and magazines cluttered the desk top. A direct result of the fact that he now locked his study door to keep out intruders. Perhaps I should take the time to tidy up.

His eyes hardened and a sneer played at the corners of his mouth. “So…did I ever say I was a good housekeeper?” he said aloud, with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't mind the disarray. A room that housed his secrets and a sanctuary to express his inner thoughts gave him control and a power without criticism or disapproval. The sneer grew into a sinister grin and he pushed the chaos from his mind.

His attention returned to the blue folder. The routine was always the same. He'd stare at it with great anticipation and feel the quickening of his pulse in sharp contrast to the slow methodical opening of the folder. His hands shook as he spread the pictures over his desk and savoured the face that met his admiring gaze.

The eyes that stared back at him held a mystique, innocence, yet a sensuality that drew him in: a rich, dark brown pool of warmth and an invitation that spoke to him in volumes. The fullness of her lips and her devastating smile were not lost on him. The initial stirrings of lust warmed his body.

Sweaty hands shuffled through the pictures until he found the one that took his breath away. A full-length photo taken at a movie premier. He'd cut out the part of the companion standing beside her, dismissing his insignificance and annoyed that this man believed himself to be worthy of her company.

She wore a mauve evening dress; a scalloped beaded bodice that accentuated her ample breasts. Fitted beneath her bodice in an empire style, the slim-fitting fabric flowed in a soft silk over her curves to her mid-calf; a side slit opened the material exposing her left leg all the way up to her mid-thigh. Her hair fell in a cluster of auburn curls spreading over her bare shoulders. Always amazed at the effect she had on him, a shudder coursed through his body. His right fore-finger traced her cheekbone all the way down the side of her face and he imagined the softness of her skin. He placed his hand over her breasts and closed his eyes, imagining he was stroking her, hearing her purrs of enjoyment as his hand moved down her body and slipped inside the open dress slit, moving up her leg onto her silky thigh. His body responded to the fantasy and he placed his other hand inside his robe to touch his nakedness, releasing a deep sigh.

A sudden knock on the door broke through his flight of erotic imagery. “Dammit…”

The moment was gone.

Chapter 2

Georgia Charles opened her eyes and stared into the darkness of the room. Tilting her head, the red LED lights on the alarm clock showed 4:00 a.m.

Apprehension filled her to the core. She threw the covers aside and sat up.

Shaking off the memory of a bad dream, she left the bedroom and settled into her father's favourite armchair in her parents' living room. Dawn broke through the last remnants of night with the promise of a bright, spring day. Georgia smiled, remembering the rainstorm she'd travelled through the day before on the ferry from Gibsons to her parents' home in North Vancouver.

Five years previous, a cheating husband, who'd left her for his pregnant mistress led her to the Yukon to spend time with her best friend, Marion. Her own pregnancy had come as a shock a few days before she was to return home. She thought back to her last day in Whitehorse when she'd been kidnapped by bank robbers. Georgia had escaped her abductors and spent the winter lost in a cabin in the remote wilderness of northwestern British Columbia, where her daughter was born. Colin, her ex-husband, became the father of two baby girls born a mere two weeks apart. In the spring, Sean Dixon, an author and owner of the cabin she'd sought refuge in, rescued her. Books, and movies touting her a heroine, brought an unwanted notoriety to her life. The past few years, she'd travelled extensively with her co-writer and boyfriend, Sean Dixon, promoting their book and movies. Her daughter, Kaela, travelled with her and Sean when it was feasible or stayed with her parents while she was away. When at home, she shared a house with her grandmother in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast peninsula, accessible only by ferry.

And now her ex-husband was dead. A sudden heart attack.

A voice broke into her muse. “Can't sleep?”

She turned to see her mother standing behind her. “Not much. Too many dreams. You wake up knowing you were dreaming but can't remember them.” She frowned. “Except the last one.”

Sandra Carr sat on the couch facing her daughter. “Want to tell me about it?”

“It's hard to explain.” Georgia hesitated. “You know those dreams where there are bits and pieces and it doesn't make much sense? There were woods all around and I saw Kaela's face. Her eyes were huge and full of fear. The scene changed to fast, swirling water. She was bobbing around in it. It was so noisy—the water I mean. Then there were two of her. One in the water and one on the shore. They were both really scared. I woke up after that. Weird.”

“It's upsetting when we have bad dreams about our kids. But it's only a dream,” her mother said, “Colin's passing at such a young age is a shock to us all. You have a big day tomorrow with his funeral and more than likely your worry over Kaela is praying on your mind.”

“You're probably right. I was thinking about all that's happened since the kidnapping. I can't believe five years have passed.”

“I can't either. The years just flew.”

“And now Colin's dead,” Georgia said. “He missed so much of Kaela's first years. It's brought home the fact that time is precious, and I've missed some things in my daughter's life too with all this notoriety.”

“You've always been there when it counted. You're a great mother to Kaela. Don't ever doubt that.”

Georgia stared into her mother's face. “Now that Kaela is starting school in the fall, it's time for me to think about staying home more. She needs stability.”

Her mother smiled. “Things should settle down now. You'll have more time to think about your personal life. You're becoming yesterday's news.”

A giggle turned into a laugh, and ended with Georgia's infamous snort. “Thank God for that.”

She stood and gave her mom a hug. “Thanks you. I feel better now. Let's go back to bed.”

The next day, Georgia walked across the parking lot to the concrete sidewalk that led to the funeral home. A shudder passed through her body, but it wasn't from the cool June breeze. She glanced down at her five-year-old daughter and held her hand a little tighter. The narrow walkway led them to a white single-story building, half-hidden by flowering shrubs and rose bushes in full bloom. The California-style dwelling with its beckoning façade of warmth and comfort reminded her more of a yacht club or golf course clubhouse.

Passing through the open doorway, Georgia took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. She and her daughter stood on a green marble floor in a foyer lined with tall white pedestals housing pots of trailing multi-coloured flowers. The warm air hung heavy with their fragrance. She breathed in the moist pungent odor and that coupled with her nervousness, left her feeling nauseous. Her hand went to her stomach. Be strong.

The mirrored walls projected the appearance of a much larger room. The half dozen doors leading to other areas of the home were closed. An archway with white ornate iron gates centered the back wall and standing by the open gates was her ex-brother-in-law.

“Hello, Steve,” Georgia said, as she lead Kaela across the room. Her high-heeled shoes echoed in her ears. She concentrated on their clicking-clacking across the floor to calm her nerves.

The man in the black suit ignored her. His eyes, wide-open with amazement, were focused on Kaela.

“Steve?”

“My God, Georgia…it's been a long time.”

He took a hold of Georgia's free hand, letting his gaze slide back to Kaela.

“This is my daughter, Kaela…Colin's daughter.”

“She certainly is,” he said.

“Did you know my daddy?” Kaela asked, shyly.

“Yes I did. I'm married to your father's sister and that makes me your Uncle Steve. It's nice to meet you, Kaela.” His large palm swallowed up her little hand as he shook it in greeting. “Come with me, ladies. I'll take you to your seats.”

They followed Steve through the archway into a room set-up with jade green velvet chairs. As they moved up the centre aisle, the low hush of voices rose to a higher pitch. They passed rows of people from Georgia's past. Work colleagues, distant relatives and mutual friends of Colin's strained their heads sideways to catch a glimpse of them. The group of people standing by the altar, adorned with more floral displays, turned to stare blankly at them.

Kaela tugged at her mother's sleeve. “Mommy, why's everyone looking at us?”

Georgia was angry at their blatant curiosity. She hadn't expected to attract so much attention. In truth, they were looking at Kaela more than her. She placed a protective arm around her daughter's shoulders and drew her closer to her side.

“They're curious, sweetheart. They haven't seen me for years and they've never met you. It's okay.”

Steve led them towards the seats reserved for Colin's family, but as his ex-wife and given the fact that they had treated her badly in the past, she wasn't comfortable with that. She stopped him and pointed to the second row on the left. He seemed to understand and nodded. Georgia looked at the group standing up front. She recognized Colin's parents, Alice and Frank Charles. Alice turned her back to her, but Frank gave a nod and a weak smile. Mary, Colin's sister, pretended to ignore her, but Georgia caught the furtive glances from beneath her hooded eyelids. She took in the erect pose of her body, chin thrust out and her haughty stare. The same snotty bitch she's always been.

She glanced away from them to take in the long thin table set up beside the pulpit. Floral vases lined the floor in front of its white clothed drapery. An urn containing Colin's ashes sat in the center, framed with pictures of Colin—his first birthday, school pictures from primary grades to law school. The tug of Kaela's hand, vying for her attention, brought her back to the present.

“What is it, sweetheart?” she asked, looking down at her daughter.

Kaela was staring at the first row to the right of the aisle, her expression frozen, and her face pale.

“Who is that, Mommy?” she whispered.

Georgia followed her stare, only to gasp. Oh my God. She found herself staring into the face of a five-year-old girl—a girl with Kaela's face.

The child was staring back at Kaela with equal surprise.

“Mommy…?” Kaela asked, again.

“That must be Shelby, your half-sister.”

“But…she looks like me,” she said with awe.

Georgia shook her head in silence as she studied Colin's other daughter. Shelby's hair was longer and her nose a little thinner, but the straight blond hair, full lips and bright blue eyes were identical. The two girls were so much alike there was no question they were sisters.

“Now we know why they were staring at us, honey. You two could be twins.”

“That's weird!” Kaela said with finality. “I wish she'd stop looking at me.”

Georgia glanced down at her daughter. Her face was clouded over and her lips were pursed into a pout. “You mean like you're staring at her? Don't you think she must be feeling a bit strange about you too?”

“Yeah…but I don't like her having my face.” Kaela crossed her arms across her chest and stared at the floor.

She placed an arm around her daughter's shoulders, feeling the confusion her daughter was experiencing. Turning her attention back to Shelby, Georgia let her gaze slide to the woman sitting next to her and made eye-to-eye contact with Julie, Colin's widow. She was shocked at her appearance. Her thinness and pallor suggested more than that of a grieving widow. The last time she'd seen Julie was six and a half years ago at the office Christmas party. That was about six months before Colin had left Georgia for a pregnant Julie. She had been a well-proportioned, vibrant young woman who sparkled with life, the obvious envy of other women, including Georgia. The frail woman before her was aged beyond her years.

None of them knew at the time that Georgia too was pregnant. Georgia thought back to that brutal winter she'd spent lost at the cabin and her ordeal of giving birth to Kaela alone. When Sean rescued her and brought them both back to civilization, the Charles family had snubbed her. They hadn't believed Colin was her daughter's father. Looking at the two girls now, it was obvious they shared the same dad. Colin had fit Kaela into his life on her birthday, Christmas, and the odd visit or two during each year. And now he was dead. A week ago, he'd passed suddenly of a heart attack at the age of forty.

Julie's eyes fell to Kaela and after a few moments came back to rest on Georgia. Her eyes searched Georgia's and after another quick look at Kaela she turned her back to them; but not before Georgia caught sight of the tears sliding down her cheeks. It was hard to read her expression, but something in her eyes caught her off-balance. Compassion? Don't go there, she thought and brushed off the feeling. She didn't want to examine her feelings where Julie was concerned.

A soft note from the organ announced the start of the memorial service.

“Today, we gather together to pay tribute to the short life of one of our loved ones,” the minister said, “Colin Alexander Charles—son, brother, father, husband, colleague and friend—taken from us far too quickly, shall be missed by all who loved him.”

A young woman sitting in front of Georgia with Colin's work colleagues began to whimper. His secretary, sitting beside the girl, leaned close to the girl.

“Stop that!” she whispered firmly, loud enough for Georgia to hear. “Control yourself, Beth. Do you want Julie to hear you?”

A smile tugged at the corner of Georgia's mouth. She hated to be presumptuous, but it appeared what goes around had definitely come around. Instinctively, she knew the girl called Beth was Colin's mistress. Nothing has changed there either. The service continued with Colin's brother-in-law, friends and law partners paying homage. She found herself tuning them out, lost to her own thoughts. Grief was a strange thing. Colin was a cad when he was alive but now he was gone; all these people who knew him had selective memory in regard to his life.

Am I grieving Colin's passing? Yes … yes I am…grieving the loss of my daughter's father and the loss of the man that Colin could have been.

The voice of the Minister broke through her thoughts.

“…and now let us pray.”

A quick glance around the room revealed bowed heads and Georgia quickly closed her eyes, chiding herself for her thoughts. Such a disrespectful reaction on her part surprised her. Suppressing a nervous giggle, she turned a snort into a series of forced coughs, hoping no one would notice. What is wrong with me?

The service ended and the Minister gave directions for all present to file row by row past the altar to view the pictures before proceeding out of the room. At that moment, Beth broke out into loud sobs. The row of work colleagues began to squirm in their seats. The woman became the focus of attention and that broke through the nervous hysteria Georgia felt. Back in control, she walked her daughter past the pictures. She had read that people experienced grief in different ways–hysterical laughter being one way. Still, she felt terrible about her horrid reaction. Kaela stopped to look at a picture of her father with her half-sister, Shelby.

“Come along, dear. Others are waiting,” Georgia, said softly. Why did I let her talk me into bringing her?

They were led into the back gardens to a section consisting of memory walls. There were three marble walls set in a horseshoe, with a marble bench centered in the middle of them. Plaques were set in place covering the opening of each interment box. A small vase sat beside each plaque to house flowers left by family members and visitors.

The minister said another prayer and Julie placed the urn in an open box. The service was over. People moved forward to pay their respects to the family. Georgia stood back with Kaela and watched. She leaned down to Kaela. “We'll come back in a day or two when the plaque has been placed and bring some flowers, okay?” Her daughter nodded and held onto to her mother a little tighter.

They followed the group around the gardens to the front of the home and stopped to look over the cliques of people scattered around the front lawn. There she saw Julie looking toward the parking lot where Colin's secretary was leading the woman named Beth to a car; Georgia noticed the subtle tightening of the woman's shoulders—a change of body language so slight that no one would have noticed unless they were studying her as she was.

Julie knew.

Georgia's emotions were mixed. She felt a sudden compassion for the pain Julie must be feeling; yet, she felt an overwhelming compulsion to ask her how it felt to know her husband was cheating on her. Under the present circumstances, Georgia felt a lack of smug satisfaction in having gained this knowledge.

“Georgia, how have you been?”

She spun around to find Frank standing behind her. “Very well, thank you. Please accept my condolences,” She drew Kaela in front of her. “This is your granddaughter, Kaela.”

“Hello, Kaela,” he said softly, touching her cheek gently with two fingers.

“Hello, Sir,” she replied, her fluttering eyelids not quite meeting his gaze.

“I'm sorry for the loss of your father, child. You are much like him, you know…and your sister, Shelby.”

“Uh, huh…” Kaela whispered.

Georgia felt uncomfortable and decided they should take their leave.

“We must be going, Frank. My thoughts are with you and the rest of your family.”

“People are coming back to the house. You're most welcome to join us.”

Georgia searched the group for Alice and caught the woman glaring at her. Certainly not by Alice. “Well … I don't know … I mean … I hadn't planned on it.” Georgia fumbled for words. “The truth is the timing may not be right.”

“Your daughter gives you the right. However, I understand,” he said, turning to Kaela. “It was nice meeting you, Kaela. I hope to see you again.”

Kaela gave him a shy smile and nodded.

As they turned toward the parking lot, Frank stopped her. “Georgia … this family owes you an apology.”

“Thank you. It means a lot for me to hear you say that.”

Frank reached out and took her hand. “Today isn't the time to discuss it, but I hope one day soon you and I could talk. And I would love to see my granddaughter again.”

“You're right, it's not the time. Perhaps soon. Take care.” She ignored his reference to seeing them again. Why now? After all this time?

Georgia sat quietly in the car before driving away, trying to sort her jumbled thoughts. Frank looked so sad. Death always brought out regrets. She couldn't help but wonder if Alice had any.

“Oh, boy…there I go being waspish again.”

“What's waspish mean, Mommy?”

Georgia was startled by her daughter's question. “I didn't realize I said that out loud. It means I had unkind thoughts about someone.”

“Who?”

“It doesn't matter, sweetheart. Funerals put people on edge and bring strange emotions to the surface. Forget I said anything.”

Kaela stared at her mother for a moment. “Maybe that's why I was so mad at Shelby. It's kind of cool to have a sister who looks like me.” Suddenly, her face clouded over and she started to cry. “But why did Daddy love her more than me?”

Her stomach rolled over. “Oh, baby…” She undid her seat belt and put one arm around Kaela, wiping her tears with the other. “Your Daddy loved you the same as Shelby.”

“Then why wasn't there a picture of me and Daddy on that table?”

Georgia cursed Alice Charles under her breath. “Because your father's passing happened so quickly, it caught us all off guard. His side of the family haven't any pictures of you, sweetheart, and with all the grief, no one thought to ask me for one. But that has nothing to do with your Daddy's love for you.”

Kaela sat up straighter. “I could have given them the one in my bedroom of me and him flying my kite in the park. They could have put it beside the one of him and Shelby on the beach.”

A sigh of relief was followed with thank God for the innocence of children. “Yes, it's a beautiful picture of the two of you. Now, how about you and I stop at that new ice cream parlour on the way home to Nana's?” Here I am, rewarding her daughter's sadness with food. She had tried consciously to avoid that trap, believing it was a bad habit to teach a child, but these were exceptional circumstances.

Kaela gave her a semblance of a smile. “Can I have a double fudge chocolate chip cone?”

“You sure can. That's my fav too.” Georgia turned away from Kaela and fussed with her seat belt. She didn't want her to see the tears she held back in her eyes.

Damn the Charles family.

Chapter 3

Three days later …

“What's she doing here?” Alice demanded.

Ignoring her, Georgia stared straight ahead and followed Derek Connor's secretary into the conference room to join the rest of Colin's family, law partners and a few of his closest friends.

“She's named in the will, Mrs. Charles. She has the right to be present,” Derek said, motioning Georgia to a chair. “As you all know, we're here for the reading of Colin's will. Let's begin.”

“I, Colin Walter Charles, of the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, do make and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. I hereby revoke all Wills and Codicils heretofore made by me.”

The lawyer shuffled the papers, cleared his throat and began again. “The foregoing instrument, consisting of six typewritten pages, this included, was at Vancouver, British Columbia, signed sealed and declared by the testatrix—that's Colin—to be his Last Will and Testament, in our presence, and we, at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as attesting witnesses.” Derek Connors looked up at the people sitting before him. “Colin has appointed me as his personal representative and estate trustee. That gives me the power to execute his testament and control over all trust accounts. All debts, expenses, encumbrances, and taxes are to be paid from his residuary estate.”

Georgia narrowed her eyes and tried to focus her attention on Derek, listening as he dealt with each item one by one. Being enclosed with these people in such a small room made her squirm and her stomach rolled over, leaving her nauseous. She glanced sideways. None of them meant anything to her anymore. Nevertheless, here she was, sharing the intimacy of their grief. She assumed of course, that Colin's Will had nothing to do with her, but everything to do with their daughter. Derek dealt with the legacies to friends and colleagues first.

“Well, that covers it except for the immediate family and Georgia,” Derek stated, “The rest of you are free to leave. Once we're through with probate, you'll be contacted. Thank you for coming in.”

Derek rose to stand by the door, shaking hands with all who left. Resuming his position at the table he continued with the reading.

“To his sister, Mary, and brother-in-law, Steve, he leaves his BMW and his boat. Should his parents survive him—and with this being the case—he leaves them the house he inherited from his grandmother in Maui…”

Finally, Derek mentioned Kaela's name.

“Colin set up a trust fund for each of his two daughters, Shelby & Kaela. When they are nineteen, they can draw from the trust to continue their education and will be given living expenses. The terms of the trust are clear. They must be working and self-sufficient by their twenty-fifth birthdays. At that time, the remainder of each of the trusts will be transferred in a lump sum to each of them. If the trustees deem either one unable to manage money prudently or in the case of mental incapacity, the monies will remain in trust with the issuance of a monthly stipend.

As for Georgia, Colin has increased your child support to fifteen hundred dollars a month to more than cover Kaela's care. Should the occasion arise where there are unusual expenses, for example medical or dental bills, you can apply to the trustees and they will be covered by the child's trust." Georgia heard a gasp, no doubt from Alice.

“The rest—company shares, bonds, personal belongings, cash, jewellery and the residual home—go to Julie. That about covers it. Any questions?”

The first one to speak was Alice.

“I'm assuming Colin has a clause in the will, where a blood test is required to prove paternity for the child, Kaela?”

Georgia stiffened. Here we go.

Complete silence filled the room. She glanced around and wasn't surprised to see the dropped eyes of all present. No one looked at anyone else, least of all her. Their embarrassment was obvious.

“Alice…you only have to look at the child,” Frank chided.

“There's no such clause. Nor is one required,” Derek counselled, “If Colin chose to recognize Kaela as his daughter and include her in his will, that's his right.”

“We can contest…” Alice began.

“Alice, shut up,” Frank boomed.

The air hung heavy, as silence once again prevailed.

“No one will be contesting Colin's will,” a small voice challenged, “These are the final wishes of my husband and they will be respected by all of us in this room.”

Georgia looked at Julie in surprise. Julie gave her a thin smile; an unspoken bond of motherhood passed between them.

“Alice, our son is dead. I agree with Julie. We must respect his wishes,” Frank said, firmly. It was as much a plea as it was a declaration and Alice fell silent.

“As for the trust funds,” Derek began, clearing his throat uncomfortably, “I'm accountable to both Julie and Georgia until the girls are of legal age. The court does not supervise these funds and I was required to take out a bond to protect you both from wrong doing. You'll both receive an annual accounting. My fee is 5% and I will be handling the investment personally. I'm available to you at any time to discuss our investment policies.”

Derek stood up for a second time and addressed Georgia directly.

“Georgia, trust funds are exempt from probate. You can expect to receive your increased support cheque the first of the month. If you have any questions at all, please contact me at any time. Good luck to you and your daughter.”

Georgia rose and shook hands with Derek. “Thank you, Derek.” She nodded to Julie and Frank. Ignoring the others, she held her head high and strode out of the conference room. As she waited for the elevator, someone called her name. To her surprise, Julie approached her.

“I was hoping you and I could meet soon and talk. There are things that should have been said years ago and things that should never have been said. I understand if you say no. I only ask you to consider the girls…” Julie paused.

“The girls?”

“They both lost their father and … I think it might help them both if they spent some time together.”

Georgia was taken aback by her suggestion. The only one in the Charles family that accepted Kaela was Colin.

Julie continued. “They're children, free from the mind restrictions we grown-ups place on ourselves…and they're sisters. They should be allowed to know each other.”

“Even if I agreed, there's Alice to consider. She knows Kaela is Colin's daughter, but she won't acknowledge it. I don't need or want her wrath.”

“This is my decision as Shelby's mother. Alice has no say in it. Please think about it?” Julie implored.

“Alright, I'll consider it.”

Julie started back to the office, when Georgia stopped her.

“I'm sorry about Colin, Julie. I know how hard this must be for you.”

“Yes, you do,” she responded, softly, “Thank you.”

Georgia drove to her parent's home in North Vancouver, relieved she could put the events of the past few days behind her. Seeing Colin's family took more of a toll on her than she realized. Julie's words echoed over and over in her mind.

They are children … they are sisters; they should be together… they need each other.

It gave her lots to think about. Georgia felt happy that Colin gave Kaela what was rightly hers.

Too bad he had to die before he fully accepted that responsibility … and it's only money. Kaela needed him in her life more than the couple of times a year he gave her. Still, he'd been more than generous with the child support and the trust fund. Reflecting back, Georgia thought that Julie's acceptance had come too late. How sad that it always seemed to take something tragic to show us the errors of our ways. Still, maybe Julie's right that the girls should meet.

On the other hand, sometimes when the grieving ends, some people selectively forget their new-found vision. They return to their old way of thinking in self-defence to hide their guilt. First Frank expressed an interest in Kaela, now Julie. Can I trust them? Should I trust them? I sure as hell don't want Alice in my daughter's life.

Georgia vowed to protect her from any outfall that might occur from that kind of situation.

By the time she reached her parent's home, her head pounded. She sat in the driveway with the engine running, staring at nothing. She had mixed feelings where Julie was concerned. She leaned back against the headrest and scrutinized her belief that she'd dealt with all the negatives in her life the past five years. She'd learned a lot about herself the winter she was lost and about her marriage. It occurred to her that perhaps she'd never examined her feelings towards Julie because the woman had never been in her face. She couldn't blame the woman for her marriage break-up from Colin. Their affair had merely been the straw that broke the camel's back. Georgia knew that. Still, she resented her and the whole Charles family. Showing up alive the following spring with my baby, had thrown Alice into a tailspin.

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Time, that's what I need. It's not crucial to make a decision so soon. Kaela's needs are foremost and dealing with the loss of her father paramount. With a sigh, she turned the motor off and stepped out of the car.

That night replicated the previous one. Sleep came sporadically, full of dreams and restlessness. Georgia gave in and went into the kitchen for a hot cup of tea. She sat on the love seat in the picture window of her childhood home and stared at the city lights across Burrard Inlet far below. Over the years much thought had been given to the rudeness of her ex-mother-in-law. Deep down Alice Charles knows Kaela's her granddaughter. Why has she rejected her?

The only conclusion Georgia reached was the fact that Alice was a complex and private woman: the matriarch who controlled her family. Georgia hadn't allowed her to control her life or Kaela's and all the publicity surrounding her disappearance and her heroic survival seemed to embarrass Alice. Position, wealth and privacy were foremost for Colin's mother.

Somehow she blamed it all on Georgia. Alice probably blames me for his death too. She finished her tea and padded back to bed.

Chapter 4

Georgia placed her face against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall and closed her eyes. “Ahh…” It felt good to escape into the confines of this room, alone and quiet, shutting out the loud music blasting through the prestigious mansion. Her pounding head eased a little.

She'd flown back to Vancouver from Britain the previous evening with Sean where he'd received a literary award for his latest book. Tonight they were attending a post-production party at a house rented by the Director, celebrating the conclusion of the filming of a mini-series based on Sean's latest suspense trilogy. Sean had spent the past sixteen weeks as a consultant and doing rewrites on the screenplay.

Famous faces, great music, plenty of food and drugs of choice. The party became crowded and noisier as the evening wore on. A fun night but not a lifestyle Georgia would be comfortable with on a regular basis.

She opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes. Thank God for make-up. She ran her fingers through her curly hair, gave herself a nod of approval and rejoined the others.

“Having a good time?”

Spinning around, she found Trent Matheson, her agent, standing behind her. Trent represented Colin as well, and over the years they became close friends. “It's been a great night. I can't believe I'm still on my feet.”

Trent looked at the stemmed glass in her hand and chuckled. “Are you talking about the champagne or your jet lag?”

“Both. The bags under my eyes are growing bigger.”