Shadows Over Wongan Creek Read online

  Shadows over Wongan Creek

  Juanita Kees

  romance.com.au/escapepublishing/

  Shadows over Wongan Creek

  Juanita Kees

  When the shadows ride in Wongan Creek...

  Fenella Rose-Waterman is happy running The Cranky Lizard winery until a broken relationship lifts the lid on the Pandora’s Box of her past. After years of repressed memories haunting her dreams, she is forced to face the truth to find justice. But with truth comes a danger that puts everyone she loves at risk.

  Kieran Murphy left Wongan Creek a newly-wed and returned a widower. He believes he and his young son will find healing in the town that healed him once before. Instead, he finds the woman he loved running scared, her life in turmoil and her business under threat.

  As the shadows of the past gather on the horizon, will they lose their chance of happiness or will they find healing together?

  About Juanita Kees

  Writing fun, action-packed, sexy stories filled with feisty, caring characters ready to risk everything for love.

  Juanita graduated from the Australian College QED, Bondi with a diploma in Proofreading, Editing and Publishing, and achieved her dream of becoming a published author in 2012 with the release of her debut romantic suspense, Fly Away Peta (recently re-released as Under Shadow of Doubt). Under the Hood followed in 2013 as one of the first releases from Harlequin’s digital pioneer, Escape Publishing.

  In 2014 Juanita was nominated for the Lynn Wilding (Romance Writers of Australia) Volunteer Award and was a finalist in the Romance Writers Australia Romantic Book of the Year and the Australian Romance Readers Awards in 2014 and 2016. Her small-town romances have made the Amazon bestseller and top 100 lists.

  Juanita writes mostly contemporary and rural romantic suspense but also likes to dabble in the ponds of Paranormal with Greek gods brought to life in the 21st century.

  She escapes the real world to write stories starring spirited heroines who give the hero a run for his money before giving in. When she’s not writing, Juanita is mother to three boys, and has a passion for fast cars and country living.

  If you’d like to know more about Juanita, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her webpage juanitakees.com, follow her on Twitter @juanitakees, or like her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/juanitakeesauthor/

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you as always to my critique partners: Lily Malone, Anna Jacobs, Claire Boston, Susy Rogers, Teena Raffa-Mulligan, Lorraine Mauvais, Kerrie Paterson and Adina West. To my family who put up with my eccentricities whether I’m writing or not, thank you. To my publisher, Escape Publishing, cover artists, editors and proof readers, your attention to detail is always appreciated. To Kate Cuthbert, thank you for your patience, dedication and feedback that help my writing grow with every story. And to the readers of Australian rural fiction, you are the reason I keep writing about this land I love so much.

  This one is for you, Merv. Our own gentle giant and true hero. Your heart was as big as your laugh, your skills and knowledge irreplaceable. Our world is a lot emptier without you, your secret stash of chocolate and the smell of percolating coffee.

  Rest in the arms of the angels. (1936 – 2018)

  Contents

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing...

  Chapter 1

  Fen drew in a deep breath and let it out on a sigh as she lined up shot glasses on the scarred wooden bar at The Cranky Lizard winery. ‘How could I have been so stupid, Sarge?’

  ‘There’s nothing stupid about you, Fenella. You were simply an easy mark.’ Sergeant Riggs closed his notepad and tucked it into his uniform pocket. ‘It’s not a reflection on your intelligence. It’s more a sign of how smart organised crime is becoming and how easy it is for these guys to target people like you and Liv.’

  ‘You’d think I’d have recognised the tactics though.’ Luke Sampson had charmed his way into her heart and home, then he’d wormed his way into the winery accounts and stolen Murray and Liv’s lifetime of hard work. All because she’d believed the lies of a thief.

  ‘Men like Sampson see the scars, the wristbands, the piercings and the dark clothing, and they see a rebel, someone who has a score to settle with the world. They don’t see where you’ve come from or where you’ve been. They don’t know who you’ve grown into or what you’ve become. They only see the wounds from a past that can be reopened and made to fester.’

  And no matter how hard she tried to ignore her past, it kept coming back to slap her on the arse. The rebellious child nobody had wanted because she self-harmed. The inexplicable, deep-seated fear that haunted the shadows at night, the ingrained terror of a memory that refused to surface. And the confusion of being shunted from one foster family to another, not knowing how long she’d be there before her actions would have her carers rethinking their decision.

  No-one had understood the devil that drove her until the Watermans had taken her in and helped her turn her life around. Liv had been more of a mum to her than Antoinette had ever been.

  Fen shook off the thought of Antoinette the way she always did, the same way she pushed aside the nightmares that caught her unaware in the middle of the night. ‘So, what happens now?’

  ‘There’ll be an investigation. Fraud squad will take over and turn your life upside down. They’ll go through the winery’s books with a fine-tooth comb. Every transaction, every movement will be scrutinised. You’ll be questioned and cross-questioned until they can eliminate you as an accomplice, given your intimate relationship with Sampson.’

  She pulled a face. ‘If only I hadn’t given in to his nagging for a date. But he wouldn’t give up until I said yes.’ It had seemed like the perfect way to take a step forward, out of her comfort zone, away from the hope that, one day, Kieran Murphy might come home. ‘Showing up here every day in his lunch break, on weekends. Making me believe how much he hated his job at the mine.’

  Riggs chuckled. ‘Unfortunately, there are good people and bad people in this world, young lady, and sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart. Sometimes they pretend to care, yet all the time they’re carrying a knife in their lunchbox, waiting for the opportunity to stab you in the back with it. You were unlucky to get one of those. Not that I’m surprised he picked you. You’ve grown into a fine young lass. A man would have to have rocks in his head not to notice that. If you were my daughter, I’d have the shotgun loaded twenty-four-seven.’

  Fen leaned across the bar and patted his arms. ‘Cheers for that.’

  Riggs’ smile faded back into his usual mask of seriousness. ‘Be careful, Fen. The men Sampson answers to don’t play games. There’s a reason they infiltrate small towns. It’s much easier to hide things out here.’

  Fen shivered. ‘I found that out the hard way, Sarge.’

  Her jaw still ached where Luke’s knuckles had made contact the day she’d found his cuts hidden in a box under their bed and dared to ask about them. That had been her final clue that Luke Sampson wasn’t the guy who liked red wine and sunsets and walks on the beach or hitting the surf with his board on a Sunday morning. And his Harley wasn’t for recre
ation only.

  All the other clues had been there in plain sight, except she’d been too blind to see them. And by the time she’d had the blinkers ripped off, it was too late. He’d taken off with a million dollars of their bank balance and left her with a hectare of growth down the back paddock—that wasn’t grapevines—to explain to police.

  ‘He’ll pay for that too, Fen. I promise you that.’ Riggs straightened and slapped a hand on the bar. ‘I’ve got to get back into town. Say hi to Liv for me, okay?’

  A rowdy group entered the cellar, led by their tour group operator. Her travelling bachelor party had arrived. ‘Will do, Sarge.’

  He paused and looked across to where Liv stood in deep conversation with a man Fen had been trying not to look at since he’d stepped through the door. ‘You’d be happy Murphy’s back in town?’

  Her heart did that little skip-dance it always did whenever she thought of Kieran. ‘I’m happy he answered the ad for a new manager. He has the skills and experience. Turning the winery around and fixing the mess I’ve made is all that matters now.’ There, she’d put him in the safety zone where he couldn’t rock her world again. Not when it had already been rocked because she’d taken a wrong turn trying to get over him.

  Riggs studied her intently for a minute before making way for the tour group. ‘Don’t keep your blinkers on forever, okay? Wounds heal, and we forget our mistakes. Eventually. Take care, Fen. I’ll be in touch.’ He turned to the group. ‘You boys stay out of trouble now. I don’t want to have to come back here today.’

  As she poured the first round for the group, Fen realised Liv was right about one thing—getting back to business was a whole lot better for her than crying into a coffee mug over a no-good, lying thief who didn’t deserve her tears. Her relationship with Luke Sampson had only proved what she’d already suspected. Men were trouble.

  Not all men are bastards, Fen love. You need to believe that, or you’ll never find happiness.

  Liv’s words echoed through her thoughts. Confident words from a woman who’d been married to her soulmate, a gentle giant and true hero, whose sudden passing from a heart attack had left a huge gap in their lives. He’d gone into town for supplies and he hadn’t come back. There one day, gone the next.

  She let her gaze stray towards Liv, deep in conversation with the man who had once been her rock and confidante. Kieran Murphy. Her heart hovered between stop and go. She’d loved him with every essence of her being. Until he’d tilted her world on an axis that had only just found balance and married Diane.

  She steadied her hand as she poured a liqueur and concentrated on not spilling any. She shouldn’t be this happy to see him when she’d lost him all those years ago, and the bond between them had been broken by distance and jealousy.

  From across the room, those see-all eyes met hers with a flash of pleasure that took her breath away. Kieran had always had that power. A wave of memories played through her mind. There’d been a time when he’d brought happiness and light to her world of darkness. Until distance had silenced it all. The smile. The love. The friendship. Everything.

  Strong fingers clamped around her leather wristband, the rough edges of the rawhide scraping against her scars, startling her out of her musings.

  ‘I said, could I have a tasting round, please.’

  Something in the man’s tone—an inflection, a bite—had her stiffening as his hold tightened. Her gaze shot to his, caught sight of the tattoo under his left eye. The same teardrop design Luke wore on his left bicep, the only difference being this man’s one had been coloured in whereas Luke’s had been clear.

  She shivered against the unease that knotted her belly and tried to keep her voice steady. ‘If you let go of my hand, I’ll pour you a drink. The prices are on the wine list.’

  ‘A nice girl like you should pay more attention to her surroundings. Someone could get hurt while you’re not looking.’ He delivered the words through lips pulled tight over yellowed teeth, his soulless grey eyes set in a round face, tanned by the sun and weathered by the wind.

  Memories swirled through her mind. A past that should stay forgotten in a place with dark hallways and shadowy corners. Men with secrets to keep, and Antoinette, the woman who serviced them. Men just like this one from a dark and dirty underworld where crime paid for sex and drugs. A life no child should be exposed to. Nausea burned in her throat, perspiration dampened the collar of her shirt and terror crept in from the shadows of her mind as the scars under her wristbands itched.

  Kieran’s warmth and solid strength filled the space behind her. ‘Do we have a problem here?’

  The man removed his fingers from her wrist. ‘Your bartender here is a little slow. I was just trying to catch her attention.’ He straightened, the faded patches on his worn leather vest coming into view. ‘But it’s okay. I’m not thirsty anymore.’ He slapped ten dollars onto the bar, the rings on his tattooed knuckles catching the sunlight. ‘That should cover it.’ His eyes found Fen’s. ‘Take care now.’

  Kieran crossed his arms and watched as the man made his way out the door. ‘Want to tell me what that was all about?’

  Fen waited until the fly-screen door closed before she turned to face him, praying he wouldn’t see the terror she could almost taste. ‘Unhappy customer. I had it under control.’ She took slow breaths to control the hammering of her heart against her ribs and the fear that twisted her belly into knots. She was being watched by Luke’s club members. The reality of that sank into her mind like a stone thrown into the koi pond out the front.

  ‘Don’t lie to me, Fen. I may have been away a while, but I still recognise trouble when I see it.’

  Her heart did a backward somersault as he bent to kiss her cheek, greeting her the way he always had. Before he went away. She ignored the impulse to kiss him back, the way she would have done years ago. His long silence had hurt, their friendship the sacrifice he’d made in the name of commitment. Still, she couldn’t deny the flicker of happiness that chased some of the fear from her mind. Kieran Murphy had come home, and she’d always felt safe when he was near.

  ‘Welcome back.’

  ‘Thank you.’ The smile he offered her no longer reached his eyes or lit up his face the way it used to. Dark shadows and a drawn look hinted at stress and sleepless nights.

  Liv stepped up to the bar and sent her a look that told Fen she’d recognised the patches and the threat. ‘Are you okay, love?’

  ‘I’m okay, Mum. He’s gone now.’ She squeezed her mum’s hand reassuringly.

  Liv had enough to worry about, but it would be hard to ignore the warning in the man’s presence so soon after they’d filed charges on Luke. Fen closed her thoughts to the fear that tried to sneak in again. She had to trust that Riggs would keep them safe. She wouldn’t let herself be controlled by fear again. Fen turned to Kieran.

  ‘How long do you need to think about taking the job?’ One thing she could be certain of was that Kieran would know how to fix what Luke had broken. Everything except her heart.

  ‘I can’t make snap decisions here, Fen. It’s not just me I have to think about.’ A hint of sadness flickered in his expression and that trademark smile tugged down at the corners.

  Of course, he’d have a family to consider. The tiny two-bedroomed cottage at the end of Blue Lizard Lane might not be big enough if he had children.

  A lick of pain tightened her chest. Children. She rubbed at her wrists. There’d been a time once when she’d wanted to have kids, but every time she felt the itch of the scars, she was reminded of the past and all the reasons she shouldn’t. A past haunted by memories that flickered out of reach on the peripheral of her mind. Monsters that lay buried until something triggered them and they rose to taunt her. Like the man at the bar.

  ‘Fen, I’m going to take Kieran out to the cottage for a look. Would you mind keeping an eye on young Liam for us?’

  ‘Liam?’

  Kieran smiled. ‘My son. He’s four.’ He looked at her throu
gh eyes that shone with pride and a warmth that, until now, had been missing.

  A weight of regret settled in her stomach. Kieran would be a great dad. He’d overcome the monsters of his past, reached beyond the same barriers that kept her locked into their grip. The tour group leader signalled her for their bill. ‘Give me a moment to take care of this, then I’m free for a while.’ A distraction was exactly what she needed, and kids weren’t nearly as complicated as adults or as threatening as cuts on a leather vest. ‘Where is he?’

  Liv waved a hand over to the play area. ‘He’s out there exploring. Take a bottle of apple juice out to him, would you, love?’

  ‘Does he have a favourite topic he likes to talk about? To break the ice?’

  A sad look crossed Kieran’s features. ‘He doesn’t talk much these days.’

  She wanted to ask why, but the grim pull to Kieran’s lips had her swallowing on the question. There’d be time later for explanations. ‘Okay, I’ll see what I can find for him to do.’

  Fen settled the tour group’s bill, thanking them before she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of apple juice. If Kieran accepted the job, could she cope with watching them together every day? Her best friend, his wife and their perfect, happy family?

  ‘Thanks.’ Kieran squeezed her shoulder as he passed her to follow Liv out the door.

  She watched him walk away, different yet the same, a set to his shoulders she hadn’t seen since they were troubled teens arriving in Wongan Creek. With a sigh, she headed for the playground to find Liam. It stood eerily quiet and empty. Where were the sounds of a child playing? The tinkle of bells and spin of plastic blocks on metal poles, the delighted giggles of a ride down the slide.

  Her breath caught in her throat as her thoughts slipped back to the man in the leather vest and the warning in his parting words. She shook them off. No, men like him didn’t act on their threats immediately. And strangers wouldn’t be their target. Men like him would strike at something much closer to home. Had Luke sent him to warn her to back off? As soon as things settled, she’d call Riggs with an update on the stranger’s visit.