Searching for a New Home

SEARCHING

FOR A

NEW HOME

Version 2.0

KAREN WARD

Copyright © 2014 Glenda Hays

Writing as Karen Ward

Distributed by Smashwords

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used, transmitted, or reproduced in any manner, electronic or otherwise without prior written permission from the copyright holder except in cases where permitted by law.

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

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Cover images from COVERS BY RAMONA

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

About The Author

PROLOGUE

Los Angeles, CA, October 2004

It's over. It's finally over. Legendary criminal defense attorney, Jacob Murray, breathes a deep sigh of relief, and stares through the wall of windows in his penthouse overlooking the darkening Los Angeles skyline, sipping on scotch. He just won the biggest, most difficult, highest profile, case of his life. Academy Award winning movie star, Barry Farrady, was acquitted today of the murder of his wife, Tina Drake, and he owes his life to Jacob. The press had already convicted Barry of the crime, long before the trial even started. It was touch and go for most of the last two years, and the trial monopolized nearly all of Jacob's time. He is just glad it's finally over. Now, at last, it's time to go home ... home to the family ranch, the Rocking J, near Cody Wyoming ... home to his precious, five year old daughter, Danielle, his life.

Taking another sip of scotch, he lets the memories consume him. He and his now dead wife, Beverly, met in college and married during his last year of law school. She was beautiful, sophisticated, with shoulder length raven colored hair, sparkling green eyes, and a figure to die for. He adored her even though she was quite spoiled, and pregnant. Danielle, his precious Dani, followed seven months later. They were happy, content, at least until all of the notoriety his famous clients brought into their lives. The high profile clients his reputation attracted, only increased the stress on their marriage, the lack of privacy, the need for protection. The Paparazzi was relentless, following them everywhere, intruding into every corner of their lives. Every time they appeared in public, it was the same. They couldn't even go out to dinner without being followed and harassed. They tried as best they could to shelter their precious Danielle from the prying eyes of the ever present photographers.

A little over a year ago, his wife, Beverly begged him to leave Los Angeles, to take Dani back to Wyoming, where she could grow up without body guards, without gangs hanging around on every street corner, away from the cameras, the reporters. Her request surprised Jacob, because Beverly was never happy on the ranch, but he promised. As soon as this case, the Farrady case was over, they would go. He would retire. Hell, he has made more money in his short career than they will ever spend anyway. He can always commute back and forth to the city, if needed.

Then, ten months ago, they had the fight of all fights. He and the family had planned a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, a get-away they all needed, but the Farrady trial intruded again. Unexpectedly, he had to go to the Cayman Islands, following up on leads in the Farrady case. Beverly was furious with him. She was determined to go to Lake Tahoe, anyway, for a little skiing and damn him and damn Barry Farrady! Her car skidded off the icy road and hit a tree. Beverly died instantly. Barely, four year old Danielle, secure in her car seat, was unharmed. She was taken in by Social Services and placed in a temporary foster home. It took days for the authorities to locate him.

When Jacob finally got to her, Dani was a total wreck, crying endlessly for her Mommie. She was completely inconsolable. Horrible, screaming nightmares haunted her sleep, and she developed an unreasonable fear of strangers, especially policemen, and others in uniform. He immediately took her to Wyoming, to his boyhood home, to the ranch, and what is left of his family, his twin brother, Jason, and his new wife, Jenny.

Jason, the other half of himself, what would he have done during that horrible time if not for Jason and Jenny? They stood beside him and Dani from the first. They were his rock, his foundation in a sea of turmoil. Jason stepped up, arranging for body guards and escorts. He intervened with the media. Oh, the media, they were like vultures picking the bones of his marriage clean, and Jason handled it all, keeping Dani safe from their prying eyes, sparing him their intrusive questions. Jason understood without having to be told what he and Dani needed. Eventually, a different story drew their attention and the vultures mercifully left.

And Jenny... sweet, warm, understanding Jenny ... she showered Dani with the love and attention she needed to fill the void of her mother's death. She held her through those first long, lonely nights, rocking her, singing her lullabies, and soothing her troubled little soul.

After two long months of his constant attention, and the love and support of Jason and Jenny, Dani finally calmed enough for him to return to Los Angeles, and the Farrady trial. She felt safe on the Rocking J and Jason and Jenny love her like a daughter. Jacob flew back and forth every weekend and during every break in the trial to spend as much time as possible with Dani and her confidence continued to grow.

The trial was grueling, time consuming. It sucked the life right out of him. Now, it is finally over and he is going home, too. He will honor the promise he made to Beverly, his dead wife.

Rural West Texas, 2008

Damn, damn, double damn! How could I have messed up my life so completely? It is a total disaster. I can't think of any other way to put it.

I shake my blonde head trying to shake off my troubles like a dog would shake water off his body, but the memories won't stop flooding into my head like a movie playing on a big screen. Sitting at a table alone in the little coffee shop, I continue to analyze the mistakes of my past.

Fresh out of a divorce, I should have known better than to get involved with a traveling man. But Frank swept into my life with the pretty words my lonely soul longed to hear, and stole my heart. I dreamed of forever. Forever wasn't part of his vocabulary. The signs were present, but I ignored them. He didn't have the same values as mine. He believed it was all right to cheat a little, to lie to get what he wanted, even to steal, if it benefited him. He was only interested in ... what? ... my money? ... probably ... a place to hide out for a while? ... definitely! He was controlling, but I hadn't seen it. He was a master manipulator, subtly manipulating every aspect of my life, while I paid all the bills, bought all the groceries, made excuses for him. And when he left, he took not only my heart, but my self-esteem and all of my savings, too. He truly was the bastard he always told me he was. I'm not bitter though. In fact, I am relieved. With the clarity of hindsight, I can now see how it could have been so much worse.

Two years have passed, and I learned the lesson well. I am stronger now, and have rebuilt my self-esteem. But now, I have lost my job. The small manufacturing company, where I handled the bookkeeping, has shut its doors. The owner retired. So now, here I am ... no man, no money, and no job. What is a girl to do?

Well, I don't know about most girls, but I know what I am going to do. I am no quitter. I am smart and determined, and I am going to dive right in and start over ... a new life with a new job in a new town.

CHAPTER 1

June 2009

Driving through the late afternoon sunshine underneath a cloudless sky, the heat rising from the pavement