But now that we were back at the tavern, facing the world again, I felt equal parts anger and terror.
Who else would pay with their life because of me?
Was I selfish to stay?
If I’d hoped to find out what Bingham knew, that option was gone, but I had no regrets.
The tavern dining room felt too hot and too tight, and I suddenly needed fresh air.
“I’m going to go out front for a moment,” I told Marco.
Surprise filled his eyes. “I’ll go with you.”
I shook my head. “Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
He hesitated, and I saw a war raging on his face. “Five minutes, then I’m checking on you.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Deal.”
I headed out the front door and paced the sidewalk, sucking in deep breaths. I sneaked a glance over at the motel, and fresh tears sprung to my eyes. Would I ever be able to think about Jerry without crying?
“That’s where you found him, huh?” a male voice said from behind me.
I spun to face him, shocked to see it was Ricky. “What?”
He gestured to the motel parking lot. “You found him over there.”
He was talking about Seth.
My throat burned, and the pain of Seth’s murder resurged with a vengeance, compounding the grief and guilt I already felt for Jerry. I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Was he alive?” His voice broke.
I nodded again. “He was worried about his grandfather.”
“Was he in a lot of pain?”
I took a breath. “No. I don’t think so. I held his hand, so he wasn’t alone.”
Ricky was quiet for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on the parking lot.
“You said you’d like to know more about him.” He glanced down at the sidewalk and toed a crack with the tip of his sneakered foot. “Nobody wants to talk about him. They think it’s weird.” He glanced up. “Do you still want to know about him?”
My chin quivered as I fought tears. I worried I’d scare him off. What teenage boy wanted to deal with a weeping woman? But there were tears in his eyes too.
“Yeah,” I choked out.
He sat down on a bench in front of the tavern, then gave me a questioning look. “What do you want to know?”
I walked over and sat down next to him. “Tell me everything.”
***
The Lies She Told
Carly Moore #5
June 8, 2021
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Also by Denise Grover Swank
Carly Moore
A Cry in the Dark
Her Scream in the Silence
One Foot in the Grave
Buried in Secrets
The Lies She Told
Rose And Neely Kate reading order:
Family Jewels
Trailer Trash
For the Birds
Hell in a Handbasket
In High Cotton
Up Shute Creek
Come Rain or Shine
Dirty Money
When the Bough Breaks
It All Falls Down
( February, 2021)
Rose Gardner Investigations
Family Jewels
For the Birds
Hell in a Handbasket
Up Shute Creek
Come Rain or Shine
When the Bough Breaks
It All Falls Down
(February 2021)
Neely Kate Mystery
Trailer Trash
In High Cotton
Dirty Money
Magnolia Steele Mystery
Center Stage
Act Two
Call Back
Curtain Call
Darling Investigations
(Humorous mystery romance)
Deadly Summer
Blazing Summer
Rose Gardner Mysteries
Novellas are bonus material
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES
FALLING TO PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
PICKING UP THE PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS
ROSE AND HELENA SAVE CHRISTMAS (novella)
RIPPLE OF SECRETS (novella)
THIRTY-FOUR AND A HALF PREDICAMENTS
THIRTY-FIVE AND A HALF CONSPIRACIES
THIRTY-SIX AND A HALF MOTIVES
SINS OF THE FATHER (novella)
Asheville Brewing
Rom com series
Cowritten with A.R. Casella
Any Luck at All
Better Luck Next Time
Getting Lucky
(January 12, 2021)
Bad Luck Club
(March 2021)
The Wedding Pact
(Humorous contemporary romance)
THE SUBSTITUTE
THE PLAYER
THE GAMBLER
THE VALENTINE (short story)
Bachelor Brotherhood
Spinoff of The Wedding Pact series
ONLY YOU
UNTIL YOU
ALWAYS YOU
From the Ashes
Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Let it All Burn
Bluebird Bay
Women’s fiction
Cowritten with Christine Gael
Finding Tomorrow
Finding Home
Finding Peace
Young adult contemporary romance
ONE PARIS SUMMER
Off the Subject Series
(New adult contemporary romance)
AFTER MATH
REDESIGNED
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Also by Denise Grover Swank writing as D.G. Swank
CURSE KEEPERS WORLD
(Urban fantasy)
Curse Keepers Trilogy
The Curse Keepers
The Curse Breakers
The Curse Defiers
Curse Keepers Collection (box set)
Piper Lancaster Series
Of Ash and Spirit
Of Fire and Storm
Of Blood and Monsters
The Chosen Series
(Adult urban fantasy)
Chosen
Hunted
Sacrifice
Redemption
Book of Sindal
Descended from Shadows
Reign of Mist
Crown of Blood
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult sci fi romance)
Here
There
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomad, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.