Bodies & Buried Secrets: A Rosewood Place Mystery (Rosewood Place Mysteries Book 1) (18 page)

Sunlight filtered through the branches of the old magnolia tree out to the front left side of Rosewood Place. Annie adjusted the wrought iron bench that sat beneath its branches, then stepped back to admire how it looked beneath the majestic old tree. The bench had been just one of many beautiful pieces of furniture Annie had found stashed up in the attic when she’d finally got around to clearing it out.

Rory had spent nearly a week solid working to transform the dusty, dank space into a gorgeous bedroom for Devon. It was unrecognizable from its former state, and that was a good thing. In fact, the entire house now seemed to shine and glimmer with hopeful anticipation, waiting for the first guests to arrive.

It had been several months since the police had carted Daniel Tremaine away, and apart from having to testify against him in a few short weeks, the stress and horror of those first few days in her new home had slipped from Annie’s mind as easily as if she’d walked through a door. The trial wouldn’t bother her; Emmett had assured her that there was no risk of Daniel Tremaine ever seeing another day of freedom in his lifetime.

Annie cast her eyes towards the hill and the small cemetery there. It had taken a few days and a lot of hard work, but she, Rory, and Devon had diligently worked to clear the weeds and briars from the old stones that still marked the Cooper family graves. Rose’s stone had been the last they’d found, and Annie felt a pang of sadness every time she looked at it. Rose never had a chance to have a family of her own, and with John’s death, that particular branch of the Cooper family line had effectively died out.

Annie could see Rory and Devon working on the hill, erecting a small fence around the graveyard. Rosebushes stood nearby in a white bucket, waiting to be planted. Her son looked almost as unrecognizable as his new room, with hair bleached from days spent working outdoors, helping Rory and chasing his irascible kitten around the property. He had a farmer’s tan and a smile that Annie hadn’t seen since he was little, and though she knew these physical changes were only minor, it was the changes in the boy’s demeanor that impressed her the most.

Her formerly sullen teen had blossomed into a friendly, funny, and helpful young man. Of course, she thoroughly blamed Rory for this, as Devon seemed to have adopted him as his role model for the summer. Annie hoped the new school year would be a smooth transition for Devon, and although she’d had her doubts when they first moved back to Coopersville, Annie was certain she’d made the right choice now.

Annie entered the kitchen through the side door, finding her mother in the middle of frosting a cake. “For our dinner guest,” she explained, licking buttercream frosting off of one spindly finger. Bessie had invited Emmett to eat with them as the first official guest at Rosewood Place. Although he would not rent a room, he would be the first person outside of their little circle to formally dine in its newly renovated halls.

Smiling and nodding, Annie grabbed herself a glass and filled it with sweet iced tea, then made her way to the veranda, where a cool breeze provided relief from the smoldering summer heat. As Annie sipped her tea and surveyed her land, she knew without one single doubt that she was home for good, exactly where she was meant to be.

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Look for the next book in the series, Corpses & Conmen, coming soon!

In the meantime, why not check out my cozy mystery series, the Carly Keene Cozy Mysteries?

Dead Before the Wedding

Gravely Dead

Love, Death & Christmas Cookies

Can't Beat A Dead Horse