Read Online Severed Threads by Kaylin McFarren - Free Book Online Page B

living in Alberta, Canada with a corporate attorney who had three kids of his own. Although she continued to send birthday cards and impractical gifts over the years, the message Rachel left regarding Sam's death was never acknowledged. Her phone call was never returned.
    The bitter memory lifted Rachel’s eyes. "Uncle… there’s really no reason to keep you. I’m sure you’ve got more pressuring matters to attend to."
    He angled a discerning look. "Well, I know you’re busy. I suppose I should get to the point of why I’m here."
    Finally.

He reached for Rachel’s hand and placed a set of keys in her palm. "I had a time convincing the new owner to part with her, but I know this is what your dad would have wanted."
    She drew her hand back and stared down at the gift, puzzled by his gesture.
    "They're for Stargazer ," he clarified.
    Rachel stared at him in astonishment. Without question, he was talking about her father’s106-foot motor yacht, outfitted with every possible amenity. Teak, polished brass, all the gauges and marine instruments her father could buy on credit. If it hadn’t been repossessed years earlier, she wouldn’t have hesitated to sell the grandiose toy that had come between them.
    "When the time is right, you and Devon should take her out on the water. Spread your dad's ashes in the place he loved most."
    Pressure was building at the back of her eyes. She struggled to stay focused, to keep her whirling emotions in check. “I…I don’t know how to thank you. It’s an incredibly gesture, Uncle Paul, but it’s just way too much and –“
    “It’s nothing. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get this handled. Between my trips abroad and personal obligations…anyway, she’s back where she belongs. Maybe you can even put a crew together and come visit me sometime.”
    Rachel nodded appropriately. When her uncle stood, she pushed herself upright. She pressed her arms around him in response to his hug. After he disappeared through the open doorway, she blew out a guarded breath and looked down at the menacing metal warming her palm. Without hesitating, she tucked her anguish into a coat pocket.
    For another time.
    After returning Chase’s file to the drawer, she collected her belongings and made her way back to her cramped office. She had just sat down at her desk when Marcy appeared in the open doorway.
    "I hate to tell you this," she said, "but your undecided vote called and left a message. It seems that Mrs. Van Dozer plans to vote against your funding request tomorrow."
    Rachel blew out a huff. Great. That’s all she needed. Another complication. But never had she willingly backed down from a challenge, even a sizeable one. By her estimate, she had just enough time to assemble her notes and primp before cornering Megan at the reception. If she failed in swaying the woman’s decision, there was every reason to believe Dr. Ying’s grant would be shelved permanently. All evidence would be tucked away and forgotten in the storage room’s dusty file cabinet. With her obligation completed, the adventure she’d been involuntarily drawn into would be coming to an abrupt, anticlimactic end.
     

Nine

    By the time Chase arrived, the swanky party was in full swing. He snagged a sparkling flute from a passing tray and scoped out the museum’s bustling arena. The floor was in perpetual motion. Tuxedos and cocktail dresses wove in and out, heads turned and bobbed, drinks flowed. A constant, respectable roar was muted with wafting music.
    Chase approached a small gathering of jewel-encrusted matrons. His broad smile was met with blank questioning stares. After maneuvering around them and shaking a few hands, he glimpsed Dr. Ying in the crowd. He intended to assure him that Rachel’s issues would be handled but, unfortunately, Ned Daniels intercepted him.
    The stout, curly-haired waiter was balancing two trays while random hands reached around him, snatching assorted appetizers. “Man, never