Grave Secrets by Linda Trout

married, Jason had never made anything in the house seem small. In fact, Jason’s five-foot ten didn’t come close to Morgan’s six-foot plus frame. Nor had he been as well built.
    She shook her head. Why was she comparing the two men? One was dead, while the other kept getting in her face, making her feel things she didn’t want to feel. His presence, both earlier in the morning and this evening, unnerved her. She didn’t want to think about him, much less see him again. Yet, she had felt safe while he’d been there. The house had felt alive with him taking up all the space.
    “Oh, quit it,” she muttered.
    Giving in to her exhaustion, she slowly climbed the stairs to her bedroom. By this point, her knees were throbbing so she downed a couple of aspirin. After the day she’d had, she could have taken a sedative. The pills were in the cabinet, next to the aspirin bottle. She’d tried them once, but it had left her groggy and sluggish for two days. She didn’t know if it had to do with the strength of the medication or what. Maybe she should’ve gotten a milder dose. At any rate, it was irrelevant tonight. Plus, more than ever, she needed to stay focused. All she needed was the soothing tea to help her relax, and a good night’s rest. She’d get through the night.
    Somehow.
    Stripping out of her clothes, Sara tossed the shirt plus the shredded and blood-stained pants toward the wastebasket. She left them lying where they landed. For so many years she’d been the perfect wife, the perfect hostess, the perfect everything for Jason. No more. Today’s events tilted her world beyond anything that could still be classified as normal, and there was no going back.
    Finding the remains of a baby in Jason’s grave had jolted her system and was now giving her a renewed energy, a new strength. Sara knew in her heart—all the way to her soul—Kaycee was still alive. The DNA results would prove the poor baby wasn’t hers. First thing in the morning, she would increase her efforts in finding her daughter.
    It had been so long since she’d held Kaycee that Sara wondered if she’d even recognize her baby. As soon as the thought hit her, she sucked in a harsh breath. Of course she would. To not instinctively know her own child was unthinkable.
    Changing into her faded, worn cotton PJs, she finally began to feel like her old self. The image she projected was a facade. The only reason she stayed in this house was because of Kaycee. Sara couldn’t imagine living anyplace her daughter hadn’t been. Not yet, anyway. This was as close as she could get to the child—to the memory. She’d never let that go. However, once she had Kaycee in her arms again, this place would be history.
    The paramount question though, what was she going to do about the company? The family company. At the Board’s insistence, Jason’s cousin, Leo Martin, reluctantly took the helm, doing as well as could be expected after being suddenly thrust into the role. Although, his situation wasn’t any different than Jason’s.
    When their grandfather had died, Jason had no choice but to take over. The will had specified exactly who would be in control upon his demise. Personally, she didn’t think either one of the cousins wanted the responsibility. Jason had stepped up to the plate and done quite well, having increased the net profits by a good margin. Now it was Leo’s turn. She hoped his tenure was longer than her husband’s had been.
    Despite the turmoil during the last few months, Sara had still kept abreast of the business, still attended most of the Board meetings. Jason had held fifty-one percent of the stock, and now his stock belonged to her. She made a mental note to make a trip to the office soon to discuss possibilities with Leo.
    Sliding between the cool sheets, she retrieved the tea from the nightstand as well as the novel she’d been reading. But the words on the page blurred, so she finally gave up and set it aside. She finished the