Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) by Sherri Wilson Johnson

maybe he had someone else do it. Is that possible?”
    Pops roared with laughter. “You’re not as sharp as you used to be when you was practicing law. Anything is possible with Louie.”
    The rest of the conversation soured Phil’s stomach even more than it already was. He had a lot to think about after talking to Pops.
    #
    Kathryn drove away from Phil's white-and-turquoise beach house on stilts, the events of the day swirling in her head like a hurricane. Lunch with Phil was probably the best time she'd had with a man in ages—if ever. The appeal went beyond his physical appearance. Kindness bubbled out of him and poured all over her. A genuine kindness. He didn't merely flirt with her or seem out to get something from her like so many of the men she encountered daily at work. He laughed, and the room lit up. Kathryn felt lighter when with him. He made her believe that life didn't have to be complicated. He’d taken a genuine interest in her case and showed a true desire to help her succeed.
    And church—what had happened to her in there? Maybe tiredness and worry had overtaken her, but it felt like something else. She hadn't let her guard down like that in years. She should've gone into that building as armored as she went to court. But she hadn't, and what resulted was a chink in her armor and new questions about her purpose.
    The reality that she'd placed her treasure in her career had seeped into her heart during the pastor's message. She'd never wanted it to be that way, but Daddy had pushed her, and she wanted to prove to him that she was tougher than Mom. To make him proud of her so he'd never replace her. Now she was sitting in a puddle of success and loneliness. Mediocre success, at that, and it had resulted in her failure at love and her dissatisfaction with everything.
    If career and love weren't where her treasure needed it to be, then where? The pastor and everyone she met at church seemed to have something she didn’t have. Was it joy maybe? Their treasure was in a relationship with God and their friends. Was that the secret? Was that Phil's secret? He'd walked away from law and from a family that manipulated him, and he was obviously happy. The glimmer in his eyes said that.
    Kathryn opened the door to the condo, and Sadie greeted her with a wagging tail and overzealous tongue. "Hey girl. Did you miss me?" Kathryn kicked off her shoes and deposited her purse and keys on the bar. A swim was what she needed to shed her unrest—to clear her mind of everything that bombarded it.
    #
    Phil slammed his front door and yelled until his throat burned and his chest threatened to explode. He tossed his phone on the table and flipped himself over the back of his brown leather couch. "Why, Lord? Why did Uncle Louie commit murder? Why does Kathryn have to be the prosecutor?" He tossed his glasses on the coffee table and closed his eyes. He plopped his forearm over his eyes to starve out the light.
    Pops had all but commanded him to represent Uncle Louie. Said he owed him the favor for allowing him to escape New York. The shame in Pop's voice crushed him, shame over Phil leaving the family. Not shame over Louie's crime. Pops would defend his brother-in-law over defending his own son? What a backward way of thinking.
    Phil pushed himself up and rested his elbows on his knees. He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his beard. "What am I going to do?" He needed to talk to Kathryn but didn't have a way to get in touch with her. He opened his laptop on the coffee table. "There's got to be a number or an email address for her somewhere." He pulled up Perkins County's website and searched for her by name. "Bingo!" There was her email address.
    Hey Kathryn, I enjoyed lunch today. And I'm glad you were able to attend church. I'm contacting you via email because you didn't give me your number. We'll talk about that next time, by the way. I need to let you know something I found out about the case. Please call me as