I Returned Home to Protect My Mother and Uncovered the Dark Secrets Hidden in Our Small Town
“I had to protect the diner,” she murmured, her lips trembling. “The Cains wanted it gone, and I couldn’t let them. Not after everything we’ve built.”
My world spun. The woman I saw as fragile was a warrior all along. “But, Mom, this is dangerous! They could—”
“They already have,” she cut in, strength behind her words. “I thought if I gathered enough, I could keep them at bay. I never wanted you involved. I thought I could do it alone.”
“You should have told me!” I felt the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. “We could have fought this together.”
“I didn’t want to drag you into this darkness,” she said softly, her gaze fierce and resolute. “But, Nicole, we have to leave. Now.”
As I worked to free her, the enormity of her secret pierced me. She was fighting a battle I had no idea existed, and all the while, I thought I was protecting her. The urgency pressed heavily upon us. I felt the truth settle around us like an unbreakable bond, the diner’s legacy far more complicated than I ever imagined. She had been guarding the last line of defense, a guardian angel at the helm of this storm.
