Heart of Ice

Epilogue

Noplace was more lovely than Cherrystone in the full of a spring day. The cherry blossoms planted along the main arterials by the Boy Scouts in the 1960s were in their pompom prime. Whenever the breeze came down from the north, a little flurry of white petals filled the air, drifting around tires and along the curb. The winter had been beyond turbulent—but the spring promised, as it always did—a rebirth.

Jenna had been accepted into law school and would be attending Stanford in the fall. She was more than ready to pursue a career in criminal law. No young woman had seen so much, yet stayed steady and optimistic. She quit the BZs with an e-mail the same day that her mom agreed to marry the man she loved.

“We need to get on with our lives,” Emily had told her daughter. “We can’t always count on a second chance coming around again.”

Jenna and Shali decorated the gazebo in the Kenyons’ backyard with massive bouquets of cherry blossoms.

“I had no idea that you had so many cherry trees at your house, Shali.”

Shali rolled her eyes. “I know why you’re saying that.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I know that you know we don’t have any at my house. But hey, it’s your mother’s wedding and I like her. So I did a little snipping here and there last night two blocks down.”

Jenna measured another length of ribbon. “I hope my mom doesn’t get arrested for having stolen property at her wedding.”

Shali grinned. “I hope she does. We’ll get on the news for sure.”

Both girls laughed. They hadn’t laughed like that in a while, not since that terrible afternoon when Shali had been stabbed by Michael Barton. Her injuries had healed, and she was conscientiously attending her prescribed physical therapy sessions. Jenna marveled at her friend’s indomitable spirit. She’d be all right. They all would.

They stepped back from the gazebo. Indigo blue ribbons and white cherry blossoms were carefully braided around each post. It was, both girls knew, as beautiful as a dream.

“So your mom’s not going to run for a second term, huh?”

Jenna surveyed the yard. Things looked perfect. “Nope. Jason is, though. Mom and Chris are going to open their own investigative agency.”

“Like private eyes?” Shali’s eyes grew wide with intrigue.

Jenna picked up the roll of indigo ribbon. “Kind of like that. But Mom says, not half as exciting. Mostly hunting down deadbeat dads and working on insurance scams.”

Shali let out a laugh, touching her abdomen, still a little tender. “I’ll give her my dad’s last address.”

Jenna returned her best friend’s smile.

“Let’s go inside,” she said. “The wedding starts at two.”