Skelly McKenna, host of The Whole Truth, tells a story about Rosalind Van Strattan's grandmother that makes her angry and worried that her company Temptress will suffer. Digging into the past puts them both in danger even though Skelly doesn't believe in his grandmother's legacy. Roz holds the key to the story of a lifetime...one that could make his career...and ruin her family.
***
The McKenna Legacy
To My Darling Grandchildren,
I leave you my love and more. Within thirty-three days of your thirty-third birthday-enough time to know what you are about-you will have in your grasp a legacy of which your dreams are made. Dreams are not always tangible things, but more often are born in the heart. Act selflessly in another’s behalf, and my legacy will be yours.
Your loving grandmother,
Moira McKenna
P.S. Use any other inheritance from me wisely and only for good, lest you destroy yourself or those you love.
***
Tell Me No Lies
Prologue
LILY LANG STARED OUT at the fog blanketing the river valley as the church clock below struck eleven. With a shrug of her shoulders, her dinner dress slithered down her full hips and puddled around her sling-backed high heels.
A fog of unhappiness was choking the very breath from her.
How had it come to this? Her life was in the dumper. Her divorce from Noah was to be finalized within the week. No matter how much she still loved him, she couldn't put it off any longer. His monstrous jealousy was too frightening. And news of the public fight she'd had with Frank earlier that evening was undoubtedly already spreading like wildfire.
What else would she expect? The citizens of her home town had always been hypercritical of her, no matter how highly she was regarded by the rest of the country.
Maybe she never should have left Hollywood.
But if she'd never left, Claudia wouldn't have been born.
Thinking about the pretty, shy daughter who – to her constant amazement – was a budding young woman, brought a bittersweet smile to her lips, anguish to her heart. Noah had threatened that unless she gave up on what he called her crazy divorce idea, he would seek sole custody of their only child. With his old family money and social position, no doubt he would succeed. He would name every man she'd ever been seen with during their several separations. And the courts would believe the worst of her, even as he did. Even as the town did.
Once notorious, always notorious.
Who was she to be a role model for an impressionable thirteen year old?
Claudia's mother, that's who, Lily reminded herself.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she crossed to the dresser in the dark, finding her brush and stroking the long tresses for which she'd become known. Her nearly waist-length silver-blond hair was not only her vanity but had made her famous.
Perhaps if it hadn't...
Lily threw the brush down to the dresser. She needed a good cry. She deserved one. About to indulge herself, she went all wide-eyed instead when a sharp noise emanated from below.
A gunshot?
Heart pounding, she rushed to the bedroom door and threw it open even as a second shot rang out.
Fingers curling into the hand-carved landing rail, her mouth too dry to call out, Lily looked down to the first floor. She could see nothing from where she stood. The staircase and foyer below were as dark as her bedroom had been. Only half-considering the advisability of facing someone with a loaded weapon dressed as she was in a satin slip, Lily tore down the stairs, her treacherous heels making her stumble as she neared the bottom.
Catching hold of the banister to steady herself, she noted a light shone from beneath the pocket doors of the front parlor.
Holding her breath, Lily crept forward and listened intently. Through the wooden panels, she could hear nothing but the tortured sound of choked sobs. With shaking hands, she slid open the double doors...
***
The McKenna Legacy
To My Darling Grandchildren,
I leave you my love and more. Within thirty-three days of your thirty-third birthday-enough time to know what you are about-you will have in your grasp a legacy of which your dreams are made. Dreams are not always tangible things, but more often are born in the heart. Act selflessly in another’s behalf, and my legacy will be yours.
Your loving grandmother,
Moira McKenna
P.S. Use any other inheritance from me wisely and only for good, lest you destroy yourself or those you love.
***
Tell Me No Lies
Prologue
LILY LANG STARED OUT at the fog blanketing the river valley as the church clock below struck eleven. With a shrug of her shoulders, her dinner dress slithered down her full hips and puddled around her sling-backed high heels.
A fog of unhappiness was choking the very breath from her.
How had it come to this? Her life was in the dumper. Her divorce from Noah was to be finalized within the week. No matter how much she still loved him, she couldn't put it off any longer. His monstrous jealousy was too frightening. And news of the public fight she'd had with Frank earlier that evening was undoubtedly already spreading like wildfire.
What else would she expect? The citizens of her home town had always been hypercritical of her, no matter how highly she was regarded by the rest of the country.
Maybe she never should have left Hollywood.
But if she'd never left, Claudia wouldn't have been born.
Thinking about the pretty, shy daughter who – to her constant amazement – was a budding young woman, brought a bittersweet smile to her lips, anguish to her heart. Noah had threatened that unless she gave up on what he called her crazy divorce idea, he would seek sole custody of their only child. With his old family money and social position, no doubt he would succeed. He would name every man she'd ever been seen with during their several separations. And the courts would believe the worst of her, even as he did. Even as the town did.
Once notorious, always notorious.
Who was she to be a role model for an impressionable thirteen year old?
Claudia's mother, that's who, Lily reminded herself.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she crossed to the dresser in the dark, finding her brush and stroking the long tresses for which she'd become known. Her nearly waist-length silver-blond hair was not only her vanity but had made her famous.
Perhaps if it hadn't...
Lily threw the brush down to the dresser. She needed a good cry. She deserved one. About to indulge herself, she went all wide-eyed instead when a sharp noise emanated from below.
A gunshot?
Heart pounding, she rushed to the bedroom door and threw it open even as a second shot rang out.
Fingers curling into the hand-carved landing rail, her mouth too dry to call out, Lily looked down to the first floor. She could see nothing from where she stood. The staircase and foyer below were as dark as her bedroom had been. Only half-considering the advisability of facing someone with a loaded weapon dressed as she was in a satin slip, Lily tore down the stairs, her treacherous heels making her stumble as she neared the bottom.
Catching hold of the banister to steady herself, she noted a light shone from beneath the pocket doors of the front parlor.
Holding her breath, Lily crept forward and listened intently. Through the wooden panels, she could hear nothing but the tortured sound of choked sobs. With shaking hands, she slid open the double doors...
