25

“Uncle Winston.” Skylar breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you before we left, but I needed to get Willow out of the country as soon as possible, and then our flight took a little longer than expected. The pilot had to divert around a couple of thunderstorms over the Atlantic. Now that we’ve landed, I wanted to let you know what’s going on.”

“I know about the threat against Willow and why you left. Thankfully, she’s no longer in danger. There’s too much to explain over the phone, but I’m working with Slade Marshal to bring the culprit to justice.”

“I figured it wouldn’t take long to sort this out with Slade involved. I only met him once, but he seemed the type of fellow that could manage to get things done.”

“He is, and we’ll catch up with details when you get back, but there is something that can’t wait.” Skylar braced herself. “Something has happened at the office. The money for the women’s shelter is gone. All of it.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t take it…Wait. You already know?” Skylar’s heart leapt. How could he possibly have found out? Had the authorities already been in touch with him?

“When Slade informed me of the plot to kidnap Willow, I moved the money in all of my accounts into a new savings account at a different bank. I figured if it looked like my money was gone, the scoundrel would have no reason to threaten my daughter.”

Skylar blinked. No way. But it made sense.

“That’s what I was calling about,” Uncle Winston continued. “I need you to make this month’s donation directly from that other account on Monday.”

And all this time she thought she’d be in jail by then. “Why did you use my office computer to transfer the funds?”

“My desktop was acting up, and I didn’t have time to problem solve. Willow and I had to catch our flight, so I used yours.”

Oh, wow. Skylar sat back on the sofa cushions as the weight she’d been carrying lifted. “I thought someone stole the money. I was afraid I would be blamed for it.”

“Oh, sweetheart. Even if the money had been taken, I would not have suspected you.”

The words soothed, but her insecurities remained. “I was a thief once, looked down upon by so many people. I won’t steal again, but trying to convince others of that is nearly impossible.”

“No matter how hard you try to redeem yourself, people are going to think what they want. But God knows what’s in your heart. His opinion is the one that truly matters.”

As if anointed, Uncle Winston’s words struck a chord deep in Skylar’s soul. “Then I guess it’s time I stop worrying about what other people think, accept the forgiveness God has already given me and move on with my life.”

Uncle Winston chuckled. “I’m glad you’re starting to come around. We’ll celebrate when Willow and I get home. We’re going to tour Italy for a while. It’s been too long since I’ve spent one-on-one time with my daughter. All this has made me reevaluate what’s truly important.”

Skylar allowed a smile to break through. “Yeah, me, too.” She’d wasted too much time striving to please people, to sway their opinions. Uncle Winston and Slade were right. She’d been forgiven by God a long time ago. It was time she started to act like it. She found a pen and notepad on an end table. “I need the account number and password so I can make the donation.”

He relayed the information, including the bank’s name. “Thanks for taking care of this. I’ll be in touch.”

Uncle Winston disconnected the call. In a daze, Skylar folded the paper, stuffed it in her back pocket and stared out the window. The lake glistened, sun sparkling off the water. Birds circled overhead as mountains framed the shoreline. The beauty and serenity seeped into her and a peace like no other descended upon her as she finally, truly accepted God’s forgiveness.

Slade and Sarah hadn’t returned yet, and Skylar took time to reflect. As she continued to look out over the water, a movement by the dock caught her eye. She surged to her feet; Lily stood on the dock, backing toward the water’s edge, a look of pure terror on her face as Aston Barnes stalked toward her.