Digging through old junk in a dusty attic isn't how Amelia Tate thought she'd be spending her Friday afternoon, but she promised a friend she'd help get some old facts about the town they live in so she could finish some report for extra credit. Her grandmother, Natalie Tate, was known to horde so she figured old newspapers would be in her chest. Her grandfather, Jeremy Tyler, passed away when they were both in high school and Grandma Natalie was always a little sad.
Amelia knows her grandmother raised her mother on her own and never married. Even when her mom died in a tragic car accident while Amelia was nine, her grandma raised her on her own with no help. She finally spots an old dusty trunk and unlocks it.
Inside is a bunch of old pictures and letters among other things. Most of the pictures are of Amelia's grandma and a young handsome man. He had black, slightly curly hair and light green eyes. He looked like he just won the lottery and his arm was wrapped around a girl who looked almost identical to Amelia herself! With dusty blonde hair and hazel eyes she was almost an exact replica of what her grandma used to look like! Rummaging around some more, Amelia finds old newspaper clippings and an old journal.
Thinking she'd find silly highschool drama and young love, Amelia unknowingly unlocks the truth. The truth about why grandpa passed away and why grandma is so sad all the time.
Her and her grandma have always been close, and she's about to discover why..
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
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Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.