The Heiress of Covington Ranch (Samantha Wolf Mysteries Book 4) Page 12

  “Are you going to tell me now?” she asks, her voice hoarse and demanding.

  Lisa tears herself away from the adoption papers at the sound of Cassy’s tormented plea. When she sees what Sam is holding, she looks back and forth between the two girls. “What’s going on?” she asks Sam, confused.

  “Cassy,” Sam says, ignoring Lisa for the moment, “You told me that your mom dropped out of school and moved away when she was sixteen. Did your grandma ever tell you why?” When Cassy shakes her head no, Sam opens the box. “You also said that she eventually made it into college and was married right after she graduated, but then died a short time later at the age of thirty, less than a year after you were born.”

  Ally is listening to Sam in rapt anticipation. If Sam is suggesting what Ally thinks, this is bigger than any mystery they’ve ever solved … and much more important.

  Gently, Sam moves things around in the shoebox, and then pulls out the old papers she’d briefly looked at the other night while in Cassy’s room. “You’ve thought all this time that this birth certificate is your mom’s, because it has her name on it. But I don’t think it is.” Offering the paper to Lisa, Sam holds her breath until the older woman takes it. “It does have her name on it, but the date is wrong. That’s been bugging me, and I think that now I know why.”

  Lisa is silent while studying the certificate, but her face changes from curious to amazement, and then shock, as she looks back and forth between it and the one from the tin box. “These are the same!” she chokes out, after forcing the words around a very large lump in her throat. “I believe that Cassy’s is the original, and this one,” she says incredulously, waving the other paper, “Is a copy of it.”

  “But how can that be?” Clara demands, staring at Cassy. The young girl appears frozen, her face pale.

  “The only other signature on the adoption paper besides my parents,” Lisa interrupts, looking again at the paperwork, “Is someone named, Anita Sue Tipton.”

  A sharp intake of breath causes everyone to look at Cassy. Tears are already spilling down her cheeks. “That’s Grams,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around herself as if cold.

  “If Cassy’s mom were a minor, then Grams would have likely signed the paperwork as her legal guardian,” Kathy offers as an explanation.

  Sam gasps as the reality sinks in. This has to mean that Cassy’s mom had another child, back when she was only sixteen. She gave her up for adoption, which was discreetly arranged between Grams and the Covingtons. Lisa was Cassy’s half-sister!

  “That’s why Grams moved us back here,” Cassy says aloud to herself. “And why she was so obsessed with the Covingtons. She knew all along!” With that declaration, her voice gains strength, and Cassy looks up at Lisa, a kind teacher she met just a few weeks ago and has grown to admire. A woman who now meant so much more.

  “Thanks to Sam, I have what I need to unlock my inheritance and restore the ranch,” Lisa announces loudly to everyone in the room. But in a surprise gesture, the new heiress turns and tosses the long sought after documents carelessly aside. Shaking her head, she walks up to Cassy and takes her hands in her own.

  “But those papers mean nothing in comparison to what else we’ve discovered,” Lisa states. “My dad was right. The bond of a family is love, and I believe he meant for us to find each other, Cassy. You’re my sister, and neither one of us will ever be alone again.”

  Cassy finally allows herself to believe what’s happening, and walks into the open embrace that Lisa offers. The two sisters hug each other, holding on tightly to the family they’ve both dreamt of for so many years.

  Ally steps up happily to Sam’s side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The two friends look at each other, both at a loss for words. They’ve been through some exciting escapades together, but this one is different.

  Sam is relieved to have solved the mystery of the ranch, and located the Eye of Orion, but the real treasures are the sisters that have been reunited!

  THE END

  Thank you for reading, ‘The Heiress of Covington Ranch! I hope that you enjoyed it, and will take the time to write a simple review on Amazon!

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011H7SG0K

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  Be sure to look for Sam and Ally in other exciting adventures in The Samantha Wolf Mysteries!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Author Tara Ellis lives in a small town in beautiful Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her husband, two teenage kids, and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years. She now teaches CPR, and concentrates on family, photography, and writing middle grade and young adult novels.

  Visit her author page on Amazon to find all of her books!

  http://www.amazon.com/author/taraellis