Chapter 1 - The Woman Behind the Closet DoorMorgan Hale had less than ten seconds to make another woman disappear.
The sound of the garage door rolling upward reached the second-floor bedroom just as Sierra froze beside the bed.
For one impossible second, neither woman moved.
Then Morgan looked toward the window.
Pierce’s black SUV was pulling into the garage.
“No.”
Her face drained of color.
“He’s home.”
Sierra’s expression changed instantly.
“You said Chicago until tomorrow.”
“He was supposed to be.”
A car door slammed below.
Morgan’s breathing became shallow.
“Closet.”
Sierra stared at her.
“Morgan—”
“Get in the closet.”
Footsteps entered the house.
Pierce called from downstairs.
“Morgan?”
Sierra grabbed the black gym towel she had left near the foot of the bed and rushed toward the walk-in closet.
Morgan shoved several hanging dresses aside.
“Go.”
“This is insane.”
“Please.”
Sierra stepped inside.
Morgan pulled the door shut.
Neither woman noticed that one corner of Sierra’s black towel had caught between the door and the frame.
Three inches of fabric remained visible.
Morgan looked at the bed.
One pillow was crooked.
She straightened it.
Two water glasses.
She grabbed Sierra’s and hurried into the bathroom.
Another voice called from downstairs.
“Mom?”
Ava.
Morgan’s five-year-old daughter had apparently heard Pierce too.
Morgan splashed water on her face.
Her pulse hammered.
She looked into the mirror.
Long brown hair slightly disordered.
Cheeks flushed.
She forced a smile.
Normal.
Look normal.
When Morgan reached the first floor, Pierce was setting his laptop bag beside the kitchen island.
He wore the same charcoal jacket he had left in Monday morning.
Except it was Wednesday.
He was supposed to be in Chicago until Thursday afternoon.
Morgan rushed toward him.
“You’re home!”
She wrapped both arms around his neck.
Pierce laughed awkwardly.
“Apparently.”
“I missed you.”
He kissed her cheek.
Morgan held him longer than usual.
Pierce gently pulled back.
“You okay?”
“Of course.”
He studied her.
“You look like you ran downstairs.”
“I was cleaning.”
Pierce glanced at her fitted leggings and athletic top.
“I thought you were training with Sierra.”
Morgan’s smile faltered.
Barely.
But Pierce noticed.
She recovered immediately.
“I was.”
“You said you had the gym until four.”
“We finished early.”
“Oh.”
Pierce smiled.
No suspicion.
Not yet.
Morgan touched his chest.
“Why are you home?”
“Client meeting canceled.”
“You could have told me.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
He smiled again.
Morgan wished he hadn’t.
“Actually,” she said quickly, “why don’t we go get coffee?”
Pierce frowned.
“Coffee?”
“Yeah. The place near the park.”
“I just drove five hours.”
“I know.”
“I kind of wanted to shower.”
Morgan laughed too brightly.
“Coffee first.”
Pierce looked at her.
“Why?”
Before Morgan could answer, little feet raced down the stairs.
“Daddy!”
Ava flew into Pierce’s arms.
His entire face softened.
“There’s my girl.”
“You came home early!”
“I did.”
“I drew you a horse.”
“A horse?”
“It looks bad.”
“I bet it looks amazing.”
“It doesn’t.”
Pierce laughed and lifted her.
Morgan watched them.
Then Ava looked toward the stairs.
“Oh!”
The child wriggled down.
“I forgot Bunny.”
She ran upstairs.
Morgan’s stomach tightened.
“Ava!”
The little girl disappeared around the corner.
Pierce looked at Morgan.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re acting weird.”
“I’m tired.”
He touched her arm.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Morgan smiled.
Then, from upstairs:
“Mom!”
Morgan closed her eyes.
Pierce looked toward the ceiling.
“What happened?”
Ava appeared at the top of the stairs holding a stuffed rabbit.
And a black towel.
Morgan stopped breathing.
Ava bounced downstairs.
“Mom, Coach Sierra forgot her towel again.”
Pierce looked at the towel.
Then at Morgan.
Morgan couldn’t speak.
Ava handed it toward her.
“This is hers.”
Pierce frowned.
“I thought you trained at the gym.”
Morgan opened her mouth.
Nothing came.
Ava pointed upstairs.
“It was stuck in Mommy’s closet.”
Pierce’s eyes moved toward the staircase.
Morgan stepped in front of him.
“Pierce.”
“What?”
“It’s not what you think.”
He stared at her.
“I don’t think anything yet.”
Morgan’s panic deepened.
“Let me explain.”
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Pierce heard it.
So did Ava.
Ava smiled.
“She’s still here!”
Morgan whispered, “Ava, sweetheart—”
Too late.
The closet door upstairs opened.
Sierra appeared in the hallway.
She wore black leggings and a gray athletic top.
No shoes.
Her blonde hair was loose rather than tied the way she wore it during training sessions.
Pierce looked at her.
Then at Morgan.
Then back at Sierra.
The house became completely silent.
Sierra’s lips parted.
“Pierce.”
He did not answer.
Morgan moved toward him.
“Please.”
Pierce stepped away.
Ava looked around at the adults.
She did not understand the silence.
She hugged Bunny against her chest.
Then, with the effortless innocence of a child who had no idea she was detonating a marriage, she said:
“Coach Sierra slept here last time too, Daddy.”
Pierce slowly turned toward his daughter.
Morgan went white.
Sierra closed her eyes.
Pierce’s voice was almost inaudible.
“Last time too?”
Ava nodded.
“Yeah.”
Morgan rushed forward.
“Ava—”
Pierce raised one hand.
Morgan stopped.
He looked at his wife.
Not angry yet.
Not shouting.
Just stunned.
“How many times?”
Morgan shook her head.
“Pierce, we need to talk privately.”
He looked toward Sierra.
The woman he had trusted enough to recommend to his wife.
To his friends.
To three colleagues.
A woman who had sat at their kitchen table.
Played with Ava.
Drunk beer with him after summer barbecues.
“How many times has she been in our bedroom?”
Morgan began crying.
That was when Pierce understood the answer was not going to be one.
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And judging from the terror on his wife’s face, Ava had not exposed one secret afternoon.
She had accidentally opened the door to months of lies.
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