Undercurrent of Secrets Read online

  Praise for Undercurrent of Secrets

  “Rachel skillfully binds dual-timeline love stories together against a fasci-nating backdrop—the Belle of Louisville steamboat. I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the twists and turns of the mystery surrounding a woman who went missing a century before. Surprising. Heartwarming. A beautiful overlapping of past and present.”

  –Becky Wade, Christy Award-winning author

  of the Misty River Romance series

  “Anchored by a historic riverboat, Undercurrent of Secrets links past and present in a tale featuring two sweet love stories. Readers will enjoy the lively banter and the relatable themes of finding yourself and following your dreams. Romance, adventure, and mystery abound in this charming split-time story!”

  —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of the Bluebell Inn series

  “I love a good dual-timeline novel and Rachel McDaniel makes a fantastic foray into the genre with Undercurrent of Secrets. I so enjoyed both story-lines and found myself relating in many ways to Hattie and Devyn. The romances are lovely and both the history and the mystery kept me turning pages…and I especially loved the steamboat setting! McDaniel’s latest is sure to charm readers. Highly recommended!”

  –Melissa Tagg, Christy Award-winning author

  of Now and Then and Always

  “With her latest novel, Undercurrent of Secrets, Rachel Scott McDaniel makes waves in the world of split-time romance with two marvelously intertwined tales set one century apart on the Belle of Louisville riverboat. The dreamy heroes and courageous heroines offer plenty of witty banter and moments to swoon over. While McDaniel’s talent for designing breath-stealing romance highlights the enchantment of the Belle, her instinct for creating page-turning suspense draws the reader along the shadowy riverbends and into the murky waters below. Be prepared to make room on your favorites shelf with this one!”

  –Janine Rosche, bestselling author of the

  Whisper Canyon Romance series

  Undercurrent of Secrets ©2021 by Rachel Scott McDaniel

  Print ISBN 978-1-64352-994-3

  eBook Editions:

  Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-64352-996-7

  Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-64352-995-0

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

  Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Photograph © Victoria Davies/Trevillion Images

  Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

  Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Author’ Note

  Dedication

  There is a river whose streams make glad the city

  of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

  PSALM 46:4 NRSV

  Thank You, God, for Your river of life that washes,

  sustains, and carries me home.

  Chapter 1

  September

  Louisville, Kentucky

  Some engagements end in happily ever afters, and some just end…on social media. Devyn Asbury stared into her master bedroom closet, the sag in her spine a direct result of today’s date on the calendar.

  Her mood called for leopard print flats. She’d grown up thinking a woman could change the world with the right pair of shoes, but so far all that had changed for Devyn was her spiraling trust issues. That, and her distaste for adventure—to which she had forty-nine million reasons to never fall into its lure again. To go all Lewis-and-Clark into the unchartered cyber wilderness had left her with a bare ring finger and a mountain of misery.

  With that oh-so-cheery thought, she slipped on her flats, grabbed her canvas bag off the dresser, and made her way to the door. At least the shakiness that had taken residence in her person all morning had subsided. Sighing, she punched in the alarm code for her penthouse. Under any other circumstances she’d revel in the luxury apartment overlooking the Ohio River in downtown Louisville. But Travis’s gifts had come with a hefty price tag. The sooner she shed this address, the quicker she’d free herself of everything that had haunted her these past ten months.

  Once out the door, she hustled down the hall, her footfalls loud against the terrazzo flooring. She allowed herself an hour leeway before work, craving those few extra moments to sit by the river. Her Bible was tucked next to a king-sized Hershey’s bar in her bag. Breakfast with Jesus and chocolate. The arsenal needed to survive this day.

  Her cell buzzed in her pocket. Steph’s name flashed, and Devyn came to a skidding halt in front of the elevators.

  Steph never called this early.

  But then, her superior knew what today was. Or rather was supposed to be. So this was probably a pity call. Dandy. She should no doubt prepare herself for condolence convos from her mom and brother. Mom’s would be a short “I’ll be praying for you,” and hopefully out of respect, Mitch would tame his wife Angie’s badger-like pursuits of hooking Devyn up with every eligible guy in a thirty-mile radius. Frowning, she answered. “What’s up, boss lady?”

  “Did you leave your posh palace yet?” Steph’s four-cups-of-coffee voice—excitable and with a shaky, elevated pitch—made Devyn blink. “You need to get here. Fast.”

  “Whoa. Steph. What’s going on?” She wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder and stabbed the Down button, summoning the lift. “Don’t tell me Carla Ludlow called off the wedding and we’re stuck with twelve dozen gardenias.” Devyn had toiled way too many hours getting things perfect for the ceremony and reception tomorrow. Which reminded her, she needed to call the DJ and make certain he was bringing the fog machine. Not sure why that was a priority for Carla, but if the bride-to-be requested it, then in the name of Vera Wang, she’d get it. Just because Devyn’s own dreams had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio, didn’t mean she wouldn’t work hard to make others’ come true.

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” She rushed the words. “I need to tell you something but not over the phone.”

  Devyn rolled her eyes. “Then why call?”

  “To ge
t your butt moving. I’m going to burst if you don’t get here soon. Oh, and I already got you a coffee, so you don’t have to make a Starby’s run. You know how the line gets at this time of day and if I had to wait any—”

  “Breathe, Steph.”

  “Right.” Her boss exhaled.

  “I’ll be there soon.”

  “Good.” Steph hung up.

  Because of the blister-inducing pace, Devyn was winded when she reached the wharf, but paused at her favorite spot on the Riverwalk, taking in the beauty of the moment. The Belle of Louisville perched upon the shimmering waters. Sunlight haloed her, as if crowning her whiteframed decks with a golden tiara, the glossy paddlewheel on the stern her crimson train. Devyn would never tire of the sight or that stirring within her every time she gazed upon the legendary vessel.

  No matter how pushy Steph had been on the phone, Devyn needed this moment. If a steamboat could survive over a century’s worth of storms with resilient grace, then there was hope for Devyn. Her gaze drifted to the boat anchored beside the Belle, which also happened to be a hundred-year-old boat. A lifesaving station. It didn’t escape Devyn that her office was aboard a vessel that, for most of its life, had been dedicated to saving lives. Because this job had rescued Devyn in so many ways.

  Thank You, God.

  After another second of reflection, Devyn took a deep breath of the crisp air and traversed the walkway aboard the green and white lifeboat. She headed straight toward her boss’s office, pausing in the doorframe. Her mouth opened to utter a greeting but all words died on her lips as Steph rushed toward her and cupped both her shoulders.

  “Before I go into our news, are you okay?” She searched her face, and Devyn wondered if her eyes were still puffy from last night’s sobfest. “I should’ve asked on the phone.”

  “I’m always good.”

  “Wow, you’re a bad liar. Here.” She grabbed a coffee cup from her desk and pushed it into Devyn’s hand. “Now try again.”

  She blew out a breath. “I’m as good as can be expected for a girl who’ll devote eight hours to another woman’s wedding today rather than attending her own.” Saying those words aloud stung, but seemed to satisfy Steph. “Happy now?”

  “Yep. I’m telling you, that man’s an idiot. I’m glad you’re not reducing yourself to becoming Mrs. Idiot.”

  As if Devyn had a choice in the breakup. She smiled at Steph’s narrowed eyes. “Fortune 500 thinks he’s a genius.”

  “What do they know?” Steph flipped her red-and-silver streaked locks over her shoulder with a sniff. With her fluffy, waved hairstyle and penchant for blazers with shoulder pads, it was as if she had stepped straight out of the eighties. “Besides, he stole your idea. So that makes him a jerkface too.”

  “Space Station was both our ideas.” Like a marriage of YouTube and Facebook, Space Station was designed to be the one-stop social media site. Everyone got their own “space” on the global station to upload videos, pictures, or just post about their day. She and Travis had pioneered it.

  How could she have known it would become the latest rage? Of course, their videos had helped it along. She cringed and tried to scrub her brain of the toxic thoughts.

  “You still should’ve had a cut.”

  “Oh believe me. I got my fair share. It just wasn’t in dollars.” She’d been paid a major lesson in trust and heartache.

  “That just makes me so—”

  “I kinda hate this subject. Especially today.” Devyn braved a sip of the mystery coffee. Ah, pumpkin spice. Her eyes slid shut, savoring the flavor. Things were getting better. It was hard to remain depressed when drinking autumn in a cup. “So what was your crazy call about?”

  “This.” She pulled a single sheet of paper from a stack of letters on her desk and held it high. “Hope this brightens things up for you. Though I should be miffed because you didn’t tell me you entered the Belle in Once Upon a Wedding’s contest.” She raised a brow in gentle rebuke, but her eyes gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

  “I never heard from them, so I assumed we didn’t make the cut.”

  “Well, we did!” She bounced on her toes. “We’re in the contest!”

  Devyn’s breath stalled in her chest. It couldn’t be. She must’ve heard wrong. “Wh-what?”

  “I printed off the email they sent.” Her boss handed over the letter.

  Heart racing, she took in the congratulatory statements, making certain Steph’s claim was legit.

  It was.

  The leading wedding organization in the country had selected the Belle as a finalist. After skimming the body of the message, Devyn lowered the paper, still processing it all.

  If she’d submitted the form and photos of the Belle five months ago, then why was she just now getting a response? “I figured we got rejected.” But the words before her said otherwise.

  The Timeless Wedding Venue was the most sought out award in the industry. When the organization had revealed this year’s criteria—all settings must be national landmarks—Devyn jumped on the opportunity to apply. Excitement stood in the doorway of her heart, but she was tentative to welcome it in. She’d been numb for so long the feeling almost seemed new.

  “The coordinator reached out to me because she never received a response from you. I’m betting her emails are sitting in your spam folder, because I found hers this morning in mine.”

  Devyn grimaced. “Stupid spam.” Technology had one-upped her again.

  “The announcement was posted at the end of July.” Steph gave her a sympathetic smile. “They listed the finalists on all their social media pages.”

  Ugh. Social media. Devyn had disabled all her accounts after that horrid night.

  “This is huge.” Steph glided over to the window and stretched out both arms in an exaggerated Vanna White pose as if showing off the Belle. “Our old gal can get prime time exposure if we win.”

  If we win. As if Devyn needed a further face-plant into reality. “Since they released the list over a month ago, how much time do we have before judges come?” The guidelines had stated that finalists had to host an event which showcased both the landmark’s history and why it proved the best location for a wedding.

  “That’s the thing.” Steph’s arms wilted to her sides. “The coordinator said they won’t allow us any additional days.”

  Not good. “Talk to me, Steph.”

  “October twenty-third.”

  The Hershey bar Devyn had scarfed down on her way here threatened to resurface. “That’s less than six weeks away.” No way they could do this.

  “We can do this.” Steph paced the small area in front of her desk. “All we need is a sound plan.”

  “Don’t forget that we have the Benefit Ball to plan for. That’s two major events.” Two major hits to the budget. Another aspiration ripped from Devyn’s hands. At least this time the virtual world wouldn’t witness it. A dull ache stretched behind her eyes, making her temples throb.

  “How about…” Steph popped her shoulder against a filing cabinet, determination marking her blue eyes. “We combine the events?”

  “Um, what?”

  She clasped her hands together, the smack of her palms making Devyn flinch. “It’s perfect. The Benefit Ball is the second week of November. All we have to do is move it up.”

  Steph made it sound easy, like switching around pieces on a chessboard. But each shifted chessman altered the dynamics of the game. And Devyn was predicting a checkmate in the near future. Another defeat. “It’s risky.”

  “Life is about risks, my love.”

  Devyn stiffened. She had once been a risk-taker, an adventure seeker, but never again. The past she couldn’t alter, but her future? Playing it chill would keep her from landing in another hot mess. “You realize we’ll have to adjust all our planning? By sliding up the Benefit Ball we cut our preparation time in half. We need to send out invitations in two weeks instead of four. We also have to tweak our decorations to incorporate a romantic theme
to satisfy the Once Upon a Wedding people. The whole idea is crazy.” Devyn pulled out her phone and opened her calendar app, checking what they had to work with.

  “I like crazy.” Steph’s smile widened. “We have fifty days—”

  “Thirty-nine.”

  “To wow both our beneficiaries and award judges.” She zeroed her mascara-laden gaze on Devyn. “I know you have what it takes to pull this off.”

  Oh to have that same confidence. Steph wanted to take on the universe, and all Devyn wanted was an aspirin.

  “Embrace this as an opportunity to show the world what you’ve got.”

  Her boss couldn’t have chosen a more terrifying turn of phrase. Because Devyn had no desire to show the world anything anymore. She’d shared enough of her vulnerable moments with strangers. But…this would be great publicity for the legendary lady. The Belle deserved a place in the spotlight, as long as Devyn could hide in the shadows. “Okay. We’ll give it our best.”

  Her sixty-year-old boss shimmied and wiggled her raised arm in some strange version of the Nae Nae—something Devyn would never be able to unsee. “I promise, Devyn. This is going to be fun.”

  Devyn would settle for survivable.

  “I’ll let you get to it.” Steph ushered her out the door then placed a manicured hand on her wrist, stilling her. “By the way, I heard rumors there can be secret judges who show up any time during the preparations, up until the event. You know, to enforce authenticity of the contest and make sure we’re the ones actually doing everything. Thought I should warn you.”

  Chapter 2

  Devyn didn’t have time to waste in planning, yet she’d already burned three days since learning about the contest. Granted, Friday and Saturday were booked with weddings aboard the Belle that Devyn oversaw, and yesterday was their annual bridal event, consisting of vendors, fashion shows, and every type of fancy dessert imaginable. Now, it was Monday and Devyn’s brain was mush. But she’d have to push through. From now on, every second counted. She refused to consider any of her moments free. Not until the ball was over and she had a grand prize plaque on her wall. Well, more like Steph’s wall. But Devyn would count the Belle’s win as her own.