Before Her Time

By Tracey Harris

Julia was a young and beautiful woman in her early thirties. She had a successful career as a freelance journalist, was the mother of twin boys, and was adored by her ex-husband Will. Julia had her whole life ahead of her, but on one ordinary day just like any other, things changed in an instant. For no apparent reason, Julia took her own life.

After Julia’s untimely death, Will returns home to his family for help raising the twins. He eventually meets Stacey, a successful career woman and coworker on a political campaign. Despite his grief, he falls in love and moves on with his life after losing Julia.

Over time, however, Will’s tragic tale begins to morph into something suspicious. Julia’s family never believed she would leave her sons of her own accord—and maybe she didn’t. Fifteen years later, Julia speaks from the grave, and the truth unfolds in a story of intrigue and betrayal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: May 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982290412

Tracey Harris

Spanning a career of twenty-five years, international author and speaker Tracey Harris has a passion for writing. She has published two books on leadership and coaching. Before Her Time takes her creative talents in a whole new direction.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Tracey Harris.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com.au

AU TFN: 1 800 844 925 (Toll Free inside Australia)

AU Local: 0283 107 086 ([phone] from outside Australia)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9040-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9041-2 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/15/2021

Contents

Chapter 1 The Church Wins

Chapter 2 Julia

Chapter 3 Julia’s Will

Chapter 4 It’s My Time

Chapter 5 The Long Journey Home

Chapter 6 Settling In

Chapter 7 A Fortunate (or Unfortunate) Meeting

37690.png

Chapter 1

THE CHURCH WINS

The worth of a book is measured by what you take  from it.

- James Bryce

W hen Stacey first saw him, thought, Where on earth did he come from? This handsome, impeccably dressed, and well-groomed man had just made her heart skip a beat for the first time in many years. In that instant, Stacey knew there was something about this man she wanted and needed to know more about. His face shone irresistibly beneath a three-day growth, and his smile was slight and alluring. She felt an instant attraction. He seemed somewhat aloof, and in that moment, they danced around the wonderful awkwardness that was destined to become a loving relationship, partnership, and marriage. It was not until many years later that Stacey would come to learn about the secrets that lay buried beyond his dark brown eyes.

So the story began.

In the early 2000s, Stacey was the chief of staff for Minister Ellen Seaton, and they were in the middle of a tough election campaign; the minister’s seat was only held by a margin of 1 percent. Her role was intense, and she worked long days well into the night. The team was considered to be one of the best around and worked well together. They were united in their efforts to ensure Ellen retained her seat, after winning the last two elections in a landslide.

It was a cold winter’s day, and it had been snowing for the past few days. Stacey had arrived at work early to prepare for the day. It was normal day just like any other, until he walked through the door. Coming from another state, he had moved back home with his five-year-old twins after his wife committed suicide six months earlier. He came from a large family and made the decision to return home to raise his children with the support of his family.

As Stacey pored over the schedule, she heard the bell ring at the front reception counter, and when she approached, she saw him standing on the other side of the counter with two small children. Hi, you must be Will, she said. I’m Stacey; it’s lovely to meet you. We’ve all been expecting you. Have a seat, and I’ll let the minister know you are here.

Stacey invited him to have a seat with his twins, saying that the minister was running a little late, but she would advise him when she arrived. As Stacey turned away from the counter, he said quietly how much he liked her smile. She pretended she did not hear his quiet tone and kept walking, but her heart skipped a beat.

After the minister arrived, she greeted Will and his twins. It was obvious from the familiarity between them that they had spoken before. She invited him into the kitchen, guiding him where to sit, and began to pour him a freshly brewed coffee. As they walked past Stacey, Will turned and thanked her for making him feel welcome. There was something in his manner, his tone of voice and expression that told her he wanted to linger. Stacey felt a little unnerved at feeling swept up in the moment, but she said, You’re welcome, shook off the awkward feeling, and went back to her desk.

Ellen called everyone into the boardroom and introduced Will to the team. Stacey found herself warming to Will and his two boys in an instant. Josh was a slight child and very shy, while Daniel was a little more outgoing and was keen to explore the office. The twins shadowed their father closely, and Stacey sensed a deep sadness about them. Will spoke softly to them throughout the meeting and displayed warm signs of affection that suggested he was an attentive father. Stacey’s colleague Sally looked at her intently across the table and smiled.

Sally had been on the lookout for a partner for Stacey for three years, ever since her colleague’s husband died, and crossed her fingers that Will was on his own with the twins, but then she thought to herself, Stop it; surely he was married. A good-looking, well-dressed man could not be on his own, so she pushed her thoughts aside to concentrate on the meeting at hand.

Ellen began, Will is joining us today as an important member of the team. He will be volunteering with us during this campaign and will lead our team as they door-knock the electorate. Will comes with many years of experience, having worked for various ministers both here and in other states, and I would like you to welcome him to the team.

Sally asked, Where did you come from? How long have you been back, and how did your wife feel about the move?

Will explained, My wife passed away about six months ago, so the best thing was to come home where my family can help me raise the twins. He spoke about his wife tenderly.

Sally nearly fell off her chair when she heard he was widowed and tried to catch Stacey’s gaze. Stacey dared not look at her, feeling a sense of sadness in her heart for this poor man and his children.

During the following weeks, Will visited the office often, always with the twins by his side. It seemed obvious to everyone that there was an attraction between Will and Stacey; he took any opportunity to work directly with her on the campaign trail. He was always well dressed and impeccably groomed, which impressed Stacey. She hesitated working too closely with him, scared he would hear her heart beating fast.

While talking with Stacey about his wife, he lovingly recounted how he and Julia had separated when the boys were two; however, they had remained good friends and co-parents. Our focus was on the boys, so we still lived in the same house to ensure they had stability. He shared the sad story of his wife who had battled with depression and anxiety throughout their four-year relationship. Julia moved onto a new relationship with a guy she had gone to school with, so I had no choice but to move on as well. I hoped that she would change her mind and rebuild our relationship.

When Stacey tentatively asked Will what had led to the breakdown of the relationship, he explained, Julia found it hard to settle into married life. She was driven by her work and the boys, not so much about the marriage. It was sad so see that her depressive moods and anxiety were the reason for the breakdown of the relationship. I could not bear staying in the house, so I sold it and moved back here.

Will looked as though he had lost the love of his life. Stacey believed every word he said but felt that that he was sharing a lot to a group of people he hardly knew. Despite this, her heart continued to skip a beat whenever he was around.

Will’s story captivated Stacey. The love he displayed for his sons and wife was palpable. The more he talked about Julia and the life they shared, the more Stacey wanted to know about this incredible man. He proudly showed photos of his beautiful wife and talked about how much he missed her, even though they were only friends up until her death.

Whenever Will got close to Stacey, and she kept thinking that he was too good to be true. He was smart, good-looking, dynamic, educated; he had experienced challenges in his life but was a great parent. Maybe he was too good to be true.

Over the next few months, they grew closer, and she began to put her misgivings aside. She had a nagging feeling in her stomach, but she dismissed it.

THE CHURCH

Will’s upbringing was interesting, to say the least. The youngest of nine children, he was raised in a lower middle-class family. The family did not have a lot to speak of; however, Will described there was plenty of love and noise to go around. His father, Stewart, worked in a factory owned by his brother, and his mother, Josie, stayed at home, looking after the children. While Will was raised in part by his older siblings, being the youngest, he was close to his mother. He would come home from school each afternoon, happy to see his mom, knowing that he would enjoy whatever she had spent the day cooking. From when he was a small child, Will enjoyed being in the kitchen with his mom and gained a lasting love of cooking.

Will’s parents and generations before were born into the church. Attending church was a way of life for Will, his parents, and his siblings. While Will often found church boring, he accepted this was his life, and he was easily able to recite the scriptures and respected the church’s rituals. At each service, he sat proudly with his father and brothers on one side of the alter while his mother, aunties, and sisters sat on the other. He found it difficult to sit for long periods, and he often wondered why the church elders had to speak for so long. He enjoyed the breaking of the bread with other family members and friends on the weekend, yet loathed school where other kids would bully him and teased him about his different look, haircut, and shyness. He longed to be liked and over time developed a tough persona that others could not penetrate. He just