Description for BEYOND THE GATES by Cynthia Bardes: Returning to their Atlanta mansion after the funeral of her husband, Virginia "Ginger" Johnson pauses in the foyer and gazes into the mirror. A woman of a certain age with a beautiful face and a fabulous figure stares back. I know I am strong, I know Ted has provided generously for me, but what lies ahead?The hours she spends riding her beloved horse Star at their estate in Florida keeps her body fit, her career as an artist keeps her mind open.Ginger learns Ted's will might not be valid. The three adult stepchildren are contesting it and her formerly devoted attorney is siding with them. While they greedily follow the money, she follows the advice of her best friend Dottie, an Atlanta doyenne, retreats to Three Oaks, and enlists a lawyer in Palm Beach.Three Oaks is an idyllic, gated community where Ginger finds healing in the company of friends. Through a chance encounter she meets Kevin McCoy, a dashing bachelor. A professional pilot on leave, he, like Ginger, has time on his hands. They become companions, feeling an uncanny affinity. Though he is much younger, Kevin wants to spend the rest of his life with her.Before she starts a serious relationship, Ginger wants to address her past. She meets with her new lawyer about Ted's will and shares a long-hidden secret. Carl agrees to investigate, and at Dottie's urging, Ginger asks Carl to learn what he can about Kevin McCoy's past.Meanwhile, Carl has been busy. His discoveries roil Ginger's world. Life after Ted is more tumultuous than she could've imagined.Ginger must make a choice: stay safe and small in her sheltered world or own her past and empower herself for a dazzling future.
