by Eve Gaddy
Will decided to wait a while to make his own announcement. Instead, he turned to Emmy. “I don’t like to bring up touchy subjects, but I saw Joleen come up to you at the service. Are things okay with her?”
Emmy’s expression sobered. “Poor Joleen. I really don’t think she meant to act maliciously. And after all, she did make sure that I went to live with Frannie. I owe her a lot just for that.”
“I still think she should have told you the truth long before now,” Riley said, putting his arm around Emmy and giving her a hug.
“She was afraid,” Emmy said. “And she’s trying to make up for it. She says I’m a carbon copy of my mother, and that’s why she was so shocked that first time we went to see her. We’re going to talk more about my mother soon. Joleen even offered to do what she could to help me trace my mother’s family, but I told her not to bother. Anybody who would abandon their pregnant teenage daughter isn’t someone I’m interested in knowing.”
Though he didn’t want to hurt her any further, Will still needed to know if she’d come to grips with the truth about Ray Jennings. “You’re okay about the—other side of your family?”
Her expression hardened. “My natural father, you mean. As okay as anyone would be, I guess. I saw him.”
“When?” Jed asked. “We would have come with you if you’d asked us.”
“I know you would have, but Riley was with me. It was . . . strange.” Her eyes clouded with memory. “I thought I’d feel something, some kind of connection to him, since I knew the truth. But I didn’t.” She included all of them in her announcement. “I didn’t feel a thing, except regret and anger that he killed Mom Fran. It was like looking at a stranger, because he is a stranger to me. And I don’t see that changing.”
“Did Ray say anything? About his treatment of you?” Will asked.
“Not much. He tried to justify what he did, you know, about totally denying my existence.” Her eyes sparkled now. “But he shut up pretty fast when I told him what I thought of him. And I know he was glad Riley was on the other side of the glass,” she said with a laugh. “I can’t blame Ray—Riley looked like he wanted to take him apart.”
“He’s not the only one,” Will said. But since Will hadn’t wanted to do anything to compromise the case, he’d had to settle for arresting him. Tessa slipped her hand in his and squeezed. He smiled down at her, reminded that he had an announcement of his own to make. But first, he had some unfinished business with Jed.
“I’ve been trying to find the right moment to return something of yours to you. Seems like this is it.” Will pulled Jed’s high school ring out of his pocket and handed it to him. “The prosecution doesn’t need it anymore. I told Fielder I wanted to return it to you.”
Palm open, Jed stared at the ring. “Thanks. I still can’t figure out how it got there, you know. I remember losing it, and looking everywhere for it.”
“Is that your senior ring, Jed?” Emmy asked, peering at the object in his hand.
“Sure is.” He turned it over, his eyes taking on a faraway expression. “Tessa found it on Beaumarais, where Frannie . . .” His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat. “Where Frannie was. It’s what led to my arrest.”
“I’m sorry, Jed,” Will said, unable to halt the feeling of guilt.
“Water under the bridge,” Jed told him.
“This was the evidence you couldn’t tell me about? The reason you arrested Jed?” Emmy asked Will. He nodded and she held out her hand to Jed.
“Can I see it, please?” Jed handed it over and Emmy studied the inside of the band. “She didn’t have time to get it engraved,” she murmured. “How ironic that something Mom Fran intended as a loving gesture was what almost got Jed convicted.”
“What are you talking about, Emmy?” Jed and Will asked at once.
“Mom Fran told me—I guess it was a few days before, when you were searching for it, Jed. She told me she had the ring safe and that she planned on having it inscribed as a surprise for your graduation.”
“It might have saved us a lot of trouble if we’d known that,” Will said. “But I couldn’t tell you, and I guess Jed and Gwyn never thought to.”
Jed shook his head. “No, we didn’t. Did Frannie tell you what inscription she intended to put there?”
Emmy nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “‘The future’s yours, F,’” she said softly, and gave the ring back to Jed.
Jed didn’t speak for a moment, then cleared his throat. His voice was husky when he said, “That sounds just like something Frannie would have said.”
Emmy covered his hand with hers. “I think we should have it inscribed now. She would have wanted us to.”
Will noticed Jed simply nodded, without speaking. He didn’t blame him. He was choked up, too.
“Something weird happened the other day,” Emmy said after a long pause. “Amanda came to see me.”
“Lucky you,” Tessa murmured.
“I think Ray’s revelations really shook her. And I hear her mother isn’t doing too well. She’s holed up in that house like a recluse, refusing to see anyone except Amanda.”
“Did Amanda actually acknowledge your relationship?” Gwyn asked. “Somehow I can’t see her doing that.”
Emmy nodded. “Sort of. She admitted that we’re technically half sisters, but she wanted to assure me that she didn’t expect us to have a real relationship, and she hoped I didn’t expect it, either.”
“Not much loss,” Tessa said.
“I understand why you don’t like her, Tessa, but you know, I felt sorry for her. And the funny thing was, I think she was lying. I think she’d like to have a sister, someone she could count on. She’s not lucky, like I am, to have two brothers and a sister-in-law.”
The perfect opening, Will thought. “What would you say to having another sister-in-law? Tessa and I are getting married in two weeks.”
“Wonderful!” She turned to Jed. “I told you they’d work things out.”
“Tessa’s taken a teaching position with Caddo Lake College, and I’m transferring to the East Texas division of my Ranger company. We’re going to stay in Uncertain.”
While congratulations abounded, he pulled Jed to the side. “I need a best man. I know it’s—if you’d rather not, I understand. But I wanted to ask you.”
“I thought we’d put our differences in the past, Will. I’d be honored to be your best man.”
“Will wanted to have it next weekend,” he heard Tessa telling Gwyn, Riley and Emmy. “But my mother intends to come, and she asked us to put it off another week.”
She still looked stunned that her mother was coming. Will was glad for her sake, though he didn’t fully trust the woman. But it meant a lot to Tessa to have her mother there.
“The wedding will be at the Methodist church,” Tessa added. “At three o’clock.”
“Do you have a place for the reception?” Jed asked. “Gwyn and I would be happy to have it here.”
“Thanks, but it’s going to be at Santiago’s,” Will said, and grinned at Tessa, remembering their conversation with Carlita. “Carlita’s already told me that if we don’t have it there, she won’t stop at boxing my ears.”
Everyone laughed and the six of them continued to talk and plan. Eventually Alanna came in, eyelids drooping, and Riley and Emmy left to put her to bed. Tessa and Will left shortly thereafter.
At home, Will pitched his coat and tie, and he and Tessa went out to the dock. “It’s hard to believe it’s over,” he said, standing behind Tessa and wrapping his arms around her. The water lapped at the dock. An owl hooted. “Frannie’s finally at peace.” And so was he.
“It’s not over, though,” Tessa said, turning in his arms. “Our life together is just beginning.” She kissed him and added, “Here’s to beginnings.”
“Beginnings,” he said, kissing her in return. “Frannie would like that.”
(Please continue reading for more information about Eve Gaddy.)
About Eve Gaddy
Photo credits: www.jwatkinsphoto.com
Eve Gaddy is the award-winning author of sixteen novels. She lives in east Texas with her husband of many years, and her incredibly spoiled Golden Retriever, who is convinced he’s her third child.