Beyond (BOOK 1.5)

by Pearl, Melissa

  He whirls me around, my neck jerking painfully.

  "Where is he? Where's Adam!"

  "Ow! Let go of me!" I try to wrestle my arm free, but he won't have it. His fingers pinch into my upper arm. I look along the street, hoping for human traffic, but there's none. A few cars drive past, but they're probably just seeing the Sheriff trying to bring a wayward teen into line.

  Should I start yelling? Would that even help?

  The Sheriff's dragging me towards his car. I nearly trip, but he hauls me back to my feet.

  "Take me to him, now."

  "No." I try to stand my ground, but am forced forward. We're at the car now. He slams me against it and does that thing where he gets in my face again.

  "Tell me where he is. What did you make him do?"

  "Nothing. It was his decision."

  The Sheriff's hard veneer cracks, his skin paling and his eyes flooding with fear. "He's gone to the mayor?"

  The flash of worry is swiftly replaced by a molten rage. His fist bunches tight and I'm sure he's about to punch me in the face. Instead, he slams the roof of his car and yells, "You've made him throw his life away!"

  Opening the door, he shoves me into the car and marches around to the driver's side. I'm tempted to get out and make a run for it. But, he's started the car before I can react. It takes like a minute to get to city hall. He screeches into the parking lot and slams on the brakes right outside the door.

  My door is ripped open, and I'm once again hauled from the car. His voice is a menacing whisper in my ear as he drags me into the building. "You are going to tell the mayor exactly what I say or your little boyfriend is going down. That police record of his has him walking a very fine line. It's not going to take much to make him fall. One little slip up and he's in for it. I can make that slip up happen. Are you understanding me, Nicole?"

  I am. The look on his face tells me he's all too serious. If I don't get Adam out of this, he's going to frame my boyfriend.

  "You're such an ass." Man it feels good to finally say that to his face. I've been thinking it for months.

  His brows pinch together in a tight line. Yanking me past reception, I'm basically tripping over my feet as the Sheriff leads us to the mayor's office. He's obviously familiar with the building, because no one seems to question him as we march our way through.

  The mayor's PA is just hanging up the phone as we stop by her desk.

  The sheriff loosens his grip and pastes on a smile.

  "Well, hello Sheriff." She grins. "The mayor's just let Adam through, says he always has time for your boy."

  "Thanks." Sheriff Hutton forces out the words. "Sorry we're late."

  Janine looks slightly confused, but nods anyway. "Okay, well, just head on through."

  Adam is sitting in an arm chair, next to a low coffee table. The mayor is adjacent to him, looking concerned. There's a look of agony in Adam's eyes that quickly morphs to terror when he sees us barging in.

  "Mayor Stanford, sorry we're late."

  "Dad." Adam swallows. "What are you...what are you doing here?"

  Adam looks to me. I mouth an apology then glance at the mayor. The man's jovial face looks unusually serious. I'm not used to that stern expression. I've never really spoken to the guy before. I know he thinks my mom rocks, but does he even know who I am?

  "Good afternoon, Nicole." The mayor holds out his hand. I tentatively shake it then take a seat when he points to the chair next to Adam.

  The Sheriff sits down beside me, his agitated fingers digging into his knees.

  "I'm so sorry about all the confusion, Johnson." He looks at the mayor with a strained smile. "These kids have been cooking up a plan behind my back, and I've only just found out about it. I brought Miss Tepper down here to clear things up...get the story straight."

  He points a glare at me that reminds me of his whispered words. I swallow and glance at Adam before opening my mouth.

  "I um…" I scratch the side of my nose. Shit! What do I do? The sheriff can't get away with this, but if I don't lie, he'll bury Dale. "I..."

  "Don't make her do this, Dad." Adam sighs. "Just let us tell the truth and get it over with."

  "She is going to tell the truth, son." He grips my shoulder, a firm reminder of his warning.

  I look to the mayor. His face is annoyingly neutral, giving me no clue how much Adam may have already told him.

  "Well, um..." I'm never usually this lost for words. Can I just weave some bullshit story?

  "Nicole." The mayor leans forward in his chair. "Do you know who was driving the car that hit you last year?"

  I sigh. I can't weave some bullshit story, because all of us have been sitting on the truth for months. I look to Adam, and he gives me an appreciative smile of all things. He wants me to say it. He wants me to spill the beans.

  "Sir." I find the mayor's eyes and hold my gaze steady. "Adam Hutton hit me with his car. He'd been drinking and was afraid of what might happen, so he kept driving. When his father saw his car, he questioned him and the truth came out."

  "That's not true," the sheriff interrupts, but I keep going.

  "In order to protect his son, he tried to hide what happened. Dale discovered the truth and could have exposed them both, but never said a word."

  "That's a lie!" The sheriff jumps from his chair. "Johnson, you shouldn't have to listen to this." He points to me. "Look at her track record. She's been nothing but trouble for this town, and now she's trying to dump my son in it. No doubt he didn't return her affections, and now she's after revenge. I won't stand for it. My son has done nothing wrong! I will not let him take the fall for this manipulative vixen. And as for the Finnigan kid, he's got another thing coming. I caught him trespassing on my property, trying to steal Adam's car, but I decided to give him one last chance, show a little compassion."

  "What?" I bounce up from my seat. I can't help it. The sheriff is being such a dick! "You don't even know what the word compassion means! I bet you can't spell it either!"

  "Watch your mouth, young lady. You're speaking to an officer of the law." He points down at me, making me feel short and inferior.

  "Dad, stop." I can hear Adam in the background, trying to calm his father down.

  "I went out of my way for you, and this is how you repay me? By trying to drag my son through the mud. Is one tarnished reputation not enough for you? Have to spread your vile filth everywhere else too, huh?"

  His poisonous words bounce right off me. I'm too pissed to take any of them in. "You are so full of sh—"

  "Enough!" The mayor raises his hand. "Sit down, both of you."

  Like reprimanded children, we slump into our seats. I'm fuming. The blood in my veins is surely at boiling point. My skin feels hot and red. I'm so glad I'm not near a mirror right now. Breaths puff from my nose, indignant and noisy.

  The mayor takes his time eyeing all three of us carefully. His gaze finally settles on Sheriff Hutton, his eyes taking on a hard sheen. "Gerry, you're the only one with a different story and I guarantee if I bring in the Finnigan boy - who has been nothing but a star citizen since moving here - he'd probably verify exactly what these two have been saying."

  The sheriff scoffs, looking incredulous as he points at me and Adam. "You're going to believe a bunch of kids over me?"

  "Yes. I am."

  "That's insane. I'm the town's sheriff."

  "I know." The mayor looks disturbed by this, his face puckering with a sad frown before looking at Adam and me. "You two, I'd like you to wait out in the hall please. I need to talk to the Sheriff alone."

  It sounds so ominous, but I rise from the couch and make my way to the door. Adam follows me in robot mode, looking shell-shocked and afraid.

  We slump into the two seats farthest from chipper Janine. I feel a heavy sadness on me as I watch Adam pick at his jeans.

  On impulse, I reach for his hand and squeeze it.

  I'm expecting him to wriggle his fingers free, but instead he grips back and whispers,
"Thank you."

  Shaking my head with a frown, I can barely talk. "I never meant to throw you in it like this. Your dad's gonna be pissed at you."

  "It's okay, Nicky." He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. "It was time it all came out. Living with this has been killing me."

  "But what if your Dad tries to hurt you?"

  "He won't." Adam takes in a breath. "I won't let him. Besides we have the mayor on our side now. Everything's going to be okay."

  I give him a shaky nod, finding it ironic that Adam's now the one trying to convince me to be brave. I think about the Sheriff's threat against Dale and hope Adam's right. With the mayor on our side, hopefully Dale will come away from this none the wiser.

  The phone in the side of my bag beeps. I pull it out.

  Where are you? Are you okay?

  I look at my watch. Shit! Dale!

  Chapter 11

  I go to start texting him back, trying to figure out a good excuse.

  "You should just call him." Adam nudges me with his elbow.

  "What am I supposed to say?"

  "Tell him the truth."

  "I can't do that."

  "Why not?"

  "Because he'll...he'll know what I've been up to."

  "And you don't want to tell him, because..."

  "He's really protective of me. He'll be annoyed that I've put myself in this position."

  "Since when have you ever been afraid of someone getting annoyed with you?"

  I can't help a smile. "Dale's different, Adam. I don't want to lose him."

  Adam's chuckle is soft. "Bravery's a choice, remember?"

  I flick the guy a very droll look before pushing myself out of the chair and limping into the corridor. My finger hovers over the screen as I take in a quick breath. My phone beeps again with a second message.

  Where are you?

  He picks up after one ring. "Hey, are you okay? I've been looking for you everywhere?"

  "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

  "We were supposed to be at the gym 20 minutes ago. Where are you right now?"

  "I'm..." I glance around me and take in the walls of city hall, then press my lips together. "I'm at home."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a really bad headache and needed to come home."

  "You should have told me. I would have driven you. I knew something was up when you didn't join me for lunch."

  "Sorry, I didn't want to bother you."

  "Seriously?" Dale sounds surprised. "Babe, that's so not your style."

  "Haha."

  He chuckles at my sarcastic reply, completely oblivious to the fact I'm lying to him. Guilt singes my center, but I push it away.

  "Do you want me to come over?"

  "Actually, I just really want to go to sleep. Mom's given me some meds and I'll probably be out in a few minutes anyway."

  "Okay, have you called the physical therapist?"

  "Oh shoot! I forgot."

  "Don't worry. I'll do it." I can hear the smile in his voice. "I might just head down there and work out anyway."

  "Okay." I try not to sound miffed that I'm going to miss out on seeing that. I need to sound poorly, not pissed.

  "Call me later if you need anything, okay. I can come over whenever. Even if it's to help you study or read you a book or...kiss your forehead better."

  Melt my heart! "Thanks babe." I love you! Man, I want to say it so bad. Instead, I suffice with, "Have a good workout."

  I walk back to an empty reception area.

  "Where's Adam?"

  Janine looks up at my question. "He and his father just left."

  My heart feels ready to explode. I'm about to hobble down the corridor to make sure the Sheriff isn't trying to slay his son in the bathrooms or something.

  "Miss Tepper, you got a minute?" The mayor is standing at his office door, smiling at me.

  "I um..." I look down the hallway. "I..."

  "Don't you worry about Adam. He's going to be fine."

  The mayor's expression is so full of confidence that I can't help believing him. I reach for my bag and slowly make my way into his office.

  "Is everything..." I swallow. "How did everything go?"

  The mayor doesn't say anything. Just points to the box of tissues on the low table by the couches. I think that's a good sign...maybe.

  Pulling up his pant legs a little, the mayor takes a seat on the couch and points to the armchair adjacent to his.

  I slip into it, placing my bag at my feet.

  "I know everything now. Everything Adam told me, the sheriff verified...albeit reluctantly."

  "Is he...what's going to happen to them?"

  "I'm not at liberty to disclose the whole conversation, but according to Adam, you're refusing to press charges. Is that right?"

  I nod.

  "Well then, I think the sheriff and I have come to an agreement that will work for everybody." I want to ask what it is, but the mayor keeps talking, stealing my chance. "It's sad really." The mayor scratches his eyebrow. "Sheriff Hutton loves his son. All he was trying to do was protect him, but in a really stupid way."

  "People do stupid things for the ones they love."

  "So it seems." The mayor's gaze is so piercing, I shrink back into my seat.

  "You really threatened the town sheriff?"

  I swallow, bite the edge of my lip and with a wince, whisper, "Yes."

  Mayor Stanford shakes his head then starts to snicker. "You must really love that boy."

  "He's pretty hard not to."

  The mayor gives me a smile. "Dale's a lucky guy, Nicole."

  "Not if his police record stops him from getting what he wants."

  "Sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our choices." The mayor shrugs.

  "But what about redemption! Second chances. Dale is such an amazing guy. He's changed so much, and he won't revert back to who he was. He's proved that. I'm just so sad that his past is hindering his future and there's nothing he can do about it." My face crumples. "And there's nothing I can do about it now either. The sheriff's going to call his brother tonight and tell him not to bother with the whole Columbia thing. I just know it. And that reference letter may as well be dust."

  The sting of tears burns my eyes. I blink at them fiercely.

  The mayor lifts the Kleenex box towards me. "Why don't you tell me the whole story. Maybe there's something I can do to help."

  Chapter 12

  It's been eight days since my little jaunt to city hall. Six days since rumors tore through Big Bear about Sheriff Hutton resigning from his position. Five days since it was all confirmed. Three days since I bumped into a sullen looking Adam. He wouldn't talk to me, and that's why today, when I spotted him in the library, I left my table and crept down the aisle after him. I had something I wanted to give him. It's been sitting in my bag all week.

  "Hey." Adam turns at my quiet call.

  He looks tempted to run away, but then stops and lets me approach him.

  "I just wanted to see how you were doing?"

  "I'm good." He nods.

  "Really? Cause you don't look great."

  A grin flits across his face. "I'm doing okay."

  I nod, still unconvinced. My fingers feel twitchy and nervous as I hold out the folded pages in my hand.

  "What's this?" His brows bunch with confusion as he slowly takes them.

  I chew my lip as he unfolds them. His expression doesn't flinch for what seems an age.

  "I hope you don't mind, I just thought I'd check into it for you."

  He folds the pages back up and taps them against his leg, his face finally breaking with a small smile. "I knew you'd get my ass into gear, Nicky Tepper."

  I grin. "Those are just a few pages of information on what you need to do to become a SEAL. It's going to take you a while, but I know you can do it." I point to the papers. "I'm pretty sure you can apply online, but you might want to call and ask about it all first. The contact info's
on the last page."

  He nods, his grateful grin morphing to a frown. "I told Dad what I wanted to do last night."

  I lose my breath for a second "What'd he say?"

  Adam shrugged. "He wasn't happy about it, but he hasn't tried to stop me either." He grips the papers. "They're looking to sell the house. Once I'm gone there'll be no one left at home, so..."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Dad's not really talking to me anymore."

  "Isn't that a good thing?"

  "Maybe." Adam clears his throat, opening the pages and scanning the information I found for him. "He'll always be my dad though, you know? He loved being Sheriff and I basically ruined it for him."

  "He didn't have to take the fall for you, you know?"

  "Yeah, I guess."

  I look down at my freshly painted nails, now a chocolate brown, and think about what my mom said. "I know this might be hard to understand, but there's more than one way to say, I love you. When your dad resigned to cover your ass, I think that's what he was trying to tell you. Even when he wanted to bury me so that you wouldn't get in trouble. No matter how strict or scary he's been to live with, deep down, beneath all his bullshit, I think he really loves you, Adam."

  Where the hell is this coming from?

  I don't even know how I manage to keep my voice so calm and sincere. The Sheriff is such a jerk. But no matter how much of a jerk he has been, I still can't deny the fact that I really think he did all this for Adam. He wants his son to have the best...because he loves him.

  "Thanks, Nicky," Adam mumbles, lightly slapping me on the head with the papers.

  I chuckle. "Now go become the best damn Navy SEAL there is, and prove to your dad how much you love him back."

  I think he likes that I said that, because his blue eyes sparkle and the side of his mouth jerks with a little smile. "Get out of here, Tepper. Stop bossing me around."

  With a cheeky grin, I turn and walk to the end of the aisle. Just before I duck out of sight, I turn one last time. I can't help myself. Clearing my throat, I stand to attention and give him a salute. Before he can throw anything at me, I nip back to my desk, but I'm sure I hear him chuckle.