“Why do you do that? You’re no hick. And while we’re on the subject, why do you let your brother talk down to you?”
“It’s nothing personal with Sam. He’s more educated. That’s just how he is.”
“And he treats your father like an invalid. While you were working with your deputy in the office, your brother insisted on spoon-feeding Harold. What’s that about? Then he constantly wiped at Harold’s mouth where he dribbled. He wouldn’t have drooled if your brother had let him eat at his own pace. It was all I could do to sit quietly and pretend not to notice.”
Wilson sighed, took another drink, then shook his head. “Sam is having trouble handling Dad’s stroke.”
“Well, so is your dad. The last thing he needs is—” She stopped when she saw his grin. “What’s so funny?”
“Now I know you love me. You’re my champion.”
She grinned back. “Yes, I love you. I guess I don’t understand your family dynamics. You say I’m disciplined and cooperative, but I’m a product of a close, supportive family. I took it for granted until one day I discovered that other people’s families aren’t necessarily like mine. In fact, more aren’t than are.”
He nodded. “I was sort of the black sheep of our family, or at least the runt of the litter.”
His mother was the black sheep, but Elizabeth resisted saying so. “Why do you think that?”
“I had a learning disability. Dyslexia. All through school I struggled, while Taylor and Sam made the honor roll. Everything either Taylor or Sam participated in, they excelled. I seemed destined for mediocrity. I was good at one thing only—the Boy Scouts.”
“I’ll bet you’re an Eagle.”
“Yep. A career in law enforcement evolved from scouting and was all I wanted, but it disappointed my grandmother and my father. They groomed us all to be either in academics or politics.”
“County sheriff is politics.”
“Yeah, it is. I surprised my family when I pulled that off. Dad’s taken an interest in my career for the first time since I left home.”
“I’ve watched you with Harold. You’re sensitive to his disability and treat him as normally as possible.”
“I can’t imagine treating him any other way—”
“Exactly. You wouldn’t know how to be condescending or patronizing.”
He finished off his Coke. “You’re a bit rough on Sam, especially considering the guy’s your boss.” He shrugged. “As for me, I don’t let him bother me anymore.”
Anymore? The adverb spoke volumes about the two brothers’ history, but she dropped it. “Just remember: we teach people how to treat us.”
He rubbed at his chin with his thumb, as if digesting what she’d said. “Yeah, I guess we do.”
“So tell me about your sister.”
“Taylor took up photography, entered competitions, and almost always won. Upon graduating from college, she turned down jobs because she already was in demand from a few well-paying publishers as a freelancer. She travels the world, which was always her dream.”
“Taylor Drake, of course! I’ve seen her photos. Sorry I didn’t make the connection sooner. Wasn’t she up for a Pulitzer?”
“She won a Pulitzer. Did I mention she’s beautiful, too? And that’s not just a big brother’s bias talking.” Pride filled his voice and warmed his smile. “As I was saying, I stayed in the shadows of my siblings.”
“Did you resent being overshadowed by them?”
He laughed. “Hell, yeah. A lot. I became the rebel child and got into all kinds of mischief. I left Drake Springs as soon as I could and joined the Army, and you know the rest.”
Not by a long shot. “Tell me more about this rebel child phase.”
“I did the unthinkable where Dad was concerned, and dated Amy Gillespie my senior year. We were quite an item.”
“Amy, Adam’s twin sister?”
“Yep. We were all in the same graduating class at FCHS. Adam didn’t approve of our dating anymore than his mother or my father did. Eventually, Amy caved under pressure from Phyllis and called it quits, right before the senior prom.”
“Oh no. So what happened? Did you find another date?”
This time his smile seemed sad. “Yeah. Megan. She was nineteen or twenty, finishing up her sophomore year of college and home for the weekend. She told her mother she was ridiculous for imposing old grudges on the next generation. When both Amy and Phyllis stood their ground, she called me to say she’d be my prom date. Caused quite a disturbance in the Gillespie house.”
“Uh oh. Something else for Phyllis to blame on your family. So did Amy go to the prom with someone else?”
“She went by herself but left with Ben Sawyer. Two years later, she and Ben married and lived happily ever after.”
“So Megan did her a favor, or did she see it that way?”
“I never knew what anybody in that family thought after that night. But Megan did me a favor. We had a lot more fun prom night than I would’ve had with Amy, if you get my drift.”
“Are you saying you and Amy weren’t sexually active?”
“No, ma’am, we weren’t. We did some heavy petting, but she said she wasn’t ready to go all the way with a guy. I’m thinking Ben changed her mind about that.”
“I see. But Megan had no such reservations?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t think Megan had reservations about anything. College had turned her into a wild woman! She and I got drunk and stayed out all night parked at the river. I confess I was smitten with the older woman.”
“So then did you two start dating?”
“Nope. I never saw her again. I left the day after graduation. Megan returned to college to take her finals, came home for the summer, and died in a collision on the interstate. That’s one tragedy the Gillespies can’t blame on the Drakes.”
“Did you attend her funeral?”
“Didn’t even know about it for a couple of years. I was in the service at the time.”
“How’d you wind up in Jacksonville?”
“I hired on with JSO, worked my way up to detective, then Dad had his stroke. The funny thing was that he asked for me, not Sam or Taylor.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “Why do you say that?”
“Just a theory of mine,” she said. “Sam and Taylor are high achievers, people who demand perfection from themselves and sometimes others. Harold created two monsters incapable of having the patience for him in his impaired condition.”
“Ouch! You’re saying the stroke dragged him down to my level, so he was more comfortable with me?”
“You aren’t impaired, Wilson. You’re human and normal, which is exactly what he needs. You don’t talk down to him, and you aren’t impatient with him. You treat him as if you’ve forgotten he’s in a wheelchair. It’s … wonderful.” Love swelled inside her until tears threatened. “You have no idea how good you are with people, do you?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “No, but when you look at me that way, darlin’, I believe I can do anything.”
She resisted telling him how much she’d miss him, how much he meant to her. So many memories they’d never get the chance to make. Instead, she chose to lighten the moment. “Don’t let it go to your head, handsome.”
“Handsome, huh? Seriously, is this theory of yours borne out of what happened with your younger sister?”
She nodded. “Some of it, yes. Nina’s husband, Terry, is very good to ignore her disability or to treat her as if she doesn’t have one. It’s exactly what she needs, and she’s happier because of it. To me, it’s pure, unconditional love. Your father has yours, and he knows it.”
“We’ve never talked about love.”
“You don’t have to, but I hope you will. You never know how much time you have left with your dad. Don’t take it for granted.” Tears threatened again, and she swallowed.
“You’re remembering your father, are
n’t you?” When she nodded, he went to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her. “You’re right, honey. I won’t take Dad for granted.”
Before the embrace of comfort led to one of passion, he released her and returned to his seat on the floor. They couldn’t afford to let down their guard for sex, no matter how tempted. They needed to be alert to any signs of unwanted company.
Elizabeth forced a smile. “You left off where you were in Jacksonville, and Harold had the stroke.”
“I took a leave of absence to care for him, and that’s when Fred convinced me to make a run for county sheriff. You met Fred, my chief deputy.”
“Yes,” she said. “The one you put in charge.”
“He’s a good person and a great law officer. Anyway, I ran, Adam opposed me, and I won, surprising myself as much as anybody. Phyllis ran an editorial about the race with the headline ‘Drake Dynasty Grabs More Power.’“
“Since it’s general knowledge around here that her son was your opponent, most readers probably read that as sour grapes.”
He chuckled. “Most readers don’t bother reading the Democrat. They just skim the ads.”
She stood and stretched. “I really need a shower.”
He took the empty Coke can from her. “You better take one now, because no telling when you’ll get another one.”
“You mean if we lose power because we won’t have hot water?”
“If we lose power, we won’t have any water. We’re on a well, and it takes electricity to run the pump. We have a generator, but it won’t work the pump.”
“In that case, I’m going to take a long, luxurious shower and shampoo my hair.” She hesitated at the hall door. “I would invite you to join me, but…”
Their gazes locked, and his eyes filled with sadness. “Yeah. Wish I could, darlin’. When you’re through, I’ll need you to pull guard duty while I take my own shower. We wouldn’t want to be caught with our pants down, so to speak.”
“No.” An involuntary shudder wracked her body. “I don’t want to be caught under any circumstances.”
At five in the morning, tropical storm winds besieged Drake Oaks for the second time that evening. The eye passed farther north and offered little respite for Foster County residents. Wil peeked out the upstairs windows to watch huge limbs on the oak trees bending and bowing. In the distance, one snapped and hit the ground with a boom, rousing Elizabeth from sleep. Earlier, she’d stretched out fully clothed across the dusty bedspread on one of the twin beds in the room where he sat—what at one time had been his and Sam’s room. She sat up and inhaled sharply, staring at the rifle lying across his lap.
“Relax. It was a tree limb breaking.” He sat at the desk he’d shared with Sam, the wooden chair hard and unforgiving. Just what he needed to stay awake.
She scooted to the edge of the bed. “Is this the hurricane?”
His small weather radio crackled to life beside him, the volume low. “According to the weather radio, the hurricane was downgraded after striking land in Georgia late last night. Good news for the inland residents. If we’re lucky, Foster County will have to contend with little more than some downed power lines and trees. Most flooding should be temporary because of the low level of the streams and rivers.”
Her tousled hair reminded him of the previous night, when he’d awakened her at her house. She looked just as appealing and sexy now as she had wearing that college nightshirt.
“So the drought turned out to be a blessing. Sometimes Mother Nature knows best.”
“You sound like Dad. Some folks called him a tree hugger when he opposed commercial growth in Foster County. But he’s just a guy who believes in balance.”
“Then your dad and I are on the same page.” She scrubbed her face with her hands and yawned. “Since I’m awake, I’m going to make myself a cup of tea.”
“Yeah, make it before we lose electricity.”
She shuffled to the door in socked feet. He’d rather see her red-painted toes and bare feet, but the socks made her no less appealing.
“Can I bring you something?” she asked.
“A Coke. I need caffeine.”
She made a circle with her thumb and index finger, then disappeared into the hall. After numerous attempts to convince him to get some sleep, she seemed to have gotten the message. Too wired and too upset, he couldn’t sleep if he tried. If he closed his eyes, he’d replay his night of love with Elizabeth. Instead of giving him a memory to comfort him, it would make him want her all the more.
He returned his attention to the entrance and gate, illuminated by a single mercury vapor lamp that his grandfather had strung up years ago. The gates jostled with the wind. No, wait. What the hell? A shadowy figure seemed to be unwrapping the chain. Wil rubbed his tired eyes and looked again.
Grabbing his rifle, he raced down the stairs. “Stay in the kitchen.” Without pausing to explain to Elizabeth, he unbolted the door and ran outside.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sloshing through the deep puddles, Wil wished he’d taken time to find his rubber fishing boots and slicker. No, a slicker would be hot as blazes even in the rain. The mud sucked at his feet, but he forced them to carry him to the end of the drive toward the man at the gate.
The intruder made no attempt to hide his movements. When Wil reached the gate, he recognized the man the instant he heard Adam’s voice hollering in the wind.
“Wil, thank God you’re here. I need your boat.”
“What’s this about?” Wil lowered the rifle but didn’t offer to help unchain the gate. He resisted a dig about Adam being outside his jurisdiction, but questions flooded his mind. For starters, why would any Gillespie step foot on Drake property, especially in the middle of a tropical storm? Had Dad been right to suspect him? Or worse, could Frank Sullivan have corrupted the chief of police with an offer he couldn’t refuse?
“I have to rescue Amy and the kids. The bridge washed out. The only way I can get to them is by boat, and yours is closest.” Adam stepped through the gate then rewrapped the chain, hardly the actions of a desperado looking to make a fast escape. His tone suggested he’d rather have awakened the Coast Guard than to have to ask a Drake for help.
Or maybe Wil imagined it. He’d vowed he would do what he could to bury the hatchet with Adam and Amy. “Where’s Ben?”
“He went for help and never came back. No one’s seen him, and …” Adam’s voice faltered. His distress seemed genuine. “We fear the worst. He may have been on the bridge when it collapsed.”
“That damned bridge has needed replacing for years.” Wil pointed toward the river with his rifle. “This way.”
“I tried to get them to stay in town with me.” Adam stared at the main house as they sloshed past the front porch. “You out here alone?”
“We thought it best to move Dad in town with Sam.” He didn’t volunteer more. As much as he wanted to trust Adam, he couldn’t afford the risk. “I stuck the boat under my cabin porch. I hope it’s still there.”
He hurried with Adam toward the cabin, the driveway muck pulling at his feet like loose putty. The security light on the corner of his porch guided them like a blurred beacon. “What happened at Amy’s?”
“She called from her cell, and I missed some of what she said.”
“Yeah, the signal’s piss-poor out here on a good day.”
“I think that huge live oak in back of their mobile home must have crashed through the roof. Whatever happened, they’ve had to evacuate. Amy’s really upset, but I think she’s more worried about Ben than her house.”
They found the john boat right where Wil had stored it out of harm’s way. Setting down the rifle, Wil checked the electric trolling motor and found it in working order. Together they carried the boat to the Suwannee, fighting the torrential rains and gusts of wind.
Wil picked up his rifle. “I would offer to go with you and help, but the boat won’t hold more than three adults. You’ll be okay with Amy and the kids, though.”
“I’ll bring it back when I can.” Adam pushed the boat into the water. After eleven solid hours of heavy rain, the river had swollen with alarming speed. He reached to start the motor and hesitated. In the dim light from the security light, his face softened. “Thanks, Wil.”
“Be careful.”
Adam disappeared into the inky shadows. Wil stared across the Suwannee to Amy’s place. No lights. Either that side of the river had lost electricity or the large tree had taken out their power. His instincts told him Adam told the truth, but a sense of urgency pushed him back to the main house. He couldn’t dismiss the possibility that Adam’s appearance was a clever distraction, as far-fetched as that seemed.
Back at the house, Elizabeth waited for him in the kitchen, her face ashen. “Was someone here?”
“I didn’t mean to scare you when I ran out.” Standing by the back door in the laundry room, Wil peeled off his wet clothes. So relieved to find her waiting for him unharmed, he wanted nothing more than to grab her and hold her. If only he could afford the distraction.
She handed him a towel from the dryer. “I think your dad is out of Cokes. Want me to make coffee?”
“No. I might grab a cup of hot tea in a minute.” While he toweled himself dry, he told her about Adam needing to borrow the boat to rescue Amy and her two children.
“How old are her children?”
“I’d guess nine and seven. Both boys. She and Ben were married about ten years before starting a family. They’ve not had an easy time of it financially.”
She returned to the table to finish her cup of tea. “Why is that?”
Rifling through his duffel, he pulled out dry jeans and a T-shirt. “From what I hear, Amy wants to live at the old home place, so she bought it from her mother. That’s a lot of land to finance. They traded for a larger mobile home about two years ago. I doubt it’s paid for, but I hope it’s insured.”
“I’ll bet she’s frantic with worry about her husband, poor thing.”
Reclaim My Life Page 24