Thankful for the distraction, Shelby placed her napkin on her lap and picked up her fork. “May I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” AJ took a breadstick from the basket and tore it in half.
“What did you mean earlier about the house being a punishment?”
He bent his head, but not enough to hide the set of his jaw. She cut into the lasagna with the side of her fork and jabbed at it.
“You don’t need to answer. It’s just hard for me to understand. It’s a beautiful house. At least it was. Once.”
He lifted his eyes, drawing her into deep brown pools of light and warmth. Her breath caught as an unexpected thought beat rhythm with her pulse.
If only she had met AJ Sullivan under different circumstances.
“I’m sure it was. Once.” AJ bit into the soft, hot bread. Shelby’s green eyes mesmerized him, but her mercurial attitude confounded him. One minute, he felt like her enemy. The next, as if they could be best friends. Maybe even something more. “But the first time I saw it, the house had already been empty several years.”
“You didn’t want to fix it up? Live in it?”
“It’s kind of large for one person, don’t you think?” He ventured a grin. Thankfully, she nodded agreement.
“You could have rented it out. Made some money.”
He searched for a noble reason why he hadn’t done even that. But the simple truth was that he wanted nothing to do with the house or the memories it embodied. Shelby might be hurt by that truth, but perhaps his explanation would make up for whatever wrongs his family had done to hers.
“Granddad—everyone called him Sully—had several business interests,” he said. “And three heirs. My two cousins and me. I got Misty Willow, and they got everything else.”
“To punish you?”
“Yeah.”
She didn’t ask, but he read the question in her eyes. What had you done?
He gave a casual shrug, as if what he’d done wasn’t that big of a deal. Except that it was. He didn’t need to tell Shelby the whole story, though. Only the part that most people knew.
“I’m his namesake. His only son’s only son. Naturally, I was supposed to be a lawyer so I could take care of his legal affairs. But I dropped out of law school and became a teacher instead.”
“So he pretty much disinherited you?”
“Except for your farm, yes.”
“Why the ‘you can’t sell this for ten years’ clause?”
“According to Richard, who’s the trustee, Sully thought I was too headstrong. That I didn’t think before I acted. Forcing me to keep the property was meant to teach me patience.” AJ leaned back in his chair and traced a pattern on the tablecloth. “For all his faults, he was a visionary. The farmland around here becomes more valuable every year. The commute to Columbus isn’t that far. Seems people want to raise their kids in the country.”
“I understand that.”
“I guess you do. Anyway, what the commuters don’t get, developers will.”
“Not Misty Willow.”
“Nor the rest of the acreage. I kind of like the land the way it is.”
“I wish I could have afforded to lease all of it now.”
“I wish you could have too.” Apparently, the numbers hadn’t worked out for her to lease more than the thirty-two acres. At least that’s what Richard had said. AJ wasn’t sure what difference it made in the long run, though. He gave her an encouraging smile. “But you have first options on the rest, and it’s not going anywhere.”
“I guess that means we’ll be doing business again in the future.”
AJ lifted his glass of tea. “To the future.”
A slow smile brightened Shelby’s features as she clinked her glass against his. “To the future.”
With her perfect timing, Tiff sidled to the table with separate checks and routine questions about to-go boxes. AJ paid both bills then escorted Shelby to her car. The moon hung low on the horizon, and only a few stars gleamed in the night sky.
Shelby clicked the remote to unlock the car. “Thank you for supper.”
“Thanks for letting me sit down.” Stepping in front of her, he opened the door.
“Thank you for the key too. Tell your grandmother it means the world to me.”
“She’ll be glad.”
Shelby started to get in, then halted, standing so close her delicate fragrance beckoned him even closer. “You’re very close to her, aren’t you?”
AJ’s throat tightened. “Very.”
“It’s hard. Losing a grandmother.” She stared past him. “The pain eases, but it never goes away.”
“Would you want it to?”
She looked at him a moment, her eyes dark in the dim light of a nearby lamppost, then barely shook her head. “Good night.”
“Night.”
AJ stood on the sidewalk, staring at the taillights as she drove away. When she turned a corner, he jammed his hands in his pockets and strode to his Jeep. He envied her. That’s why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He envied her passion for a rundown house. He envied her happy childhood memories. He was even jealous that she had kids.
There had been a time when he thought he could change the dysfunctional Sullivan legacy. Become a respected husband and loving father.
But God couldn’t trust him with a family of his own. Not after the way he’d messed things up.
As he slid into his Jeep, he vowed not to think of Shelby Kincaid’s dazzling eyes or delicate features. Ever again.
– 4 –
Shelby opened the attic door, the hinges eerily squeaking, then stood aside so Nate Jeffers could climb the steep wooden stairs. As they neared the top, the overwhelming stench caused her to gag. She adjusted her nose mask. “This is awful.”
“I take it you don’t think much of your current tenants.” Nate laughed as he entered the attic. The scurry of movement sounded along the far walls. Shelby stayed on the stairs and watched the beam of Nate’s flashlight play across decaying pigeon carcasses. She gagged, swallowed her rising bile, gagged again, and barely kept herself from vomiting.
“You okay?” Nate turned the light to her. Lifting the mask, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
“I’ll just leave this to you.” She backed down the attic stairs and hurried into the second floor bathroom. Somehow the claw-footed bathtub and porcelain vanity had survived the years of neglect.
She tore off the mask and turned the ivory-handled faucets. Pipes groaned, but no water appeared. Plopping on the closed toilet, she buried her head in her arms to scrub away the mental image of the dead birds. But the grimy feathers, the mottled bones, wouldn’t go away.
If only Gary were here. To teasingly make fun of her grandiose plans. He’d always laughed when she dreamed of buying the house, restoring it. “Someday,” he’d say, his hazel eyes glinting with humor. But he hadn’t meant it.
He could have attended the police academy in Columbus, but he wouldn’t even apply. Chicago, not Misty Willow, was his dream place.
Shelby pulled her knees to her chest, guarding her heart as best she could. God knew, she wanted Gary back. The Gary she fell in love with when they were college students at the University of Illinois. Except if Gary were still alive, she wouldn’t be here, in this house. Where she belonged. Where all was right with the world.
Her head ached with the impossibility of wanting two opposing things so much.
“Anybody home?” The voice echoed up the stairs, and Shelby’s stomach lurched. Not again. Last night in the restaurant, she had let herself be lulled into a truce. But the return of her nightmares had reminded her of all the grief and heartache the Sullivans had caused. It might not be rational, but the less time she spent with AJ the better.
Reluctantly, she walked to the hallway and peered over the banister. AJ waved at her. “You coming down, or should I come up?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I was curious about the attic
.”
“Nate’s up there now.” She gestured for him to come up. It’d serve him right if he got sick at the sight of all those . . . Her stomach heaved, and she wrapped her arms around her belly.
“Are you all right?” AJ rounded the banister and rested his hand on her shoulder. She recoiled from his touch.
“I’m fine. It’s just, all those dead things.”
“You mind if I go up?” His brown eyes danced, a mischievous schoolboy bent on adventure.
Shelby exaggerated a heavy sigh. “Go.”
“How do I get there?”
“You don’t know?”
“How would I?”
She pressed her lips together, preparing herself for the anger she expected to feel at this blatant reminder of his misdeeds. But it didn’t come. “Through there,” she said, gesturing to the open room that housed the attic stairs.
“You sure you’re okay? You look queasy.”
“It’s so awful up there.”
“Sure you don’t want to go back up?”
“I need to change before driving to the airport.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Guess I’ll do that now.”
She stepped around him, rushing down the stairs and through the open double doors to get a change of clothes from her car. As she stepped onto the porch, a faded blue pickup pulled up and parked behind her rental. The driver wore jeans and a work shirt, sleeves rolled above the elbows. A cap bearing a feed store logo shielded his eyes and sun-darkened face. He headed for the porch, a younger version of himself following closely behind.
“Hello, miss.” The farmer removed his cap, and the teen did the same.
“Hello.” Shelby stepped forward and extended her hand.
“You may not remember me, but I’m Paul Norris. This is my boy Seth. We’re your nearest neighbors.”
“Paul Norris.” She broadened her smile. About fifteen years older than she, he’d sometimes worked for her grandfather. “Of course I remember you. How are your parents?”
“Doing well. They moved to town a few years ago, a nice little house. My family’s at the farm now.”
“No better place to raise a family.”
“Heard tell you’re buying this place from AJ.”
“That’s right. I hope to move in as soon as the house is ready.”
“I bet AJ’s granddaddy is spitting nails.” Paul gazed upward, seeming to appraise the house. “But I’m sure glad to have Lassiter kin back in the old place.”
“Thank you, Mr. Norris. That means a great deal to me.”
“AJ may have told you, I rent the pastures on both sides of the house.”
“Of course.” She remembered now, seeing his name on the contract. “I’m glad you do.”
She turned at the sudden commotion behind her, loud footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, AJ and Nate spilled through the door, laughing uncontrollably.
“It’s an animal graveyard up there,” AJ said, gripping his side.
“There’s a raccoon. Big one.” Nate held his hands a couple of feet apart, like a fisherman measuring the one that got away.
“I thought it was dead,” AJ sputtered.
“Now you know better.” Nate took off his hat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “Never saw anyone move so fast in my life.”
“It scared me. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“What is all this?” asked Paul.
“My attic,” Shelby said, almost wishing she had seen AJ’s encounter with the raccoon. “It’s a nightmare.”
“I want to go up.” Seth Norris spoke for the first time, and Shelby marveled at the appeal. She hoped never to step foot in that dark, infested place again.
While the men inspected the attic, she washed up the best she could with bottled water and changed into fresh clothes in the downstairs bathroom. Gazing at her reflection in the mottled mirror, she refreshed her makeup and brushed her hair into a neat ponytail. Now that the papers were signed, she was anxious to get home. To have supper with her girls and tell them all about the house and the farm. But not about the attic.
Shelby carried her overnight bag to the front doors and met the men coming down the stairs.
“I think Seth and I can help you out,” said Paul.
“With the critters?”
“Yes’m. We can get started on it next week, if that’d suit you.”
“That would be great.” Shelby glanced at Nate, wondering if he knew the going rate for removing animal carcasses. Though Gary’s life insurance policy had been substantial, she had to keep a close eye on her budget. “What would you charge for the job?”
“I owe your dad a favor, and I’ve been waiting a long time to pay him back.” Paul glanced around the hallway before looking straight at Shelby. “I figure this will do it.”
“It must have been a very big favor.” AJ lounged on one of the lower steps, his long legs casually stretched before him.
“Sure was,” Paul said, then clapped Seth on the shoulder and moved to the door. “We best be getting along. Your mom will be wondering what happened to us.”
“Mr. Norris, I can’t let you clean up that mess without paying you something.”
“Please, it’s Paul. And it’s already settled.”
“Shelby,” AJ said softly. She turned to him, and he barely shook his head as he stood.
He picked up her bag as they followed the Norrises and Nate out of the house.
“I’ll be putting locks on all the doors this afternoon,” Nate said to Paul. “Okay if I give you a key at church in the morning?”
“That’d be fine, if Shelby has no objection.”
“None at all. Thank you.” She smiled nervously, unsure how to accept such generosity. “Thank you so much.”
“Once you get settled, we’ll have you over for supper. If you’d like.”
“Yes, I would. Thanks.”
Standing on the porch, she waved at the Norrises and Nate as their trucks kicked up dirt down the long lane.
“That driveway needs new gravel,” AJ said.
“I know.” Shelby let out a deep sigh. “One more thing to add to the list.”
“Let me take care of it.”
“You? Why?”
“If I’d paid more attention to the place, your list wouldn’t be so long.”
“True. But I don’t need your help now.”
“Consider it a housewarming gift.”
“Gravel for my drive?” Shelby tried but couldn’t stop from smiling. “That has to be the strangest housewarming gift ever.”
“You’ll accept it, then?”
A flash of blue caught Shelby’s attention, and her gaze followed the aerobatic jay as it swooped into the midst of a silver maple near the fence line. Her mind drifted to her younger self, sheltered by those outstretched branches, her back against its broad trunk.
Reading, thinking, dozing. Dreaming of the future. Imagining her Prince Charming.
But nothing had turned out as she expected.
“Is that a yes?”
Lost in the past, Shelby startled. “Thanks for offering, but it’s too much.”
“It’s a lot less than what Paul and Seth volunteered to do.”
“I would have paid them. Why did you tell me not to?”
“Pay him if you think you can. But I know Paul Norris. He’ll just figure out a way to give it back to you.”
“You know, anything to do with this house is no longer any of your business.” Shelby punched the key remote to unlock the car. “It’s mine.”
“True.” Frowning, he placed her bag into the trunk. “When will you be back?”
“Right after Mother’s Day.” She opened the car door and tossed her purse inside.
“I live over on the next road. I could drive by here. Keep an eye on the place if you want.”
“Now you care about it?”
“Just tryin’ to be neighborly. That’s what we do around here.”
“And one of the reasons I want
to live here.” She glanced at the widow’s walk above the porch, a simple balcony outside the twin windows of the upstairs hall and what had been her grandparents’ bedroom. The room she’d make her own. Living in the house would give her a chance to recapture the spirit of the girl she’d been.
But she couldn’t build on the pleasant memories with AJ Sullivan hanging around, reminding her of the bad.
She faced him, praying her voice wouldn’t shake. “We can be neighbors,” she said softly. “But never more than that.”
AJ pressed his lips together in a thin line, then shook his head as if in defeat. Pain hardened his eyes. “I didn’t ask for more than that.”
His words slammed into Shelby’s stomach, their impact more hurtful than she would have thought possible.
“Of course not.” She slid into the car, but AJ grabbed the door before she could close it.
“Shelby, wait.”
“I have to get to the airport.”
“Just . . .” As he leaned in, she breathed the woodsy notes of his aftershave. Drawn to the fragrance, she bent her head slightly toward him while avoiding his gaze. “Travel safe.”
“I will.” She turned the ignition, watching through the windshield as he climbed into his hunter green Jeep. A lump pressed against her throat, and as she drove to the airport, her thoughts were haunted by the ache she’d seen in his eyes.
She knew that ache. She saw it in her mirror every day.
– 5 –
AJ rode the elevator to the eleventh floor of the downtown office building, breathing a prayer of thanks this wasn’t his daily routine. Some people might like the prestige of a prosperous business, the panoramic view of the Columbus skyline. But not him.
He preferred his high school students, even the uninspired ones, over contract negotiations, power lunches, and wearing a tie every day. His cousin was welcome to those so-called perks.
Pushing open the glass door to Somers, Inc., he shook his head at the irony. Sully had left the business he’d founded, Sullivan Investments, to his new favorite grandson, Brett Somers. Less than a month after the estate was settled, Brett had changed the company’s name.
AJ greeted the latest receptionist, another mini-skirted blonde. “I had a summons from your boss,” he said, only half joking. Brett had refused to tell him what he wanted over the phone.
Where She Belongs Page 3