Where She Belongs

by Johnnie Alexander

  He considered waiting another day or two, curious to see her next ploy. But in the end, it didn’t really matter.

  Sliding his gaze appreciatively to the pointy tips of her black heels and up again to her beckoning eyes, he held out his hand. She sashayed toward him, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

  Unlucky Tracie.

  The countdown had begun.

  – 8 –

  As Shelby entered the B and B, eager to get to her room, owner Martha D’Arcy appeared in the foyer carrying an enormous bouquet of yellow roses in a slender crystal vase. “These are for you, Mrs. Kincaid,” she gushed. “Aren’t they lovely?”

  Breathtakingly so.

  Shelby cradled the vase and inhaled the sweet fragrance. “Who sent them?”

  “Can’t say that I know, but there’s a card tucked among the greenery.”

  “So there is. Thank you.” Probably Richard had sent the bouquet. No one else would send her flowers.

  Mrs. D’Arcy gave Shelby the once-over. “Looks like you’ve had a busy day. Painting, huh?”

  “I got the primer coat on one room.”

  “I don’t envy you the job. My husband and I did most of the work on this place. Never again. ’Course, we’re not as young as we once were.”

  “Guess I better get cleaned up.” Shelby fished her room key from her bag as she headed for the stairs. “Thanks again.”

  Inside her room, tastefully furnished in a blue and white Victorian motif, she set the vase on a bedside table and opened the card.

  Hope this makes up for breaking our “not-a-date.” My time hasn’t been my own today, but I promise we’ll get together before you leave. Brett

  She smiled and read the note again. Her tired achiness seemed to disappear as she breathed in the aroma of the roses. It’d been a long time since anyone had given her flowers. Except at Gary’s funeral, but that wasn’t the same.

  She popped into the shower, emerging twenty minutes later refreshed by the steamy water.

  And hungry.

  The Dixie Diner, the town’s greasy spoon and only a short walk away, would have to do for tonight. She tucked her e-reader into her purse, slipped on flip-flops, and headed downstairs.

  As she crossed the B and B’s parking lot, a hunter-green Jeep Cherokee pulled up beside her. The driver, wearing an OSU ball cap, leaned out the window.

  “May I give you a ride?”

  Of all people.

  “What are you doing here?”

  AJ shrugged. “Thought you might want to treat me to supper.”

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  “It’s your turn.”

  She almost smiled. Almost. But his expression told her she hadn’t hid her amusement soon enough.

  “I’m mad at you.” She meant to sound mad, but somehow the words came out pouty, almost flirtatious.

  “What did I do now?” His tone made it clear he wasn’t taking her supposed anger very seriously.

  “The gravel.”

  “Oh.” He drew out the syllable and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

  “I told you not to.”

  His eyes, dark pools beneath the bill of his cap, looked mischievously into hers. “But I bet you’re glad I did.”

  He had her there. Maneuvering around the ruts had not been fun.

  “Are you getting in?”

  Gracious, the man was persistent. She pointed at the Dixie Diner’s neon sign. “I’m only going over there.”

  “Have it your way.” He eased onto the main street, then pulled into the restaurant’s lot.

  By the time Shelby had reached the diner, he had parked and was waiting for her at the front door.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve, you know that?”

  “I’m just a hungry guy looking for a bite to eat.” He opened the door and followed her inside.

  The place hadn’t changed much in the years Shelby had been away. A Formica counter and round stools stretched along one wall. Back-to-back booths, covered in red vinyl, lined the windows. A teenaged girl in khakis and a red shirt pulled two menus from a nearby stack.

  “Hi, Coach.” She looked with curiosity at Shelby. “Table for two?”

  “What do you say?” AJ nudged Shelby with his elbow. “You aren’t going to make me eat alone, are you?”

  “I should. But you look so pitiful.”

  “You really do, Coach.”

  “Just take us to a table, Jillian.”

  The teen giggled. “This way.”

  “Are you ready for exams?” AJ asked as he settled on the bench seat. After removing his cap, he ran his fingers through his short hair.

  “I hope so.”

  “You’ll do fine.” He turned to Shelby. “Jillian earned a full-ride scholarship to Dartmouth.”

  “That’s impressive.” She smiled at the teen. “Have you selected a major?”

  “I’ve been accepted into the honors history program.”

  “Wow! Congratulations.”

  “I owe it all to Mr. Sullivan. He wrote the most amazing recommendation letter.”

  AJ spread his hands. “I only told the truth. You’re the one who did all the hard work.”

  Jillian beamed, then left to welcome a family entering the diner.

  “She seems like a sweet girl.”

  “She is. Hardworking too.” He opened the menu. “Any idea what you’re getting?”

  “The only thing one should ever get at the Dixie Diner.”

  Their eyes met as they simultaneously recited, “The Dixie Deluxe.”

  Shelby laughed. “Are they still the best burgers in town?”

  “Even better.”

  AJ ordered the signature cheeseburger with fries and chocolate milkshakes for both of them. The place was surprisingly busy for a Monday evening, and AJ seemed to know practically everybody who walked in the door.

  “One of the perks of teaching,” he said with a characteristic shrug.

  Shelby gave up on keeping names straight with faces as AJ introduced her to the other diners who stopped by their booth. Not surprisingly, a few of the older folks knew her grandparents and were interested in Shelby’s restoration of the old homestead.

  She could splurge for granite counters in the kitchen if she had a dollar for every time one of them said something about how AJ’s grandfather must be spinning in his grave. AJ seemed bothered by the comments too. Though he responded with good humor, the light in his eyes dimmed a little each time.

  Funny, Nate Jeffers had said something similar that first day at the house. Come to think of it, so had Paul Norris.

  When she was a teen, Anderson “Sully” Sullivan had been the scapegoat for all her rage. As the years passed, that rage simmered into bitter enmity for the faceless monster who had driven her beloved grandparents to their deaths.

  That same monster had punished AJ from beyond the grave by leaving his grandson a property he considered worthless. Simply because AJ chose to teach high school students—apparently very well—instead of practicing law. How cruel.

  When the waitress brought the check, AJ picked it up, but she quickly pulled it from his fingers.

  “My turn, remember?”

  “Come on, I was teasing about that.”

  “I insist.” She dug out her credit card. “I also insist on paying you for the gravel.”

  “There’s no need.”

  “You won’t win this one, so don’t even try.”

  “It was a gift.”

  “One I can’t accept. How much was it?”

  “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  He leaned forward, arms crossed on the table. “How about I ask you to do something else instead?”

  “Like what?”

  He lowered his voice. “Figure out a way to give it to Jillian.”

  “The hostess?”

  “She’s a great student, but things have been hard for her family the past couple of years. The sc
holarship is a big help, but you know how it is. There are other expenses that won’t be covered.”

  Shelby leaned forward too, leveling her voice to his. “You could have just given her the money in the first place rather than using it to buy gravel for my drive. I wish you had.”

  “I bought the gravel as a kind of, I don’t know, peace offering.” His mouth twitched, deepening the adorable Cary Grant cleft in his chin. “Her parents won’t take charity. Besides, it’s hard for me to do something for one student if I can’t do it for all of them.”

  “I’m glad to help, but I don’t know why they’d take money from me if they won’t take it from you. I’m a total stranger.”

  “You’re probably right. I’d just like to find a way to make things easier for her.”

  Throughout the conversation, their whispers had drawn them close enough for her to see the dark ring around his brown irises. His aftershave teased her nostrils, and without realizing it, she leaned closer.

  His eyes widened, and she sat back as heat warmed her cheeks. Whatever had just happened shouldn’t have. But she wasn’t sure what had.

  Mindlessly stirring her milkshake with her straw, she took a deep breath. “I’ll try to think of something.”

  “Thank you, Shelby.” He drummed a fast rhythm on the table. “This has been a fun evening.”

  “For me too.” Surprisingly, she meant it.

  Outside the diner, the evening’s first stars glimmered in the darkening sky. AJ settled his cap on his head. “How about I walk you home?”

  “You mean over to the B and B?” Shelby pointed to the looming house. Electric lanterns shone white ambient light along the eaves of the wraparound veranda. “That’s really not necessary.”

  He patted his stomach. “It’ll give me a chance to walk off that cheeseburger.”

  “Oh yeah, a one-minute walk is quite the workout,” she teased.

  “Two minutes. I’ll have to come back for my Jeep.”

  She shook her head and headed for the sidewalk. He hesitated half a second then caught up with her. After all, she hadn’t said no. A nearby street lamp came on, casting a soft glow on the golden highlights in Shelby’s hair as they passed under it.

  When they climbed the steps, Mrs. D’Arcy greeted them. Rocking in a white wicker chair, she held up a glass of iced tea as if to make a toast. “So you were the one,” she said to AJ.

  “The one what?” Placing his palm on his chest, he glanced from Mrs. D’Arcy to Shelby and back again. “What did I do?”

  Mrs. D’Arcy gave him a knowing look. “Sent that enormous bouquet of yellow roses to our Ms. Kincaid, of course. I wish you could have seen her face. She was impressed.”

  “Oh no, the flowers weren’t from him.” Pink spotted Shelby’s cheeks. “AJ and I are just . . .”

  Friends. With a sinking heart, he waited for her to say the inevitable, but she appeared to choke.

  Taking a breath, she shrugged. “We’re just acquaintances.”

  Even worse.

  AJ’s heart plummeted. He didn’t know what he had expected. Until this moment, he hadn’t realized he expected—or wanted—anything. True, thoughts of Shelby seemed to pop into his head too often, but that was only because of the work being done on the house.

  “I should go,” he said. “Thanks again for dinner, Shelby. I had a nice time.”

  “So did I.”

  “You don’t need to sound so surprised.” The words came out more gruffly than he intended. He jutted his chin as Shelby’s eyes widened, then grew cold. The easygoing atmosphere between them now seemed charged with uncertainty. An enjoyable evening sabotaged by a bunch of roses.

  He needed to get out of there.

  “Good night, ladies.” He bounded down the broad steps and jaywalked across the street. After getting in his Jeep, he drove slowly past the B and B. Shelby stood on the porch, staring at him. He waved. She slowly raised her hand, but she didn’t smile.

  It was just as well. Especially since she apparently had a boyfriend. Somebody in Chicago, probably, though it seemed strange she never mentioned being involved with anyone. Stranger still that she was so gung ho to make this major move if she was in a relationship.

  Though how serious could she be about someone when a wedding band still adorned her finger?

  His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the display before pressing the answer button.

  “Hi, Gran.”

  “It’s Candace.” His grandmother’s live-in nurse had called from the landline. “I think you better come.”

  AJ leaned against the highboy dresser near Gran’s bed and tracked the uneven rise and fall of her chest beneath the multicolored quilt. He had stood vigil through two grueling nights and into this afternoon, only eating when Candace insisted.

  Gran’s rasping breaths came in shallow gasps that raked his heart. Her waning strength pulled at him, but he clenched his stomach muscles into an iron fist that controlled his grief. He would not fall apart. Not here.

  His cousin Amy perched on the edge of a chair, her crystal blue eyes narrowed by worry. Her features, usually so composed, were pale and drawn. She rested her hand gently on Gran’s arm, as if her touch could keep their grandmother’s life from flying away.

  The bedroom door slowly opened, and Brett slipped in. “Any change?”

  AJ shook his head.

  “Sorry I’m late. I had a business matter to take care of.”

  “What’s her name?” AJ regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth, but it was like some kind of strange Pavlovian response. An automatic retort to his cousin’s excuse. “I’m sorry,” he said hurriedly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Brett scowled. “For your information, my expertise was needed on a multimillion-dollar deal. Believe me, if I could have postponed it, I would have.”

  “I said I was sorry.”

  “What you are is jealous.”

  “Jealous?” AJ shook his head. “Of you? I don’t think so.”

  “Admit it. You can’t stand my success. With business and with women.”

  “Stop it!” Amy’s harsh whisper cut through the animosity. She choked back a sob. “Just please stop it.”

  Gran’s gnarled fingers pulled at the quilt, and her mouth opened and closed.

  AJ and Brett hurried to opposite sides of the bed, each clasping one of Gran’s arthritic hands.

  “It’s all right, Gran.” AJ swallowed against the stone pressing against his throat. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

  “She should be in a hospital.” Brett’s voice shook, and Amy gripped his arm.

  “That’s not what she wanted,” AJ said.

  “AJ’s right.” Amy gently caressed Gran’s fragile arm. “This is where she wants to be. With us.”

  “Yesss.” The word was barely a breath. Gran inhaled, and her three grandchildren leaned closer. “Love. You.” Her eyes blinked open, and a slight smile parted her lips. She seemed to garner all her strength before speaking again. “Be good. To each other.”

  Her eyes closed, her head relaxed against the pillow, and the hand clasped in AJ’s went limp. He squeezed her fingers, willing life to return as his chest tightened. He gulped air, shutting his eyes and clenching his jaw.

  Amy’s heartrending sobs broke through the muffling fog. He opened his eyes and, through a mist of tears, endured another squeezing pang. Brett, fighting back tears of his own, embraced his sister. Amy clung to her brother as grief wracked her thin body.

  They had each other to hold on to through this storm. Just as they had when all their parents died. When Sully died.

  While AJ stood alone.

  Without Gran, he was all alone.

  As if she read his thoughts, Amy raised her eyes to his and stretched her hand across the bed. AJ hesitated the briefest of seconds before clasping one hand in hers while still holding on to Gran with his other.

  The goodwill born of shared sorrow probably wouldn’t last beyond the funeral,
but for now he accepted Amy’s comforting gesture. For a few minutes, Joyanna Sullivan’s beloved grandchildren stood beside her, united in their reluctance to let her go.

  After Brett and Amy left the room, AJ tenderly kissed Gran’s cheek. Her skin crinkled like thin paper beneath his dry lips.

  “What am I going to do without you?” he whispered. “No one loved me like you.”

  Except for Me. The words breathed into his heart. My steadfast love is with you always.

  – 9 –

  Shelby dragged the red wagon to the sweeping branches of the treasured willow that overhung Glade Creek, then lifted Tabby over the wagon’s wooden railing.

  “Everybody out. We’re here.”

  “Is this the ’gagement tree?” Elizabeth’s eyes, more green than blue today, shone with wonder. Her long dark hair, so like Gary’s, was pulled back in a single braid and tied with purple ribbon. Standing in the wagon bed, she grasped a long slender branch of the weeping willow and pressed it against her cheek.

  “It sure is. Come see.” Shelby took both girls by the hand and swung their arms as she counted. “One. Two. Three.” She ducked beneath the branches, and the girls giggled as they slipped between the feathery fronds.

  “Look here.” Shelby picked up Tabby and balanced her on her hip, then pointed to a set of initials surrounded by a heart. “C. Z. and A. L. That stands for Adam Lassiter and Catherine Zema. Your grandma and grandpa.”

  “Your mommy and daddy,” Elizabeth said. “In Africa.”

  “That’s right.” She moved around the tree and pointed to another heart. “This one belongs to my grandma and grandpa.”

  Tabitha slowly recited the letters as she traced them. “A. G. What’s this?” She touched the plus sign.

  “That means ‘and.’ What are these letters?”

  “T. L.” Tabby gleamed.

  “That’s right.”

  Elizabeth touched the heart. “What are their names, Mommy?”