Richard’s voice drew her from the quicksand of regret. “Sully never recovered from Aubrey’s betrayal.”
“Nanna would never betray anyone.” Would she?
“Sully believed she did. They fought, he and Thad. But in Aubrey’s eyes, Sully’s bitterness only confirmed she had chosen the right man.”
Another puzzle piece clicked into place, revealing Anderson Sullivan’s reason for taking Misty Willow, for leaving the house to deteriorate.
“He waited a long time to exact his revenge,” she said, her voice trembling. “And it cost my grandparents, cost me, our heritage.”
The shadow flitted once more across Richard’s face. “It destroyed Sully too.” His expression softened. “And Joyanna.”
The photograph of AJ’s grandmother she had seen in his cottage appeared in her mind’s eye. This lovely woman had comforted Shelby when grief over all she had lost threatened to destroy her.
“They were friends, weren’t they? My grandmother and Joyanna.”
“The best of friends. Until Joyanna married Sully. She thought she could reconcile them, but Sully was too stubborn.”
“I should have guessed it before now. They both loved irises. Cary Grant.” A sudden longing overcame her to share this newsflash with AJ. Their grandfathers may have been rivals, but their grandmothers had been friends. No wonder Joyanna cared so much about returning Misty Willow to Shelby.
The wrinkles creasing Richard’s face seemed to deepen with remembrance and loss.
“You never stopped loving Joyanna. Did you?”
Crimson spots highlighted his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. “The past no longer matters, Shelby. You have Misty Willow, and Brett can’t take it away from you. I promise you, with all that is in me, I will not let him.”
AJ took a deep breath and knocked on the hospital room door before entering. A sandy-haired boy covered with white linens lay in the bed. His pale face looked almost waxen, while an assortment of wires attached him to various monitors. The woman sitting in the chair next to him stared at AJ as she stood.
Meghan.
Her hair, only a shade lighter than her son’s, was pulled back in a quick ponytail, and fine lines creased the edges of her gray eyes.
“I’ve been praying for a miracle.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest as if to shut him out. Her lips pressed into a thin line that tightened her chin into a point. “I didn’t expect God to send me you.”
“I didn’t expect to find you had a child. Is he . . . is he mine?” AJ’s heart thumped, loud and hard, as the anger in her eyes faded, revealing naked vulnerability. She was afraid of him, and that knowledge pushed him to reach across the bed to her. She drew back, and he let his arm drop to his side. “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you had an—”
“That only shows how little you knew me.”
“I was wrong.” His voice sounded loud in the quiet room. “Wrong to let you go when you needed help.”
“Your grandfather was generous.” Her words dropped like heavy stones upon packed dirt, solid thuds against his heart.
Remorse squeezed his chest, and a pent-up anger he had never acknowledged welled within him. His eyes stung as guilt gripped his throat. He tried to speak, swallowed, and tried again, forcing the raw words out of his mouth. “What happened to him?”
She tenderly brushed the boy’s bangs from his forehead. His eyes seemed to flicker beneath his thin lids. “A car accident. I haven’t prayed in a long time, but I’ve been on my knees again and again the past couple of days, begging God to help my boy.”
Her sharp eyes penetrated AJ’s as she challenged him with her words. “Are you the answer to my prayer? Will you help us?”
“I won’t abandon you, Meghan. Not this time.” He laid his hand on the boy’s slender shoulder.
Closing his eyes, he said a silent prayer for Jonah. For his son.
– 21 –
Brett rotated his phone, tapping the ends on Amy’s kitchen counter. Throughout the day he’d ignored Tracie’s frequent calls and texts until she threatened to call the local hospitals and the police. He replied in all caps: GO AWAY!
She didn’t respond.
Rotate, tap. Rotate, tap.
He should call his apartment’s concierge service and arrange for a new lock. Third time this year. A guy never knew if the scorned lady had made a copy. It happened once to a buddy of his. Since that unfortunate mishap, “change locks” had been immediately added to The Professional Man’s Guide to Breaking Up, an imaginary checklist often referred to by the Monday night regulars at Gallagher’s.
A couple of the guys were going to the benefit for the wounded military tonight. They wanted to meet the widowed mom he’d told them about. Truth be told, he had looked forward to showing off his brown-haired, green-eyed date.
Shelby might not be a Tracie. But then Tracie definitely was no Shelby.
He was confident that by evening’s end the other guys would have slipped their Golden Date tokens into his hand—tokens he’d later redeem for beers. He wouldn’t have told them Shelby wasn’t staying the night at his place, an automatic disqualification in the Golden Date contest.
It was all part of the game.
Rotate, tap. Rotate, tap.
The apartment door opened, and Amy entered the kitchen, lugging groceries. “Why are you still here?”
“Hello to you too.”
“Playing hooky, are we?”
“I only had a couple of appointments. Canceled them.” He stretched across the counter’s upper level for the grocery bag. “Anything good in here?”
“Not for you.” Amy moved the bag out of his reach. “Sorry to do this, but you’ve got to go.”
“Expecting company?”
“That state senator I was telling you about is coming over. For a strategy session.”
“And to break a few ethics rules? You need to be careful, Amy.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Sure you do.”
She turned her back on him and retrieved a bottle of white wine from the fridge. “Aren’t you going to that charity thing tonight?”
“Looking like this?” He touched his chin and winced. The bruised scrape jagged along his jawline. “Besides, I no longer have a date.”
Amy smirked. “Did the high-and-mighty Shelby Kincaid cancel on you?”
“I haven’t heard from her, but I think that’s a safe bet.”
“You never know. She could be pulling her little black dress out of mothballs right now. Praying it still fits.”
“Save the claws for someone who deserves them.”
“She doesn’t?” She poured wine in a goblet without offering a glass to him. “Her sentimental yearning for that blasted farm is causing all kinds of trouble for me.”
“You act as if AJ would have turned over the deed to you.”
“He hated the place till she came along.”
“What about the other farmers? Misty Willow isn’t big enough on its own for what you want.”
“They have their weaknesses.”
“Oh, do they?”
“Everyone does.” She sipped her wine, then slowly traced the rim with her manicured finger. “We only need to discover what they are.”
“You’re not going to give up, are you?”
“The lawsuit will be filed next week.”
“On what grounds?”
“Violating the spirit of Sully’s intentions.”
“That will never hold up.”
“Perhaps not.” She arched her eyebrows and shrugged. “But I have more resources than Shelby Kincaid. She won’t last long.”
Grabbing the wine bottle, he checked the label and swigged a mouthful.
“Don’t do that. Gross.” Amy wrestled the bottle from him and wiped the opening with a dishcloth. “Go home, would you?”
He stood and pocketed his phone. “Tracie might be there.”
“Your problem, not mine.”
�
��How long is the senator staying?”
She gave him a stony look, her clear blue eyes flashing fire. “Bye, Brett.”
“I’m going.” He gathered his keys and headed for the door. With his hand on the knob, he paused. “You know, Shelby might be stronger than you think.”
Amy came out from behind the counter and crossed her arms. The tension in her slender posture screamed defiance, but the quiver in her voice exposed her vulnerability. “Whose side are you on?”
When Mom and Dad had fought, screaming vile names at each other, Amy would huddle close to him with her hands over her ears. After the divorce, he’d refused to let them use her as a pawn, risking his parents’ wrath to defend her. His role of protector would never change.
“It’s always us, Amy. No matter who gets in the way.”
She smiled and hugged his arm. “Call me tomorrow, okay? Just not too early.”
“Sure.”
He said good night and headed to the parking garage. To avoid taking Tracie to the charity event, he’d led her to believe he was going on a weekend golfing trip with a few buddies. She hadn’t minded, probably seeing it as an opportunity to secretly move more of her belongings into his place.
He slid into his Lexus, unsure where to go. He’d had the perfect life until Shelby Kincaid showed up. Maybe Amy was right. Maybe forcing Shelby out of Misty Willow would return his world to normal.
Of course it would.
When the skies rained gold coins.
Carrying a cafeteria tray, AJ followed Meghan to a secluded corner table. His appetite had disappeared in the trauma unit when a nurse explained Jonah’s numerous injuries, but he sensed Meghan hadn’t eaten much in the past couple of days. She’d been reluctant to leave the room despite the nurse encouraging them both to take a supper break.
He sat across from her and unwrapped his Italian sub. “Nice-looking salad you’ve got there.”
“They have a lot of options on their salad bar.”
“Benefit of a big hospital, I guess.” He silently kicked himself. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know.” She moved the greens around with her fork. “This place puts everybody on edge.”
While they ate, AJ resisted the urge to bombard her with questions. Instead he talked about teaching and his recent camping trip while Meghan did a fairly good impression of being interested.
When she shoved away the remains of her salad, he gathered their plates on the tray. “Would you like dessert?”
“I should get back to Jonah.” She started to rise, but he grasped her arm.
“Not yet.”
She reluctantly sat. “What is it?”
“I want to know how it happened, what the doctors are saying.” The words came out in a rush, and he took a moment to calm down and soften his voice. “I want to know everything.”
Silence filled the narrow space between them. Meghan tugged her shirt sleeves to her wrists as if she were cold, then fidgeted with her soda straw.
“Why isn’t your husband here?”
“Ex-husband,” she said emphatically and gulped. “He’s in jail.”
“Jail?” he asked in disbelief.
“He was driving. Drunk.” She momentarily closed her eyes. “Jonah wasn’t supposed to be in that car. Travis took him, and I didn’t even know until the police came.”
“How could you not know?”
Her gray eyes darted to his, and she pressed her lips into a thin line. When she finally spoke, her voice was raw and hoarse. “I have no idea what brought you here. Coincidence? God?” She shrugged, lifting her shoulders high for emphasis. “But understand this. I’m the only parent Jonah knows. And I won’t allow you, or anyone else, to waltz in here and give me the third degree.”
“I have the right to know how he ended up in that hospital bed,” AJ shot back. “And why I never even knew he existed until today.”
“I wanted him.” She wrapped her arms across her stomach. “I couldn’t risk anyone taking him from me.”
His flash of anger subsided, replaced by regret. “If I’d known, I would have married you.”
“Your grandfather would never have permitted that. He’d have disowned you.”
“He did that anyway.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“I finally decided to stand up to him, but it was too late. You were already gone.” He crumpled his napkin into a tight ball. “I dropped out of law school. He never forgave me.”
She glanced at his left hand. “You’re not married?”
“No.” He grinned, remembering Elizabeth’s comical goof. “There’s no Mrs. Fourth.”
“What?”
“Just a silly joke.”
Meghan sipped her soda, then placed the cup on the cafeteria tray. “I’ve been gone too long.”
“Don’t shut me out, Meghan. Not anymore.”
She sighed heavily. “There’s something you should know.”
“Tell me.”
She wavered, biting her lip as her forehead creased in thought. “Jonah’s recovery is going to take a long time. Maybe you should go home and just leave us be.”
He sensed that wasn’t what she intended to say. But after what happened between them in the past, he understood her lack of trust.
“We’ll see this through together.” He squeezed her fingers. “I promise.”
Shelby accepted Cassie’s invitation to supper when she stopped by the Owenses’ farm to pick up her girls. She put the finishing touches on a green bean casserole while Cassie prepared a salad and Jason removed chicken from the grill. Afterwards, they sat outside in lawn chairs while the children and dogs, Lila and the Owenses’ English shepherd Penny, chased each other around the yard.
“Where did you say AJ took off to?” Jason asked.
“I didn’t say,” Shelby said. “He didn’t tell me.”
“Strange for him to leave like that. Will he be back in time for next week’s game?”
“What game?”
“The Faith Community Church softball game. Against Grace Chapel.” Jason’s tone grew agitated. “He’s our second best batter, so he better get back here before Tuesday.”
“Second best?”
“AJ’s good, but I’m better.” Jason sat forward in his chair and went through the motions of swinging a bat.
“It’s their personal rivalry,” Cassie said. “Every summer we go through this.”
“My batting average put me number one last year. Can’t argue with the stats.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Cassie swatted his leg and gripped the chair arms as if to rise. “The kids and I made brownies this afternoon. Anybody interested?”
“I’ll go get them.” Jason stood and stretched, then swung his imaginary bat again. “You gals just relax.”
“Thanks, hon,” Cassie said before he disappeared into the house.
“Does AJ attend Faith Community? I haven’t seen him there.” Shelby shrugged. “Though we’ve only been a couple of times.”
“We don’t often see him either. He usually attends the first service, and we go to second service because Austin attends children’s church then.”
“I wish I’d known.”
“Why?”
Shelby shrugged again, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Because I would have taken the girls to a different church. Because I’m trying to avoid AJ Sullivan as much as possible.
She hadn’t told Cassie about the bitter history between the Lassiters and Sullivans when they talked earlier in the day. How could she possibly explain the animosity she harbored toward AJ when he was so . . . likeable? Would Cassie even believe she despised him?
Shelby hardly believed it herself.
The proof of her change of heart chose that moment to race toward her for a sniff and a pat. Shelby pressed her cheek against Lila’s creamy muzzle as she rubbed both her ears. A few weeks ago, she’d have scorned the idea of dog-sitting for her worst enemy.
But her attitude toward AJ w
as no longer so black and white. The events of the past twenty-four hours proved she had placed her trust in the wrong grandson.
“How could I have been so stupid?” she murmured into Lila’s ear.
“You’re not stupid,” Cassie said softly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Shelby leaned back in the chair, and Lila plopped at her feet. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
“I can’t imagine AJ treating anyone like Brett treated you. He’s a good man.”
“Who’s a good man?” Jason appeared behind them with the brownies.
“You are.” Cassie took the container from him and called for the children.
Grateful for the distraction, Shelby pulled Tabby onto her lap. Elizabeth and Austin sat close together as they ate their brownies, seemingly best friends. Perhaps another prayer answered for her lonely little girl.
When it was time to go, Shelby herded the reluctant children to the car. Lila slowly stood and limped after them.
Shelby knelt beside the dog and gently touched her front paw. “It’s her injured leg. I thought it was all better.”
“She’s been running a lot today,” Cassie said. “Maybe she just overdid it.”
“What should I do?”
Jason examined the leg. “Make sure she rests tonight. If she’s still limping in the morning, let me know. I can take her in to Doc Buck.”
“He’s still around? He must be at least a hundred.”
“Old Doc Buck retired a couple of years ago, but his son and granddaughter took over the practice. Young Doc Buck and Lady Doc Buck.”
“That’s what people call them? You’re kidding me, right?”
“I promise I’m not.” Jason chuckled as he rubbed Lila’s ears. “She’ll probably be fine in the morning. I’ll help you get her in the car.”
The drive home took about five minutes, but it seemed a hundred times that before the girls were bathed and tucked in for the night. Lila whimpered and paced, favoring one leg, until Shelby awkwardly lifted her onto Elizabeth’s bed.
“She needs a bandage, doesn’t she?” Elizabeth rested her arm across Lila’s neck.
Where She Belongs Page 15