Where She Belongs

by Johnnie Alexander

  “Thirty?”

  “Okay, twenty-five.” Taking Elizabeth by the hand, she led her away from the willow. “You and I are going to have a little talk, young lady.”

  AJ grinned at Austin, whose squatting posture matched his own. “You sure about this?”

  “Elizabeth is my best friend,” he said solemnly. “I heard tell you should marry your best friend.”

  “I’ve heard that too.”

  “I figured I better speak up before she moves away.”

  “Maybe something will happen, and they won’t move.”

  “That’s what I’ve been praying about.”

  “Me too, buddy.” He cut the bark to finish the heart. “Me too.”

  – 43 –

  After church the next day, AJ joined Shelby and the girls for lunch at the Dixie Diner. When they’d finished their meal, the waitress laid the check on the table.

  AJ picked it up and pulled out his wallet. “My turn.”

  “I don’t think so,” Shelby said as she wiped ketchup from Tabby’s face. “You picked up the check last time. At the café.”

  “That one doesn’t count.” He glanced at his knuckles and flexed his hand. The skin was still slightly discolored from where it had connected with Brett’s jaw.

  Shelby’s lips slightly curved upward, but fine lines accented her eyes. He longed to kiss away her doubts and worries, to tell her everything would be all right. To beg her to fight Amy’s lawsuit.

  “Are you sure you still want me to come over this afternoon?” Please say yes.

  Her eyes widened with uncertainty. “Don’t you want to?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “You promised,” Tabby asserted. “So we can watch Tangled.”

  “I know, honey.” He leaned across the table to hold her gaze. “But your mommy looks tired. She may not want company.”

  “Mommy can take a nap if she wants to.” Tabby’s no-nonsense tone added to her gold-flecked eyes boring into his made it difficult for him to keep a straight face. “Always keep promises.”

  “Guess she told you,” Shelby whispered with a chuckle, then rested her hand on his. “With this rain, it’s a perfect Sunday afternoon for watching movies. Please come.”

  He turned his hand so her fingers slipped into his grasp, and he got lost in the depths of her eyes. Something had changed within her, and he couldn’t wait to find out what it was. “Let’s go.”

  Genuine delight warmed her smile as she helped Elizabeth and Tabby put on their jackets. As he put cash in the check folder, his phone rang. “It’s Richard.” Probably mad about the call to his daughter. “Do you mind?”

  “We’ll see you at the house.” She herded the girls to the exit, turning back to wave before disappearing around a corner.

  He nodded, then answered the call. “Hello, Richard.”

  “AJ?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you with Shelby?”

  “I was, but she just left.”

  “Where are you?”

  “At the Dixie.”

  “I’ve been thinking that we should talk. About your grandfather and Misty Willow.”

  “What about them?” Was Richard finally going to tell him how Sully had gained ownership of the farm?

  “Not on the phone. I’m almost to the cottage now.”

  “I’m still in town. How soon will you be there?”

  “In a few minutes.”

  “Okay, just wait for me. I won’t be long.”

  “You won’t say anything about this to Shelby, will you? At least not till after we’ve talked.”

  “Sure, Richard. Whatever you say.” He hung up then headed for the Jeep. Shelby already expected him to run home first to change clothes. Hopefully this strange meeting with Richard wouldn’t take too long. And the old man would stay lucid.

  Shelby bent her head against the downpour and hurried the girls inside the house. This was one of those days when she really missed an attached garage. Or any garage.

  “Change your clothes,” she said, shooing them down the hall. “And hang up your dresses.”

  In the back room, she shook out their wet jackets and hung them on hooks. As she returned to the kitchen, a knock sounded at the door. She glanced through the window, then opened the door.

  “Uncle Richard, come in. What a surprise.”

  “Thank you, dear.” He fussily swiped at the dampness on his shoulders. “I didn’t expect you to take so long getting home from church.”

  “We went out to eat first.” She frowned. “Have you been waiting for us? I didn’t see your car.”

  “I parked behind the barn.”

  Anxiety niggled at the edge of Shelby’s mind, but she dismissed the odd sensation. “Why there?”

  “It’s the safest place.”

  “Safe from what?”

  “I saw you with AJ at church.”

  “Yes,” she said hesitatingly. “We were both there.” Sitting together with Cassie and Jason. Almost like a couple.

  “You don’t dislike him anymore?”

  “Why don’t you sit down, Richard?” After pulling out a chair for him, she reached for the glass coffeepot and carried it to the sink. “Would you like coffee? Or hot tea?”

  He waved his hand to decline and stayed standing.

  “It would be a mistake to leave him.”

  “Leave who?”

  “After all this time.” His voice rose in anger. “How can you let your heart be swayed by someone else?”

  Shelby returned the pot to its burner. “Are you talking about Brett? I’m not interested in him.”

  “I’m talking about Thad.”

  Elizabeth appeared in the kitchen door, her eyes furrowed in concern. With a knot in her stomach, Shelby hurried to her daughter and gently clasped her shoulders. “Why don’t you and Tabby watch a video?”

  “But we’re supposed to watch Tangled with—”

  “And we will. Soon.” She turned Elizabeth around and gave her a slight push. “Go on now.”

  Elizabeth reluctantly slunk down the hall, turning back periodically to see if Shelby still watched her. Shelby gave her a reassuring smile. “Stay with your sister, okay?” With a brief nod, Elizabeth turned past the stairs.

  Leaning against the doorframe, Shelby faced Richard. He hadn’t moved, but his pale blue eyes stared past her.

  “You have a daughter? Does Sully know?”

  “Sully’s dead. He’s been dead for about six years.”

  “Did Thad kill him?”

  Shelby gasped. “No, of course not.” Taking a deep breath, she allowed compassion to push away her indignation. Richard obviously was stuck in the past, but he was still her great-uncle. A kind and caring old man.

  “You killed Sully.”

  Too stunned to speak, she shook her head.

  Richard’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, and the furrows in his forehead pleated together. “I remember now. Sully destroyed Thad. But Thad blamed me. I tried to tell him it wasn’t my fault. I tried to tell him.”

  The knot returned, expanding against her chest. Somehow she had to bring him back to the present. Forcing a smile, she walked to the cupboard and pulled down two cups. “Wouldn’t you like a cup of coffee, Uncle Richard? Just have a seat and tell me all the news from the bank.”

  “The bank?”

  “We missed you at the cookout yesterday. Cassie and Jason Owens were here. And Paul and Renee Norris and their kids, Seth and Mandy. Do you know them?” When he didn’t answer, she continued. “Oh, and Jillian Ross. She’s one of AJ’s students. Of course, they all are. Or were. The kids, I mean. Jillian and Seth graduated this year. Mandy’s a sophomore.”

  She folded her arms tightly across her chest and bit her lip to stop the babbling. Where was AJ? “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to sit down?”

  “It wasn’t my fault, Aubrey. It was yours.”

  “Uncle Richard, please. I’m Shelby.”

  “Why didn’t you stay with
Sully? He loved you.” He stepped closer, his eyes menacing. “You’re to blame for everything that has happened. But you wouldn’t listen. Thad wouldn’t listen.”

  Her phone, tucked inside her bag, rang, and she instinctively reached for it. Please let it be AJ.

  Quicker than she would have thought possible, Richard gripped her arm. “No.”

  “I need to answer it.”

  “I said no.” His long fingers tightened, and he yanked her toward the door. “Come with me, Aubrey.”

  “Leave Mommy alone.” Elizabeth grabbed Richard’s other arm, and he flung her to the floor. Tabby stood wide-eyed in the hallway door.

  “Stop it,” Shelby shouted, sidling past him to clutch Elizabeth. Tabby joined them, and Shelby wrapped her arms around both girls. “Please, just leave us alone.”

  “Thad’s in the barn, Aubrey. I didn’t mean it, but he blamed me.” He passed his hand across his face, and his eyes hardened. “But you have to listen to me. This time, you’ll listen.”

  Shelby’s limbs turned to rubber as the hammering of her heart pounded against her ears. She momentarily closed her eyes. Somehow she had to get Richard out of the kitchen. Away from the girls. “I’m listening.”

  “In the barn. I have to show you how it happened. That it wasn’t my fault.”

  Her thoughts in a whirl, Shelby tried to resist the horrific suspicion triggered by Richard’s ramblings. What he was insinuating wasn’t possible. He had entered the barn after she found Grandpa.

  But where had he been?

  A long-forgotten detail, sharp and vivid, emerged from the murkiness of memory.

  Her fourteen-year-old self walked down the lane from the back pastures toward the house. Approaching the barn, she saw Richard’s car, a late-model Cadillac, parked beside it. A strange place to park, almost as if he was hiding it from anyone who might be in the house. But that was silly. What did Uncle Richard have to hide? Dismissing the thought, she entered the barn. And had her world turned upside down.

  Richard had come in behind her. Except he hadn’t. Not through the door. He’d just been there, hidden in the shadows.

  Taking a deep breath, she scooched the girls behind her as she slowly rose to her feet. Controlled anger steadied her voice. “I’ll go to the barn with you, Richard. But you mustn’t scare the children.”

  A slow smile added another crease to his wrinkled face. “You’ll see, Aubrey. This changes everything. You loved Sully once. Now you can love him again. And Joyanna and I can be together. Just like we were supposed to be. Remember, Aubrey, how we said it would be?”

  “I remember, Richard. You can tell me how it happened. And then everything will be all right.” She knelt by the girls as they huddled together in the hall doorway. “We’ll be back in a few minutes. Then I’ll make cocoa, and we’ll pop popcorn. Okay?”

  “Don’t go, Mommy.” Tears streaked Elizabeth’s cheeks.

  “Stay in the house and take care of your sister.” She glanced at her watch. AJ should have arrived by now. Maybe that’s why he called, to say he couldn’t come. If only Richard had let her answer the phone. “Be good now. I won’t be long.”

  Elizabeth nodded and tightened her hold around Tabby’s small shoulders.

  Pushing past her abhorrence, Shelby pasted on a smile and hooked her arm in Richard’s. “I’m ready.”

  He patted her hand. “You’ll see, Aubrey. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

  Together they walked out into the rain.

  After changing from dress shirt and pants to long-sleeved pullover and jeans, AJ stared out the cottage’s rain-spattered window. Where was Richard?

  He had waited for the old man long enough. He shrugged into a lightweight jacket, pulled on a ball cap, and raced Lila to the Jeep. Once on the road, he called Richard for the third time. And for the third time, the call went straight to voicemail. He tossed the phone on the passenger seat.

  Strange Richard wasn’t answering his phone.

  Strange too that Shelby hadn’t answered when he called her.

  A disturbing shiver raced up his spine, and his muscles tensed. Gripping the steering wheel with one hand as he accelerated, he reached for his phone with the other. As his fingers closed on the case, the phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he sighed with relief.

  “Shelby, hi.”

  “Mr. AJ?” A sob choked the small voice. “This is Elizabeth Kincaid.”

  The tension returned, gripping his stomach with an iron fist. “What’s wrong, sunshine?”

  “Tabby’s scared.” Another sob. “Me too.”

  “Where’s your mom?”

  “She went to the barn with Uncle Richard. But Mommy doesn’t like the barn.”

  The fist twisted, and AJ forced himself to breathe as he slowed to cross the bridge, then accelerated even faster. “Why did she go with him?”

  “Because it wasn’t his fault.”

  “What wasn’t?”

  “I don’t know.” The intermittent sobbing was replaced by a tearful sniff. “He called her Aubrey, and he said she could love silly again.”

  “Love silly?”

  “That’s what he said.”

  No, not silly. Sully. Richard wanted Aubrey to love Sully. But why?

  “Where are you and Tabby?”

  “In the kitchen.”

  “Stay there, okay? I’m almost at your house.”

  “Is Lila coming too?”

  Despite the grim circumstances, AJ grinned. “Yes, Bitsy. Lila’s coming too.”

  “Thank you, Mr. AJ.”

  Before he could reply, the line went dead.

  Decelerating as he approached the stop sign, he prayed the poor visibility wasn’t hiding any traffic. He braked only enough to make the left turn and sped toward Misty Willow.

  As he passed a rambling farmhouse, he punched a button on his smartphone. “Call Jason Owens.”

  – 44 –

  Despite her revulsion, Shelby was forced to rely on Richard’s support as they trudged through the heavy downpour. Why hadn’t she changed her high heels into something more practical before leaving the house? Or put a jacket on over her dress?

  One simple reason. To get Richard away from her girls as quickly as possible.

  Head bent to protect her face from the pelting drops, she allowed him to lead her on the slow trek. As they neared the barn, her stomach roiled. Cold beads of sweat mingled with the rain on her bare arms and legs. Her aversion to entering the vile place where Grandpa had died devoured her desire to hear Richard’s explanation.

  The weathered structure loomed before them, and she dug into Richard’s arm. “I can’t,” she said, swallowing the acrid bile that rose to her throat. “I can’t go in there.”

  “But you must.” Determination seemed to give him strength as he pulled her forward toward the narrow gap created by the slightly opened sliding door. She retched, emptying the contents of her stomach into a standing puddle as the relentless rain beat her back and shoulders.

  As she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, tires spun on gravel, and AJ’s Jeep broke through the downpour’s veil. Tears of relief eased her anguish. She started toward the vehicle, but Richard pushed her into the gap. Stumbling as the heel came off one of her shoes, she smacked the concrete floor with her knees and hands. The sour smell of old straw and blighted feed pressed into her nostrils.

  “Stand up, Aubrey.” Richard clasped her elbow. “I have to show you.”

  The sliding door groaned as it opened wider, and AJ stepped inside. “Leave her alone, Richard.”

  Shelby scrambled to her feet and staggered into his arms. He held her close, protectively shifting his body to shelter her from Richard’s demented gaze.

  “Sully, you’re here.”

  “I’m not Sully.”

  “Aubrey loves you again. I knew she would if Thad went away.”

  Shelby raised her head from AJ’s chest and forced herself to look into Richard’s clouded eyes. “You killed him, didn�
�t you?”

  “No.” He shook his head, then nodded. “Yes.” He took a step toward them, and she shrank against AJ. “I didn’t mean to, Aubrey. But he wouldn’t listen. He was going to tell everyone I cheated him out of the farm. I pushed him, and he fell.”

  His eyes looked wildly around the barn. “I moved the pig trough. Moved it here.” He pointed at the floor. “It was an accident, Aubrey. A tragic accident. I’d have been ruined.” Tears filled his eyes, and his voice shook. “You’re my sister. You have to protect me.”

  Shelby gasped and clutched at the sob caught in her throat.

  “Did you cheat him?” AJ asked, his voice hard and cold.

  “Sully, you know I did.” Richard’s tone was placating, subservient.

  “Why? After so many years had passed, why?”

  Richard bristled. “You dare ask me why? Haven’t I always done what you told me to do? Cleaned up your messes? Covered up your tracks? And how do you repay me? You marry Joyanna.” Tears coursed across his wrinkled cheeks. “It should have been you instead of Thad. You!”

  His eyes darted around the barn’s dim interior, then he picked up an abandoned beer bottle and flung it at them.

  AJ turned and raised his arm. The bottle barely scraped his shoulder and crashed to the floor. He gently pushed Shelby away, then faced Richard.

  “There’s no need for this, Richard. Let me take you home.”

  Outraged, Richard emitted a loud bellow and bent his body forward as if to rush AJ. But he lost his balance and staggered, clutching his left arm as he fell.

  AJ patted his pockets, then spoke over his shoulder to Shelby as he knelt by Richard and felt for a pulse. “My phone’s in the Jeep. Call 911.”

  Shelby hurried to the door as Jason entered. He gave her a quick hug, then tugged AJ from Richard.

  “I’ll make the call,” he said. “Cassie’s with the girls. You take care of Shelby.”

  AJ enclosed her in a warm embrace. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, gripping her aching stomach as the dam of tears broke loose.

  “It’s over,” he whispered. “It’s all over.”

  “He’s . . . dead?”

  “Yeah.”