Fireflies and Lies (A Summerbrook Novel Book 4)

by Vicki Wilkerson

  She was glad that a marsh and a forest stood between them and whatever was to be on the other side. The view was still as pristine as it had been hundreds of years ago.

  She saw an egret along the edge lift her leg slowly and place it down again—hunting for food. She saw her own methodic steps in the bird. Both were calculated. Both sought to survive.

  The tidal river was at its low point for the day, still deep enough to navigate any size vessel down the middle, but the edges exposed its muddy underbelly. She watched as fiddler crabs scampered over the bottom, haplessly crawling from one little hole to another. Occasionally, a blue crab would show itself. It had been a while since she’d caught the glorious blue creatures. Jasper and Amberlee loved to eat them. When she was a child, she’d catch them with Jasper and follow him home and watch Amberlee clean them, bread them and fry them. She could almost smell the light, sweet scent of the meat in her memories. And then it vanished.

  It was replaced with the odor of the river’s bottom, a little like pluff mud, a little like fish, a little like life.

  “What are you so deep in thought about, Jenna?”

  “Life.”

  “Life?”

  “Yeah, it’s not so perfect, like I thought it was going to be when I was a little girl. I’d had this…perfect life planned out. Here. April and I were going to get married, have babies and work on the cookbook committee at the Summerbrook Ladies League together.”

  “That does sound pretty perfect.”

  She chuckled. “But that’s not the way things are working out.” She turned to her mother and said, “And that’s okay.”

  “Things are different in today’s society. I understand.”

  “I’m glad you understand, Momma. A man is not going to come along and save the day for me. In fact, that’s no longer in my playbook.”

  “What is in your…playbook?”

  “Well, you’ll just have to wait to see, now won’t you?”

  “Oh, wait just one minute. You, Jenna Bellingham, have…secrets? Which you’ve told me over and over again are…essentially…lies.”

  “Now, you wait one minute, Momma,” she said with a big smile upon her face. “Secrets are lies only if the outcomes are…negative. If it’s a surprise, with a positive outcome, like at Christmas or at birthdays, then they are perfectly fine.”

  “So, you get to write all the rules about secrets and lies?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “You absolutely have a secret!” Her mother’s face looked amused. And relieved in a way. So much had passed between them because of the lies and secrets she’d put before Jenna about her brother…and about France, the homeland of the first DeBordieus.

  “Yes, I have a temporary secret—a good one. But you’ll have to wait to learn about it.”

  Jenna needed to dot her I’s and cross her T’s before the world learned just how capable she could be.

  Tomorrow, Mr. Slithers would learn of her clever plan. And then all that was left would be the waiting.

  Jenna would see how good she was at that.

  Chapter Sixteen

  "Geography blended with time equals destiny."

  ~ Joseph Brodsky

  Jenna realized she was actually pretty good at waiting. Mr. Slithers had called a few times, asking for information for the board. So, they hadn’t laughed her out the boardroom and hadn’t thrown her new “Letter of Intent” into the garbage.

  As she waited for the committee to answer, she was also waiting for Hogan to call. But he didn’t.

  Still, she had confidence that he would. Eventually. She had Bentley’s number. Blue-blooded and cold, bless her heart. She was subtly ostentatious, all about money and not connected to a place or to people. Jenna would just have to wait her out to show her true colors.

  Jenna had had a…change of heart concerning many things. Her own blue-blooded heritage was one of them. There were many more.

  She’d learned from some of the insiders at the Summerbrook Ladies League all about Bentley. They’d told her just how ruthless and shallow some of the women were in the Charleston Ladies League, and Bentley was at the top of the heap. The Summerbrook chapter wasn’t without a few either. She still needed to finish up some of her business with them, though. A few of the kinder members were helping her with the silly fashion show. Silly, except for the fact that it was going to raise money to help pay the bills for the expensive bone marrow transplant that recently had saved Ben’s life.

  At one point, she’d wanted April to join the league, but now she didn’t even want to attend meetings and events herself. She needed to let April off the hook about it. Soon. April had found happiness with Bullworth, and Jenna could not have been happier for her best friend.

  She had several outstanding obligations she had to attend to now that she was back in Summerbrook and the Letter of Intent was on the board’s table. She’d neglected so much during the weeks she was helping Hogan and Savannah.

  Today was going to be a busy one. She opened the trunk and grabbed the boxes that she’d picked up when she and Jasper had visited the tea plantation and carried them into the carriage house.

  She walked around, picking up all sorts of things from all sorts of drawers and closets and filled the boxes. Things needed to be organized according to tasks. Masking tape and CDs in one box, lights and bells in another, puzzles and books in another. Some of the bags and boxes would go to the motorcycle shop for the fashion show, one bag would go to the hospital, and all the others were—well, she had high hopes for the others.

  Again and again, she walked through the carriage house and retrieved things from their appropriate places. And then placed them into their designated boxes.

  Boy, was her schedule full.

  She picked up her cell phone from the kitchen counter and punched some numbers. “Hey, April.”

  “It’s about time you called.” April sounded perturbed. “So, how’s Hogan and Savannah?”

  “Better, according to his brother, but I have to talk to you.” She knew this needed to be done face to face.

  “Shrimp and grits at Oscar’s?” April asked.

  “Umm. No. How about the cafeteria at the Children’s Hospital? I haven’t seen Ben in two weeks. Since Hogan’s accident.” She checked her watch.

  “Okay. I’ll meet you there,” April said.

  “Let’s meet in Ben’s room, and we can go to the cafeteria after.” She checked the clock on the wall.

  “Perfect. I need to see him, too,” April said.

  Jenna went through her library of children’s books. What she needed was easy to find because they’d been categorized by title.

  Then she took a large manila envelope from the drawer in her desk and scribbled Hogan’s address on it. She slipped in two books that she thought Savannah would like. Llama, Llama Misses Mama and Llama, Llama Mad at Mama. She hoped Hogan wouldn’t mind. The little girl loved her Mommy book so much, and these Llama books were favorites of children everywhere. She sealed the package.

  One of the boxes she’d loaded earlier would go with her to the hospital. The others would stay put—for now. She looked out the window and saw Jasper. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to her old friend sing “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” She knew that in her soul. Everything was going to be all right. She cracked the door. “Hey, Jasper, could you help me with this crate please?” She walked out to him.

  “How’s my honey doing this fine morning?” The old man leaned his rake against the tree, his dark hands seemingly even more shriveled by all the years of living and hard work. Her plan had to work. He and Amberlee needed protection into their old age.

  She hugged her friend, and then she held him with her arms extended. “Jasper, it’s time for things to change around here.”

  “Times are always changing, honey. They ain’t never gonna stay the same, you know.” He eyed her for a moment. “I can see the change already in you.”

  “I can’t g
uarantee that I know exactly what’s going to happen with the plantation. I’ve done the best I could to save it. It’s in God’s hands now. And I need you and Amberlee to help me pray.” She kissed him on the cheek. “But I just want you to know. You and Amberlee will always have a home. I’ll see to that.”

  “Oh, honey, I know things are going to be all right. The Lord’s done told me so.” They walked together toward the double doors of the carriage house.

  At one point, she hadn’t wanted anyone to count on her. Ever. She had hoped that everyone would have counted on her brother. Even after he’d drowned in the waters behind the plantation, she foolishly wished the task would somehow fall to another. But it was now grow-up time. She didn’t realize it at first, but after accepting her responsibilities, she’d even stopped counting in French. Heck, it hadn’t helped anything anyhow.

  And her therapist. He was yesterday’s news, too. What had he done to help? All he did was ask, “How does that make you feel?” about this, and, “How does that make you feel?” about that.

  Jenna couldn’t wait to give him a call later to tell him to cancel all her upcoming appointments. As soon as she would, she would ask her therapist, “How does that make you feel?” And maybe send him a bill for $250.00. She chuckled. Not that she’d ever really be…snarky like that.

  When they were inside, Jasper said, “Okay, honey, you have something you need me to help you with?”

  No matter how many times he ever called her honey child, it always amused her. The old Gullah language and phrases were endearing to her. “Yeah, Jasper, these boxes right here.”

  He tugged at one and chuckled. “You movin’ out? What you got in here?”

  Jenna lifted the other end. “Stuff for the fashion show.” The two together handled it fairly well. But Jenna saw that she was going to have to work on developing some muscles if she was going to be a real plantation owner who ran a real plantation. Work needed to be done. Real work that required real strength.

  Jenna’s days of social affairs and prancing around in Louiboutins were about over—well, they were about to be put on the back burner at least.

  “How ‘bout those other bags and boxes?” Jasper asked.

  “Sure, if you have time.” After all the stuff was in her trunk, she went back inside for her purse. “Ooops. I almost forgot.” She returned to get the firefly necklace from off the davenport at the double doors at the entrance. She picked it up and put it around her neck.

  She walked through the camellia garden and across the way and entered the old plantation house. “Mother. Father.” They obviously didn’t hear her, so she looked around and finally found them in the formal dining room.

  She kissed them both on their cheeks.

  “Your father and I saw Jasper helping you with some boxes a while ago,” her mother said.

  “Are they for your tutoring job?” her father asked.

  “Some are. Not all. I guess I need to take a full-time position of some sort.”

  “Baby, your mother and I are preparing to leave the plantation,” her father said. He put his paper down and his glasses on top of it. He heaved out a big breath and grabbed his cocktail. It didn’t matter the hour any more.

  “Well, Dad, I think we have some time left still.” Jenna didn’t want to show her hand just yet. She was hopeful, but nothing was certain. She’d grown tired of disappointing everyone.

  “I suppose I’m going to have to leave the dress shop soon, too. It just doesn’t make sense to work there much longer.” She toyed with the heirloom linen napkin that had been hand embroidered with white vines and leaves. Sort of looked like snakes with wings to Jenna.

  Her mother said, “I guess not.”

  She looked at her father.

  “You need to do what’s best for you, sweetie. We’ll be fine. I guess it’s my turn to take care of your mother. This place has been taking care of us for quite a while. My income from the insurance company will be enough for a while, and Social Security is just around the bend for us.” He reached over and patted her mother’s hand. “I’m looking at a little cottage in Summerbrook. On Carolina Lane. The old Timmons place.”

  Jenna knew the one. Her friend, Charlene, had owned it—or rather her family had owned it.

  Jenna remained silent. She didn’t know for certain what was going to happen to the plantation. If her parents got resolved to losing their home and didn’t, it would be a nice surprise. If they continued having hope, and Jenna disappointed them once again, she couldn’t bear it.

  Her mother took a piece of toast out of the sterling caddy and buttered it with the silver butter knife. “So, are you putting in for one of those teaching positions I told you about? There are three at the public school and one at the academy where you and April attended.” Her mother peered at her over her reading glasses.

  Her father picked up his paper and remained silent as he flipped through the Summerbrook Gazette.

  “It’s a little too soon for that. I’m finishing up my two tutoring jobs first. And I can’t completely leave Mrs. Legare hanging. Let’s just say I have lots of loose ends to tie up.”

  “Well, let me know if I can help with anything.” Her mother took the teaspoon off the tablecloth, filled it with sugar from the antique sugar dish, watched it slide off the spoon in a white shower, and stirred her tea. “You know we have connections at the Summerbrook Ladies League.” Her mother looked out the window toward the lane that led to the river where her son had drowned. So much had been left unsaid among the three.

  “Thank you for always trying to solve problems for me, Momma, but it’s time for me to try to be successful on my own, to build a life of my own without others propping me up and making my way easy.” She believed that now with all her heart—whether things worked out for the plantation or not. She had come to believe that God helps those who work hard at helping themselves.

  She kissed her parents, knowing that they felt disappointed in her. She wanted more than anything to give them hope, but she didn’t dare. Just yet.

  Outside, she hugged Jasper again, got into her car and looked into the rearview mirror at her old friend, his dark hand waving in the air under the limbs of the live oak tree in front of the carriage house, his gray hair the color of the Spanish moss hanging above him.

  Her efforts had better work.

  ⸙

  On the way to the shop, she dropped by the post office and mailed Savannah her package. Even if she couldn’t read the words, she’d love the colorful drawings of the mama llama and the baby llama.

  After she parked her BMW on the square, she trotted inside the little shop she was so fond of—the little boutique she used to release some of her…energy.

  “Hi, Mrs. Legare. Thank you so much for the time off from the store.”

  “Sweetie, you know you could come and go from here as you please. It’s always been our way,” the mature, sophisticated woman said as she straightened a selection of handbags on the table. “The only problem was that things just don’t look the same without all your meticulous organizing.”

  Jenna smiled. “Well, I guess it’s put up or shut up time. You know I love working here, but I really cannot dilly dally with my life any longer.” She helped Mrs. Legare with the arrangement of designer bags. “I’ve had fun here, though. And if you ever need my help with anything, you call me. Okay?”

  “What about the fashion show? Are you ready for that?” Mrs. Legare asked.

  “Of course. We’ve got dress rehearsal this evening. Everything’s ready for tomorrow. Practically.” Jenna had been making phone calls, placing ads and organizing the event while she was at the plantation getting ready to set her grand plan in motion. Even before that while she was at the farm helping Hogan.

  Hogan. And Savannah. “What on earth was Bentley doing to them out there? No doubt some kind of damage. But Jenna couldn’t help that yet. Bentley was Savannah’s mother. And there was nothing Jenna could do to change that. In fact, she was going to tr
y to involve her more—if she got the chance. Who knew? It could even help Savannah.

  “I’m here to pick out some of the dresses and some of the leather jackets for the event. We’re going to do a dry run this evening. You know, who stands where and when to walk out.”

  Mrs. Legare picked up a scarf that had fallen on the floor. “What time tonight?”

  “Seven.”

  “Great,” she said in her slightly French accent. “I’ve begun to gather some things. I’ve put them in the storeroom.”

  Jenna looked at them and approved. “We’ll need a few more.”

  “Oui.” The two headed into the showroom, and Jenna quickly found the dresses and berets she needed to fill the gaps in the line-up.

  “I’ll pick them all up tomorrow.” Jenna wasn’t looking forward to the fashion show like she usually did, but this needed to be done, and Jenna was going to do it.

  The two said their goodbyes, and Jenna was off to see Ben at the Children’s Hospital. With just a short stop by the video store for a new cartridge for the game device she’d bought the little boy.

  As Jenna drove to downtown Charleston from Summerbrook, her thoughts flew as fast as the trees that whirred by, as fast as the agenda that she had set for today. As fast as she’d made up her mind about what to do after Bentley had arrived at the farm.

  Sometimes, it takes something that simple to clarify things. And Bentley clarified some things for her.

  In the illumination, though, her heart ached for Savannah. And for Hogan. But Jenna had an agenda to take care of. One that had nothing to do with Bentley.

  Jenna parked in the horseshoe at the Children’s Hospital and saw that April was parked a few spaces down from her. Good. She was already there. Usually her best friend ran late for everything.

  She checked her phone for the time. Just a couple of hours until the dress rehearsal tonight.

  She grabbed the game, some books and other materials out of the trunk. She’d leave the rest for Savannah and would wait until things got sorted out. She put Ben’s things into a tote and headed to his room.