Butterfly Secrets

by G. L. Blackhouse

  “I know it sounds crazy, Sheriff, but it is true. Em’s right. We found Jenny,” Jackson said.

  The sheriff gave me a doubtful look as he placed a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth.

  “It’s true,” I said, looking him dead in the eye.

  “But how? We had search parties look for days on end and nothing? How on earth could she end up all the way out here?” the sheriff asked.

  “Floodwaters, Sheriff. They washed us downriver. We experienced it ourselves. Waters brought us all the way here from about forty miles up,” Jackson said.

  “But here? How in the world were you washed to the exact place that Jenny died?” the sheriff asked in disbelief.

  “How do people survive things that they shouldn’t? Or how do mothers save their babies from burning buildings, Sheriff? It’s just one of those things that you can’t explain,” Jackson said, putting his hands in his pockets.

  The sheriff sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he motioned for the deputies, the ambulance driver, and the coroner.

  “C’mon, boys,” the sheriff said.

  “Now where did you say that she was?” the sheriff asked.

  “Down there,” I said as I pointed over the embankment.

  The deputies and sheriff walked to the edge of the bank.

  There, peeking out of the water, was the Mustang symbol. The glare of the morning sun revealed a black sports car.

  I‘ll be dammed. A black Mustang,” the sheriff said in shock.

  “Well, that is what Roy was supposed to be driving,” he said in awe.

  My eyes teared up again. Jackson took my hand and held it in his.

  “Boys, have Clyde come with the tow truck and pull this out,” the sheriff said.

  “No need. I already called Clyde,” Jackson said.

  “What? How was ya so sure that she was down there?” the sheriff asked, looking at Jackson.

  “Because Em said so,” Jackson said, gently squeezing my hand.

  The sheriff looked at me and shook his head.

  The paramedic came over and began tending to Jackson’s wound as I stared down at the car and tried to absorb the harsh reality of it all.

  I felt the sting of the antiseptic wipe against my bloodied ankle from the fall.

  “We‘ll need you both to come in for safety reasons to make sure that you are okay,” the paramedic said.

  “No, I can’t. I got to see Mama,” I said, firmly.

  “Can you just give us a few more minutes? It’s important that she stays,” Jackson said to the paramedic.

  “Okay, if you say so,” the paramedic said reluctantly.

  Minutes later, Clyde and Kevin arrived.

  Kevin got out of the ride and walked over to Jackson and me. Jackson was still holding my hand.

  Kevin gave a mild expression of discomfort at the sight as he looked at Jackson and me holding hands.

  “You say your mama’s down there?” Kevin asked as he pointed down the hill.

  I nodded, yes.

  “We could have waited until tomorrow. It would have saved ya a ton of money. Weekend services cost more,” Kevin said to Jackson with a shrug.

  “Money doesn’t matter, Kevin. She wants it out now. Em’s had to wonder and worry about her mama long enough. She needs to come out now. I don’t care how much it costs,” Jackson said.

  “Alright, suit ya self,” Kevin said as he looked down at the car and then got back into the tow truck with Clyde.

  I mouthed the words “Thank you” to Jackson as we watched Clyde back up the truck.

  The sheriff directed him and then moved his hands in a stopping motion.

  Clyde lowered the long hitch and slowly began the tedious task of pulling the car out of the water.

  Jackson let go of my hand and placed his hand on the small of my back as he spoke.

  “Em, why don’t you walk over to the ambulance with us to get those cuts cleaned up better. We can stay, Em, to make sure that they have her, but there is no use in you seeing all of this,” Jackson said.

  I thought a moment about Jackson’s words. He was right. I didn’t need to see Mama’s dead body coming up from the water. I had already seen enough from the horrible images in my dreams of the way that she had died.

  Reluctantly, I followed Jackson over to the ambulance as the paramedics finished tending to our cuts and bruises.

  One paramedic was talking about how lucky we were to have survived the waters. He spoke about how they had all been called out since last night for accidents involved with the intense storms.

  I halfway listened to her talk to Jackson as I thought of Mama. Horrified, I glanced over and saw the car entirely out of the water and a fully zipped black body bag being put in the back of the hearse.

  Pain consumed my entire body, and I burst into tears.

  “Mama!” I cried out.

  Jackson pulled me close in his strong arms and held me tight as I sobbed.

  “She gonna be alright?” the sheriff asked as he walked over to us and spoke.

  Jackson nodded, yes.

  “Why don’t you two go on down to the hospital?” the sheriff said.

  “But Roy,” I said through tears.

  “Em, I’ll handle it. You go on and take care of yourself now, and I’ll let you know as soon as we hear something.”

  I just sat there in shock.

  “C’mon Em, he’s right,” Jackson said.

  “You promise to call as soon as you hear anything?” I asked the sheriff with desperation.

  “You have my word,” the sheriff promised.

  I climbed into the back of the ambulance with Jackson as we rode away from the lake. Once again, Grandma had shown me the way, as she had so many times before. But like with Jordy, I couldn’t save Mama either. What good were these messages when I couldn’t save anyone? I knew I had to make sure that Roy was brought to justice and that I got the farm. That was the only way.

  I looked up at Jackson. He smiled at me and held me in his arms so tightly. It was evident that he never fell out of love with me. I felt my heart drop. It wasn’t right to not tell him about my secret, but I knew if I did, he would want nothing to do with me, and I was confident that he would think I was a monster.

  I sighed, thinking I would savor these last few moments of his adoration before I either had to leave to keep my secret, or tell him and have him never speak to me again.

  CHAPTER 20- THE DREAM

  Jackson and I were discharged from the hospital. Jimmy pulled up to the entrance with Tiff to pick up Jackson and me. We got into the back seat of his car.

  “God, Em, you both look like hell!” Jimmy said, surveying our wounds as we crawled into the back seat.

  “Thanks, Jim,” I said sarcastically.

  “Nah, I’m glad you two are okay, but I can think of better places for a date than rafting to a deserted campground. I mean if you two wanna make out, ya both got houses. Just go there,” Jimmy said, jokingly as he smiled at Tiff.

  “It wasn’t like that, Jim. Jackson took me to look for Mama,” I said.

  “What?” Jimmy asked.

  “It’s a long story, Jim, but we found Mama. The coroner has her, and they are going to run an autopsy,” I said.

  “You’re jokin' me?” he said.

  “No, Jim, it is the truth. They got Mama,” I said.

  Jimmy looked at Jackson, and Jackson nodded in agreement with me.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Roy is finally gonna pay! Woo! Hoo!” Jimmy said, slapping the wheel and grinning widely. “Well, I guess your little late-night rendezvous paid off after all,” Jimmy teased.

  There was no use arguing with Jimmy. He was convinced that Jackson and I had gone to the lake for a midnight make-out session.

  Jimmy looked at me through his rearview mirror.

  “We like those late-night make-out sessions ourselves, but you two are some kinda adrenaline junkies to tackle Winnepeake Bay during a storm,” Jimmy said, smiling flirtatiously at Tiff.<
br />
  Tiffany giggled.

  “No, seriously, I am glad that Roy is finally going to pay, Cuz. He deserves it. I would like to punch him right square in the jaw first, though,” Jimmy said, making a fist.

  “The important thing is that he will finally be brought to justice,” Jackson said.

  “Yeah, and I would still like to punch him in the jaw. How long you think that autopsy will take?” Jimmy asked.

  “Usually, it can take a while, but I called in a favor, and I’m hoping to get it in by the evening,” Jackson said.

  “I bet that cost you a pretty penny. You sure must like my little Cuz. Good thing with looks like mine, I don’t need money,” Jimmy joked.

  Tiffany just giggled once again.

  “We just want this to be over with, and I need to get back to Tiny,” I said exhausted.

  “Oh, don’t worry about her. Julie has been checking on her and feeding her. She tried to get her to stay at Mama’s, but that dog of yours is stubborn as you are. She refused to leave the house. Every time Julie tried to pick her up, she said that she would just bark, growl or whimper,” Jimmy said.

  “Poor baby, I miss her,” I said.

  “Something else, Julie swore there was a light around Tiny and said that dog was acting all kinds of crazy. Jules is convinced the place is haunted or something,” Jimmy said.

  I took a deep breath, and suddenly it made sense. Grandma May still was watching over me and even Tiny. She had never left us, and I was certain that she would somehow help me see this all out.

  “You know. Roy is gonna pitch a fit when they haul him off to jail. I sure hope you can shoot that gun, Cuz,” Jimmy said, changing his tone to a more serious one.

  “Oh, believe me, she can!” Jackson said jokingly.

  I playfully smacked Jackson on the leg.

  “Sumthin’ you ain’t tellin’ me about, Cuz?” Jimmy asked, smiling as he glanced in his rearview mirror at us.

  “No, everything is fine. I can shoot the gun if I need to, Jim,” I said definitively.

  The truth was, when and if the time came, I didn’t know if I could shoot Roy or not or if I would just freeze in a panic. I just hoped that somehow since Grandma May had sent me here and saved my life and Jackson’s, that if I did ever have to shoot the gun, that Grandma would be with me then, too.

  Jimmy dropped Jackson and me off at the house. We waved and said our goodbyes.

  Jackson and I walked inside.

  Tiny came running to the door, barking and turning circles. I picked her up as she licked my face. To my surprise, she arched her back and wanted me to sit her down. She then pawed at Jackson to pick her up and licked his face.

  Jackson laughed.

  “I can’t believe this, Tiny. You have quit me for Jackson?” I said jokingly.

  The truth was Tiny, just like every other female, had seemed to fall head over heels for Jackson. Why wouldn’t she? Jackson was tall, dark, rugged, and smart.

  “Be careful with his head, Tiny,” I said as she happily licked his face.

  “Sit down, Jackson. I’ll get you an ice pack for your head,” I said as I walked into the kitchen.

  I returned to the living room and handed Jackson the ice pack.

  Jackson pointed to the shotgun leaning in the corner of the room.

  “You still planning on using that thing?” Jackson asked, looking over at the gun.

  “I might if you aren’t a good patient and get out of line,” I joked as I sat down beside him and placed the cold pack on his head.

  Jackson grinned.

  “Em, all jokes aside, I’m glad you are okay,” he said warmly.

  “Seriously, you are the one with a big knot and gash on your side, and you are glad that I’m okay? You are just too much,” I said, smiling at him as I ran my fingers through his thick, dark, wavy hair.

  “I just care about you a lot, and I don’t want to lose you, Em, ever. If Roy ever hurt you, I’d kill him, Em. I wouldn’t care what happened to me. I’d kill him plain and simple,” Jackson said in a serious tone.

  I took a deep breath. It was obvious that Jackson wasn’t joking.

  “Well, let’s hope it doesn't come down to that. We have the proof we need now. Roy will go to jail for a long time, right?” I asked, trying to hide my own worry as I recalled the things that Roy had already seemed to get away with.

  “That should be enough, but I am going to be honest, Em. He has a lot of power in high places. He’s killed before. I am sure of it, and he has always been acquitted. As your lawyer, I am supposed to say justice will be served. He will be sentenced and all that jargon. But, as someone who cares about you. I am saying he may not serve a day, and given his record, he will come after you,” Jackson said on a more serious note.

  My heart dropped. My blood felt cold as soberness filled the room as I took it all in.

  “Jackson, will you stay here tonight?” I asked, not wanting to be alone.

  “Sure, I’d stay here every night if that's what you wanted,” he said.

  My heart raced. This mysterious man who was all business to most people was opening up to me. I wanted so bad to kiss him passionately and never let him go. To give him my heart, all of it, and never look back, but a part of me still felt as though if he knew all that I had done, he could never accept me. Even after both of us almost dying, reality had now set in, and in some way, I felt as though I should set him free.

  I was silent for a moment and then spoke.

  I’m glad that you are okay, too, Jackson,” I said. I yawned. I was exhausted. I looked at the clock on the wall and then spoke.

  “It’s getting late. We should probably go to bed,” I said, yawning again.

  “Guess you are right,” Jackson said as he started to lie down on the couch.

  “You can come to bed with me, Jackson. You hit your head. You aren’t supposed to be by yourself.” I said. I knew that I was probably playing with danger by allowing Jackson to come to bed with me, but I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him, especially now. I would just have to be strong and not get involved, at least not any more than I already was.

  Jackson and I walked up the stairs. I handed him his ice pack, aspirin, and a bottle of water.

  “Thanks,” he said with a smile as he took the aspirin.

  I reached my hand out and gingerly touched the huge knot on his head. He flinched.

  “You know you shoulda stayed at the hospital for observation instead of going home with me. It dangerous,” I said with an empathetic look as I stared at the huge purple knot on his head.

  “I’ll be fine. It’s just a little scrape. Besides, I’ve taken a lot worse hits when I was in the Marines,” he said with a grin.

  My heart skipped a beat, and my pulse quickened. Even with a huge welt on his head and cuts and bruises on his hands, head, and body, he was still incredibly sexy. Jackson had a warrior quality to him with his muscular body. His hair screamed bad boy the way it lay untamed on his face, but when he spoke, it was obvious that he not only was a protector but an academic as well. Jackson was the perfect combination of a man a bit dangerous, but fiercely smart at the same time.

  “You were in the Marines,” I said in shock, realizing I knew very little about this man.

  “Yes, I served a tour in Iraq. Special mission. I liked it a lot, but Mama got sick, and I came back here and started my own law practice,” he said.

  I stared at him and smiled.

  Jackson touched his knot and winced. “Guess, I look pretty rough, huh?” he said, playing with the stubble on his face.

  I thought to myself that he looked even hotter now than before.

  Heat rushed through my body, and my heart raced. This man was too much and not only at my house but in my bedroom.

  “You look fine. You took a hard hit to the head, though, and you should be at the hospital,” I said, trying to gather my composure.

  “If I was at the hospital, who would protect you from Roy?” Jac
kson said with a grin.

  “Remember, I know how to shoot a gun, thank you. Now get some rest before I hold you at gunpoint and force you to go to the hospital,” I said jokingly.

  “Okay, Rambo,” Jackson said as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a six-pack abs and his defined shoulders.

  I sighed and almost gasped at the sight of him. He looked like a Viking god.

  I wanted nothing more than for Jackson to hold me in his arms again, but that night, I had been more than a little drunk. I didn’t want to seem too forward, and I needed to break off whatever this was forming between us. Jackson had worked his whole life to escape the bad name his dad had made for himself, and now he had a thriving law practice and money. He was a valued member of the community. He certainly didn’t need my past messing up the life that he had made for himself.

  “Good night, Jackson. Let me know if you need anything,” I said as I turned over.

  “Night, Em,” he said as his bare chest brushed up against my back as he was settling himself in bed.

  My pulse raced and my heart pounded. I wasn’t sure how I would survive the night lying next to him. I doubted I would get any sleep at all. He was too much of a distraction.

  I pulled the cover up tight around my body, hoping that I could resist the urge to just turn over and passionately kiss this man and give him my heart, body,, and soul, but I was afraid that if I did, I would only drag him into the ruin of my life and into that danger that lay ahead. I was certain that Jackson would do anything to protect me even if it meant losing his own life or killing to do so. I had already lost enough people that I cared about. I wasn't about to lose another.

  Jackson and I said a few more words, but I could barely hold my eyes open any longer. It had been a rough couple of days, and I was exhausted.

  To my surprise, I soon nodded off.

  I hear a loud boom outside. I jump. I walk downstairs to hear Tiny barking. I look around the room, trying to find the noise. I see nothing. My hands shake. I look for the shotgun in the corner. It is gone! Suddenly, I feel a hand over my mouth. I can barely breathe. My body falls hard against the ground. I hit my head on the couch edge… I can feel blood trickling down my forehead and lip. Horrified, I look up to see Roy standing above. He is holding the shotgun and laughing.