by Wendy Davy
“Gramps told me his instincts said you were a good guy. It took me some time, but now I know it too. You are a good, kind man, James Montgomery.”
James looked at her, studied her. He was an expert at reading people. He used his natural talent, combined it with training and honed it to a great degree of usefulness. Her innocent face showed that she had finally, completely accepted him.
“I don’t ever want to hurt you,” James said in a low, husky voice.
He felt guilt at the inevitable future. He wanted to protect her, he wanted her to be innocent. He hadn’t found any evidence that she was a part of anything, and he wanted to prove that she was free and clear of any wrongdoing.
They rejoined the crowd and the hustle and bustle of the festivities. The beautiful day had brought out many of the town’s residents. As they walked along together toward the Ferris wheel, Victoria occasionally saw someone she knew and waved. A few people stopped to chat with her. James stayed polite to each of them as they gave him curious glances.
“Looks like you belong here, Victoria,” James said taking it all in. “You seem to know many people already.”
“I’ve spent so much of my life here. I feel like it’s my home. In a way, I feel like it’s where I’ve always belonged.”
“Well, well, look what we have here.” A uniformed deputy sheriff came up beside of them.
Victoria’s smile turned breathtaking as recognition lit up her face. James watched as she flung herself into the deputy’s outstretched arms. A surge of unwanted jealousy spiked through James as he watched the exchange. The man looked to be about Victoria’s age, with a tall, sturdy build and a boyish face. He swung her around in circles twice before setting her down.
“Sean Gable. It’s been too long,” Victoria laughed. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, and I see you are looking fine as ever.” The man suddenly seemed to notice they weren’t the only two people on earth as he looked up at James. James tempered down his jealousy and extended his hand saying, “James Montgomery.”
“James, Sean and I have known each other since grade school. We used to hang out in the summers while I was visiting my grandparents.”
“That’s right. Victoria taught me how to swim, fish and catch snakes, among other things,” he said good naturedly with a wink at Victoria. “So, you two here together?” Sean looked expectantly from James to Victoria.
“Well…” Victoria hesitated looking at James.
James took a step toward her, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said a little too quickly, “Yes, she’s all mine today.”
Sean grinned. “Well now, ya’ll have a good time. I’m on duty, so I’d better get going. I’ll see you around Victoria.”
“See you.” Victoria gave a little wave as she watched him disappear into the crowd. She turned to look up at James. “So, I’m all yours today, huh?”
“All mine.”
James liked how those two words sounded. He pulled her closer to him, placed a casual kiss on her lips and led her to the Ferris wheel.
They spent the day riding rides and eating sweets and enjoyed every minute of it. James flirted shamelessly with Victoria and to his delight, she soaked it all in. As the sun set and dusk came about, the atmosphere at the festival changed from a family oriented one to a bit rowdier crowd. A country band set up to play and the beer taps began to flow.
“Ready to go? I can walk you to your car.” James’ relaxed mood quickly changed after he received a call from Tyler.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” he said without elaboration.
“I was planning on staying for the concert. But I’m not sure now,” she said as she looked around at a group of tough looking bikers that had just arrived for the evening activities.
“I can’t stay with you. I need to get going,” James stated as he looked toward the parking lot. “I would feel better if you didn’t stay either.” He searched her eyes for acceptance.
“Yeah,” she said. The crowd got louder. “Me too.”
James walked her to her car at a brisk pace and said a brief goodnight. He turned and jogged away. If Victoria had any questions about his abrupt departure, he would smooth them over later. Right now, he had a job to do.
Long after midnight, Tyler and James crouched side by side in the darkness of night. The night-vision goggles gave them a clear view of Martin Connor moving around in the woods. James wondered absently if Victoria had any knowledge of her grandfather’s activities.
They watched silently as Connor slowly unloaded his truck. He placed the packages way back in the woods off an old, long ago abandoned dirt road. Connor used a headlamp to see through the thick darkness as he spent two hours moving the sugar. Tyler snapped many photos for evidence.
As Connor began to leave, James motioned to Ty and said, “I’ll follow him. You stay here and find out who is on the receiving end of this drop-off.”
A Matter Of Trust
A Matter Of Trust
Chapter Six
The weekend began with a flourish of activity. Ashley arrived early on Friday with two suitcases and a pile of surprises. As Ashley opened up the door to her hot red convertible, Victoria ran up to meet her. She let out a yelp at seeing the new tattoo on Ashley’s ankle. A colorful butterfly was artfully and tastefully cemented onto her tanned leg.
“Ash. A tattoo? Is it real?” Victoria queried.
“Yep.”
Victoria laughed, “I never know what you’ll do next. Come here.” She hugged her best friend.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you certainly did. When did you get it?”
“I was feeling lonesome and sorry for myself one night, so I decided to go for it.”
“Lonesome? I’m sorry.” Victoria felt guilt swim over her for leaving Ashley alone in the city. “Maybe I should get one,” Victoria commented.
“Thanks. But on you? No way. You’re a school teacher remember? What would the kids think? After all, they look to you as a role model. Nope, you couldn’t get away with it. At least not on your ankle.” Ashley smirked as she adjusted a pair of fashionable sunglasses on her pretty face. “Maybe somewhere else?” she teased.
In the most un-lady like fashion, Ashley spit out a wad of bubble gum into a tissue, stuffed it into her oversized purse and trampled through the grass in high heels over to the cottage. Only Ashley could pull it off. She should have looked ridiculous in the country with spiked heels on her tiny feet and the latest fashion adorning her slender form, but somehow she made it look like it was all perfectly natural. Victoria had a feeling if there were any men around all their eyes would be trailing her.
Ashley’s bubbly personality came forth in a rush of words. “I love it here,” she said as she twirled around in circles, arms open wide. Her long dark hair twirled along with her. “Maybe I should move here too. How’s Gramps?” Before waiting for a reply she continued, “I can’t wait to jump into the water. How pretty…” Ashley continued on as she touched a new potted plant on Victoria’s porch. “I wish I had a green thumb like you. Or is it called a blue thumb? How’s Sean? Have you seen him?”
Some people upon first meeting Ashley would call her flighty, the way she often jumped from topic to topic. Those who really knew her knew better. Ashley was a whiz at anything she put her mind to and was one of the smartest people Victoria knew. Ashley owned and operated a very successful fashion boutique. It was the perfect fit for her.
Victoria couldn’t help but smile at Ashley’s incessant chatter. “Let’s get you settled. I want you to meet James. He’s bound to be around here somewhere.”
“Oh yes, I must meet the man who has you completely befuddled,” Ashley responded.
“I am not befuddled.” Victoria denied. Then added, “Well, not completely anyway.”
As Ashley was getting settled in the spare bedroom, Victoria glanced down at the dock. A spurt of disappointment ran through her. It was well after lunch t
ime, but she hadn’t seen James or his boat yet. She had grown accustomed to his presence in and around the houses. She had caught herself looking out the window several times that morning. She felt more secure when he was close by. She usually felt safe enough in the cottage, but since she saw the shadow in the woods, he added a bit to her comfort level.
“I miss him,” Victoria said.
“Miss who?” Ashley asked as she sauntered up behind Victoria.
“James,” Victoria answered as she turned to look at her friend. “I’m getting used to him being here. I haven’t seen him in a few days though.”
“So call him.”
“What?” Victoria asked taken aback. The thought never occurred to her. She was so used to putting up a barrier to him, keeping him at a distance, did she dare call him?
“If I call him, then he’ll know I’m interested.”
“He already knows Victoria,” Ashley said confidently with a smile. “Anyone can hear in your voice that you are smitten by him. I’m sure it shows on your face too. See there it is, you’re blushing. Anyway, he knows he’s in. He’s just waiting for you to make a move.”
“Do you think?”
“Yes, Victoria. Call him or I will,” Ashley threatened as she picked up the receiver.
Victoria snatched it away from her hand. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” She smiled mischievously.
“I’m not a teenager anymore, this is ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. I can…”
“You can stop playing hard to get and have a little fun.”
“I just don’t want to get hurt.”
“You cannot control every situation you’re put into. God is the only one that is in control. Remember that. Have you been praying about what to do?”
“Of course. Though, probably not enough.”
“Pray your worries away. Tell God about it and let Him handle it,” Ashley said simply and swung around toward the kitchen. “I’m starved,” she said as she dug into the refrigerator. After grabbing an apple out of the fridge and a bag of Doritos off the counter, she turned toward Victoria. “I think I’ll take a nap too. We have a lot of catching up to do, but I’m beat,” she said as she yawned and headed for the spare bedroom, carrying her snacks along with her. “See ya.” Ashley issued a big smile as she twirled once before disappearing into the spare bedroom.
Victoria smiled at the doorway after Ashley shut the door. Any man lucky enough to catch her was in for an exciting life.
Victoria sat on the couch with a thump, biting absently on a nail. Of course, Ash was right and she knew it. She knew in her heart that God was the only one truly in control. She decided to pray more and worry less. Lord, please guide me. And forgive me for trying to take things into my own hands. Help me to know what to do. She was too fidgety to sit still, so she quietly slipped outside and walked down to the dock. She was overdue for some serious praying.
Victoria slowly rocked in the new dock swing. She glanced up at the cottage wondering if Ash was asleep yet. She felt that her prayers, now that she had been so tactfully reminded how important they are, couldn’t wait any longer. She told God her deepest fears, desires and hurts. She knew He was listening, and as she prayed, she gave it all to Him. There was no holding back. She finally admitted to God and herself how afraid she was of being hurt again, of trusting again. She asked for strength, wisdom and courage to stop fearing and start living again. She rested in the knowledge that God was in control and she didn’t have to be.
She wiped a few tears away and remained swinging for some time. She felt completely and utterly drained. The sound of the water gently lapping on the shoreline and the warm afternoon breeze soothed her. She relaxed and laid down on the swing. She curled her legs up under her and felt her eyelids drop as exhaustion overtook her.
She must have slept for some time. She hadn’t even heard the boat pull up to the dock. But, when she woke she saw James kneeling in front of her. The sun was on its downward descent, casting a warm evening glow on his face. His knuckles brushed her cheek as he gently lifted a stray strand of hair from her eyes. A warm smile released his features into a devastatingly handsome face. A dimple popped up on his cheek when Victoria smiled back at him.
“Hey, gorgeous,” James said softly. “Nice afternoon for a nap.”
“Yeah, but now,” Victoria said as she sat up in the swing, dropping her legs over the side, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“That’s okay. We’ll be out late anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got plans for us.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah.” James nodded up toward the hill. “Here he comes now.”
“He who?” Victoria asked glancing over her shoulder. “Sean?”
“I ran into him in town this morning.” James stood up and shook Sean’s hand as he approached. “Sean, right on time.”
Sean nodded to James and grinned mischievously at Victoria.
“On time for what?” Victoria was still a bit dazed from her nap. She stood up and looked from one man to the other.
“For our double date,” James said simply.
“What double date?”
“Sean and I decided to take you and Ashley out tonight.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Did you ever think about asking us if we wanted to go?”
A squeal erupted from behind Victoria, she turned to see Ashley running down the hill and onto the dock. She ran until she threw her arms around Sean, and hugged him fiercely.
Sean turned ten shades of red before saying, “Hi Ash.”
“Hi Sean,” Ashley said as she put an arm around his waist and grabbed a hold of his shirt with her other hand.
His arm wrapped around her shoulders. “It’s good to see you.”
Ashley smiled up at him. “You too.”
Victoria broke through to the lovebirds asking, “Uh, Ash?”
“Yeah?” Ashley asked while giggle sounds sporadically erupted from her throat. She practically bounced out of her designer shoes.
“Did you know about this?”
“About what?”
“They’ve been conspiring to take us on a double date tonight.”
“Cool! Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” both James and Sean said simultaneously.
Ash let out another squeal. “I love surprises. Let’s go Victoria,” Ashley said as she reached for her hand. “You boys will just have to wait a while for us to get ready.”
Nerves had already bundled Victoria’s muscles into a knot. “Wait, Ash.” But it was too late. Ashley began pulling her up the hill.
“It’s going to be fun. You’ll see.”
“Ash, I don’t like being railroaded. I would’ve preferred to be asked directly.”
“And what would you have said?”
Victoria thought about it for a moment, and grinned. “I would have said yes.”
James called from down on the dock where he and Sean still stood watching them climb the hill, “Dress casual, but bring a jacket. It tends to get chilly out on the water at night.”
“Oh! A boat ride!” Ashley could hardly contain her excitement.
“You are like a child, Ash,” Victoria scolded, but couldn’t help to be caught up in Ashley’s excitement. “I don’t know what to wear.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll fix you up. I brought a few things from my shop.”
“Oh dear. I don’t want to know do I?”
Ashley’s wide grin was the only answer she received.
****
James checked his watch again. What was taking them so long? The women had been gone for forty-five minutes. His patience began to wear thin as his anticipation grew. He paced the dock as Sean sat, dangling his feet in the water, looking as though he was sailing on the clouds with a mile wide smile across his face.
“Didn’t expect such a warm welcome did you, Sean?”
/> “I didn’t know what to expect. It’s been nearly a year since I’ve seen her.”
“Well, seems like she warmed up to you quickly.”
“Yeah,” Sean said with a lighthearted, goofy chuckle. “It does, doesn’t it?” His smile faded at the intensity on James face. “But you know, I can tell Victoria likes you too. She’s just a little skittish. She’s been hurt before.”
“What do you know about it?” James tensed.
“She won’t tell me the details, just said she got her heart broken once. I figure it’s got something to do with a guy named Eric she dated a long time ago. It ended suddenly, she never would tell me why. She doesn’t want it to happen again, get her heart broken. Neither do I,” Sean’s tone of voice lowered, implying a warning.
“I understand.” James stopped pacing and crossed his arms, he looked up to the cottage. He didn’t want to hurt her either, but his position was a precarious one at best. “Did you ever date her?” He turned contemplative eyes toward Sean.
“No. We never dated.”
“Did you want to?”
“There was a time I did. When we were kids. But that was a long time ago.” Sean looked at James and continued, “Nothing ever happened between us, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s very special to me though.”
“Me too.” James replied honestly. Satisfied with Sean’s answer, he let the conversation drop.
James wanted to get on the way quickly before Victoria changed her mind or before he changed his mind. He started to reconsider the intelligence of his decision to go tonight. He’d had enough evidence to arrest Connor for some time now. Victoria had nearly convinced him of her innocence. He didn’t need to take her out tonight. But, he wanted to. He wanted to have an evening with her before he arrested Connor. So he’d decided to take tonight for what it was, a last chance to enjoy her smile and laughter, before she hated him.
James resumed pacing but stopped abruptly when he saw Victoria come around from the back side of the cottage. She wore a pair of black jeans, and a sleeveless scoop necked, silky blouse as blue as the sky. As she neared the dock, he noticed how the blouse complimented her eyes and fit her like it had been hand made for her . Her straight hair was tousled up a bit, which along with the touches of makeup created a sight that took his breath away. His eyes never left her as she walked toward him. She surprised him by walking straight up to him and placing a sweet kiss on his lips. She leaned back and smiled at him. It took James a few seconds to recuperate. His heart rate increased as he slid a hand in hers and smiled back. He had expected her to be hesitant, not bold.