“I didn’t say that,” Ty said. “What he did was wrong, and we all know it. But you have to find a way to let go of your pain.”
“I just need time,” she said.
“You got it,” he said, stuffing the papers back into his briefcase. “I’m going to go run these back to Alexander so he can get them to the senator. He wants this taken care of by Thanksgiving, so he can enjoy the community celebration. You don’t mind watching both kids for a little bit, do you?”
Janie shook her head. She hadn’t considered that Alexander would stay around for Thanksgiving. “He’s still planning on coming?”
“Yes,” Ty said. “He’s put a lot of effort into making it happen and, at Shelley’s suggestion, is going to try to get the rest of his family to come.”
His face softened, then he said, “I realize it’s going to be hard for you to face him then, and maybe that’s why we’re trying to push you more in the direction of forgiveness. You two worked hard as a team to help this community, and you both should enjoy the reward of everyone coming together to celebrate triumphing over everything we’ve lost.”
Without waiting for an answer, Ty left Janie alone to consider what all of this meant. Alexander had shattered her heart into a million little pieces, and while everyone in her life said they supported her, they kept trying to push her back to him. Why?
She got up and went to Katie’s room where she peeked in on the kids, who were rewatching Rachel and Ty’s wedding video. Katie loved it so much that Rachel had put it on the tablet for her to watch whenever she wanted. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized the intensity on Sam’s face as he watched Ty promise to be Katie’s dad forever.
If Janie were honest with herself, she’d admit that watching Ty and Rachel find happiness had put a little hope in her heart that maybe she could find it for herself as well. Then meeting Alexander and seeing all the ways he’d brought her walls down had caused that hope to grow.
So was everyone pushing them back together just more wishful thinking, or was there a chance...
No. She wasn’t going to let herself go there again.
* * *
Alexander strode into the senator’s office, papers in hand. A group of aides surrounded him, going over some document. Alexander didn’t care.
“Do you have an appointment?” one of them asked.
Alexander ignored the question. “I have the signature you requested, sir,” he said. “And regarding that signature, we have another matter to discuss.”
The senator waved away his aides. “Give us some privacy please.”
Once the room was clear and the door closed behind them, Alexander handed the senator the agreement. “As you can see, she’s fully executed the document, with the assistance of her attorney.”
The senator took the papers, and immediately noticed they were different. “This isn’t the document I sent you to have her sign.”
Alexander shook his head. “No, it isn’t. Her attorney and I redrafted it. You see, as I told you, she was not behind the blackmail. Bucky and Corrine were. Corrine has been posing as Janie, using the post office at Columbine Springs to send and receive the blackmail notes and money.”
The senator threw the papers to the ground. “That’s preposterous. How dare you come in here and make such accusations?”
Alexander pulled out a copy of the video of Bucky and Corrine in the post office. Cheryl had also managed to find footage of a couple of other visits Corrine had made to the post office.
“I have them on video. Here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to sign that agreement without argument, without changes, and you will do everything exactly as laid out in it. That includes paying Janie the full amount promised, as well as setting up a college fund for Sam.”
The senator glared at him. “Are you blackmailing me?”
Alexander shook his head. “Not yet. Not if you sign that document.”
Then he pulled out another one. “And this is the agreement terminating my employment. I already knew you were going to fire me. So this grants me a termination with a generous severance package, and the understanding that you will not badmouth me in the future.”
The senator laughed. “Do you honestly think I’m going to sign either one of them? Even if I were so inclined, I would have my lawyers go over them with a fine-tooth comb first.”
Alexander shrugged. “You can. But if I don’t have them fully executed and in my possession within twenty-four hours, this video is going to the press. My lawyer went over the nondisclosure agreement I signed as a condition of my employment with you. While there are certain things I’m not allowed to talk about, nothing is prohibiting me from discussing the findings of my investigation into your blackmail. Were I to make this information public, the police would be very interested in the fact that you were being blackmailed. Corrine and Bucky would both be under investigation for blackmail as well as identity theft, considering they were impersonating Janie. There’s also the fraud committed with her cashing the checks. But do consult your lawyers. You have twenty-four hours.”
The senator pulled out his phone and punched in a few numbers. “George. We’ve got a problem.”
Alexander figured he’d call his attorney, and when George Johnson entered the senator’s office, Alexander was glad to have another witness who would understand that he meant business.
The senator gave George a rundown of what was happening, then George looked over at Alexander. “You realize you’re making serious accusations.”
“Watch the video. I’d say talk to Bucky, but I’m sure he’ll lie. I think the video will speak for itself.”
It didn’t take more than a minute or so of footage before the senator closed his laptop.
“Who else has copies of this?”
Alexander shrugged. “Me, my lawyer and the postmaster at the Columbine Springs post office. She takes record-keeping very seriously and never throws anything away. She loves Janie like a daughter, and she was very concerned that someone would try to hurt her. Not only does she have the tape, but she witnessed the whole thing, so it’s up to you what you’d like to do with that information.”
George whispered something in the senator’s ear, then the senator nodded.
“And if I sign these agreements, the videos will never see the light of day?”
Alexander gestured at the documents. “Page fourteen. You abide by the agreements, and no one ever has to know. But the second you are in violation, every media news outlet will get a copy.”
“Give me a few minutes’ privacy with my lawyer,” the senator said.
“Fine,” Alexander said. “It’ll give me the chance to clear my desk and say goodbye.”
When he got to his desk, it had already been taken over by another campaign worker.
“Do you know what happened to the stuff that was in this desk before you came?” Alexander asked.
The guy nodded. “Oh yeah, sure. It’s in a box in the break room. Was it your desk? I’m sorry. They told me no one was using it, so I could have it.”
The guy’s response was all Alexander needed to confirm that he’d made the right decision. He already knew what would be in the box. Just a few personal items, but nothing of significance. And as he looked around at the people in the office, he realized that not one of them had come over even to say hello or that they’d missed him. The truth was every single one of them had dreams of becoming president or senator or holding some other political office, and this was just one stepping stone. The people they met here were competition, or perhaps future contacts, but no one they cared about.
Ty had told him that Janie had no intention of applying for the director position at the community resource center, and that she’d asked him to set up a trust for all the senator’s money to go to helping fund the kind of director the center needed.
That was the kind of job Alex
ander wanted. And even though he knew it would make Janie uncomfortable, he was going to apply. If he didn’t get it, he’d find a job somewhere else, doing something similar. But he hoped he could make it work. In just a few short weeks, Columbine Springs had become his home, and the people of the town his family. Regardless of the outcome, he’d learned how he could make a difference in people’s lives, and even though it wouldn’t be through politics, he knew he was going to make the world a better place.
A few minutes later, George came out of the senator’s office. “The senator signed everything just as you asked.”
After Alexander examined each page to make sure everything was in order, he went to the copy room he’d been in so many times before, and made copies of everything for both him and the senator, keeping the originals.
“My lawyer will be checking in to make sure everything is done as promised.”
George nodded. “It will be.” He paused slightly. “He knew Bucky wasn’t the greatest human being. But he truly didn’t realize just how far he’d fallen. Until today, the senator believed everything Bucky said about Janie. He believed Janie was blackmailing him. I don’t blame you for protecting Janie’s interests or your own, but I hope you know that the senator truly does have good intentions for our state and our country.”
Alexander nodded. “So did I. But I’m no longer willing to compromise my morals to get there. And I found way more satisfaction in being part of a grassroots effort to help the people than anything I’ve ever done here. If the senator truly wants to make a difference, then he should spend time with the people he says he’s here to serve.”
George gave him a blank look, like he thought Alexander’s words were those of an idealistic kid straight out of college. And that was okay. He didn’t need the approval of George, the senator or anyone but God to know that he was on the right path.
God had answered his prayers about Janie’s situation, and the results were far better than he could’ve ever imagined. But as he left the senator’s office, he prayed that, even though Alexander didn’t deserve it, God would bring him and Janie back together again.
Chapter Thirteen
Janie smoothed her dress as she looked around Ricky’s dining hall on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone was gathered for the dinner, but she hadn’t seen Alexander yet. Maybe he had chickened out. She certainly had had her moments this morning while getting ready. But she thought a lot about what everyone had told her, even though she’d pretty much dismissed them all and pushed them away, and she’d been putting together some of the pieces in her head.
If Alexander had done everything to hurt her for the sake of his job, then risked losing it to help her, maybe his heart had changed. Her father had said he accepted Christ, which meant he was a new person. Mixed in with all her thoughts of how angry she’d been at him were the memories of how wonderful he’d been.
He couldn’t have faked the way he loved her community members. The way he loved her son.
But more than that, she thought about what Alexander had said about never lying to her. Try as she might, she couldn’t find a single lie he’d told. In some ways, that was how she’d justified all the secrets she’d kept over the years. Was it fair to hold Alexander to a higher standard?
He’d even warned her that things weren’t what they seemed, but she’d fallen in love with him anyway.
Yes, she’d admit it. She’d fallen in love.
Janie didn’t know how she was going to face him.
Maybe everyone had told him that her heart was so hardened against him that he shouldn’t come. And now, more than anything, she wished he had. If only for him to see the fruits of their labors. And maybe afterward, they could talk, and she could hear his side of things and sort through the emotions in her heart. She missed him, and while she didn’t know what to do with that fact, every time she prayed about the situation, she heard the verse in Genesis she’d spoken to him when they first met going through her head.
Had Alexander not come to Columbine Springs, the Petersons would have lost all of the animals and all of their personal belongings, and countless others wouldn’t have had their lives touched by Alexander. He’d come for the wrong reasons, and he could’ve left, to try again another day, but he’d stayed.
All was not what it had seemed, and Janie had to trust that God had some kind of plan, even if she didn’t understand it.
Shelley approached her, smiling. “Everything looks wonderful. Your mother would be so proud.”
“Thanks to you and your bunco group,” Janie said, hugging the other woman.
“Speaking of the bunco group, we have a little something for you.” Shelley handed her a large gift bag.
When Janie looked inside, she saw it held a giant binder.
“We can’t replace the one you lost, but we put together one of our own, writing down everything we could think of. Some of the ladies even had a few notes from Bette, so we put those in there as well. With each holiday and event, we’ll help you add to that binder, so eventually, you’ll have replaced everything you lost. I know it’s not the same, but—”
Janie pulled Shelley into another hug. “It’s even better. Thank you.”
Funny how, now that she’d spent time dealing with her grief, the pain of not having her mother around didn’t feel so unbearable. Yes, she wished with everything in her heart that she could be here with them, but she knew her mother’s legacy would live on.
“All right, now. I’ve got food to serve,” Shelley said, pulling away.
Sam came running toward them.
“Mr. Alexander is here. And you’ll never guess. There is a guy who looks just like him.”
Janie had heard that Alexander was going to try to bring his family, though in all of her conversations with him, he sounded pretty hopeless that his brother would ever come around.
Before she could process that information, Alexander walked through the door with an older couple, trailed by a man who looked just like him, as Sam had said. His family had come after all. Tears clogged the back of Janie’s throat as Sam tugged at her leg. “We have to go say hi.”
Her feet felt glued to the floor, but just when she thought she might have the strength to move, the senator walked in as well.
She just stood there, staring. What was going on here?
Alexander walked right up to her. “Everything looks wonderful,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t help these last few days, but I had other things to attend to.”
He gestured at the older couple. “These are my parents, Bill and Mary. And I’m sure you’ve figured out that this is William, my twin. I know I’m probably the last person on earth that you want to see, but I did want you to at least meet them. They’ve heard a lot about you and the difference you’ve made in my life, but you don’t have to entertain them.”
This was definitely not what she was expecting. She didn’t know how she was going to get a moment to speak with him about what was on her mind with his family here.
Alexander turned to Sam. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around, buddy. But I did some things to hurt your mom, so I needed time to fix what I broke. It doesn’t make what I did right, but I am trying to do the right thing now.”
Then Alexander looked over at his brother, who handed him a bag. “I’m not very good with tools and things,” Alexander said. “But my brother is. So I asked him to fix your dump truck. I hope he did a good job.”
Sam looked in the bag and squealed with delight. “It’s better than ever! I have to go show Katie and Ryan.”
He took the bag and ran off.
Janie’s heart felt like it was going to burst at how deep Alexander’s concern for Sam ran. She hadn’t been wrong about how he cared for her son. Maybe they really could find a way to start over.
Except somehow, Alexander had managed to drag the senator here as well. How was this part of the effort
s to make things right?
Alexander’s parents stepped aside, and the senator and his wife came forward.
“This is Senator James Blackwell and his wife, Anne,” Alexander said. “They donated the turkeys for today’s feast.”
“I told you, those were supposed to be anonymous,” the senator said.
Alexander shrugged. “She’s been tirelessly helping me plan this, so as one of the planners, I felt she had the right to know. I refuse to keep any more secrets from Janie.”
The senator nodded slowly. “All right then.” He turned his attention to Janie, bringing her back to when she was a scared college girl, trying to get the family to do the right thing.
“I wanted to tell you in person that I’m sorry. I believed the lies my son told about you. And I’m ashamed to say I’ve kept all this from my wife. She didn’t know until she heard me yelling at Bucky about him blackmailing me in your name. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I don’t know how to begin to atone for them,” he said, looking over at his wife.
Tears were in his eyes, and Janie almost felt bad for him, especially because of the hurt way his wife looked at him.
“I didn’t know about Sam,” the senator’s wife said. “I know my husband and son behaved abominably, but I hope you will consider, in time, letting me get to know him.”
The senator nudged her, and she added, “Even though he doesn’t deserve it, I hope at some point you might consider letting Jim in, as well.”
The poor woman was practically shaking, and her eyes were filled with tears. Janie opened her arms to her and hugged her. “I know what it’s like to be betrayed by someone you love, and just like you, I’m working through forgiving that. But I think the beauty of God’s love is the grace God gives us, and the grace we need to give each other. I would love for you to be part of Sam’s life. I’m going to need some time to adjust and to explain to him, but you are his grandmother, and if God saw fit to bring you here today, who am I to keep you from him?”
As she spoke the healing words over the older woman sobbing in her arms, she felt a peace in her heart that she hadn’t felt since before her mother died.
His True Purpose Page 17