Bradley rubbed his chin. That sure made sense to him. All the more reason that Tamlyn should go. It could be the one thing that does help.
“Thanks, Sis,” he said as he glanced at his watch. “You should have been a counselor.”
“I teach middle school. I am,” she said with a laugh as she reached into the bag of donuts and pulled out a chocolate one.
He kissed her on the forehead. “That’s the truth.”
“No drama class today since it’s dress rehearsal tonight. Sure wish I could be there for it.”
“Uh-huh,” Bradley said as he walked over to the window.
“So, I imagine you’re going to try to get her to go to the hearing?”
“Yes, I think I have to. She’s an awesome person, and I can’t stand to see her in pain. It’s her best chance. I’m going to try.”
“Okay. Just don’t push too hard. People have to be ready when they are, not when you are.”
“All right. I won’t, but I’m going to give it my all.”
“I would expect no less from you, Bradley. Good luck. I love you.”
“Thanks, Steph. For everything,” he said as he headed out the door.
Chapter 18
“Wow, your phone’s sure blowing up,” Felicia said as she took a sideways glance at Tamlyn. “You haven’t looked at it for hours. Why not? Even I’m curious.”
“It’s Bradley. I—he—I don’t know. I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Why not? I thought things were going well. Why not talk to him?”
Tamlyn reached for the coffee pot but turned away when she realized her hands were shaking.
She pulled her phone out of her bag and clicked on voicemail. She had one from Bradley—she’d listened to that one. He’d asked her to meet him at the courthouse. Said he thought it would be good for her.
She’d told him over and over that she didn’t want to go. It was over and done with. And she told Felicia so.
“If it’s over and done with, why have your hands been shaking all morning?”
Tamlyn looked down at her hands and Felicia was right. They were shaking.
“I hadn’t even noticed,” she said quietly.
“And I think that might be Bradley’s point. You haven’t noticed what the rest of us can see staring us in the face. That something’s up, something’s wrong, and it has to do with that guy. And that accident.”
“But I really don’t want him to suffer any more than he has because of me, Felicia. I thought about it all last night and it’s just not right. He has his own demons.”
Felicia set down her pin cushion and crossed the studio, sitting down beside Tamlyn.
“Yes, he clearly has his own demons, and I know you forgave him. But sometimes, you need to go a little deeper. There’s obviously something missing for you. And you’re part of this, too. You were hurt. And badly.”
Tamlyn sighed and squeezed Felicia’s hand.
Her phone dinged with a text message and Tamlyn turned away.
Felicia reached for the phone, and scrolled to the last message—from Bradley.
“Tamlyn, I’m going to read this to you.”
“I don’t want to—”
Felicia started anyway.
Tamlyn, I imagine you’re not listening to my messages. I really think you need to come to the courthouse. I promise everything will be all right. I’ll be there for you. We can do this together.
“Oh,” Tamlyn whispered.
“Good grief. He really cares about you. I care about you. Corinne cares about you. And we’ve all three said the same thing. Go to the courthouse.”
“I don’t think I can. I—maybe—I might be a little scared,” she whispered as she looked at Felicia.
“You said before you feel safe with him. Trust that. Trust him. Just go.”
Felicia reached into Tamlyn’s purse and handed her her car keys.
“Can you drive? I can take you.”
Tamlyn shook her head.
“No. I can do it. I think.”
Felicia smiled and walked Tamlyn out to the car. “You’ll just make it if you leave now,” she said and waved as Tamlyn pulled out of the ranch and headed toward Riston.
Chapter 19
Bradley had been pacing in front of the courthouse for at least an hour, calling and leaving voicemails for Tamlyn. He still hadn’t heard a thing from her.
Lots of people had already gone in—well, not lots, but the important ones. Sheriff Clapper was there, along with what looked maybe like family members of this guy. He looked at his watch again, and it seemed like minutes were taking hours.
The big, old clock at the top of the courthouse chimed eleven, and he searched the parking lot one last time for Tamlyn. Not much time left, and he gave up on voicemails and sent off one last text to try to get her to come.
He waited a few more minutes, and shook his head as he turned to walk into the courtroom. If Tamlyn couldn’t face this guy, he would do it for her.
The judge hadn’t come in yet, but the guy was sitting at a table in an orange jumpsuit. Bradley had expected he might be in handcuffs, but he wasn’t, and he sat down on the opposite side of the courtroom and looked around.
Behind the defendant sat someone who looked like him—maybe a brother—and a pretty girl beside him.
Bradley squirmed in his seat and looked out the window. He took in a deep breath as he saw Tamlyn’s car turn into the parking lot, and he jumped up to go meet her.
He was standing right inside the door when she walked in, and she saw him right away. He crossed the distance in two big strides and pulled her into his arms. He looked into her eyes and saw her fear—fear she didn’t even know was there—and he was so glad that she trusted him enough to come that he bent down and kissed her gently on the lips.
“I’m so glad you trusted me and came. I’m here for you, Tamlyn. We got this.”
She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and nodded, taking the hand he offered her and holding on tight.
He led her into the courtroom, and Sheriff Clapper stopped her with a pat on the shoulder.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Tamlyn. I—it’s just best for everybody. Thank you for coming.”
She nodded, and Bradley slid into the bench beside her. She reached for his hand again and held it until they were asked to rise when the judge came in.
Chapter 20
Tamlyn felt a little light-headed as they sat back down after the judge entered the courtroom. She looked over at Mr. Burton, in an orange jumpsuit, and felt nauseous. He’d been in jail for three months. Wasn’t that enough? She didn’t want to be the person responsible for him losing everything he had and being kept in jail. After all, she’d forgiven him.
She noticed Oz and Alicia sitting behind him. It didn’t surprise her—Oz was his brother, after all. Family. But she imagined it was probably tough for Alicia, and she was sorry for that.
“Young man, we’re here to deliver sentencing for the crime you’ve been convicted of. You have admitted that you committed the act that resulted in your injury and the injury of another party, sufficient for great monetary and physical harm.”
“Your Honor,” Mr. Burton’s lawyer said as he stood. “It is my hope that my client can deliver a statement prior to sentencing. We had hoped that the victim would be in the courtroom but haven’t received any word from her. Nonetheless, Mr. Burton would like to speak.”
Sheriff Clapper loudly cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him. He was sitting directly behind Tamlyn, but she turned to see him nod in her direction.
Mr. Burton turned, too, and his eyes flew wide at the sight of her.
Her stomach churned and she took a deep breath as Bradley wrapped a protective arm over her shoulder.
She breathed a little easier when Mr. Burton smiled at her and nodded in her direction before turning back to the judge.
“I believe the young lady in question is here. You may proceed with your statement, young man.”
Mr. Burton cleared his throat, and Tamlyn held her breath as he spoke.
“Your Honor, I’d like to address this to the court, and also to Miss Tamlyn Nelson,” he started, and he continued when the judge nodded.
“Sir, Ma’am, I wanted you both to know that I am fully aware of the harm I’ve done. I was in a very dark place, and alcohol had gotten the best of me. I don’t know why it grabs some people and not others, but I do know now, after having been in a rehabilitation program for almost three months, and it is a horrible master to serve.”
The judge nodded and Tamlyn took a deep breath.
“I’ve been over and over that day in my mind, and for weeks I wanted to go back in time and make sure it never happened. To take it all back. I hadn’t wanted to harm anybody, and hurting Miss Nelson had me up at night.
“As I continued in my program and had many more sober nights behind me, I came to realize what an extraordinary gift I’d been given. You see, Miss Nelson came to me in the hospital the day after the accident. I was still groggy from surgery and heck, I may have still been drunk for all I know. I remember that she came to visit, and she—I can’t believe it, even to this day—she forgave me. She sat in that wheelchair with a broken ankle, a concussion, a black eye and she forgave me.”
He paused for a moment, and Tamlyn saw that Alicia was wiping away a tear, the same way she was.
“And I figured if she could do that, I’d better do anything I could to make it worth it. To make sure that I hadn’t hurt her for nothing. And I re-committed to my program. I’ve done three months in jail, and I was hoping as you consider my sentence that I could remain for three more months, continue for three more months and make this solid. I don’t want it all to be for nothing.”
He leaned against the table as if for balance and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.
“Most of all, I need to say this to Miss Nelson.”
He turned to look at Tamlyn, and she felt Bradley’s arm squeeze a little more tightly around her.
“Miss Nelson, you forgave me that day, but I was such a small man at the time that I never even apologized.”
He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I hope to be better, and I’d like to make that apology now, in public. I’m sorry I hurt you. If I could take it back, I would. I cherish your forgiveness, and I hope someday to be a man worthy of such charity.”
Somehow, his words lifted her heart in a way she hadn’t known was possible. She really truly had believed that it was all over, but it wasn’t. This man had been through as much, if not more, than she had, and that she’d played some small part in him finding himself truly made her happy.
She smiled at him, and he nodded in gratitude before he turned back to the judge.
“I’d also like to apologize to my brother and his lovely wife for being such a—well, a jerk. Thank you, Your Honor.”
“That was quite a statement, young man. I am impressed,” the judge said as Mr. Burton sat down and his lawyer patted him on the back.
“I’d expected to sentence you to a year in jail, Mr. Burton. But I am willing to see you again in three months, and if you are doing well in your program, I will consider sentencing you then to time served. Six months rather than a year. You clearly understand the gravity of what you’ve done. Good luck to you, son,” the judge said before he banged his gavel and exited the courtroom.
The deputies waited for Mr. Burton, but she saw he got to give his brother and Alicia a hug before they took him back to jail.
Alicia rushed over and hugged Tamlyn.
“I’m so, so sorry, Tamlyn. This has just been awful. Thank you for coming,” she said as Oz came up behind her.
“Yes, thanks for coming, Tamlyn. You had no reason to be so kind.”
“Kindness is what Tamlyn’s all about, and I’m glad she came, too,” Bradley said.
Tamlyn introduced them all, and they said their goodbyes.
“That was very brave of you, Tamlyn. Thank for coming. I always like to see things come full circle,” Sheriff Clapper said before he headed out the door.
“Wow,” Bradley said. “That was really something. You were very brave, just like the sheriff said.”
“I don’t know how brave it was. I didn’t think I even had a problem with it. I just didn’t want to come.”
“Nah, I beg to differ. Something inside you knew it just wasn’t quite finished, and you took the leap of faith and followed through.”
“Only because you were here waiting for me. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise. You said to trust you, and I did—I do.”
“That makes me very happy, Tamlyn. I promise, I’ll never let you down.”
She closed her eyes as he leaned in again, his soft lips on hers and his strong, safe arms around her waist. If this was all it took to feel safe, she hoped to stay there forever.
Chapter 21
“I can’t believe we pulled this off,” Bradley said as he waved goodbye to the last student and parent. The Riston Middle School performance of Romeo and Juliet had gone great, and not a single person commented on Romeo and Juliet being set in pioneer days. Bradley’s sister had gotten permission to come in a wheel chair and had loved it. He was feeling that all was right with the world.
Sean and Kayla had been perfect as Romeo and Juliet, and the kids had really done themselves proud.
“Your costumes were a big hit,” he said as he went back over to the stage and turned off the remaining lights. The after-party had been fun, and the kids had talked non-stop about what a great performance it was.
“Aw, thanks. It was fun to do. I thought everybody looked great.”
“Well, they thought so, too,” he said, pointing to the bouquet of roses Kayla and Delanie had given Tamlyn when they’d called her up on stage to thank her and were met with wild applause.
“It sure was exciting after it was all over. Lots of work, but it was all worth it. I think you did a fabulous job,” Tamlyn said to him, and even in the dim light she could see that he was blushing.
“Thanks,” Bradley said. “It really was exciting. Almost as exhilarating as a good football win. But not quite,” he said with a laugh. “Honestly, I did it for Stephanie, and it was all worth it to see the look on her face in the audience.”
Tamlyn nodded. “It was great she could come and it was a pleasure to meet her.”
“I hope you’ll get to know her even better. She’s really awesome.”
Tamlyn sighed, and was bone-tired, after all the costume work, the court hearing, dress rehearsal and now the performance.
Bradley turned off the last of the lights and led her in the darkness out the front of the multi-purpose room, closing the door and locking it.
“We did a good job, Tamlyn. Thanks so much for all of your help,” he said.
Tamlyn took a sniff of the roses and looked up at the full moon.
“I was happy to do it. It’s been a life-changing experience. And I can’t believe it’s over.”
Bradley wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She looked up into his deep, brown eyes and saw the moon reflected there, and much, much more.
“It’s not over. I don’t think it’ll ever be over between us, Tamlyn. Honestly, I’m hoping it’s just the beginning.”
He pulled her even closer, and she closed her eyes, happy that his sweet lips would soon meet hers. They did, and she softened in his arms, feeling how they buoyed her, strengthened her, steadied her. And she knew he was right. It wasn’t the end, but the beginning.
Epilogue
Tamlyn rolled down the window of Bradley’s jeep once they crossed the bridge into Sandpoint. Right after the summer drama class, Bradley had gone right into football try-outs. On off days, though, they’d taken every opportunity for road trips, near and far, and she felt like she really knew the mountains a lot better since they’d been together.
She hadn’t had a single episode of feeling faint since the day in
the courtroom. They’d talked about it several times, but mostly she was just grateful that she’d trusted his conviction that it would help. And that he’d been there with her as she heard what Mr. Burton had to say. She felt safe, secure and protected then, and she had ever since when Bradley was around.
When he’d brought out all of his maps for Canada and asked her if she’d go with him, she’d jumped at the chance. It wasn’t far from northern Idaho and even with all her travels with Aunt Corinne, she’d never been to Canada before. They were heading to Banff, and the pictures of it on the internet that she’d found in her research were magnificent.
She’d thought the soaring mountains of Idaho were, too, so to see pictures of even bigger mountains, waterfalls, rock formations that were even more majestic—well, she couldn’t wait to get there. They’d spent evenings deciding where they wanted to go and it had finally arrived.
She looked over at Bradley, and was amazed at how comfortable they’d become with each other. She knew she loved him, and they’d shared those special words between each other, which made the road trips and explorations even that much sweeter.
They pulled up to the river wall, the destination of their very first road trip, and he crossed around the back of the Jeep and opened her door for her, giving her his hand. When they reached the wall, he lifted her onto it and hopped up behind her.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“Well,” he said, “that first road trip was what started all of this. I’d been road-tripping on my own for years, mostly, and I had no idea how much more fun it could be with the right person.”
She closed her eyes, the words washing over her like cool rain.
“Same here. I’ve never had a better road trip partner—and after Aunt Corinne, that’s saying a lot. So you wanted to come back to the scene of the crime?”
Bradley laughed.
“Not crime, exactly, but I thought it might be a good place for the rest of the story.”
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