by J. M. Witt
“I believe he was seventeen at the time, a year younger than me.”
I couldn’t help but begin to pace his office floor. “What the fuck? You’re sure about this?” He confirmed. “Is this some revenge plot?”
“Not sure, but it seems that way. There’s more.” This couldn’t be real. How could there be more? “I’m not sure if you know or not that Calhoun died a few months later.”
“I’m aware.”
“Did you know his cause of death is listed as an accidental overdose?”
“Holy shit. You think he killed his uncle?”
“Suspect. I’ve known Dan since we were kids. He’s never sat well with me; there’s always been something off about him. Calhoun gave Dan a life of prestige and privilege. I wouldn’t doubt that if he felt threatened by your Mom…”
We both paled as his words resonated with us both. It just kept getting worse and worse. My throat became irritatingly dry and I grabbed a bottle of water and began chugging it down.
“Cal, I’m sorry. I didn’t think this through.”
“No. It’s fine. You think he killed Calhoun and my mother?”
Sitting in silence for quite a while, he let me process everything we’d just discussed. If what he was saying, and what he’d discovered were true, it meant that Dan played a part in my mother’s death and was probably targeting Cassidy all along.
“Cassidy needs to know. As much as I want to keep this from her, she has to know.”
James adamantly objected.
“Dude, you don’t know everything.”
Now James was the one chugging down some water. “How much did she tell you about Mom’s death and what happened after?” James explained what he knew as I tilted my neck from side to side eliciting a few pops and cracks.
“It broke her. She blamed herself for Mom’s death for a long time. It was the most vulnerable time in any girl’s life, but to have that guilt on her, too, destroyed her spirit. She was in therapy for years.”
“Nothing wrong with therapy.”
“Did you try to kill yourself?” James was speechless. “She swallowed half a bottle of pills, James. Dad found her just in time. Another ten minutes and she would’ve been gone.”
“I had no idea. I never…”
“Don’t hold it against her. She was so young and lost. She worked really hard for a long time to overcome those demons. If she finds out what we know now about Dan…well…I…she has to hear it from us sooner rather than later. The more prepared she is, the more proactive she can be in dealing with it.”
“Okay, that makes sense. Shit, I wanted to keep this from her.”
“I feel ya, dude. Is she home? I can follow you. Afterward, I’ll call Dad to fill him in. God, this timing sucks; the wedding is less than three weeks away.”
“She should be home.”
“You need to be prepared for firestorm Cassidy. You got a glimpse last weekend, but she’s got one hell of a temper.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
He laughed, “Dude, I’m telling you. Prepare yourself.” He didn’t have a fucking clue about my sister’s volatile temper. This might be fun watching someone else be on the receiving end of her wrath.
When we got back to Cassidy’s place we filled her in on what we knew. She was heartbroken and infuriated, rightfully so. After she went on her tirade and I was sure she’d be ok, I left her with James. When I got home Jane was still there and had dinner waiting.
As I walked to the kitchen she said, “I thought it would be nice to go out, but after everything that’s happened I decided against it. I rented a movie and picked up some food. That fridge of yours was practically barren.”
Smiling ear to ear I wrapped her in a big hug. “It sounds perfect. Just like you.”
Chapter Seventeen
~ CALVIN ~
Over the next couple weeks our schedules became more hairy. Jane was working full swing at the hospital, and I was moving into SWAT. That was a godsend. I couldn’t go undercover, at least not now, since my face had been in the papers, but decided to join the task force behind the scenes. Everything I had ever wanted was happening all at once. I wasn’t a superstitious person, but couldn’t help but wonder when it would all fall apart. Everything good in my life always seemed to eventually vanish into thin air.
Dad’s wedding was this weekend, and we were all headed up there on Thanksgiving Day to stay the night. Jane had been staying at my house most days, and my work schedule became more hairy as I flip flopped back and forth from working days and nights. She had tonight off, but had to work Wednesday. I planned on taking her to dinner and asking her to move in with me. I knew it was soon, but she was always at my place, and it just made sense.
That night at dinner I just came out with it. “Jane, I want you to move in with me.”
~ JANE ~
I started choking on my water and noticed him flashing those dimples at me as I tried to get my coughing under control. Detecting that every table nearby was gawking at me, I put my hand up to reassure everyone that I was fine.
“Are you insane?” He couldn’t be serious.
“Not insane. In love.”
He’s trying to kill me. Two revelations within five minutes and not just little ones; they were life changing ones. He just asked me to move in with him and not two minutes later he was confessing his love. Wait? Did he confess his love?
Taking my hands in his he said, “Jane, baby doll, I love you.”
I knew that I was gaping at him, like he’d just professed he could time travel, or fly, or had an invisibility cloak, but I couldn’t help it. Did he expect me to say it back?
“Jane, I don’t expect you to say it back. I know it’s soon and we’re moving fast, but I just can’t keep it in any more. I love you.” Then like a mad man he stood up and shouted, for all to hear, “I LOVE YOU!”
I was mortified and felt like my face was on fire. The entire restaurant was staring at us and I could only imagine what they were thinking. Next he’d be jumping on couches. I buried my face in my hands after chastising him. “Sit down you imbecile.”
Cal laughed as he sat back down. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a little black box. Holy shit. He was mad and I was convinced I would have to have him committed.
“Relax. I’m not that crazy.” Then he winked at me.
I looked to him and back to the box, over and over again. My hands were sweating and I was recounting all my time with him. My heart and my head were mocking each other as the room started to spin. He had set the box down in front of me and lifted the lid when he realized I wasn’t going to. I had to do a double take at what was inside and let out a breath of relief as I realized I was staring at a key.
“It’s yours, for my place. Now you can come and go as you please, but I hope you’ll consider moving in.” When I didn’t say anything he became visibly nervous. “Jane, please understand. In my line of work, well, nothing is for certain. Nothing. I don’t want to have any regrets. I love you and I want to spend every waking moment with you. Life is too short to not grab on to what you want and hold on tight.” He stood up and moved to sit next to me on my side of the booth. “I want you.”
I was speechless. He was amazing. He was crazy. “Calvin, I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting this. I, it’s just, oh God. Cal, it’s so soon.”
“We’re not teenagers Jane. We’re grown adults. People don’t often get second chances, and I only want a first chance, and I’m going big, no regrets. I know this is a surprise to you. Please, stop hiding your feelings. Tell me what your heart wants, not what your head thinks.”
I looked in his eyes and took in his words. I was scared to death and it, he, was everything I wanted. He was everything I wanted? The intense feeling burning in the center of my chest was taking over. I cared for him so much and it all happened so quickly. It’s not like I was across the country. My family was ten minutes away and I was safe. I’d almost forgotten the meaning
of the word. Cal helped me discover it again and he didn’t even know it. He was oblivious to my past and I needed to tell him. Now just wasn’t the time. I was so happy. Happier than I’d been in such a long time and Cal was the reason for that. Cal equaled safety, and happiness, and most importantly, love.
“Ok.”
“What? Really?”
Laughing, I smiled and kissed his lips as I said, “Yes! I’ll move in with you. I love you too. No regrets.”
He turned to the restaurant and shouted, “She said yes!”
I tried covering his mouth while shaking my head at his outburst, “Oh my God. What is wrong with you?” He had me cracking up and I loved that he was such a fool for me.
We finished our meal and every time I looked him in the eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh. He was a fool, but he was my fool, and I’d gladly claim him for as long as he’d have me.
~<>~<>~<>~
It was Thanksgiving and I had worked a sixteen hour shift so I could have Thursday and Friday off for the wedding. I was exhausted, but I’d survive. We were having lunch at Aunt Eva’s and then headed up to Cal’s dad’s house for dinner. Over the last couple days I noticed Cal consolidating his dresser and closet to give me space. My wardrobe was seriously lacking so I didn’t need much room.
As we walked into the foyer at my aunt and uncles house, I heard my Uncle Jackson in a panic. I dropped my purse on the entryway table and rushed to the living room. Uncle Jackson was talking to my Aunt Eva, but she wasn’t responding.
“Help me lay her down.” I rushed over and we laid her down on the floor. She wasn’t responsive and her pulse was erratic. “I need you to call 9-1-1.” He nodded and grabbed the phone out of his pocket.
Aunt Eva had been battling cancer for over five years now. Every time the doctors thought they’d won the battle, it would come back with a vengeance somewhere else in her body. She was the sweetest woman. It was easy to say she was my favorite aunt, considering I rarely saw my father’s sisters. She was the most welcoming and accepting person I’d ever known. She loved everybody for their differences, not their similarities.
It was then that she stopped breathing and her pulse faded. I had a brief hesitation of panic before I started CPR on her. The paramedics arrived shortly after and she had already come to. It seemed cruel to fight to bring her back knowing that her death was inevitable. I left her with the paramedics and rushed back toward the foyer, desperate for some fresh air.
I was trying to get my emotions under control when Cal turned me into his chest. I knew it was him without even seeing his face. He soothed me as I got my breathing back under control.
“Hey, you were great back there. Is she going to be ok?”
I pulled back to look up at him. “Her cancer diagnosis is terminal, Cal.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that.”
After taking a deep breath I filled him in with more about Aunt Eva’s battle. We made our way toward the front door when James came barreling through. He was white as a ghost.
“She’s ok, for now. She’s in the living room with the paramedics.” He didn’t respond to me, simply rushed toward his mother.
James and Eva had an incredibly solid relationship. And it wasn’t a creepy mother son relationship. They had the utmost respect for one another and the three of them, Jackson, James and Eva, were as thick as thieves most days. When James was in the military, it was the saddest I’d ever seen Aunt Eva, and even then she wasn’t sad per say, just somber and quieter than her norm.
Cassidy rushed up just then and I couldn’t form the words to speak. Cal filled her in before she went to join James. Several minutes later we, with a great deal of arm-twisting, convinced Eva to go to the hospital for the night. James and I decided to stay back while Cal and Cassidy headed to their dad’s house. The wedding was tomorrow and they were both an integral part of the wedding.
Chapter Eighteen
~ CALVIN ~
Cassidy and I spent most of the drive in silence. A light snow had begun to fall. I knew that she was struggling with herself. Her heart was with James and her head with Dad and the wedding. She would talk to me when she was ready, she always did.
“Do you think she’s alright?” She was staring out her window and playing with a strand of her hair.
Sighing I responded, “I don’t know. Jane is under the impression she’ll be gone soon.”
Cassidy let her head fall back to the seat and closed her eyes. I could only begin to imagine the emotions running through her. Thinking about someone losing their mom automatically brought back memories of our mom, it was inevitable. Mom had made some horrible choices that had a domino effect on everyone involved. Shit, fifteen years later we were still dealing with the aftermath.
“Cal, this is the worst time of year for this. With the holidays, his birthday, Jason’s death, and all at this same time of year. It’s a cruel joke.”
“He knows you want to be there with him and how much you love him.”
“Does he?” I glanced over at her as she ran her hands over her face.
“Cassidy, he loves you, too. It’s written all over the two of you.” She looked at me in disbelief. James was so protective of her. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t expressed that to her. Narrowing my eyes at her I asked, “He’s told you, right?”
Laughing she said, “Nope, nada, zilch.” I noticed her eyes were glassy before she looked away. I knew that she was hurting and doubting his feelings for her and I hated to see my sister upset. Clearly James loved her; at least it was clear to me. No man went to the lengths that he did unless they were in love.
“Have you told him?”
She almost snorted as she burst out, “Are you out of your mind? Girls don’t say it first. It’s like signing your death warrant.”
I couldn’t help the belly laugh that escaped me. “Well, I guess, maybe. He seems to speak with his actions and not words.”
“You have no idea.”
Shaking my head with the unwanted detail she’d just spilled, I said. “I don’t want to know; I might have to hurt him.”
“Ha, you didn’t hurt Paul.”
“Well, that was an extenuating circumstance.” God that was a name I hadn’t heard in a long time. I couldn’t help but wonder how my army buddy was doing.
“What about you and Jane? Do you love her? Have you told her?” I just nodded. “Well, which is it?” I wasn’t going to rub salt in her wound about how and when Jane and I had expressed our love for one another. “You’re an ass.”
“Give him time. If he’s worth it, you’ll wait for him to say it.”
I spent the rest of the drive wondering about Paul. I hadn’t seen him in several years, and when we were in the army together, he had been my best friend; until he broke my sister’s heart. He was the one who got me hooked on ink, and if one of us was going to get inked, the other followed suit. Our friendship became strained after his ‘affair’ with Cass. He ended up marrying someone else shortly after, who may or may not have been pregnant with his kid.
I never did get the full story before we ended up stationed at separate bases. I’d heard through the grapevine, a few months back, that he was working as a foreman for a construction company locally, but never looked into it. I never wished him ill, I just didn’t want him involved with my sister when she was so inexperienced.
Soon I pulled up the drive at Dad’s place. We enjoyed some family time once we explained everything to dad and Lisa, regarding Eva, and then finished the final touches to the barn. Cassidy was clearly on edge. Neither of us had any news before we went to bed that night.
The next morning we were all up bright and early dealing with flowers, caterers and everything else that was, apparently, wedding related. Early in the afternoon, just before the ceremony was supposed to start, two small hands came up behind me and covered my eyes.
“Hey handsome.”
I turned around and instinctually picked her up as she wrapped her legs around my
waist. “Baby doll. I missed you.” She leaned back and smiled at me before pressing her lips to mine.
It was then that Dad walked in and interrupted our reunion. “Sorry to intrude, but it’s time for us to make our way down.”
Jane immediately climbed off of me, she was embarrassed, and turned to my dad. “Hi Mr. Charles. You look rather dapper.”
“I told you that you can call me Dave. Thank you. How’s Eva doing?”
“She’s good. They released her this morning. She’s at home resting and sends her regrets and congratulations.” She was leaning into my side as I pressed my nose to her hair. She always smelled so good.
“Glad to hear it. My son sure couldn’t stop talking about you last night.”
“Dad…”
“What? It’s true. I’m happy to see he’s found a good woman to keep him in line.” Dad winked at her before we all shared a laugh.
“Well I should let you get to it.” Jane kissed us both on the cheek before heading to the barn. We weren’t far behind her.
As Dad and I made our way out of the house, I told him that I’d asked Jane to move in with me and that she had accepted. “Moving a little fast aren’t you, Son?”
“Dad, I can’t move any slower. There’s something about her.”
He smiled at me knowingly. “She’s definitely a keeper. I’m glad to see you infatuated with a woman, especially one as sweet as Jane.”
The wedding went off without a hitch. Dad and Lisa exchanged their vows and then the party started. During the ceremony I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Jane. She was oblivious to it, part of the time. That was the first time I imagined her in a white dress walking down the aisle to me. I had to get a grip.
We all managed to get some pictures taken together and I was looking forward to getting copies made of them. James and Cassidy were practically inseparable as were Jane and I. We had a great time tearing up the dance floor, but it wasn’t long before the four of us were the only ones left.
Jane and I watched as James pulled Cassidy on to the dance floor and Love Somebody by Maroon 5 started playing. Jane winked at me and I led her to the dance floor as we enjoyed the song. James was quite the dancer, swinging my sister about the floor. The fucker probably had ballroom lessons as a prerequisite of his status in society.