Their Family Legacy

by Lorraine Beatty

  Annie made her way to the principal’s office, her spirits rising. She was starting another new phase of her life today. It felt good. Principal Winters was a robust black man with a bright smile and a deep voice that rumbled when he spoke. He greeted her with a warm handshake, and then she sat down to go over last-minutes details.

  “You’ll be in room 20C. That’s the last room at the end of the long corridor, where the fifth and sixth graders are located. You should have time to take a quick peek before the meeting starts. We’ll all meet in the library, which is right next door. I’d like to take you around myself but I’ve got some urgent things to do before the meeting.”

  “I can wander around on my own.”

  “But I don’t want you to get lost. It seems like a simple layout but it has some twists and turns that can be confusing.”

  He looked up and smiled, waving to someone outside the room. “Come in here. I want you to meet someone.”

  Annie glanced over her shoulder and froze. Jake Langford strode into the office. What was he doing here?

  Principal Winters shook hands with Jake and then turned to her. “Annie, I’d like you to meet Coach Langford. Jake, this is our newest faculty member, Annie Shepherd. She’ll be teaching fifth grade in your part of the school.”

  Stunned, she could only offer a slight nod. It was clear from the tight expression on his face that Langford was none too pleased to see her here either.

  “Jake, why don’t you give Mrs. Shepherd a tour, then show her to her room while I get ready for the meeting? In fact, why don’t you be her partner for the year? Show her the ropes. Mrs. Shepherd, we’re glad you’re with us. I hope you’ll be happy here.”

  She muttered an appropriate response and then followed him out into the hall. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a coach here?”

  “Why would I? I didn’t know you’d be teaching here.” He started down the hall, forcing her to catch up. “The cafeteria is down that way. The gym is at the end of the south corridor over there.”

  She grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. “What are we going to do about this?”

  “Nothing.”

  He stopped and opened a door to one of the classrooms. “This is your room. I’m right across the hall in 18C. If you need anything just ask. Mary Gayton is in room 19C. She’ll be glad to help too.”

  Annie stepped inside her new classroom. It was large with lots of windows overlooking the playing field. The desks were old-style but still serviceable. Her desk was large and positioned at the front with file cabinets nearby. And on two walls, large blackboards took up most of the space. It was going to be nice working here. With the exception of Langford.

  “I’ll see you at the meeting.”

  He started to leave but she hurried forward. She hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going. She’d been too distracted by the shock of finding him here. “Wait. Mr. Langford, I don’t think I can find my way back.”

  He held her gaze. “Jake.”

  She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “Annie.” He closed the door to her room and started walking.

  She tried to pay attention to the turns he made on the way, but lost track after the third one. His silence was wearing on her nerves. “You don’t have a problem working together?” The look he gave her left her puzzled. She couldn’t tell if he was incredulous, irritated or just plain angry.

  “Do you?”

  Oh, she most definitely did. It was a matter of common sense. Mingling with the man who’d killed her cousin, the man who was still serving a sentence—albeit perhaps an unfairly extended one—was awkward to say the least. Not to mention she was already more curious about him than she should be. Now she’d be exposed to him around the clock. The whole thing was too unsettling for her liking.

  “Hey, Jake.”

  A very attractive African American woman hurried toward them as they neared the library, throwing her arms around Jake’s neck and giving him a big hug.

  “Hey, Sharee. Good to see you. Annie, this is Sharee DeMarco, our school counselor. Sharee, this is our new fifth-grade teacher, Annelle Shepherd.”

  The woman quickly transferred the hug to her, wrapping her in warmth and a scent of spearmint. “Welcome to Jefferson. I’m so glad to meet you. It’s always so nice to have new faces around.” She turned back to Jake. “How was Belize?”

  “Hot but rewarding.”

  “Amen to that. You two had better scoot. The meeting starts in a few minutes.” She winked, waved and sauntered down the hall, toward the office.

  Annie frowned as she looked at Jake. “Belize?”

  “A mission trip. I just got back a few days ago.”

  She followed Jake into the library, struggling to process the discovery that he’d gone on a mission trip. The more she learned about him, the less it added up. He introduced her to the fourth-grade teacher, Linda Bain, and then walked off to join the other male teachers. Despite his words that working together wasn’t a problem, she suspected he didn’t like it any more than she did.

  She turned her attention to Linda, who welcomed her warmly, introducing her to a couple of other faculty members before they took their seats.

  “So, you know Jake already?”

  Annie searched for an appropriate response. “We’ve met.”

  “He’s a great guy. And a great sixth-grade teacher. He coaches junior high football and baseball too.”

  Her heart sank into her stomach. Jake was the sixth-grade teacher? The twins were in the sixth grade. That meant they’d have Jake as their teacher. This whole situation was getting more and more complicated. She didn’t think she wanted her sons being taught by a man with his background. The people here didn’t appear to have any issues, but then they probably didn’t know about the accident. Maybe she should switch the twins back to their normal school. Annie muttered a polite response. “He sounds very dedicated.”

  “Totally. There are a few female teachers here who’d like him to dedicate some personal time to them.” She grinned and chuckled. “He is a good-looking rascal, but he’s quiet and mysterious. It’s like he has some deep dark secret. I can’t help but wonder what it is.”

  Annie didn’t have to speculate. She knew his secret.

  Thankfully the meeting started and she put her full attention on the principal and the information she would need to do her job. With so much to go over, she was able to keep thoughts of Jake in the recesses of her mind. She caught sight of him briefly during the lunch break, and he appeared to be avoiding her the way she was avoiding him. If that were the case, then working at the same school might actually be tolerable.

  It was mid-afternoon when Principal Winters concluded the business portion of the meeting. “The last thing on the agenda is our fall carnival. Y’all know what a significant event this is for the school and the community, so I know you’ll make it a success. Sharee has agreed to serve as the carnival chairman and she’s assigned everyone to a team.”

  He stepped aside and Sharee took over. She spoke of the importance of the event in providing necessary equipment to the school, and reminded them that there was a lot to do before the end of October, when the event would be held. “Be sure and pick up your committee packets in my office.” She began calling out names and their committee assignments. “Jake and Annie, you’re the publicity and advertising team.”

  Laughter rippled through the room. Someone spoke up. “Oh, no. Jake, buddy, what did you do to deserve that?”

  Annie didn’t hear anything after that. Principal Winters dismissed them and Annie found herself unable to move from her chair. Why was this happening? She had expected to face Jake once a year, and now he was living across the street, working at the same school and teaching her sons every day. She could avoid him during the school day, but how in the world was she supposed to work with the man on a committee? Simple.
She couldn’t. She would remove herself from this situation. Let someone else work with him.

  Her ingrained sense of responsibility swelled. She’d never shirked her duties, but sometimes things just couldn’t be helped. She’d be happy to serve on any committee, just not the one with Jake.

  She gathered up her belongings, her decision wavering. What would she give as her excuse? That she didn’t want to work with him because he killed her cousin, or because he makes her feel uneasy. Not in a threatening way, but in a way that reminded her she was a woman.

  Where had that thought come from? She slammed a lid on that and stood. Why had her sweet, perfect new life turned into a minefield of roadblocks? Great, now she was mixing her metaphors. She’d put an end to this assignment, and then she could reclaim her nice peaceful life with a little less Jake Langford.

  She looked up to see Jake standing across from her. Her heart sank.

  Or not.

  Chapter Three

  Jake stole a glance at Annie and she lingered at her table. Apparently there was no way to avoid Annie Shepherd. Truth was he didn’t want to avoid her. Despite his best efforts to put her out of his mind, she kept slipping back in. He wanted to know more about her. His biggest question was why was she continuing his sentence?

  Jake had kept an eye on Annie throughout the meeting, but particularly when Sharee announced the committee teams. The look on Annie’s face had said it all. She was not happy about the assignment. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit that she was uncomfortable around him. He wasn’t the monster she probably had imagined him to be. He hated to think what her aunt had said about him. Unfortunately, they were now neighbors and colleagues. For whatever reason, they’d been thrown together, and the only way to deal with that was to get along.

  He approached her as she was gathering up her things. “Looks like we’re partners.”

  She shook her head. “This isn’t going to work. We can’t be on a committee together when we have this... I mean, since you’re...because of...”

  Jake knew what she was trying to say. She couldn’t see past the accident. “If this is too uncomfortable for you, I’ll speak to Sharee and have her put you on another committee.”

  Annie touched her temple as if trying to sooth a headache. “No. That would only create questions neither one of us want to answer.” Her eyes held confusion and doubt. “How much work will this committee require? I have two boys to take care of and a house full of clutter that’ll take a year to clear out.”

  Jake sympathized, but working on the carnival was something expected of all the teachers and staff. “This carnival is a big deal around here. Everyone pulls their weight. Unfortunately, the publicity committee is one of the most important and takes the most time. There are permits to acquire, flyers and banners to design, and then we’ll have to canvas local businesses for donations and sell ads.”

  Annie sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I had no idea.”

  “That’s why everyone laughed when we were put on the committee. We drew the short straw.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “When do we have to start?”

  “Right away. We have to have the permits in place sixty days before the event. That means we’re already pushing the clock.”

  She pressed her lips together in a tight line. “All right. Where do we have to go?”

  Even irritated to the max, she was a very attractive woman. “The courthouse, and it closes at 4:30 p.m. It’s already three.”

  She frowned. “Can’t you take care of that and we’ll tackle the other things in a day or so?”

  She really didn’t want to spend time with him. “Afraid not. It takes two signatures on the applications.”

  “Fine. But I can’t be late getting home.”

  “No problem. It won’t take long. I’ll get the list of the necessary permits from Sharee, then we can get started.” Sharee had everything lying on the edge of her desk. He picked it up and joined Annie in the hall. She stared at the thick stack of papers he held.

  “Do we need that many permits?”

  He shook his head. “No. These are our committee packets. All the things we need to do our job. You ready?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Yes, Annie, you do. I told you I can get you onto another committee.” He watched her mull over the idea. Would she seize the opportunity to walk away? The defiant lift of her chin was his answer.

  “No. It’s fine. I don’t want to be seen as the new teacher who couldn’t be a team player. Besides, I never walk away from my responsibilities.” She turned and walked ahead of him and out of the building.

  This was the second time he’d given her an out and she hadn’t taken it. Why?

  Jake walked to his SUV, unlocking the door with his key fob as they approached. He opened the driver’s side door, but Annie had stopped a few feet away, her blue eyes wary.

  He stared at her, puzzled. “Something wrong?” It hit him then. She was afraid to get in the car with him. He set his jaw. “We can take your car if you’d rather drive.”

  A look of chagrin passed over her face. “No. You know your way around town. I don’t.” Reluctantly she climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.

  Settled in behind the wheel, he cranked the engine, suddenly aware of her sweet fragrance permeating the air. He stole a quick glance. Annie sat pressed against the passenger-side door as if ready to jump out at any moment. He set his jaw. Her aunt had painted him with a very black brush. Suddenly it became important to prove her wrong.

  “I won’t bite you. I promise.” Her cheeks turned a very pretty shade of pink and she quickly looked away, though she kept stealing quick peeks at him as he drove. “Go ahead.”

  “What?”

  “I can practically hear the questions rattling around in your head. Go ahead and ask them before you burst.”

  She took her time replying. “You’re not what I expected.”

  He uttered a small grunt of amusement. “Let me guess. You expected a tattooed, earring-wearing biker dude with a chip on his shoulder.”

  She looked away.

  “Don’t feel bad. It’s what everyone expects of a foster kid.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to appear so unfeeling,”

  The pity in her tone scraped across every nerve. He gripped the wheel a little tighter. “No need.” Jake pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the county courthouse and got out.

  Annie joined him, walking stiffly at his side. He pulled open the large wooden door and they stepped from the humid August air into the cool interior. After checking the directory, they took the stairs to the office on the second floor.

  Jake requested the permits and took the applications to a nearby table. “How’s your handwriting? Mine isn’t so hot. You should probably fill them out.”

  “Okay, but you’ll have to tell me what to put down.”

  Jake pulled up a chair as close to hers as he could, leaning toward her so he could give her the information she needed. Too late he realized his mistake. His closeness made him acutely aware of her silky hair brushing her shoulders. Everything about her screamed femininity. Even her handwriting as she wrote was filled with curvy, ladylike strokes. He had a hard time believing she was as vindictive as her aunt. No one who looked like a fresh spring day could have a black heart.

  Paperwork complete, Jake returned it to the desk. “Next up, utility permits.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Down the hall.” Annie stepped over to the water fountain while he continued on. He inhaled a deep breath, welcoming the brief separation. Being close to her did strange things to his senses, and he didn’t welcome the feelings that stirred up. Women hadn’t played a part in his life since Crystal had canceled their wedding a week before the ceremony.

  A man approached him as he nea
red the office door.

  “Jake. Good to see you.”

  Jake grinned and grasped his hand. “Same here, Judge.”

  “I was sorry to hear your sentence was extended. I’d hoped with Mrs. Owens passing that would all end. I’ve always regretted that arrangement but at the time, well...” He patted Jake on the shoulder. “I’ll keep you in my prayers, son.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Annie met Jake’s gaze and then quickly looked away, but not before he saw the questions flare up in her blue eyes. He pushed open the office door and took care of the permits.

  Back in the SUV Annie fell silent again and he noticed her rubbing her thumbnail, a gesture he suspected meant she was either stressed or confused. “I feel more questions coming on.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because you get all quiet and tense and you worry your thumb.” She quickly clasped her hands in her lap.

  She was silent a long moment before speaking. “The man you spoke with.”

  “Judge Rankin. He worked out my sentence with your aunt and uncle.”

  “He sounded like he regretted it. Do you?”

  The muscle in his jaw flexed as he tried to form a response. He regretted everything about that night. “It was better than prison.” It was time to turn the tables. He had a few questions of his own. “You’re not what I expected either.”

  “Oh. In what way?”

  “You’re not like your aunt.” The two women were like darkness and light. Ice and sunshine.

  “I’m nothing like her.”

  There was an edge to her words. Had he insulted her? “Then why are you continuing her retaliation?”

  “I’m not. I’m honoring her wishes. Big difference.”

  “Not to me. Do you agree with this arrangement?”

  She kept her face averted. “It doesn’t matter if I agree or not. It has to be this way. It’s about family.”

  What did she mean by that? Was she saying she’d do whatever her aunt asked regardless of the circumstances? Jake pulled into the school parking lot, stopping near her car. Annie immediately opened her door.