“Good. I’ll pick you up around ten.” Jake’s gaze landed briefly on the remaining liquor bottles beside the sink before disappearing.
Annie reached for another bottle and poured the contents down the drain. The sour smell of the alcohol turned her stomach. How different her life would have been if she could have kept Rick from drinking.
She placed the last bottle into the trash bag, lugged the bag to the backyard and set it beside the garbage can. Tomorrow she’d haul it all to the street and it would all be out of her house.
As she entered the kitchen, she thought about the odd expression on Jake’s face. There was something familiar about it, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It was probably her imagination. When it came to Jake, her thoughts and impressions were always skewed between her expectations and reality. He was a difficult man to read since he didn’t display his emotions easily and she wondered why. Was it simply his personality or his upbringing?
There was a part of her that was enjoying discovering the different layers of Jake. She was discovering there was more beneath his controlled exterior and she wanted to know what was going on behind his soulful dark brown eyes.
* * *
Jake jogged down the porch steps and across the street, not stopping until he was inside his kitchen. He placed his palms on the granite countertop and let the cool surface take some of the heat from his veins. The pungent smell of alcohol lingered in his nostrils, releasing memories that he vowed to never visit again. His mind replayed the scene over and over. The half dozen bottles of golden oblivion were being emptied. Poured down the drain like stale coffee.
He straightened and ran his hands through his hair. The sight had hit him with the force of a sledge hammer to the solar plexus, shattering his barrier. He hadn’t touched a drink in thirteen years. He’d believed he was immune to the sight of alcohol. Apparently not. His sponsor always reminded him that sobriety was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour struggle.
He’d been clean so long he’d become complacent. Maybe it was a good thing he’d been blindsided like this. He’d be more vigilant in the future. Right now, he needed support. He pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial number. Twenty minutes later, after talking with his sponsor, he felt stronger and in control again. Reassuring phrases learned long ago anchored him even further. His favorites were, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it” and “Serenity is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.”
He used to think they were trite, but after years of sobriety he understood each one with new clarity. His sponsor had a way of setting things straight and being a constant reminder of what Jake could accomplish. Maybe because his sponsor had just celebrated his thirtieth sobriety birthday.
Pouring a large glass of sweet tea, Jake retreated to his office. An hour or so of work would keep him occupied. The old leather chair squeaked and groaned as he sat down and spun to face the window. His gaze landed on the house across the street. From here he had a clear view of Annie’s house and her front porch.
Had she noticed his reaction? What would she do if she learned he was a recovering alcoholic? If his suspicions were correct, and he was pretty certain they were, she’d already endured a difficult life with a drinker. If she knew about his addiction, she’d probably refuse to have anything to do with him, and it’d give her more reason to steer clear of him.
It wasn’t the first time his past had sabotaged a relationship. Crystal had used that knowledge to break their engagement. She claimed she couldn’t live with a drunk. The truth was she’d turned her attention to a man with more money and family influence who could give her the kind of life she longed for.
He’d like to think Annie would see past his addiction to the man he was today, but that was a foolish hope. For now he’d make sure he towed the line and kept that part of his life under wraps like he had with everyone else. The less they knew about it, the better.
* * *
Annie climbed out of Jake’s large SUV and onto the sidewalk, glancing up and down at the many shops and businesses lining Main Street in downtown Hastings. She and Jake were going to speak with as many owners as possible in hopes of getting donations and selling ads for the carnival. She glanced at Jake as he came around the vehicle and joined her. She’d managed to maintain a working relationship with him, but they’d be spending a good bit of time together today and she was anxious about how it would go.
“Are you ready?”
She nodded, noticing how good he looked in his worn jeans and a loose-fitting T-shirt with the school logo on the front. She quickly turned her thoughts to the task ahead.
Her gaze scanned the area. She’d forgotten how charming her hometown was. Even with its rapid growth, it had retained its small-town feel. The old-style black cast-iron street lamps were graced with large hanging baskets of fall flowers. Flags were displayed above a few stores and the Stars and Stripes waved proudly in the breeze. Large trees along the sidewalk offered shade, adding to the natural beauty of the already quaint area. Being back here felt right, reminding her she was glad she’d come back. “Where do we start?”
“With the ones we can always count on.” He pointed to a small shop across the street. The Emporium. “The owner is a devoted friend of the school.”
Jake was right. The owner, a middle-aged woman with dark hair and pretty brown eyes, was quick to buy an ad and promised to donate small items for the carnival.
“Are they all this easy?”
“I wish.”
An hour later Annie was fighting discouragement. “We haven’t sold many ads today.”
Jake chuckled and the sound drew her full attention. He didn’t smile or laugh much. The grin on his face now called attention to the small crinkles at the corner of his dark eyes that gave his features a softer quality. She always saw him as stern and guarded. It was as if he rarely let down his façade. Maybe that’s why everyone thought he was mysterious. What was he afraid of? She could understand him holding back with her, but why the others? So many unanswered questions. Jake was a fascinating puzzle and one she wanted more and more to solve.
The next stop was at the hardware store and to her surprise they came away with a full-page ad and a donation for the day of the carnival. Out on the sidewalk she grinned at Jake. “I can’t believe that. I was so sure he wasn’t going to buy an ad at all, let alone a full page. You’re a great salesman.”
Jake shook his head. “Not me. That was all you. You charmed him with your smile.”
She blinked. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did, and I’m going to let you do the talking from now on.”
Annie frowned. Was he serious or was he teasing her? “I’ve never charmed anyone into anything.”
“I find that hard to believe. You have a very warm personality and a great smile. Being pretty doesn’t hurt either.”
Heat surged into her cheeks. “You’re making that up.” No one had given her such glowing compliments in a long time, and it made her very self-conscious and uncomfortable.
“Why would I do that?”
Not waiting for an answer, Jake took her arm and glanced both ways before steering her across Main Street. “Don’t sell yourself short, Annie. You are a strong, capable woman. And you are pretty.”
He stopped in front of the historic Emerald Hotel. “Here’s a chance for you to turn up the charm. The manager here is notoriously stingy. Turn that sweet smile loose and let’s see what we can squeeze out of him.”
Her cheeks flamed again. She wasn’t used to people teasing her either. “Now you’re making me nervous.”
He chuckled and took her arm. The contact gave her courage. Strange, since his brief touches before always tilted her senses. A short while later, with another full-page ad in their pockets and a donation of a two-night stay at the hotel for the silent auction, she and Jake exchanged high fiv
es.
“I told you. You are now my secret weapon when it comes to selling ads.”
“He was very sweet and generous. Not stingy at all.”
He smiled and shrugged. “Like I said, you’re hard to resist.”
There was a personal tone in his voice that drew her gaze. The look in his eyes made her blush. He broke contact and glanced around.
“I think we need to take a break. It’s hot. Do you like ice cream?”
“Of course.” It was hot, and going in and out of air-conditioned buildings had drained her energy. A break was just what they needed.
“Let me guess. You’re a mint chocolate chip fan.”
“How did you know?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “One of the twins mentioned it.”
She frowned, unable to decide if she should be flattered or horrified. What exactly were the twins telling their teacher? “Do they talk about me to you often?”
“No. Tyler mentioned it when we were studying one night. He said you buy it all the time now that you’re not poor.”
Chagrined, she took a moment to respond. She didn’t like to look back on those difficult years. She always felt like she’d failed, that she should have been able to do better. “It was hard on the boys. There was so much I wanted to give them and couldn’t. Inheriting Aunt Margaret’s estate gave us a new start. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
“I am too. It brought you and the boys to Hastings.” He stopped and glanced up at the sign. “Here we are. Floyd’s Sweet Shop.” Jake opened the door for her. He ordered a double scoop of black walnut for himself and a single scoop of mint chocolate chip.
Back on the sidewalk, they strolled down the charming street, past the quaint little bookstore and the stately historic bank before crossing the street to the small park tucked on the corner. Serenity Park was shaded by one-hundred-year-old live oaks with benches beneath, inviting visitors to sit and enjoy the scenery.
Settled in the cooling shade, Annie savored her cone, all the while stealing glances at Jake. Her curiosity about him grew daily. Gathering her courage, she decided to probe a little more. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
He met her gaze, his brown eyes warm and friendly. “We’ve declared a truce, so sure.”
“Why haven’t you ever married? You’re a nice guy who loves kids and has a job with a future. That spells great catch in my book.”
Jake remained silent a long moment. “I was engaged once. But she decided a foster kid didn’t have as much potential as a guy with a respected family name and money, who was moving quickly up the corporate ladder.”
Her heart went out to him. “Oh, Jake. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” She laid her hand on his arm, the warmth of his skin gave her pause. He was a warm, kind and caring man. She could no longer kid herself into thinking he was somehow cold and unfeeling inside. “Why would she hold your background against you?”
“Some people think a person’s past is very important.”
Annie inhaled sharply. People like her. People who couldn’t overlook something in that past that had nothing to do with the present. A man like Jake would be deeply wounded by that kind of attitude.
“She must have been blind. Anyone can see what a kind and compassionate man you are.”
“Anyone? Even you? Even with what there is between us?” He stared at her, his gaze dark and intense.
There it was. The accident. Hanging over them like the blade of a guillotine ready to fall and cut them apart. “I don’t want to think about that.”
“We have to deal with it sooner or later, Annie.”
“I don’t want to.” The longer she knew Jake, the greater her sense of guilt grew. What had seemed like a simple request was becoming a burden of shame. Now that she’d met Jake, she realized he wasn’t the villain she’d always believed.
“Why?”
She searched for a simple answer. “Because we’re friends. Coworkers. You teach and coach my children.”
“Do you think I’m guilty?”
She met his gaze. “You are guilty. Nothing can change that.”
Jake tossed the last of his cone into the trash bin. “What about the truth? What if there was more to it than what you know?”
He reached over and took her hand.
“Langford, old buddy. Long time no see.”
Jake withdrew his hand and glanced up at the man who’d approached the bench.
Annie watched Jake’s expression turn to stone and his body stiffen.
“Clark.” Jake stood, faced the man and reluctantly shaking his hand.
Annie’s protective instincts kicked in, which surprised her. Normally that only happened when her children were involved, but she sensed the man was a threat to Jake. Whoever he was, Jake wasn’t pleased to see him. The tension between the two men was fierce and frightening.
“I heard you were back in Hastings. I just moved back myself.”
A big grin spread across the man’s face before slanting his gaze toward her, and sending a quick shiver along her spine. He was the same height as Jake, but thicker and with an air of overconfidence that was off-putting. She saw a muscle in Jake’s jaw flex.
“Annelle Shepherd, this is an old...classmate from high school. Clark Tullos.”
Clark held out his hand and Annie shook it quickly. His grasp was damp and unpleasant. He grinned and she took a step closer to Jake.
“You always did have good taste in women.”
He gave her a long assessing inspection before turning back to Jake. “I was surprised to hear you’d come back here after the way things ended. But then you never really cared what people thought, did you?”
Jake stiffened. “And you couldn’t wait to get out of Mississippi.”
Clark stole another long glance at Annie. “Well, things change. You know how that is. I guess I got a bit homesick.”
Jake slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently guided her forward. “Nice seeing you again, but you’ll have to excuse us. We have some appointments to keep.”
“Right. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” He slapped Jake on the back. “It’s still a pretty small town.”
Jake muttered a reply and steered Annie away.
She waited until they were across the street to ask the question burning in her mind. “Who was that?”
“I told you, an old friend from school.”
She’d never heard such a dark tone in his voice. “Not a good friend I’m guessing.”
“He and Bobby Lee and I hung out together.”
“Were the three of you close?” She found it hard to imagine Jake being friends with such a disagreeable man.
“No, and it’s not a relationship I care to renew.”
Jake’s mood remained icy and distant as they visited the next two stores which prompted Annie to suggest an end to their quest for the day. He dropped her off at her house with barely a muttered goodbye.
Whoever this Clark person was, she hoped they didn’t run into him again any time soon. She didn’t like the way Jake had reacted around him. The day had been successful for their carnival efforts, but she now had new questions about Jake. Like his broken engagement and his unpleasant friend. Mostly she wanted to know what he’d meant with his comment about the accident and the truth.
Was there more to her cousin’s accident than she knew?
Her aunt would never speak of it, which left many unanswered questions. Annie’s mother had speculated many times that there might be more to the story. Now it appeared there actually was.
What did Jake know that no one else did?
* * *
The dark cloud left behind from meeting Clark lingered into the late afternoon as he arrived at the church. Tullos was the last person he ever wanted to see again, and the only other person besid
e Annie who had a reason to dredge up his past. His bad mood had ruined the rest of their afternoon. He’d have to find a way to make it up to her. He didn’t want to think how meeting Clark probably destroyed any good opinions she might have formed toward him. He preferred to remember the way she’d touched his arm and her sympathetic response when he’d told her of his broken engagement.
Jake looked up as Harley came toward him from the church. They were trying to get the youth den of the building painted before the meeting next Sunday night.
Harley grinned and rubbed his hands together. “I think we can knock this out in a couple hours, don’t you?”
He never could understand how his friend could always be so upbeat. Even a pastor should have a down day here and there, shouldn’t he? “I guess that depends on how many kids show up to help.”
Harley opened the door, and then stopped and stared at him. “Something happen? You’ve got that look again.”
“What look?”
“The one that says you’re locked up and disconnected.”
There were times when he thought joining another church might be a good idea. He was in no mood for his friend and pastor to probe his emotions. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do, and I suspect it has something to do with the lovely Miss Annie.”
Jake strode into the building, fighting his irritation. “Well, you’d be wrong.” Now he was lying to his minister. Not good.
“Then what is it?”
Jake chewed his jaw a moment. His friend wouldn’t stop until he had an answer. “Clark Tullos is back in town.”
Harley set his hands on his hips. “Oh man. Of all the jerks in the world to come back home, why him?”
“Hey, Coach.”
Dylan Fields and Kerry Murdock hurried toward them as they neared the youth-den door. The room had been added to the building last year in hopes of giving the teenagers a place to gather instead of wandering the streets on weekends.
“We’re ready to paint.” Kerry grinned and high-fived Dylan.
Their Family Legacy Page 8