As far as Annie was concerned, they were done. He didn’t see any way he could redeem himself in her eyes. Even the truth wouldn’t sway her opinion now.
His ring tone pierced his sour mood. The caller ID displayed Harley’s name. He was in no mood to talk, but he needed to vent to someone. Who better? “Yeah.”
“Hey, are you okay? I’m hearing all kinds of stories. You want to tell me what’s going on?”
Jake resigned himself to going over it all again. “I went there to help Dylan get his father out of the place so he wouldn’t go back to jail for breaking his parole. Ironic, huh. No good deed goes unpunished. Thankfully no one is pressing charges.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, but to some people, I’m guilty no matter what the law says.”
“Oh. Annie. Have you talked to her yet?”
“I tried and got the door slammed in my face for my efforts.”
“Sorry to hear that. Do you have any idea what happened or was it just a case of really bad timing?”
“My attorney told me that an anonymous call had been placed to the police about the drugs being sold in the Last Chance Bar. I’ll give you one guess who that might have been.”
Harley exhaled a heavy sigh. “Clark.”
“He seems to be behind a lot of my problems these days.”
“The way he was the night of the accident?”
Fifteen years ago Jake had suspected Clark had been the one to tell the police how drunk Jake had been, even hinting that there was trouble between him and Bobby Lee, which wasn’t true.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No. Nothing. I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the coffee table, his heart raging.
It had been a long time since he’d been unable to pray and seek guidance from the only constant in his life. But tonight all he wanted to do was bury himself in a tall glass. Unfortunately, that would only prove he was the loser Annie believed him to be. He cared too much for her to prove her right.
No. He loved her. The realization thundered through him like a hurricane-force wind. Why hadn’t he seen it before? He’d lost his heart to her that day in the attic when she’d tended his cut. He’d seen his future in her blue eyes, but he’d been afraid to acknowledge his feelings because the chances of her ever coming to love him in return were too remote.
Now it was too late. A new determination rose up inside. He may have lost her heart but he could still retain her respect, and he’d do that by not letting the old temptations overpower him. He’d prove to her even from a distance that he wasn’t a man who gave up or gave in.
Even if she never realized what he’d done, he would do it for her.
* * *
The plate of macaroni and cheese was barely touched. The twins had gobbled theirs down and run out to play. She’d been unable to eat since hearing about Jake’s arrest. She’d been over it a hundred times, but couldn’t make the pieces fit. All she knew was that he’d done the one thing she could never forgive. He’d started drinking again.
She stood up to take her plate to the sink, nearly tripping over Sam. He’d been at her side since she’d gotten home, as if he knew she needed comforting. The doorbell rang and Sam charged toward it with a firm bark. He’d turned out to be a good watchdog and she was grateful the boys had brought him home.
She opened the front door to find the assistant pastor from Covenant Church smiling at her. She searched her memory for his name and then remembered he was a friend of Jake’s. She prepared to ask him to leave.
“I’m Pastor Evans. Before you order me off your porch, I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”
Turning away a minister probably wasn’t a good idea. But still. “Did Jake send you?”
“No. He’d skin me alive if he knew I was here.”
“Fine. But make it quick.” It wasn’t like her to be rude, but her emotions were so fragmented she didn’t know one end from another. She led him into the living room and sat down. He chose a chair close to her but not too close.
“I wanted to explain about last night.”
“He got arrested in a bar. I heard.”
“Have you heard the rest?”
“I don’t need to.”
“I think you do. All the charges against Jake and Dylan, the young man that was with him, have been dismissed. They’re both free and at home right now. The third man, Dylan’s father, unfortunately is still in jail and will be sent back to prison for violating his parole. That’s why Jake and Dylan were there. They were trying to get him out of the club, to keep him from being incarcerated again. It’s also why Jake drove down to Biloxi a while back and pulled Mr. Fields from the casino. Dylan really wants to help his father, and Jake stepped up for him.”
Could Annie have been wrong? “He wasn’t there to drink again?”
Pastor Evans shook his head. “Jake and I are foster brothers. Closer than real brothers. Once he makes a commitment, he sticks with it no matter how hard that might be. And he’s committed to remaining sober.”
It was a nice excuse but still an excuse. Rick had tried them all on her. “My husband was an alcoholic, and he was driving drunk and killed himself and two others. Did Jake tell you that?”
“Yes. It upset him that you’d lost two family members in similar ways. I’m probably overstepping as a friend and a pastor, but Jake cares for you. A great deal. He knows how important it is to be truthful with you and stay sober.”
She looked away and shrugged her shoulders, unwilling to let it all go. Too easy. Too simple. “Why didn’t he tell me where he was going? At least then I would have understood.”
Pastor Evans leaned forward. “Would you? Really? Or would you have tried to talk him out of going because he was heading into a risky situation?”
She couldn’t deny it. If he’d told what he was intending to do she would have tried to prevent it.
Pastor Evans rose to leave. “I wanted to make sure you knew the whole story before you condemned Jake forever. He’s a good man. A good friend. You know Jesus didn’t condemn Peter when he denied him three times. We all make mistakes, Mrs. Shepherd. How long should we suffer for them?”
Annie closed the door behind the pastor and rested her forehead against the wooden surface as shame burned through every nerve in her body. She’d been a fool, a narrow-minded, self-focused fool. She’d been wrong about everything. Jake tried to tell her, but she couldn’t see past her life with Rick. The scars left behind ran too deep. She should have trusted Jake, but the possibility of him drinking again was too frightening to contemplate. How could she get past it? How could she find the courage to risk it?
She wanted to listen to her heart, to believe Jake was a good man, an honorable man, a man who would step in to help others no matter the risk. He’d proved that last night.
She’d been wrong about so many things and so blind to what was really important. She was no better than her aunt, allowing Jake’s punishment to continue so she could indulge her desire for security. He didn’t deserve that.
Jake had paid for his mistake for longer than he should have. She couldn’t allow it to continue. She loved him. It had taken her too long to admit that. She couldn’t keep dismissing her feelings as mere physical attraction, or admiration or even friendship. She’d started falling for him when he’d showed her boys how to fix a leaky faucet and helped them build a doghouse. Things a loving father would do. A father her twins longed for.
And she’d ruined it all.
Jake would never forgive her for believing the worst of him. She’d seen the affection in his eyes die. She’d destroyed whatever feelings he might have had because she refused to trust. There had to be a way to make it up to him. To show him she loved him even if it was too late for them. Her gaze traveled around the living room,
now shed of all the clutter and odd furniture. It was clean and neat. Her forever home. Suddenly that thought put a knot in her chest.
How could she live here day after day, knowing that the price for her happiness was an unfair punishment on Jake?
She couldn’t. This had to end.
Pushing away from the door, she stepped to the window and looked at Jake’s house across the street. Her aunt’s estate had been a blessing. One she’d never expected and didn’t deserve. But the cost of keeping it was too high.
First she had to make sure it was the right decision for all of them.
* * *
Jake set his supplies in the back of his SUV and closed the hatch. He was anxious to get home and relax. Since the collapse of his friendship with Annie, he’d spent his evenings at home, watching football and trying to find anything that would keep thoughts of her from overpowering his mind. He started around the vehicle when a familiar figure approached.
Clark. His fingers involuntarily closed into fists and he had to consciously relax them.
“Well, look here. If it isn’t Hastings’s notorious bad boy. I’d have thought you’d have left town by now.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Hey, I’m just looking out for my hometown. Trying to keep the riffraff off the streets.”
Was the man motivated by jealousy or purely selfish? “Whatever you were trying to do didn’t work.”
“Got me the coaching job, didn’t it?”
Jake inhaled a deep breath, hoping to ease his rising anger. “What do you want, Clark?”
“Simple. I want the good guys to win and the bad guys to lose.”
“And you would be one of the good guys?”
“Of course. I mean, I haven’t killed anyone.”
Jake set his jaw. It was all he could do to keep from planting a fist in his smug face. “You know exactly what happened that night.”
Clark smiled. “I do. And I’m pretty sure your lovely Annie would like to know what you’ve done.”
Jake allowed himself a wide grin. “Sorry, Clark. You’re not going to win that one. Annie already knows. Bobby Lee was her cousin.”
Clark’s expression revealed his surprise. He recovered quickly however and narrowed his eyes at Jake.
“Well then, I can leave you to drown in your own mess, because if she knows, then she’ll never care for you.” Clark started to move off, but Jake caught his upper arm and prevented him from moving.
“Stay away from Annie.”
Clark looked at Jake’s hand a long moment before meeting his gaze. “Or what?”
Jake stared him down. The man was a weakling, a coward who used his underhanded attacks on a person’s character to make himself feel good. Jake outweighed him by twenty pounds, but he would never use physical force against anyone. Harley’s words came back to him however. Maybe it was time to stop accepting things and finally stand up and fight for what he wanted. “Annie is a friend and I’ll do anything to protect her. Are we clear?”
Clark met his gaze for long moment, and then his bravado slowly faded and the defiant look in his eyes became wary. He yanked his arm free and sneered before walking away.
Jake watched him go, taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart and the heat of adrenaline surging through his veins. Clark had been spoiling for a fight, but Jake refused to play that game. Fighting for Annie, however, was something else.
He just had no idea how to go about it.
Chapter Thirteen
Annie called the boys to the living room, worrying her thumb as she waited for them to join her. She motioned them to the sofa. “I want to talk to you about something very important.” She had no idea how this conversation would go, but she knew how she wanted it to end up.
The boys looked at her with worried expressions. “Did we do something bad?”
Ryan elbowed his brother. “I didn’t.”
“No, no. This is about our family. About making a very big change in our lives.” She took a seat on the ottoman facing them. “I know how much you love Coach. And you know he’s been in some trouble lately. Trouble that wasn’t his fault.”
“He went to that place to help a friend’s dad.”
How had they known that and she hadn’t? Because she’d been too trapped inside her fears, that’s why. “That’s right. He did.”
“Mom. Did Coach kill your cousin?”
Apparently her sons were more aware of things than she’d realized. This was not the direction she’d wanted to go in, but maybe it was time to share the grown-up truth with her boys. She chose her words carefully. “He was driving the car when it crashed, but my cousin caused the accident by grabbing the steering wheel. Jake lost control and hit a tree. Bobby Lee was killed.”
“Is that what happened in Dad’s accident too?”
She clasped her hands together so tightly her knuckles turned white. “No. Your father was drunk and lost control and hit another car.” She had to regain control of the conversation. “We can talk about that some other time. Right now I want to know to know how you’d feel if we moved into a different house. One a little smaller than this one.”
Ryan looked horrified. “No. We love it here.”
Tyler nodded. “We have friends and a soccer team and Coach. Why do you want to move?”
“To help Coach. The only way we can stay here in this house and live off the money my aunt left is to keep Coach paying for something that happened a long time ago. Something God has forgiven him for, and I have too.” She realized in that moment that she had forgiven him. “If we move from here, we can give Coach his freedom. He won’t be punished anymore.”
“Will we still be in his class?”
“If you want to.”
Tyler frowned. “Does this punishment make Jake sad?”
Annie’s eyes stung. Probably more than she knew. “Yes. Very sad. It’s like being grounded forever.”
The boys exchanged looks. “Okay. We want Coach to be free and happy.”
“Me too.” She pulled them close and hugged them. “I’m proud of you. This is the right thing to do. I know it’s disappointing, but it’s not right for us to be happy by making someone else sad, is it?”
“No. We love Coach, Mom.”
“We hoped you did too.”
She looked at her sons. “What do you mean?”
“Coach would make a good dad. We saw you holding hands and making mushy eyes, so we thought maybe you liked each other.” Ryan nodded in agreement.
Annie rubbed her forehead, wondering how things had gotten so complicated without her realizing it. “He’s a very nice man, but he has the same disease your father had. You remember what it was like when your dad got that way.”
“He told us.”
“He did? When?”
“That day he came to talk to us after we drank.”
Of course. She’d forgotten about that.
“Yeah. But he doesn’t do that anymore. Besides he’s nothing like dad was.”
“Nothing. He loves us.”
Annie’s heart ached. Jake did love her boys. She had no doubts about that. As for the romance part, that was gone forever. She forced a smile. “Okay. Thank you for helping me make this decision. I’ll get started on the arrangements.”
She watched the boys climb the stairs, her conscience lighter than it had been in months. She had no idea how this would work out, but she wouldn’t waste another day. She’d call the attorney in the morning.
Her gaze went to the window again, hoping for a glimpse of Jake—even his shadow in the window would have given her a measure of comfort. She turned away and made her way slowly back to the living room. All her prayers, all her soul searching, and Ryan had said the only thing that mattered in all of this. Jake was nothing like Rick.
Th
e two men couldn’t be more different. Rick had been insecure and in need of positive reinforcement in every area of his life. Jake was a self-made man who’d fought his way through every situation. They had the same illness, but they’d handled it differently. Rick had been unable to stand when the storms of life had come. Jake was a man of strong character, who had fought through adversity and emerged whole.
A man she could love wholeheartedly. Maybe when he was free from Aunt Margaret’s obligation, they could examine the attraction between them.
All she had to do was keep the truth to herself. Because when Jake learned how she’d kept him captive, he’d walk away forever.
* * *
Sharee’s office was quiet and peaceful, a nice break from the constant hum and clatter of the rest of the school. Jake lowered himself into one of the chairs near her desk and smiled. “You wanted to see me? I don’t usually get called to the counselor’s office.”
Sharee chuckled. “I keep tabs on all the people under this roof. Even the grown-up and clueless ones.”
“And just what am I clueless about?”
“We’ll get to that in a moment. First I want to ask you how you are doing since the, uh, law-enforcement incident.”
Jake exhaled and crossed his legs. “Fine. No harm done. Except for Dylan’s father.”
“You didn’t answer the question. How are you? I’ve heard rumors that you might be suspended.”
Jake shook his head. “No. Mr. Winters and I have already talked it over. Nothing has changed.”
“And what about Annie? Has anything changed there?”
Jake frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“Because something like this could cause a big strain between people who care about each other.”
“We’re friends.”
She leaned back in her chair and glared at him. “See. Clueless.”
Jake started to rise. “You’re not making any sense.”
Sharee gestured him to sit back down. “You do know that Annie’s in love with you, don’t you?”
He rubbed his forehead. He was in no mood to discuss Annie. “She’s just a friend.”
Their Family Legacy Page 16