Their Family Legacy

by Lorraine Beatty

  “Really? Then why did she turn into a mama tiger the day Winters called you into his office after that anonymous phone call? She was ready to pick up a sword and charge the enemy to defend you. A woman doesn’t do that for someone she’s only friends with.”

  The day at the soccer game came to mind and the way she’d been his champion against Mr. Franklin. He’d be a fool if he didn’t realize that she cared for him to a point. But love? “No, Sharee. You’re wrong. Besides, even if you’re right, there’s too much between us to ever work out.”

  Sharee made a face. “Phooey. What could be worse than Bobby Lee?”

  Jake met her gaze. “Her husband was a friend of Bill’s.” It took her a moment to catch the Alcoholics Anonymous reference.

  “Oh. So she’s reluctant to get close to you because of the drinking. Maybe she’s not as reluctant as you think?”

  “No. She’s been through a lot with her ex. I can’t blame her for not wanting to repeat that experience.”

  “We’ve all been through stuff. If we gave up every time something unpleasant happened we’d all be living in treehouses in the forest, all alone. Why aren’t you fighting for her?”

  “Because I’m trying to respect her feelings.”

  “You’re trying to respect your own heart. I remember you in high school when you played football with my brother. Nothing got in your way, no one stopped you. You upended linebackers three times your size by sheer will. And yet you’re standing meekly by and letting this woman slip through your fingers.”

  This was the second time he’d been told to fight for Annie. Had he become passive when it came to romance? Had he gotten so used to turning the other cheek that he no longer had the courage to upend the roadblocks in front of him? He stood. “There’s one flaw in your argument, kiddo. You’re basing all this good advice on the assumption that Annie is in love with me. She’s not.”

  “You’re so sure?”

  He was. Annie’s only true loves were her boys and her home. There wasn’t much room for anyone else. Especially not a man with a past and an addiction like his. He started from the office. “Stay out of my business, Sharee.” He heard her make a comment, but he didn’t catch what it was. It didn’t matter because neither Sharee nor Harley knew what they were talking about.

  You didn’t fight for a woman who didn’t want to be fought for.

  * * *

  Annie took a seat in Dalton Hall’s office, her palms damp and her pulse elevated. She’d come to sign the papers that would take away her home and her financial security, and end the unjust sentence her aunt had imposed upon Jake Langford. She’d examined this decision from every angle, the pros and cons, the risk and rewards, and each time she came to the same conclusion. It was worth it.

  Somehow, she’d fallen in love with Jake and setting him free was not only the right thing to do, but what she wanted to do. His happiness mattered.

  Hall opened the folder on his desk and lifted out a legal document. “Are you sure about this, Mrs. Shepherd? You’re sacrificing a good bit with this action.”

  She nodded. “I understand, but it’s time to end this injustice my aunt insisted on. The inheritance isn’t worth the price I have to pay.”

  “Are you going to be all right financially after this?”

  “Yes. My current job pays well and I’m very good at pinching pennies.”

  Dalton smiled. “Well, I took advantage of an omission in your aunt’s will to provide you with a small stipend to help with the move and getting settled again.”

  “Thank you.”

  Hall placed the document in front of her and pointed out where she should sign and initial. She’d expected to hesitate, to second-guess this decision, but she wrote her name firmly on the lines, knowing that what she was doing was the right thing. A vision of relief and gratitude shining in Jakes brown eyes made her smile. He could step into his future now without the weight of his past on his shoulders.

  Mr. Hall examined the document, nodded and then handed her a check. She looked at the amount and gasped. It was more than enough to cover her move and leave a nice sum in her savings account. “Are you sure about this?”

  “It’s legal. And you deserve a portion of your aunt’s estate.”

  “What happens now?”

  “I’ll get the house listed and the financial assets will be divided between various charitable organizations.”

  “At least someone will benefit from my aunt’s money.”

  “In the meantime you can remain in the house until it’s sold, and since it’s a slow market right now you shouldn’t have to move right away. I’ll put you in touch with a real estate agent to help you find a new home.” He stood. “And I’ll see what I can do about dragging my feet on this one.” He smiled and came around his desk to escort her out.

  “But Mr. Langford is free now? It’s all over?”

  “Yes. He’s no longer obligated in any way. A formal letter will be sent, notifying him of the dismissal of his sentence, but of course you’re free to tell him in person if you wish.”

  “Thank you. I think I will.” She owed him that. How and when she didn’t know. Admitting that she’d built her future on his mistake would result in him hating her forever. Any remnant of feelings he might hold for her would be erased permanently.

  They still hadn’t spoken other than an awkward nod when they saw each other at school and she made a point of staying clear of him at the soccer games. It was more painful than she’d ever dreamed, seeing him, watching him and knowing he no longer thought of her as a friend, but as someone who hadn’t trusted him enough to even listen to his side of the story.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. The Lord had handed her a new life, a bright future with a man who would love her, and she’d tossed it away.

  * * *

  Annie took a deep breath and clasped her hands together on Tuesday evening. The widows all had their full attention on her. She gathered her courage and plunged ahead. “I decided to refuse my aunt’s inheritance.” The response was quick and incredulous.

  “What?”

  “Why?”

  Paula frowned. “But doesn’t that mean you lose the house and the money?”

  “Yes.”

  Brenda leaned forward. “So you’ve decided to let this guy off the hook, give up a secure future for a man who took your cousin’s life?”

  The bald truth sounded so awful but there was more to it than that. “It was an accident and yes, he’s paid for that mistake long enough. It’s the right thing to do. I should never have agreed to it in the first place.”

  Trudy adjusted her glasses. “I think it’s wonderful. You love him, don’t you? That’s why you want to end his punishment.”

  She hadn’t planned on revealing that part. “He’s a good man and he doesn’t deserve the penalty my aunt placed on him.”

  Nina reached over and took her hand. “I know how hard this must have been for you. Sometimes circumstances cloud the truth, and we get caught up in blaming when we should be trying to understand the big picture. I’m happy for you and whatever the future holds for you and your boys and this man. I have a feeling it will all work out.”

  Jill smiled sweetly. “Maybe your inheritance wasn’t the house or the money at all, but it was this kind man who came into your life.”

  Annie drew comfort from the mostly positive encouragement she received from the widows. Jill’s comment however stuck in her mind like a thorn as she drove home. What if she was right, that the Lord had brought her home to Hastings so that she could meet Jake, that he could be the man who would step up to be a father to her boys and a loving husband to her?

  Pretty thought, but it was of no consequence now. Her reluctance to trust and to let go of her fear from the past had severed her relationship with Jake permanently.

  If it were within her power
she would go back and change things. But nothing she could say or do would make up for her mistake.

  * * *

  Jake sorted through his mail, discarding most of the envelopes and tossing the ads. One envelope forced him to catch his breath. The name of Mrs. Owens’s attorney was prominent in the return address. What else could the woman want? Even from her grave, she was trying to make him pay and pay and pay.

  Jake unfolded the short but formal letter and read it twice before the words made sense. He was free. His sentence was ended. No more yearly treks to submit himself to the painful reminders. Though it wasn’t Mrs. Owens any longer. It was Annie. Was she behind this? Or had Mrs. Owens put an end date in her will?

  Folding up the letter, he shoved it back inside the envelope and headed out. He wanted an explanation and he knew Annie could give it to him. He started to jog across the street but stopped when he saw a woman placing a For Sale sign in front of Annie’s house. She was moving? Why? It didn’t make sense. This house meant everything to her. She would never leave unless something bad had happened.

  His curiosity was quickly moving into deep concern. His pulse beat loudly in his ears as he waited for her to answer the door. When she did, his concern swelled. She’d been crying and her blue eyes were clouded. “Annie, is everything okay? Are you all right? Why are you selling your home?”

  She stared back at him as if she was searching for some explanation. Her gaze landed on the envelope in his hand.

  “Oh, I see you received the letter. Good.”

  Her tight smile did nothing to alleviate his concern. “I don’t understand. Why is my sentence suddenly over?” He stepped into the hallway, not allowing her to close the door on him.

  “I was going to tell you myself but I’ve been so busy.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve met with my attorney and made arrangements to end your sentence. It’s all settled. You’re done.”

  “How did you do it?”

  “Just signed a paper. I should have done it sooner. I’m sorry.”

  “So just like that it’s over? Why didn’t you do this sooner? Why drag it out so long?”

  “Oh, that was just...” She waved her hand as if searching for the right words. “Carelessness on my part. There’s been so much going on with the boys’ games and work and the carnival.” She looked away, but not before he saw a slight flush in her cheeks. He wasn’t buying her explanation.

  “Tell me the truth. Why are you selling the house?”

  Annie moved away a few steps, giving him a sad smile. “You were right when you said this place was too much for me. I realized that even with the financial means to update it, it would be too much work. I’d rather find a place where the twins and I can enjoy life and not be worrying about repairs and things like that all the time.”

  There was something she wasn’t telling him. Something she was afraid to tell him and that catapulted his concern into alarm. “Annie, you’re not sick are you? The boys are all right?”

  “Oh, yes, we’re all fine. Please don’t worry about us.”

  The compassion in her blue eyes convinced him there was more to her story. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She took another step back. “Nothing. Oh, I have something for you.” She stepped to a table in the foyer, pulled out a small stack of bills and handed them to him. “These belong to you.”

  He stared at the dollars in her hand. “What’s this?”

  “Those are all the dollars you gave my aunt. She saved them. The one you paid me is on top. I thought it was only fair you got them back. I didn’t know what to do with them.”

  Jake took the bills, his mind racing through each visit to Margaret Owens before looking at Annie again. “I’ll give them to the church.”

  “That would be nice.”

  “I still don’t understand. Are you quitting your job? Are you leaving Hastings?”

  “No. I’ll still teach. Nothing else will change. The boys will still be on your team. They love it here. I wouldn’t take them away from their friends.”

  “Then why not stay in this house that you love so much. It doesn’t make sense.”

  She swallowed and he could see the moisture forming in her blue eyes. He wanted to hold her to take away the sorrow he saw, but he didn’t know what to do because he didn’t understand.

  She pursed her lips together, fighting the tears. “I can’t stay here any longer. The price is too high. Please, Jake, you should go. I have a lot to do.”

  He nodded, too stunned and hurt to find words. Nothing about this made sense. He turned and stepped onto the porch but then turned back, determined to make one last appeal.

  “Goodbye, Jake.” She closed the door and his heart went cold in his chest.

  * * *

  Annie closed the door and then leaned against it as the tears fell. It was done. Over. They were free. Him from his punishment and her from the choking guilt.

  “Sweetie, are you going to be okay?”

  Rena’s voice was filled with concern. Annie had forgotten she was there. She’d come to offer a shoulder after Annie had signed the papers, setting Jake free. “I don’t think so. I don’t know how I can do this.”

  Rena put her arm around her shoulder and led her back into the living room. “You did the right thing.”

  “I know, but how am I going to see him every day and keep pretending that my heart isn’t broken?”

  “You’ll be moving to a new place. That should help.”

  “I’ll still see him all the time, at school and church. The boys are in his class and on his team.” She sank onto the sofa, picked up a pillow and hugged it close for comfort.

  “I think you should come clean. Tell him the real reason, Annie. I could hear in his voice how confused and upset he was.”

  Annie shook her head, brushing tears from her cheeks. “He’ll hate me. If he finds out I was using his sentence to make my life easy, he’ll never understand. What kind of person would do that? Remember when Paula said we all have temptations? Mine was to keep my security instead of freeing Jake. I wanted it so badly that I turned a blind eye to the injustice of it.”

  Rena curled up on the other end of the sofa. “But you love him.”

  Tears fell down her cheeks again. “I do. That’s why I’m doing this. His happiness is more important.”

  “That’s sweet, but I still think he should know how you feel. I don’t believe he’ll be upset. I think he’ll pull you into his arms and kiss you senseless, then ask you to marry him. I could hear it in his voice, Annie.”

  Rena was being sweet and supportive but she didn’t understand. “No. What I’ve done is unforgivable.” The irony of the whole thing wasn’t lost on her. She and Jake had switched places. Her aunt had wanted Jake to pay forever for his mistake. Now she was the one who would pay for the rest of her life for hers.

  * * *

  Jake passed the basketball to Tyler, who took the shot, but it bounced off the rim and down into his brother’s hands. Ryan sent the ball up and in the hoop, letting out a triumphant shout. Jake shared a high five with both boys before dribbling the ball and taking a shot himself. The twins had seen him shooting baskets in his driveway and asked if they could play too. He’d been more than happy to see them. Considering the situation with Annie, he had worried that the boys wouldn’t be allowed to play anymore.

  The hardest part of the whole mess with Annie was that he didn’t know what to expect. He had no idea how she would interact with him going forward, and he worried how it would affect his relationship with the twins.

  “Are you guys looking forward to having a new home?”

  Ryan shrugged and shot the ball again, missing the basket. “It’s okay.”

  Tyler took the ball. “We wanted you to be free again.”

  Jake stopped and stared at the boy. “Free?�
��

  “Yeah.” Ryan bounced the ball to his brother. “We didn’t want you to be in time-out any longer.”

  Jake took the ball and held it on his hip. “What are you talking about?”

  “Mom said that if we gave the inheritance back, then we could give you your freedom and you wouldn’t have to pay anymore.”

  This conversation was going in circles. “What does the inheritance have to do with you moving away and setting me free?”

  The twins shared a look and shrugged. “But we don’t want you to be sad anymore. We love you.”

  He passed the ball to Ryan. “Go ahead and play. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Jake jogged across the street and up onto Annie’s porch. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He had enough confusion in his life without trying to decipher the things the twins had said. He knocked on the door, holding his breath. The last time he’d come here, it hadn’t gone well.

  Annie opened the door, her blue eyes widening when she saw him. He wasn’t going to wait to be invited in. He stepped past her and stopped inside the hallway. “We need to talk.”

  She shut the door, keeping a safe distance between them. “About what?”

  “About why you’re really selling the house. The boys just told me it has something to do with making me happy and being free from time-out. What’s going on?”

  She touched her fingertips to her lips in a protective gesture. He didn’t want her to be frightened but he needed to understand. “Please, Annie, I need to know.”

  “What did the boys tell you?”

  “Just what I said, something about freedom.”

  “Does it really matter? Your sentence is over. You don’t have to worry about that ever again. Isn’t that enough?”

  “No, because I think there’s more to it. Something you’re not telling me.” He moved closer and when he did he saw the moisture in her eyes. “Annie?” Her shoulders suddenly sagged and she looked away.

  “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.” She ran her fingers through the hair at her temples before she spoke again. “When I inherited Aunt Margaret’s estate, it came with a condition. I could only keep the house and the money if I kept your sentence active.”