Just a Love Story

by Sable Hunter

  No. And he never would.

  Derek sat there for a long time, wondering what to do. Finally, he took his work check out of the envelope and replaced it with the extra cash she’d given him. He wouldn’t take it back now – he couldn’t. But he would one day soon. If he went over there now, he wouldn’t be able to leave her a second time.

  * * *

  “I’m so glad you could make it!” Jo stood at the table and hugged Shae. “How’s my favorite author?”

  “I’m good. I’m thrilled to see you too,” Shae told her as a hostess stood by to hand them a menu. They’d chosen the Olive Garden in Lufkin for their meeting today and the smells emanating from the kitchen were intoxicating.

  “Hello, Jo,” Cathy spoke and offered a hug.

  “Cathy, I’m so glad you came along with Shae. I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “Oh, thank you. I’ve thought of you often also.”

  They all took a seat and accepted the menus. After making a selection, Shae handed Jo a thumb drive. “I brought you some files. Give those a read and we’ll discuss them.”

  “Can I download them and use Word’s track changes to make comments?”

  “Absolutely, that’s exactly what I need. We called it beta reading, but I really need an editor who is as invested in the books as I am.”

  “Well, I’m your woman,” Jo told her as she emptied some sweetener into her iced tea. “How have you been?”

  “Okay.” Shae didn’t mention Derek, she didn’t want to cry. “My grandmother is much improved. How about you?”

  Jo waved her hands in the air. “Business. Business.” She glanced at the thumb drive. “That’s what makes reading your work so important to me. I need an escape.” Glancing at Cathy, she frowned. “I heard about the mill, I’m so sorry. Did your husband send in his resume?”

  “No, but he’s working on it today. Picking up and moving is going to be a hassle, but we don’t have a choice.”

  “I understand. I’ve been traveling to different locations, trying to find a new site for a factory. Land is so expensive and start-up is a nightmare.”

  Shae stared at her old friend, then at her new. “Why don’t you buy the Knox Sawmill? Could it be retooled and refurbished?”

  Jo looked a bit guilty. “Well, to tell you the truth, after talking to you two last time, I thought about it. I even made some phone calls and sent a man down to check the place out. The price was right and the facilities would be great, the only problem is that we’d need more land. My agent placed a call to the woman who owns the acreage next to the plant and she wouldn’t even talk to him about it.”

  Shae stared at Jo for a long moment, biting her lower lip. “If…if you could acquire the land, would you reconsider?”

  “Sure, depending on the price I guess. Why?”

  Cathy was staring at Shae with wide eyes. “What are you thinking?”

  “Well, I might have an in with the owner.”

  “The old mill pond property belongs to Coretta?”

  Shae nodded, then locked gazes with Jo. “What would be your policy on rehiring current and former mill employees?”

  Jo smiled. “They would receive priority, of course. The area is scarcely populated, but those folks are highly trained and teaching them the process on retooled machines wouldn’t be like training someone off the street.”

  “Why?” Cathy touched Shae’s shoulder. “Why would you do this?” She glanced at Jo. “You’ll never know what that town put her through. It was awful.”

  “Because of you,” Shae told her friend. “There are others too. Some who never spoke out against me.”

  “They never spoke out for you either,” Cathy reminded her.

  “Oh, there were some.” She thought of the kind aide at the nursing home. Her husband worked at the mill. “Besides, I spent too many years in church not to remember the teachings. Love thy neighbor was ingrained pretty deep into my heart.”

  “Okay.” Jo nodded. “You find out what you can about the land and talk to me as soon as possible.”

  “One thing…” Shae looked between her friends. “If this works and the mill is saved, I don’t want anyone to ever know I was involved.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “We’re asking for a jury trial, Derek,” Zane told him over the phone. “And I’ve put in a request to have Provo recused if he’s appointed.”

  Derek bit his lip. “Good, I know Blair was hoping Provo would preside. What are our chances?”

  “Well, we have to play it right and not tip our hand. Provo’s a well-respected judge.”

  “I know. Have you found out any more? How’s June? I’ve tried to call Blair a dozen times and she won’t answer. Should we get the police to check on them?”

  “Hold on.” Zane tried to calm him down. “Take a breath. Rylen called me last night and said there was something going down. He and his assistant took some photos of what looks like a cache of weapons.”

  “Weapons?” Derek blanched white. “Are you kidding me?”

  “We can’t jump to conclusions. Provo probably got these weapons legitimately. I have friends who own a hundred guns or more. They collect them.”

  “Yea, I know…but still.”

  “You’re worried. I don’t blame you. Rylen also hacked into the judge’s computer and found several items of concern.”

  “Like what? And you didn’t say anything about June.”

  “I’ll tell you when we figure out what’s what. No use worrying about it until we know something for certain. As for June, believe me, she’s fine. We’re watching her like a hawk. She spends most of her time playing in an enclosed courtyard at Provo’s compound. If there was one hint she was in trouble, we’d storm the place. I know you want her safe, and so do we. We also need to make this case.”

  “I wish we could just get her out of there.”

  “I know you do and I understand. Hang in there.”

  “I don’t guess I have much of a choice.” Derek slammed out the front door and onto the porch, staring out into the nearby field. The whole area was covered with yellow flowers and bluebonnets, a sea of blue and gold.

  “Just be patient. I know this seems endless, but I promise you everything is going to work out. How’s Shae?”

  A fireball of remorse burned his stomach. Derek rubbed the front of his shirt, wondering if an antacid would help the heartburn. Probably not. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her.”

  Zane let out a long breath. “I’m sorry about all of this. I know you felt something for her.”

  “Yea, I did.”

  “Well, when this is over, you can explain it all and get back together.”

  Derek let out a dry, humorless laugh. “I doubt it. Would you take me back?”

  “Well…” Zane chuckled. “You’re not exactly my type.”

  “Yea. You aren’t mine either.” He rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. “I was laid off from my job a couple of days ago. The local sawmill is closing down. I don’t really have a reason to stay here, you know.” Except Shae. “I should come on out to Bastrop and rent a room in a motel or something.”

  “You’ll have to be here for the trial, that’s for sure.”

  “Okay.” His head began to spin, thinking about what lay before him. “I think I’ll do that after I finish things up here.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll get back to you if anything else develops.”

  “Great.” Derek hung up the phone. He stared at the field of wildflowers and the woods beyond. If he cut straight across, it wasn’t much over a mile to Shae’s house. Glancing both ways, he tried to spot anyone who might be watching him. “I doubt they’re up for a walk in the woods.” Going into the house to retrieve Shae’s money, he locked up his house, and set out to pay someone a visit.

  To say goodbye.

  * * *

  “Run, Mojo, run!” Shae laughed as the dachshund scampered through the flowers. He was so short, she only caught a glimpse
of him every few feet when he would bounce above the blooms.

  She clapped her hands, loving the joy the little dog displayed as he relished a run in the sunshine.

  Woof! Woof!

  When the pup changed directions and started running toward her, then past her, Shae whirled around to see what he was chasing after.

  Derek.

  Shae blinked to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. “Hey.”

  Derek stepped out into the clearing behind her house. “I thought the flowers were beautiful until I saw you. You put those blossoms to shame, lady.”

  Shae was tongue-tied. Blushing. “This is a surprise.”

  “I guess.” He took the money from his pocket and handed it to her. “I think you overpaid me a bit.”

  “Really?” She didn’t raise her hand to accept what he offered.

  “Yea, like five times too much.” He continued to hold the money out to her. “Please, I can’t accept this.”

  “I wanted you to have it.” She took hold of the other end of the envelope and for a moment they shared the connection. “I wanted to help June. No strings attached.”

  Oh, there were strings, he thought. He could almost see the one stretched between them, binding her heart to his.

  “Take it.” He dropped his hand. “But thank you. No one else has ever been so kind to me.”

  Shae folded the envelope and put it in the front pocket of her white sundress. “If you change your mind, it’s yours.” Just like if he changed his mind, she belonged to him too.

  “I’ve come to say goodbye. I’ll be leaving soon. I lost my job at the mill. I guess you’ve heard.”

  She stared at him, wondering if she should say anything or not. “I think…I think the town might get good news about the mill.”

  He frowned, narrowing his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  She shook her head. “Just a guess.”

  Derek memorized her features. She was so lovely, the sight made him ache. “You love those happy endings, don’t you? How’s the book coming?”

  The book featuring him? “It’s stalled, I’m been suffering with a bit of writer’s block.”

  “I’m sorry. Knowing you, you’ll work through it in no time.”

  “Where are you going? Back to Austin?” Her chest was aching so much, she didn’t know if she’d be able to remain standing aright.

  “To Bastrop, I think. If everything works out, I hope to start building again.”

  She nodded. “Makes sense. When are you leaving?” She was asking every question, but the one she longed to ask. Will you take me with you?

  “In a day or two. I just wanted to return your money and say goodbye.”

  Shae dipped her head, closing her eyes against the tears threatening to spill from them. “It’s hard, saying goodbye.” To keep from reaching for him, she touched the feather and bead necklace at her throat.

  Derek found his feet moving, he couldn’t seem to stay still. “Shae. Don’t cry.” He took her in his arms and she melted against him. “You’ll be okay.”

  She didn’t think she’d ever be okay again. “I hope you get June and I hope you’re happy.”

  Unable to resist, he found her lips, drinking from them as if the kiss would be the last chance to quench his thirst in this lifetime.

  Shae clung to him, willing the moment to never end.

  But end it did.

  “I’ve got to go.” He framed her face, looking deeply into her eyes. “Take care of yourself.”

  When he turned and walked quickly away, Shae longed to follow after him. Mojo barked, calling him back as she sank to her knees with bowed head, unwilling to see him disappear from sight.

  * * *

  Derek stepped down from the ladder and gazed up at the sky. Looks like he’d finished just in time. A storm was blowing in. He picked up the old shingles he’d thrown to the ground, having replaced them with new ones. After making the few steps to chunk them in the back of his truck, his phone buzzed. Throwing the shingles aside, he hissed as a nail scraped his palm, bringing blood. “Shit. Dammit.” Leaning against the tailgate, he answered the call. “What’s up, Zane?”

  “We’ve got a trial date. The day after tomorrow.”

  “That’s fast. I’m still in Longleaf. Did they agree to a jury trial?”

  “No, but we do have a different judge.”

  “Oh, okay. What do you think?”

  “I know her. She’s fair. Her name’s Judith Elgin. She’s sat on the bench for over twenty-five years and specializes in family court.”

  “Better than Provo, for sure.”

  “There’s something else I wanted to tell you – Provo has disappeared, but Rylen is on his trail.”

  “Disappeared. Are you serious? What about my daughter, Zane?” Derek felt total panic. He rubbed his hand on his jeans, leaving a small trail of blood behind on the denim.

  “Blair and June are okay. They’ve moved out of the compound.”

  “Really?” Derek pushed away from the truck and stood up. “Where are they?”

  “They’ve gone home, back to your…well, her house.”

  “I’m going over there.” He couldn’t explain the urgency, but he felt compelled.

  “No.” Zane was emphatic. “Do you hear me? Do nothing to mess this up for yourself. Okay?”

  Derek put his hand on the back of his head and looked to the ground. “This is so damn hard.”

  “I know. Listen, I need a character witness to testify on your behalf. Who do you have in mind?”

  Derek shut his eyes. “God, maybe I should’ve invested more time in friends.”

  “I wish I could testify for you, buddy. Unfortunately, I’m otherwise occupied,” Zane told him with a trace of humor in his voice. “Give me a name.”

  “Drew Haley. Dr. Drew Haley.”

  “Great, I’ll call him. You have a number?”

  Derek gave him Drew’s number, hoping his old pal wouldn’t mind speaking a few words on his behalf.

  “Perfect. Who else?”

  Derek gave him the name and number of his old foreman and a neighbor who was also an old golfing buddy. “Sorry, that’ll have to do.”

  “This will be over soon, Derek. Just a little while longer.”

  “Yea.” And then what? Would he have custody of his daughter or not?

  “Hang tight and I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

  “Wait.” Derek had to ask. “Any news on what they have on me? I haven’t seen anyone around who might be following me.”

  “Let’s just hope you cut ties with Shae quickly enough to avoid that pitfall.”

  Derek nodded. “Yea, I’ve been careful.”

  “Good. Take care. Call me when you get here, if not before.”

  * * *

  Shae sat the kitchen table, typing on her story. For days after Derek said goodbye, Shae hadn’t felt like breathing, much less writing. For the last week, she’d managed to get about three thousand words a day.

  She had no choice.

  Inspiration or not, she had responsibilities. Bills needed to be paid. Coretta was depending on her.

  There were some bright spots in her existence. Cathy was her friend again, she was thankful for that. Plus, Powers Inc. was in negotiations with Knox and a deal was supposedly on the table. She’d done her part, going to her grandmother and explaining the circumstances about the mill pond property. To her relief, Coretta readily agreed, wanting to help their town as much as she did. She’d let Jo know, and the opportunity to acquire the additional land would probably make all the difference. The price Shae set was very reasonable, but the extra cash would make Coretta’s move from the nursing home possible even quicker than expected.

  Knock! Knock!

  Woof!

  “What is it, Mojo?” Her heart automatically kicked into high gear. “Who could that be?”

  She thought it might be Cathy. It couldn’t be Derek. Other than that, she didn’t know who it could be. When she neared the f
ront, she saw a tall individual with red hair. A man. She didn’t know him. Hesitantly, she opened the door a small crack. “Yes?”

  “Ms. St. John? Shae St. John?”

  “Yes.”

  She’d no more than said the word before an envelope was crammed through the crack, right into her face.

  “What?” she asked, taken aback.

  “Consider yourself served.”

  “Served?” she asked, but the man was gone.

  With mouth agape, she retreated to the couch and sat down, ripping into the envelope with nervous haste. What she found made her cry aloud. “Oh, no. Please no.” As she read the words typed on the paper, she almost gagged with horror.

  She was being called to testify as a witness in Derek’s custody case – by his wife!

  “Oh, God.”

  “How could this get any worse?”

  * * *

  Derek stood outside the Bastrop County courthouse, letting the wind whip through his hair. He’d just seen Blair go in and she’d spit venom at him with her gaze. What he ever did to make her hate him so much was beyond his comprehension.

  “Ready?” Zane came bustling up with two other men in tow. Derek assumed they were junior lawyers.

  “As I’ll ever be.” He fell into step with them.

  “I have some bad news.”

  Derek tensed up. “What?”

  “I was just informed they’ve called your friend, Shae, to testify.”

  “What?” Derek’s question came out much louder than he intended.

  “Yea, I wasn’t happy about it either. This could hurt your case. She could hurt you.”

  Zane’s comment hit Derek the wrong way. “She won’t hurt me. The lies people tell about her might hurt me. The vindictive spirit of worthless idiots might hurt me. Shae won’t.”

  “Okay.” Zane held up his hand. “Don’t get excited. I have a plan.”