These Sheltering Walls: A Cane River Romance

by Hathaway, Mary Jane

  There was someone else who knew her, but his loyalties weren’t guaranteed. Her cry-fest on Gideon’s chest a few days ago had been cathartic but it had also created a bigger problem. He was in possession of two of the biggest secrets, both of which could wreak havoc in her life and the lives of her family members.

  She was torn between acting as if she didn’t care and begging him to keep his mouth shut. If the man could lie a little, she won’t be so concerned. As it was, all it would take was Tom asking the wrong question and Gideon would just tell the whole sordid tale.

  Good thing he’d fixed that basement door because she was avoiding him completely.

  Just as she passed Blue’s office she realized that she’d forgotten to call him… again. She backtracked a few feet, tightened her ponytail and pulled the door open. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the late afternoon heat and the reception area was tastefully decorated. She glanced around at the comfortable-looking chairs and the Cane River landscape paintings and smiled. Blue had excellent taste. Not surprising.

  “May I help you?” The receptionist was a dark-haired young woman with a soft Louisiana accent and beautiful large dark eyes.

  “Is Blue available?” Henry was already regretting dropping in. She should have just called. Except she could never remember.

  “Just one moment,” she said and reached for the phone. After a few seconds, a door opened and Blue emerged. Even though he was wearing a nice suit and an expensive tie, he looked as boyishly charming as ever.

  Henry, on the other hand, realized that her clothes probably had more than one or two smudges from walking back and forth in the Cane River park area. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said. “I’ve just come from work but I wanted to say I got your message.”

  He gave her a swift kiss on the cheek and said, “You look tired. Hard day?”

  “Sort of. But in a good way. I’m headed home.”

  “I’ll walk you back,” he said and motioned toward the door. The receptionist glanced up and Henry thought she caught a flash of curiosity in her eyes. Henry imagined that every woman within a twenty mile radius was curious about Blue Chalfant. He was Natchitoches’ most eligible bachelor.

  As soon as they were out the door, Blue asked, “Do you know Barney Sandoz?”

  “Unfortunately. Seems he pops up everywhere I turn. Is he still talking about how I won’t let him in on our digs?”

  Blue looked around. “Let’s sit here for a second,” he said and led her to a bench. Henry felt a shiver of alarm. A bench on the river walk was more private than his office, near his secretary, and he didn’t want to be overheard.

  “I heard Barney talking at Sam’s Roadside diner a few nights ago. He was drunk and maybe everything he said was a lie―”

  “No maybe about it,” Henry said. “He’s lied to me every single time we’ve talked.”

  “Are you and Gideon Becket working on some secret project?”

  It took Henry a few moments to understand. “Oh, the Finnemore papers? It’s not secret.”

  “Finnemore as in the Finnemore house over on Trudeau Street?”

  “Right. Gideon was friends with Arthur. When he died, he donated the entire collection of Cane River history to the archives.”

  Blue frowned. “So, the archives have possession of these papers?”

  “No, they’re still in the basement at the Finnemore house. Why? What’s going on?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and sat back on the bench. “He wants to hire me to sue for possession of the collection.”

  Henry couldn’t speak for a moment, then she started to laugh. “But why? First of all, they’re worth nothing to a man like Barney Sandoz. Secondly, they were given to Gideon.”

  “To Gideon, or the archives? Was it in the will? Or was it just a verbal promise?”

  “I… I’m not sure.” She tried to think back to what Gideon had said when he’d described the project.

  “And why hasn’t he moved the boxes? If they were given to the archives, they shouldn’t still be in the house, right?”

  “Gideon said there wasn’t room and he had an understanding with the real estate agent to use the basement until the house sold.” She shook her head, still amused at the way Barney had tried to insert himself into the project. “I can’t imagine what Barney wants with all those pictures and letters. Gideon is documenting them for an online data base.”

  “He says it’s worth a lot of money to museums and that Arthur Finnemore promised him the collection.”

  “He’s slicker than a greased pig, that one. I’ll let Gideon know that he might have trouble there.” She turned to Blue, realization dawning. “Are you taking his case?”

  “You don’t have a very high opinion of me,” Blue said. “Personally, I wouldn’t take that case because I wouldn’t want to work with someone like Barney Sandoz unless I absolutely had to. Professionally, it wouldn’t be ethical for me to be talking to you about it if I did intend to take the case.”

  “That’s obvious now. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “No harm done,” he said and meant it.

  “Thank you.” Henry realized how forgiving Blue was, how little he took to heart. She wished she could be more like him. Every word and action seemed to carry such weight. She also seemed to assume the worst of everyone.

  “So, I was wondering if you wanted to get supper at Peggy’s Place, down at the end of the river walk. I’ve heard their smothered cabbage and alligator fingers are amazing.”

  Henry opened her mouth to agree but Gideon’s words came back to her in a flash. You deserve the truth, and you deserve to tell the truth. And the truth was that dating Blue wasn’t what she wanted. She saw in the tiny gestures he made, the softness in his voice, the attention he paid to her that he cared more for her than she did for him, and it would likely always be that way.

  “Or maybe you’re more of a seafood girl? My Aunt Bernice said the crabmeat remick is almost better than her mama’s.”

  “Blue,” she started, “I really like you.”

  He winced. “But.”

  “But, I just don’t think… It’s not because of you, really.” She’d never had to give anyone the ‘just friends’ talk before and she realized she was awful at it.

  “Henry, it’s okay.” He closed his eyes for a second. “I understand. I don’t think I ever had a chance, really.”

  “A chance?” Henry reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I really do like you. From the first day we met, I’ve thought you were the sweetest guy around.”

  He laughed a little but it sounded strained. “Sweet. That would be great if I wasn’t up against Gideon, bad boy historian.”

  “It has nothing to do with Gideon,” she said, feeling the shock of his words travel down into her heart. “And I don’t like bad boys,” she added a little belatedly. She didn’t. She’d never understood the bad boy mystique and shook her head at women who signed up for angst and heartache when they could have chosen a better kind of guy.

  “Then, it’s the historian part.” He smiled and she could tell that although his ego was taking a hit, he wasn’t bitter. “The first time I saw you two together, I wondered. But I knew for sure at the Zydeco Festival.”

  “He asked me to dance because… It’s hard to explain. ”

  “Listen,” he said. “I don’t blame you. He’s smart, handsome, and as dedicated to Cane River as you are.”

  “You’re all those things, too.” Henry didn’t know why she was digging this hole. She should just agree with him and go on. “You came back here when you could have opened an office anywhere. Your family is here. Just because he’s a historian and you’re not, doesn’t matter to me.”

  “I’m not blind, Henry. I saw the way you looked at him.”

  Their hands were still linked. She searched for words and came up empty, an awkward silence falling into the space between them. It wasn’t that Gideon was a historian or incredibly handsome or anyt
hing else that could be ticked off a list. He was simply Gideon. And Blue was simply not.

  “I do care about you, and if you ever need anything, I’m here.” He squeezed her hands and let go. “And supper at the Thai place is still on offer, if you’d like that, as friends. I think we’ll make really good friends.”

  Relief flooded through her at the sound of the sincerity in his voice. “I don’t have many friends and I don’t want to lose you, Blue.”

  “So, seven?”

  “Seven,” she said. They stood up and instead of kissing her cheek, he simply smiled and walked toward his office.

  Henry picked up her bag, turned and made her way toward By the Book. It was a relief, really. She should be happy they avoided what could have been a really ugly situation. It was a good thing.

  I saw the way you looked at him. Her stomach knotted. Maybe everyone knew. Maybe Gideon knew.

  As if in answer to her fears, she looked up to see Gideon exiting By the Book, with Father Tom following. She hesitated, wishing she could slip away unnoticed.

  “Henry,” Father Tom called out, catching sight of her. Gideon turned and his expression was difficult to read.

  She walked toward them, conscious of her rumpled work clothes and the heavy bag on her shoulder. She nudged up her glasses and smiled brightly.

  “You two must read a lot of books,” she said and wanted to cringe at the silly comment.

  “I was looking for Bix but he’s not here. I’m cooking up some of my world-famous low country boil on Friday. Crawfish, corn, potatoes, shrimp and a secret ingredient. You should come,” Father Tom said.

  “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” Henry said. “If you invite everyone you run into, you’ll run out of chairs.”

  “And crawfish,” Gideon said, one corner of his mouth turned up.

  Father Tom threw him a look. “You could tell us what you’re up to over there. I know Bix and Ruby want to hear more about your projects.”

  “I could give them a special tour,” Henry said. “Send them over and I’ll tell them more than they ever wanted to know. Maybe even put them to work on the excavation site.” She felt her face go warm. If only she had a rewind button.

  “True, I could bring them over some day,” Gideon said. “Or Tom could.” He spoke more softly. “See, Bix doesn’t drive anymore. The DMV finally revoked his license. To the relief of the entire city of Natchitoches, I might add. He’s as blind as a bat and although most people knew that green Caddy was bad news and got out of the way, he still took out quite a few sidewalk flower pots whenever he drove down here.”

  “Oh, I see,” she said, hating the slight breathlessness in her voice. She waited for him to step back. Gideon didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. A little chattier, maybe, but otherwise as if their last meeting had never happened.

  “It’s my mama’s secret recipe. You can’t just walk into a restaurant and find this dish. And if that doesn’t convince you, I promise to only invite the nicest people,” Father Tom said.

  “Are you going?” she asked Gideon.

  “If I say I am, are you more or less likely to go?” he asked.

  “I see Bix. He must have come in the other door,” Father Tom said, looking back through the glass door into the bookstore. “I’ll be right back.”

  They were left in silence. Henry didn’t know where to look. She’d always thought Gideon was a handsome man but today she simply wanted to stand and stare. Maybe it was the little bit of scruff he had, or the way the afternoon light made his eyes almost gray, or perhaps it was the way he was watching her. She remembered how it had felt to be held tight by him, how he’d reached out for her. And also how she’d jumped back as if he’d waved a gun.

  “Are you regrowing your beard?” she asked, grasping at a topic.

  “No, ma’am. Just lazy. I took the day off. I’ll shave tomorrow.”

  There was a beat of silence.

  “I saw you’d been working at the Finnemore place. Did the door give you any trouble?” he asked.

  “Oh!” She reached forward and grabbed his forearm. “Gideon!” She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten so quickly, as if seeing him had driven every other thought from her head.

  He looked down at her hand, surprise on his face.

  “I just saw Blue. He said Barney Sandoz tried to hire him to get possession of the papers.” She explained as thoroughly as she could, repeating the conversation word for word.

  He looked over her head, his gaze on something in the distance. All the playful laughter was gone from his eyes, the lines of his face had hardened. For the first time, Henry saw a flash of the man Gideon had once been.

  “Interesting,” he said.

  “That’s all I know. I’ll ask for more details tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “I’m meeting Blue for supper in a few hours.” There was the tiniest change in Gideon’s posture and Henry realized she was still holding his arm. She let go.

  “Thank you for telling me.”

  “Of course.” She looked back through the glass door. “Should we go inside and rescue Father Tom?”

  “I’m sure he’s fine. We won’t keep you,” he said. Although he was smiling, his voice was distant.

  “Lorelei,” a voice called and Henry froze. She considered darting into the bookstore and pretending she hadn’t heard, but in the end, she turned. Kimberly was coming toward her, a strappy sundress displaying her incredible figure. Her sky-high heels and long, shining hair reminded Henry of the Barbies she played with when she was little, if Barbie had been scowling and huffing in anger.

  “There you are,” Kimberly said.

  “Yes, ma’am. Here I am,” Henry answered, trying for lighthearted but coming off as flippant.

  “Hello, Gideon.” She turned her attention to the man between them. It seemed as if all the anger melted away and she sidled closer. She rested one hand on her hip and touched the other to the first button of her dress, shifting her weight to one foot. Everything was fluid, like watching a fish in water. Or maybe an octopus.

  “Hello, Kimberly,” he said. Henry had thought he’d sounded distant before, but everything about him said ‘back off’ now.

  Henry clamped her lips together to keep from grinning. It was satisfying to know Kimberly didn’t wield power over every male in the entire city.

  And she got the message loud and clear. She turned to Henry.

  “Oh, honey.” She reached out and touched Henry’s ponytail. “You’ve got to do a deep conditioning on your hair if you’re going to keep dying it. I’m flying in my hair stylist tomorrow. I’ll have him work on you.” She made a sharp sound in her throat. “And you’d be so much prettier with contacts. Think about Blue. You’ve got some stiff competition in this town and you need to think about how you’re going to keep him now that you’ve got him interested.”

  “Is there something you needed?” Henry asked, sighing a little. “You seemed like you had another reason for coming down here.”

  “Well, yes. If you ever answered your phone, I wouldn’t have to come find you. You didn’t come to Joella’s baby shower and you didn’t come to Lovey Ann’s engagement party and you didn’t even show up for Rayleen’s daughter’s house-leaving brunch on Sunday. She was giving everybody a chance to say goodbye to their old place before they move.”

  “House-leaving? I don’t think I’ve even met Rayleen’s daughter, let alone been in her house.”

  “Why must you be so―” She stopped, closed her eyes and inhaled for a long moment. When she opened them, her enormous green eyes were filled with tears. Henry watched, fascinated, as fat drops trembled on her lashes, and fell, one by one, onto her cheeks. “Difficult,” Kimberly whispered.

  “I’m not trying to be difficult. I just don’t know any of these people.” Her throat went tight. She’d seen these types of tears before. Every single one of them was a lie.

  “I never had any children, Henry. You’re the closet thing I�
��ve ever had to a daughter.” Kimberly said.

  For a moment, it was all too much. She was trapped in a never-ending cycle of manipulation, guilt and lies, a cycle so powerful that she couldn’t find a way to escape. It had been a relief to tell someone, but it didn’t change a thing. It only brought another angle of pain to the situation.

  Gideon cleared his throat, as if to remind them both that he was watching their ugly family drama.

  Henry pushed up her glasses, put on a smile, and did what she’d been trained to do her whole life. “I’m sorry, Aunt Kimberly. I’ll try to make more time for these things.”

  As if flipping a switch, the tears stopped and although her eyes still shone like wet sea glass, she flashed a bright smile. “Wonderful. Ada Pickler invited us over for supper on Friday. She was in my high school class and always said I’d end up living in a shack on a dirt road, so dress in something nice. And Tina Clarice’s niece is getting married on Saturday at the basilica and I said we’d go with Leigh Belle to see the new Rex Parkman movie on Sunday―”

  Henry held up a hand. “I’ve got plans for Friday but text me the time for the wedding and whatever else you have scheduled.”

  “I’m sure Blue will understand.”

  Henry shook her head, a dull throb starting near her right eye. “Sorry, Friday is taken. Just text me the others and I’ll be there. And no movies.”

  Kimberly looked like she was going to argue and then decided it wasn’t worth the effort. “Okay. Now, I’d best be off or LaRhonda won’t have time to give me the full spa pedicure. They have tiny heated stones they put between your toes and it releases toxins from your blood into the water. Then all your energies align and your skin clears up. You should really try it. It’ll make you positively glow.”

  “Sounds nice,” Henry said but Kimberly was already kissing her cheek and trotting back down the sidewalk.

  When she was gone, Henry stood there, waiting to feel the crushing weight of the secret she’d held since she was little, but all she felt was the usual bitter taste of the lies she’d told and the added layer of shame that now there was a witness to it.