The Way Forward

by Eliana West

  “I’d still like to remain anonymous.”

  “We can do that.”

  “I’m not sure. Ashton doesn’t seem to be very good at keeping secrets.”

  “I’ll talk to Ashton. He means well and he’s got a much better head on his shoulders than his sister.”

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say about the person you’re supposed to marry.”

  “My mother thinks Presley and I should get married.” He took a step closer, and his gaze held hers. “I do not.”

  Dax jerked his head up.

  “Hell,” he muttered.

  Callie followed his gaze to find the Jewels on the sidewalk, staring through the window at them, triple expressions of concern on their faces. She smiled and waved, trying to reassure them, but Opal opened the door and poked her head in.

  “Miss Callie, is everything okay?” she asked, glaring at Dax.

  “You best come with us.” Pearl crowded in behind her sister.

  Ruby glanced nervously down the sidewalk. “Trouble is on the way,” she said, gesturing for Callie to come to them.

  A flash of pale lavender in the distance caught her eye. “Does this place have a back door?” she asked.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Because your mama is headed this way,” Opal hissed.

  Dax pointed to a door behind the stairs. “You don’t have to—”

  “No, but she should,” Pearl said with panic in her eyes.

  “Go, girl, now!” Ruby pushed her toward the door.

  The four of them dashed into the alley.

  “Miss Callie, what in the world were you doing in there?” Opal’s voice was laced with concern.

  “He didn’t force you to go in there, did he?” Pearl followed.

  “That was a narrow escape.” Ruby twisted her hands, glancing over her shoulder again.

  Callie gave the Jewels a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I just had some business to discuss with Dax.”

  Her grandmother’s best friends clustered around her.

  “What kind of business could you be havin’ with that boy?” Opal sniffed.

  “You better hope his mama doesn’t see you doin’ business together,” Pearl said, crossing her arms.

  Ruby raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms just like her older sister.

  Nothing she could say would convince the Jewels that she was okay being around Dax; there wasn’t anything she could say to herself either. Callie had believed she would always hate Dax. Now…she didn’t hate him, but she didn’t exactly like him either.

  It didn’t matter if they shared some of the same goals for Colton. He needed to stay on his side of the town square, and she would stay on hers.

  “Come on, ladies, my lunch hour is over. I just received a shipment of books and there’s a new Beverly Jenkins romance I put aside for you. Let’s head back to the library, and you can see if there’s anything else you want to check out.”

  Pearl’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, I hope it’s spicy,” she said, rubbing her hands together.

  Opal and Pearl made a beeline across the park while Ruby held back, linking her arm with Callie’s.

  “You’re a grown woman, and I know you can take care of yourself, but please be careful. You’re playing with fire, baby girl.”

  Callie looked at her grandmother’s friend in a new light. “It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

  Ruby frowned. “I’m an old lady now. My time for regrets has passed, but you’re young, and I don’t want you to be disillusioned by love the way I was.”

  “Miss Ruby, you’ve been keeping secrets from me.”

  “Some secrets are hiding in plain sight and some are best kept hidden away.” Ruby stopped and took Callie’s hands in hers.

  “Now my sisters are gonna break that door down if we don’t catch up. Lordy, Pearl will be up all night reading Ms. Beverly’s book, moaning through all the spicy parts, and none of us will get any sleep.”

  She opened the door and ushered the Jewels in. Opal and Pearl went straight to the boxes that sat on the table in the center of the room.

  Callie leaned against the checkout desk and laughed quietly watching the Jewels dig through the boxes, sorting the books by genre and making a pile for themselves.. This is why I came home. She put her hand over her heart and went over to her desk, where she pretended to sort through a stack of papers, quickly shoving the envelope she found in the book return that morning in her desk along with the others. There was no point in reading it; she knew it would be just like the others.

  “You okay, honey?” Opal hovered next to her.

  Callie looked down at the rest of the papers clenched in her hand and carefully set them down, smoothing out the crumpled edges. “I’m fine, Ms. Opal. I’m just worried about—”

  “That Ellis boy. I know. We all are.”

  “No, ma’am, I was worried that his friend Jacob doesn’t have the supplies he needs to finish the bookstore. I may have to order more lumber from the yard over in Greenwood,” she lied.

  Opal wrinkled her forehead. “Oh, well, I still think you need to be on your toes with that boy. His mama is bad enough as it is. Now that her precious boy is home, she has backup.”

  Callie frowned. Opal was wrong. She’d seen Dax stand up to his mother since he’d returned. He was trying, but it couldn’t be easy to undo years of pressure to be the dutiful son. She knew from her own experience that loving your parents but hating their actions was a hard tightrope to walk.

  Dax wasn’t the one sending the notes. It was easy to hold on to the old narrative about him, the self-centered bully, to protect herself from the way he made her heart beat faster. She had to decide if she wanted to keep her heart in the shadows with memories of the boy she knew or come into the light and let the man in.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jacob’s shouting pierced the air, interrupting a quiet Thursday afternoon. “Put that down right now!”

  Callie raced next door just as Dax ran down the sidewalk and crowded into the doorway of the bookstore behind her. Tiny particles of drywall dust floated in the air. Broken pieces of drywall lay along one wall. Jacob and Mae stood toe to toe. Mae held a drill at her side.

  “I don’t need your help,” Jacob said, between clenched teeth.

  Callie started to move toward them, but Dax put his hand on her shoulder and cleared his throat. Jacob turned, glaring at him. He looked from Dax to Callie and back at Mae. With a heavy sigh he stepped back.

  “Sorry, but, she’s in my way!” he said, pointing at Mae.

  “I’m helping!” Mae shot back.

  “Don’t you have a job? Why are you always hanging out here anyway?”

  “I have a great job that allows me to take time off to help my friends,” Mae replied.

  Jacob crossed his arms. “Sweetheart, right now you and I are not friends.”

  “Mae, I know you want to help, but maybe there’s something else Jacob would rather have you work on,” Callie gently suggested.

  “Yes please.” Jacob growled.

  “But I want to help,” Mae said stubbornly.

  “But I can’t work when I have to keep an eye on you.”

  Mae’s hands went to her hips. “No one asked you to keep an eye on me.”

  “You need someone to watch you. You’re making holes in the walls faster than I can patch them up.”

  “It took me a few tries to figure out where the studs were,” Mae said, shrugging.

  Callie bit her lip, trying not to laugh. She glanced over at Dax and saw his lip twitch.

  “What is so funny?” Mae asked.

  Mae had been coming by every chance she had since Jacob started, with the excuse of wanting to check on the progress of the bookstore. Callie suspected Mae was checking out Jacob more than any work being done.

  Callie stepped over a broken piece of drywall to move between them. Mae poked her head around her to stick her tongue out at Jacob.

  “Mae Colton, you sto
p that this minute!” Callie had never seen her cousin behave so childishly.

  “Jacob, why don’t you take a break?” Dax offered.

  Jacob’s jaw ticked. “I don’t need—”

  A knock on the door interrupted him. “Excuse me, folks.” Sheriff Crosby walked in tipping his hat. The older man’s eyes lit up when he noticed Dax. “Well, well, Dax Ellis,” he exclaimed. “I’m surprised to see you here of all places.”

  “Sheriff Crosby.” Dax shook his hand.

  The sheriff hitched up his belt and turned to Callie. “Callie, I’m afraid we’ve had a complaint about unsafe working conditions and permit violations. We’re going to have to shut this project down while we investigate.”

  “I didn’t realize this was something the sheriff would handle,” Dax said.

  Jacob stepped forward. “I’m the contractor on this project, and I can assure you that Miss Colton has all of the correct permits.”

  “I’m sure Callie—”

  “That’s Miss Colton,” Dax said.

  The sheriff cleared his throat. “I meant, I’m sure Miss Colton thinks she has everything in order, but the town council will have to check and make sure.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Dax said, disgusted.

  Callie turned to him. “I may not have done it when I was a girl, but I can speak for myself now.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then gave her a brief nod.

  “None of you are helping,” Callie added in a hushed whisper. She hated that no one believed she could stand up for herself. Yes, she was shy and quiet, but that didn’t mean she was helpless.

  “Sheriff Crosby, since we have been through this before, I can’t say I’m surprised that you’re here.” Callie put her hand up when he started to speak. “I contacted the county inspector two weeks ago when Mr. Winters started working. He will be here tomorrow for an inspection and to double-check to make sure all of our permits are in order.”

  Callie pulled a file out of her bag and handed over a piece of paper. “In the meantime, the county inspector emailed me this in case you showed up before he could get here. As you can see, once again, the inspector has stated that you do not have the authority to shut down a construction site or do an inspection without his approval.”

  As the sheriff’s face turned from bright pink to purple, Callie took a small step back and then stopped. She wasn’t going to let the sheriff think she would back down. Dax stepped behind her. He made no move to touch her, but Callie could feel his warmth at her back. Having Dax behind her would have scared her in the past, but not today. She appreciated his support and worried about the repercussions at the same time. The sheriff stared at Dax, working his jaw, clearly unhappy with Dax taking her side.

  The sheriff glared at her for a moment before turning on his heel and walking out. The windows rattled as he slammed the door, leaving the rest of them in strained silence.

  Mae nodded with approval at Callie. “Well, that was interesting, and also good thinking, Callie.”

  “I’m surprised it took him this long to try and shut us down,” Callie answered, feeling pretty good herself. It was nice to score a victory, even if a small one.

  “When did you come up with the idea to reach out to the inspector?” Mae sked.

  “I didn’t. After the last contractor was run off, the inspector suggested it. I think he’s just as tired of coming out here as I am.”

  “How many times has this happened?” Jacob asked, frowning.

  “Seven.”

  “Seven!” Dax’s voice rose. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to speak with my mother—”

  “Dax, wait, please don’t!” Callie called after him, but he didn’t pause, and just kept walking out.

  “Callie, he’s on a mission now.” Jacob put his hand on her arm, holding her back from chasing after him. “He’s sick and tired of his mother’s interference, not just with you but everyone in town.”

  “And do you think I’m not?” she demanded, aware that challenging the status quo would only bring more phone calls with complaints to any county official Dorothy could cajole and sweet talk into slowing down construction on her bookstore. “He’s just going to make it worse.”

  Mae looked up at Jacob. “You’ve never lived in a small town before, have you?”

  “What am I missing here?” he asked.

  “Small town politics can be even more complex than anything you see in a big city. Everybody knows everybody here, most of us are related in one way or another. Nothing happens around here without Ms. Dorothy Ellis’s approval. No one wants to deal with the trouble that woman can cause. Sometimes you have to pick your battles rather than wage an all-out war,” Mae explained.

  Jacob glanced at Callie, and she knew from his expression that Dax had told him some version of what happened when they were children.

  “Listen, both of you,” Callie said firmly. “I can handle this.”

  Both Mae and Jacob gave her a skeptical look.

  “How?” Mae demanded. “What can you do when that Gone With the Wind bitch is still flouncing around this town as if she owns it?”

  “Mae, this isn’t the time or the place.” Callie gave her cousin a sharp look. She turned to Jacob. “If you can try to get as much work as possible finished before they come up with another reason to shut us down again, I would appreciate it.”

  “I’m going to get this finished no matter what.” He looked at Mae. “And, I don’t need any help.”

  Mae put her hands on her hips. “You’re not the boss of me, Mr. Winters.”

  Before Mae could say another word, Jacob pulled her toward him until they were nose to nose. “I think you could do with some bossing around, Miss Colton,” he said against her lips. Just as quickly as he grabbed her, he turned on his heel and stormed out leaving Mae wide-eyed with her mouth open.

  “Oh, honey, I think you just met your match.” Callie fanned herself.

  “Come on let’s go, I’ve got to get back to the library, I’m sure Jacob will be back when he’s had a minute to cool off. And Mae, arguing with Jacob isn’t going to help, let him do his job.”

  Mae sighed. “Fine.”

  Callie had never seen her cousin like this before. Mae needed a strong-willed partner who wouldn’t let her bulldoze her way through life and she liked Jacob.

  Callie put her arm around Mae’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, the book store is going to get finished eventually.”

  “Forget about the bookstore. Ms. Ellis isn’t going to stand by and watch you make eyes at her precious son.”

  Callie opened her mouth and snapped it shut again.

  Mae raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do about that?”

  “I was not making eyes. We’re getting to know each other as the people we are now, that’s all.”

  “That’s good.”

  Mae went over to the café to get them some lunch and as soon as she walked back in the library she saw it. She glanced around the room. Everything was just as she’d left it, and there was no one else around. She rushed over to check the bathroom and closet just in case and then returned to her desk, snatching the envelope with trembling hands.

  Callie looked down at her name written in clear block handwriting that she didn’t recognize other than it matched the other notes that had been left behind. She hesitated before opening it.

  NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE, YOU FILTHY MUTT!

  She shoved the message back in the envelope and put it in the back of her desk drawer with the others. The envelopes had started arriving months before Dax arrived, so she knew he wasn’t the one sending them, but each one used the exact same words he’d used when they were kids. Dax wasn’t the only one who called her those names, but he was definitely the ringleader. There were a few people around who could be behind them, but why? She tried to keep to herself and help the town she had grown to love—what had she done to inspire so much hate?

  A small noise made her jump and she glanced o
ver her shoulder, but the room was empty. Her pulse was racing but she tried to slow her breathing. In the beginning, she’d tried to ignore the notes, but with each one she became more nervous, and angry. She’d even installed an extra lock on her door, in a town where no one locked their doors.

  She should tell Mae about the letters, but her cousin hovered enough as it was and she would tell her parents, and they would worry as well.

  Dax may not be behind the notes, but she suspected whoever was sending them wanted her to think they were coming from him. A flash of blond caught her eye as Presley Beaumont flounced past the window. Callie shook her head. Presley wasn’t capable of putting together a scheme like this; the woman could barely walk and chew gum at the same time.

  Mae came back and plunked a cup of sweet tea on the counter. “Ugh, I swear you could smell the stench of Presley’s perfume from halfway across the park, and what in the world do you think she’s hiding in all that hair?”

  Callie laughed and took a long drink of the sweet liquid, welcoming the rush of energy from the sugar after the stress of her confrontation with the sheriff. “You could say the same thing about me,” she said, fluffing her curls. “Maybe I should follow your lead and go short.”

  “Don’t you dare.” Mae waggled her finger at her. “Close-cropped is not your style.”

  True, Mae rocked the modern, edgy look in a way Callie never could. She’d always loved floral prints and pale colors while Mae preferred tailored suits. Even when she was dressed casually in her skinny jeans, a fitted T-shirt, and black motorcycle jacket, Mae maintained her hard edge.

  Mae gave Callie a sly look over the rim of her drink. “It was pretty cool the way Dax was so protective of you at the bookstore.”

  “I’m sure he was more embarrassed for his mother’s behavior than being protective.”

  “Nope, he was definitely going all cave man over you.” Mae cocked her head. “It was pretty sweet actually.”

  Callie nodded. “You spend so many years thinking of a person as only one thing and then you learn they are so much more. I only ever thought of Dax as a bully and now I see him as a…”