by Eliana West
The thunder and lightning began to drift away. She sighed, burrowing deeper under the covers, wondering if she was heading into a different kind of storm.
Chapter Fourteen
Dax was just getting ready to head over to the library when he heard the sound of breaking glass echo across the town square. He ran outside where he could see the jagged edges of what was left of the library window glinting in the sunlight.
Jacob came running down the stairs. “What was that?”
“The library,” Dax shouted over his shoulder as he took off running across the park. Callie stood at the window; her shaking hands and pale face stopped Dax in his tracks.
Jacob was right behind him. “We have some plywood at the bookstore we can use to board this up. I’ll take care of it.”
“Callie, stop, you’ll cut yourself,” Dax said as she reached down to pick up a large piece of glass.
She jerked up and red oozed from her hand where the glass had sliced into her skin. Dax grasped her hand. The glass fell to the floor and shattered again. He cradled her hand in his, pressing against the cut to stop the bleeding. Callie flinched and tried to pull away, but he continued to put pressure on the wound.
“Hold still. You might need stitches.”
“How about you let me be the judge of that?” Nate said, carefully stepping over the broken glass. He pried Callie’s hand away from Dax. “You were right to put pressure on it,” he said as he examined her palm. “Callie, do you have an emergency kit?”
She just stared down at her hand, her lip trembling.
“Where is it?” Dax asked.
“In-in the bathroom.”
Dax located the kit and rushed back to her side.
Nate nodded and turned his attention back to Callie. “I don’t think you need stitches, but I want to make sure this wound is cleaned.”
Dax started pulling out the supplies. Callie jumped as Jacob started hammering plywood over the open window frame. Nate worked quickly, cleaning the wound while Dax hovered anxiously over them.
“Callie, can you tell us what happened?” he asked as he applied antibiotic ointment and began to wrap her hand in gauze.
“I…I was in the back.” She began to tremble. “I didn’t see anything. I just heard the crash.” She pointed at the boarded-up window. “Grandpa had that glass painted,” she said as a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.
Dax couldn’t help wrapping his arms around Callie. He expected her to pull away, but she turned and buried her face in his shoulder. Nate raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat.
“I guess you don’t need anything else from me.”
“Thanks, Nate.” Dax nodded.
Callie sniffed and pulled out of his arms, wiping her eyes. “Thank you, Nate.” She turned to Dax. “I’m sorry, I’m okay now.”
Nate grunted and walked out just as Jacob walked in.
“I’ll start making calls and get a new window ordered.”
“Thank you, Jacob, but you don’t have to—”
Jacob frowned down at her and crossed his arms. “Darlin’, do you really think I’m going to let you take care of this?” He poked his chest. “I’m your contractor—let me do my job.”
“What the fuck!” Mae walked in. “Are you okay?”
Callie held out her bandaged hand. “I cut myself cleaning up the glass.”
“Oh, honey.” Mae looked down at the faint pink seeping through the gauze.
“This is why we need to get the clinic up and running again,” Dax said. “When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
Callie wrinkled her forehead. “I’m not sure. I’ll just drive into Greenwood—”
“You’re not driving forty-five minutes with your hand like that,” Dax said.
“No, she won’t, I’ll drive her,” Mae announced. Gathering up Callie’s things, she ushered her out the door.
With the window boarded the light in the library became dull and the air heavy. Jacob picked up the broom and started sweeping the rest of the shattered glass.
“We need to set up security cameras,” Dax said when they finished cleaning up.
“I can start the wiring while I work on the window repair, and I’ll add it to the bookstore as well.”
Dax nodded. “I’ll get the equipment ordered, but we have a couple of things we need to do first.”
*
“Afternoon, Dax,” Sheriff Crosby called out with a nod as he and Jacob entered the sheriff’s office five minutes later. He waved them over to where he sat with his feet up on the gray-green steel desk. Not much had changed since the courthouse was remodeled sometime in the 50’s. Four jail cells still lined the back wall and two smaller desks for deputies sat side by side on the other side of the room.
The sheriff folded his hands over his substantial paunch. “What can I do for you boys?”
“Someone threw a brick through the library window. I was wondering if you had any intention of investigating.”
The sheriff’s lips twisted into a knowing smirk that made Dax’s stomach knot. “Don’t worry, son, nothing you need to be concerned about.”
Jacob growled, and Dax put his hand on his arm, feeling the waves of anger rolling through him. He glanced at his friend, sending a silent message: don’t do anything. The sheriff obviously considered himself an ally.
“I also own property in town, Sheriff Crosby. I’m here as a concerned citizen. I certainly hope that you find out who is behind this before any other incidents occur.” Dax tried to keep his voice calm and level even though what he really wanted to do was strangle the man.
“I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about. Your mother is well respected in this town.”
“I see,” Jacob said, through clenched teeth. “And Callie isn’t?”
“You certainly can’t compare her to a true Southern woman like your mother.”
“No, you can’t,” Dax said. The man wasn’t smart enough to understand that the comparison didn’t favor his mother. “Come on, Jacob, we’ve taken enough of Sheriff Crosby’s valuable time.”
Both men drew a deep breath once they stepped back outside.
“Well, that was…toxic.”
“That was more than toxic.” He pointed toward the jail. “That was my mother’s doing.”
“Do you think your mother had a hand in this?”
“She wouldn’t get her hands dirty and throw the brick herself but, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I wouldn’t put it past her to get someone to do it for her. This is my fault.”
“How is this your fault?”
“I kissed Callie last night. News travels fast in a small town and if someone saw us I’m sure my mother’s heard about it my now.”
“Well, we’re going to have to figure it out because the more time you spend with Callie, the more these incidents could escalate.”
Dax’s stomach knotted with dread. Jacob was right: the pattern was clear. His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Callie’s getting a few stitches. She’s okay. We need to talk.
He held out the phone to Jacob.
“She’s a good friend.”
Suddenly Jacob stiffened. Dax followed his gaze; the Jewels were barreling across the park toward them.
All three of their faces were twisted with rage.
“Callie told us you’d changed.” Opal pointed a shaking finger at Dax.
“You hurt our girl,” Pearl followed.
Ruby opened her mouth but no words came out as her face crumpled and she began to cry. Opal and Pearl surrounded their youngest sister, murmuring words of comfort while Dax stood by helplessly.
“Ladies,” Jacob said, “I give you my word that Dax had nothing to do with this.” They all glared at him as Jacob added, “We’re going to find out who did this, I promise.”
Opal pressed her lips into a thin line. Her sisters remained silent by her side. They spoke in birth order and, apparently, they held their judgmental sil
ence in the same way. The three turned away, only Ruby glanced back looking sad and disappointed.
“This is my fault,” Dax said again.
“Bullshit. This didn’t happen because of you, so get over yourself. You’re not that special.”
Dax found himself smiling even though he wanted to keep feeling sorry for himself for just a little bit longer.
When they returned to Uncle Robert’s, Dax went in and began to throw clothes into his bag.
Jacob and Robert crowded the doorway. “Do you want to fill us in on what’s going on?” Robert asked.
“I’m moving into the Barton Building.”
“That place ain’t fit to live in yet,” Uncle Robert said.
Jacob pulled out his duffel and began packing alongside Dax. “Surveillance,” he said, with an understanding nod.
Dax paused. “You don’t have to come—it’s not going to be very comfortable.”
Jacob shrugged as he balled up another shirt and shoved it into his bag. “It won’t be as bad as that cave we had to camp out in for two weeks, remember?”
They both started laughing He was thankful to have his brother in arms. He paused; he missed his biological brother as well. They had been so close before he was sent away, or at least as close as their mother would allow them to be. They’d sneak off into the woods, building secret forts and chasing frogs at Willow Pond. He’d pushed those memories away but since he had returned to Colton, every moment of his childhood flashed through his mind.
Robert came in with some binoculars, one with a night scope. “Here, these will help.”
“Thanks,” Dax said taking the equipment and shoving it into his bag.
“You let me know if you boys need anything. It’s been nice having you boys around.”
Dax put his hand on his uncle’s shoulder. “We’re not going far. I expect we’ll still show up on your front porch a time or two.”
Jacob hauled his duffel over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Dax nodded, feeling his psyche slip into mission mode. “Ready,” he replied with a curt nod.
It didn’t take long to set up in the empty space on the third floor when they got to the Barton Building. Jacob had done some rough framing for a bathroom and there was no kitchen to speak of, but they could make do with the bathroom downstairs and takeout from the Catfish Café for now.
“I’ll take the day shift and can keep an eye out when I’m working up here and at the bookstore,” Jacob said dropping his duffel on the floor.
Dax had already pulled out the binoculars Uncle Robert gave him and set them on the windowsill. He scrolled through his phone ordering a pair of night vision goggles that would be delivered the next day.
A soft knock on the doorway made his head jerk up.
“I knocked downstairs. I stopped by Robert’s and he told me you would be here.” Mae stood in the doorway.
“How’s Callie? Is she alone? You shouldn’t have left her.” The words tumbled from Dax.
Mae’s eyes grew wide. “Whoa, calm down.” She glanced toward Jacob. “Your friend here is a little wound up.”
“He’s concerned,” Jacob said. “We’re all concerned. How is she?”
Mae’s shoulders dropped. “I tried to get Callie to go home but she insisted on going back to the library. My mom and the Jewels are with her.”
“Thanks for taking her to the hospital, you’re a good friend,” Jacob said.
A rosy pink glow spread over Mae’s cheeks. “Yes, well…” She turned to Dax. “These incidents keep escalating. Even before you got here stuff happened. She stopped driving her car into town because the tires were slashed once and then someone keyed it another time.”
“Did she report it?” Dax asked.
“Who would she report it to, the sheriff?” Mae scowled. “We both know that would be worthless.”
“Anything else?” Jacob asked.
Mae shook her head. “Not that I know about but…I’m not sure Callie would tell me if there were.”
“Do you think she has said anything to anyone, what about her parents?” Jacob asked.
“Her parents would just arrange for security and the last thing Callie would want is a bodyguard following her around; she had enough of that growing up.”
“Why would Callie have bodyguards when she was a kid?” Jacob asked.
“Callie’s dad is a well-known producer, and the owner of Columbia City Records.”
“Her parents love the concerts and the parties but Callie chose to live here because she doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, she hates the attention.”
Jacob nodded. “Understood.”
Thank goodness Callie had Mae as her friend and protector. But that still didn’t help the fact that someone wanted Callie out of Colton. Badly.
Dax had Mae sit and go through all of the incidents she knew about, and then he made her go through them again while he created a timeline on his computer.
“I’m sorry I don’t have anything more I can tell you,” Mae said.
Jacob put his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for letting us know.”
“Well, you guys did security stuff in the Army, right? I mean I figured you would…” she shrugged “…I don’t know…know stuff.”
These were just the incidents Mae knew. Were there others Callie hadn’t mentioned, he wondered.
“You’ll tell me if you find anything?” Mae asked.
“Of course,” Dax said.
Mae paused, narrowing her eyes. “Even if it’s your mother?”
“No matter who it is. I’m not going to keep anything from you or Callie. That’s a promise, Mae.”
After Mae left Dax paced in the loft stopping to look out of the window every few minutes until Jacob yelled at him to stop and just go over to the library already.
The boarded-up window cast the normally bright and cheery space in a dim light. The Jewels were buzzing around Callie as she sat at her desk. To his surprise her eyes lit up when he came in and she jumped up and rushed over to him.
“Thank you for coming, Dax. I was telling Miss Pearl that I would be just fine and closing up soon. It was so kind of you to offer to walk me home.” Her words were rushed as she gave him a pleading look.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” He nodded in the direction of the three identical icy glares.
“Miss Callie, we…” Opal began.
“We’d be happy to take you home, honey,” Pearl continued.
“You don’t need him,” Ruby added, in a quiet voice.
Callie went over and pulled all three women into an embrace. “Thank you so much for helping me today.” She gently pushed them toward the door. “I’ll be just fine, and I promise I’ll call when I need more help.”
Opal looked over her shoulder at Dax before she stepped out onto the sidewalk. “We’ll check on you tomorrow, Miss Callie.”
“Just to make sure—” Pearl hovered in the doorway.
“You’re okay,” Ruby finished.
Callie slumped against the doorway as soon as the Jewels left. “Thank you, they mean well but I needed a break.”
“You can use me as an excuse anytime.”
“You don’t really have to walk me home,” she said.
“I’d be happy to.” He gestured to her bandaged hand. “Are you okay?”
“It’s just a couple of stitches—it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Is there anything else you need here or are you ready to go?”
She moved to her desk to get her bag. “No, there’s nothing more I can do today.”
He took her bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go then.”
“You really don’t mind walking me home?” she asked.
He reached up and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Cupping her cheek, he said, “I’d walk you to Memphis and back, Miss Colton,” before dropping a brief kiss of her forehead and escorted her out.
A light breeze rustled through the trees. The sunlight was just beginning to
fade creating long shadows on the road as they walked side by side.
They reached her doorstep and she looked at him with a shy smile. “Would you like to come in?”
“I would, but I need to head back, can I have a rain check?”
She nodded and he waited when she went inside until he heard the click of the lock.
He pressed his hand to the door. He wanted nothing more than to spend more time with Callie but he didn’t want to risk putting her in any more danger. He needed to be careful until he figured out who was threatening her.
As he walked back home, he pulled out his phone, thumbing through his contacts, hovering over the one he was searching for. He took a deep breath before he hit the green icon.
“Ellis,” a stern voice snapped on the other end.
“Reid, it’s Dax.” The silence on the other end of the line stretched uncomfortably. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“Now isn’t a good time.” His brother’s voice was clipped.
“Okay, I’ll try again and I’m going to keep trying until you’ll talk to me.”
There was a beat of silence. “I don’t get home until late most nights so it’s better to try to call on the weekends.”
“I’ll call you this weekend.”
He looked over his shoulder toward Callie’s house. He’d needed his brother’s help if Dax’s suspicions about the attacks on Callie turned out to be true.
Chapter Fifteen
Callie took her time making her way across the town square toward the library. It was one of those late spring days that confirmed winter’s end and held a promise of the lazy days of summer. The sunlight had been just a bit brighter when it streamed through her bedroom window that morning, and even though she missed her bike, she didn’t mind the walk into town that day. Morning dew and tiny pieces of fresh-cut grass clung to her shoes as she circled the gazebo, caressing the new delicate yellow blooms of the rosebushes surrounding the centerpiece of the town square.
She smiled as she dipped her head, breathing in the sweet perfume of a freshly opened blossom. Her circuit complete, she made her way to the library. On a day like today, her loyalties were divided between her love of books and her desire to spread out a blanket and picnic in the park.