The Way Home

by Eliana West

  “Anyone care to explain what’s happening here?” he asked, looking around the room.

  “I’d like to report a theft,” Jo said.

  Tessa scoffed. “Oh, please.”

  “Stop it, Tess,” Taylor bit out.

  Jo’s face was pale and drawn. The sheriff took her arm and led her over to the table.

  “Let’s have you sit down. Can someone get her a glass of water?” he called out. Once she had a glass in her hand and had taken a couple of sips he crouched down so he was at eye level. “Jo, what happened here today?”

  The tension in the room grew when in a low shaky voice Jo explained how Callie had come by to pick up the letters and how they weren’t in her dresser drawer where she’d been keeping them.

  “And you didn’t give Ms. Caldwell permission to go into your room and remove the documents?” Isiah confirmed.

  Jo shook her head, looking Taylor in the eye as if she were daring him to call her a liar. “No.”

  Isiah stood up and walked over to Tessa. “Tessa Caldwell, you are under arrest for burglary.”

  When the sheriff started to reach for his handcuffs Tessa rushed over to Taylor, her fingers digging into his arm. “You can’t let him do this. I was only looking out for you.”

  For the first time he saw real fear in her eyes. He stood frozen, his eyes darting between Tessa and Jo. He had a responsibility toward Tessa but all he could think about was comforting Jo.

  Taylor put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Stop it, Tess. Go with the sheriff and I’ll be right behind you. I’ll call our lawyer and I’m sure you’ll be out after a few hours.”

  “That’s enough.” Isiah put Tessa’s arms behind her back and put the handcuffs on while he read her rights.

  Tessa swore at Jo and threatened to have the sheriff fired as he started to lead her away.

  “She’ll be booked in the jail tonight. She’ll go before the judge in the morning,” he called over his shoulder.

  Taylor looked around at the shocked faces in the room. He cleared his throat. “Filming will be suspended for the time being. I have some calls I need to make. I’ll give you an update as soon as I can.”

  “I want my letters back.” Jo’s voice was strained and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  Taylor started toward her but Callie stepped between them. “I think I’d better take care of Jo. You have other things you need to do.”

  Taylor ran his hand through his hair. “I need to call a lawyer and get over to the jail.

  “Jo, I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. Tessa would never—” he started.

  Jo’s head jerked up. “Get out.”

  Dax grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Taylor ran his hands over his face. “I just…she may have gone too far but Tessa is always looking out for my best interests.”

  Dax scowled at him. “I’d really like to know how stealing from Jo is in your best interests. When you figure that out you can let me know. Until then, go deal with your friend.”

  When he arrived at town hall, Tessa was spitting mad, pacing the small cell in the back of the sheriff’s office.

  “It’s too late for a hearing tonight. She can post bail in the morning,” Isiah said without looking up from the computer.

  “I am not going to spend the night in this hillbilly jail,” Tessa screeched.

  “I’ve already called our lawyer. He’s going to have someone here to represent you in the morning.”

  “You need to make Jo drop the charges right now—she can’t do this to me. I had every right to take those letters. These people don’t know their place.”

  Taylor stopped pacing in front of Tessa’s cell and stared at her, seeing her for the first time.

  The chair crashed to the floor when Isiah suddenly stood up. He picked it up and slammed it back in its place. “You have five more minutes with your friend and then visiting hours are over.” He said “friend” as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “Tessa, I’m doing the best I can. I’ll be here first thing in the morning.”

  She reached through the bars of the cell, grabbing his arm. “Halcyon is yours. I know when the lab is done with the letters everyone will see they are fake and she’s a fraud.”

  “Where did you send them?”

  “I’m not going to let anyone guilt you into getting them back before they’ve been authenticated.” She went over to the cot and sat down with her arms crossed.

  Isiah came back in and snapped, “Time’s up.”

  “I’ll be here first thing in the morning.”

  He rushed back to Halcyon to find both Callie and Mae talking quietly in the butler’s pantry.

  “How is she?”

  Callie glanced at him with a sad expression while she prepared a cup of tea.

  “How do you think she is?” Mae glared at him. “I don’t know where you’re spending the night but it’s not here.”

  Taylor held his hands up. “Okay, I’ll just grab a few things and stay with Uncle Robert tonight.”

  Mae followed him to his room and stood outside with her hands on her hips tapping her toe.

  “Are you serious?” he said in a hushed voice. “Do you really think I need to be watched?”

  “I think I need to make sure my friend is safe from you and your producer.”

  “Tessa shouldn’t have taken the letters. That was wrong but…”

  Mae grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back into the kitchen.

  “I want to make sure Jo doesn’t hear you. I don’t want her to be upset any more than she already is. You don’t seem to understand the bigger picture here, so let me explain it to you.”

  Mae’s eyes flashed with anger. “Your friend stole documents from Jo. Your privileged White friend who has been rude to just about every Black person she had come in contact with in this town, and who has fired Sam and Minh from your show because they don’t ‘have the right look.’” Mae smirked when he flinched. “Yeah, that friend. Pull your head out of your ass and think about how Jo is feeling right now. A White woman who has treated her horribly stole her ancestor’s emancipation papers and accused her of lying about them. Think. About. That.” Mae poked him in the chest with each word.

  A knot formed in his stomach. “I…I didn’t realize—”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Good night, Taylor.” Callie’s voice was firm as she came over to stand with Mae.

  Taylor nodded. There was nothing he could say. Every word Mae said was like a slap in the face—one that he deserved.

  Dax was getting out of his truck when Taylor walked out.

  “I know I have no right to ask after what just happened but I need your help.”

  “What do you need?”

  “Tessa wouldn’t tell me where she sent Jo’s papers. If there’s anything you can do to find them and get them back, I’ll pay whatever it takes.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thank you.”

  He got into his car and gripped the steering wheel tightly trying to stop his hands from shaking. He drew in a shaky breath and put the car into gear.

  He was numb when he pulled into Uncle Robert’s yard. He dropped down onto the top step of the porch and put his head in his hands. Tessa’s actions had left him reeling. How was he going to fix this? He waited for Uncle Robert to come out and give him words of wisdom the way he always did in the past but he never came. The house was dark when he finally went inside. There was a dim light under Uncle Roberts door and he could hear the soft swish of pages turning. He didn’t knock. Feeling alone and defeated he lay down on top of the covers of the guest bed and stared at the ceiling.

  Tessa was released first thing in the morning. Taylor picked her up at the jail after a sleepless night. She came out just as angry and belligerent as she’d gone in. Her lack of remorse added to his growing sense of unease. He spent the da
y huddled in her hotel room fielding phone calls from the network and talking to her lawyer. Each minute that passed the walls seemed to close in more.

  The network and Tessa agreed that the best thing would be for Taylor to ask Jo to drop the charges and have filming resume as soon as possible. He was the only one who wasn’t happy about the idea. Jo was the victim and yet the network and Tessa were talking about her as if she were a nuisance instead of a person. He felt trapped between his obligation to the show and his feelings for Jo. It didn’t help that Tessa continued to take out her anger and her heaping abuse on Jo to the point Taylor’s patience wore thin.

  “Just shut up, Tess,” he said in a terse voice.

  She paused her rant and glared at him. “What the hell is your problem?”

  “Stop complaining about Jo. You’re the one who took those papers; she didn’t do anything.”

  “I did it to protect you. That’s my job.” She leaned across the small table he was sitting at in her hotel room. “How do you think you’ve managed to be so successful? Because I shield you. I take care of all the ugly and unpleasant stuff so you can smile and look good on camera.”

  His frustration morphed into anger. “It works both ways, Tess. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my smile.”

  Tessa dropped into her chair with a stunned look at the deadly calm tone in Taylor’s voice.

  They locked eyes and for the first time since they started working together he didn’t blink.

  “Of course, you’re right.” She gave him a forced smile. “We’re partners. My priority is always the show. I’m just trying to do my job.”

  “I know that, but this time you went about it the wrong way.”

  “I had to do something. You were too caught up in your relationship with her to see straight.”

  “I think I can see pretty clearly right now.”

  Tessa’s eyes narrowed. “Then you understand that you have an obligation to the network to get this season of the show filmed. You can’t walk away now, Taylor. You’ll never get another chance to prove yourself.”

  She was right—he had a contract and he’d worked too hard to get to this point to fail. He would make Jo understand and he’d get Halcyon restored. There was no other option. He thought about Ada Mae, understanding for the first time what it must have felt like for her to be trapped.

  Chapter Twelve

  Her letters were gone. They were a talisman, the physical connection to the past that brought her to Colton and Halcyon. Thinking about Tessa coming into her room and taking them made her skin crawl.

  She ignored the worried looks and words of comfort from Callie and Mae and stumbled into the small parlor, the room where she always felt closest to Ada Mae. She sank down on her knees in front of the fireplace and wept. She cried for herself, she cried for Ada Mae and all of her ancestors who were tied to Halcyon, and she cried for Taylor, for the man she’d thought he was. When she had no more tears she drew her knees up to her chest and stared at the mantel, wanting to be the little bird who flew away.

  At some point Mae brought her a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Both Callie and Mae tried to get her to go to bed but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the parlor.

  “Ada Mae is in this room,” she said.

  Callie crouched down next to her and whispered, “I understand.”

  Callie left and came back with the eucalyptus plant she’d given her as a housewarming present and pushed it into her hands.

  Jo buried her face in the thick silvery-green leaves. Callie did understand. Jo remembered the story Dax told her about the vision they’d both shared. She looked up at her friend who had tears in her eyes. “Thank you. She’s still here.” She rubbed one of the leaves between her fingers. “I was afraid if the letters were gone that somehow I would lose her.”

  Callie nodded and wrapped her in a hug. “I’ll tell you a secret. Ada Mae was there for me when I needed her. She helped me see that I wasn’t alone and I have a whole group of people who will also be there for me when I need them—and so do you.”

  Jo nodded and wiped her eyes. She pulled herself up from the floor and carefully set the plant on the mantel. Callie moved to her side and took her hand. She took a deep shuddering breath. She’d taken the time she needed to mourn; now it was time to figure out how she was going to move forward.

  *

  The next morning Jacob showed up with a new lock for her bedroom door and Dax arrived with a security system both he and Jacob insisted on installing. He also came with the news that he’d located the lab where Tessa had sent her letters and that Uncle Robert had volunteered to act as a courier and was currently on a flight to retrieve them.

  Every time the door opened she expected it to be Taylor but the morning passed without any sign of him. Jo appreciated her friends’ concern but by that afternoon their hovering began to feel stifling. After lunch she convinced everyone she would be okay on her own and they reluctantly left with promises to check in on her later. Finally alone, Jo went to her garden. She stabbed at the dirt with her trowel, muttering curses with each jab, taking out her frustrations on the earth.

  The weed she pulled fell from her hands when she heard Tessa’s voice.

  “Just use your charm on her like you did before. We have too much invested in this season to fail. They’ve already proposed a two-part special for unveiling of the finished project.”

  Jo took a deep breath to steady herself. She slowly pulled her gloves off, using the time to gather her thoughts and steel her heart.

  She found them standing in the front hallway speaking in hushed tones when she came in.

  “I was wondering when I’d see you again,” she said.

  Both of their heads jerked up. Taylor gave her a slight smile while Tessa made no attempt to hide the malice in her eyes.

  Taylor came toward her. “We came to talk to you about the show. Tessa and I have been talking to the network and we can’t delay resuming the production.”

  “I never asked you to do that.”

  “I appreciate that. Starting production means that Tessa will be working here again and it would make things easier if you would agree to drop the charges.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

  “You’re just being difficult. What is it that you want: money?” Tessa asked.

  “I’m talking to Taylor, not you,” she said firmly.

  Her eyes met Taylor’s, and she forced herself not to respond to the apprehension she saw in their blue depths.

  Jo pointed at Tessa. “She is not allowed in this house.”

  “Tessa isn’t just my producer; she’s my business partner. She owns part of the show.”

  “She doesn’t need to be in the house to do her job.”

  “Absolutely not, I need to be here. Taylor can’t do this without me.”

  Jo saw the slight flinch from Taylor. Did he even realize what Tessa’s words did to him? Sorrow mingled with her anger. She always had her parents to build her up when anyone tried to tear her down. Who was there for Taylor?

  She looked Tessa in the eye. “I disagree. Taylor is perfectly capable of doing his job without you.”

  Tessa stiffened as if she’d been slapped. “How dare you. You don’t know anything about Taylor.”

  “I know that he’s smarter about the show than you give him credit for. I know that he’s scared, and I know that someday he’ll figure out that he deserves a partner who will support him and not constantly try to undermine his confidence. And most importantly I know that in his heart he wants to do what’s best for Halcyon, even if you don’t.”

  Tessa’s face twisted into a mask of hatred.

  There was a note of resignation tinged with sorrow in Taylor’s voice when he spoke. “The thing is I put ownership of Halcyon into the production company before I knew about your claim. I thought it made sense at the time. It would mean that we would get more tax breaks.” Taylor’s shoulders slumped. “It d
oesn’t matter.”

  Tessa tossed her hair over her shoulder. Her lip curled into a smug smile. “What does matter is that I am also a part owner of the production company, so I also have a stake in Halcyon.”

  Taylor’s head jerked toward Tessa and Jo saw a flare of anger in his eyes. She fought to stay calm through her own rising panic. The idea of Tessa having any kind of claim on Halcyon twisted her insides. No matter what it took she would defend the house from Tessa.

  She hardened her heart against the distress in Taylor’s eyes. He needed to make a choice. “You can get out of the partnership.”

  “I can’t dissolve the production company. I’ll lose everything I’ve been working for over the last five years.” Taylor glanced at Tessa. “We’ll make this work. Tessa knows that she can’t run the production the way she did before.”

  Tessa wasn’t going to change. How did Taylor not see it? She stood there with her arms crossed, rigid, unmoving, and determined to get her way.

  “This time it will be different, I promise,” Taylor continued.

  “You really are just like the colonel,” Jo said, quietly.

  “I’m nothing like Absolem.”

  “You make promises you can’t keep and you ignore the truth even when it’s right in front of you, and—” her voice broke “—you say you love this house but you don’t know what love is.”

  She refused to cry with Tessa in the room. She would save her tears for later. She’d thought she might have a chance at getting through to him but it was clear that Taylor was going to choose fear over love.

  “You’re wrong, Jo. I can make this work. I can make this work for both of us.”

  “Saying that over and over isn’t going to make it true. Since the day we met all you’ve talked about is how much this house means to you…” she fought to keep her voice from breaking “…how much you love it. But Halcyon was just a business transaction to you. I overheard what the two of you were saying about using your charm to get what you want. I know now that every time you acted like you cared it was nothing more than a lie you were telling to get your way.”