“Well, I’ve got a meeting with my mom and dad’s attorney on Thursday. It will be in the morning. I know with it being Sunday, it’s a bit of short notice, but would you mind being there?”
“Lucky for you, I’m free that day, and that’s part of the friendship package I was offering.” He laughed. “Let’s get some dinner.”
Taking a deep breath, Elijah let himself relax for the first time since arriving in Las Vegas. Maybe by the time he left, he could leave on good terms instead of feeling like he was Jacob Marley pulling around the chains of his past. It would be nice to finally unlock them and walk away free. He looked out the church in the direction Taylor had walked. Maybe he could even be free of her once and for all.
* * *
Lucas had decided to stay behind. He’d told their dad his plan before they even got out of the pew. Taylor had no issue with it. As badly as Elijah was hurting, he needed a friend. Smiling, she recalled how much he’d fit in with her entire family. So much so that her mom had left him a letter that Taylor knew nothing about.
“You didn’t read that letter mom left Elijah?” she asked as she watched the scenery out the passenger side window.
She’d seen the hurt in his dark eyes when he found out her mom had died. That hurt had turned to anger pretty quickly. Elijah had called her mom several times after he left…after she’d passed away. Taylor would stare at the phone with tears in her eyes, wanting to answer it, but she couldn’t. Ruth had a list of conditions, and Taylor had agreed to them. There was a contract she’d been forced to sign, the little carrot of her mom being kicked out of the trials as incentive.
Her dad shot her a glance. “No. Like I told Elijah, I didn’t feel it was my place.”
A mile passed before she asked, “What do you think it said?”
“No idea, but knowing Maria, she told him she loved him and wanted him to have a good life.”
“She didn’t leave me a letter.” Taylor twisted in the seat to look at her dad. “Why didn’t she leave me a letter? I was her daughter.”
“You were also around. Elijah left, and apparently, your momma was the only person who knew he intended to join the Army.” He paused. “Ruth showing up in a rage makes more sense now.”
“Ruth?”
Her dad nodded as he kept his eyes on the road. “Yeah, you were back home getting cleaned up so you could come back to the hospital while I took a break. She came in fussing and cussing. At the time, I had no idea why.”
“You never told me that.”
Shrugging, he said, “Didn’t see a reason to. She was blathering on about nonsense. Elijah was taking over the company, and she wasn’t going to put up with someone trying to stop it.”
“At the hospital?”
“Uh-huh. Nurses called security, and that was the last we ever saw of Ruth Emerson. At the time, I didn’t know Elijah was already gone.”
Taylor didn’t either, but it explained why Ruth barged into her home while she was getting ready to go back to the hospital. Ruth had snatched Taylor’s phone from her to see if she’d communicated with Elijah and then thrown it back at her. It was one of three visits she had with Ruth.
The first was a few weeks before they graduated. Taylor was summoned to the Emerson mansion by Ruth with the cryptic message that it was life or death. At first, Taylor told Ruth to stuff it, but Ruth had made a remark about her mom’s health. The mention of her mom had sent a chill through her, so Taylor had agreed to meet.
That was the day Taylor’s world was rocked. A proposal that sounded like a choice at first but quickly turned into a threat. No one would find out about their little deal, and if they did, Taylor’s family would be ruined. Ruth had an army of lawyers and a vindictive spirit to back it up.
“I had no idea,” Taylor said, shifting to face forward. “No idea.”
He patted her leg. “Your momma loved you. You and Lucas and Elijah. All of us. She loved all of us until her last breath.” As he pulled the truck to a stop in the driveway, he turned to Taylor. “You know, sometimes at night when I can’t sleep, I’ll come outside and sit on the porch. I swear she’s sitting there with me.”
Taylor blinked back tears. “What makes you say that?”
“The stars are brighter when she’s around,” he said.
“Yeah, Daddy, I think you might be right about that.”
He smiled. “Come on. I’ve got some leftover chili and some cornbread.”
Taylor held her stomach as it grumbled. “Sounds good,” she said and got out of the truck.
Talking about her mom made her miss her even more. It had been a while since she’d ached from the loss. Losing her mom had come so quickly on the heels of losing Elijah that for months after, she was a shell. No one could understand why she was so empty at the time, and she couldn’t explain half of why she was hurting so badly. Not without Ruth’s other threats looming over her.
It was what it was. Her time with Elijah had come and gone. The disgusted way he looked at her before she left the funeral? Even if she did end up telling him everything, he’d still hate her.
She’d been foolish and cowardly in accepting that deal with Ruth. More than likely, Ruth had known that experimental treatment wouldn’t work and had just preyed on the desperation of an eighteen-year-old who wanted to save her mom. And with the threat against her dad, what choice did she have? At the time, she felt she didn’t have one.
Besides, what did she have to show for her life anyway? A stupid half-parody tin-foil-hat conspiracy show that paid the bills and an art career that was on its last breath. Elijah had at least done something with himself. What would he want with her anyway? She needed to let him go and move on. It was the practical thing to do.
Chapter 4
The small diner Lucas picked was just what Elijah needed. The family who owned it prepared everything from scratch, so it was almost like having a home-cooked meal. The tamales were made just right, and the cilantro-lime rice was incredible. It had been a long time since he’d had food that good.
Lucas leaned back, patting his stomach. “All right. We have full stomachs and all night. Will you please tell me what happened between you and my sister?”
What a question. Elijah picked up his soda and took a swig, giving himself a moment to think of an answer. He’d asked himself that very thing over and over his first year away from home. What could have happened? Had he done something to push her away? Had the whole thing been a lie and she’d used him like so many others did? Had she fallen for someone else and he’d been too stupid to see it?
“I don’t know.” And that was the only answer he could come up with every time. He didn’t know what happened that night.
“Why did you dump her?” Her brother crossed his arms over his chest.
Elijah choked, grabbed a napkin, and wiped his chin. “Dump her? What are you talking about?”
“She never said as much, but that’s the impression I got.”
A punch to the chest would have left him less winded. How could Taylor let Lucas think something like that? Her family was his family, and to think she’d lied to them about him gutted him. “I didn’t dump her. She dumped me.”
Lucas’s arms fell from his chest as his eyebrows furrowed. “She did?”
“Yeah. She did.”
“Is that why you ran off to the Army?” Lucas leaned forward, his head tilted and eyebrows furrowed.
Another big question. “At the time, yeah. But it was a good move. My mom was going to force me to take over the company or make me miserable trying. I knew I couldn’t stay here. She was…hard on me.”
Lucas snorted. “Yeah, she kinda went a little nuts when you left. That’s how we found out you were in the Army. She was furious with Taylor. Blamed it all on her. I thought that’s why you left. You two had a fight, and you left.”
Elijah shook his head. “We did have a fight, but I didn’t dump her.”
“Then what happened?”
“I’d really rathe
r not talk about it. Besides, didn’t Taylor tell you? I mean, she’d know better than me anyway.” As the waitress passed by, Elijah motioned that he was ready for the check.
Lucas’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry, man. I just…she’s been a bit of wreck since you left, and honestly, the way you looked at her today…it’s obvious something’s still there.”
“No, there’s nothing there. I was upset that she didn’t tell me about your mom dying. I’m still upset. I can’t believe I missed seeing her one last time. I loved her so much.” Elijah rubbed his eyes. Losing Momma Mabrey was a blow he hadn’t expected. His heart ached, knowing she was gone.
“My mom loved you. I didn’t know about the letter, but I’m not surprised.”
Elijah smiled. “I am, but I’m happy she thought of me. I tried calling her after I left, but she never answered her phone. I thought she was mad at me. After a while, I stopped trying. I had no idea she’d passed away. It didn’t even occur to me to look in the obituaries.”
“Really, she lived about a month after you left, and the last two weeks, she wasn’t there. The pain was so bad, and they had her so medicated. Dad and I tried to call you a while after the funeral, but your number was disconnected. I should have made sure you were notified when she passed. I assumed Taylor had called you as well.”
“That’s okay. Taylor should’ve let me know. After basic training, I turned the number off, so you must have called after that.” Elijah shook his head. “I just can’t wrap my mind around it. That day in the hospital, she looked better than I’d ever seen her. Her color, her eyes, everything. I thought that treatment was working.”
Lucas nodded. “Yeah, we did too, and it was like a switch. One second, she was her old self, and overnight, she was worse. It happened so fast it blindsided all of us.”
The waitress dropped off the check, and Elijah waited until she was out of earshot. “I can tell you that I feel blindsided for sure. I can’t imagine what you guys were going through. I feel awful I wasn’t there to say goodbye.”
“Eh, don’t beat yourself up. I honestly think you’re better off. I wish I didn’t have those last few memories. I wish I had yours. The one where she was bright-eyed, full of color and life.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
“It’s okay. Well, not okay. I still miss her. There are times when something’s going on—good or bad—and I pick up the phone to call her. It’s so instinctual to want to share with her. I’ll call Grandma or Taylor, but it’s not the same. I mean, I love them, and Grandma’s still the same wild, crazy woman she was, but she’s not mom. She doesn’t have that peaceful spirit like mom had.”
Smiling, Elijah cast his gaze to the table. “Yeah, I think that’s what I liked most about her. The world could be in total chaos, and she was a lighthouse. She’s the reason I’m a Christian.”
Lucas blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah, that last time I spoke to her. She at least got me started down that path.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed that.” Lucas smiled. “But it doesn’t surprise me. She talked to me and Taylor too. I don’t know what I believe. All I know is my mom was taken far too young, and it wasn’t fair.”
Elijah couldn’t fault Lucas for feeling that way. He had struggled when his father died. Losing someone like Maria wasn’t fair or right or okay. Not when someone like Ruth Emerson got to live so long. Why did good people have to die so young? “I’ve got no answers for you, Lucas. I wish I did, but anything I would offer would be shallow. Faith is something that’s personal. I can’t help you there. I can just tell you…it’s helped me.”
After Elijah was captured while serving as an Army Ranger in Africa, his faith had gained in strength. Most people would have called him crazy, but talking to God those four months kept his sanity. Through the pain, the fear, all of it, there was a peace in knowing someone bigger than himself was watching over him. At least, Elijah felt He was.
After his company was rescued, Elijah’s faith took a hit. He became angry and resentful. It hadn’t lasted long, but it was long enough that he’d made a few bad choices he regretted. In retrospect, it had been good for him. It made his faith real to him and not something that came from fear.
“Well, maybe I can learn something from you while you’re here,” Lucas said as Elijah pulled out his wallet. “And I’m buying. Put that away.”
Elijah grinned. “I have more money than you. Or I might once the estate is settled.”
“Shut up.”
Laughing, Elijah nodded and put away his wallet. This was why Elijah loved the Mabreys. They were good people who didn’t care one whit about his family’s money. They treated him like a regular person, and they didn’t hold his mom’s behavior against him.
From the moment he’d driven across the Las Vegas city line, he’d decided he’d get things done as quickly as possible so he could leave and never come back, but he’d missed the people he called family. They were his only family besides his Army buddies. Yeah, Taylor was a tough pill to swallow, but allowing her the power to take Joseph and Lucas away wasn’t fair.
It was high time he moved on and stopped letting her control his actions. She didn’t want him, and he didn’t want her. Her family meant something to him, and she’d just have to suck it up.
* * *
With her head in her hand, Taylor lay on her bed with her back to the door. It was dark outside, and Lucas still wasn’t home. Not that she cared. Whatever he and Elijah were doing was his business, and she didn’t need to know the details.
“Waiting for me?”
Taylor jumped at the sound of her brother’s voice. She turned and met a wide grin. “You are a jerk and a half.”
“And you have been hoping I’d stop by on the way home and tell you what Elijah and I talked about.”
She pinched her lips together as she sat up. “I have not. I don’t care. I’m tired, and I was just…appreciating the quiet.”
“With the lights on?” he asked as he crossed the room and sat on her bed.
“I was too lazy to turn them off.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Okay, I’ll just go, then.”
As he started to stand, she grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to go.”
“Okay.” He settled back on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can stay.”
“Good.”
Silence descended between them, thick as fog. They were both stubborn. Both knew which buttons to press with the other. And both knew one would eventually give because the need to know was far greater than the need for pride.
Taylor mirrored Lucas, crossing her arms over her chest. She wouldn’t be the first to break. Not this time. She was just dandy not knowing a plum thing about Elijah. How his life had been. What he’d been up to. If he was…seeing anyone.
Her knee began to bounce as the desire for information ate at her. “Fine. Tell me something.”
Lucas snorted and doubled over laughing. “It’s so good to have you back home.”
“Shut up, jerk.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re still a jerk. So, spill.”
He held up a finger. “First, I need an answer.”
She shrugged. “Okay, about what?” she asked, dropping her hands to her lap.
“Why did you let people assume Elijah broke up with you? Because as your older, loving brother, I asked him about it. He said he didn’t. He said you dumped him.”
Conversation over. Taylor jumped out of bed, walked to the door, and waved for Lucas to leave. “Okay, I’m done.”
“I’m not, and I’m not leaving until you talk.”
“Well, I’m not talking, so…this is going to get really boring for you.”
Lucas stared at her. “Did he lie to me? Did he dump you?”
What should she do? How could she get out of this? “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s over and done. We’ve both moved on. The only reason I wanted information was to know that he was do
ing okay.”
“That was a yes or no question. So, yes or no?”
Crossing her arms over her chest again, Taylor cast her gaze to the floor. “Yes, he did. Are you happy?”
“No, because I think you just lied to me. Why did you dump him? Did he do something? Did you guys have an argument? What? Because I have to tell you, all of us were stunned when he left and that he left without you. So I need an explanation.”
She lifted her gaze to Lucas. “Well, you aren’t getting one.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Something smells. I’m not a good lawyer, I’m great. And it’s because I can tell when something’s fishy. This stinks like a landfill.”
It was near impossible to fight back the tears. “Lucas, please drop it. I don’t want to talk about it. Really,” she said, pleading with her eyes. “It’s done and over. And it needs to stay that way.”
Her brother stood, crossed the room, and stopped to face her. “I’m calling bull. Something happened, and I’m going to find out what.”
Taylor swallowed hard. “It really doesn’t matter. Even if something was going on, which I’m not saying there was, if it was, there’s nothing that can change what happened or fix the damage done. Just let it go, okay?”
Lucas nodded. “Okay.” The slight narrowing of his eyes told her he wasn’t even close to dropping it or letting it go. He was a dog with a raw steak.
Only Taylor knew that okay was not okay. He’d said it to pacify her while he snooped, and she couldn’t do anything. If she fought him, he’d just dig that much harder. Her best bet was to act as though nothing had happened and hope he didn’t find anything. Which, she was sure he wouldn’t. Six figures didn’t just go missing and not have a trail left behind. Ruth covered her bases. Taylor was sure about that.
All she needed to do was hold out until Lucas got bored. Once the dust settled and Elijah was gone, everything would go back to normal. Or at least as normal as it could be.
Chapter 5
The Ranger's Forgiveness (Army Ranger Romance Book 5) Page 3
