by Dawn Sister
"You were there?" Cal asks, "You saw what happened?"
Steele nods sadly,
"So you must have seen how many people came to help me after it happened then." Cal adds. Steele frowns,
"All with a guilty conscience I think." He judges. Cal shakes his head,
"The only person here who should have guilt on their conscience is you, Uncle Jackson." Cal points a finger, "You are the one that's been feeding me lies, undermining me at every turn and trying to control me so you can control my money."
"Calvin!" Steele gasps, it's almost an angry snap and I do not miss Cal's imperceptible flinch. I move closer to him, ever so slightly, "You know that's not true. Your Aunt and I only ever had your best interests at heart." Cal gives a derisive snort,
"The only interests you were ever worried about were your own." He spits, "You and Aunt Leslie were only ever concerned with how to get around the limits that were set on you when it came to spending my money."
Steele steps forwards and I think I see several bodies dotted about the coffee shop that all move in response, tensing, ready to jump in if we need any help. Cal moves back, his shoulder pressing back against mine. I don't waver, my body providing a firm solid wall for him to lean on,
"That money should have been mine." Steele hisses, "I should have had it all." his fists clench in anger, his eyes are wild with fury, "None of it should have gone to you, you're an abomination that should never have been born: my brother's punishment for living his life the way he did."
Cal gives a strangled gasp, but the noise is lost in the collective gasp from me and everyone else in the coffee shop who can hear since he is now shouting.
I've heard enough though. I step forward and place a hand on Steele's shoulder, turning him before he can argue. Grabbing his arm with my other hand, I frog march him towards the door,
"What do you think you're doing? Get your filthy hands off me." Steele's face is now red with apoplexy,
"I'm sorry, Mr Steele, but I think you've said everything you need to say and it's time you left." He shrugs me away from him when we reach the door and he makes a show of brushing himself down.
He gives me a dismissive, filthy look then turns his gaze to Cal, who has followed me, providing my back up this time,
"You're an abomination Calvin, a product of an abnormal home and deviant parentage. I'll see you and all your deviant friends burn in hell."
"I'd rather burn in hell by Jake's side than spend an eternity in paradise with you, Uncle Jackson. That's my idea of hell."
Steele sneers and curls his lip. He raises his fist raised as if to strike Cal. I feel myself moving to intervene although my brain is on fire as Cal's words echo in my head~ by Jake's side; by Jake's side.
Steele is poised, ready to throw the first punch when we hear a booming voice,
"I'd think twice about that if I were you, mister." Sheriff Jefferson's tone is unbending, no nonsense and his presence is as large as ever. His over ample form completely fills the doorway he has just emerged through. I've never wanted to kiss the bombastic, pompous ass so much in my entire life.
Steele lowers his fist and steps away from Cal as if he'd been pulled by some unseen force. Jefferson steps to the side, unblocking the exit,
"Jackson Steele I believe." Jefferson sneers. Steele gives him an ice cold glare, "Cat got your tongue?" Jefferson snaps. Steele flinches, "I asked you your name."
"Yes!" Steele hisses sullenly through his teeth,
"SIR!" Jefferson bellows, his face red with rage, "The correct response, Mr Steele, is: YES SIR!" Steele flinches again and mutters the correct response.
Damned if that wasn't the hottest thing I've ever seen, apart from Cal sprawled out naked on my bed of course,
"It's time you left, Mr Steele." Jefferson tells him, "I think you'd better make sure you're out of town within the hour or you might find yourself under arrest."
"On what charge?" Steele sneers. Jefferson grabs the front of his shirt,
"On any charge I damn well want because I'm the law round here." He throws Steele back, releasing his hold, "Now get outta here before I decide to arrest you right now!"
Steele stumbles in his attempt to get out of the door as fast as he can.
Jefferson takes out his radio and speaks briefly to one of his deputies giving a description of Cal's Uncle and asking him to make sure he leaves town then he turns to us, his apparent anger suddenly gone,
"You guys okay?" he asks in a concerned tone. We both nod.
Cal's mouth has fallen open and I think he had the same response to the Sheriff's handling of his Uncle as I did. We exchange amused glances before we are suddenly surrounded by well wishers as the entire coffee shop erupts with applause for us and for Jefferson.
"Okay now, that's enough, everyone settle down. Give the men some space." Jefferson waves his hands in a calming motion, "Lou Anne." He calls, as he ushers Cal and I to an empty booth by the window, "Bring us some o' those delicious donuts and some of your best coffee. I think we all need a sugar boost."
Chapter Eighteen: Coffee and Donuts
Jefferson's order of Danish pastries and coffee is welcome and after the adrenaline rush of confronting Cal's Uncle the sugar boost is definitely needed.
I tell Jefferson everything that Steele said to me. He's especially interested in the fact that Steele had employed a private detective to take photographs of us. I show him the photograph I managed to keep. It's an intimate and obvious intrusion of our privacy but it does show that there was perhaps a witness to what happened to Cal's house. Jefferson asks to keep the print and I try to ignore Cal's shocked but pleased expression when I ask him to look after it because I'd quite like it back.
It's a nice picture, a nice memory, despite the circumstances under which it was taken.
"When Uncle Jackson walked through the door I froze." Cal explains his part of the story, "I think the others thought I was having some kind of fit. When I told them who Jackson was they pulled me to the back of the booth where I was hidden from his view."
I make a note to thank Cal's friends for their quick thinking. They've gone now, but they promised to call round to my house later. I rest my hand over Cal's to steady it because, despite his Uncle having left, he is still trembling and wide eyed,
"He's gone now." I assure him, "He won't be back, the Sheriff will make certain of that. You're safe here." He flashes me a grateful smile and leans his head on my shoulder. I glance at the Sheriff for confirmation of what I've said.
Jefferson's mouth is full of donut so he can't reply but he grunts an affirmative and waves his hands about as he nods enthusiastically. I see Cal's mouth twitch slightly and he meets my eye with a flicker of mirth in his. I have to look away because Jefferson is providing a very effective distraction from the trauma of the morning and I feel the urge to laugh hysterically myself.
There is a call on Jefferson's radio and the Sheriff stuffs the last piece of Danish in his mouth before standing,
"Gotta take this outside boys." He mumbles, spraying crumbs and causing Cal to cover a snort by coughing. I helpfully pat him on the back feeling my eyes burn with tears of mirth.
Jefferson leaves us to finish our coffee. As soon as the door closes we're both reduced to snorts of helpless laughter,
"Well now, that's a sight for sore eyes." Lou Anne tells us, smiling at our hysterics, as she clears Jefferson's mess from the table, "Sheriff Jefferson can be quite entertaining sometimes, when he wants to be and sometimes when he doesn't even realise."
"He sure can." I agree. She leaves us with a wink and goes back behind her counter.
Once she's gone and we're finally alone I take Cal's hands in mine and meet his earnest, clear gaze,
"Are you okay?" I search his face with concern. He smiles weakly and nods,
"I'm fine." He assures me, although I think that might just be a default response, "What about you? You're the one that had to deal with my Uncle, which…" he turns his hand so that he can link his fingers
with mine, "I am very grateful for Jake." He looks down and I feel my heart flicker as he blushes, "I think you might be my hero."
"Huh, you just think?" My eyes search his face, smiling. He gasps and lays his hand on my cheek,
"I mean I know you are, you are, definitely." He splutters, then smiles tenderly as I chuckle at his back stepping, "My hero!" he whispers softly before leaning forward to press his lips to mine.
I pull him to me with a moan, deepening the kiss, not worrying how many people can see us.
Someone clears their throat and we jump apart,
"Well now," Jefferson is standing regarding us with a twinkle in his eye, "Sorry to interrupt but I thought you both oughtta know that one of my deputies followed Jackson Steele out o' town, but the guy hasn't gone far, he's staying at a motel about ten miles from here."
Cal tenses by my side. I squeeze his hand reassuringly,
"It's on the other side of town to you two so he'd have to come through here before he got to you, we'll be looking out for him. I assure you he won't get anywhere near either of you. Once I've brought him in for some questioning he'll be sent packing for good."
"Thank you Sheriff." I say gratefully,
"Least I can do for this special guy." Jefferson leaves us with a wink at Cal and a nod to me,
"I'm not special." Cal exclaims in surprise once the Sheriff is gone, although his face has flushed adorably pink.
I hold his face in my hands so he definitely does not miss one word I want to say to him,
"Yes you are, Cal." I tell him with so much passion I feel weak inside, "You are so very special, I've always thought so. Don't let anyone tell you any different, especially not that damn Uncle of yours."
"You heard what he said, though, Jake?" He asks me with a frown and I nod,
"I can assure you that no one here feels that way. No one here will give any of your Uncle's words a second thought."
Cal looks relieved but unsettled. I suppose if he's spent four years being told all that crap by his Uncle it's going to take a while to undo the damage,
"He was okay at first, my Uncle," Cal tells me, as if he's searching for some kind of positive about the guy, "but he showed his true colours when he realised he couldn't influence me the way he thought he could. After that he took every opportunity to make sure I knew how he felt about me and my parents." God his life with that man must have been terrible,
"Didn't your Aunt ever intervene when your Uncle started saying those things?" Cal shakes his head,
"She was just as bad." He says sadly,
"Oh Cal!" I sigh, taking his hand in mine and rubbing my thumb across the back of it. I have no idea how to make this better for him except to do what I'm doing now, since he seems to take comfort from me and I'm more than happy to give it.
His words from before are still running in a loop in my head
~by Jake's side; by Jake's side.
I want to ask him what he meant. He told me last night that this thing between us wasn't a one time thing but a long time thing. I know now is not the right time or place to discuss how we feel about each other. It will wait until we get home. I do feel that we have reached a relationship milestone in just a few weeks that it takes some couples a life time to even contemplate. Cal, I have come to realise, is used to getting what he wants, and what he appears to want is me. I very much doubt I will dispute his claim at any time in the near or distant future, but, yes, a long talk is well overdue.
Right now though, I think we need a little bit of normality.
For a little while we sit, leaning into the corner of the booth with Cal's head resting comfortably on my shoulder. Lou Anne brings us each another coffee and I think I've lost track of how many we've had now. We only planned to come in for one cup before going to get Cal some new clothes. Something we still have to do I guess.
I nudge him and he sits up. He looks tired,
"Do you still want to go shopping?" I ask him. He gives me a wry half smile and nods,
"I suppose we'll have to. I need some clothes, although…" he sighs, "I really just want to go home now."
"We can do that." I say brightly, "I have a ton of band t shirts that have been out of fashion so long they're probably cool again, and there's always my plaid cotton boxers to fall back on." Cal snorts and nudges me,
"Asshole." He gasps, "That settles it, let's go shopping Jake."
He stands and helps me out of the booth. I make that noise that all people over forty make when they stand up, it's compulsory. I'm just glad Cal doesn’t hear it,
"Did you just make that old guy noise?" he asks, and when he sees my shocked expression he giggles, "You did didn't you?"
"No!" I protest, then I concede with a smirk, "Maybe." I poke my finger at him, "You have all this to look forward to whippersnapper."
"What is a whippersnapper anyway?" Cal asks as we walk out of the café, waving to Lou Anne and several others as we go,
"I have no idea, Cal." I tell him in surprise, "Although it seems to fit you to a tee."
"I prefer the name Sunshine." He admits, a little shyly. I wrap my arm around his shoulders and pull him close,
"Okay, Sunshine," I kiss the side of his head, "Tell me where you want to go first."
He turns me to face him with his lips pursed,
"I think you keep forgetting I can't hear you." He sounds indignant and I gasp because I do, he lip reads so well,
"I'm sorry." I apologise, feeling really bad. I brush some of his blond curls behind his ear. The sun is at his back and it shines through his hair like a halo. He's an Angel: he's my angel, "Forgive me?" I flutter my eyelashes and he chuckles,
"Always." He murmurs then leans in to kiss me on the cheek.
Suddenly he gasps sharply, his entire body instantly tense. His hands grab my arms before pushing me to one side with such force I am thrown into the doorway of the coffee shop. I fall to the ground stunned, but then everything slows down as I look up and see why I was pushed.
Cal saw it before I heard it: the car that's mounted the pavement and is rushing towards us. His quick thinking has pushed me out of the way but that action hasn't left him enough time to get out of the way himself.
The car barely misses me but hits him and throws him up into the air like a rag doll. It stops with a screech of brakes and he comes down onto the hood with a sickening thud only to roll off the front as the car crunches into reverse. He lands on the ground in a crumpled heap and the sunshine is suddenly gone.
The car pulls back, its wheels inches from my feet. My lungs are filled with the acrid smell of burning brakes and exhaust smoke. I screw up my eyes against the sting of the fumes. The engine revs as if it is going to make another run. Cal doesn't move, he just doesn't move. I don't give a thought to my own safety: I move. If that maniac is going to run over Cal again, he's going to have to go through me first.
I scramble to reach him and throw myself as a shield between the front of the car and Cal. I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable. Whatever the driver was planning to do next is never carried out as several bodies descend on the car from all directions. The driver is dragged out before he can do anything more.
I don't see who the driver is. I don't see anything. As I open my eyes I only see Cal, lying so still I feel my breath leave my body in an anguished cry even though I don't even recall taking the breath in the first place.
"Cal!" I scramble around on my knees to face him. I think my heart has stopped beating. I see his still body in tunnel vision. The rest of the world is dark and silent.
