by Ciara Knight
They pulled up to the precinct, and Felicia marched inside, determined to give Declan a piece of her mind and then some. She signed in and paced the lobby, Stella and Carissa sitting nearby, still quiet.
The wait felt like a week until the door opened and a man in uniform waved her back into the heart of the building. Stella and Carissa were at her heels, protecting her the way they’d protected each other ever since they were young. They all settled into a small office with an oversized wooden desk.
“Ms. Hughes, we apologize for the inconvenience, but when you reported your truck stolen, we thought it best to have you come to the station, since the man in question stated you’d allowed him to borrow the vehicle. If you could just give us your official statement, show us your driver’s license and registration, we can give you the keys and you can be on your way.”
“I didn’t report the truck stolen,” she blurted, stunned by the man’s words.
The officer lifted the edge of a paper and studied the next page. “He stated that he borrowed the truck.”
“No,” she mumbled. “I mean, yes.”
“Which is it?” The officer had an air of irritation in his voice.
Carissa raised her hand, as if in class. “He’s an employee and he has free access to the truck at any time.”
“Is that the case, Ms. Hughes?” the officer asked.
“Yes.” Felicia sucked in a quick breath and looked the man in the eyes. “Yes, that’s true. I’m not sure who made this report, and I apologize for any inconvenience. But I assure you, it wasn’t me.”
“I see.” The officer slid the piece of paper back.
“So, can I see Declan now?” Felicia asked, eager to tell him she hadn’t reported him for stealing anything and to reprimand him for keeping secrets.
“He’s in violation of his parole.”
“But he didn’t steal the truck,” Felicia reminded him.
The officer tapped a pen against the desk. “Are you family?”
“No, he, um…works for me. Like we told you.” Felicia knotted her purse strap in her lap.
“If I can give you a piece of advice, ma’am… Mr. Mills may not be the best person to work for you. He has a history with the law.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of his history,” Felicia said, feeling anger simmer at yet another person judging Declan without knowing him.
The officer frowned and cleared his throat. “If you don’t want to press charges or file a report on him, then my hands are tied. Give me a minute to take care of some paperwork, and he’ll be released. He’ll need to call his probation officer to follow up since we notified him of the arrest.”
Felicia’s stomach twisted. “I’ll make sure to tell him that Declan did nothing wrong.”
The officer strutted out the door. “If you say so.”
Stella stood with arms crossed in the corner. “Who would report your truck stolen?”
“I don’t know. I hope Declan doesn’t think that it was me.”
Carissa scooted her chair closer. “He wouldn’t. But I have to ask you, Felicia. Are you sure this is the man you want in your life? A man who will always be someone everyone sees as a felon? Can you handle that kind of prejudice?”
Felicia rolled her head to the side and gave her an are-you-serous look. “In first grade, I was called confused colored. In third, Milky Milano. By junior high school, they became more creative with Oreo, zebra, dalmatian, checkerboard, penguin, and swirl girl. Oh, and my personal favorite, which only took nine years for kids to come up with, was Panda Princess. Do you honestly think I can’t handle a little prejudice in my life?”
“You should’ve let me punch them on the playground like I wanted,” Stella said with full-blown sass.
Felicia shook her head. “That wouldn’t have solved anything, and you would’ve been in more trouble. Violence was never the answer.” She thought of all the taunting for a moment and realized how Stella always had her back. “But I appreciated knowing you were willing to get in trouble to save my honor. You four have been everything to me.”
“And you’ve been that for us. That’s the only reason we worry. Because we care.” Carissa threw her arms around Felicia.
They huddled for a second with Stella managing to put a hand on their backs for her awkward but loving comfort. “Who do you think called the cops, anyway?”
Stella’s question hung in the air for a moment. “Did Nana know about today? Maybe she thought it had been stolen. Although, I doubt it. Declan and Nana have gotten close. He would’ve told her that he was taking it.”
“Then who else could it be?” Carissa asked.
“Lacey and Jason.” Declan’s voice drew their attention to the doorway. “Although, I will confess that for a moment, I thought perhaps your friends had set me up.”
Carissa shot up from the chair. “We wouldn’t do that.”
Stella put a hand in front of her. “Down girl. I’m the fighter here.” She walked up to Declan in true Stella style. “I would’ve thought the same, but for future reference, Carissa’s right.” She smacked him on the shoulder and strutted past him. “Come on, Carissa. We should wait in the lobby. Let’s give these two a chance to chat.” She paused. “But after that, I want to know more about this Lacey-Jason situation.”
Declan nodded, and Carissa hurried out the door behind Stella, leaving Felicia to face him.
“This all could’ve been avoided if you had told me what you were doing.” She started to close her mouth, but once she started talking, it was as if she couldn’t stop. Diplomacy had been left in Sugar Maple. “You say you trust me, but you don’t. I don’t even know why you need another job. You have one. I thought you were happy there. Why do you have to go get one this far away? Is it me? Do you want to put some distance between us because you realized you don’t really want to move things between us forward?”
Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes and her body shook, upset about the truck, his arrest, the secrets, Lacey, and everything else that was going on.
Declan grabbed the doorframe, as if holding himself up. His tone of voice was incredulous when he asked, “Do I want to leave? Do I not want to be with you?”
She nodded, unable to speak anymore.
“Felicia Hughes… This is how much I want to be with you.” He closed the two steps between them, lifted her up into his arms with her toes off the floor, and kissed her. Madly, deeply, wildly, lovingly.
Twenty-Two
For three days, Declan enjoyed time alone with Felicia. He knew that tomorrow would bring a film crew to the nursery to finish the segment for the Knox Brevard show and, with it, everyone she cared about from town. He only hoped he could show them how much he tried to make Felicia happy. If only he had a job to support her like he was raised to do. After finishing repairs on the outer fence, he showered and then raced to the house. He found Nana asleep on the couch, so he tucked her in for her afternoon nap, packed a picnic, and took it out to the heart of the property in back at a small hill, under a beautiful dogwood tree that was in full bloom.
“Whatcha got there?” Felicia tilted her sun hat up to her hairline, allowing him to see her vibrant eyes.
“Our lunch. I thought it might be nice to sit out here. Summer is heating up, and we won’t have many more afternoons like this in our future.” Declan hoped he hadn’t overstepped. “I know it’s not a real date, but I’m hoping to follow up on a lead next week in Creekside.”
“A crowded restaurant in the heart of a big city isn’t my idea of a date. This is perfect.” She settled on the blanket he’d spread out, kneeling and then lowering to her hip. The woman was graceful even in galoshes and a wide-brimmed hat, which she removed and set by her side. “And I admit, your cooking is much better than any restaurant I’ve ever been to.”
His face flushed. “Thanks. I hope you don’t mind. I’ve planted some fresh vegetables behind the field in the back corner. If you need that land for anything, I’d be happy to rip it out.”
>
“No, that’s fine.” She opened the basket and took a long sniff. “Wow, you spoil me.”
“I try.”
“Tell me something.” Felicia removed her galoshes and then straightened her legs. “Why do you want to return to working as some corporate person? You seem so happy here in the fresh air.”
He shrugged. “It’s what I’m good at, and it pays the bills.”
“Do you enjoy working in an office?” Felicia asked.
He thought about it for a moment and decided happiness would be a strong word. “It’s as good as any job.”
“But you smile, hum, and are happy here. Why do you have to find a job somewhere else?”
“Because I can’t live off you, Felicia.” He leaned in and caressed her soft cheek, willing her to understand. “I need to be a man. Perhaps it’s old-fashioned, but I need a job, a way to make my own way in this world, or I’ll never feel right about being anything more than your friend.”
The way she stiffened at his words tortured him, but he couldn’t lie. Not to her. Not ever. “Please, be patient. I’ll figure things out. Don’t give up on me, not yet.”
“I won’t. I believe in you, Declan.” She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. “But you still keep your distance from me. It’s as if you keep all your passion inside until it explodes, and then you consume me with one kiss. It’s amazing, and confusing, and I want more. I deserve more.”
“You do,” he whispered, as if the words were too painful to say loud enough for the world to hear.
Felicia leaned away from him and studied his expression, unnerving him a little. “I don’t mean that I deserve more than you. I mean I deserve all of you.”
“I know what you meant.” He opened the picnic basket in an attempt to change the subject. “I was thinking about utilizing the vegetables to cook, and if they turn out well, perhaps I could sell them. I know it’s your land, and of course the money’s yours, but it couldn’t hurt to expand the nursery, could it?”
“If the idea’s yours and you do the work, I’ll rent you the property. I’ve done it before.”
“You have?”
“Yeah, there used to be a woman who thought all produce was poisoned by the government, so she rented an acre from us and planted her own food. Unfortunately, she died of cancer from smoking for fifty years.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His memories floated back to his cooking at the prison and how he longed for fresh produce for their meals. “Does Sugar Maple have a farm-to-table restaurant or market?”
“No.” Felicia took a chicken salad sandwich from him—made with the tarragon he grew that she enjoyed—on a fresh brioche bun. “That sounds like an amazing idea.”
“I’ve heard of them before. When I go to the grocery store, the organic section is so small. It would be nice to have that option for cooking. That’s why I thought you should start your own little garden.”
“It’s your idea, your garden. You can have that back acre for whatever you want.”
“I won’t have time to keep up with it once I’m working a new job, but maybe I can start it until then. Get it up and running, and then you can take it over.”
“Okay, but you keep all the profits,” she said flatly.
He couldn’t—wouldn’t—have that. “Nope, it’s your land.”
“As I said, you can rent it. I think one dollar a month should cover it.” She smiled, so sweetly it almost soothed the knowledge that she was giving him a handout.
“What did you charge the woman who used to rent property from you before?”
“I charged her $30 a month,” Felicia said with hesitation in her voice.
“That’s awfully low,” Declan accused. “I’ll do $50 a month, starting.”
She shot out her hand. “Deal.”
He took it, kissed her knuckles and nuzzled her ear, pulling her close to him under the dogwood in the shade of summer. They playfully rolled about and teased one another like children, enjoyed their meal, and he never wanted lunch to end.
Each second he spent with Felicia was a gift straight from heaven. Hopefully, in a week or so, he could officially date her with the knowledge he could afford to take her out and treat her the way she deserved. The only problem besides getting the job was that his heart ached each time he thought about leaving her to go to work. Especially in Creekside. He’d have to move his camper between the two cities if he’d make it to work each day and only see Felicia on weekends, but it was a sacrifice he had no choice but to make.
After all, how many opportunities were out there for a man convicted of stealing money from his own father’s company?
Twenty-Three
Dark clouds tumbled over the mountains, unloading torrential rain. Felicia pressed her nose to the window. “It hasn’t rained like this in ten years. I hope the front field doesn’t flood. That’s the lowest part of the grounds.”
Declan rubbed her shoulders, relieving tension near her neck. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. If it continues, I’ll dig a trench and funnel the water to the ditch out to the road.”
Nana yawned. “All this rain’s making me tired. I’m headed to bed.”
Felicia looked at her watch. “It’s ten in the morning.”
“I know, but can’t an old lady nap when she wants?” She hobbled to her room and shut the door.
Declan abandoned her too, attempting to fix his tie again.
“I thought you were a big corporate guy. Didn’t you wear a tie?”
“It’s been years, and I want to look perfect. Apparently they’re in desperate need of someone to help at a veterans center in Creekside. I’m supposed to meet with a James Benjamin. According to my friend, he’s an amazing man, and he already knows my history. He doesn’t care, as long as I’m able-bodied and willing to do more to help out than just work in finance. It’s kind of an eclectic job, where I’ll also do transportation, paperwork, intakes, billing, and acquisitions.”
“Will this make you happy?” Felicia asked, not sure any of those jobs would get him to smile the way he did when he was working in his garden or with herbs.
“If I have money to support myself and perhaps help you someday, then I’ll be happy.”
She knew there was no changing his mind, so she adjusted his tie. He was set on the traditional male role in a relationship, and it was one of the things she loved about him, even if it frustrated her. Of course, she didn’t want a man to mooch off her, but Declan would never do that. He worked harder than any man she’d ever known. The workload at the nursery had become bearable, and she hadn’t been worried about Nana near as much. Selfish. That’s what she was being. The man needed a job, and she wanted him to stay for her own selfish reasons. “You look handsome, professional, and capable. Good luck.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I have a good feeling about this for you.”
He beamed with enthusiasm, and that warmed her heart. “I’ll be gone until after dinner, so please don’t let anyone report the truck missing.” He winked, but his words tickled that niggling feeling about that scenario. “I had hoped to surprise you when I had a job, but I have to admit I like you in my corner better.”
“Please be careful. The rain hasn’t stopped, and the roads could be flooded. If you can’t make it back today, don’t try. I don’t need the truck for a couple of days.”
“Don’t worry so much. Is this what it’s going to be like when I go to work every day?” Declan teased, poking her in her ticklish spot.
“Yes, so get used to it.”
“I can get used to anything with you.” He kissed her, only a peck and nothing like before. Oh, how she longed for one of those kisses.
Declan left her with nothing but her thoughts, the rain pelting against the window and her grandmother sleeping. She’d never felt so alone. In all the time before Declan, she’d never needed anyone around. She was strong, independent, and liked her alone time. But if there was one thing that afternoon taught her, it was that her lif
e had changed the minute Declan Mills drove into it. Now, she only hoped he’d stay. Job or no job, she wanted that man in her life.
In the late afternoon, Nana woke and they played cards, but Felicia couldn’t focus. By dinnertime, she was checking her watch, waiting for him to return. As she cleared the dishes and helped Nana back to her room, there was a knock. She abandoned the cleaning and raced for the door, struggling between hope that Declan had landed the job and fear he’d done so.
But when she opened the door, it wasn’t Declan but Lacey standing in the rain. Felicia thought about slamming the door in her face, but she couldn’t. She could never turn her back on anyone who meant something to her. Everyone deserved some sort of grace. “Did he hurt you again?”
“No. Can I come inside?” Lacey held a folder to her chest and snugged the hood of her raincoat over her forehead.
“I guess, but I don’t think you could convince me to give you your old job back. Not when you disappeared for so long.”
“I’m not here about a job.” Lacey removed her hood and sheepishly handed Felicia the folder she’d been clinging to. “I didn’t know what to do. It’s been tearing me up inside. You know I love you like a sister. That’s why I left. I knew I couldn’t stay and allow this to continue, but I didn’t know how to tell you since I knew it would break your heart.”
“What are you talking about?” Felicia opened the folder and pulled out spreadsheets, documents, purchase orders, and credit card statements. “What’s all this?”
“Proof,” Lacey stated, as if that was supposed to mean something.
“Of what?” Felicia studied the documents, shoving plates out of the way and spreading the sheets of paper over the table.
“Of Declan stealing from you,” Lacey said, tears in her eyes.
