Penance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 2)

by Reese A. Stephens

  “I’m sorry too.”

  “You’re coming back Friday, right?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be home Friday evening. We can go out to dinner.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  We head inside and order a pizza. We end up playing board games with the kids until it arrives and then watch a movie while we eat. Things started out a little rocky, but the evening ends on a high note.

  “Let’s put them in their beds and then head to ours,” Shannon says with a suggestive voice. I quickly agree and before long I have her just where I need her.

  Chapter Four

  Judson

  I was hoping after our night last night that Shannon would snap out of whatever funk she was in, but as soon as she woke up in the morning, she was on that stupid phone again. I almost snatch it out of her hand, but decide not to, because I really don’t want to fight before my trip.

  “I’m heading out.” I say as I walk into the den from the kids’ room. Shannon is sitting there typing away on her phone. “Shannon?”

  She looks up with a dazed expression. “Huh?”

  “I’m leaving.” I point to the door for emphasis.

  “Yeah, okay. Bye.”

  Anger surges through me and even though I had decided not to grab the phone earlier, I can’t control myself now. I grab the phone and throw it across the room. It shatters against the brick of the fireplace.

  “Judson!” She shrieks, jumping up and running to the phone like I’ve just thrown a puppy. “Why in the world would you do that? What’s wrong with you?”

  I snort. “What’s wrong with me? You’ve been on that thing nonstop since we came back from vacation. You barely opened your eyes this morning and you’re on it again. What is so important that you can’t even say goodbye to your husband?”

  “I told you, Krissy is having a hard time. I was in the middle of an important conversation, Judson. Now, I’m going to have to go to the store and get a new one because we don’t have a house line. What if there’s an emergency?”

  “I shouldn’t have thrown it, but you have to realize how frustrating this is for me.”

  “I never begrudge you for your hour long talks with your sister, who we both know hates me. I never say a thing, but when my sister needs me, you fly off the handle?”

  “Right, an hour is nothing compared to a week of being on your phone day and night. If your sister is having such a hard time, why not go to her or better yet, have her come here?”

  I’m not being cruel. If Krissy is in trouble, no matter how I feel about her, I’d do what I could to help her. Even if that meant she had to stay at our house. But, I doubt that she’s really talking to her sister. Never in the time I’ve known my wife has she ever been on the phone with her sister, or anyone, this much.

  “She can’t come here. You can’t stand her.”

  “You know me better than that. If your sister is truly in this much trouble, I‘ll do whatever I can to help her. I’m not heartless.”

  “I didn’t say you were heartless. Kris, won’t come here anyway, but maybe after you get back, I can go visit her.”

  I grab her hand and give it a squeeze. “Sure, and I am sorry about your phone. Take the kids to your mom’s or call my mom; I’m sure she won’t mind coming down. Go get yourself a new phone.”

  “Yeah, okay. I think Mom can keep them. Have a safe trip. I’m sorry I’ve been so distant.”

  “I love you,” I tell her. No matter how angry or upset I am, that fact never changes.

  “Love you too. Be careful. Call me when you get there.” I agree, and kiss her before I leave.

  I don’t think everything is magically better, but we’re headed in the right direction. Getting to the office doesn’t take long and Grant is already there, surprisingly.

  “You ready to go?” I ask.

  “Almost. I came in about an hour ago. I needed to put the finishing touches on the presentation.”

  “I’m impressed. You’re really taking this seriously.” I slap his shoulder in praise.

  “Of course I am. This is a multi-million dollar deal. If we get this, we’ll be set for life. Our names will skyrocket in this industry. This isn’t small town, Jud.”

  “I’m aware. I’m just surprised you care. You’ve never seemed this interested before.”

  “I know. I should have been, but this is different. I just feel really connected. Things have just … clicked with this project. Does that make sense?”

  I nod. “Of course. I get that way on all of my furniture projects.”

  “Right, so this is something I feel like we can do well. I think the log cabins and homes will really tie in nicely with your furniture making abilities. These places really eat that up. They want the handcrafted touches throughout.”

  “Wow, I had no idea you’d already talked to them about my furniture.”

  I’m honestly shocked and feel guilty that I’ve questioned his loyalty. I may have to call Clay off. Maybe I was wrong. God! I hope so.

  “I was going to tell you. I’ve just not seen you. You’ve worked a lot less since your vacation.”

  I rub a hand over my face. “Yeah, I’ve felt a bit guilty for not spending much time with my family. I’m working on that balance.”

  He takes a turn clapping me on the shoulder. “You’ll find it. I’ll be ready in five if you are.”

  “Yeah, I just need to get a few things from my office.”

  I head into my office and grab a couple of files I need for our meeting and make sure I have the building plans. I have everything on a portable drive, but I also have hardcopies of everything. Digital definitely has it perks, but I still like the old school touch of handing them a set of blueprints and I think customers like that as well.

  “Wheels up in two hours. We need to hurry.” Grant raps on my door.

  “I’m ready.”

  We head out to my SUV and get out on the road to the airport within minutes. The flight is only an hour, but it saves us the eight-hour drive by car, for which I’m thankful. We use the hour to go over our plans for our presentation and troubleshoot a few last minute issues that arise without discussion. This is the part I love; this is why I chose him as my business partner. He is good at seeing the holes in the plan, or noticing things that will make the whole process run smoother. He has a degree in accounting, but his real skill set is public relations and project management. I think I’ll talk to him about bringing Clay back in. If we get this account, Grant will really need to focus on this account and not have any other distractions. Once we arrive, we are escorted by a hired car to one of the fanciest hotels I’ve ever seen and certainly nicer than anywhere I’ve ever stayed.

  “Wow, check this place out,” Grant says as he walks around the suite, arms wide as he gazes around. He reminds me of Jayden right now. He has a wide-eyed childhood expression on his face.

  I chuckle. “Yeah, this place is over the top. But if we nail this account down, then we might be staying in places like this more often.”

  “Heck yeah, we will. Look a mini-bar.”

  “That stuff is way overpriced. Come on, we have to meet them for dinner soon.”

  We head over to the hotel restaurant at about ten to five. Mr. Hunt and Mr. Smith are already at a table near the back of the dining area. Everyone is all smiles when we reach them. They all stand and shake our hands, motioning for us to sit down.

  “Judson, Grant, it’s good seeing you both again. We missed you at the last meeting, Judson,” Mr. Hunt says in good nature.

  “Ah, yes. Sorry about that. I was out of town.”

  “Time with family is very important,” Mr. Smith says as the waitress comes around and takes our order.

  “It is. I haven’t been able to get away with them much the past year. I’m hoping to change that. Thank you both for inviting us up. I can’t wait to see the build sites and discuss planning further.”

  “Mr. Smith, I was telling Judson about the expansion to your offices.
Is that something you wanted to talk about today?” Grant asks.

  “Please, enough with formalities, you can call us Allen,” he pointed to himself, “and Scott.” He gestured to Mr. Hunt. “But to answer your question, yes, among many things. We really liked your ideas, Grant. I’m pretty confident that we’d like you both to oversee these projects.” Allen turns to me. “Grant told us you’re into furniture making?” I nod and set my drink back to the table. “What type?”

  “I do custom pieces. I did most of the furniture in my home. A bedroom set for my wife and I, and our kids’ room. I did the end tables and coffee table for the living room, the kitchen table, and I’ve done some similar pieces for family and people in our area.”

  “So you think you could do rustic furniture for our cabins and offices?”

  “I think so. I’d like to get an idea of what exactly you’re looking for, but I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  “How long does it take you?” Scott asks. The server arrives with our food, so I wait to answer until she’s gone.

  “Depending on the piece, rustic furniture is much easier than a piece that has clean lines and intricate detail.”

  I grab my phone and pull up several pictures of my work to show them. They seem impressed enough. I’m in the middle of explaining my time frame when Grant looks down nervously at his phone.

  “Excuse me. I need to get this.” He points to his phone then darts off towards the bathroom.

  “I hope everything is okay,” Allen says.

  I sigh and wipe my mouth with my napkin. “I’m sure it is. If he’s not back in a few minutes, I’ll go check on him.”

  Grant doesn’t come back, so I get up and head in the direction I last saw him. When I’m almost to the bathrooms, I hear him. He’s standing in a little alcove with his back to me.

  “I told you, it’s not that simple,” he says into the phone. “You don’t have to do that. I swear it will only be a few days. I’ll be back in town Friday night. I can meet you Saturday.” There’s a long pause. “How am I supposed to do that, if you won’t stop calling me?” I have no idea what he’s talking about, but it doesn’t sound good. “I’ll be home by Saturday.” He pauses again. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.” I should probably go back to my seat, but I can’t bring myself to leave. He turns around and looks at me with wide eyes. “Jud.”

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “Nothing. I’m just mapping something out. I don’t want to jinx the project. I’ll tell you all about it after it’s confirmed. Okay?”

  “Yeah, if you’re sure.”

  “Positive. Let’s get back to our meeting.”

  We talk until late in the night. I feel very confident that we’ll be working with these guys for years to come. This isn’t only going to put our construction company on the map, but it’s going to allow me to do what I love most and build furniture.

  The next morning, we get up early and head out to the property for the build site. It’s mostly covered in trees and mountains, but there is a large area that has been uncovered as construction had begun, but then abandoned.

  “Morning, gentlemen,” Allen greets us as we step out of the town car.

  “Morning,” Grant and I say in unison. I stand with my hands on my hips, looking around.

  “Quite the mess you have here,” I say, squinting to see against the bright sunshine.

  The men laugh. “It sure is. The company we were using had some conflicting schedules and other issues, and just weren’t able to finish for us. I’m hoping you boys won’t have any issues.”

  “I don’t foresee any, sir,” I tell him, and I don’t. This whole project seems to be a cakewalk. Sure, it’ll be hard work, but this is a dream job.

  We spend the next couple of hours exploring the land and talking about the structures we plan to build. They were completely impressed with my attention to detail on my blueprints. By the end of the day, we have closed the deal and signed the contract. We should start on this project within the next two weeks.

  On the drive back to the hotel, Grant’s phone rings. He groans. “Hello?”

  He’s quiet for a long while, his hands are clinched into fists. The car slows to a stop in front of the hotel and he darts out of the car. I follow. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I can tell he’s angry. I have to jog to catch up with him.

  “Why would you do that?” He turns to me, his face still pinched in anger. “I need to go. I‘ll call you later.”

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Nothing. I need to get up to the room. I’m going to have to head back early.”

  “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

  “I will, but not now. It’s family issues. My grandpa’s estate is causing upset.”

  I nod. His grandfather had passed just a few weeks ago. The family was still in the process of divvying out his assets, and from the little bit he’s actually told me, his mom and her brother are fighting horribly. I just leave him be and head back to my own room. I call Shannon, but she doesn’t answer. I shoot her a text to let her know I’m free to talk until dinner, then I decide to lie down for a while. I’m not sure how long I’m asleep when my phone wakes me.

  “Hello?” I say, trying to clear the grogginess from my voice.

  “Is this Mr. Hardenbergh?”

  I clear my throat again. “Yes, it is, who’s this?”

  “This is Shelly Adams from the Brantsville Sheriff’s Department. I’m calling to inform you that there has been a fire at 1505 East Brooke Road.”

  “A fire? Is everyone okay?”

  “I can’t confirm that, sir. I’ve only been told of the fire and asked to contact you.”

  I’m about to reply when Grant bursts through the hotel door. He looks wide-eyed and panicked as he looks around the room until his eyes meet mine. I hang up the phone.

  “Krissy called me. She’s been trying to reach you, but she had your number wrong. Your house …”

  “There was a fire, the police just called. They couldn’t tell me if everyone was okay.”

  “I don't know. She said they’ve rushed Shannon to the hospital. We need to go.” I stand there unable to move. A fire? There was a fire in my house. That seemed impossible. What could have happened?

  “Jud, we need to get going.” Grant shakes my shoulders.

  I blink and shake my head. “Right. We need to call and get a flight out.”

  “It’s taken care of. I was talking in the lobby with Allen and Scott when I got the call. Their assistant arranged it for us. We’ll be in the air within the hour. Hurry, get your stuff together.”

  I go through the motions of packing and dressing. We’re ready to go within ten minutes and in the air less than an hour later, like he said. I don't remember the flight or the drive from the airport to the hospital. When we enter the emergency room, something snaps me out of the haze I’ve been in for the past two hours, and I hurry over to the reception desk.

  “I’m looking for my wife, Shannon Hardenbergh, and our kids, Josie and Jayden.”

  The nurse types on the computer then says, “Just a moment. Let me get a doctor.”

  I wait impatiently for about five minutes before a doctor appears and motions for us to follow him. I see Krissy standing in the hall and I know. I just know it’s not good.

  “Oh, Jud,” she says before bursting into tears and flying into my arms. I’m numb. This can’t be happening. “I’m so sorry.”

  I look over at the doctor. He clears his throat. “Mr. Hardenbergh, Your wife suffered a great deal of smoke inhalation and burns on over eighty percent of her body, there wasn’t much we could do for her. I’m sorry.”

  I take a deep breath, trying to hold off my emotions so I can speak. “My kids.” It’s all I can manage. Grant wraps his arm around me in support, but he doesn’t look much better than me.

  “I’m sorry, your … burned beyond recognition …”

  I don’t hear anything else
the doctor says. My ears ring and my head swims. I can’t see anything as I crumble to the floor, sobs wracking my body. Krissy is still in my arms and Grant still beside me. The three of us hold on to each other as our grief grips us, rooting us to our spot on the cold hospital floor.

  I have no idea how much time has passed, but I hear myself asking, “May I see my wife?”

  “Of course.”

  The doctor points to the room beside us. I look at Grant, whose eyes are red and his face stained with tears. This is hard for him, of course it would be. Shannon was like a sister to him. He helps me to my feet and into the room where her body lies under a white sheet. Krissy and Grant stay there, lending me their support, but in the end, I ask to be alone. They leave me with her, and I pull the sheet down to see her face. They’ve cleaned her up, and there doesn’t appear to be burns on her face, but there are several scrapes and bruises like she was hit with something, maybe something falling during the fire? I’m not sure.

  “Oh, Shan.” I lean down and kiss her. I can’t believe she’s gone. A sob rips through me as I stare at my wife, my best friend. She can’t be gone. “I need you. Oh, God,” I wail, falling down to my knee, clutching her burned lifeless hand.

  “Judson.” I hear Grant, but I can’t respond. Strong arms wrap around me, lifting me from the floor, and sitting me onto something soft. A chair. “Jud, man. Snap out of it. You have to breathe. Come on, buddy, in and out. There you go. Again. Can you open your eyes and look at me?”

  I take a few seconds to control my breathing before blinking my eyes and looking at my best friend. “I can’t do this. Why is this happening?”

  Grants face contours into a painful grimace. A few tears slip down his face. He blinks them away and clears his throat. He reaches out a hand and places it on my shoulder. His voice shakes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. This is absolutely horrible. Do you want to go home and get some rest?” He seems sincere enough, but the question angers me.

  I shove him away, he stumbles over some equipment and falls to the floor. “I have no home. It burned to the ground with my family inside! I have nothing left of my children to even say goodbye to! Nothing!”