by Casey Peeler
Logan, Ally, Beth, Mark and a bunch of kids from school have arrived and are ready to have a good time. The only thing that I miss by working at Boondocks is the actual time I get to hang out with my friends. I wave to them, as I grab an order from Paige at the bar. When things slow down for a moment, I go over to talk to them, but then Ally stops mid sentence.
I turn to look over my shoulder and see Walker. His hair is perfectly messy and he’s wearing a button up that’s totally not his style and a pair of faded jeans. I smile as our eyes meet.
“Oh shit, Chauna. You weren’t kidding. He is busted up,” she says and Beth swats her shoulder.
“Nope, wasn’t kidding,” I say as I excuse myself and make my way to him. A few girls try to gain his attention by asking what’s wrong but I smile as he brushes them off and makes his way toward me. When he reaches me, he bends over and sweetly kisses my lips. I guide my hand into his and we walk toward our group of friends. Walker fills the girls in on what happened while Mark and Logan remain quiet. When Beth and Ally excuse themselves to the ladies room, Mark and Logan have their turn. I check on my tables, but as I look at them I feel at home. Seeing Logan being genuinely concerned about Walker’s wellbeing and not acting like an overprotective baboon has made my night. Walker takes a seat and I know Paige will take care of him.
As the night wears on, people begin to leave, but Walker stays. I continue to check on him to make sure that he’s okay, but as midnight approaches, I know he’s worn out. I tell him I’ll be glad to call his uncle, but he refuses. I tell Paige to keep a close eye on him.
With last call underway, I begin to clean, but Paige tells me she’s got it and to get Walker home. I feel awful for doing it, but I know he’s got to get home. I tell her I’ll be back once I drop him off, and she just tells me to come in early tomorrow.
As I drive Walker to the Archer’s, there is a strange feeling in the air. We haven’t had time to talk about where he went today and what happened. I’m concerned that it had to do with his dad, but I doubt his uncle would have been up for that.
He takes my hand in his, “Chauna, I know this might be outta line, but are you still planning on going to school?” I turn my head to him quickly. “I mean, I know you just filled out the applications so your dad and Logan would get off your back.”
I pause and think. Do I want to go to college? No. Would my daddy be disappointed? Yes. “Honestly, I don’t want to, but I feel like I should. I know it would make him happy.”
“I mailed my applications off before all this mess went down. I just wanted to know if you had thought much else about it,” he says, and for some reason I believe there’s more.
“So how was your trip today?” I ask.
“Nice actually. It was nice to visit a place that gave me a lot of happiness as a kid. It reminded me why I keep that picture of Grams and Gramps around all the time.”
His aunt and uncle are on the front porch when we arrive. I help Walker to the door, and then sit and talk for a few minutes before I head home. When I finally pull into my driveway, I realize I need to think about what I will do with my future.
Walker
The moment Chauna’s headlights vanish into the night sky my aunt is asking twenty questions about today. I tell her what I want her to know, and then make my way to bed. My body feels like a train smacked into it. Sitting on that bar stool didn’t help, but there was no way I was going to leave Chauna.
When I wake up the next morning, I enjoy a nice breakfast with Aunt Mary and Uncle Scott.
“Walker, your birthday is right around the corner, and we know what we would like to give you,” my aunt states.
“Y’all have done more than enough. Just letting me stay here is enough,” I plead.
Uncle Scott shakes his head, and hands me a sheet of paper. Looking down at it, I see that it’s a deed to a parcel of land. My hands begin to shake as I hold the deed to the old fishing hole.
“I was going to buy it. I wanted to buy it from you,” I say.
“We know, but we wanted to give you a strong foundation to build on. Walker, you are a bright young man. You’ve got a great head on your shoulders and it’s just something we felt lead to do. You don’t have to do anything with it right now, but it’s yours,” my aunt says.
“Thank you,” I say as I give them the best hug I can.
Chapter 43
Chauna
Today is the dreaded court date for the charges against Troy Bentley. The man killed my father, but also gave me Walker, who I love with my entire heart. I know today is going to be rough, but as I walk into the courtroom with Logan, Walker, and his family by my side, I know I will make it through and it will be worth it in the end. Troy has pled not guilty, and that makes me want to vomit. Everyone knows he’s guilty. He’s charged with murder, which is a Class A felony along with a Class One misdemeanor for running moonshine.
As the lawyers question possible jurors, I’m amazed by who they keep and who they toss to the side. By lunchtime, we have enough jurors to proceed and the case begins. They keep the witnesses to a minimum and I believe more might be revealed later. The evidence is presented, both sides are questioned, and the jury is now deciding on a verdict. We wait in the courtroom for what feels like an eternity. After forty-three minutes they return and the verdict is read. Troy Bentley is found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life in prison with no option of parole. A feeling of relief washes over my body, but as I turn to look at Walker my heart breaks because even though his punishment isn’t enough for what he did to my daddy that is still his father.
Walker
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Those words continue to play in my head. I know he’s guilty, but why do I feel as if I’ve lost something important to me? He didn’t care for me or do anything but bring my family down. Why does this hurt? I push it away as I look to the most beautiful girl beside me. She’s lost more than I have. At least my father is still alive. In a way, I wish it were reversed.
As we exit the courthouse, we stop and talk to people who have gathered outside in support. I feel as if I’m on repeat and I hold Chauna’s hand as we go through the motions. As we approach her truck, I put her in the passenger seat and walk around to the driver’s seat. Closing the door, I put the key in the ignition, but as I start to crank the ignition, I fall apart. Chauna unbuckles her seat belt and moves beside me while holding me in her arms. She tells me that everything will be okay. I know it will as long as she’s in my life.
*****
The day after my dad’s hearing it almost felt like he died. I grieved for him as a father but not as a person. There were times I would catch myself thinking about rare moments when I thought he cared. There weren’t many of them, and I realized there was always an ulterior motive. It’s been a month since that day and now Thanksgiving and my birthday are approaching. I feel more like myself and have been cleared by the doctor to do pretty much anything. I can even drive my bike for short periods of time, but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed driving my uncle’s truck.
I’ve grown accustomed to the fact that my birthday is just like any other day. With my birthday being on Thanksgiving Day this year, I know that there isn’t going to be a big party, and honestly I’m glad. I just want to enjoy the day with the people I care about most. My aunt is making a huge meal, and invited Chauna over. I just hate that Mom can’t be here. I’ve visited her each week. She seems to be handling jail as well as she possibly can, but she’s counting down the days until her release right after the new year.
Dinner with my family is perfect. I have a perfect girl and family that truly care about me. My aunt has thought of everything, and her caramel cake is phenomenal. I have a few gifts at the table, and almost feel that I’m not worthy of them. First, I have an envelope from my aunt and uncle. It has a card and twenty dollars in it. When I open the first box I realize it is from my mom. Carefully, unwrapping the package, I find a new pair of riding boots. I’m sure my aunt had to
purchase them for her. She always knew which boots were my favorite. Taking them out, I notice a card in the bottom of the box. I open the teal-colored envelope carefully and read the humorous birthday card, but when a take a minute to read what she wrote, I have no doubt that my mom has always looked out for me. She loves me and when she’s released she will always be an important part of my life.
Chauna
Watching Walker open his gifts I can see that his family really cares about him, and I’m happy for him. My gift for Walker is different because let’s face it, I’m a girl who’s eighteen with no money. My gift is simple. It’s a key to my house. I want him to have it so he knows he’s welcome anytime. He’s my family. I trust him and hopefully once we graduate we can start our adventure as adults together. Knowing better than to have a heart to heart with Walker at the dinner table, I know a card will have to do.
Once we finish the dishes, Walker and I sit on the front porch and look at the water. “Did you hear that someone bought our spot?” I ask him.
Walker looks as if he’s been caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
“The other night when I was working at Boondocks, Darren said that someone bought it. Where are we gonna go now?” I ask with a giggle.
“Well, you do have a house you know,” he says with a laugh and it’s true. I have a house, but something about that still feels wrong.
“Do you think we’ll get in trouble if we go out there?” I question.
“Probably not,” he says as he takes me by the hand, and we venture to our spot one more time.
“I guess I always thought it was state property,” I say as I look around.
I’ve thought a lot about everything over the past few months and how our lives have changed. I want him to know I’m serious about my future and I’ve decided to go to college. Not a big one, but just the local community college and study business. If I want to own Boondocks one day, I need to understand how to run a company.
Taking a seat on the bank, I snuggle into his arm. “So what’s my present?” Walker asks with a sly grin.
“You’ll just have to wait,” I say and know that now that the doctor has cleared him for all extracurricular activities, he’s not going to waste time picking up where we left off. Not liking what I have to say, Walker pulls me on top of his lap and looks into my eyes, “Chauna, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he says and I melt into his arms.
After we get lost in each other, Walker pulls back from me and of course wants to know what his present is. Taking a minute, I gather my words.
“Walker, you’re everything to me, and I want you to have this.” I take the key from my purse and hand it to him.
He has a deer in the headlight look. “You want me to move in with you?” I start to giggle.
“No silly. It’s just a key for you to have. You are the one I trust with my life. I want you to know you’re welcome anytime, but hell no you aren’t moving in. My daddy would haunt us both!” I say.
“Shew! I didn’t think that’d go well at the Archer household either. We’d be the talk of Barber Baptist.” He laughs.
“Yeah, that probably wouldn’t be the first time,” I say as I look into his eyes and kiss is perfectly kissable lips.
We sit and enjoy our time on the bank in our spot. I wonder who would want this piece of land. Taking my phone out, I decide to find out. Walker looks at me and questions what I’m doing. I inform him that I’m looking at the county’s tax office website for the owner of this land. As my fingers quickly press the screen, Walker takes my phone from my hand.
“What are you doing?” I question.
“You don’t need to worry about that, but I do have a question for you,” he says. “Say that we both finish school, you work or buy Boondocks, and I open up my own shop. Would you want to marry me?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “More than anything in this world.”
“Would you want a new place for us to start fresh?” he questions.
“Maybe, why?”
“Would you want it to look like that?” I ask pointing toward my aunt’s house.
“Not really. That’s too big. I’d love for it to be on the lake, but I’d want it to be more like home instead of a castle.”
“Kinda like this?” he asks as he takes a piece of paper out of his pocket. Looking at the picture, I’m in awe of the beautifully sketched house. It reminds me of my home, but has more of a modern flare to it. There’s a wrap around porch, and a swing like the Archer’s have. My mind begins to race.
“Okay, now you can look and see who owns this land,” he says as he hands the phone back to me. My hands begin to shake from excitement because as much as I hope it is his land I know that’s not possible. Walker hasn’t had money his entire life and between not having a job and the hospital bills there is no way.
As the screen comes into view, my eyes do a double take. Walker Bentley. “How?” is the only word I can manage to say. He takes the phone from my hand and puts it in his pocket then hands me a picture. His grandparents.
Taking my hand in his, he takes a deep breath. “I told you that my favorite memories from when I was growing were when I was with my Grams and Gramps. The weeks I spent there were the happiest I had all year. The day my mom went to jail, she referred to them before they took her back. That night I was looking at their picture and when it fell I noticed there were ten numbers written on the back that hadn’t been there before. It took a little bit, but I figured it out. My Grams used to take me to the bank, and would tell me I needed to remember this number. Chauna, they left me everything they had.”
Covering my mouth with my other hand, I know what he’s saying, but I can’t comprehend it.
“This piece of land belonged to my uncle and he deeded me the land for my birthday. I want this place to be part of our future.” Tears form in my eyes. “I’m not saying we have to do this tomorrow, but when the time is right, we will make our spot our home. What do you think?”
Throwing my arms around him I attack his lips and between kisses I tell him it sounds like a perfect plan to me.
Chapter 44
Graduation Day
Walker
For the past six months, Chauna and I have grown to depend on each other for everything. She and I don’t make a decision without consulting each other first. We both decided that we wouldn’t make any decisions about the land until after graduation. The day has finally arrived, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
At exactly six o’clock in the evening, we line up in our cap and gowns. We walk in with our class of seventy-five students, and accept our diplomas as each of our names are called. I am going to stay close by and go to community college. I’ve been working part-time at Ivan’s Imports, which is now being legally run by Jimmy and James. Moonshine is no longer their business. I’ve decided to open a motorcycle-only repair and body shop so we don’t have to compete for business.
Once everyone has received their diplomas, we turn our tassels, and our future has officially begun.
Chauna
Graduation was everything I expected it to be, but I didn’t expect for it to make me miss Daddy so much. Walking outside, I jump into Walker’s arms and kiss him for everyone to see. “I love you Walker Bentley. We made it,” I say.
“That we did Princess. I love you more,” he says as he quickly kisses me once more before putting me down on the ground.
That night we celebrate with our friends at the lake with music, dancing, swimming, beer, and the last of the moonshine.
Most people would expect Walker and I to run off and get married, but we did the exact opposite. We decided the best thing for each of us to do was to focus on getting established in life. There have been some changes to Boondocks over the past few months since Darren had to do some time in the slammer for selling moonshine in a business, but the fact he handed over all the information and evidence to put, not only Troy Bentley, but Ivan behind bars as we
ll, he won’t be in too long. He turned Boondocks over to Paige, but when she couldn’t handle it she looked to me. I began to run the business just like I had always planned, but the only difference was that I wasn’t the owner.
The night of my birthday is bittersweet. I am excited to see what the new year will bring but it reminds me that it will be a year since Daddy died. As I walk into the back door of Boondocks, I am surprised to find music coming from the bar area. When I walk to the bar I’m shocked by what I see.
Strings of Christmas lights are covering the ceiling and Kip Moore’s “Lead Me,” echoes through the room as Walker stands in the middle of the dance floor with a grin the size of Texas.
Approaching him, I toss my belongings on a table. He extends his hand to me, and pulls me into his arms as we dance to the music. As the music fades, Walker pauses and looks at me.
“Chauna Jackson from the day I saw you in this very place, I knew that you were something special. The day you gave me a second chance changed my future, and now I want to change yours.”
Walker
Taking the ring from my pocket, I kneel on one knee. “Chauna, this isn’t just a ring. It’s a dream that’s now a reality. Will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Walker Bentley?” I say as I look into her eyes and slide the ring on her finger.
She begins to cry and says yes. Standing I kiss her lips as the tears of happiness continue to fall. Before I get carried away, I take a ring of keys from my pocket and place them in her hand. “What are these for?” she asks as she studies the keys.
“I told you I wanted your dream to be your reality. Happy Birthday Princess, this place is now yours.” Tears begin to flow from her eyes, and I know that this is exactly how love feels.
Epilogue
