Chapter 25
Another Friday night came and went with Destiny, a no-show at the Senior Center. Bill was beside himself with concern. Though they hardly knew each other, he had become quite fond of her. They had shared such a passionate kiss, with the lingering promise of more just the night before her assault, and he hadn’t seen her or even talked to her since. That was months ago. After her prolonged absence at the Senior Center, and still no contact, Bill worked on getting her address from Lisa. Bill promised not to stalk her—unless one considered weekly floral deliveries stalking. How else was she to know that he cared; that he was thinking about her? That he was there for her? After their brief, albeit intimate encounter, Bill couldn’t bear to imagine that she was just as suddenly, out of his life forever.
Bill couldn’t begin to comprehend what Destiny was going through. The second week after the rape, Lisa confided in him just how devastating the event had been to Destiny. Though in the report, it was recorded as an acquaintance rape, Lisa assured him they weren’t on a date. Technically, it was a drug related sexual assault. From the first moment Lisa told him, she saw the tortuous concern in his eyes. She opened up to him about her concern for her friend; the pain Destiny had been going through daily; from the assault to the arrest and potential criminal trial that loomed in the next three to six months.
Winston had not exaggerated when he told Destiny his family was from money. They had gone to great lengths and thrown a lot of money at lawyers to make this one go away. Despite the presence of his seminal fluid in her bed (although there was no presence of a condom, and no presence of seminal fluid on or in her), there were hairs on her bed and in her shower and bathroom that matched his DNA. He, through his lawyers, continued to insist that his sexual advances were encouraged and allowed and that she had willingly accepted the GHB discovered in toxicology reports to enrich her sexual experience. They had spent tens of thousands of dollars to try and wear her down with countless accusations. At many points, Lisa was concerned their tactics were working.
From the day he was told, Bill called Lisa daily to check on Destiny, since Destiny still wasn’t answering her phone. And after every conversation, Lisa always promised to convey to Destiny his sincere concern for her well-being. Bill and Lisa had been friends for at least five years, so she trusted him, believing his concern for Destiny was genuine. Lisa knew what he had gone through with Justine and how hard he had worked to be the father Sydney needed him to be, what he had given up. Bill was a good man. He was a kind man. But none of that trumped her caring for and protecting her best friend. So, Lisa didn’t press Destiny. Destiny was dealing with her share of emotions and didn’t need to be pressured to share them with anyone else if she wasn’t ready. And it seemed like she wasn’t ready.
The school had stopped using Winston, pending the outcome of the investigation. Their attorneys were in contact with the two previous employees who had rumored involvement with Winston. His attorneys had been busily trying to ensure that those same two women, including two other women whom the school district attorneys weren’t aware of, never testified in any way against their client. However, no matter how devastated Destiny was, no matter how hard it was for her just to get out of bed every day, there was one thing and one thing alone driving her—sheer determination that he would never do this again to anyone else.
Within forty-eight hours of the incident, as Winston’s attorneys still insisted on calling it, they had contacted Destiny, in an attempt to settle out of court. However, at Andy and Lisa’s insistence, she retained counsel, and all conversations after that went through her attorney. The defense was working tirelessly to prove consent, talking to Destiny’s friends and family, as her attorney had done, to prove lack of consent. There wasn’t a single person who could besmirch her character. There wasn’t a single person who had anything negative to say about her. There wasn’t a single person they could find whom she had wronged. Except, Owen.
Of course, Owen, being ignorant of what was transpiring in Destiny’s life, wasn’t in the least bit suspicious when a random stranger showed up at the Senior Center, casually asking about Destiny. He had no clue when this person struck up a conversation with him and steered the conversation toward the woman who had been absent for a few weeks. Owen had no idea how damaging his statements were when the man suggested to him that Destiny was a tease, and was playing it coy because she was a cougar. Instead, Owen, being Owen, merely played into the other man’s hands by agreeing, rather than defending the woman he barely knew; for fear of looking like he’d been played for a fool by her.
So, when Owen’s name was on the witness list for the defense, Lisa immediately called Bill. She left him a long message, letting him know she was on her way to pummel his brother. That is until Andy talked her down. It took enormous restraint for Lisa not to drive across Austin and give Owen a piece of her mind; just before killing him. On the other hand, Bill, once Lisa informed him of the subpoena, had no problem letting his brother know just how damaging his pride was to Destiny’s case. Then he called him an idiot. Again.
Bill had enough issues of his own. Deborah, who had been such a hard worker for so long, had started seeing someone. Suddenly, her availability wasn’t as flexible as before, and she was distracted and not as attentive to the guests. He found himself warning her that he needed someone as committed as she used to be. She agreed that her priorities and goals had changed but assured him that she would be more focused and, for a few weeks, at least, she was.
It had been months since he had come to depend on his aunt and uncle on a weekly basis to help with Sydney on the weekends since those were his busiest times. They didn’t seem to mind and welcomed their grand-niece with open arms. But it was hard for him, juggling more responsibility when Deborah wasn’t doing her job. If he let her go before replacing her, he’d have to accept fewer bookings to be able to keep up with the paperwork and daily care and feeding of guests. Bill refused to work longer hours versus spending that extra time with his daughter; that’s why he had purchased the bed and breakfast in the first place.
It was now the first Saturday in September and unseasonably cool for this time of the year. The Kemper House was full. There was an early Texas Longhorn game, and all of his guests were attending the game and going to an after-party downtown. So after serving an early breakfast, he left everything to Deborah and Patricia and then headed to pick up Sydney from the farm. She’d been bugging him for months to go riding with her, so he thought he’d surprise her by doing just that. Plus, she said she’d made a new friend, Dee, and for months had been begging to invite her over, so that he could meet her. Sydney didn’t say much about her except that she was nice. And pretty.
Bill arrived early to surprise his daughter. His Uncle Charlie had invited him to breakfast when he’d called the night before. With an offer of his Aunt Jessica’s homemade biscuits and gravy, he promised Charlie he’d be there by eight. Bill pulled through the main gate and drove the mile-long gravel road until he reached the large ranch house. There was a car parked close to the barn, which he couldn’t see clearly in the early morning shadows and fog. Bill turned toward the main house and parked beside his uncle’s red Ford F250 Super Duty truck. As he stepped from his Honda CR-V, he was immediately accosted by Beavis and Butthead as they excitedly welcomed him.
Uncle Charlie met him at the door with a handshake and a smile. “She’s already in the barn,” he offered. “Breakfast won’t be ready for about an hour. Jezebel just woke up.”
Bill grinned at his playfulness. “I think I will ride with her today if that’s okay.”
“Absolutely. We stalled Beau for you last night after you called, just in case.”
“Thanks,” he smiled, as he turned and headed for the barn.
“If you don’t find them in the barn, they’re probably down in the pasture by the herd,” he called after him.
Bill waved over his head.
It had been awhile since he’d ridden, so it took h
im longer than it usually took his daughter to bridle and saddle Beau. Beau, one of the first horses in Charlie’s stable, was a beautiful black gelding with a white stripe on his face, from his forelock to his muzzle. He stood sixteen hands tall and was extremely gentle and easy to handle. Sydney had ridden Beau with her father several times when she asked to ride a big horse. Her father would only allow her to ride on him by herself when they were in the corral, where he would stand at the center while she would trot or walk in a large circle around him. In the end, Sydney preferred Peanut, because most days, she could ride without supervision almost anywhere on the property she wanted.
Bill gently kicked Beau, giving him rein. Beau responded instantly, and smoothly galloped through the pasture gate and into the meadow. Bill had forgotten how relaxing riding was, and he allowed himself to unwind, breathing in the cool fall air as he slowed Beau and walked through the pasture to the crest of a small hill. He stopped and gazed across the meadows that surrounded him. The sun was rising, burning off the morning mist that lay low on the land. With a perfect 360-degree view of the entire property, he stopped and gazed across the hills and meadows that surrounded him. There was a herd of horses grazing further away, and scattered herds of goats closer to the barns and main house. In the distance, he spied a larger herd of cattle. He stood in the stirrups and shielded his eyes with his hands as he searched for his daughter close to any of the herds. Suddenly, a large flock of birds flew from the wooded area at the foot of the hill on which they stood. Curiosity alone sent him to see what had spooked them.
Bill leaned back in the saddle as he walked Beau carefully down the thirty-degree incline. It was quiet except for the chirping of the remaining birds, an occasional bawling of a calf for its mother, and Beau, constantly clearing his nostrils. When Bill arrived at the woods, he stopped. Slowly, he led Beau to the edge. Bill hadn’t ventured into the wooded area that had grown up around the creek since he was a boy. The trees and underbrush had overgrown so much he didn’t think he could enter if he wanted. Bill stopped when he heard something, straining to listen. At first, it sounded like bees buzzing. Then more like talking, or, maybe even laughing. It was coming from deep in the woods. He heeled Beau gently, as they began walking again. Just when he was about to give up on finding a way in, Bill spied a narrow path worn into the ground. The brush was still thick, but as he started down the path, it opened up, and he was no longer scratched or beaten by limbs as he entered the expansive grassy meadow in the center of the woods.
He followed the path, or rather Beau followed it, either because he sensed where he was supposed to go, or he was thirsty and knew where the water was. Either way, Beau walked them slowly upstream where Bill spied two horses, Peanut, and Daisy, their reins hanging loose as they grazed in the meadow by the stream. And on the rock, their backs to him, were Sydney and someone else, whom Bill could only assume was her friend. As he approached, Peanut raised his head and whinnied softly. Sydney turned and a moment later, so did her friend.
“Daddy!” Sydney exclaimed, turning and running to him.
But somehow, he didn’t see her or even hear her, because the woman that turned now and looked into his eyes was none other than Destiny.
Chapter 26
Destiny froze. There was no escape. How could this happen? How could he possibly have known she was here? Her heart raced. Did Destiny hear her right? Did she say “Daddy”? How could he possibly be the man Sydney had been talking endlessly about since they met? She felt foolish. She felt trapped. Destiny had avoided his phone calls for months, simply because she didn’t want to talk to him. Then he started sending her cards and having flowers delivered weekly. Destiny had thought about calling him just to ask him to stop. She’d even thought about showing up on a Friday night to tell him in person. But she simply didn’t have the nerve. Now here he was and she wasn’t ready to see him. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone?
Destiny slowly turned and then stood on the rocky bank, facing him, her hands nervously shoved into the back pockets of her jeans.
Bill slowly dismounted and embraced his daughter, his eyes never leaving Destiny. When he smiled he very quickly noted that she didn’t. His eyes turned to his daughter, her eyes looking up into his, innocently. Excitedly. “Hey, Sweetie. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Daddy,” Sydney said, pulling him by the arm. “This is my friend, Dee. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about.”
Bill slowed and stopped in front of her. Neither of them spoke for many moments. He drew in a deep breath and then nervously spoke first. “Hey,” was all he could muster.
“Hey.”
“When Syd talked about a new friend, I thought she was talking about one of the riding students,” he said awkwardly. “You been riding here long?”
“A couple of years.”
Beau tugged at the reins in Bill’s hands as he endeavored to move toward the creek. Bill slowly released them, allowing the horse to drink. Beau shook his head, snorted and moved to graze in the forest meadow just feet away.
“So you come here every Saturday?”
Destiny nodded, looking down at her feet. “I usually come early—“
“So as not to run into other people?”
Destiny’s gaze met his again. She instantly felt guilty. Bill had been sweet; so very kind. And yet she was doing everything to avoid his eyes. She had done everything to avoid him. “I used to ride alone. Until this one here accosted me and asked to go riding with me,” she added with a slight smile. Sydney looked at them, stepping to Destiny’s side. Destiny reached down, her hand brushing over Sydney’s soft hair as she smiled up at her.
“She can be persistent,” Bill conceded. “I hope she hasn’t been a bother.”
Sydney turned to her father, a hurt expression on her face. Destiny pulled the child against her, wrapping her hands around her. She shook her head. “Absolutely not,” Destiny insisted, looking down at Sydney. “In fact, quite the opposite.” Destiny smiled sincerely. “She’s been an absolute joy.”
“Good,” he exhaled dramatically. “I know how she can be.”
“Hey! I’m right here. I can hear you,” Sydney said, annoyed.
“So, this is a beautiful place,” Bill said to his daughter. “I’ve come out here since I was your age. I don’t remember this being anything but an overgrown forest.”
“It’s our secret hideaway,” Sydney beamed.
“Sydney and I come here almost every week and just sit and talk.” Destiny shrugged, then looked up at Bill and exhaled deeply. “And sometimes we just sit and take it all in.” She smiled a weak smile. “Your daughter’s a good listener.”
“Oh, really?” he mocked, turning to Sydney. “I’d swear she doesn’t hear a word I say when I talk to her.”
“Dad,” she whined dramatically. “Please!”
As they all chuckled, Destiny relaxed. Bill did likewise.
“So, do you mind if I ride with you?” Bill asked cautiously, his eyes again meeting Destiny’s.
She hesitated without smiling for a few moments, looking down at Sydney. “What do you think?”
Sydney shrugged. “I think if we don’t let him ride with us, he’s just going to follow us, anyhow. So we might as well.”
“Hey, I’m right here,” he insisted. “I can hear you.”
Sydney and Bill laughed. Destiny managed a small smile and looked back down at Sydney. “I think you’re right. Might as well,” she agreed, facing him again.
Bill shook his head. He looked into her eyes and said, as sincerely as he could, “I don’t want to intrude. I’ll only come if you’re okay with it.”
Destiny thought for a moment, but gave in with a smile and turned to Sydney. “Mount up.”
Bill walked to the three horses and gathered the reins, ending their free grazing. He handed Sydney Peanut’s reins, then turned to Destiny. As he handed her Daisy’s reins, his hand lingered a moment longer on hers before r
eleasing them. Just her slightest touch and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He helped Sydney climb onto Peanut’s back, smiled and kissed her head. Tentatively, he turned to Destiny again, then moved to her side. He held the stirrup for her. Destiny hesitated, then slipped her foot into the wooden stirrup encased in engraved leather. She grabbed the saddle horn to pull herself up. Now, for some reason, it seemed too difficult a task. Her legs felt like limp noodles, and she didn’t have the energy; it was as though all her strength was suddenly gone.
Bill stepped closer, took her hand and slowly placed it on his shoulder for support. Destiny looked into his eyes, then put her weight against him as he helped elevate her onto Daisy’s back. Once she was in the saddle, Bill took her foot and adjusted it in the stirrup. He looked up at her, searching her eyes for what he’d seen when they first met. When they first kissed. Now they only held sadness, and it broke his heart.
Bill sighed as he pulled himself onto Beau’s back. He then turned to Sydney and smiled. “You’ve got the lead.” He watched as his daughter kicked Peanut gently. Then they walked back out the way they came, Sydney leading the way.
Chapter 27
They walked in relative silence, not knowing what to say to one another. Quietly distant. Bill sensed it was what Destiny needed or maybe even wanted. Sydney, however, chattered on and on about everything from what book she was reading in school to the astronauts in the space station to how the food chain worked. Every so often Sydney would point out wildlife to them: rabbits, squirrels, geese, and deer. Then she would ask which ones they had eaten before and how they tasted. They traveled the still green meadows, past grazing herds, ponds filled with waterfowl that didn’t seem to realize yet it was nearing winter, and to the horse barns.
Destiny by chance: A Contemporary Romance Fiction Novel Page 14
