Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2)

by Ashley Farley

  “Shh!” She pressed her finger to her lips. “We haven’t told the girls yet.”

  “I won’t say a word.” He picked up her full glass of bubbly from the counter and guzzled it down in one gulp.

  Julian slapped Abbott on the back. “Take it easy there, buddy. It’s too early in the evening to get drunk.”

  Ellie took the glass away from her father. “We have a long night ahead of us. Julian has planned an elaborate Mexican dinner, and he’s selected a different wine for each course. Obviously, not for me. I’ll be drinking milk.”

  “Sorry. I got a little excited.” Abbott puffed out his chest. “I’m gonna be a grandpa.”

  “Remember them?” Julian inclined his head toward the twins. “You’re already a GoPa.”

  “I know. And I love them dearly. But this grandchild is different. This is my Ellie’s baby,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

  A wide smile spread across her face. “That means so much to me, Dad.”

  Julian set his wineglass down and went to the Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator. He pulled out a bowl of homemade guacamole and placed it, along with a basket of chips, in front of Ellie and Abbott. Then he removed a bowl of lime wedges and several different types of cheeses.

  “Good gracious,” Abbott said, peering over Julian’s shoulder as he crumbled Cotija cheese over a casserole dish. “What exactly is on this elaborate menu of yours?”

  “I’m preparing more of a tasting menu, actually. I’m working on vegetarian enchiladas verdes now. I’ll also be serving shrimp tostadas and skirt steak fajitas.”

  “Are Bella and Mya eating all this?” Abbott asked.

  “Nah,” Julian said, tossing the Cotija package in the trash can. “They’re having cheese quesadillas.”

  Her father chuckled. “I was gonna say—you’re a better man than I am if you can get them to eat gourmet food.”

  Julian slid his casserole in the oven. “It won’t be long. Now that the kitchen is finished, I plan to work on them. Under my tutelage, Katie has turned out to be quite the little foodie.”

  With the volume down low, Ellie tuned their built-in stereo system to a classic rock station. “So, Dad, what news do you have to report? Have you invited Lacey Sinkler out on a date yet?”

  Abbott’s face beamed red. “As a matter of fact, yes. I’m taking her to brunch on Saturday at the Hominy Grill.”

  “Why the Hominy Grill?” Ellie asked. “Don’t get me wrong. I love their food, but I thought you’d want to impress her on your first date.”

  Abbott hunched his shoulders. “I let her make the choice. Besides, she’s not the kind of girl I feel the need to impress.”

  Julian nodded as he sprinkled seasoning on the steak. “That’s very true about Lacey. She’s a cut-off blue jeans, beer-drinking kinda girl. She’s fun and easy to be with.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her. I hope you’ll invite her to the twins’ birthday party a week from Sunday.”

  “Let’s see how Saturday goes first.” Abbott dropped down to the barstool beside him. “Anyway, I have some other news, although mine isn’t nearly as exciting as either of yours.”

  Ellie gave her father a playful shove. “Do tell.”

  “Beginning in September, I’ll be teaching two sections of digital photography at the college.” He dragged a chip through the guacamole and stuffed it in his mouth.

  “That’s awesome, Dad. I know how much you’ve always wanted to teach.” She sat down next to him at the island. “I thought you were planning to travel next fall.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve traveled enough to last me a lifetime. I may take a trip every now and then, but I’m ready to establish some roots, especially now with my new grandbaby on the way.”

  Ellie hung her head. “Maybe you can get a teaching job for me at the college, since I got fired from the elementary school.”

  Abbott froze, his chip loaded with guacamole suspended in midair. “How does one get fired from a volunteer job?”

  “Turns out the administration doesn’t like it when their teachers actually care about their students.”

  While Julian went outside to grill the steak, Ellie told her father about Ruby Fuqua, including her concern that the child was being abused and Ruby’s late-night call to Ellie when they were in Florida.

  Abbott listened intently, and when she’d finished talking he asked, “Do you think it’s a good idea for you to get involved in this situation, considering your condition?”

  “Pregnancy isn’t a condition, Dad.”

  “It is when you’re high risk.”

  Her hand shot out. “Say no more. I hear you. Anyway, I met Ruby’s neighbor Marta McGinnis yesterday. She seems to really care about Ruby, and promised to keep an eye out for her.”

  Abbott propped his elbows on the counter and bumped her with his shoulder. “I know how much you care about people, Ellie, and how hard it is for you to ignore a friend in trouble. But you have to think of yourself first for a change.”

  “I know, Dad. Julian reminds me at least once a day.”

  “You’re not going to have time to teach art anyway, with the twins and the gallery and a baby on the way.”

  Ellie sighed. “You’re probably right, although I was enjoying this particular group of students. They are an eager bunch, and seemed grateful for me being there. Lately I’ve been regretting my decision to buy the gallery. The studio space above the gallery will give me an opportunity to work away from the house, but I have no interest in greeting customers and no experience in organizing openings.”

  Julian had returned from outside in the midst of their conversation and was carving the skirt steak into thin strips. “I haven’t thought about it until now, but Lacey might be just the person you’re looking for to run the gallery,” he said as he transferred slices of steak onto a serving platter. “She’s responsible and organized, and pays great attention to detail. She’s also well immersed in the art scene in Charleston—more an enthusiast than a collector, although she does have a few prized pieces.”

  “And she’s looking for a part-time job,” Abbott added. “She recently retired from her administrative job at MUSC, but she doesn’t know what to do with so much time on her hands.”

  “Hmm.” Ellie scrunched up her eyebrows in thought. “That could work. Lacey could set her own hours. She could manage the big-picture operations, including hiring whatever staff we need to greet the public.” Ellie winked at her father. “I’ll talk to her when you bring her to the girls’ birthday party.”

  Julian clapped his hands. “Okay then! It’s almost time to eat. Girls, why don’t you put away your coloring things, and help Aunt Ellie set the table.”

  The twins gathered their coloring books and crayons, and carried them to the alcove beside the back door, where Julian had designed a bench and cabinetry with cubbyholes for their coats, shoes, and toys. A warm glow settled over Ellie as they gathered around the table for their first meal together in their new kitchen. At long last, her grandmother’s house felt like home. Aside from converting the utility room to a powder room, the major renovations were complete. The roof no longer leaked, and every exterior and interior wall sported a new coat of paint. Jackie was still working on a few accents, but most of the draperies, wallpaper, rugs, and furniture were in place. The walls remained bare, however. Much to her husband’s chagrin, Ellie preferred to sell her own work. Only two paintings adorned her walls—the contemporary piece on the fireplace in Julian’s study, and an acrylic on canvas that hung above the console table in the center hallway. The latter, which featured a magnolia blossom, she’d purchased from a gallery showing her first week in town. The magnolia held special meaning for Ellie. Not only had she met Julian while admiring the painting at the exhibit, the subject matter reminded her of the long hours she’d spent under the tree as a child. The magnolia painting was the first in the collection she hoped to build of contemporary works from local artists.

  Julian and Abbott tackled t
he dishes while Ellie took the girls upstairs for their bath. While the twins splashed in the tub, she left the door open so she could keep an eye on them as she roamed from bedroom to bedroom, making notes of the small details that still needed to be addressed—a valance of some sort for the window in the room the twins shared, fabric for the chaise lounge in the master bedroom, and decorative pillows for the queen bed in Katie’s room. They planned to convert one of the two spares into a nursery and to use the remaining bedroom for guests, if they ever had any.

  Ellie had decided a long time ago that if and when her sister returned to town, she would put her up in one of the area’s many charming inns. The last time her sister had stayed in the house with them, back in September, she’d taken up residence in Ellie’s bedroom and refused to move to the guest room despite Ellie’s numerous hints. Now that she was a suspect in her husband’s murder, she no longer trusted Lia enough to sleep under the same roof with her or the twins.

  She tucked the twins in and read them two bedtime stories. When she went back downstairs, forty-five minutes later, she found Abbott and Julian drinking cognac on the terrace outside. She smiled to herself at the sight of their heads close together in deep conversation. Her husband and father had become instant friends when they met last fall, and that friendship had deepened during the months that followed.

  She brewed a cup of tea and joined them. “What are y’all talking about so secretively out here?” she asked, taking a seat in the chair beside Julian.

  Abbott cleared his throat. “We were talking about Lia. Have you heard anything from the detective in Key West?”

  “Not a word,” Ellie said. “I’m trying not to think about it.”

  Julian said, “I told your dad, and I could be wrong, but I don’t think we’re ever going to see your sister again.”

  “I hate to admit it, but that would probably be best for everyone involved.” Ellie let her head fall against the back of the chair. The night sky was bright with stars, and the air was crisp and clean. She inhaled a deep breath. “Hmm . . . Don’t you love the citrusy-sweet fragrance of magnolia blossoms? My life had little structure when I lived here as a child. When you’re kept in a house like a prisoner, one day feels the same as the next. But during the summer, when the days were long, I was allowed to stay outside until nearly bedtime. The blooming of the magnolia tree in late spring was promise that those longer days were ahead.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, each of them lost in their own thoughts while they finished their drinks.

  Finally, Abbott stood and stretched. “I need to get home to bed. I have an early day tomorrow.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Ellie said, rising out of her chair.

  At the door, Abbott took her by the shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m so happy for you, sweetheart. You’re gonna be a wonderful mother for your baby, just as you’ve been for the twins. Thanks for a wonderful evening and for allowing me to share your life.”

  “Thank you, Daddy. I can’t bring myself to think about what my life would’ve been like without you.”

  Ellie closed the door behind him and leaned against it. She’d come so close to not having a father. She could very well have ended up like her sister, pawned off on some lunatic woman who knew nothing about raising children. Her father had rescued her from this house. He’d nurtured her out of the darkness and taught her how to live in the real world.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Ellie

  Ellie jolted upright in bed at the shrill ringing of her cell phone. The amber digits of her alarm clock on the bedside table read 3:15. She snatched up her phone and accepted the call. A tiny voice whimpered her name. Ellie’s heart beat in her throat. She knew without a doubt the distraught person on the other end was Ruby. Both feet hit the ground with a thump.

  “Ruby, is that you?” she asked in a low, desperate voice.

  “Please help me, Mrs. Hagood,” Ruby murmured. “He’s coming to get me. He’s breaking into my room.”

  “Who is he, Ruby?” Ellie asked as she struggled into the yoga pants and T-shirt she’d set out for her early morning walk.

  “My mother’s boyfriend!”

  Ignoring Julian’s eyes on her, Ellie punched the code on the panel beside her bedroom door that disengaged the security system. “I’m calling the police, Ruby honey, and I’m on my way. Is there somewhere you can hide until we get there?” she asked as she flew down the stairs.

  “Hurry! He’s beating down the door.”

  Ellie heard the sound of loud banging on Ruby’s end of the line. “Where are you now?” she asked as she frantically searched the downstairs for her purse.

  “In my closet,” she sniffled.

  “Listen carefully, Ruby. I’m going to call the police from my landline, but I’m not going to hang up on you. While I’m talking to the police, I want you to stay in your closet and try not to cry. Close your eyes and think of a song you really like. Hum it in your head if it helps.”

  “I’m scared,” Ruby moaned.

  The line went dead.

  “Ruby! Ruby, are you still there?”

  The line remained silent.

  Ellie looked up to see Julian watching her from the doorway of the kitchen. “It’s Ruby. Her mother’s boyfriend is threatening her. I’ve gotta get to her.”

  “Call the police and let them handle it,” he said in a deadpan tone.

  “I’m calling them now.” She punched 9-1-1 into her keypad and held her phone out to him as evidence.

  He moved toward her, and she backed away from him. “I’m sorry, Julian. I have to go. This child needs me. I promise I’ll be careful.”

  “Then I’ll go with you. Give me a minute to get some clothes on.”

  “Someone has to stay here with the girls.”

  “Right. I’m calling Abbot,” he said, his phone already pressed to his ear. “Text me the address. I’ll meet you there as soon as he gets here.”

  She grabbed her purse from the bench beside the back door. Then she clicked the button on her way to the car and put the call through to 9-1-1. As she fumbled with her car keys, she explained the situation to the operator. The nasal voice responded, “The incident has already been reported, and the police have been dispatched.”

  She felt an immediate sense of relief at knowing the police were already on the way. After texting the address to Julian, she put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. As she zipped through the sleeping streets of Charleston, she tried to reconnect with Ruby multiple times, but it went straight to her mother’s voice mail. When Ellie rounded the corner onto Ruby’s street, she spotted Marta standing with a small group of ten or twelve onlookers watching the incident unfold at the Fuquas’ home. Ellie parked on the curb, as close as she could get to the scene, and joined Marta on the sidewalk.

  “When did the police get here?” Ellie asked.

  “A few minutes ago. I called them when I heard loud voices and what I thought sounded like gunfire, although I’m not a hundred percent sure it was gunfire.”

  A young policewoman, Officer Cummings according to her badge, motioned the onlookers to move away from the yellow tape. They stepped back as instructed and watched, transfixed, as the policemen busted down the front door.

  When Marta leaned in close, Ellie caught a whiff of Noxzema night cream that summoned a flashback of her mother.

  “How did you know to come?” Marta asked.

  “Ruby called me about twenty minutes ago. Her mother’s boyfriend was banging down the door to her bedroom. She was terrified, hiding out in the closet.”

  Marta’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh dear.”

  Ellie held her phone tight with her left hand in case Ruby called again. They waited for the police to emerge. Fifteen minutes passed before two officers exited the house escorting suspects in handcuffs—a woman and a man. Ruby’s mother’s face was bruised and bloody, her bleached hair a rat’s nest. The officers shoved their prisoners in sep
arate patrol cars. One of the officers barked at a nearby coworker, “Get the Drug Task Force in here! There’s enough meth in that house to get the population of Texas high.”

  They heard the sound of an ambulance in the distance. Within seconds, flashing red lights lit up the dark street. “Who’s the ambulance for?” Marta asked. “Do you think they’re coming for Ruby?”

  Ellie’s stomach lurched. “I pray not.”

  A crew of three EMTs piled out of the ambulance and jogged across the dirt yard to the house. Overcome by nausea, Ellie excused herself from the group and vomited in the shrubbery near Marta’s house. Julian was waiting for her on the sidewalk when she rejoined the onlookers.

  Placing an arm around her, he gave her a half squeeze. “Where were you? I was worried. I saw your car, but couldn’t find you anywhere.”

  “Throwing up in the bushes.”

  He peered at her from under furrowed eyebrows. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I’m serious, Julian. I’m scared to death for that child.”

  As the words left her lips, an EMT appeared in the doorway, carrying a child in his arms.

  “Stay here. I don’t want you to scare her.” Ellie left Julian standing on the sidewalk. She crossed the street, shrugging off Officer Cummings when she tried to stop her. Ruby caught sight of Ellie and struggled free of the rescue worker. Keeping her left arm close to her body, she ran to Ellie, planted her face in her belly, and sobbed.

  Ellie wrapped her arms around Ruby and held the child’s trembling body tight. “You’re okay now, sweetheart. It’s over. Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore.”

  Officer Cummings approached them. “Are you a relative?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I’m one of her teachers.”

  “We need to contact a family member. Does she have any that you know of?”

  “Ruby, honey,” she whispered into the child’s hair. “You need to calm down so we can help you. Let’s take some deep breaths.”

  Ellie counted out loud as they inhaled and exhaled together. Ruby slowly gained control of her emotions, and her sobbing subsided.