by Regina Hart
She had a point. Jack inclined his head. “We were both at fault. The bottom line is, it’s time for you to leave.”
Audra’s expression was a study in mutiny. “Why?”
Because if you don’t leave soon, I’m afraid I’ll beg you to stay forever.
He returned to repairing his porch railing. “You always knew this thing between us wouldn’t last.”
After a beat, Jack heard Audra move away. It sounded like she was running. He squeezed his fists to keep the pain at bay. He had to stay where he was. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—run after her. Whether she left next Saturday night or stayed a week or two longer, sooner or later she would leave. For once, Jack didn’t want to be the one left behind. The problem was, it hurt the same, whether he was the one who did the leaving or the one who was left.
Her door was closed this time. Darius stopped in front of Peyton Harris’s office Saturday morning. He glanced at the peace offering he’d brought—a dozen long-stemmed yellow roses wrapped in green tissue paper—then knocked twice on her door. There was no need to be nervous. So why are my palms sweating?
Darius leaned closer to the door, listening for movement on the other side. Muffled footsteps sounded. Darius straightened, stepping back. He was transported to the night he’d picked up his high-school prom date. The door opened cautiously.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Peyton stood framed in the threshold as though using her small body to bar his entrance. She’d dressed in a white T-shirt and navy blue walking shorts.
“One of your neighbors at your apartment complex told me.” Darius cradled the bouquet in his arms. Had she even noticed it? “May I come in?”
Peyton frowned. “Who? I didn’t tell anyone where I was going.”
Darius shrugged. “She said she saw you loading boxes into your car. She thought that meant you were going to work.”
Peyton’s smoky gray eyes darkened with what looked like fear. “Why would she tell you where to find me?”
“Because I asked her.” Darius frowned. Why was she so concerned? She still hadn’t noticed the roses he held. Nor had she invited him in. “Perhaps we could have this conversation in your office.”
Peyton stepped aside, then closed the door behind him. “Are people in Trinity Falls in the habit of telling perfect strangers where to find their neighbors?”
Darius cocked his head. What was causing the tension in her voice? “First, calm down—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.”
“Second, I’m not a stranger. I grew up in Trinity Falls. I went to school with some of your neighbors.”
Peyton leaned against her office door. “Suppose I didn’t want you to know where I was. Would they tell you, anyway, just because they know you?”
“Obviously, they don’t see me as a threat.” He hesitated. “Do you?”
Peyton pinched the bridge of her small nose. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point?” When Peyton didn’t answer, Darius continued. “It’s a small town, Professor. But take heart, nosy neighbors are the best crime deterrent on the market.”
“I hope you’re right.” Her eyes challenged him. “I’m not giving you an interview.”
“I’m not here for that.” Darius desperately wanted to ask the professor what it was she feared, but he’d promised himself he wouldn’t pry into her life. It was only fair, since he’d recently realized he didn’t want anyone digging into his.
Peyton crossed her arms and angled her chin. “Then why are you here?”
Darius stepped forward to offer her the bouquet. “These are for you.”
Peyton finally looked at the long-stemmed roses. She accepted them with caution. “Why?”
“Consider it a peace offering.” Darius wondered at her reticence to his gift. “We got off on the wrong foot.”
Peyton’s smoky eyes were suspicious. “Are you trying to bribe me? Sheriff Lopez said he’d spoken with you.”
“The roses aren’t a bribe. I promise not to write any articles about you without your permission.”
Peyton studied him in silence as though she could read his thoughts. Could she? “How do I know I can trust you?”
That hurt. “If I’d wanted to write an article about you without your permission, it would’ve appeared in the paper already.”
“That’s good to know.” Peyton opened her office door, an obvious but silent invitation for him to leave. “Thank you for the roses.”
Darius crossed to her. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intent.”
Peyton returned his gaze. “Just keep your promise not to write any articles about me.”
Darius extended his right hand. “Fair enough.”
Peyton shook his hand. “Thank you.”
Darius smiled. “I’m not likely to cross you. After all, the last time I was here, you marched me out of your office.”
Peyton’s cheeks pinkened. “I’m sorry about that.” She pulled her hand free.
“I deserved it.” Darius closed his hand to hold on to her warmth. He turned to leave. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“You do the same.” Peyton’s soft response followed him out the door.
Darius smiled as he strode down the empty, quiet hallway. At least this time, he left without assistance. He’d consider that progress in their relationship.
Kerry crossed the lobby of the main cabin, belly first Saturday afternoon. His ex-wife looked ready to give birth today. Jack rose from his seat behind the registration desk.
“I’ll get to the point, Jack.” Kerry stopped in front of the counter.
“That would be refreshing.” He crossed his arms and waited for her to continue.
Kerry squared her shoulders. “The only reason Isaac’s returned to this dim little town is because you all invited him to help celebrate your sesquicentennial. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring up our unfortunate past to the press.”
He fought to find his voice. “‘Our unfortunate past’?”
Kerry expelled a breath. “You know what I mean.”
“You’re talking about our daughter’s death.”
“She wasn’t our biological daughter. She was adopted.”
“Does telling yourself that make you feel better about what you did?”
“It’s the truth.”
“She was my best friend’s daughter and you were my wife. After he and his wife died, we raised Zoey practically from birth.”
“I didn’t realize she was sick.” Kerry’s words were sharp and strained.
“So you just left her, left us?” Jack’s muscles were frozen with remembered anger. “She wasn’t the perfect daughter you wanted, so you abandoned her?”
His ex-wife’s makeup was expertly applied. Her hair was professionally styled. Her maternity dress was fashionably fitted. She was perfect. It had taken him a long time to realize that perfection was what she craved in every facet of her life.
Kerry shook her head, looking away. “I didn’t abandon her.”
“What would you call it?” Jack struggled to keep his voice level.
“I was scared.”
“So were we.”
“I didn’t know what to do.”
“Neither did we.”
Kerry threw up her hands. “What do you want me to say? It’s in the past.”
“It’s not the past to me. To me, it feels like this morning.” Blood rushed through his veins. A pulse pounded in his ears.
“What do you want me to do about it?”
Jack lowered his arms. How could he make her understand the hurt she’d caused? How could he make her see the selfishness of her behavior?
In a moment of clarity, he remembered Audra’s insistence that he get in touch with his feelings: “The only way you’ll heal from Zoey’s death is to stop running from your emotions. You have to deal with them.”
He took an unsteady breath. “We were scared, too, Kerry. But we would’ve been stronger as a fa
mily, facing the uncertainty together. Being scared together. Praying together. Instead, I had to help our daughter understand why she was in so much pain. I had to do that by myself. I also had to explain why her mother wasn’t with us.”
Kerry’s throat muscles flexed as she swallowed. “What did you say to her?”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Is that the only thing that matters to you?”
“I want to know what you told her.” Kerry pushed her chin forward.
Jack saw defiance in her eyes, but there were other emotions as well: fear, uncertainty. Shame? “Do you want to know what she told me?”
Kerry hesitated, then nodded.
“She said she must have done something really bad for her mother to leave. Zoey thought she got sick because her mother didn’t love her anymore.” Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. “She wanted to know what she’d done that was so wrong.”
Tears welled in Kerry’s eyes. So she was capable of crying.
Kerry blinked rapidly, wiping the corners of her eyes. “What did you tell her?”
“What should I have told her? That while she was lying in unbearable pain in a hospital, the woman she thought was her mother was screwing another man? That while she was dying, her mother could only think of herself?”
“What did you tell her?” Kerry screeched the question.
Jack held his ex-wife’s angry gaze. “I told her the truth. That the day she was born was the happiest day of her mother’s life. That even though her mother couldn’t be with her now, she would never stop loving her. But I wasn’t talking about you, Kerry. I was talking about Zoey’s birth mother.”
Kerry’s chin trembled. “I did love her.”
“Not enough.” Jack’s eyes dipped to her stomach and back up to hold her gaze. “I hope you don’t treat your next child the same way.”
Kerry gasped and stumbled backward. Tears raced down her cheeks. Without a word, she turned and rushed from the cabin. Jack sank onto his chair and let his own tears flow. He felt better, freer than he’d felt in years. Finally he’d been able to tell Kerry how he felt about her abandoning him and Zoey, most of all Zoey. That was because of Audra. The songwriter had taught him how to speak with his heart. She’d given him back his memories of his daughter. She’d brought him back into the community that was his family.
Once she was gone, how would he manage without her?
Audra marched into the Trinity Falls University auditorium. She fumed as she replayed for the umpteenth time her argument with Jack, mentally adding dialogue she wished she’d said to the grumpy rental cabins’ owner.
“I hope you don’t mind my being here.” Doreen stepped into the aisle in front of Audra.
Audra rocked to a halt to prevent a collision with the other woman. “What?”
“I wanted to attend your rehearsal. I’m too excited to wait until next week to hear you and the band.” Doreen searched Audra’s eyes. The excitement on her features dimmed to concern. “What’s wrong?”
Audra tugged her right earlobe. Her gaze circled the room: the three rows of roughly six hundred mahogany chairs bolted to the red cement floor, the large Gothic windows carved into the walls just below the ceiling, the choir balcony behind them, the stage before them.
Seated on folding chairs in front of the stage was the Trinity Falls University concert band. Forty of the university’s best musicians—sophomores, juniors, and seniors—played wind and percussion instruments. They were talented, enthusiastic, and adaptable.
Audra fidgeted with the strap of her tote bag as she answered Doreen. “Jack and I broke up.”
Doreen’s eyes widened. “Let’s sit.”
She wrapped an arm around Audra’s waist to guide her into a nearby row. She took the aisle seat beside her.
“It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?” Audra dumped her bag on the floor beside her feet, then rubbed her eyes. Her fingertips came back wet. “We’ve been together only three weeks. Can you really break up after only three weeks?”
“What happened?” Doreen’s voice was gentle.
Audra blinked away tears. “Jack told me he didn’t see the point in waiting another week. He wanted to end our relationship now.”
“I’m so sorry, Audra.”
“So am I.” She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. I will not cry. I will not cry. “What really hurt is that he told me I didn’t belong in Trinity Falls.”
“He’s wrong. It feels as though you’ve been here for years.” Doreen rubbed Audra’s shoulder. “I’m really going to miss you when you leave next week. And I know I’m not the only one.”
Audra dashed away renegade tears. “I’ll miss you, too. I’ll miss the whole town.”
“You can always come back for a visit.”
Audra’s blood chilled at the idea of coming back to Trinity Falls after Jack had tossed her unceremoniously from his life. She met Doreen’s eyes. “Or you can come to Los Angeles.”
“Do you know Morgan Freeman?” Doreen’s grin was infectious. She had an obvious crush on the popular actor.
“I wish I did.” Audra’s heart felt lighter with her friend’s teasing.
“Excuse me, ladies.” Vaughn Brooks, the band director, seemed reluctant to interrupt them. “Is everything OK?”
Doreen stood, leading the way out of the row of auditorium seats. “I’m so sorry. I’m monopolizing Audra’s time.”
Audra pulled her sheet music from her tote bag. She hoisted the bag onto her shoulder before following Doreen.
Vaughn’s brown eyes were dark with concern. “Do you want to cancel today’s rehearsal?”
This was the final week before the Founders Day Celebration. The band was performing four pieces: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” “Happy Birthday,” and the Electra Day song “Lifting Me Up.” They knew the music and were playing together well, but Audra didn’t want to cancel today’s practice.
She offered the sheet music to Vaughn. “No, I’d like the students to learn this song for the concert.” Audra turned to Doreen. “Is it OK to add another song?”
Doreen’s eyebrows lifted toward her hairline. “Absolutely.”
“Thanks.” Audra nodded toward the papers Vaughn was studying. “It’s an original piece. I wrote it for myself. Can your students learn it in a week?”
“Of course.” He returned to his musicians.
“Tell me about the song.” Doreen’s voice bounced with excitement. “Is it a ballad or a dance song?”
“It’s a dance song.” Audra shifted her gaze from Vaughn and his students to Doreen.
“What’s it called?”
“‘Prince Charming.’” Audra tugged her right earlobe. “I titled it before this morning.”
Concern returned to Doreen’s eyes. “Did you write it for Jack?”
Audra looked away. “Jack was the inspiration—before our breakup.”
Doreen squeezed Audra’s shoulder. “We’ll see what next week brings.”
“I suppose we will.” But Audra didn’t imagine next week would be any different from this morning.
CHAPTER 24
A week later, Jack stood at the podium on the makeshift stage at the entrance to Freedom Park. It was August ninth, Trinity Falls’s one hundred and fiftieth birthday. The noon sun was warm. The breeze was gentle and the air was still with expectation. A sea of faces—residents and guests—separated him from the Trinity Falls Town Center.
Jack gripped the edges of the podium and glanced down at his prepared notes. “Thank you for coming.”
He hesitated. Ramona, Doreen, and Isaac Green had said the same thing when they’d addressed the expectant crowd. His speech was sucking before he’d even begun. Jack looked up. Ean, Megan, Quincy, Darius, and Ms. Helen sat together toward the front of the audience. Benita Hawkins, Ms. Helen’s cousin and Audra’s business manager, had joined them. Members of the Trinity Falls Town Center Business Owners Association—Belinda, Tilda, Grady, and Vern
on—were scattered throughout the crowd. Simon and Ethel were in opposite ends of the area. They’d all been a part of his life for years, some since his birth. They’d helped him celebrate his joys and grieved his sorrows. And they’d waited patiently for his return when he’d shut them out after Zoey’s death. They deserved better than his prepared speech. They deserved his heart.
Jack released the podium. He folded his notes and slipped the paper into the front right pocket of his black Dockers. “One hundred and fifty years ago, my great-great-grandfather, Ezekiel Sansbury, founded Trinity Falls. But this place is more than a town. It’s one big extended family.” He smiled at Ms. Helen. “Complete with overprotective parents.” He glanced at Darius. “And annoying siblings.”
Laughter interrupted him. Jack let his eyes roam the crowd, tensing at the sight of Opal Gutierrez, the Monitor’s junior reporter, taking notes on his presentation. “We have our family feuds and sibling rivalries, but running through it all is a lot of love. The type of encouragement that makes our successes even more special, and the support that carries us through our disappointments.”
The people in front of him nodded and smiled in agreement. Jack continued. “My great-great-grandfather would be proud of the fact that he’d founded a family. I know this, because that’s why I’m most proud of Trinity Falls.”
The applause was enthusiastic. Jack turned back to his seat.
Ramona touched his arm. “Great job.”
He nodded, acknowledging her words and the applause of the other people on stage with him.
Ramona took the podium. “That was a beautiful speech. Thank you, Jack.” She led the crowd in one more round of applause before advancing the event’s agenda. “I now have the great pleasure of introducing our next entertainment.” She gestured toward the musicians on stage right. “Our own Trinity Falls University concert band will perform its final two songs. This time, they’re accompanied by our new best friend, Grammy-winning songwriter, Audra Lane.”
Jack joined the applause. He felt a slice of jealousy as Vaughn escorted Audra and her guitar onto the stage. Audra glanced briefly at him as she acknowledged Doreen and State Representative Isaac Green. She continued to the front of the stage, her hand outstretched to shake Ramona’s.
