“Yeah, he cared so much, he didn’t even care to know what had become of us, what had become of this farm, whether we were even alive or not.” Jackson folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
“Oh, he knew,” Kendall responded, then smiled softly. “He made regular inquiries in the beginning as to your welfare. Although I didn’t know him then, he told me that he would call different people in the area and ask as much about you and Casey as he could without anyone getting suspicious. He knew the two of you had remained living here on this farm and he was happy that you’d worked things out after he left. He also knew how important this land was to you, how much you loved it, and as long as you were still here, he knew you were okay.”
“No thanks to him,” Jackson grunted.
“Jackson, he was so young. He was only twenty years old when your mother and father were killed.”
Jackson sat up straight in his chair, then leaned his elbows on the table and looked piercingly at Kendall. “Well, I was nineteen when that happened. He was certainly older than I was!”
“No, he wasn’t,” Kendall replied. “Chronologically, yes. Emotionally, no. When it comes to taking responsibility, putting up the good fight when times are tough, you were way beyond him in courage and stamina. You were nineteen going on thirty-five. He was twenty going on twenty and a half.”
“I thought you didn’t know him back then,” Casey said.
“I didn’t,” Kendall responded. She tilted her head and smiled at Casey, hoping she would believe the truth. “I met Jim…James Lee five years ago. We’ve been married for the last three. And knowing him as I do—” Kendall faltered and her bottom lip quivered as she corrected herself, “as I did—and now coming to know Jackson, there is no comparison in their emotional maturity. James Lee was a good man, a kind man, but he always had dreams of getting rich quick. Without putting in any of the hard work.”
“If he wanted to get rich quick, he could have just come back here, insist that we sell the farm, and then collect his share,” Jackson smirked.
Kendall was quiet for a moment, studying Jackson as if she were inspecting an alien. “Do you not remember your brother at all? What he was like when you were young? Do you really think he’d do that to you and Casey? Like I said, he loved you very much. You may not understand why he chose to stay away, but at least understand that he never stopped loving you. And that he understood how much this farm meant to you. He would never have done anything that would cause you to lose even a tiny piece of this land.”
“Well, if he’d bothered to come back, he’d have found out that we’ve got a lot more land now than we had then and that we’re filthy rich and he could have had plenty of money without us having to sell anything.”
Casey emitted a tiny sob as she braced her elbows on the table and lowered her face into her palms. Tom rubbed a hand across her shoulders and kissed the top of her head gently.
Jackson remained stoic and refolded his arms as he sat in his chair looking steadfastly at Kendall. He was reluctant to give in to this assumption that all would be forgiven and forgotten just because Kendall, no Katherine, a complete stranger, said it should be so. He was beginning to doubt everything about her. He realized that the woman he had fallen in love with could quite possibly be the biggest con artist he’d ever run across.
“So, you say he loved us and would never do anything to hurt us,” Jackson challenged as he stared at Kendall. “And so he stayed away for twelve years, never once demanding what he was entitled to. And now all of a sudden, here you are. Why did you decide to come here? Why is that, Kind— Katherine? Was it so that you could claim what was rightfully yours as James Lee’s widow?”
Casey gasped as she lifted her head and directed her gaze at her brother. And though she called his name as if in admonition, she nonetheless turned immediately afterward to look at Kendall, and waited silently for her answer.
Kendall looked into Jackson’s face, into the eyes in which she had always seen a great amount of trust and belief in her. What she saw now were eyes that held a degree of animosity and disillusionment. She couldn’t really blame him. So much had happened today, so much had been revealed that could easily shatter anyone’s faith in her. She had lived as James Lee’s wife for three years and not once had she made the effort to get in touch with the Coleys. Never mind that it was at the wishes of her husband, but still she had kept the secret of her husband’s whereabouts from his family. Then James Lee had been killed by her own brother, a fact that would understandably make anyone leery of her. Upon his death, in her cross-country escape, she stops in Logan City and ultimately brings a cloud of danger and devastation into the lives of this family. Why should they believe anything she says? But seeing in Jackson’s expression a loss of trust was devastating to Kendall. She wondered if she would ever be able to look into Jackson’s eyes again and see his old confidence in her. Would he ever look at her the same again?
“I want nothing from you,” Kendall said softly.
“Why should we believe that? You’ve been living here for quite some time now, ingratiating yourself into this family and this community, never once revealing who you really were.”
“I honestly didn’t know, Jackson. Obviously, the doctors were right in their guess that there might have been traumatic events leading up to my hospitalization that were too much for my mind to recover from or accept at the time. Except it wasn’t memories of the man that attacked Casey and me. It was the tragedy of James Lee. And Ted, and what he had done. And I swear to you, the only memories I’ve had for the last two months are the ones I’ve shared with all of you.” Kendall took a deep breath before she continued. “I was terrified when I left Nevada. I never in a million years had dreamed that Ted would seek such vengeance as to actually kill me or anyone. Until he killed James Lee.” She paused and wiped at the tears she was unable to control now. “I just wanted to get as far away from him as I could. I knew that until Ted was behind bars, I wasn’t safe. Especially after I saw how ruthlessly, without any conscience at all, he had put an end to Jim’s life. I drove out of Hardison with only thoughts of my survival. My plan was to go to Miami, get in touch with the police there and explain the situation to them, then follow up with the Hardison police until Ted was caught. Of course, I was also frightened of what the police might do to me, considering the story that Ted had fed them about my being involved in the scam. I knew it was going to take a lot of straightening out. But I also figured the evidence would be there that it was Ted who had been behind it all. And that he was the one who killed Jim.”
“Then everything you told Lan Bullard about the money was the truth?” Casey asked.
“Yes,” Kendall answered. “And I’ve paid back as many people as I could find. As much as time permitted me to do so before that awful day. There could be more. Months had passed before I discovered what Ted and Jim had been doing—”
“James Lee?” Jackson asked incredulously. “You didn’t say anything to Chief Bullard about James Lee being involved in this.”
“I didn’t tell him because I don’t see any reason why the police should ever have to know what James Lee did. He only went along with it in the beginning, and that was because Ted talked him into it, I’m sure.”
“I remember when you had a memory of two men being involved in all this missing money. You said that one of them was warning you about the other,” Casey said in a near whisper. “Was James Lee the one warning you?”
“Yes,” Kendall answered. “James Lee tried to tell me how unscrupulous and dangerous Ted was. But I wouldn’t believe him. I thought I knew my brother better than that. God, I was so naïve. And because of that, and my misplaced faith in my brother, James Lee is dead.” Kendall lowered her head and wiped at her tears again. “If I had only listened to Jim in the beginning, given the money back to Ted instead of sending it to all those people…”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Casey whispered, reaching across the table and pl
acing a hand on Kendall’s arm. “You did what you thought was right.”
Jackson rose from the table and walked to the back door. “I’ve got to get out of here,” he said. He put his hand on the doorknob, then turned back to look at Casey. “You’re buying all of this?”
“W-well, why would she lie about it, now?” Casey said shakily, then shook her head and breathed deeply, reminded of how much like a sister Kendall had become. Casey had always trusted her innate sense about people, whether good or bad, and she had almost always been proven right. And she didn’t think she was wrong this time, either. “Jackson, you know she didn’t remember anything before today. You were here, along with the rest of us, for the last couple of months, and there’s no way she could have faked all of that. I don’t believe Kendall has it in her to do something like that.”
“Her name’s Katherine, Casey Anne. And she’s James Lee’s wife. Supposedly. How can we really be sure of any of this?” He turned then to look at Kendall as she remained seated, her head still bowed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “You could be Cynthia’s long-lost cousin, for all I know,” he said to her with a sarcastic laugh.
Kendall raised her head and met Jackson’s gaze. She wanted so much to make this all go away, if for no other reason than to erase the deep sadness and anger she saw in Jackson’s eyes. She knew now that any trust he’d had in her was gone. The only thing she could do now was at least leave him with the truth. He deserved to know beyond any doubt the fate of his brother. “I understand. You need proof. I’ll make arrangements first thing in the morning to have James Lee’s and my marriage license, his other personal documents, along with his death certificate sent here. I’m sure a death certificate’s been issued in Hardison by now.”
“I wouldn’t have expected you’d do anything less,” Jackson said. “You’ll need those things in order to prove your rights as his widow. Should turn out to be very lucrative for you. I’m surprised you didn’t bring that stuff with you.” He paused. “Or maybe you did, and it disappeared along with your car. And now that I think of it, maybe there’s more to that incident, too, than you’re telling us. Did you know the guy who attacked you outside of Logan City that day?”
“Of course not.”
“So you say. But who knows for sure where all the crap you’ve brought here with you begins and ends.” With that, Jackson turned and left the kitchen, slamming the back door behind him.
Casey sat in stunned silence at Jackson’s exit. She turned to Kendall, feeling a bit embarrassed at the display, but also understanding Jackson’s confusion and mistrust. “Give him some time, Kendall. It’s a lot to get used to.” She paused, then added, “I suppose we should call you Katherine now?”
“Whatever you like,” Kendall said quietly. “Either one is fine, I guess, and after all, Kendall is part of my name. It seems strange hearing you say ‘Katherine.’” She tried to smile, but found herself near tears again, feeling confused herself about what the next few days would hold for her. She would have to stay in Logan City for a while to tie up any loose ends with the investigation here. After that, she needed to get back to Nevada. The Hardison police would be anxious to talk with her, and there were many other things she would have to take care of, things that had been ignored during her absence – James Lee’s burial, for one. She would have his body sent back here to Logan City. She knew Jackson and Casey would want it that way. Then there was her home, the business, and now funeral arrangements for Ted. And there were many details still to resolve, especially with the insurance companies.
Casey interrupted her thoughts and said in a nervous stammer, “What was he like – when he was with you?” She began to cry softly.
Kendall smiled warmly at her then. “In many ways James Lee was very much like you, warm and generous. But Jim lacked your self-confidence. He was sometimes too easily influenced by others. There were times when Jim did things without giving it much thought, only to regret it later when he had more time to think it through. But he always came through in the end. And he had never before gotten involved in anything unscrupulous, like the scam Ted roped him into. I don’t believe his mind worked that way at all. It was the pressure from my brother and his influence over him that swayed him.” She added, “It’s my fault that Jim is dead. Mine and Ted’s. Jim never did anything to deserve this.”
“You can’t blame yourself for any of this. Ted is the one who caused all the pain and suffering,” Casey reminded her.
“And he could have been stopped earlier, if I hadn’t been so naïve. When I first realized what Ted had been up to, I foolishly thought that somehow we could work all this out and return the money without Ted being prosecuted. I thought Ted would realize the awful mistake he’d made and listen to reason. I tried to talk to him about it numerous times, and when I started taking steps to right things, such as moving five-hundred-thousand dollars to a secret account, out of Ted’s reach, I figured he’d realize his efforts were fruitless and that I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. But I never once thought that Ted would react the way he did. I figured he would see my side of it and do whatever it took to make things right again. God, I was so foolish to have that kind of belief in Ted. But James Lee knew. He knew what Ted was really like. I didn’t know until James Lee told me that night just how much Ted had stolen and that he had defrauded the insurance companies, as well.”
“So, James Lee realized early on how wrong this was?” Casey asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Kendall tried to reassure her. “He knew that right away, I think. He was truly ashamed at what he’d done.” She knew this was a half-truth, but she didn’t want to tell Casey that her brother had felt stealing ‘just a few thousand’ was not that big of a deal. She added, “But once it snowballed out of control and he saw what Ted’s intentions were, I believe his biggest concern was to pacify Ted. He was deathly afraid of my brother. And rightfully so.
“I hadn’t realized the magnitude of what Ted had done until it was too late. I thought I could pay everybody back and keep my brother out of prison. I’ll never forgive myself for that. Trying to make things right, when what I should have done was turn him in to the police right away and let him suffer the consequences.”
“You were trying to do what you thought was best for someone you loved,” Casey said. “I might have done the same thing, myself.”
Kendall smiled at her. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“For James Lee, I might have,” Casey answered. “And I’m sure you felt the same way about your own brother. Even though it’s hard to imagine, if Jackson had gotten involved in something like that, it would be difficult for me to believe that he was fully to blame. I’d try to find some way to work it out without turning him in to the police. Just like I would have for James Lee. Just like you did for your brother.”
Kendall tried to imagine Jackson getting himself involved in something unscrupulous, and it was the only time today that she’d felt like laughing. As long as Jackson was left with a patch of dirt to sit on, he wouldn’t care if the guy sitting on the patch of dirt next to him had struck oil. Money meant nothing to Jackson. The dirt did. And now he was afraid that Kendall’s intentions were to take that away from him.
“You can’t be so hard on yourself, Sugar,” Tom said to Kendall. “People make their own messes. And it sounds like both Ted and James Lee got themselves into quite a mess. It’s not your responsibility to get them out.”
“But that’s why it’s my fault. I tried to take the responsibility to get Ted out of the mess he’d made. If I’d left it alone, left the money he’d stolen where it was, and gone to the police, that would have been the end of it. Both he and James Lee might be in prison right now, but at least they’d be alive.”
“As much as I loved my older brother,” Casey admitted, “he’s not an innocent party in this. He and Ted are to blame for everything that happened. Not you.”
They all sat silently for a while. Kendall wondered where Jackson was. It was
dark now and she hadn’t heard a car start up, so she figured he was still on the property somewhere. For his sake, she would need to leave here as soon as possible. He obviously couldn’t bear to be in the same room with her.
Chapter 23
>Kendall walked through the open door of the stable, then paused, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness inside. Jackson had chosen to leave the large fluorescent lights turned off. Whether it was his preference to work by the faint sunlight that shone through the door, or his attempt to make the stable appear empty, thereby avoiding her departure, she wasn’t sure. In any case, she wasn’t about to leave without saying goodbye.
The last few days had been nearly unbearable. It was evident that Jackson no longer trusted her. She thought he had seemed at times to falter in his diligence to remain detached from her, but then just as quickly he appeared to get his emotions in check, shaking his head, as if in self-admonition for temporarily losing control of his senses.
She scanned the stable and found him standing inside the stall with Sam. He smoothed the brush across Sam’s back and down to his coupling, his hand steady, the expression on his face seeming intent and focused on the task.
Kendall stopped just outside the stall and spoke his name. He didn’t answer. “I’ve got my own back home, you know,” Kendall said. “What?” “A stallion. I keep him stabled near my home. His name’s Red Flyer. I call him Red, and I love
him dearly, but he’s no Sam.” Without pausing or turning to look at her, he said quietly, “I plan to send him to you. If you’ve
got a place for him, that is.” “What?” “Sam. If you’ve got a place for him. I want you to have him.” “Oh, Jackson, I couldn’t.” “He’s yours. Always has been.” Kendall hesitated. “Well, maybe he should stay here, and I could come back and visit him soon.” Still focused on brushing Sam, Jackson replied without turning toward her. “I don’t think that’s a
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