Deadline

by Judy McDonough

Cade produced a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the tears before it ruined her makeup. Kristy, all smiles, willingly volunteered her new car for them to escape the wind and talk. Kristy had to be behind this somehow. Her strange behavior now replaced by smiles and spontaneous giggling.

  Cade chivalrously opened the door for them to crawl into the cramped spaces of Kristy's Audi. Kristy slid into the back seat. He sat in the driver's seat and started the engine to blast the air conditioning. Holding a manila folder, he turned to Caroline, very serious, yet cautious.

  "Caroline, I've been doing some research over the last few months. I believe what I've discovered will hugely impact your decision to get married today. You need to know this rushed, impromptu wedding went above Trevor's head. His dad's been playing puppet-master all along."

  Caroline remembered the conversation she overheard between Trevor and his dad and her spine turned rigid.

  "How do you know this?" she whispered, praying it wasn't true, and trying to ignore the piece of her heart that hoped it was.

  "Just hear me out first, and then I'll explain how I got the information." His eyes implored her to understand and begged permission, so she nodded. "I called in a few favors. Kenneth Callahan, Trevor's father, has bought all the land surrounding your dad's property. He owns KC Real Estate Investors and has been the punk harassing Eddie to sell the plantation." Stunned, Caroline didn't have a chance to respond. "There's more. I researched the genealogy of the Callahan family and discovered that Trevor is a direct descendant of George Callahan."

  She shook her head, confused and about to argue this claim, but no words would come out.

  Cade covered her icy cold hand with his. "Caroline, George is Trevor's G3 grandfather. After he killed Rachel, he moved to New York to start a new life and escape being hanged for murder."

  Caroline shook her head. She didn't believe this. The irony was all too coincidental. Impossible.

  "You have to believe me, sweet girl. I know my timing stinks, but I just found out for certain myself."

  Confused, shocked and growing angrier by the second, Caroline said, "How—what does this have to do with me marrying Trevor today? So what if he's a descendant of George Callahan? That doesn't mean Trevor is a murderer."

  "Caroline, Eddie has put you in his will. He showed it to me before I came up here. It states that as his only blood relative, you inherit the Fontenot plantation and family business if he dies. April, Claire and Remy will only get money and vehicles. Once you and Trevor are married and you add his name to everything, he is entitled to it all."

  Caroline pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut. "Cade—"

  "It gets worse. I asked around, and learned about the legend of the feud between the Callahan's and Fontenot's. Apparently the Callahan's harbored resentment when George was not offered partnership with Jackson after Peter Callahan passed away. That resentment coupled with a thirst for revenge has been handed down through the generations."

  Caroline knew this already, but let him continue.

  "Kenneth tried to force your dad to sell, but Eddie told him to go to hell. This didn't sit well with Callahan, and bruised his massive ego, so he's contracted a hit man in the Louisiana Mafia to take him out once the papers are signed in both yours and Trevor's names. Don't you see, Caroline? Once Trevor has control of the property and business, he can sell it to KC Real Estate investors and it will no longer be in your family." Cade stroked his fingers down the length of her stunned face. "The Callahan's will have finally avenged their family."

  Cade pulled out the last sheet of paper. "Please believe me, cher. As much as I would love to keep you from marrying Trevor, I'm not tacky enough to crash your wedding for no good reason. Once you and Trevor say, 'I do,' Callahan is going to send a message to this hit man, and Eddie will immediately be in danger."

  Cade, passionate now, wiped a tear dripping from Caroline's nose and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Sweet Caroline, Kenneth Callahan is going to kill your dad so he can finally have what his G2 grandfather, George, did not. He's out for revenge."

  Caroline tried to think through the maze of anxiety, confusion, and emotional upheaval swirling through her head. Obviously, she could stop their plan by simply not adding Trevor to the will, but she knew he, and apparently his overbearing father, would never be okay with that. "Does Trevor know about this?"

  Cade stared out the windshield. "I don't know. I can't see how he wouldn't, but I am not certain."

  "Okay, I need to think for a minute. This is crazy. How could. . .how could someone do this? Who sits around and plots this kind of stuff?"

  "Kenneth Callahan does. His father and grandfather passed down the story of the Callahan's and the Fontenot's to him. It's like the legendary feud between the Hatfield's and McCoy's. The families have hated each other for over a century. He wants to be the one who avenges his family name and takes what he believes is rightfully his."

  "Why would he want an old plantation in southern Louisiana when he lives in Chicago? It doesn't make any sense."

  "He doesn't want the plantation, cher. He wants to take it from your family, tear it down and build a huge metroplex community on it. His main purpose is revenge against your family for what they allegedly did to George. He holds your family responsible for the hardships he and his ancestors have endured over the years. By tearing down everything the Fontenot family spent a century-and-a-half building, he will have his revenge. In the process, he will make millions. You see, it's the perfect plan."

  Realization set in. "This is what Rachel has been trying to tell me!"

  Cade leaned back, closed his eyes and sighed in relief. "Yes," he whispered. "She's been trying to warn you about the Callahan family. That's why she was so intent to show you how and why George had killed her."

  "It makes sense, now," she whispered. "That's why she picked me. Because I was engaged to Trevor." The clues all came crashing together. "The dreams started right after I got engaged. The cracked picture frame, the sweatshirt, glider. . .the cat. That's why my ring kept disappearing, she led me to the journal, I saw the rape in my dream. . . That's why she even made me experience things from her perspective. Desperation to make me understand."

  Reality set in and she gasped, grabbing Cade's hand. "What about Eddie? Is he okay?"

  "Only if you don't marry Trevor today."

  His golden eyes burned a hole through her emotions, and she turned to Kristy in the backseat. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

  Kristy shook her head. "No, not all of it. I knew he was checking in to some things, but I didn't know what."

  Caroline smirked. "That's why you were acting so weird, checking your watch and looking all around. At least now I know you're not possessed." They shared a laugh until the gravity of the situation and what she must do now sank in.

  Fear shot through Caroline. She couldn't let anything happen to her father, to her family. "What am I going to do? Trevor will be furious with me. What do I say?"

  "Sweet girl, Trevor manipulated you into rushing into something he knew you weren't ready to do. One way to find out if Trevor knows about his father's plan is to gauge his reaction when you tell him you can't go through with this today. Tell him you're not ready yet, and you need more time to think and prepare. If he loses his temper, then it's a good bet he knows something about this. A good man would understand if you needed more time to make a decision this important."

  They stepped out of the car.

  "I agree with Cade. I will be right by your side when you tell him, C," said Kristy.

  "Cade, thank you for being brave enough to bring this to my attention today. I can't say I'm excited about your timing, but I am grateful for your help in protecting my family. Now, I just need to figure out how in the world I'm going to handle this. Trevor does not do well with public humiliation."

  Kristy clasped her hands together. "Well, it's time he learns. Let's do it! Let's get this party started. . .or stopped as the case may be."


  Kristy removed the veil and they walked hand in hand toward the wedding site. Cade stayed far enough behind that he could see if they needed help, but wouldn't be the cause of trouble. His smile a fixture on his face as he followed her. Trevor Callahan was about to receive the sucker punch of his life, and Cade was thankful he'd be there to witness it.

  Thirty-Nine