Jenny watched in puzzlement as Dr. Smithers passed another car coming up the laneway. She folded her arms over her chest and turned to Cal. “What’s going on? Who’s this?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “It’s my lawyer. I asked him to come out to talk to you.”
She didn’t get a chance to ask what he meant before a sturdy man wearing a business suit and sour scowl knocked on the door. Without invitation, Mr. Stewart walked in and slammed his briefcase on the table. He ignored Jenny in favor of chastising Cal.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t caution you against this. We’ve never discussed this before, and it could have huge financial consequences. If she leaves you, you could lose the business and part of the farm. Wait and see if it lasts.”
Cal’s tightly leashed temper snapped. “I asked for your expertise, not your permission. And I don’t appreciate your implications. I made this decision. Alone. Jenny doesn’t know anything about this. I wanted you to come out here so you could explain the documents to her.” He took a calming breath and waved to a chair.
Jenny tried to ease the tension. She put out her hand and gave him a shaky smile. “I’m Jenny.”
The man looked at her hand briefly before giving it a perfunctory shake. “Mr. Stewart.”
Cal’s jaw clenched, but Jenny found his open hostility amusing. She’d kill him with kindness. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Stewart. You must be hot. Can I get you some lemonade? Have you had lunch?”
He looked at her suspiciously before accepting the drink. Cal threw her a bewildered glance, which she answered with a wink. She poured him a glass of lemonade and put a plate of leftover sandwiches within his reach.
“I imagine you’re very busy, Mr. Stewart. I appreciate you making the trip out here to meet with me, but I confess I’m not sure what’s going on.” She smiled guilelessly.
He cast her another suspicious glance before pulling a sheaf of papers from his polished leather briefcase and smoothing them on the table. “I represent Mr. Carson’s interests. This property and the business run on it are part of Mr. Carson’s assets and amount to a significant financial holding. A few days ago, Mr. Carson asked me to draw up a quitclaim document that transfers fifty percent of the property to you.”
Jenny gasped loudly, and Cal blushed furiously as the meaning of the document sunk it. He looked startled, though, when she slapped the table and snarled, “What are you doing? You can’t give me half of this farm. This is your home.”
He shook his head stubbornly. “No. It’s our home. It’s only right that you be entitled to half the property.”
“Cal, this is crazy. This has to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I can’t take this!”
Mr. Stewart grabbed for the papers. “If you’re not sure about this, Miss, the documents can be voided.”
Cal ignored her protestations and signaled to Mr. Stewart to pass the papers over for his signature. He signed them without hesitation, returned them to the now-dejected lawyer, and faced Jenny defiantly. “It’s mine to give. You live here, your business is here. Who else would I give it to but my family?”
Mr. Stewart left two copies on the table, folded the other into his briefcase, and excused himself from the table. He left unnoticed by Cal and Jenny as a powerful current flowed between them. Jenny was overwhelmed, and bit her lip to keep from sobbing like an idiot. “I don’t know what to say.”
He shrugged dismissively. “You don’t need to say anything. I wanted you to know, without a doubt, that I want you to be here and, that I love you. If this doesn’t work out,” he continued over her protest, “then I have no regrets about the farm. I probably wouldn’t want to be here anyway if you weren’t here. You’ve made this my home. But I don’t ever intend to give you a reason to leave.”
He laughed in pure pleasure when she launched herself into his arms. Eh, the others could handle the chores for an hour. He had a life to start.
* * * *
Cal watched with satisfaction as Jenny relaxed into her new home bit by bit. He doubted she even realized how comfortable she was becoming in the house. Make-up she’d diligently kept in a traveling kit to date was now left on the bathroom counter, he found her panties mixed in with his laundry, and a large bowl of jelly beans graced her bedside table. Cal cleared space for Jenny in the bedroom, and together they moved her belongings to their room. He saw her eyes mist when he pulled the hunter green sheets and duvet from the linen closet, knowing she recognized them as the spare set he bought just in case.
Jenny had settled into the rest of her life, too. She’d become friends with Fatima’s co-worker Miyuki whose three-year-old daughter had special needs. The two were now regulars at the farm, and helped promote her business by word of mouth. Jenny seemed to come to life when working with the young girl who appeared calmer. And Cal didn’t miss the appreciative glances Tony gave Miyuki, or her nervous awareness of him. For all Tony’s reputation, Cal knew he was a decent guy who took his responsibilities seriously. Maybe…
He paused for a moment, just appreciating the changes in his life. Their life had taken on a rhythm he was growing to really like. Will and Tony joined them for breakfast most mornings, neighbors he’d known superficially now dropped in just because, and he was even getting used to the steady stream of people showing up at the dinner table or inviting themselves overnight.
Even so, Cal silently congratulated himself for the hundredth time that he’d whisked Jenny away without anyone noticing. In the years since he bought the ranch, the farmhouse had been a stone monument to his loneliness, a place to live but devoid of life. He couldn’t believe the difference a few weeks with Jenny made. Thanks to her welcoming personality and perpetual need to feed people, Will was now a constant fixture at breakfast, the farmhands usually ate lunch and dinner there, and the occasional neighbor stopped by for a beer on the porch in the evening. He never realized how dark and oppressive the house was before, as if reflecting his sadness and withdrawal from life, but in the past month the house had to come life with every banging of the front door, every loud dinner table conversation, and every play-fight between the farmhands.
* * * *
He loved the changes she brought to his home. And life. But sometimes, he just wanted Jenny to himself. Chores and milking limited the times they could leave the farm, but he’d come up with a plan today to sneak her off the farm without anyone knowing. He knew Eddie could handle the afternoon milking, so he didn’t feel guilty leaving the others to finish the chores. Cal looked at the beauty walking beside him and couldn’t believe his good fortune. Knowing he had a true prize in his arms, Cal pulled Jenny tighter against him as they meandered to his favorite diner.
Distracted by his own thoughts, Cal didn’t notice the commotion outside the diner at first. But as they drew closer to the restaurant, he saw a chubby child clutching a raggedy blue knapsack to his body and rocking vigorously. Ten-year-old twins Jake and Jade Brubacher were trying to soothe the boy, but the child’s anxiety was visibly rising, and he began to wring his hands and cry. His voice rose, and he kept asking a helpless Jake, “Have you seen Amanda? I can’t find her. It’s almost dark.”
The twins tried to answer the boy, but he was too agitated to hear their answer. Cal felt rather than saw Jenny’s tension when she heard the boy’s questions. Still watching the scene closely, Cal murmured to her, “That kid is pretty upset.”
Jenny shook her head firmly and started walking quickly toward the trio. “That’s not a kid. That’s Solly. What the hell is he doing here?”
Cal saw the obvious relief on Jade’s face when he and Jenny joined them. The boy was facing away from them, and Jenny put a gentle hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
“Solly? Solly, are you okay?” Jenny asked him with concern.
The teen whirled around at her touch, and Cal got a glimpse of the boy’s soft Down Syndrome features. Solly’s almond eyes widened as he recognized her and he cried, “Jenny with the horse
s,” before launching his chubby body at her. The impact would have knocked her off her feet if Cal hadn’t put steadying hands on her shoulders. Solly wrapped his plump arms around her tightly, and his head thunked against her chest as his body wracked with sobs. Jenny rubbed his back reassuringly, letting him cry his anxiety out, and a few minutes later he slowed to hiccups.
When he had calmed, Solly lifted his wet gaze to her face and asked, “Do you know where Amanda is? She said to wait here. I don’t know where she is. I’m loosssstt.” He started to wail before Jenny gave him another reassuring hug.
“I know you’re upset, but I’m still glad to see you,” She said giving him a smile. “If you tell me what’s wrong, I think Cal and I can help you,” she told him, motioning to Cal standing behind her. “First things first, though. Are you hungry? Have you eaten anything?”
He shook his head as his eyes filled up again. “Amanda didn’t pack me lunch.”
“Okay,” Jenny said “Then I think we need to get you some dinner, and we’ll try to sort this out after. Does that sound good?” She smiled when he nodded enthusiastically and started to pull her toward the restaurant entrance.
As they moved away, Cal quietly thanked Jake and Jade for stopping. “Can I ask a favor? Can you tell Chief O’Brien I need to see him? Tell him dinner’s on me.” Cal watched the pair rush off to the police station before heading into the popular diner to join Jenny and Solly. He found Solly snuggled tightly against Jenny’s side, his pale round face still wet with tears. Jenny took some napkins and gently wiped at his brown eyes.
“Better?” she asked, and was rewarded with a big smile and another hug. She patted his arm and looked over at Cal. “Sorry about dinner,” she mouthed to him and relaxed when he shrugged lightly.
“I asked Jade and Jake to get the police,” he said softly, but Solly heard him and jerked away from Jenny, his panic starting to rise again.
“Police? I wasn’t bad!” he shouted.
Jenny stroked his back again, aware that Solly was on edge and that they were drawing a lot of attention. “Of course you weren’t bad. You’re not in trouble. Cal wants the police to help us. Remember we talked about how the police are our friends? Well, the police chief is a friend of Cal’s, and he’s going to help us.” Solly didn’t look too sure, but settled snugly against Jenny again and scowled at Cal.
Cal passed out the menus as the waitress approached the table to take their drink order. She took a quick glance at Solly and asked Jenny what he wanted. Jenny looked at the waitress in confusion and shrugged. “Ask him.” Solly was oblivious to the waitress’s blush as he explained his routine. “I get chocolate milk at dinner. Orange juice for breakfast. A juice box for lunch. Chocolate milk for dinner.” She took the others’ orders then rushed away just as Chief O’Brien arrived at their table.
“Shove over,” he told Cal as he gave his friend a hard push and slid into the booth next to him. He glanced quickly at Solly before giving Jenny a big toothy grin. “Hey, beautiful. You sure do improve the scenery,” he flirted before Cal slapped the back of his head.
“Ow!” he laughed, rubbing his head, “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend, Jenny?”
Jenny put an arm around Solly as she introduced him. “Hey, Liam, this is Solly Sullivan. He sometimes comes out to my riding camp. He and his mom, Amanda, live near me. His mom doesn’t want anyone to know she’s old enough to have a son his age, so he calls her Amanda. I’m not sure why he’s here. I mean, I know our town was evacuated, but I don’t know why his mom brought him here or why she left him.” She watched Solly affectionately as he concentrated on slurping his chocolate milk through the purple bendy straw.
“Hey, Solly. My name’s Liam, and I’m a police officer. I’m also a friend of Cal and Jenny’s. Jenny said you were worried about where your mom is. Can you tell me when you got here?” Solly waited for Jenny’s nod before answering Liam.
“Amanda and Dennis told me to wait in the library. But then the lady said the library was closing and I had to go, but Amanda didn’t come back. It’s almost dark, and I have to go to bed when it’s dark. She said if anyone talked to me, I should give them this,” Solly explained as he pulled out a crumpled note and handed it to Jenny. The ink was badly smeared from being handled, but the meaning was clear. “Solly is old enough to live alone, but put him in whatever home you want. My man said he doesn’t want to live with a retard. I’m putting me first for a change.” Jenny’s eyes pricked with tears as she read the cruel rejection and silently slid the note over to Cal and Liam. She was relieved Solly was distracted by his meal and didn’t ask what the note said. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she couldn’t tell him his mom didn’t want him. Jenny looked at Cal beseechingly and after a moment, he nodded at her.
“Could he stay with us for a while?” he asked the officer.
Liam’s eyebrows rose in surprise before he turned to Solly. “How old are you, buddy?”
Solly looked up from his meatloaf, a smear of ketchup on his chin. “I’m big. I’m nineteen.” Jenny knew his short stature and soft features made him look much younger, but she gave a confirming nod to Liam, before motioning to Solly to wipe his face.
“What do you think about staying with Jenny and Cal for a while?” Liam asked, getting a vigorous nod in response.
Liam watched them thoughtfully for a moment before answering Cal, “He says he’s nineteen, so legally you don’t need his mom’s consent. I know where you are in case his mom gets in touch with my office. Let me know if you’re going to take him out of town. I’ll put some feelers out.”
Cal put a restraining hand on his arm. “Look at the marks on his arm. Reread the note, Liam. Don’t put too much effort into looking for her. I have a feeling that he might be safer the way things are.”
Liam gave Solly the quick but penetrating once-over officers do as he looked for signs of injury. The bruises on Solly’s upper arms looked suspiciously like fingerprints, and he knew he would need to photograph the injuries for evidence. Just in case. He explained to his friends that for formality’s sake he would need to run a criminal record check on them. They readily gave their consent and agreed to bring Solly to the police detachment after dinner. Arrangements made, Liam slipped from the booth and headed back to his office.
True to his word, Liam made the process quick and painless. After interviewing Solly about his life with Amanda and Dennis, Liam took photos of the marks on Solly’s arms and torso that Solly attributed to Dennis’s rough handling. Without knowing Dennis’s last name, there was little Liam could do to follow up, but the interview and pictures were now on file, and he could pursue charges if and when the couple showed back up.
The drive home was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Jenny took Cal’s hand and rubbed her warmth into his palm. He gave her a quick smile before turning his attention back to the road. Cal was absently rubbing his thumb on her hand when he heard Solly’s loud, thick speech from the backseat.
“You have to put both hands on the wheel. That’s the rule. Both hands,” Solly advised Cal sagely before staring out the window again. Cal grinned and released Jenny’s hand with a wink. Placing both hands on the steering wheel where Solly could see them, Cal pulled into the laneway. Solly’s head swung around as he tried to take in the mountains, animals, and large stone house. Then he saw Swiss Miss sitting on the porch swing and jumped out of the truck almost before it stopped moving, heading right for the huge dog. Swiss Miss seemed as curious about Solly as she stood up on the swing and gave Solly’s face a wet sloppy lick. Solly giggled and awkwardly patted the dog’s enormous head.
“She’s almost bigger than he is!” Jenny laughed as she looked at the unusual pair.
“That’s Swiss Miss, Solly,” Cal told him and laughed when the kid tonelessly sang “Instant Cocoa,” finishing the old hot chocolate jingle. The trio headed inside, and Swiss Miss pushed firmly past Cal to enter the house. He looked at the dog with some amusement as she head
ed right for Solly and leaned heavily against the teen. Cal bit back a smile as he watched the pair. With Solly’s small stature, the dog was nearly the same height.
It was time for bed, so Jenny grabbed Solly’s knapsack and headed upstairs, knowing Solly would follow. She heard Solly’s familiar heavy footstep, then clicks and heavy chuffing, and turned to see Swiss Miss following closely behind. Jenny shook her head and led Solly to a guest room at the opposite end of the hallway. She could hear him if he needed anything, but had every intention of jumping Cal’s bones tonight, and she didn’t want to worry about Solly overhearing them. Jenny grimaced when she heard the bed groan under Swiss Miss’s weight, and wondered if there was enough room for Solly, too. She shook her head and left them to sort it out.
Jenny slipped under the cool sheets and lied still so she wouldn’t disturb Cal. Her mind was reeling from the night’s events, and she could only imagine what Cal was thinking. How they’d gone from a rare date to playing happy families with Solly, she didn’t know, but in three hours, their situation had taken a sharp turn. Her heart filled when she remembered how gentle and supportive Cal had been, how decisive that Solly would stay with them. She knew he was a kind-hearted man, but she also knew he’d invited Solly to the ranch for her. And with that thought, her heart sunk.
In a few short weeks, she’d turned his life upside down. If she was honest with herself, their relationship was still fragile. Cal had had doubts, had fought his attraction, and only recently committed to living with her. Despite Cal’s frequent reassurances that he wanted to be with her, she still wondered if he would end it abruptly if things got to be too much. She wanted him to see that life with her wouldn’t be a constant roller coaster, but she wasn’t sure that adding Solly to their new situation helped her cause.
“I can hear you thinking from here.”
Afire (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 13
