by PK Corey
Cal watched them from a distance as he had most of the day. He’d taken the festival patrol hoping to spend some time with Jenny. Instead he’d got to watch her with Kyle. He’d had to fight the urge to rip Kyle’s head off. He’d kept repeating the obvious to himself. She was where she should be. The kid was good looking and the right age for her. The brat probably had money too, so that would work out fine for her. Cal saw red every time Kyle touched her, but it was stupid to be jealous. He’d taught her to cook and clean house—things he didn’t imagine she’d ever have to do once his stupid probation was over. She wouldn’t even have to worry about being on time again. The world waited for people of wealth and privilege.
He saw Kyle lean in for a kiss just as the fireworks began. As the kisses grew more passionate Cal couldn’t watch any longer, and turning abruptly he headed for his office.
Chapter 14
There were only a few people in the station when Cal stalked in. Jake looked up, surprised to see him. “We’ve got it, Sheriff. Why don’t you head home?”
Cal didn’t even acknowledge him and he entered his office and slammed the door mightily. Jake stared in wonder. What the hell was eating Cal? Losing his temper and slamming things was so unlike him. Jake couldn’t let it go.
Cal was known for his even temper and the few deputies there stared at one another. Jake took a deep breath and entered Cal’s office without knocking. Cal was standing behind his desk breathing hard and looking like he wanted to rip something apart.
“What is it?” Jake asked.
Cal took a moment before answering. “It’s nothing,” he finally answered.
“Yeah, you look like it’s nothing,” Jake replied calmly, waiting.
“You’re dismissed, deputy. I don’t feel like talking,” he snapped in his commander voice.
“I can tell,” Jake told him, as he took a seat across from Cal. Grabbing a handful of M&Ms from the bowl on Cal’s desk Jake looked at his boss and friend, “Talk anyway,” he told him. “What’s wrong?”
Cal scowled at Jake’s persistence, but Jake settled back in the chair with an I’m-prepared-to-wait look.
Cal finally sat heavily in his chair. He put his head back and closed his eyes. “I’m so stupid.” Opening his eyes, he looked at Jake, “When I tell you all this shit you should arrest my sorry ass.” And with a deep sigh, Cal told Jake everything beginning with the night Jenny broke in. Jake listened without changing expressions.
As Cal finished, both men sat in silence. “Well…” Jake answered slowly, “you were completely out of line that first night. Her daddy could’ve had your job and had you strung you up by your balls, too. But she didn’t tell Daddy and it sounds like everything else has been completely consensual.”
“It was consensual that first night, too,” Cal maintained.
“Dubious at best, man. You had her cuffed to your bed and you’re the sheriff.”
“Yeah, I realize that,” Cal admitted.
“She’s the one, isn’t she?” Jake asked.
Cal was slow in answering. “She can’t be. Weren’t you listening? She’s nineteen. Probably born with silver spoons coming out her ass. I’m twenty-eight, man, I live on a county sheriff’s pay and this is stupid!”
“I’ve been listening man. Yeah, you might have been stupid that first night, but then it seems you’ve been doing pretty damn good until you just walked off leaving some horny teenager pawing the woman you love. Tell her Cal!”
“I can’t! We shouldn’t be together; we can’t be together. It would never work,” Cal snapped.
“She doesn’t get a say at all? The idea that she may love you right back doesn’t even need to be explored? The age difference doesn’t mean shit. The money, yeah that could be a problem. But problems can be worked out. So you tell her and she says ‘no way’. What have you lost? Give her a chance.”
Cal stared a Jake for a long moment. “So you don’t think I’m an idiot?” Cal finally asked.
“I never said that,” Jake answered grinning. “But I know you’ve never been torn up by a woman before. You’ve got it bad and you need to get out of your own way and let nature take its course.”
“Well… maybe. When the three months is up. Maybe I’ll tell her. I don’t know, I want to, but maybe I should just keep it all to myself. She can decide on her own.”
“Nice to see you being your old decisive self, Sheriff,” Jake told him as he walked out shaking his head.
Megan came in just after Jenny had gotten in the dorm room. “How was the wedding?” Jenny asked.
“Long. Too many aunts, uncles and even cousins asking when I was planning on getting married. I swear I was getting ready to ask some of them when they were planning on divorcing or losing weight. I mean how personal can you get? I wish I’d stayed here and gone to the festival. How was it?”
“Fucking awesome,” Jenny snarled sarcastically.
Megan looked at her questioningly and Jenny continued.
“Oh it was okay. Kyle called and we met up there, because of course, Cal was too busy to go with me. Cal was there on patrol and he never even came near me. He could have at least said hello or something. But no, he just spent the day staring at us. I was so pissed I finally started making out with Kyle hoping to get some reaction, but nothing. He just turned and walked off.”
“Maybe making out with another guy isn’t the best way to tell him you care. Just tell him how you feel,” Megan insisted. “You know guys are really stupid about feelings. You have to tell him straight out.”
“Yeah, I can picture that conversation: ‘I love you, Cal.’ ‘Thanks for the information, Jenny. You need to work on your term paper now.’”
“Give him some credit Jenny. You know he cares about you, but he’s just worried at how different you both are, the age thing and all. Do you really love him? Seriously?”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know. I think I do, but how do you ever really know? I can’t think anymore tonight. I’m going to bed.”
Chapter 15
“This is stupid and I hate it and I’m not doing it anymore,” Jenny yelled as she slammed her computer shut.
“Are you saying writing research papers isn’t your favorite pastime?” Megan asked sweetly from the other bed.
“I can’t even,” Jenny stormed. “Who gives a shit about Emily Dickinson or the Brontë sisters? I don’t give a crap about symbolism or comparing their boring books to contemporary themes. No one’s going to read this anyway. This would even put professors to sleep.”
“What do you have so far?” Megan asked, pretending interest.
“Just these stupid bits and pieces: In many of her poems, Dickinson expresses her interest in nature. And then I’ve got: Along with the natural way of life comes death, which seems to have fascinated Dickinson.
“Then for the stupid Bronte sisters I’ve got: The combination of literary elements from both novels constitute them as Gothic romances and then, According to an essay written in The Eclectic Review in 1851, Charlotte and Emily Brontë were at home amongst the moors; therefore, a vividness and graphic power in their sketches present them before the reader.
Megan burst out laughing, “That really sucks.”
“I know,” snapped Jenny. “How do I make—They all seemed to like nature—into a ten-page long paper? Why couldn’t I compare EL James to JK Rowling? At least people still read their books. I just can’t do this!”
“So quit stressing over it and order one online. It’s done all the time. You can order an A paper on down to a D. It’s not worth this anguish.”
“Cal would kill me. I already told him it’s nearly finished,” Jenny griped. Jenny had never shared Cal’s views of disciple and consequences with Megan but Megan seemed to understand on some level that Jenny didn’t want to do something to really disappoint him.
“I wasn’t suggesting you seek Cal’s approval first. Just get it, tell him you wrote it and be done with it. It’s not like you can’t affor
d it.”
Jenny hesitated, “No, I can’t do it. If Cal ever found out…” she shifted uncomfortably at the thought. Snatching her computer back up, she opened it and read what she’d written so far. “Hell, forget it. Show me how to go about getting one, but promise me you’ll never tell a soul. Swear it,” Jenny begged.
“I swear. Don’t worry. It’s done all the time and I’d never tell anyone. Especially not Cal, although I bet he’s damn sexy when he’s all mad,” Megan mused.
“He’s damn sexy all the time, but I don’t want him mad at me. Now show me what to do, I’m going for a low B, high C paper, something believable.”
The whole thing was amazingly simple—explain what you want, pay with paypal and the paper was on her computer the next morning.
“Damn,” Jenny was amazed. “I might just make it through college after all,” she told Megan with a laugh. “I don’t feel good about this, but I didn’t feel good trying to write the damn thing either. Seriously though, I don’t want to do this again. Make me start earlier next time. Promise me.”
“Yeah, sure, no problem,” Megan answered grinning. “I’ll get right on that.”
Cal had been acting funny lately. He wasn’t mad, he acted friendly enough, but something wasn’t the same. Jenny knew it had to be how she’d acted at the festival. She knew it was up to her to make things right, but she didn’t know where to start. Waiting until they’d eaten last Thursday, Jenny had tried.
“Cal you’ve not had that much to say to me lately. Have I done something wrong?”
Cal looked at her without answering. What he wanted to say was, ‘I feel like you gutted me by letting that sweaty, little shit-ass paw you at the festival. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and you pick that little prick. I want to fall to my knees and beg you to love me every time I see you – that’s all you’ve done.’
Aloud to Jenny he said, “You haven’t done anything wrong. I guess I’m just overworked.”
“I saw you watching Kyle and me at the festival. He’s just a friend Cal, honest. We’re not together or anything. We just kissed, you know as friends.”
“Yeah, you looked like pretty damn good friends. I have some calls I have to make. Do you mind seeing yourself out?” Cal turned, went into the bedroom and shut the door.
Cold-hearted bastard! She was trying to apologize, she was trying to explain but he didn’t give a shit. Okay then if Cal really didn’t want her, she knew someone who did.
Cal stood at the bedroom door. When he heard the door close he went to the window. He stood still as stone as he watched Jenny drive away. Taking a ragged breath Cal realized that for the first time in nearly twenty years he was crying.
Chapter 16
They were still working together. Cal still texted to check on her grades and Jenny still cleaned, but she made sure she was gone before Cal came home. After a week passed they were even talking a little over the phone. He seemed to be working a lot more. Maybe that was all. Everything seemed so… impersonal. What if she just walked out of his bedroom naked when he came home one night? Would that stir things up? She still wanted him so bad, but he’d even stopped hugging her. She didn’t know how to fix what had been broken.
She hadn’t been able to reach Kyle that night after she’d left Cal’s. Maybe it was for the best, as she’d been ready to go to bed with him if he’d been available. Deep down she was glad he’d been away. She liked Kyle, he was fun to be with, but when she was with Cal—even now that he was being so distant—Kyle seemed like a little boy with some screwed up thinking to boot. Why wouldn’t Cal just get off his sheriff mode and let nature take its course.
Maybe showing him a finished research paper would earn her some points. She waited until the paper was due before showing it to Cal. He would have definitely been suspicious if she’s done it early. It was obvious he was pleased when he read it.
“After all that moaning and complaining you did a great job. I’m proud of you,” Cal told her with a big grin. “How about a celebration. Maybe a dinner at a nice restaurant and neither of us will have to cook?”
Jenny could tell Cal was really proud of her and she suddenly felt like shit. As much as she’d wanted to spend more time with him there was no way she could be around him right now. Guilt was eating her up and she couldn’t stay. She was about to cry and if she did the whole sorry story was going to spill out. “I’d like that, but not tonight. I feel like I’m coming down with a cold or something. My head hurts. I think I’ll just finish up here and go back to the dorm.”
“Jenny? Look at me,” Cal demanded with concern.
Jenny looked at him briefly before turning away. “Maybe I’m not sick, I’m just tired. I need to finish the laundry,” she told him, trying to pull away.
“You don’t need to do anymore around here today. Go get some rest. Do you need anything, cold medicine? Tissues?” he wanted to know.
If Jenny stayed one more minute she knew she’d burst into tears and confess all. “I don’t need anything,” she nearly snapped. “I’m just tired.”
Jenny was heading out the door as Cal was calling, “I can drive you and you can get your car later.”
“I’m fine, I …” Jenny hesitated a moment before repeating, “I’m fine, Cal. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Jenny cried all the way back to the dorm. Megan grabbed her as soon as she got in. “Oh damn, what happened? Did Cal find out?”
“No, he said he was really proud of me,” Jenny told her, bursting into renewed tears. “I feel like shit.”
“All right, now listen. I’m sorry I even suggested it. But it’s done. Forget it. Promise yourself that from now on you’ll write your own papers. I just don’t think you have the deceitful nature to do it this way. Thankfully, I don’t share that problem. Now really, just let it go. You didn’t hurt anybody. It’s a stupid paper and you can’t let it bother you this much.”
“You’re right, it’s done and turned in now. But never again.”
Chapter 17
Four days had passed and Jenny was finally feeling better. She hadn’t hurt anyone, except herself. She was sure some teacher would agree, but she could live with that. It was nearly off her mind when she got the email that she had an appointment at one o’clock with Dean Abbot. What the hell? What does the Dean of Women want with me? It couldn’t be about the paper. She prayed that it wouldn’t have anything to do with the paper. But the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her it was.
She arrived just before one. “I got an email saying I was to meet with Dean Abbot,” Jenny told the woman in the outer office.
The woman looked up without a smile. “Are you Virginia Anderson?” When Jenny nodded, she said, “Have a seat, the dean will be with you in a minute.”
Ten minutes later, the inner door opened and Jenny jumped. Dean Abbot was tall and stern looking. Her face looked as though it had never tried smiling. “Come in, Miss Anderson,” the dean commanded. “Have a seat.”
Jenny took a seat across from the desk as the dean stepped out to say something to the receptionist. Returning she stared at Jenny quietly for a moment. “Miss Anderson, I believe in being straight forward and I hope you’ll give me the respect to do the same. It’s come to my attention that you bought a research paper online and then turned it in as your own work. Is that true?”
Jenny’s first thought was to deny. Deny. Deny everything. But it was clear to see this woman wasn’t fishing—she knew. Jenny didn’t know how, but she knew. “Yes, ma’am. I paid someone to write it and I’m sorry. I’ve been sorry ever since I turned it in,” Jenny told her quietly.
“I’m glad to hear that, but I hope you realize how serious this is. Plagiarism is something the college takes extremely seriously. This violation of our school rules allows me to expel you without further consideration. But I would like to know just what you were thinking. Years ago I would have invited your parents to this meeting but government privacy rules prevent me from discussing this with them.
”
“I’m the one who did it, not them. I didn’t realize…”
“However,” the dean went on, “I saw a note in your file allowing us to contact Sheriff Bennett in case of academic or discipline issues. I have here,” she said holding up a paper “the waver you signed allowing us to discuss any problems with him.”
“No. Wait!” Jenny begged, beginning to panic. “Please don’t! I don’t want Sheriff Bennett to know.” The phone rang on the dean’s desk as Jenny pleaded, “You can’t tell him, please.”
Dean Abbot answered her phone. “Please put him through,” she said. “Don’t worry Miss Anderson. I don’t plan on telling him. That will be your job,” she said firmly as she passed the phone to Jenny.
Chapter 18
Jenny took the phone with a trembling hand and slowly put it to her ear.
“Cal… I’m in trouble. I’ve done something awful. I think I’m going to be expelled.”
Cal’s voice sounded rough as he demanded, “Damn, Jenny, first you skip out on an exam, and now what?”
“I… I didn’t write that paper I told you about for English Lit. I bought it. The dean says they can expel me. I didn’t know it was that serious, Cal. What am I going to do? I can’t get thrown out of school.”
“You didn’t know it was serious! I’ll be there in a minute.”
Cal was furious with Jenny. He had asked her about that paper a dozen times while she was supposed to have been writing it. Every time, she had assured him it was coming along fine, that she had it all under control. She’d even given him a copy to read. She’d looked him in the eye and lied like a rug. He was mad at her and mad at himself. Being in law enforcement made him suspicious by nature and he had had his doubts about Jenny’s assurances that the paper was coming along fine, but he cared for her so much he had disregarded his gut feeling. That would not be a mistake he would make with Jenny in the future, that was if they actually had a future.
