When It Feels So Right

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  She opened the first ledger he’d given her and flipped through the pages. There was a crackling sound as some were brittle and nearly crumbled on the edges. She carefully turned to the first page and read the date.

  I was born Thaddeus Boles. It was 1863, the beginning.

  Chapter 17

  Of course she’d ended relationships before. It was easy enough each time since she never opened her heart in the first place. She’d learned long ago that opening her heart meant hurt and pain. It wasn’t that she was cold or callous. It was that she’d seen it too many times in foster care, parents in it only for the money, kids being placed and displaced every few months. It was a hard lesson that she learned well. Then as an adult, she witnessed men who seemed to break hearts for sport. So when it came to her heart, she protected it fiercely. But this time was different. This time she let Andre in. And she had gotten hurt.

  The focused vengeance of continuous work lasted the next five days. The house was empty, so Jo stayed at Jacob’s insistence and worked on the manuscript nonstop. She took over the library, spread out her materials and worked feverishly. It was hard, but she focused, concentrated and did it. Jacob called every evening with answers to questions she posted earlier that day. She went through every piece of data he supplied. But it was Louis’s journals that provided the most interesting data.

  She read the journals a few dozen times. Each time she read them, she learned something more incriminating than before. The humble beginnings everyone knew to be true about the wealthy Buchanan family weren’t all that humble. Reading the journals changed everything she thought she knew. Jacob was right. Louis Buchanan was a liar, a thief, a con man and a crook. He was the deep dark secret the Buchanans wanted to protect for good reason.

  But surely all the good the Buchanans have done over the decades had to make up for sins of the past. Their philanthropic and humanitarian causes were legendary. The Buchanan Foundation, headed at one time by Olivia, was universal in its charitable gifts. They sponsored generous scholarships, awarded grants, and promoted the value of education with words, works and millions of dollars.

  Jo continued working day and night and she was exhausted, but she wanted to see this through. It wasn’t unusual for her to wake up on the library sofa having fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. After a particularly long night she stayed up all the next day and that evening reached an astounding conclusion. She was done. She stared at the monitor for a few minutes, stunned by the realization of all her hard work both past and present. Afterward she saved the document and sat back completely numb. She stared blankly at the monitor looking at the completed work. It was done. She was finished.

  There was only one last thing to do. She wrote a brief e-mail, attached the file and sent it to Jacob. After a quick shower and snack, her cell rang. She checked the ID and answered. It was Jacob with his usual evening check-in phone call.

  “Hi, Jacob, it’s finished. I just sent you the file.”

  “Excellent. What do you think of it?”

  “Truthfully, I think it’s some of my best work. The family history is so unique and profound that the images leap right off the page. It’s heartwarming and tragic. I think anyone reading this will recognize the power of the American dream and the courage and valor of the men who achieve it.”

  “I hope you didn’t exaggerate too much.”

  “I write the facts. I always do. But the facts are always surrounded by the historical truth of the times. Also, I hope you don’t mind, but I used one of your father’s journal entries as the prologue. It seemed fitting.”

  “Thank you, I’m grateful for all your patience and dedication. I know it was difficult and trying at times. Olivia would be delighted.”

  “You’re welcome. And thank you again for the opportunity to work with you. It was very special. I made travel arrangements, and my flight leaves tomorrow morning so I guess this is goodbye. I’ll leave a hard copy here waiting for you.”

  “No, I have a better idea. Why not deliver it in person?”

  “Sure, where are you?”

  “Bane will come and get you tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  Jo hung up. Next she made a quick call to put her travel plans on hold. Her body was drained. She relaxed with the intention of resting her eyes just for a moment. Having not slept much in the past few nights, her eyes grew heavy and soon she’d fallen asleep.

  The dream was simple. It was the same dream she’d had all week, with slight variations. She was looking for Andre and found him in his bathroom. He was in the large tub filled with warm water and surrounded by bubbles. Candles glowed everywhere and soft music played in the background. She walked in. He saw her and motioned for her to join him. She did. Relaxed back in his embrace she closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of his body holding her. They were surrounded and covered with iridescent bubbles.

  Then the bathroom disappeared and they were suddenly outside, still in a tub but in the middle of winter. They were on the tiny patch of land he took her to and there was snow all around them, but the steaming hot water kept them cocooned in warmth.

  His hands came to her shoulders and began massaging her gently. She sighed as her head rolled back and all her stress and tension washed away. He drizzled warm water onto her breasts as her nipples hardened. He kissed and nibbled her neck as he tweaked each one. She gasped, feeling sweet sensation. From her shoulders his hands drifted lower to her breasts, to her stomach and then to her hips. He pulled her body onto his and began touching her everywhere. There was no end to his touch.

  She felt his mouth, his tongue and his hands. He was in front of her, behind her, beneath her and on top of her all at the same time. Her mind was dizzy with ecstasy as water rippled and a hot mist rose up around them. Everything seemed lighter than air, including them as they floated while making love. The image of his body began to fade. She tried to hold on, but he slowly slipped from her grasp until finally he was nothing more than a mist.

  Slowly she opened her eyes. It was morning and she’d been dreaming. She was in Jacob’s library with piles of books and boxes all around her. She sat up and looked around. She was alone and her muted cell was humming and vibrating. She answered sleepily.

  “We have a problem,” Pam said immediately. “You’re in the newspaper, named by Senator Lewis on her divorce. Apparently the gag order isn’t as final as we thought.”

  “What?”

  “The judge is furious and I’m headed over there now. Apparently someone leaked that Lewis’s husband was having an affair. Details are sketchy, but your name came up.”

  “Are you serious? This is a disaster. Who would do something like this?”

  “One guess, does the name Andre Buchanan sound familiar?”

  “No, Andre wouldn’t do this to me.”

  “Are you sure? The man is a media master. He plays by his own rules when it comes to protecting his family. If he sees you and this bio as a threat he will end it and if that means discrediting you before the fact, he will.”

  “No, I don’t believe it.”

  “Who else then? The senator or her husband? No, there’s no way either of them would talk to the media about this. It’s her career on the line and his reputation.”

  Jo’s shoulders slumped. Pamela was right, who else had the savvy, the means and the motive to leak this information? It was revenge, plain and simple. “It doesn’t matter now anyway, I just finished the manuscript and sent it to Jacob. If he wants to have it published, then it’s on him. I’m done. I’ll just move on to the next job.”

  “About that, I just got off the phone with them. They canceled.”

  “They canceled me?” Jo asked.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll find something else.”

  “Actually, I think I’m gonna take a little vacation.”

  “Are you sure?” Pamela asked.

  “Positive. Listen, I have to go.”

  “Where to?”

 
“You know what? I have no idea.”

  Bane called shortly after that to set up a time to pick her up. She dressed and prepared for the meeting, but was surprised when Bane called and asked her to meet him out back. When the time came she walked around to the back of the house and waited. A few minutes later she saw a helicopter arrive and land. Bane hopped out and greeted her. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Are you kidding, in that?” she shouted, over the loud whirl of the blades and motor.

  “Sure, believe me, it’s the safest way to travel. There are no traffic jams, no road rage and no accidents when you hit a cloud.”

  “Yeah, but most cars don’t fall a hundred feet out of the air when you run out of gas.”

  “We work for an energy company, believe me, we have fuel,” he teased as he guided her across the landing pad to the helicopter. He opened the door and got her settled with a secured seat belt and a headset. He got in on the other side and told the pilot to take off.

  “Where are we going exactly?” she asked.

  “Titan.”

  An hour and six hundred miles later Jo arrived in Anchorage at Jacob’s insistence. He wanted her to see and experience the heart of Titan. He was right, the corporate headquarters of Titan Energy Corporation in Anchorage was as impressive as the company itself. It was massive, spread out over miles and miles. Jo looked down at the property as the helicopter hovered. She felt her heart skip a beat. It wasn’t because of the ride, but because she knew she might see Andre again.

  “What do you think?” Bane asked through the speaker in her headset.

  “It’s massive,” she said, “I’ve never seen anything so big.”

  “The offices are over there. There are three corporate buildings. Each houses a different aspect of the business. Jacob and most of the Buchanan family are in the executive building over there.” He pointed as the helicopter flew over and hovered low.

  “Are there oil wells around here?”

  “Not in the traditional sense. The oil fields are pipelines that run from up north and to the west. They’re also located off the coastlines. You’ll see a lot more natural gas lines coming down from the Prudhoe Bay area on the Arctic Ocean.”

  “I still can’t believe we’re so close to the Arctic.”

  “We’re still quite a few kilometers south. Okay, ready to head in?” he asked.

  “Yes. Thank you so much. The tour was amazing.” The helicopter instantly changed directions and headed back toward the three main buildings. It hovered over the smallest building and landed on the roof. As soon as it powered down, Bane removed his headset and helped her with hers. They got out, ducked low and hurried to the building’s rooftop exit. Bane swiped a key card and the latch clicked. Inside sat a security guard. He looked up and nodded then checked Bane’s ID and signed her in. “Wow. That was really amazing,” Jo said.

  “Your first helicopter ride?” Bane asked, as the elevator arrived. They got in and Bane used a key and pressed the button.

  “Yes.”

  “You get used to them after awhile. It’s the quickest way to get from point A to point B sometimes.” The elevator door opened and they stepped out into a busy rush of employees. “Wait here, I’ll let Jacob know we’ve arrived.” He came back a few minutes later. “He’s not in his office, come on, we’ll track him down.”

  Chapter 18

  Five days was a long time to stay away, and it might just as well have been five years. Because it didn’t matter how far he went or where he went—Los Angeles, New York or Washington—he couldn’t stop thinking about Jo. Andre had gotten into the Anchorage office early and sat at his desk listening to his staff update and address current issues in his absence. They talked, but he barely listened. His focus was shot. It had been for the past week. Then finally he asked them to just take a break and meet with him again later that afternoon. The last of his staff left, closing the door and leaving him alone.

  He stood and walked over to his window. From the eighth floor he could see that the extensive view stretched out for miles. His thoughts traveled just as far and wide. He’d made a decision. He loved Jo and if that meant turning his back on his family then so be it, that’s what he intended to do. He went back to his desk, picked up the phone and called his father’s office. A second later there was knock on his door. “Come,” he said, looking up.

  His father strolled in happily. “Good, you’re back, excellent,” Daniel said.

  “I was just calling you. We need to talk.”

  “Yes indeed, we have a few things to discuss before the meeting with the conglomerate tomorrow. This needs to run smoothly. We don’t need any last-minute surprises. By the way, nice job on clearing up that writer matter. That could have been a problem.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ben sent the newspaper. Didn’t you get it?”

  “No, what newspaper?” he asked.

  “The Washington Post. Check your desk, it came overnight express. I got mine this morning.”

  Andre rifled through the pile of waiting mail he had yet to go through and found the overnight express envelope from Ben. He opened it and read the notation. The article was straightforward. It alleged that Jo had had an affair with Senator Lewis’s husband while in her employ. It listed an anonymous informant as the source.

  “Excellent job,” Daniel added. “It’ll show any other vultures with a mind to take advantage of the Buchanan name just what the consequences will be.”

  “I didn’t do this,” Andre said, as his father continued to congratulate him. “This isn’t me.”

  “Of course it is, it has your style written all over it. It gets the point across without directly linking us to the scandal. I think it’s a stroke of brilliance.”

  “That may be, but not this time.”

  Just then the door opened wide and Jacob marched in obviously furious. “What is this trash?” he asked, angrily. “I specifically instructed you to leave her alone. She didn’t deserve this attack.”

  “He was following my lead on this, Dad,” Daniel said instantly. “This was getting out of hand and somebody needed to bring it back under control. You’ve had your affairs and flings with these women, even before Mom’s death, and I’ve never said a word, but this is over the top. You were giving this woman the keys to our past and sacrificing all our careers.”

  “This has nothing to do with you,” Jacob said.

  “It has everything to do with me, with all of us. Do you have any idea what could happen if this thing she’s been working on gets out? We could be ruined, everything gone. This way she has no reason to continue plus it gives her and others like her warning not to try anything like this again.”

  Jacob shook his head. “She’s done. She finished it last night and sent it to me. I read it and forwarded it to a publisher friend of mine. They want the full story.”

  “No, Dad, you didn’t, you can’t,” Daniel said in frustration.

  “It’s out of my hands, it always was.”

  “What do you mean, is this woman blackmailing you to do this?” Daniel asked. “If so we can—”

  “No,” Andre interrupting, drawing both their attention. “It’s out of your hands because you never commissioned it or hired her in the first place. Somebody else did. Jo told me that she was already nearly done, but the job was interrupted. It was interrupted because Grandmom is the one who hired her, wasn’t she?”

  Jacob smiled and nodded. “I was wondering when you were going to figure that out. I expected the realization much sooner. You must have been distracted.”

  “No one else could have possibly been able to convince you to do this. It had to be her. So that’s why she was so adamant about doing this.”

  Daniel walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Mom did this? Impossible.”

  “Originally Olivia wanted a book, but I refused. She started it anyway without my knowledge. After she passed I found a letter from her asking that I continue what she and Jo started
. I couldn’t do it for months. I felt too guilty, too lost. Olivia was my world and I didn’t appreciate her and what she gave me until it was too late.”

  “So what happens now?” Daniel asked. “We need to call a press conference to head this off before the sharks start circling.”

  “No, what happens now is that you read the manuscript,” Jacob said. “You never know, this just might be good for all of us.”

  “Impossible. How can this be good? You invited this woman into our lives and she’s wreaked havoc on all of us,” Daniel replied.

  “Not all of us,” Jacob said, eyeing Andre.

  “Andre, we need a press conference. We can jump on Senator Lewis’s publicity and say that this woman is trying to do the same thing to us.” He jumped up and moved to the desk, grabbing the newspaper and handing it to him. “We can use this, we’ll bury her,” Daniel said as he marched toward the office door and opened it.

  Andre shook his head and leaned back against the front of his desk. “Sorry, Dad, I can’t do it.”

  Daniel spun around. “Excuse me, what did you just say?” He looked at Andre as if he’d suddenly grown two heads.

  “You heard me, Dad. I quit.”

  “What?” Daniel bellowed loud enough to register on a noise decibel scale.

  “I quit,” Andre said calmly. “You go after Jo and I will quit.”

  Daniel threw his arms up and walked away. “This is crazy, first Dad and now you. What’s going on? Is everybody losing their minds around this place? She’s infected you too, hasn’t she?”

  Jacob chuckled and nodded. “It appears that way.”

  “This is insane,” Daniel continued. “What’s going on around here? Has everybody gone crazy? Do you have any idea what our future will be like?”

  Andre smiled. “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I love her and if she’ll still have me, my future will be with her.”

  “That’s my boy,” Jacob said proudly.

  Daniel threw his arms up again. “Oh, this is impossible. I’m dealing with craziness here.”