Behind the Pine Curtain

by Gerri Hill

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Jacqueline waited patiently in John’s study, absently looking at the pictures displayed on nearly every available space. John was apparently very fond of his grandchildren. She turned around, moved to the leather sofa and sat. She had called earlier, promising to be brief. John had an eleven o’clock tee time. Mary ushered her into his study, saying John was just getting out of the shower.

  She leaned her head back against the cool leather, her mind on Kay, wondering what thoughts were going through her head this morning. They’d not had another second alone to talk. Jacqueline went to her room and closed the door while Kay and Lee Ann bickered over which story to read before bed. And this morning, when Jacqueline had finally ventured from her room, Kay and Lee Ann were on the sofa, watching cartoons. Kay had locked glances with her, saying that coffee was already made. Jacqueline brought her coffee to the table and booted up her laptop, needing to return e-mails and check in with Ingrid. In between, she watched Kay. Even when she wasn’t looking, she was aware of Kay’s eyes on her.

  They would have no time alone to talk, even later in the evening. Rose was dropping off Denny at noon, and they would have both kids until tomorrow afternoon. And perhaps it was just as well. What would she say if they were alone? What questions would Kay ask? No, it was best. Jacqueline wasn’t prepared to have a heart-to-heart talk with Kay.

  She looked up as the door opened, smiling at John Lawrence in his golfing attire, knickers and all.

  “Nice.”

  He looked down. “Too much?”

  “No. Very dapper.”

  “Thank you. Mary thinks I look sexy.” He moved to his desk, offering her one of the visitor’s chairs. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “No problem. I just wanted to go over a couple of things, John.” She settled down, casually crossing her legs. “First off, I’m probably going to be leaving next week.”

  “So soon?”

  Jacqueline nodded. “I have deadlines… obligations there. I thought I’d only be away a few days, and it’s going on two weeks.” She stared at John. “Greg tells me you got a call from Madeline’s attorney.”

  John nodded. “Yes, I did.”

  “Were you not planning to tell me?”

  He waved his hand. “It’s nothing. Frankly, I didn’t want to bother you with it.”

  “It’s no bother. I’d rather be advised of things, John. That way, they won’t sneak up and bite me on the ass later on.”

  He nodded. “Of course. And your father was the same way, but I was trying not to overwhelm you. And there’s nothing to worry about. Your mother has filed with the district court to block your ownership of Keys Industries.”

  “And there is nothing to worry about? John, you and I both know that I did not knowingly and willingly sign that affidavit.”

  “Yes, but we are the only ones who know. And Judge Crawford will rule in our favor.”

  Jacqueline leaned forward. “How can you be sure?”

  John smiled. “Hank Crawford and your father go back a lot of years, Jacqueline.”

  Jacqueline’s eyes widened. “He bought a judge?”

  “Don’t be so surprised. Your father was very powerful. Most of the local politicians were at his beck and call, not to mention several in Austin. They relied on his contributions for their campaigns. In return, they voted in his favor, whether it was for more logging in the state forests or a lower tax rate for the company or anything in between.”

  “But my father is dead.”

  “He was a very shrewd businessman, very smart. Long before now, Judge Crawford knew of your existence and your connection with Keys Industries. Your father made sure of it. They all knew. As they know that one false step and their funding stops. They know I’ll see to that.”

  Jacqueline stood, pacing across the room. “Jesus, John, it’s like the Mafia or something.”

  John laughed. “I can assure you, your father had no one killed. It’s all about money, Jacqueline. Money brings power, and your father had a lot of power.”

  “So, my mother files against me. It’ll be heard by the district judge who will rule in our favor. Then what? Can she appeal?”

  John nodded. “She can. But it won’t go anywhere.”

  “So, it goes to an appellate court? You’re saying that even then, they’ll rule in our favor?”

  “Jacqueline, it can go out of state to an appellate court, and they would still rule in our favor.”

  “So I shouldn’t worry about this?”

  “I would have told you if it was something for you to worry about.”

  “Okay. I trust you.” She ran her fingers across the leather on the visitor’s chair, wondering how to bring up Greg’s position. Directly, she supposed. “John, don’t keep things from Greg, okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just mean he’s in charge of the company right now. Keep him informed, John. Especially after I leave. I don’t want secrets.”

  John nodded. “Okay, of course.”

  Jacqueline rested her hands on John’s desk and leaned forward. “I know you think of him as just a computer geek and that I shouldn’t have appointed him president. But John, I trust him. He’s not looking out for himself right now. He’s looking out for me, and he’s looking out for the company. And you know why? Because he genuinely cares about this company, John. And if we’re not careful, he’s going to be up there seven days a week, trying to make it better.”

  “He got a very healthy raise, Jacqueline. Don’t think Ms. Scott hasn’t spread the word around. The others might be a bit surprised by his increase.”

  “And don’t think Greg doesn’t know that she’s spread the word around. That’s why I know he’ll be up there seven days a week, trying to earn that salary.”

  John nodded. “Very good. So he’ll work longer and harder than everyone else, and they’ll grow to trust and respect him. And you said you had no management skills. Very good.”

  “Thank you. But I don’t doubt that if I’d given him half as much, he’d do the same thing.” She sat down again. “Is there anything I need to know about the bank or is that situation going to run on its own?”

  “That is secure. Your father allowed Mr. Spencer free reign.”

  “And he’s trustworthy?”

  “Absolutely. Like myself, your father compensated him nicely. There was no alternative but to be trustworthy. He did indicate that Mr. Wells, the current president, would like to meet with you. Just a formality, I’m sure.”

  “Not this time around, John. Like I said, I’ll be leaving next week. I don’t know when I’ll be able to return, but if anything comes up, you know how to reach me. I’ve also got company email now. I’d like you to keep me informed, John.”

  “Of course.”

  Jacqueline nodded and stood. “Well, I guess everything is under control. I don’t want you to miss your tee time.”

  “Thank you. It’s a beautiful day for golfing. They say it’s supposed to rain most of next week.”

  “Well, I’ll let you get to it.”

  “One more thing, Jacqueline. We’ve not discussed finances.”

  “Finances?”

  “Your father’s personal accounts that were in the company’s name. We need to transfer them to you. Do you have a CPA at your disposal? Perhaps I could recommend one.”

  “I have someone, yes.”

  “Good. Have them give me a call.”

  Jacqueline paused. “Shouldn’t we wait on the judge’s ruling? Just to be safe?”

  John shook his head. “He’s not issued a stay, and he won’t. We’re free to operate as if you are the owner. There are no worries, Jacqueline.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Kay stood quietly beside the microwave, aimlessly watching the popcorn bag turn, wondering for the hundredth time what Jackie had been up to today. She’d left before ten with barely a good-bye. Kay flicked a glance to the clock and tried not to worry. Nearly four. Surely,
if Jackie was in some sort of trouble, she would have called.

  But she wasn’t in trouble, Kay knew. Jackie was most likely avoiding her, avoiding the situation. Avoiding any sort of conflict, just like she’d done in high school.

  “Damn stubborn woman,” she muttered. Kay wished she’d kept her mouth shut last night. But the look in Jackie’s eyes, the longing she saw there, very nearly broke her heart. And she wanted to talk to Jackie about it, find out what was going through her mind.

  And yet, she was afraid of what was going through Jackie’s mind. It was one thing to realize that the attraction she had for Jackie back then was more than friendship, that it bordered on sexual attraction. Bordered? But it was quite another, as an adult, to put words to those feelings, to put action to those feelings. Kay gripped the counter and closed her eyes. And if Jackie was of the same mindset, what would happen? Would something that should have been discussed fifteen years ago suddenly be brought to light? Would something that should have happened fifteen years ago suddenly happen now?

  The bell on the microwave pulled her out of her thoughts, and she opened the door, carefully grasping the edge of the bag. She poured the hot popcorn into two bowls and took them into the living room. Lee Ann and Denny were on the floor, eyes glued to the TV. It was an indulgence Kay allowed because Rose rarely let the kids near one. And with Lee Ann nearly seven and Denny just thirteen months younger, their tastes overlapped. She glanced at the stack of Disney movies she’d rented, hoping they’d last the night.

  “Here you go. Popcorn.”

  She got a “thanks, Aunt Kay,” from Lee Ann. Denny took his bowl without a word, his eyes never moving from the screen.

  Normally, she would sit on the sofa and read during their movies, but she couldn’t seem to relax. And if Jackie didn’t show up soon, Kay would be forced to call her cell, something she didn’t want to do.

  Jacqueline drove slowly down the streets, meandering through town, reluctantly making her way back to Kay. She’d stayed away as long as she could.

  She’d gone by the lumber mill, just to see the activity on a Saturday. She’d driven all the way to Blue Hole on a whim, reminiscing about the times she and Kay had ventured to the forbidden swimming hole. An old limestone quarry, it was completely fenced off now. In the old days, the blue, blue water beckoned on hot summer nights. No one dared try to sneak on the property during the day. But at night, kids would park along the old dirt road and hike in the half-mile to the pit. The water was clear and cold. And deep. Rarely a summer went by when someone didn’t drown out at Blue Hole.

  Now, she made her way back through Pine Springs, the late spring day abnormally warm. But she was enjoying the weather. April in Monterey was still damp, cold and foggy. And she admitted she’d miss the flowers, the greenness of East Texas once she left.

  Kay’s house came into view, and she felt an adolescent nervousness settle over her. Fifteen years ago she wasn’t prepared to talk to Kay about this, she certainly wasn’t prepared now. But after last night, when she admitted she’d been jealous of Billy Ray, jealous of him kissing Kay… of Kay’s admission that she’d been jealous of Danny, there was no alternative but to talk about it. And Jacqueline was determined to be adult about it. No more hiding.

  “Yeah, adult like driving around East Texas for the last five hours,” she murmured.

  But no, she would tell Kay about her silly crush when they were teenagers. She would tell her how… how her feelings for Kay made her realize she was gay. And hopefully it wouldn’t send Kay off the deep end. Hopefully they could talk about it—laugh about it—and then go on.

  Kay looked up when she heard the kitchen door open. With the movie on, she’d not heard the garage door go up. Jackie rounded the bar, stopping when their eyes met.

  Kay gave a hesitant smile.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Jacqueline looked away. “I was just… driving around a little.”

  Kay folded the magazine she’d been holding, not reading. She stood and walked toward Jackie. The kids had not looked away from their movie, but Kay kept her voice low.

  “Have you eaten?”

  Jacqueline shook her head.

  “Pizza is the normal fare with the kids.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Kay looked back at the kids, then lightly grasped Jackie’s arm. “I thought maybe, once we get them settled, we could talk.” She shrugged. “We could go into my room and pretend to watch a movie.”

  With their eyes locked together, Jacqueline felt all of the nervousness she swore she’d left outside. She nodded, trying to ignore the warm hand touching her skin. Yes, they needed to talk.

  “Good. Let me call in the pizza.”

  “I’m going to take a quick shower,” Jacqueline said and escaped into her room. She leaned against the door for several minutes, trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn’t even be near Kay without wanting to touch her… kiss her.

  Jesus, get a grip.

  “Lee Ann, you know how to work the remote,” Kay said from her doorway. “We want to watch a movie too. And you’re too young to see it,” she said with a grin, trying to pacify the kids. They had begged Aunt Kay to stay out there with them.

  “Can we have more pizza?”

  “Have as much as you want.” Oh, Rose would kill her.

  Jackie was standing hesitantly beside the bed, her eyes wide. Kay just barely kept from laughing at Jackie’s nervousness. Geez, you’d think the woman was afraid of her or something.

  “Grab a side,” Kay said. She held up two DVDs. “Any preference?”

  “No. It doesn’t matter.”

  Kay blindly picked one. No, it didn’t matter. They weren’t going to watch it. They were going to talk and Kay wanted some background noise. She went into her closet and pulled two extra pillows from the top shelf, tossing them onto the bed.

  “We used to have at least six pillows when we were kids,” Kay said. She took the wineglasses and bottle of wine to the bed. “Of course back then, we didn’t share wine.”

  “Dr. Pepper,” Jacqueline said.

  Kay laughed. “Yes, you’d get very cranky if we tried to serve you anything but that.”

  Jacqueline fluffed the pillows behind her, trying to relax. She kicked her shoes off and tucked her sock-clad feet under her jeans. She was pleased that her hand didn’t tremble when Kay poured wine into her glass.

  “By the way, Rose hasn’t talked to you about Josh, has she?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When she was dropping Denny off, she was asking a lot of questions about my plans for the next few weeks. I think she’s got something up her sleeve.”

  “She’s convinced Josh is perfect for you.”

  “Perfect? He’s twenty-seven. He lives in Mississippi. What is she thinking?”

  “She’s just worried about you, Kay. She told me she hates the thought of you being alone.”

  “And she can’t come to terms with the fact that it’s by choice and not design,” Kay said.

  “Is it?”

  Kay nodded. “I’ve been asked out. And if I was interested in any of them, I’d have said yes. But none of them stir even the slightest interest.”

  “And Josh?”

  “And Josh is no different,” Kay said. She turned, facing Jackie. She waited until Jackie met her eyes before speaking. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Jacqueline swallowed. Well, so much for small talk. “And what would I have said, Kay?”

  “I swear, Jackie, nothing’s changed. You still can’t talk to me about this.”

  Jacqueline watched the wine swirl as she tipped her glass from side to side. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Okay, I had a ridiculous teenage crush on you in high school. Is that what you want to hear?” She opened her eyes when she felt warm fingers entwine with her own.

  “Why do you say it was ridiculous?”

  “Because at first, I didn’t know what to do about it. I
didn’t know what it meant. We were friends. I wasn’t supposed to feel like that about you. When I… when I finally accepted that I was gay, I was afraid to be around you.”

  “Afraid of what you might do?”

  “No! Kay, I told you, I would never have touched you.” Jacqueline looked away. “I was afraid you’d find out, is all. And that you would be afraid of me. And I couldn’t stand the thought of us not being friends.”

  “I would have never let that come between us, Jackie.”

  “You don’t know that. You can say it now, but we were kids. You don’t know what you would have done had I come to you and told you I was gay, told you I liked you,” Jacqueline finished in a whisper.

  “Oh, Jackie.” Kay rested her hand on Jackie’s knee, rubbing lightly. “You’re right. I don’t know what I would have done. But maybe more things would have made sense to me then.” Kay squeezed Jackie’s knee, waiting until blue eyes found hers. “Last night, when I saw you looking at me, you had the same look in your eyes that I saw so many times back then.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what, Jackie? You said you were jealous of Billy Ray. I couldn’t see it back then, but I see it now. And I was jealous of Danny.” It was Kay’s turn to look away, and she fidgeted with her own wineglass. “I thought I was jealous because he was taking time away from my best friend.” Kay looked up, daring to meet Jackie’s eyes. “But that wasn’t really why I was jealous,” she admitted quietly. “I was jealous because he was with you.”

  Jacqueline didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing at all.

  Kay cleared her throat and wet her suddenly dry lips. “Why… why didn’t you ever try to kiss me?” Kay asked in a whisper.

  When their blue eyes locked together, Jacqueline had a difficult time breathing. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was certain Kay could hear it. She slid her eyes lower, resting on the lips that, as a teenager, she’d imagined kissing thousands of times. And now, here they were, fifteen years older, sitting on Kay’s bed, and those lips that she’d wanted so badly were but a breath away. Jacqueline’s desire was at war, and she struggled to maintain a grasp on her senses. Her mistake was letting Kay’s blue eyes capture her own. Something she couldn’t see as a kid, she saw now. Her desire was mirrored in Kay’s eyes.