by Lori Leger
Zach watched sixty years of the business his grandfather and father had nurtured wither and wilt under the drenching from the fire truck’s hoses. “Just in time for a little revenge.”
Cat reached up to grab his shirt. “Do you think Stanley had something to do with it?”
He nodded slowly at his wife, trusting his gut on this one. “I do, and I don’t think he’d hesitate to―” He stopped, remembering something Jack had said over the phone. The comment had only pissed him off at the time, but now it caused his gut to twist and sour. “Damn it.”
Chief Jeansonne turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
“This is a diversion.”
“What do you mean?”
“He tried to blackmail me over the phone and said I should take his security system because I loved my dog, and wanted to keep my business, and my home, intact.” He spun and headed back to his truck. “I’ve gotta get home.”
Sherry pulled out her phone. “I’ll call the Sheriff’s Department to get over there, just in case you’re right about this.”
Zach jerked open his truck door and turned to face his wife. “I want you to stay here, Cat.”
She slipped behind him and scooted into the driver’s side. “Yeah? You can’t always have it your way, cowboy. Now get in the damn truck.”
“Cathr—”
“We left both Zeus and Chableu in the house, remember?”
He knew better than to argue with her, especially with her brown eyes glaring at him. Without another word, he slid behind the steering wheel and shoved her over.
Sherriff’s Deputy Wayne Babineaux, an old classmate of his, pulled into their driveway just after Zach’s truck slid to a stop. The couple piled out of the truck simultaneously, calling for the man to follow them to the house. They heard the scuffle as soon as they got to the jimmied door.
Deputy Babineaux pushed his way in first, his gun drawn. “Are you armed?” he asked the man, pinned to the floor by two huge paws, while Zeus growled and snarled, inches from his face.
“If I was, do you think this son of a bitch would be slobbering all over me?”
“Zach, can you call him off?”
“Yep.”
Several moments passed before the Deputy spoke again. “Zach?”
“What? You asked if I could, not if I would.” He relented at Wayne’s glare. “Damn, Wayne. You’re still as much fun as a wet blanket. The son of a bitch just set fire to my family business, and I’m sure he’s here to burn down my house. I’m not feeling the love from him, so why should I do him any favors?”
“He set fire to your business?”
“Didn’t Chief Jeansonne tell your department when she called?”
Wayne shook his head. “I got a call from JD Security about a possible breakin. Looks like he tripped the silent alarm.” He scratched at his chin. “As well as the not so silent alarm.”
“Get him off me!”
“Hold it down, asshole. You’re in no position to demand anything.” Wayne turned to Zach. “I really need you to call him off.”
Zach gave Wayne a reluctant nod, as he slapped at his upper thigh, and whistled. Zeus immediately stopped snarling and trotted over to his master, but turned to keep a wary eye on the intruder inside his territory.
“You have a silent alarm?” Jack sent Zachary an accusatory glare.
Zach nodded. “Nothing against your father’s system and installment procedures, but the fact that you’re involved is a definite red flag. How does your dad feel about his low-life, drug-head, thug of a son ruining, in a few short years, the business he worked his entire life to build?”
Jack gave him an evil grin. “About like you felt when you saw your store burn to the ground.”
“Oh, but it didn’t. Some kid saw the glow during his evening jog. Turns out, he was a volunteer firefighter so he knew just who to call and what to do until the rest of his buddies got there.” He leaned over to sneer at Jack. “Even at arson you’re a failure.”
Jack turned defiant. “I don’t believe that for a second. You’re just saying that to get me riled up, but it won’t work.”
Zach straightened and gave him a “makes no difference to me what you believe” grin and a shrug. “By the time we got there, it was out already. Of course, I’ll have water damages, but that’s what insurance is for, right? I’ll be up and running in a week.”
The corners of Jack’s mouth turned down in an ugly snarl. “One of these days, you’ll get just what you deserve.”
Cat’s entire body stiffened at the ugly threat, spoken in that voice. Suddenly it came to her, and she knew why the sight of this man caused her skin to crawl. Just as suddenly, she wanted to let him know he had no effect on her, whatsoever. Cat slipped her hand through her husband’s arm. The look on Stanley’s face had panic written all over it, making her wonder if he knew already. She gave Zach’s hand a comforting pat and faced the man she’d allowed to chase her from her home just out of high school.
“Zachary already has what he deserves. And now, after nearly thirteen years, you’ll finally get what you deserve too.”
The man’s brow creased with a frown. “Have we met before? You look vaguely familiar to me.”
“Not formally, but then again, I’m guessing you didn’t introduce yourself to any of the girls you attacked and raped while you were at LSU.” She lifted her chin and smiled. “To tell you the truth, if I hadn’t heard you speak, heard you say those exact words, I may never have recognized you. You look twenty-five years older than you did that night.” She smiled as he puffed up, seemingly affronted at her insult. “The fact that you don’t recognize me tells me I must have been one of many.”
She shook her head, letting him see the truth―that she would never be afraid of a sad little man like him.
“Don’t you worry, now that I know your identity and what you do in your spare time, I’ll be sure it’s splashed all over every news network in the country. You’re finished.”
Zach hadn’t taken his eyes off his wife during her speech to the man he’d known attacked and raped her so many years ago. He’d never forget the night she’d called him to meet her. He’d about lost his mind at the sight of her—jaw bruised where Jack had hit her, crying, pleading with him not to tell anyone. His heart swelled with pride at the strength she possessed now, the courage it took to step forth and admit something like that, and to face her attacker. He could honestly say he’d never loved Cathryn more than he had at this very moment. Her confession convinced him to do the same.
He turned to the man still lying on the floor. “Now that Cat knows who you are, I guess I should also come clean. That beating you got behind the Chimes bar about two months after you attacked my wife? That was me. I heard you couldn’t get out of bed for a week after that.” He smiled down at the slug lying on the floor.
Stanley’s eyes widened with panic. “You both have me confused with someone else.”
Zach shook his head. “I’m not finished. That beating you got a couple of years after that behind the Circle Top in Gardiner?” The laughter rumbled deep in his chest as Jack winced at the mention. “Me again. You followed that girl outside, after she’d told you to get lost. You remember, don’t you? By the time I got out back you had slapped her and had already ripped off her shirt.”
“That wasn’t me, and if you tell anyone it was I’ll sue you for defamation of character.”
Zach shook his head. “You have no character. You didn’t learn after one beating so I figured I’d try to beat some sense into you again. I swear to God, I wanted to kill you that night. It took all I had to stop at breaking your hand and beating the crap out of you. I heard you were in bed for two weeks that time.”
“She wanted it,” Jack snarled. “And so did your wi—”
Zach stepped forward to crush Jack’s fingers under his boot. “You finish that comment and I‘ll break your other hand.” He glanced at the deputy, recognized the look on his face for what it was—unhidden di
sgust for the man on the floor. “If Wayne would agree to escort my wife out of here for about ten minutes, I’d be glad to repeat the performance, maybe up that recuperation period to a month this time. Or better yet, give you a permanent limp.”
The look on Jack’s face transformed from deep-seated anger to well-warranted fear. He met the deputy’s accusatory glare. “They’re both lying, and I’ll sue you for everything you have if you allow him to lay one finger on me.”
Wayne shook his head, his brow furrowed with anger. “I’ve known Zach and Cathryn all my life. As far as I know, they’re good people and I can’t think of a single reason not to believe them. To tell you the truth, I’m finding it real difficult not to have a crack at you myself, but I’ll do my job. Besides, the boys at Louisiana State Penitentiary are gonna adore you. I hear those guys at Angola love the newbies, especially rapists. Now get up so I can take you to jail where you belong.” He grabbed Stanley’s shoulder and jerked him to his feet.
After a trip back to assess the feed store’s damage, they returned home, both reeking of smoke. Cathryn drew a hot bath in the large soaking tub and convinced her husband to join her.
Within minutes, he was luxuriating in the hot water, with his wife relaxing in his arms.
She sunk lower in the tub, resting her back against his broad chest. “Mm, we need to do this more often.”
He laced his fingers through hers and smiled. “You’re right again.”
“Zach?”
“Hmm?” He braced himself.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
It didn’t do a bit of good to ask what she was talking about. It could be one of two questions: Why didn’t you tell me that you knew Jack Stanley raped me? Or, why didn’t you tell me that you’d beaten him up?
The answer to both was exactly the same. “I didn’t want you to relive it any more than you already had to.”
She re-laced her fingers through his and squeezed them tightly, but remained silent.
“I tried like hell to convince you to go to the cops twelve and a half years ago, but you wouldn’t. If you’d known who it was, would it have made a difference?”
“Knowing it was a rich kid with a father who always got him out of trouble, and had money to pay big time lawyers to run my family’s name through the mud?” She took several seconds before shaking her head. “Probably not. I was better off not knowing. But how did you know it was him when I didn’t even know?”
“That was nothing more than a lucky break. You remember my friend, Jeremy?”
“Jeremy, who should have been our best man, but was killed in a car accident?”
“The same. He was home from LSU for the holidays. We’d gone to the rodeo in Jennings and ended up sitting two rows above Jack and a group of guys all drunk and causing trouble. Eventually, security threw them all out. Jeremy pointed to Jack, said he’d bragged about ‘practically raping’ a girl at a bar across from the LSU campus one night after the Tiger Bowl between LSU and Auburn. Jeremy figured it was a load of bull but said he regretted not reporting it, anyway.” He stopped there, took a deep breath, and released it slowly. “How twisted and arrogant does a son of a bitch have to be to brag about raping a girl?”
“I can’t believe you remember that much about the night. I tried to forget everything about it.”
He pulled her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “I remembered, so you wouldn’t have to.”
She slid her hand along the length of his arm and cuddled close to him. “I love you for that, Zachary.”
“I know you do, but I’ve loved you longer.” He enjoyed reminding her that he’d loved her since sixth grade. That she’d made him wait twelve long years before realizing she couldn’t live without him.
“I wondered, knowing how you felt, how you could have been so patient with me. Now I understand.”
“Cat, maybe I shouldn’t ask this, but how long have you known he was the guy?” She stopped the slow sensual rubbing of her hand along his arm. He held his breath, waiting for her to answer.
“I just figured it out tonight.”
“How?”
“It was his comment to you. ‘One of these days, you’ll get just what you deserve.’ As soon as I heard it, I knew it was him. He told me the same thing after I told him to get out of my face inside the bar before … before it happened. I’ve always suspected he slipped something in my drink, but I couldn’t prove a thing. Besides, I’d disobeyed mom, snuck off to an LSU game with friends who took me to a bar. It didn’t matter that I was only drinking cokes. I’d already broken so many rules that I felt as though I did deserve it, in a way.”
Zach’s growl vibrated deep in his chest. “I hope you know what a load of crap that is.”
She smiled and moved her hand to his upper thigh, began rubbing in a slow, circular motion. “I know now, but I was young and stupid back then. I don’t mind telling you that episode set me back a bit.”
Zach sucked in his breath with a long, low hiss. “Uh yeah, like twelve years.” He could tell by her laughter that she knew exactly what she was doing to him. Knew her hand on the inside of his thigh was a sure way to get a reaction from him.
“But I’ve had therapy, and the fact that I called him out is proof of its success. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do it, I can promise you that.”
“I’m proud of you. You know, as awful as that night was for you, because of it, I always had hope for you and me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was the one you called. You said I was the only person you would ever confide something like that to. You didn’t even tell your parents or your sister.”
She shifted around to face him and smiled into the gorgeous blue eyes she prayed their children would have, if they ever had any. “That’s right, I only told my best friend, whom I knew would take it to his grave if I asked him to. And I’ve always loved you for that.”
“I love you so much it hurts.”
“I love you too, Zachary.”
“No, really … ” He slipped his hand behind her hip to adjust himself. “I’m so—ah—it hurts.”
She laughed as she wiggled against him. “Must you turn everything into sex, sex, sex?”
“I wasn’t implying I wanted sex, I was only stating a fact. I mean, come on, we’re in a tub together, no clothes and you’re all up against me and rubbing my leg and other parts of my body. Of course things are gonna happen.”
She turned around and straddled him, then kissed him long and hard. “Well, that’s a lucky break for me then, isn’t it, cowboy?”
Chapter 15
Candlelight illuminated every corner of Gavin Barton’s living room, filling it with a lovely, soft glow. Delicate crystal ornaments from the boughs of several decorative miniature pines, glistened and sparkled with reflected candlelight. Bright red poinsettias graced several surfaces of the room, giving it a festive air. The tantalizing aroma of scented candles teased the senses. Cinnamon, vanilla, bayberry, and other spices, infused the air, adding to the Christmas ambiance.
“Who gives this woman’s hand in marriage?”
Cathryn and Kellie both stood, hands clasped, and spoke in unison. “Her daughters do.”
Cathryn sat, watching as her mother bound herself legally and spiritually to Doc Barton. It turned out that having a Catholic wedding outside of a church was a simple enough procedure as long as you got prior approval and could find a priest with a few minutes to spare on Christmas Eve. Father Hebert had said the funeral masses for both their spouses, married all of their children and had witnessed them both in holy mass every Saturday or Sunday for years. He’d been more than willing to donate a few minutes to the cause, as long as they promised to be at the Christmas Eve mass later. All members of the newly consolidated family intended to attend as a group.
The entire ceremony took all of five minutes and that was with Father Hebert’s personalized touches for two of his loyal parishioners. Within ten minutes, he
was on his way back to his busy Christmas mass schedule.
Cathryn and Zach stood before her mother and new step-father, beaming with happiness for both of them. Cat pulled her mother close for a hug. “Mom, I’m so happy for you.” She released her and stood before Doc Barton. “You know, Kellie and I put our heads together and finally decided what to call you. We’ve known you as a ‘Doc’ all our lives and can’t quite separate ourselves from it. So, we’ve decided to call you ‘Poppa Doc’.”
Kellie stepped forward, her second baby belly beginning to make an appearance. “That is, with your approval, of course.”
Gavin Barton bellowed with approving laughter. “Poppa Doc it is. I love it, and I love you girls, too.” He enveloped them both in his arms and leaned forward to kiss his new wife. “I think we’re all going to be great as a family.”
Much later that evening, after the wedding, and the mass, and the supper at Mom and Poppa Doc’s place—Cathryn lit the last of the candles she’d accumulated in their den. Between the candlelight, the glow of the tree lights, and the soft crackling flames of the fireplace, the room was awash in the ambiance of golden amber. It sparkled and reflected brilliantly from every surface. She placed three candles on the coffee table and set a bottle of chilled champagne on one side and a bottle of sparkling grape juice on the other, with two glasses, and a corkscrew between them. She placed a delicately wrapped box in the center. Stepping back, she surveyed her handiwork and nodded in approval before sitting alongside her sleeping husband.
She leaned forward to whisper in Zach’s ear. “Hey babe, wake up. It’s almost Christmas.” She sat back and watched him stir, stretch, and generally convince himself to wake. He blinked several times before he sat up and yawned.
“Dang, I was out.”
She gave him a soft chuckle. “It’s been a pretty long day, hasn’t it?”
He nodded. “What’s all this?”
“We spent all Christmas Eve with my side, and we’re spending Christmas Day with your side. I thought we could have a little ‘us’ time between the two.”
