The Way Home

by Eliana West

  Jo coughed, trying to hide her laugh, while Mae turned her back to Grace and mouthed, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m just finishing up with Ms. Martin. I’m well aware of the time, Grace.”

  The older woman pursed her lips before closing the door again.

  “Lord give me strength.” Mae rolled her eyes.

  Jo said goodbye to Mae and popped her head in the library before she went back to Halcyon.

  “I’m just checking to see if you received anything from the state archives yet.”

  Callie shook her head. “No nothing yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I get anything.”

  “Hey, while I’m here any chance you have some books that would have any information on garden design from the 1800s?” Jo stepped inside.

  “I do have a book about English landscaping that might help.”

  “Thanks, I want to get some ideas for that garden off the small parlor.”

  “Let me grab it for you.”

  Jo left with another book on Southern gardens along with a couple of magazines that Callie found for her in the bookstore. She made plans to check out some garden planning software when she got home. She chewed on her lip when she turned into the driveway. She also needed to ask Taylor about Tessa.

  “Hey, good timing, I was just about to get some dinner ready,” Taylor greeted her.

  He’d set out two plates and a bottle of wine on the makeshift table.

  “Oh, I can just grab something and leave.”

  Taylor looked at her in surprise. “Why would you do that?”

  “I thought you and Tessa would like some privacy.”

  He wrinkled his forehead. “Tessa’s at the hotel in Greenwood. This is for us.”

  “I guess I figured you’d want to have dinner with your girlfriend.”

  Taylor laughed, shaking his head. “Tessa’s not my girlfriend. What in the world even gave you that idea?”

  “I just thought…she came across as a bit…possessive about you.”

  “Tessa? No, our relationship has always been firmly in the friend zone and that’s where it’s going to stay. Besides, she’s not my type.”

  Taylor’s eyes locked on hers and her mouth became dry.

  “Oh,” she croaked.

  He pulled out a chair. “Have a seat.”

  She put the books on the table and sat down. “You’re in a good mood.”

  Taylor took a chair across from her and poured them each a glass of wine. “We had a good first day of filming and I just thought we deserved a nice dinner to celebrate.”

  “This is nice, thank you.”

  “How was your afternoon?”

  Jo told Taylor about her meeting with Mae and her ideas for how she could help the town update their technology while they ate.

  “That’s really nice of you to volunteer your time,” he said.

  “I want to help my community.”

  “What are the books for?”

  “I stopped by the library to get some gardening books. I’m going to start weeding the garden outside the small parlor.”

  “That garden has been neglected for so long. I wish we had some idea of what it used to look like.”

  “I…I had a dream about it. That’s why I wanted to start working out there.”

  Taylor gave her a skeptical look. “You dreamt about the garden here at Halcyon?”

  “I did.”

  “Will you tell me about it?”

  Jo nodded. “Okay.”

  After they cleaned up the dishes they headed to the small parlor. They stood in the doorway looking at the moonlit tangle of weeds and overgrown bushes that was once a garden.

  “Well, what do you see?” Taylor asked.

  “In the dream the garden was divided into four sections with a brick pathway and there was a fountain in the center.”

  The overgrown space faded away as she described the patch the way she’d seen it in her dream.

  “There were yellow roses and pretty white flowers that looked like little white stars. They smelled so sweet. There were other flowers but I don’t know what they were.”

  She stopped. She didn’t want to share the other part of the dream, where the garden was surrounded by a high wall and how she saw Ada Mae with the colonel, once again begging for her freedom while they walked arm in arm around the path.

  “Are you all right?” Taylor gave her a worried look.

  She shook herself. “Sorry, I was just remembering.”

  “Is there more of the dream?”

  “No, that’s all I can recall,” she lied.

  Jo sat down on the top step and Taylor followed her. They sat side by side watching the lightning bugs dance around the garden.

  “Can I ask you a question?” she said.

  “Sure, you can ask me anything.”

  “What do you know about the colonel? Did your family ever tell any stories about him?”

  Taylor went still for a second. “I don’t know much. I think my family was embarrassed by him…by the past. I do know that he and his wife never had any children. When the colonel died the house passed to his brother George and eventually down to me.”

  “Why has the house been empty for so long?”

  “I think it’s too difficult to afford the upkeep. My grandparents kept a house in town but they farmed the land.” He gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry I don’t know more.”

  She returned his smile. “We didn’t know about Ada Mae until I found the letter.”

  “This may sound funny but I’ve been thinking…maybe we ended up here to make a new future by restoring the past.”

  Her breath caught. “I don’t think it sounds funny at all. I’ve thought the same thing.”

  He reached out and gently threaded their fingers together.

  “I didn’t want to share Halcyon with anyone but now that you’re here…I’m glad it was you.”

  Her pulse started to race. Should she tell him more about her dreams? Could she trust him to share something she’d been guarding so close to her heart? Yes, her soul called out. She could trust this man.

  “I dreamt about Ada Mae. In my dream she told me my future was here.”

  Taylor let go of her hand and cupped her cheek. “Did she say if I had any place in your future?” He spoke softly.

  Jo shook her head. “I wasn’t expecting you,” she whispered.

  “I wasn’t expecting to want to kiss you in an overgrown garden filled with lightning bugs. But lately that’s all I’ve been able to think about.”

  There was a hint of wonder in his voice and tenderness in his gaze that calmed her racing heart. His head lowered and his lips brushed against her cheek, his warm breath fanning over her skin and sending a shiver of desire through her.

  She turned her face until their mouths met. His lips were firm and warm, and her heart thundered in her chest. It had been months since she’d been kissed. Oliver never kissed her like this. He never touched her in a way that made her feel like she was there with him—a part of the moment. This kiss tossed her soul into an unfamiliar sea. And she let the waves of need sweep her away.

  Chapter Eight

  Taylor became a master thief, stealing kisses from Jo every chance he could. He didn’t get to see her during the day as much as he would like but he made the most of their time together once the film crew left and they had the house to themselves. He quickly tuned in to the fact that Jo wasn’t comfortable with any displays of affection when the crew was around so he saved up each moment that he wanted to kiss or touch her until the end of the day.

  They spent a lot of time sitting on the doorstep leading out to the garden or out on the veranda sharing news about their days. He loved listening to Jo talk about designing computer systems, working with Dax and her volunteer work helping the town update their ancient software. He had friends and the crew members to hang out with and of course Tessa but he couldn’t remember ever having these quiet hours to just sit and talk wit
h someone.

  And then there were the moments when he held her in his arms and they shared so much more than words.

  That night they were sitting on the veranda watching the full moon play peekaboo with the clouds.

  He kissed her temple. “How was your day today?”

  “It was good. I ended up helping Jacob with his new inventory system at the hardware store.” She laughed softly. “It was really more of a rescue mission. He was just about to throw his computer out the window when I came in.”

  “I’m glad you were there to save the day.”

  She smiled up at him, her eyes bright with amusement. “There’s nothing quite like getting paid for my services with gardening tools and seeds.”

  A sliver of unease went through him. Would Colton be enough for someone as bright and talented as Jo? She would have made a lot more money working in a place like Chicago or another larger city. He didn’t want to risk starting a relationship with someone who would get tired of life in the country and eventually want to leave. He’d still have to travel for his show but Halcyon and Colton were what he wanted to call home.

  “Do you miss your old job? Going from working for a large firm to working with a one-man operation in a small town is a pretty big shift.”

  “No, I don’t miss it.”

  There was a note of sadness in her voice that made him wonder if she was being honest. He felt a twinge of disappointment at the idea of Halcyon without Jo. She was sitting in front of him on the steps. He tightened his arms around her as if that would somehow keep her from leaving. His heart whispered, I’ll never let you go.

  “I’d rather work with people who can appreciate my skills and where I don’t have to fight so hard to move up in the company,” she said.

  “Was it that cutthroat at your old company?”

  She sighed. “Very.”

  He kissed the top of her head again. “I’m glad you’re here and I’m certain Jacob is happy to have you here to save him and his computer.”

  “I talked to him about building the cabinets for the kitchen and he said he’d stop by with some samples.”

  “That’s great. I’m looking forward to seeing his work.”

  Jo turned in his arms. “Do you think we could work on the house together this weekend?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “It doesn’t matter really—I just miss working with you.” She hesitated for a moment. “It’s been a lot harder to spend time with you since you started filming your show.”

  “Things are always hectic once we start shooting. I’ll make sure this weekend is just for us.”

  He cupped her face and drew her in for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against him. He lost himself for a moment letting his need drive him. Their kiss deepened and soon Jo was cradled in his lap, his hand splayed against her back, holding her flush against him. He needed to slow down. To stop if he was going to, because he wanted to do much more than make out like a couple of teenagers on the veranda.

  He tore his mouth away and searched her face. “Jo, I…”

  “I want you too, Taylor, but the last time I was swept off my feet I paid a price. I promised myself I would take things slow the next time I met someone.”

  He drew in a deep breath, trying to get his body and his emotions in check. “I want you in my bed, but I’m willing to wait for you. I’m not going anywhere now that I know you’re here.”

  Jo’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “I didn’t think I would find you when I came here.”

  He pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing his lips to her temple. Arm in arm they made their way through the darkened house, with only the moonlight streaming through the windows to guide them.

  When they got to her door he reached up and stroked her cheek. “I’m going to leave you here. Not because I want to but because I’m going to respect what you said about taking things slow. I’m willing to wait because you’re worth waiting for.”

  Jo lifted her face to his and he captured her mouth with his, making sure she knew with that last kiss good night how much he wanted her.

  *

  He was drifting in that place between sleep and dreams when he heard her call out. Taylor jumped out of bed and ran down the hall when he heard Jo’s cries.

  “No!” she cried out again when he reached her, the blankets tangled around her as she fought the invisible enemy in her dream.

  He pulled her into his arms. “Shhh, Jo, it’s okay.”

  She cried softly in her sleep. “You can’t keep her safe.”

  “Wake up, sweetheart.” Taylor wiped the tears from her face and gave her a gentle shake.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked at him for a moment before she buried her face in his chest and cried.

  “I saw what she did to her,” Jo sobbed.

  “Who?”

  “I was in her room upstairs and I saw her. Everything in the room was red. The wallpaper and the drapes. The door from the dressing room opened and a tall woman in a deep crimson-red dress with a high lace collar came into the room. She walked over to the dressing table and she was looking at herself, patting her hair. Everything about her was so severe. She saw my reflection and started screaming, ‘Get out of my house.’”

  Jo shuddered. “She tried to kill Ada Mae. She pushed her down the stairs but she didn’t die and she didn’t lose the baby. I saw it all and I couldn’t stop it. It was the colonel’s wife wasn’t it?”

  He shuddered. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you know about the colonel’s wife?”

  He shifted so that she was lying against his side and his arm was around her. “Not much actually. No one ever talked about her. I know she was the daughter of a plantation owner in Tennessee, and…” he hesitated “…she came with a dowry.”

  Jo closed her eyes and nodded. The truth sat unspoken between them. The dowry would have consisted of enslaved people.

  “Are you okay now? Do you want me to get you some water?”

  He started to get out of the bed but she laid her hand on his chest stopping him. “Don’t go.”

  He gathered her in his arms again and she sighed. Her breathing began to slow down and she relaxed against him. He watched the shadows dance over her face in the moonlight that streamed through the window. She sighed and a slight smile played over her lips as she snuggled closer to him. He was quickly losing his heart to this woman and it scared him.

  Chapter Nine

  Tessa arrived early the next day with a big smile on her face.

  “Hey, Tess, what’s up?”

  “There’s something you need to see.” Tessa handed him a file folder.

  He frowned down at the folder in his hand. “What are you all excited about?”

  “Look at the file.”

  Taylor flipped it open and began scanning the contents.

  “It was worth it hiring the private investigator to look into Josephine. It’s too bad we didn’t get this before you went into arbitration. Now that we have it you have a good chance to force Josephine to sell.”

  Taylor scanned the contents of the private investigator’s report. “This doesn’t make sense.”

  “What about it doesn’t make sense? She’s a scam artist.”

  He looked at the report again. “Jo tried to steal someone’s technology?”

  Tessa nodded. “I called the guy and spoke to him. She was scheming to take a program for a new algorithm or something.” Tessa waved her hand in the air. “I didn’t pay much attention to what the program is supposed to do and that’s not important. What matters is that she was trying to take credit for his work. The only reason the company didn’t press charges is because he asked them not to. He said in spite of everything he still had feelings for her and felt sorry that she just couldn’t hack it. Coming here and making a claim on Halcyon could be just another scam she’s trying to pull. That letter she claims is from the colonel is probably a fake. We
need to have it authenticated.”

  Taylor’s stomach soured. Nothing about Jo had given him the impression that she was a devious person. But what did he really know about her? She could be telling him what he wanted to hear to lure him into whatever scheme she’d planned. A heaviness settled in his chest. She’d seemed sincere, but he’d been fooled once before. He hated to admit that what Tessa was always telling him was right. Obviously, he wasn’t the best judge of character.

  “I really think I should stay at the house with you.”

  “Tess, I’m a big boy. I don’t need you to watch over me. Besides Jo would have to agree with that.”

  Tessa heaved a sigh. “Fine, but I’m going to be watching her. And I want someone to look at that letter she claims to be from the colonel.” Tessa’s expression sobered. “Since we’re talking about letters there was another one, by the way. I got a call from the production office in LA. They received another message from the same fan as before. What if Jo’s the one who’s been sending the letters?”

  Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose. Fan mail came with fame. Most of it was flattering, some of it was funny and every once in a while, he’d receive hate mail. Most of it wasn’t threatening—usually someone who didn’t like how he restored a house or didn’t like the shirt he wore that day. And there were the few where the threat was disturbing enough that the network would send them to the police for investigation. He’d been receiving messages from the same delusional fan for months now. They weren’t threatening but they were becoming more and more frantic. He felt sorry for whoever could believe that someone they only saw on TV was their soul mate.

  “Those started coming long before Jo filed her claim. Anything that involves a threat is forwarded to the authorities. I’m sure they’ll find out who it is. Please don’t go all conspiracy theory on me; we have enough going on right now.”

  Nothing was turning out how he had planned. He was already thrown by his growing feelings for Jo. Now he had to face the possibility that her motives might not be as true as she said they were. But his gut told him that wasn’t right. Jo had never given him a reason to doubt her intentions.