Where She Belongs (21 page)

A
J wiped sweat from his forehead and poured water around the base of the newly planted irises. Shelby had chosen a spot for the yellow and brown flowers in front of the bay window where they contrasted nicely against the brick foundation.

He stretched, working the kinks from his back muscles as he appraised the job. “What do you think?”

“They're beautiful.” Shelby leaned on a spade she had retrieved from the back room. The one he'd brought down from the barn was propped against the kitchen door.

“I think Gran would be pleased.”

“I'm glad.”

“Speaking of Gran, I talked to Jason earlier. We can bring over your furniture on Thursday after the picnic.”

“That'd be great. I know exactly where I'm going to put each piece.”

“So do I.” He took the spade from her and balanced it across his shoulders.

“Where, smarty-pants?”

“Exactly where they were when you were growing up.”

She made a face. “You're right.”

“You know, Shelby, it's your house now. It's okay to change things around a little.”

“I know.” She pushed loose strands of hair from her forehead. “But where Nanna had them is where they belong.”

He smiled indulgently. “Then that's where we'll put them.”

“Thank you.” She headed toward the house, and he followed. “Would you like a glass of tea?”

“Sure.”

They climbed the patio steps, and AJ gestured at the spade by the door. “Do you want that back in the barn?”

“Would you think I'm crazy if I said yes?”

“Not at all.”

“But it is crazy. Is there a lot of stuff in there?”

“You haven't looked? Not even a peek?”

“No. Not since . . . No.” She shivered and rubbed her arm.

He supported her elbow. “You're not going to faint on me, are you?”

She shook her head.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I'd rather not.” She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “You've been a big help today. Finding me an assistant. Providing special plants for my landscaping.”

“Always glad to serve,” he said with an exaggerated bow.

Her lips curled slightly upward as she opened the screen door. “Come in and get some tea.”

“What about the spade?”

She hesitated a moment then straightened her shoulders with resolve. “Put it in the back room with the other one.”

“You're sure?” he asked, searching her face for any sign of misgiving.

“It's only a spade, right?” Her voice slightly wavered, but she smiled gamely.

“That's right.”

The barn, and everything associated with it, intensely troubled
her. Understandable enough, knowing how much she loved her grandfather. But he sensed her anxiety was rooted in something deeper.

He carried both spades and the bucket into the back room behind the kitchen. A washer and dryer sat against one wall, and tools were organized along another.

Thad Lassiter had died around fifteen years ago, but no one had ever mentioned where or how. What had happened in that barn?

Since Shelby was reluctant to talk about it, perhaps he could persuade Richard to give him the details. The realization that they hadn't talked since the fight with Brett panged AJ's conscience. An apology to the elderly banker was way overdue.

After returning to the kitchen, he washed and dried his hands.

“I'm glad Jillian said yes.” Shelby handed him a glass of iced tea. “Though I'd rather just give her your gravel money. Somehow it doesn't seem fair she has to work for it.”

“If it makes you feel better, you're paying her more per hour than she'd get anywhere else.”

“She's staying on at the Dixie Diner, though, isn't she?”

“Yeah, you'll have to work around her schedule there.”

“Glad to.” She cut an apple, separating the slices into two colorful bowls for Elizabeth and Tabby. “Thanks for everything, AJ. I didn't mean to fall apart like that earlier.”

“Any time you need a shoulder, I'm here.”

“The same goes for you.” Her eyes dazzled, drawing him into their bewitching depths. “If there's anything I can do for you, for Jonah, please tell me.”

He picked up an apple core and twisted the stem. “Could you do something for Meghan?”

Her hand slipped, and the knife crooked through the apple to smack the cutting board. She recovered and sliced into the apple again. “Like what?”

“She doesn't know anyone here, and she won't leave Jonah.
Do you think you could stop by the hospital sometime? Just to say hello.”

“Are you sure she'd want me to?”

“She's all alone.” He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “Except for me.”

“I can't even imagine how hard it must be to see your child like that.”

“He looks so small lying in that bed.”

“She should have told you about him before now.”

“I wish she had. But this isn't the time for recriminations.”

“No, of course not.” She retrieved juice boxes from the refrigerator and placed them on a small tray with the apple slices. “I'll go see her Wednesday. Is that okay?”

He resisted the impulse to hug her. Any more physical contact between them, and he'd be kissing her again. For both their sakes, he needed to keep his distance.

“Thanks, Shelby. This means a lot to me.”

“Who says I'm doing it for you?” Her teasing smile quickened his pulse. She scooped up the tray and backed toward the screen door. “Coming?”

He glanced at the clock on the stove. “Give me a rain check for snack time, okay? I need to go home and shower.”

“Going back to the hospital?”

“I promised Meghan I would.” He held the door open and followed Shelby to the patio. “I'll tell her about you.”

“Nice things, I hope.”

“The nicest.”

“Does she need anything? I'm running errands tomorrow so I could pick up anything she wants.”

“I don't know. Whenever I ask, she says no.”

“It can't be easy staying night after night in a hospital. I'll fix up a little goodie bag for her.”

“That's very thoughtful. Thank you.”

“You're surprised?” She poked him with her elbow. “I'm a missionary's kid. Thoughtful is in my DNA.”

Along with beauty, poise, and smarts. “Call me when you get to the hospital, and I'll meet you in the lobby.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She stepped to the edge of the patio and called the girls. Lila bounded after Elizabeth and Tabby as they scampered toward the house.

AJ jumped to the ground to meet them, kneeling to their level and listening intently as they interrupted each other to tell him a disjointed story about a secret tower and floating lanterns.

“
Tangled
,” Shelby said. “The movie.”

“Haven't seen it.” He spread his hands in apology.

“You can watch it with us sometime.” Elizabeth's eyes, more blue than green today, looked into his with pleading hopefulness.

He playfully tugged her braid. “I'd love to.” He met Shelby's gaze and slightly shrugged. Was he ever going to learn to ask her before he made promises to her kids? But instead of being irritated, her lips curved in a soft smile. She held up her little finger and made a winding motion.

The message was clear. He nodded agreement. The Kincaid girls had him wrapped around their little fingers.

And so did their mom.

The summons arrived the next day while Shelby was chopping vegetables for a salad. Even though she'd been expecting it, the sight of her name as a defendant on the court document horrified her. With her stomach twisting into a coiled noose, she sat at the kitchen table and read the cold details.

Names. Dates.

Consult an attorney.

But the legal specifics didn't tell her how to sort out her teeming emotions. Anger, resentment, fear. Even unsettling embarrassment.

A couple of pieces of paper, and her most cherished dream teetered on the edge of a nightmare.

AJ's name joined hers as a defendant in the suit. He must have gotten a summons too. She wanted to hear his voice, to have him reassure her that everything would be all right.

But he probably hadn't been home to receive the document. She couldn't call him when he was with Jonah.

With Meghan.

An arrow tipped with jealousy pricked her heart, and she swatted it away. In a moment like this, she wished AJ had been the monster she expected instead of the kindhearted knight he never failed to be.

He would have married Meghan if his grandfather hadn't sent her away. Maybe this was their second chance at the happiness that had eluded them before. To take care of Jonah together and be a family.

Meghan was a fool if she let AJ slip through her fingers again. And Shelby needed to keep her distance, a reluctant advocate of their reconciliation.

Not easy when her daughters insisted on planning things to do with AJ. Nor when he wanted her to become Meghan's friend.

Elizabeth wandered into the kitchen, and Shelby quickly masked her anxiety with a forced smile. “Supper's almost ready. You want to set the table?”

She shrugged and opened the drawer where the place mats were stored.

“Something bothering you, sweetheart?”

“It's always lonely without Lila.”

Worse than lonely for her precious daughter. Maybe it was only a coincidence, but Elizabeth didn't sleep well without Lila in her room. She wasn't having the grief-induced nightmares that terrorized her in the months following Gary's death, but she'd woken up crying the last couple of nights.

Shelby idly wondered what the penalty was for dognapping. The only other way she could think of to get Lila was to marry AJ.

The girls would probably love that.

To tell the truth, so would she. But with Meghan back in AJ's life, that dream was unlikely to come true.

S
helby slid her Camry into a slot in the parking garage and cut the motor. Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against the steering wheel.
What
am
I
doing
here
,
Father
?
I
know
he
won
'
t
help
me
.

She had called Richard the night before to talk about the summons, but he only offered confusing platitudes. She wasn't sure, but it sounded like he called her Aubrey when he said good-bye.

That left her only one other option.

Brett.

Inside the office building's lobby, she found Somers, Inc., listed on the directory and took the elevator to the eleventh floor.

Outside the double glass doors, she breathed a prayer. Somehow she had to persuade Brett to talk Amy out of the lawsuit.

No one was in the reception area, but raised voices could be heard from the inner office.

Uncertain what to do, Shelby perched awkwardly on the edge of a chair. One of the voices was unmistakably Brett's. This probably wasn't a good time to ask him to stand up to his sister.

Especially if that's who he was arguing with.

Curiosity overcame her embarrassment. She edged toward the closed door, then stepped back as it flew open and a willowy blonde
stormed out. Her tight skirt and ultra-high heels hampered her stride, ruining the dramatic exit she was undoubtedly trying to achieve.

She paused when she saw Shelby. “We have no appointments scheduled this morning. Who are you?”

“Shelby Kincaid.” She forced warmth into her smile. “I just stopped in to see Brett for a moment. I mean Mr. Somers.”

“Shelby Kincaid.” The woman crossed her arms and gave her the once-over. “Did you like the flowers?”

“Flowers?” Shelby frowned, momentarily puzzled, before remembering the bouquet delivered to the bed and breakfast several weeks ago. The same day she and AJ ate supper at the Dixie Diner. “You mean the roses? Yes, they were lovely.”

“I ordered them. At his request.” She jerked her head toward the inner door. “And then he stayed the night with me.”

Heat crept up Shelby's face.

“That's enough, Tracie.” Brett's tone was eerily soft as he joined them. “Shelby hasn't done anything to you.”

“Hasn't she? I haven't seen you since Friday, and you expect me to believe she had nothing to do with it.” Fuming, she glared at Shelby. “Where did he take you?”

Stunned by the accusation, Shelby scrambled to respond. “We weren't together at all,” she sputtered. “Except Saturday. He tilled my garden.”

Tracie's eyes hardened in disbelief. “Mr. Never-Gets-His-Hands-Dirty Brett Somers tilled your garden?”

“It's true, Tracie.” Brett flashed both dimples. “And then I planted flowers. It was one of the best days I've had in a long time.”

“I don't believe you.”

He gave an eloquent shrug. “Doesn't matter what you believe. I want you out of my office and out of my apartment.”

“You're not getting rid of me that easily.”

“I think I am.” He glanced sheepishly at Shelby, then focused again on Tracie. “You're not the first to leave this way. Time will tell if you're the last.”

Tracie pursed her lips and averted her eyes as she blinked.

Guilt pinged Shelby's conscience, though she wasn't sure why. This awkward situation was Brett's fault, not hers. Her only mistake was not suspecting he was involved with someone else while romancing her.

She was a fool, but Tracie appeared heartbroken.

“I didn't come here to cause any trouble,” Shelby said. “I'm sorry, Tracie.”

“Save your pity for someone who needs it.” Tracie sneered and pulled her bag from beneath the desk. She sidled up to Brett and slid his tie between her perfectly manicured fingers. “You haven't seen the last of me, handsome. It's about time someone taught you a lesson.” Her lips neared his. “Believe me, if anyone can do that, it's me.”

To Shelby's surprise, Brett remained relaxed and unconcerned. “Take my advice, sweetheart. Next time you want to seduce your boss, be a little harder to get.”

Her face splotched with fury, Tracie pushed his chest, forcing him to step back to keep his balance. She sashayed to the office door, then smirked as she looked Shelby up and down. “You're not his type, you know,” she said, her voice saccharine sweet. “He won't keep you long.”

“Only as long as I want him to,” Shelby said smoothly, her gaze steady.

Tracie slammed the door behind her, and Shelby collapsed in a chair. “I can't believe I said that.”

Brett smiled. “Me, either. But she deserved it.”

“Did she?” Shelby bit her lip as guilt replaced her pompous smugness. “Not from me.”

“Tracie's name is synonymous with trouble.” He sat in a chair beside her. “Don't worry about it.”

“You shouldn't have been dating us at the same time, you know.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Kincaid. At your own request, we were not-dating.”

“True, but apparently you were more than dating Tracie. Seems to me that's breaking the rules.”

“I make my own rules.” He playfully tapped her arm. “So how long do I get to keep you?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“Can you do anything about this?” She pulled the summons from her bag and handed it to him.

He glanced at the top page. “I told you before, this is Amy's idea.”

“You're named as a plaintiff.”

“Can't help that.”

“Please, Brett. There has to be something you can say to Amy to make her change her mind.”

“If I could have, I would have. She's got a lot at stake in this deal she's planning, and she's not going to give it up easily.”

“I don't want to lose my home.”

“I don't think you will. But it's going to cost you something to keep it.” He handed her the summons. “I can recommend a couple of attorneys if you want.”

“You know I don't have that kind of money.”

“AJ does.”

“I can't let AJ fight my fight.”

“He's a defendant. It's his fight too.”

“With everything else he's going through, I can't believe Amy is doing this to him.”

“What's he going through?”

“He's worried sick about Jonah.” She stuffed the summons in her bag and pulled out her car key. “Only God knows when he'll come out of that coma.”

“Jonah? Is that his student's son?”

“His student's . . .” Shifting in the chair to look into crystal blue eyes, she tilted her head. “You don't know, do you?”

“Know what?”

She stood, staring at her key. “It's not my place to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“I need to go. I promised AJ I'd stop by the hospital.”

Brett stood between her and the door. “If something's going on with AJ, I want to know about it.”

“As if you care.”

“Of course I care. He's family.”

“Is this another one of your rules? You care so much about AJ you want to know his private business, but you're also suing him. Yeah, Brett, that makes a lot of sense.”

“You don't have any siblings, do you?”

“AJ isn't your sibling.”

“He's as good as.” His eyes softened, as if pleading with her to understand. “When our parents died, Sully and Gran took us in. All three of us. We lived together under the same roof until AJ went to OSU. No more than fifteen minutes away. We saw him all the time.”

“So what happened?”

“Life happened.” He paced in front of the receptionist's desk. “Don't you see, Shelby? We can squabble all we want between us. But when push comes to shove, we're all we have.”

“If he wanted you to know, he would have told you.” She moved toward the door. “I have to go.”

Brett pulled his phone from his pocket. “I can call my doctor buddy.”

“Call whoever you want.” She pulled on the door handle, but he pushed the door shut.

“You're going to the hospital now?”

“Yes.”

“Tell AJ I asked about him, okay?” Sincerity softened his eyes to a sapphire blue. But she was no longer susceptible to his handsome charm. Frustration roiled within her chest, bubbling into shaking anger.

“I've got a better idea.”

“I'm listening.”

“Instead of calling your doctor buddy, call AJ. Give him a chance to tell you what's going on.” She yanked on the handle. This time he didn't prevent the door from opening. “And while you're at it, explain this weird family dynamic that gives you the right to sue him.”

She sensed him watching as she walked along the hall and waited for the elevator. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of turning around to be sure.

When she reached her car, she slid inside and pounded the steering wheel with her fist. The arrogant lout and his “I make my own rules” attitude. It was past time he learned the world didn't work that way.

Her sympathies slid from Brett to Tracie. “I hope you get him,” she said. “Get him good.”

AJ glanced at the display on his phone. “It's Shelby,” he said to Meghan. “She's probably in the lobby.”

“I'm still not sure why you asked her to come.”

They'd been through all that earlier, and he wasn't rehashing the argument again. “You'll like her,” he hissed before answering the call. “Hi, Shelby.”

“I'm here,” she said, her voice wavering slightly.

“You okay?”

“Of course.”

Her tone betrayed her. Hopefully nothing more than nerves. Though he couldn't fathom why she and Meghan were so hesitant to meet each other. They were about the same age. Both moms. Give it a few weeks, and they should be the best of friends.

“This place is a labyrinth,” he said. “I'll come down and get you.”

“I'd like that. Thanks.”

The line disconnected, and he pocketed his phone. “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

“No rush.” Meghan concentrated on the yarn in her lap. One of the nurses had started her on a crochet project. AJ wasn't sure what she was making, but it seemed to calm her to have something creative to do with her hands.

He reached the ground floor lobby and found Shelby coming out of the gift shop with a stuffed dog attached to a balloon.

“Hey, there,” he said. “Thanks for coming.”

“I keep my promises too.” Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

“There's nothing to be nervous about. Meghan's really looking forward to meeting you.”
God, please forgive my little
white lie
.

“How's Jonah today?”

“The same.” He gestured toward the elevators. “This way.”

They started to cross the foyer when Brett came through the automatic doors. “Good. I found you,” he said as he approached. “What's going on, AJ?”

AJ shifted his gaze from Brett to Shelby. She looked away, and he shifted back to Brett. “What are you doing here?”

“Shelby said you were in trouble.”

“I did not,” she said vehemently.

“You said he was going through something.”

“That's not the same thing.”

AJ drew in air, then slowly exhaled as he faced Brett. “I guess I might as well tell you.”

Brett shot Shelby a triumphant look, and she rolled her eyes.

“What's going on with you two?” AJ asked.

“Shelby doesn't understand about family, that's all. She's mad about the lawsuit.”

“Lawsuit?”

“I got this summons.” Shelby pulled the document from her bag and handed it to him. “We're listed as defendants. You and me.”

AJ glanced through the pages. “I didn't think you'd really do it, Brett.”

“Blame Amy, not me.”

“Your name is on here too.”

“We can talk about this later, okay? I'll call Amy, and we'll have a family powwow. Right now, you need to tell me about this injured boy that's got you hanging your hat in the city. Most summers you disappear into the wilderness.”

AJ handed the summons to Shelby and took another long breath. He might as well get it over with, but it wasn't going to be easy.

“You remember Meghan Jensen.” It wasn't a question.

“Art student Meghan?”

“The one and only.”

Brett shifted uncomfortably. “I remember her.”

“Her son was in a car accident. A bad one. Thanks to your doctor friend, now he's a patient here.”

“Must be serious.”

“It is. A few broken bones. A concussion. He's in a coma.”

“His name's Jonah?”

AJ nodded.

“How old is he?”