Where She Belongs (28 page)

Annoyance twisted her features, but her eyes sparkled.

“Where is it?” Elizabeth asked.

“Never you mind, Bitsy.” Her gaze came back to him. “Tell your professor I'd love to give him a tour.”

“Thanks.”

She disappeared around the corner of the house, calling to Jillian and Tabby.

“Do you know where the secret room is, Mr. AJ?” Elizabeth held another section of the bunting.

“I do.” He added another staple.

“Will you tell me? I can keep a secret.”

“I'm sure you can. But you don't want to get me in trouble with your mom, do you?”

“No.” Her forehead furrowed as she helped him arrange the bunting over the rail. “Have you been inside the secret room?”

“Once.”

“What was it like?”

“Secret.” He tapped her nose, and she grinned. A black pickup kicked up gravel as it pulled into the drive. Saved by Seth. “Let's hurry and get this last one finished, okay?”

“Okay,” Elizabeth agreed, but from the concentration in her eyes, he could tell she was imagining the delightful horrors of the mysterious secret room.

A
fter the picnic tables were unloaded and placed in just the right spots, Shelby surveyed the oval area. Across the drive, colorful moss rose cascaded from an old wheelbarrow angled in a corner surrounded by irises and daisies. Next year, she planned to add more flowers, perhaps a small bench. At least that had been her original plan.

“The wheelbarrow is a nice touch,” AJ said as he approached. “Now you need a couple white chickens.”

She grinned. “Only if they're painted statuary.”

“What have you got against live ones?”

“I got chased by a rooster once. They scare me.”

AJ chuckled. “So the farm girl has her limits.”

“I had a few piglets once.” Her eyes involuntarily darted to the barn, then to her feet.

“Something wrong?”

“Nope.” She walked over to the remains of the fire ring beneath the giant oak. Only a few stones remained from the original circle.

“Why the frown?”

Evading what she didn't want to talk about, she gestured to the burnt area. “Just remembering the fire ring. We used to roast hot dogs and marshmallows here. Make s'mores.” She basked in
the comfort of the past. “Sometimes Nanna wrapped potatoes in aluminum foil and buried them in the embers. So many good memories.”

“Do you want to roast hot dogs and make s'mores tomorrow?”

Shelby poked at a nearby rock with her foot. “I'm not sure it would be safe.”

“What if we rebuilt the circle? We could bring stones from the creek bed. It wouldn't be that hard.”

“It wouldn't be that easy.”

“A section of the creek runs behind Gran's house before it crosses beneath the road. We can get to it without too much trouble.”

Shelby bit the inside of her lip as she considered his suggestion. One of the items on her master projects list was enclosing the fire ring with stones from the creek.

“Are you sure there's nothing else you need to be doing today?” she asked.

“You aren't trying to get rid of me, are you?” His brown eyes gleamed with amusement.

“No, but I don't want to take advantage of you, either.” She sauntered toward the picnic table where Jillian and Seth sat across from each other, deep in conversation.

AJ clasped her elbow, and she turned toward him, squinting against the sun as she met his gaze. “You need to know,” he said, “that there's no place I'd rather be than right here.”

She shaded her eyes. “You didn't always feel that way about this place.”

Grinning, he removed his ball cap and placed it on her head. “The place means something different now than it did then.”

“Your grandfather punished you for something that wasn't your fault.”

“He was unfair. But the way things have turned out, I can't say I'm sorry. I'd have hated practicing law. If Sully and I hadn't fought over Meghan, I'm sure we'd eventually have fought over something else.”

“I still don't like thinking of Misty Willow as your punishment.”

“All things work together for good . . .”

“I've heard that before.” She stuck her hands in her pockets, then poked him in the ribs with her elbow. “Romans 8:28. One of my dad's favorites. But some things seem too hard to work out.”

“It doesn't have to be hard, Shelby. We just can't give up too soon.”

Except that the longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave. If they were meant to go, whether to Mozambique or to somewhere she hadn't thought of yet, she begged God to reveal it to her soon.

AJ slightly raised the cap's bill, and she gazed into his eyes.

“Stay,” he said. “Give us a chance.”

The longing to do exactly that pulsated through her veins with each beat of her heart. It's what she'd asked him to do only a few days before.

“You like me, don't you?” he teased.

“Too much for my own good,” she retorted. Time to change the subject. “Do you really think you can get enough stones for the circle?”

“I can. On one condition.”

“What's that?”

“Tell me what you're doing for the Fourth now that your cookout has been rescheduled.”

“I'm not sure. Cassie invited us to join them at some big family get-together. It was nice of her, but I'd feel like a gate-crasher.”

“How about spending the day with me?”

“Doing what?”

“I don't know.” He grinned sheepishly. “We can go into town for the parade. Then plan something special for Elizabeth and Tabby. Something they'll remember.”

She should say no, but her heart was beyond listening to reason. If her future included moving halfway across the globe, then she wanted as many memories with AJ as she could get to take with her.

“A treasured memory.” She nodded approval. “There's no greater gift.”

Shelby picked up a sheaf of official-looking papers lying on the Jeep's passenger seat before climbing inside. She didn't mean to look, but her grandfather's name caught her eye. She glanced back at AJ, who was focused on buckling Tabby into her car seat. She scanned the front page, her hand shaking.

AJ slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. His hand covered hers. “I'm sorry. I forgot that was there.”

“What are you doing with it?”

“I picked it up this morning. After reading through the news clippings last night, I guess I got curious. Maybe too curious.”

“What does it say?”

“To be honest, I haven't had a chance to read it.”

“There's no mystery about it. He fell and hit his head.”

“I am sorry.”

“It doesn't matter.” She stuffed the pages into her bag. He meant well, but she wished he'd leave this part of the past alone.

“Ready to go find some rocks?” His voice sounded tentatively cheerful.

“Yes! Yes!” came the chorus from the backseat.

“Let's go.” Shelby forced a smile.

AJ drove to his grandmother's house with Seth and Jillian following behind in the pickup. The girls, excited about riding in AJ's Jeep, chattered away. Shelby focused on the passing scenery.

“There's Austin's house,” Elizabeth announced as they passed the Owenses' farm. “Can we ask him to get rocks?”

“Not today, sweetheart.”

“But Austin likes rocks. He could help.”

“I can give Jason a call,” AJ said softly. “Another pair of hands couldn't hurt.”

Shelby nodded agreement, then turned back to the window.
She barely listened to AJ's side of the conversation or Elizabeth's gleeful squeal when he announced Austin was coming with his dad.

“He can come, Mommy. Isn't that great?”

“It's wonderful.” Shelby put as much enthusiasm in her voice as she could.

“Thank you for asking him, Mr. AJ.”

“You're welcome, Elizabeth.”

Shelby glanced at the backseat. She couldn't see Elizabeth, who was sitting behind her, but she could imagine her little girl's delighted expression. The fun of this impromptu outing didn't need to be dampened by Shelby's sour mood.

She touched AJ's arm. “Thanks from me too.”

He glanced at her in surprise as he turned onto his road. “For what? Calling Jason?”

“For making Elizabeth's day. And mine.”

“I thought I'd ruined yours.”

“You just shook it up a little. But you've had it tough too.”

“Kinda started out that way, but I've got no complaints.”

“None?”

“Well,” he drawled. “Tabby's timing could have been better.” He glanced at her and winked.

Heat warmed her cheeks at the memory of their interrupted kiss.

“What's my timing?” Tabby asked. “Where is it? I want it.”

Shelby's laugh mingled with AJ's. She also wished Tabby had waited a minute or two before running onto the porch, but AJ didn't need to know that.

“Here we are.” AJ turned into an asphalt drive lined on one side by a row of elegant dogwoods. The one-story bungalow, surrounded by colorful landscaping, nestled in a stand of mature red and silver maples.

Shelby gasped. “It's beautiful.”

“You really like it?”

“I do.”

“I knew you would.” AJ drove slowly past the house. “The house is bigger inside than it looks. The nurse had her own little suite.”

“Look at the rose garden. It's breathtaking.”

“Her pride and joy. She selected each rose, but Brett and I did the planting.”

“That's what I would love to do.”

“Plant roses?”

“Design gardens.”

“You mean professionally?” Leaving the drive, AJ maneuvered the Jeep across open pastureland to a gated fence.

“It's silly, isn't it?”

“What's silly about it?”

“I don't know.” She shifted restlessly. “I'd have to go back to school.”

“Is that all that's stopping you?”

“AJ, I'm a mom. A single mom. I can't do whatever I want to.”

“I think you should consider it.” He stopped the Jeep in front of the gate and shifted to park. “And not just because it would keep you in the United States.”

He opened his door and slid from his seat, then turned to her. “God gives you talents for a reason, you know.”

Before she could reply, he jogged to the gate, unlatched it, and swung it open. Wearing jeans and a Glade High School T-shirt, he moved with an athlete's confident agility. She couldn't take her eyes from him as he waved to Seth, whose truck idled behind the Jeep, and returned to the driver's seat.

They bumped across the rough ground to the creek, then AJ drove parallel to the bank till they reached a bend.

“Safer for the kids here,” he said. “The water is shallow by the sandbar.” He parked, and as they got out of the vehicle, a horn blared. Jason's pickup bounced toward them.

Shelby and Cassie sat on a rock slab near the sandbar as the children threw rocks into the water and waded along the shore.
Jillian and Seth hunted for rocks downstream while AJ and Jason went upstream.

“AJ's hat looks good on you,” Cassie said.

“I forgot I was wearing it.” Shelby flushed and put her hand on her head. “How did you know it was AJ's?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Maybe I've become an OSU fan.”

“You better. Come football season, we'll all be wearing the scarlet and gray.”

On the sandbar, Tabby splashed water with her palm and giggled as it sprayed her face. Elizabeth and Austin, heads bent together, examined the pebbles in the creek bed. Beside the bank, Lila and the Owenses' English shepherd Penny played their own game.

Shelby tucked the moment into her heart, then faced Cassie.

“AJ's cousins filed a lawsuit to overturn our contract.”

“Can they do that?”

“Amy—do you know her?”

“I think I've met her a couple of times.”

“She knows I don't have the money for a long court fight.”

“But AJ has money . . .”

“No.” Shelby tensed her jaw. “I may have to let the farm go.”

“But it's your home. You just got here.”

“I know. But I don't really have a choice.”

“I can't believe this.” Cassie's eyes narrowed, and her mouth formed a grim line. “You have to fight.”

“It could cost me everything I have.”

“Then we'll find you a new place.” Cassie rubbed Shelby's back as her words tumbled together. “It won't be Misty Willow, but there has to be something nearby. And we'll paint all the rooms, and AJ will move all your plants for you. You know he would.”

“I don't want to dwell on it, not right now. But I wanted to tell you, to ask you to pray.”

“You know I will. I waited too long for a close neighbor like you. I'm not letting you go without talking to God about it.”

Shelby smiled, then breathed in the sun-scented air. For the next few days, till at least after Independence Day, she planned on pretending all was right with her world.

No lawsuit. No grieving over the past. No worrying about the future.

Instead, she'd enjoy an afternoon at the creek with her family and friends. Tomorrow's cookout would be so much fun. And then she'd look forward to spending the Fourth with AJ. A special memory for the girls.

“AJ probably would do that, wouldn't he? Move the flowers?”

“He'd do anything for you.” Cassie snorted. “Do you know how long I've been trying to get Jason to build me a fire ring?”

Shelby chuckled. “Now's your chance.”

“Oh, you better believe we're getting rocks for me too.”

“Then I guess we'll be here a while. Seth's mom said the same thing.”

“Don't you see how much us old married women need you, Shelby? You can't leave us. Besides, I was hoping to see your initials linked to AJ's at the 'gagement tree instead of my husband's,” she teased.