Now it just seems bleak.
Hopeless.
Empty.
TWENTY-EIGHT: Jake
When the lawyer’s office called to tell me they were sending someone out, I should’ve asked who it was. But I didn’t. Maybe I didn’t want to expect Laney. Or maybe I didn’t want to not expect her. I’m not sure which is worse.
But now, waiting on the porch, I wish I’d asked. The anticipation is killing me.
I’ve thought of what I’ll say. I’ll congratulate her on her engagement and ask if they’ve set a date. That will tell me if it’s legit. Then I’ll ask if he makes her happy. If she says yes, I’ll move on. There’ll be no reason to ever think of Laney Holt again.
If only I can manage to get her out of my head. Out of my blood.
But what has me on pins and needles is wondering what I’ll say if she says no. What if he doesn’t make her happy? What if she’s reconsidered and realizes that she can’t live without me? Then what will I say? What will I do? Nothing has changed for me. Not really. I’m still bad for her. I’m still bad for anyone to get close to.
But damn, how I want to!
Never has my past haunted me like this. Like a demon. Like something I can’t shake no matter how hard I try.
Probably because I’ve never tried before. I’ve never wanted to be anything other than who I am. Who I was.
Until now.
Until Laney.
But that doesn’t seem to change anything, either.
Disappointment sets in when I see a shiny black sedan making its way along the driveway toward me. Even if Laney had gotten a new car, she’d never get something like this. This is an old, stuck-up, rich-guy car. And Laney is none of those things.
When it pulls to a stop in front of me, I’m already out of patience for the visit.
I guess I really should’ve asked if Laney would be coming.
Now, I’m just cranky.
The driver’s side opens and a tall, heavyset, white-haired man gets out, tugging on his vest then buttoning his jacket.
Pretentious.
He leans into his car and brings out his briefcase then closes the door and walks toward the porch. “You must be Jake. Robert Wilkins, but you can call me Bob.”
His handshake is firm, but his smile is pleasant. He’s much less of an ass**le than I expected. Nice surprise.
“Come on in,” I say, turning for the front door.
“We can stay out here if it’s all the same to you. There’s something about a big porch and fresh country air . . .” He inhales deeply and unbuttons his jacket as he lowers himself into one of the four straight-backed rockers. “So, young man, you’ve had a lot on your plate lately. How you holding up?”
I shrug, which aggravates the shit out of me. I never used to do that. I never used to feel like I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, where I was going, and what I wanted. Until now.
And now, all those things seemed to be wrapped up in one person that I can’t have and shouldn’t want.
“I’m okay. Just ready to get this over with. Obviously, I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the orchard with me and Jenna.”
“Well, it’s looking like the gods are in your favor.”
“And why is that?”
“Your aunt’s attorney contacted me this morning, shortly after I filed the inventory. It seems her husband has come into quite a bit of money and they’ll be leaving the county, which means she’d have to hire someone to run the operation here if she were to gain a controlling interest. Evidently, that just wasn’t very appealing to her, so she has submitted that she’d like to revert to an arrangement similar to what she enjoyed with your parents. Just a monthly sum that’ll be deposited into her account. No real say in the day-to-day operations.”
While that’s definitely good news, I hate to have her involved in this place in any way. Who’s to say she won’t pull this same stunt again if Turkey (her husband) loses his ass out there?
Nobody. So it’s up to me to do what I can to prevent it.
“I’m glad she’s found some other means of making money in life, but you’ll understand if I’m not comforted by her rash decision. She could just as easily come back at a future date and try this again.”
Bob nods. “Which is why I would suggest that you make an offer to buy her out with one lump sum. You’ve got some valuable assets that you could probably part with and not feel the sting of it quite so much, if you get what I mean.”
“Yes, I do. What did you have in mind?”
Bob proceeds to explain to me that there is a small tract of land, deeded to the orchard but not actively used, which has quite a bit of value simply because of its situation in regards to the river and the national forest. “If you had that appraised and then offered her the proceeds from the sale of that tract as an incentive to let you and this place alone, why, I think she’d likely take that deal and run. We could have her sign away all past, present, and future rights for the amount of the sale.”
This is a sly old man. I can see it in the twinkle of his sharp brown eyes. Meeting him and spending a little time with him leaves me in no doubt as to why my parents felt safe leaving their possessions and their legacy in his hands.
Just over an hour after his arrival, Bob is shaking my hand and heading back to his car. Strangely, I’m glad he came. As much as I’d have liked to see Laney, it’s better this way. And now, there’s a plan for handling my aunt, Ellie, and possibly being completely free of her in the future.
Now if only my own future was so clear-cut . . .
TWENTY-NINE: Laney
My cell phone rings. I sigh when I look down to see Shane’s number pop up. Never would I have thought I’d be friends with him again, but when there’s no one else, sometimes a familiar face is a welcome face.
“Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful. How about some lunch?”
I sigh again. He hasn’t given up giving me the full-court press. He swears he’s going to win me back. I keep telling him I’m just not ready and that I might never be, but still he persists.
But then there’s the loneliness that plagues me . . .
“Sure. Where can I meet you?”
“I’ll pick you up at one.”
I glance at my watch. That’s about six minutes from now. “Okay, see you then,” I say before hanging up.
I sit staring at the blank screen. The office is quiet around me. Bob is hard at work trying to free Jake and his family from his greedy aunt.