Diana Anderson - Entering Southern Country 01 - Famous in a Small Town (35 page)

“You’re still here?” he asked.

Emma giggled. “He lives here, silly.”

“Okay, I’m back.” Suzanne appeared next to Cal in the doorway. “Hello, Cal?”

He smiled at her.

“The meeting went a little longer than planned,” Suzanne said. “They’re talking about having five more floats in the Christmas parade this year.” She smiled at Emma. “What did I miss?” She leaned over and kissed Emma’s cheek.

“Daddy’s eating supper with us too.”

“Oh really?” she said with a look of surprise just for Emma.

Emma nodded.

* * *

Raven had given Emma a bath and had helped her get dressed for bed. They were in the bathroom. Emma sat cross-legged on the bathroom counter and faced the mirror. Raven stood behind her with a brush in one hand and the blow-dryer in her other and dried her hair.

“Mommy?”

“Yes.”

“Can Daddy tuck me in too?”

Raven turned off the blow-dryer.

“Mommy?”

“I’ll ask him when we get through blow-drying your hair.”

“I want to ask him.”

“Okay.”

She finished her hair and helped Emma down. The little girl hurried out of the bathroom.

Raven walked out of the room and into Emma’s bedroom. She turned Emma’s bed down and fluffed her pillow. She grabbed a brown teddy bear off a side chair and propped it up against her pillow.

“He said yes,” Emma said as she came into the bedroom.

Raven turned to see Cal standing beside Emma. Emma’s eyes twinkled with happiness.

“Okay,” he said, “hop in.”

Emma looked up at him and her eyebrows puckered. “Oh no.”

He looked down at her. “Oh no, what?” He glanced at Raven and then looked back at Emma.

She crooked her index finger and wiggled it at him. “C’mon.”

He followed her over to her bed. “What are we doing?”

“I have to say my nighty-night prayers first and then you tuck me in.” She knelt down on her knees.

Raven saw his discomfort, but she refused to intervene. She turned toward the bed and knelt down on her knees. Emma took Cal’s hand and tugged him down beside her. Emma bowed her head, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes. Cal watched her.

“Now I—” She peeked out of one eye at him and then looked up at Cal. She frowned and put her hands on her hips. “You’re not praying.”

His eyes flashed wide.

“You gotta bow your head and close your eyes. Mommy says you gotta think about Jesus when you pray. She says praying without thinking about it is like driving at night with your lights out.” She shook her head. “You’re not gonna get anywhere doing that.”

He stared at her a moment. “I’m sorry.” He turned, bowed his head, and closed his eyes.

Raven snickered.

After prayers and Emma had been tucked in, Cal and Raven went downstairs. Suzanne and Ted were still in the den, so Raven steered him to the study.

She motioned toward the mini bar. “Would you care for a drink?”

He gave his head a quick shake. “No, but thanks.”

She didn’t know what his sudden change of attitude toward her was about other than Emma, but she was relieved. But then again, he might have only been pleasant the past few hours because he was in the presence of his daughter.

She turned to face him. “What did you want to talk about?”

“When do you plan to go back to New York?”

“In a few days.”

“Oh,” he said with a look of disappointment. “I thought maybe you were staying on a little longer than that.”

“I’d like to, but I need to get back.”

“Someone waiting for you?”

“Yes.” She smiled with a nod.

“I suppose he misses you.”

Her eyes searched his for a moment, and then she squinted at him. “He? John?”

“His name is John?”

“He’s the only he that would miss me.”

He nodded.

“I know that he and Sarah miss Emma,” she said.

“Sarah?”

“Yes, his wife.”

The small crease between his brow let her know that he was confused.

“Pastor John and Sarah Higgins. They’re the ones that took me in when I left here six years ago. They moved to New York after I graduated college, and I moved with them. They run a Christian summer camp for children. Emma spends two weeks during the summer with them. That’s where she’d been while I was here for Virgil’s funeral. We visit about once a month when I can get a break away from writing, and we’re there during the holidays.”

He nodded.

“What? You thought John was my boyfriend?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Maybe.” She watched his curious expression change.

“Oh.”

“Why is that important?”

He gave a slight shrug. “Well, I’d like to know who’s in my daughter’s life.”

“A lot more people now.” She smiled.

“Do you plan on coming back here? I mean, I want to see Emma.”

“I do have plans to return. I’m glad you’re in her life now.”

“Good. I was wondering how we would work this out, because I do want to be a part of her life. I don’t want to miss out on any more than I already have.”

She nodded. “I’ll give you our address as well as my home phone and cell phone number. You’re welcome to call her any time. You can visit if you want, but you might want to wait a while before you do.”

“Why’s that?”

“We’re moving.”

“Moving? Where?”

She thinned her lips and gave her head a shake. “I’m not exactly sure yet, but I’ll let you know. I want to get her out of the big city. I’m thinking somewhere in a rural area would be nice. I’d like her to grow up in a small community.”

“I’d like to see her as much as I can before y’all leave here.”

“No problem. If you’d like and can get the time, you can come by and get her tomorrow, and spend some alone time with her. Get to know her a little better.”

He nodded and then looked down at the floor. When he looked back up at her he said, “I’ll have to call you on that. One of my deputies lost his wife today.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I got to know some of them while I was staying there. Which one is it?”

“Justin Ledet.”

She covered her mouth with her hand. “He’d told me they were expecting a baby.”

He nodded.

Tears stung her eyes. Although she didn’t know Justin very well, the very thought of what he was going through was heartbreaking.

“What happened?”

“Car accident. Well, I guess I should go.” He turned.

“Is that all you wanted to talk with me about?”

He turned back, his eyes searched hers. “I want to know everything about my daughter. You’re a writer, a good story teller, so tell me the story about her life from the time you found out you were pregnant with her until now.”

85

The next morning, Cal had dropped by Justin’s house. His mother had answered the door. She’d told him that Justin had only been asleep a few hours. She’d said he’d had a hard night. They would be at the funeral home later on to make final arrangements. Cal told her that he’d drop by later on that afternoon.

After he’d left Justin’s house, his thoughts had returned to Emma. When he entered the sheriff’s department, he lost his smile. Porter sat at Justin’s desk and looked up at him with sad eyes. How could he be so happy when his deputy, one he’d grown close to over the past few years, had lost what he’d treasured the most?

“‘Morning,” he said as he walked past Porter and headed toward his office. He had a newspaper under his arm and a to-go cup of coffee in his hand.

After he entered his office, he set the cup down on his desk, tossed his hat aside, and sat down. He caught sight of Raven’s novel. He picked it up and flipped through the pages.

How could he stay angry with her after what he’d seen Justin go through the day before? Life was too short, and in an instant, what a person cared about the most could be taken from them. He didn’t agree with what Raven had done, but he understood.

What Justin had said to him on the way back from Memphis had moved him. Christine had placed her baby’s life above her own. His own mother had done the same for him. Protecting at all cost. It wasn’t about him. It was about Emma.

Emma.
He smiled.

He had notice Emma was left handed like him.

“God bless grandma Suzanne, Grandpa Ted, Grandma Janie, Mommy, and God bless … my daddy.”

Her face had beamed each time she had looked at him. He never wanted to disappoint her. But what about Raven? How did she feel with him in their lives? In Emma’s, yes, but it meant in Raven’s too. What if someone came along, and stole her heart away, and then became Emma’s step-father?

What was this? Jealousy? He wasn’t a jealous person, but the thought of someone winning Raven’s heart, and not just because of Emma, troubled him.

He set the book down and picked up the newspaper. He unfolded it and scanned the front page. Raven’s photograph was on the front. It wasn’t the headline, but still had made front page news. The car accident, which had taken the life of a Laurel County deputy’s wife, was the headline. The article said that alcohol was a possible factor in the accident. A forty-five caliber handgun was found in the vehicle. The driver, Victor Morris, and an infant were killed on impact. The child was not in a car seat. Another occupant, Reagan Murphy, was in serious condition at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. The accident was still under investigation.

Reagan Murphy? That name rings a bell.
He let the name roll over in his mind.
That’s Brenan Murphy’s grand-daughter.

Brenan Murphy owned an operated Murphy’s Tire and Service on South Main Street. Cal made a mental note to drop by as soon as he could.

It had been around twenty years ago when Brenan’s son had lost his life. He was a Mississippi highway patrolman and had been shot and killed in the line of duty after pulling over a vehicle with a stolen license plate. The driver had immediately opened fire on him. Reagan had been three years old at the time. A year later, Reagan’s mother had left her with her grandfather and had run off with some man she’d met in a bar. She was never seen or heard from since then.

Cal remembered Reagan as a child and a teenager. Many times he’d been in Murphy’s Tire and Service, and she had been there. She had been a good kid and had never given Brenan any problems. Her being in a car with a drunk driver didn’t sound like her.

Cal read the article about Raven. She had confessed that Shattered Lives was partly based on the story of her life while growing up in Cypress; however, she was not related to Cal nor did she have a miscarriage.

“Sir?” Porter said over the intercom.

Cal reached over and pushed the button. “Yeah.”

“Thaddeus Kingston is here to post bail for Mrs. Wallace.”

Where’d she get the money for bail?

“Take care of it.”

“Uh, sir? Henry Donaldson is here to bail out Mr. Rayburn.”

Where’d he get the money?

“Okay. Take care of both of them.”

After Cal finished his day, he dropped by Justin’s place to check on him, and then headed home for a quick shower. He got dressed and called Raven’s cell phone number that she’d given him the previous night.

When she didn’t answer, he panicked and fumbled around for a phone book to call Suzanne’s home number. He tapped in the numbers and waited.

“Suzanne, Cal here. Is Raven there?”

“Hold on, I’ll get her.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Cal?” Raven said.

He took a breath. “Are you busy?”

“No more than usual.”

“I tried your cell phone.”

“It’s upstairs on the charger.”

“Would you and Emma like to have supper with me tonight?”

“Well, Emma would love that.”

His countenance fell.

Raven continued. “But unless you’re afraid of little girls, Cal, you don’t need me tagging along. I told you that I was fine with you and her getting acquainted. Are you on your way?”

“Yes, I was fixing to head out the door.”

“I’ll get her ready. I know she’s going to be very excited.”

“I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“Fine. Oh, and Cal?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s not allowed chocolate or caffeinated drinks after three o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Okay … but why’s that?”

“She’s one of those children that bounce off the walls when she has those things after the allotted time.”

“Oh! Thanks for the warning.”

“I’ll get her ready.”

“But you’re welcome to come—”

The line went dead.

“Well, I guess she doesn’t want to go.”
Maybe she’s still angry about being arrested and put in jail.

He had driven to Suzanne’s house and picked up Emma. Suzanne had greeted him at the door with Emma waiting patiently beside her. Well, as patient as little girls can be at that age. He’d never seen a child wring their hands until then. As usual, she had been all smiles and giggles. He didn’t see Raven though.

He’d taken her to the diner, and they had supper with Janie. He and Emma caused heads to turn, but Janie had already taken the liberty to inform everyone that had come through those doors that he and Raven were not related.

When he’d returned to Suzanne’s home that night, Emma had been tuckered out. Her head rested on his shoulder as he carried her to the front door. He rang the doorbell, and Raven opened it.

“Did y’all have a good time?” she asked with a smile on her face.

“I did. I think Emma did too. She’d introduced herself to everybody at Janie’s.”

Raven chuckled. “That’s Emma. Never met a stranger. I really have to watch her though. She’s naive enough to think that every one wants to be her friend.”

Gabriel stuck his nose around Raven’s leg and peered out. Raven stepped out of the way for Cal to come inside.

“You want me to take her to her room?”

“Yes, thanks.”

She followed him upstairs into Emma’s room. He carefully laid her on the bed and pulled her shoes off her feet. She didn’t stir except to wrap her arms around her teddy bear and draw it close. Cal covered her up, kissed her cheek, and then he and Raven left the room.