Gift of Wonder (16 page)

She looked around. “I like what you've done with the place. When I was little, I used to come over here and pretend I was a princess searching for hidden treasure.”

“You probably didn't find any. Maybe a few baby gators and snakes?”

She laughed at that. “Oh, I ran into a few critters. But this land was always just sitting here like a giant maze,
begging me to explore. Whenever I was feeling lost or confused, I'd hurry across that old bridge and come over here and climb that big oak tree. I felt so small and hidden up there in those old branches. It was right here that I'd try to figure out my life.”

“And did you?”

She shook her head. “No, not really. I'm still going through that maze. And meeting you has only confused me even more.”

“Want to go sit in the tree?”

Her laughter made him feel so good. “No, I think I'm too big for that now. But being here with you is nice. Different, but nice. Thanks again for thinking of this. Oh, and tell me what you decided to name the subdivision.”

“Bryson Branch,” he said, waiting for her reaction.

Her smile was soft and slow. He'd expected that. But the tears that misted her eyes surprised him.

“Is that okay?”

“It's…so thoughtful,” she said. “Lorene will like that.”

“But do you like that name?”

She nodded, blinked away the moisture of her un-shed tears. “I do. I like it a lot.”

“Good.” He turned to reach behind the big basket. “I forgot. I brought something to show you.”

He watched as Alice dropped her plate and took the framed picture of Rosette House. “Is this—?”

“The one my mother sketched. Yes, it is. I wanted you to see it.”

She stared down at the perfect rendition of her home,
his fingers touching the frame. “Jonah, it's so pretty. She must have been very talented. She captured the house perfectly.”

“Yes, she did. And thanks to that picture, I'm here now and I've seen the house myself. But I've also seen what my mother saw each and every day. I've seen a home, Alice. A real home.”

She looked up at him, her eyes still misty, her expression shuttered. “Jonah, I—”

“No, don't say anything. Don't.” He tugged her close. “Just know that I'm grateful to you and your family for letting me into your lives. I'm so grateful.”

He kissed her then and heard the sound of her sigh. It seemed full of hope and resolve. She shifted to get closer, her food forgotten. Jonah lifted his head to stare over at her. “Are you cold?”

She lifted her chin. “A little. Not too much.” Then she whispered, “Will you come for Thanksgiving dinner?”

Jonah's heart pounded with a burst of something he'd tried so long to hold back. It felt like a great wave of water washing over him, this feeling of being so full he couldn't contain himself. He'd never felt this before, this burning warmth that covered him with hope and security and need. Maybe because, just like his long-lost mother, he had never before been invited in, truly invited in by someone he cared about. “I'd love to come to Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I'm cooking,” she said on a giggle. “Just wanted to warn you.”

“I don't think I've ever had your cooking, except for those amazing squash.”

“Neither have I. Well, okay, yes, except for the few meals I've managed to cook for Lorene and Jay lately.”

He kissed her again, just because her admission made him fall completely in love with her. And the dam on his emotions burst forth with that realization, allowing his heart to open at last to the hope he'd long held at bay.

“I can't wait,” he said as he hugged her close and rocked her. They sat still and quiet then, watching the sun set with a bright, golden fire behind the old live oak.

Finally, Alice leaned forward. “Hey, how about some of that chocolate bread pudding?”

“Good idea.” He reached for the pan—still warm underneath the foil Paulette had wrapped it in.

Then Jonah heard a vehicle rumbling up the driveway across the bayou. Alice sat up, looking toward the house.

“I wonder who that is,” he said.

“I don't know, maybe somebody bringing Lorene more food. The church ladies love to make casseroles.”

They watched as an old man got out of a truck, the effort of climbing down out of the driver's seat making him slow and unsteady.

Alice let out a gasp then went pale.

“What's wrong?” Jonah asked. “Do you know him?”

At first, she didn't say anything, then she abruptly pulled away and got up to stare down at him, an apologetic look on her face. “I'm sorry, Jonah. So sorry. But I have to go.”

A
lice ran across the bridge, her pulse hitting against her temple each time her boots hit the splintered wood. What was Sheriff Guidry doing here?

She reached him before he could knock on the door. “Mr. Guidry?”

He pivoted, unsteady on his feet. “There you are. That woman in town told me I'd find you out here.”

“What's the matter?” Alice asked, aware that Jonah was slowly making his way across the bridge.

Mr. Guidry's gaze held hers. He cleared his throat, held up a hand. “I need to know. I just need to know.”

“Know what, sir?” Alice asked, praying Jonah would stay away until she could figure out what the man wanted.

“My land—the land I bought from the Mayeaux—I told you I sold it to someone else.”

“Yes, sir.” Her mind started whirling. “But that was a while back, right?”

“Not that far back. A few months ago. I sold it to a cor
poration from up in Shreveport. A development company.”

Alice thought she might be sick. Her stomach lurched as her world tilted. Why hadn't she seen this before? “You did? You never mentioned that.”

“I didn't think I needed to. I didn't want to talk to you in the first place.”

“This corporation—what's the name?”

“JS Building and Development,” he said.

Alice swallowed, grabbed the porch-post. Mr. Guidry had sold the land he'd coerced from the Mayeaux family to his own step-grandson. She'd never even connected on that fact.

She looked up at him and then looked around at Jonah where he stood, waiting. “Why are you here?” she asked Mr. Guidry again.

“When you came to talk to me, I got curious about things. I wondered why you needed to know all of this now and I was worried that you'd print something, regardless of the facts. I called my lawyer and asked him to find out what was going on over here. And that's when he gave me a name…a name connected to JS Development. Jonah Sheridan. He told me there was a whole new community going up right across the bayou.” He raised his voice with each word. “And I'm here now, young lady, to find out what kind of game you're playing with me. Did you know a Sheridan had bought that land from me the day you came and talked to me? You'd better tell me the truth right now. Did you know Jonah Sheridan bought that land?”

Alice looked from Mr. Guidry to Jonah, struggling to find air. “I—”

“Yes, she knew,” Jonah said as he walked closer. “Who are you and what's going on here, anyway?”

Alice saw the awareness flare through Mr. Guidry's tired old eyes. He looked at Jonah, then stepped back, a hand going up. “You look like him,” he said, his voice weak. “Just like him.”

“Like who?” Jonah asked, his gaze moving between Alice and the old man.

Mr. Guidry turned to Alice. “Who is this man?”

“I'm Jonah Sheridan,” Jonah said, stepping forward, his hand out, his expression wary. “Do I remind you of someone else, sir?”

“You sure do,” Mr. Guidry said. “And I think I know why.” He glared at Alice. “Is this why you came to see me?”

Alice couldn't speak, so she just nodded. “I'm not sure, but—”

“What are you talking about?” Jonah asked. He looked at Alice, lifting his eyebrows. “Talk to me.”

Before Alice could speak, Mr. Guidry stepped forward. “You look like your father—Steven. Steven—we called him Sonny—Sheridan.” Then he pointed toward Alice. “Didn't she tell you? He was my stepson. He loved Esther even though he was married. And he never knew anything about you. No one ever told us there was a baby involved.”

Jonah heaved a breath, his gaze slamming into Alice's. “What does he mean? Alice, what's going on here?”

From inside the house, Lorene called out, “Alice, is everything okay out there?”

“We're fine,” Alice said. “I'll be inside in a minute.”

She looked at Jonah, her heart burning with dread. “I did some more research on your parents, Jonah. And I found a Sheridan over in the next parish—in a town called Century. But when I got to the address, I—”

“She found me,” Samuel Guidry said. “She found me and asked me all these questions—said she worked for a magazine here and she was just getting some background information. I thought she was trying to dig up lies to try and get something started up again, so I told her to leave us alone.” He glared at Jonah. “Your daddy was hard to live with. He always resented me being the sheriff—wasn't happy when his mama and me got married. So he did everything in his power to get on my bad side. But I never had any children of my own, so I tried to do right by him.”

Jonah barely moved, his resolved gaze on Alice. He looked calm but she could see the slight shaking of his whole body. “Go on.”

Samuel leaned against a chair, then sank down. “But he truly loved your mother. He came to me, asking for help after…after she accused him. He was married, you see. Married to a good woman. He was trying to do better, but he loved your mama. It ain't true, what she claimed, even though she tried to convince me it was. It ain't true.”

“And what did she claim?” Jonah asked, his tone measured and low, his gaze dark with dread. “Alice, what did my mother claim?”

Alice flinched at his words. “Jonah, I wanted to tell you. I was going to—”

“Tell me
now,
” he said, his voice rising. “Just tell me the truth. I deserve the truth—from both of you.”

Alice looked at Samuel, then lifted her head. “Your mother claimed Steven Sheridan raped her, Jonah. And instead of helping her, Sheriff Guidry covered it up by buying out the Mayeaux so they'd leave Louisiana.”

“It wasn't no cover-up!” Samuel Guidry shouted. “The accusations weren't true, that's all. She knew she was messing with a married man and when he wouldn't leave his wife to marry her, she turned ugly on him. I had to protect my wife and her son. I had to. I did the only thing I could. I sent 'em packing. And it all settled down. But now, all these years later, this girl here comes to my door and stirs it back up again.” He hacked a cough. “I guess it's for the best. I could have died never knowing about you, but at least now I do. That's something good out of all of this.” Then he pointed a finger at Alice. “But if you print a word of this, I'll make you regret it.”

Jonah stood a few feet from the porch, shock and horror coloring his face. “And now I know the truth,” he said, giving Alice a sharp-edged look. “Well, not the whole truth. I still don't know where my mother is. Or the man who hurt her. Where is my father?”

Mr. Guidry grunted. “Your daddy's dead, son. He died in a motorcycle accident about ten years ago. And I don't know about your mama. Don't know a thing about her.”

Jonah lowered his head. “And you obviously don't care, do you?”

Samuel Guidry cleared his throat and looked up, his hands shaking. “I might have cared if I'd known. I might have made Steven own up to his responsibilities. But it's too late for that.”

Jonah nodded his head, his jaw muscles tightening. “Yes, it's too late. Too late for both of us. The only justice here is that I now have my mother's land back. I have it and…I'm going to build something better over there, you hear me?” He pointed to the park. “It'll be better over there.”

Alice went to him then. “Jonah, listen to me. I can help you—”

“Oh, you've helped me all right,” he said, turning on her, his eyes flaring with fury. “You've done so much for me, Alice. You went right on searching even when I told you to stop. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I think I can handle things from here.”

Alice didn't know what to do to ease his hurt. “Jonah, come inside and we'll talk about it. I can help you find your mother. I can.”

He pushed her away. “I have to get out of here. I have to think, to figure this out. I can't be here right now. I can't.”

Mr. Guidry tried to stand. “What about me, son? Don't you want to talk to me?”

Jonah's hand sliced through the air. “I have nothing to say to you, old man. You could have helped her, but you refused to do that. You were a sheriff and you didn't even allow her to speak out. You didn't even try to find out the whole truth. Why on earth would I want to talk to you?”

He stalked off toward the bridge. Alice looked at Mr. Guidry. “I have to go and talk to him. Will you be all right?”

“I'm leaving,” Mr. Guidry said, moving toward his truck. “I've had enough of this myself. I'm glad it's come to this. Glad he has his land back. At least I can die in peace now.”

“Can you?” Alice asked, anger pouring through her. “You let his mother leave, not even considering that she might have been telling the truth. If I were you, I'd try to get that settled before you leave this earth.”

With that, she stalked away toward the bridge, leaving the old man standing with one hand on his truck door.

She had to find Jonah right now and make him see that she was only trying to protect him. But even that excuse couldn't hide her shame or her regret. And she didn't think Jonah was going to believe it, either.

She'd made it to the foot of the bridge when she heard Jonah's truck roaring to life, followed by Lorene's scream. “Alice! Alice, help me. I think the baby's coming!”

Alice didn't hesitate. She started running toward the house, the sound of Jonah's pickup spewing dirt and rocks, its echo moving inside her fear for her sister.

“Is something wrong?” Mr. Guidry called from his truck.

“No, yes. I don't know,” Alice called. “It's my sister. She's pregnant.”

“I'll call nine-one-one,” Samuel offered.

Alice nodded, then ran into the house to find Lorene.

 

Jonah slammed through the doors of the Bayou Inn, his only thought to get to his room and get packed. But Paulette stopped him on the stairs.

“Jonah, how'd the picnic go?”

“Not so good.” He tried to push past her. “I have to go.”

Paulette was petite but wide and she didn't seem in a hurry to get out of his way. “Did that man find Alice? I told him she was busy, but he insisted he needed to see her right away.”

“Yeah, he found her.”

“And?”

Jonah wasn't in the mood to talk about it. “I have to take care of something,” he said. “Excuse me.”

She let him pass, but he felt her hard stare on his back all the way up the stairs. Jonah didn't care. But by the time he made it to his room, he only had enough energy left to fall down on a chair and stare at the wall. The reality of what he'd heard sank in, causing him to go still as he sat there in the growing dusk.

His mother had fallen for a married man.

And she'd accused that man of raping her.

And Jonah was the product of that act.

He'd found out the truth at last. But not on his own and not from Alice. She'd gone behind his back to solve the mystery of his past, and yet she'd somehow managed to keep that from him. Just the way everyone else had managed to keep it from him. How could he have trusted her?

He could never forgive her for this. He could never
forgive any of them for this. And he'd never forgive Alice for making him fall in love with her.

Finally, stiff from sitting so long, he got up and gathered his things. Then he called Burt Holland and told the construction foreman he was now in charge. “I have to go back to Shreveport but I'll call and check in. I'm counting on you to get things done, Burt.”

“When will you be back?” Burt asked.

“I don't know,” Jonah said before hanging up.

But he did know. He did know. That sweet illusion of home had been shattered, right along with that first grasp of hope he'd felt when he'd held Alice in his arms. And because of that, he couldn't come back here.

Instead, he'd find his mother and ask her why everyone had lied to him for so very long.

 

Alice sat with her head in her hands, a great fatigue pulling at her body. The maternity waiting room was quiet now. Most of the visitors had gone home to bed and only a few anxious husbands and proud grandmothers hovered around.

Jay was in with Lorene and their new baby boy. Jayson Michael Hobert, weighing in at seven pounds and twelve ounces. He was healthy and hungry even though he'd come a couple of weeks early, and Lorene was tired but full of joy. She'd made it through the pregnancy after giving all of them a big scare.

“How's she doing?”

Alice looked up to find Samuel Guidry standing over her. The old man looked as tired as she felt. Surprised that he'd come to the hospital so late, she nodded.
“She's fine.” Alice gave him all the vital statistics on the baby. “Thank you for…coming to check.”

“May I sit?”