13. Juniper
13
JUNIPER
“ G ray came home before you did last night,” said my mom while we sat in the kitchen at home before my shift at the Goat.
“I stayed and talked to Cord.”
Her eyes bored into mine, and she motioned with her hands for me to go on. “And?”
I shrugged. “He has to work at the Lilacs for a year, but then he plans to return to Colorado.”
“Has to?”
I hadn’t asked Cord if it was okay for me to talk about what brought him to East Aurora. Until he did, I didn’t feel comfortable sharing it. “It’s complicated family stuff.”
My mother raised a brow.
“Anyway, what I’m getting at is, how much sense does it make to get involved with someone you know is leaving?”
“He could change his mind,” she suggested .
“He’s adamant, Mom, and where would that leave me? I don’t like the idea that in order to be with a man, I’d have to upend my life. Not that he’d necessarily ask me to.”
She cocked her head. “Juni…”
“ What? If you have something to say, say it.”
“When you love someone, it isn’t about where you live. Home is where they are.”
“Why isn’t home where I am?” I shook my head. “There’s no point in discussing this. His time here is finite. I’ll probably keep seeing him, casually, because I think he’s a nice guy. That’s pretty much the end of the story.”
“Maybe there will be a sequel.”
I got up to rinse the glass I’d been using, when I saw Uncle Pete pull up in front of the house. He got out of the squad car, then got right back in, turned on the lights and sirens, and sped down the street. By that time, my mom stood beside me.
When my cell rang, I pulled it out of my pocket and saw my brother was calling.
“Hey, Gray. Uncle Pete was just here?—”
“Juni, something’s going on at the Lilacs. Every available officer is on their way, plus at least one ambulance.”
I grabbed my keys off the counter and raced out of the house.
“Juni!” my mom hollered after me, but I didn’t stop. If there was an ambulance on its way to the Lilacs, that meant something might have happened to Cord. Or to Sam or Beau. Regardless, there was no way I could sit around, waiting for word.
I took the back way from our house out to the road that led to the estate and waited when I saw another police car with lights flashing heading in my direction. He turned the same way I was going, so I followed.
When we reached the gate, we found it open and we both drove straight in. I pulled up and parked away from all the police cars and off to the side in case one of them, or the ambulance, needed to leave.
Once out of my car, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Cord, Beau, and Sam walking up the lawn. Decker Ashford was with them.
“What in the world is going on?” I asked, running over to them, wishing I could rush into Cord’s arms and tell him how thankful I was he was okay. Instead, I stopped a few feet from him. “Grayson called and said there were police on the scene here and an ambulance.”
Before anyone could answer, Decker’s phone went off. He studied the screen, then looked up at Cord, then at Sam.
“Hey, I’ve got news for you,” he said, looking at her, but then turning and pointing at Cord. “And you’re lucky to be alive, you idiot. You don’t fire a gun when there are nine other guys standing there, ready to shoot somebody.”
I was wide-eyed when Cord hung his head and didn’t say anything. He’d fired a gun? At who? Is that why an ambulance was here?
“You don’t deserve this, Wheaton, but Sam, you’re officially related to this putz.”
I was stunned. Sam and Cord were related? How?
“That means I’m related to Cena, right?” I heard Sam ask.
“Good chance of it,” he responded. “You should get confirmation of how closely soon.”
“Oh Lord, what is the attorney doing here?” Beau said, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Cord. Something had happened; that much was obvious.
“I heard on the police scanner that a suspect was apprehended. Was it Jimmy Rooker?” asked the man I now recognized as Paul Creola, a well-known lawyer in town and someone who frequented my parents’ restaurant.
“It was,” Decker confirmed.
“If you’ll excuse us, Samantha and I are going to?—”
“Wait!” Mr. Creola shouted. “I have something very important to tell you.”
“Can’t you tell us tomorrow?” Beau said, leading Sam away.
She stopped walking. “Let’s go inside and hear what he has to say.”
I realized I was intruding, and as much as I wanted five minutes alone with Cord, I felt uncomfortable being here. “I’ll come back another time,” I said, taking a step in the direction of my car.
“Wait,” said Sam, turning from me to Mr. Creola. “Is there any reason Juni has to leave?” she asked .
“None at all.”
Her eyes met mine. “I’d really like you to stay.”
“Of course.”
They walked in the direction of the house, but I hung back, hoping Cord would approach me. When he did, I took his hand; he was trembling.
“What happened?” I asked.
He wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against mine. “I’ll tell you later. I promise. For now, I just want to hold you.” We stood that way for a few seconds before Cord said we should go inside.
“As I said, I have important things to tell you,” Mr. Creola was saying when we came in the front door. “A few days ago, I informed you that Jimmy Rooker filed a petition to challenge Mrs. Covert’s will. The judge denied it today, which means I can give you this.” He handed Sam an envelope. “I’m not sure what went on here earlier, but visiting the bank can wait until tomorrow. Although I’m going to suggest you go as soon as possible.”
“I’d like to go there now,” she said to Beau, who nodded. Then she turned to Cord and me. “Will you two go with us? ”
When we said we would, Beau handed him a key fob.
We were almost out the door when I heard Decker ask how long Mr. Creola had known Sam was Cena’s great-granddaughter?
I gasped, then covered my mouth with my hand. She was Miss Cena’s great-granddaughter? My mind raced with what it could mean.
“There is a letter from Mrs. Covert in the safe-deposit box. It explains everything, not that it’s any of your business,” Mr. Creola snapped at Decker.
I sat in the front seat with Cord on the way to the bank. Out of everyone in the vehicle, Beau seemed the most agitated. He was holding onto Sam’s hand so tightly it had to hurt.
Maybe once they went inside, Cord would be able to tell me what had happened. I still didn’t know, other than guessing he’d shot Jimmy Rooker.
“It’s exciting that you’re related to Sam and also to Miss Cena,” I said when we were finally alone.
“It is. I sure wish I’d met her, though. Maybe then I’d have some idea of what I’m doing here. ”
“Mr. Creola said Miss Cena wrote Sam a letter that explains everything. Maybe it will give you some answers too.”
He nodded. “I can’t imagine I’m just here to look after horses and cattle for a few months. I suppose it could be so I can find someone to do it after I leave, but I’m sure Sam and Beau could do that on their own.”
I reached over and put my hand on his. “You’ll figure it out. I’m sure of it.”
“Maybe now that Sam is more settled, the security system is in place, and Jimmy Rooker is no longer a threat, I’ll be able to work on doing just that.”
If Jimmy was dead and Cord had shot him, his attitude toward the man seemed flippant to me. “What happened to him?”
“I shot out his kneecap.”
I gasped. “Oh my God.”
“It was either that or he would’ve killed Sam. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“Is he still alive?”
“Yeah. He’ll live.”
“That must be painful.”
“I’m surprised you couldn’t hear him screaming all the way from your house.” He looked down at our hands and brushed the back of mine with his thumb. “Jimmy said a lot of shit, and it’s all on surveillance footage. I have a feeling he’ll be in prison for the rest of his life.”
“For attempted murder?” I asked. It didn’t seem like that would result in such a long sentence.
Cord shook his head. “Murder. He tampered with Manley’s brakes. Miss Cena’s son I mean.”
My eyes opened wide, and I rested my head against the seat. “Manley died because of him? Jesus. Poor Miss Cena. She’d already suffered so much.”
“He thought he’d inherit the Lilacs, or at least part of it, once his great-aunt died. I guess he didn’t know my siblings or me existed, which would’ve left just him and his brother to split everything. I can tell you, based on my own experience, when it comes to inheriting something, it doesn’t always go the way you’d expect it to.”
“Maybe the estate is why you’re here. ”
“According to Decker, who heard it from Beau and the attorney, only Miss Cena’s direct descendants can inherit. Jimmy and his brother aren’t. Neither am I.”
My eyes scrunched. “What would’ve happened if there weren’t any?”
“Everything would be sold and the proceeds given to charity.” Cord’s eyes met mine. “Same as with my dad’s trust.”
“Do you think it’s a coincidence?”
He shook his head. “Now that I’ve said it out loud, I don’t.”
“Me either.”