Chapter 14 #2
“Because it seemed to me that you didn’t get a fair shake. He has a buddy who’s a defense attorney in western Kentucky, and the guy pulled all the records and looked them over. There’s a real problem.”
“What kind of trouble am I in now?” Shyanna asked, her face falling.
“None. At all. Thing is, most of the evidence that would’ve exonerated you in your ex’s assault wasn’t even presented to the court.
There are stacks and stacks of police reports you’d asked to have filed, hospital records, dental records from your injuries, and the public defender they assigned to you didn’t bother with any of them.
He just hung you out to dry and called it a day. ”
“Yeah? So?”
Jensen wanted to cross his fingers. It wouldn’t surprise him if Shyanna exploded when he told her what he’d been discussing with the attorneys.
“So he says he can have a friend of his over in Cape Girardeau go in and have this reopened. They’ll charge the public defender with negligence and it’ll all come to light.
He thinks there’s a good chance he can get your conviction overturned and have your record expunged.
” Afraid to even breathe, he waited, wondering what she’d say.
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
Jensen nodded with relief. “Yeah. Dead serious. There’s a very good chance you could get all that off your record.”
To his surprise, her eyes filled with tears. “Why, babe? What made you even think to ask anybody about all of that?”
“Because I love you, and you wear all that old trouble like a big ol’ heavy coat in the dead of a Louisiana summer.
It wasn’t right then, and it’s not right now, not right for you to suffer that way, not right to have all kinds of restrictions dropped on you because you’re classified as a felon, and not right because of all the judgment you get from people who don’t really know you.
It’s wrong, Shy, all of it, and I’m sick of seeing you beaten down because of it, not to mention you beating yourself down.
You’re a good person. You’ve had a hard life.
I want to make sure the rest of it is sweet and easy, and it will be if I have anything to say about it.
” He hesitated, then said, “They’re ready to move forward. All you have to do is say the word.”
“But I don’t have money for that kind of stuff,” she argued.
That made Jensen smile. “All attorneys have to do a certain amount of pro bono work every year to satisfy their bar association. And you were the lucky one who drew that from both attorneys. Somebody’s trying to do something nice for you.
Take it, Shy. Take it and don’t look back.
Just tell them thank you and let them help you.
” He watched, terrified, as her face crumpled and huge tears rolled down her cheeks.
With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his. “Shy?”
Sobbing aloud, she choked out, “Yes. Yes, I want them to help me. God, Jensen, do you know what that will mean to me?” She leaned until she fell sideways, her head in his lap, and he stroked her hair while she cried.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I want them to help me. For once, I need somebody on my side.”
“Babe,” he whispered back, “I’m always on your side.”
“Do I look okay?” Shyanna asked for the hundredth time as she stood in front of the mirror in their usual bedroom at her soon-to-be in-laws’ house.
“You look beautiful,” Jensen said and kissed the tip of her nose, then checked his own reflection. Every mark from his ordeal had faded over the previous twelve weeks, and he felt great.
“Don’t mess up my makeup,” she growled and glanced in the mirror again. “We need to get downstairs. Everybody will be waiting.”
Jensen was on his way to the bedroom door when there was a knock. He threw the door open to find a stranger standing there, but there was a familiarity about the woman that puzzled him. “Um, can I help you?”
She looked around hesitantly before she softly said, “Shyanna?” His bride twirled to face the doorway and her eyes went wide. “Honey, it’s me.”
Shyanna hadn’t moved, not so much as a twitch, and then she screamed, “Aunt Jessi? Aunt Jessi!” As Jensen watched, she ran across the room, threw her arms around the lady’s neck, and bawled. “Oh, Aunt Jessi! How did you find me?” she asked as she wailed.
“Dora and Roland found me,” Jessica answered through her own sobs. “I’ve wondered for years where you were and how you turned out. I’m so glad to see you, honey!”
Shyanna turned loose and dabbed at the tears under her eyes. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! I can’t believe it―I just can’t believe it!”
“I know!” Jessica said, laughing and crying at the same time. “And you must be Jensen,” she said, turning toward the tall man in the room.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” he said, reaching for her hand. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back. “Shyanna has said so many great things about you.”
“Thank you, honey,” Jessica said as she pulled back and took his face in her hands. “You must be a good man. You’ve got a great family. Your mama and daddy wanted me to come as a wedding gift to Shy, and I couldn’t say no.”
“I owe them a huge thanks,” Shyanna said, still wiping at her eyes. “Oh, lord, my makeup is ruined.”
“No it’s not,” Jensen assured her. “You look beautiful. Let’s go downstairs … unless you’ve changed your mind,” he said, rolling his eyes toward her.
“Absolutely not! Let’s go!” With Jessica in the lead, they made their way down the stairway to find family and friends sitting in chairs on the lawn, waiting patiently as they walked down the center aisle through the chairs and up to the temporary arbor, a minister waiting there with a big smile on his face.
Thirty minutes later, they hugged and shook hands with all the guests, cut the cake, and Jensen even managed to get Shyanna to dance with him.
They were almost ready to leave for their little honeymoon trip to the Smoky Mountains when a truck pulling a horse trailer rolled into view.
Jensen leaned toward Leo and whispered, “Thank god. I’d just about decided they weren’t coming. ”
“He said he’d be here, and I knew he would. Does she have any idea?” Leo asked.
“Can’t imagine how.” Jensen waited until the truck braked to a stop and headed toward it.
“Are we too late?” a voice called out and Amos climbed out of the cab.
“I hope not. We drove all night!” Amber added.
“No! You’re right on time!” Jensen shook Amos’s hand and the two men stood there chatting. In seconds, he felt a presence at his left elbow and found Shyanna standing there, her face screwed into a question mark. “Hey, babe!”
“You guys missed the ceremony! What’s going on?” she asked as Amber wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“We had a little errand to run. I think you’ll forgive us,” Amber said with a giggle.
Shyanna frowned. “Oh, yeah?”
Jensen laughed loudly. “Don’t give them a hard time. Just hang on. You’ll understand,” he said as he stepped to the back of the horse trailer.
Lead in hand, he led the big horse around the end of the trailer and into full view of everyone there. Everyone was staring, but Shyanna never said a word. Her mouth fell open, her eyes went wide, and tears poured down her face. Jensen just smiled. “Your wedding gift, baby. Hope you like it.”
The bride’s steps were hesitant as she made her way toward the animal. “Am I dreaming?” she asked, her voice so soft Jensen could barely hear her.
“No, babe. He was at a riding school in Delaware. The lady there said she got him at an auction, and it sounds like it was a couple of years after he disappeared, so we don’t know where he was during that time.
But here he is, and he’s in good shape too,” Jensen said, stroking the horse’s neck.
When Shyanna reached out a hand, he smiled.
“Go ahead. Touch him. He’s real, Shy. It’s Rainmaker. ”
“How did you find him?” Shyanna asked as her fingers touched his nose for the first time and he nickered. In seconds, her arms were around his neck and she cried into his mane.
“Social media. How else?” he said with a laugh.
“And then a lot of following up on leads.” He watched her trace the scar on the gelding’s face as if to confirm to herself that it really was her horse.
“But this lady sent me a picture of the scar, and I knew when I saw it that it had to be him.” He stroked a hand down the back of her head and she turned to look at him. “Happy?”
“I’m so happy I don’t know what to do with myself,” Shyanna sobbed.
“How ’bout you let us take care of him and you guys get on the road?” Amos offered as Amber took the horse’s lead from Jensen’s hand. “He’ll be here when you get back, we promise.”
Twenty minutes later, Shyanna slid up against Jensen in the cab of his pickup truck and clutched his free arm tightly. “I love you, baby. I’m so happy.”
“Happiest day of your life?” Jensen asked with a sappy grin.
“No.”
Jensen was stunned. “Whaddya mean, no?”
“No. The happiest day of my life was when I found you on the side of that road and told you I love you. Until that very second, I thought my chance was over.”
“Nope, babe.” He leaned over as he drove and kissed her cheek. “It was just beginning.”