Chapter Fifty-Four
Jo
“ J o, this is Liv Greenwood,” Jackson introduces us, leaning against the porch railing to let us talk.
“It’s nice to meet you, Liv.” I shake her hand, marveling at her natural beauty.
She’s almost as tall as I am, but slender like all the Pilates teachers I’ve ever had.
Her suit is designer and tailored to her body impeccably.
She’s the type of woman that even straight women have a crush on.
Me included, but her shiny engagement ring stands proudly on her finger, screaming to the world that she’s unavailable.
“Is Liv short for something?” Lochlan asks from beside me.
It’s an odd question for him to ask, and when I glance at him, he’s looking at her peculiarly.
“Just Liv.” She smiles elegantly, professionally even.
Her teeth are perfectly white and straight, aside from one lateral incisor that’s slightly tilted.
It somehow makes her smile more beautiful and unique, almost endearing.
I think I really might have a crush on her.
Lochlan’s clearly not feeling the same confusion I am, his furrowed brows are slightly more tense.
Not that it’s completely unnatural for him.
I shrug it off.
“You guys will be happy to know that Sheriff Malec apprehended Jerry this morning, and about two hours ago, his prints came back and confirmed his real name. Jeremiah Porter, Randall Porter’s brother.”
Jackson’s smiling smugly off to the side.
He’s finally got the people he’s been after.
“We’ll keep him in custody and appeal to the judge that he shouldn’t have the option of bail due to his history of criminal behavior and violence. Randall Porter is being charged, however, he’ll likely post bail and be on house arrest until we can put them on trial.”
“That’s great news. What will you need from us?”
“Well, this is going to be a huge case with a lot of evidence. I imagine it will take almost a year to get to trial. I want to make sure we get it locked down and nothing goes wrong because I only present solid cases.”
She’s not being cocky, she’s all confidence.
“Sheriff Malec will prepare witness statements for you both, and you’ll likely need to go on the stand to testify, Jo. You’re the main witness to Jeremiah’s crimes here. I was made aware of your niece seeing him as well.” She motions to Lochlan.
“But, I prefer to keep children off the stand.”
“I’d prefer that as well,” he agrees gruffly.
“Good. I’m glad we’re all on the same page. I don’t need anything else from you all tonight, I mostly wanted to introduce myself so you could put a face with a name. We’ll be in communication over the next few months, but please, if you have any questions, call me.” She hands me a business card and walks back down the porch steps towards her car.
“I’m leaving town in a couple of days. Will that be an issue?”
“Jackson filled me in. It shouldn’t be an issue as long as you’re here for the trial.”
“You can stay with us,” Jackson offers.
A part of me waits for Lochlan to offer the same, but he doesn’t.
Liv looks at me tenderly as if Jackson filled her in on more than my plans to travel.
“Hey, Loch,” Hayes calls from the side of the house, walking towards us.
My attention stays on Liv, though, as her shoulders tense.
She blinks at me without really looking at me.
Her eyes are seeing right through me.
Hayes comes a few steps closer and stops suddenly.
“Olive?”
Liv’s pristine tan disappears in front of my eyes as the blood drains from her face.
“I’ve got to go. It was nice to meet you. Call me if you need anything.”
She turns, jumping into her Jaguar, and in a split second, the engine roars to life.
“Liv!” Hayes yells, running towards her car.
She peels out, kicking dust into the air, and Hayes yells, “FUCK!”
He sprints to the garage, and I look at Lochlan with wide eyes.
“What was that?”
“I think the lawyer just saw a ghost,” he murmurs.
Hayes comes flying out of the garage on his motorcycle, speeding past us and through the gates.
“I’m going to assume he knows how to drive that thing,” Jackson utters, staring up at the sky in exasperation.
“Even if he didn’t, he’d learn real quick before he let her get away. ”
I stare at him, wondering about this big mystery that he’s clearly privy to, and why I’m not good enough for him to chase.
Why won’t he fight for me like that?
He won’t even ask me to stay…
“Before I get your witness statement about last night, I need to tell you something.”
“What?” Lochlan says, tearing his eyes off me.
I was so deep in thought, I didn’t even realize he was looking at me.
“Randall Porter was pretty loose-lipped when I arrested him. He was looking for any way to escape his charges, but it was too late for that. I just didn’t mention it until he purged himself.”
“What did he say?”
“He admitted that Conrad was the one who gave him the idea…”
“What?”
“He confided in your brother that he had plans for the sanctuary.” Your.
Even Jackson doesn’t want to claim him, and he shares his DNA.
“Conrad suggested getting rid of you was the best way to sway Lochlan to do what he wanted.”
“That fucker,” Lochlan grumbles.
“It’s hearsay. I can’t charge him with anything, but I thought you needed to know. You already mentioned that you planned to cut them all off, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Jackson.” I smile sadly at him.
He stays an hour, getting our statements, and when he leaves, a pit settles in my chest.
He feels like the only real family I have left, and now I’m supposed to leave and miss out on more time with him .
It feels like I’m losing more than I bargained for.
“Hey, you okay?” Lochlan asks, coming up beside me on the porch.
I shake my head and melt into his chest.
“I know he hates me, but how could he be so cruel?”
“Your brother is scum of the earth, darlin’.”
“I don’t know what I ever did to my family that was so wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. They never deserved you.”
I laugh, sadly.
“I don’t think they see it that way.”
“Fuck, em.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“It’s all the wisdom in my old age.”
I slap his chest.
“You’re not that old.”
“Old enough to know better,” he murmurs against my head.
I ignore his loaded statement because I don’t have the energy to argue with his moral compass tonight.
“What if I go to the media? Tell them the truth about Conrad and my dad both abandoning children…”
“That’ll ruin your clean break from them, darlin’. If you drag them through the mud, they’ll put you through the ringer, I guarantee it.”
“I know, but what else do I have to lose? I don’t have to worry about my parents’ approval anymore. I have nothing to lose. No one.”
“You always have me.”
“You want me to leave.”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
“But, you’re insisting that I do.”
“That’s different. I’ve been trapped behind these fences so long that I know how selfish it is to ask you to stay.”
“It’s not selfish if I want to stay,” I whisper against his chest, and his arms tighten around me.
“That’s exactly why you need to go.”
“Even though you love me?”
“I can’t let this place be all there is for you because I love you.”
It’s the first time he’s said it outright, and I can’t help but tip my head so I can look at him.
“When did you know?”
“That I was in love with you?”
My breath hitches, hearing him say it with conviction.
“Yeah.”
“When I watched you pick pieces of grass off my grandparents’ headstone.”
My lips part.
“But that was so long ago.”
“I don’t think it was soon enough, honestly. I was just too stubborn to admit it.”
He’s loved me for half the summer…
“I don’t understand… You acted so…”
“Grumpy?”
“Well. Yeah.”
“You’re the best thing that will ever happen to me, and the hardest thing I’ll ever do in my life is watch you walk away.”
“Lochlan…”
“It’s okay, Jo.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Baby,” he starts.
“What if I don’t go?”
He reaches up to cup my cheek in his hand.
“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life worried that I stole your youth. I know what that feels like, darlin’. I can’t do it to you.”
He’s comparing prison to this place as if it’s equal, but I can see in his eyes that he can’t be persuaded.
His mind is made up.
All I can do is cherish the time we have left and pretend like I’ll be able to move on when I leave.
“I love you, Lochlan. Always will.” I nuzzle my head into his palm.
“And, I hope for your sake that isn’t true.”