Facing Redemption Read online

  Janie’s face fell for a second before she realized she was giving him the satisfaction he didn’t deserve. She quickly recovered.

  “I have a meeting to prepare for. You’d better leave now.” Janie ordered.

  Scott took one last look through his partner’s office window and felt a small tug of jealousy. Timothy was getting the woman of his dreams, while the woman of his dreamt of his partner.

  “Yeah, I’d better.” Scott lingered, feeling bad for taking his jealousy out on Janie. “Janie …” he tried to apologize.

  “I said leave.” Janie froze him out.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to … I guess with all this love in the air around here…”

  “You were trying to rub it in again?” Janie glared.

  “No I just meant … never mind.” Scott sadly smiled as he watched her gather her things and walk down the hall.

  Timothy watched the exchange between his partner and assistant through the window, but didn’t have time to wonder because his mother beckoned on the other end of the line.

  “Hey Tim! It’s only Tuesday. You usually call on the weekends. Is everything okay?”

  His attention quickly averted back to the reason at hand. Timothy’s hands began to sweat. He loosened his tie and he cleared his throat.

  “Yeah, everything’s great mom. In fact that’s the reason I was calling. I umm…”

  “Yes?” his mother inquired.

  “I umm – wanted to know if I could have …”

  “You want the ring!” She said a little too loud. “Oh my gosh. You’re going to do it! You’re going to make me a grandmother!”

  Timothy laughed. “Well hold up on that one mom. No one’s pregnant here. I just want Grandma’s ring that’s all.”

  Mrs. Banks laughed with pure joy. Timothy could tell how happy he’d made her, and he was more than relieved. He was also very satisfied he fulfilled something in his mother. It gave him peace, which was one more sign that this was perfect timing to find a way to propose to Chastity.

  “My little boy is getting married.” She said sweetly. “I think I’m going to cry.”

  “Aw, mom. Don’t do that.” Timothy said in dismay. “I’m at the office and you can’t get all teary eyed on me.”

  “I can’t help it.” She sniffed. “I’m your mother and I’ll do what I want to. You’re getting married. And from what I understand it’s to a great girl! When do I meet her and have you asked her yet?”

  Timothy sighed and dropped his head with defeat. It was now over. Any sign of privacy in his love life was now taken, because his mother was ready to go full steam.

  “No mom, don’t say anything to Cheryl. She doesn’t know yet! I’ve not asked her. And yes, you’ll get to meet her. She’s flying to Oklahoma to see family and I thought I’d come with her so I could propose – so please keep this quiet!” Timothy stressed.

  “I promise!” Mrs. Banks crossed her fingers.

  Timothy prayed his mother was keeping her promise as he hung up the phone. Timothy let out a huge air of relief. Now was the time to get his plan underway, and start ‘Operation Marry Me.’

  As Timothy checked airfare on his computer, Mrs. Banks was quickly dialing Cheryl, her second cousin and confidante to Chastity. She wouldn’t break her promise, but there was nothing wrong with flaunting to her cousin she knew a secret about Chastity that Cheryl didn’t. This time she’d be in the know and Cheryl would be the one left guessing.

  Chapter 16

  Paintbrush in hand, Chastity leaned in to study her photo of the Grand Canal. Although oil and canvas used to be her focus, she had to admit she took some really amazing photos while in Venice. She loved them so much, she’d blown them up to create wrap around canvases. For the last two days, she’d been hand painting over them, intensifying how the light bounced off the water, as if acting on its own. In enhancing the color and dimension through her art, Chastity decided the effect was true genius.

  Slowly she turned the canvas away from the door, and dropped a cloth over it. Anne was due any minute with her lunch order, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to let anyone, even Anne, know what she was working on.

  Smiling, she sat back into her papasan chair reveling in the moment. She had her own art studio for the first time in her life. It wasn’t a cramped room off her living area that doubled for a guest room. It was a true art studio, and it was hers.

  Large bay windows allowed the bright sun to shine though entire room. This is one of the reasons why she fell in love with this space, and had to have it. It was the one luxury she allowed herself after receiving her inheritance. And the double bonus is that it sat on Fountain Avenue, right down the road from Anne’s café. Any time she wanted she could walk right down the road to bug her best friend and vice versa.

  When she found out she was an heiress, after her mother’s death, she quickly quit her job at the children’s art museum, but not because she was afraid of work. In fact, she still volunteered there every week. No, she left because she didn’t feel right taking money from them. In fact she donated enough money to the center to fund her predecessor’s salary for the next three years.

  Because Chastity never was one to sit still, she needed somewhere to go everyday. She’d always wanted to have her own art space, and now here she sat amidst canvases and paint in a huge room all to herself. Some days she had to pinch herself to see if it was real.

  Her eyes immediately lit on her prize piece from Venice. She painted it the day after Timothy left from his weekend visit in Italy. She called it ‘Port of Love.’

  It showed a couple, from behind, sitting at the end of the dock, where nearby gondolas were tied up. Their heads were close as if in intimate conversation. Shades of dark and light depicted a very dreamy but emotional scene as the beauty of the water and dock surrounded and pulled you in toward the couple. Their arms were wound around one another, as if one might leave at any moment.

  The painting depicted Timothy and Chastity’s last day before his flight back to the states. That morning they both sat at the end of the dock, with their feet in the water. They didn’t speak much. They didn’t have to. It was all she could do to keep from crying at the thought of not spending more time with him. That’s when it hit her … how hard she’d fallen. That’s when she knew he had her heart, and even though she never told him, she felt he knew.

  That last morning before he left, their unspoken words were louder than anything else could have been. And when he left, they promised to spend as much time together as possible when she returned. It’s when they made the decision to live in the same town so they could move their relationship to the next level … whatever that level may be.

  Chastity looked up when she heard her studio door creak open.

  “Hello! I have your soup and salad Madame Artist!” Anne said with a bow.

  “Whatever chica! Get in here. I’m starved.”

  “Feel like company? I brought enough for two.”

  “Of course!” Chastity grinned and grabbed Anne for a hug. “I love that I can hang out with you at any time.”

  “For how long? You’re heading to the other part of the world you know! What are you going to do with your space?”

  “I know … I’m sad that this won’t be for long,” she sighed and crossed the room. “But I’m selling it to one of Julia’s newest colleagues. She said she had a friend that was moving to Silver Lake. You know property around here isn’t too hard to find a buyer for – even in this economy.”

  Anne’s eyes lit up when she saw Chastity’s work from her trip. “You know she’s chomping at the bit to get your next show scheduled. Have you shown her this one?” Anne asked, walking over to the painting of the couple sitting on the dock.

  “Nope.” Chastity shook her head. “That one’s just for me. I’m considering giving it to Timothy.”

  “That’s a pretty big step for you Chaz. You sure you want to let go of this one? It’s amazing!”

  “A big step?
So is moving six hours away to be with a man! I’d say this is nothing compared to that!”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I bet you if you could paint this again Julia would buy it outright from you.”

  “You know it’s not like that for me. I don’t reproduce. It’s all about the emotion it takes to make the original. It’s how I pour myself into my art. If I just painted another one, it wouldn’t be worth anything.”

  “Not to you, but to someone like Julia it would.”

  Chastity gave Anne a look that left nothing to be interpreted.

  “Okay, okay!” Anne threw up her hands. “So what’s under the drop cloth over there? Something I can see?” Anne quickly ran across the room to peek.

  Chastity stopped just short of tackling her. “No! … I mean not yet.”

  Anne’s eyes widened, but she wasn’t surprised. She knew it took time for Chastity to sort through things, and if this painting was off limits it meant she was working on something new that was a little out of her comfort level.

  “Something new? I assume?” Anne teased trying to reach for the cloth.

  Chastity smacked her hand and gently pushed her back toward the bar for their food. “Yes, and if you know what’s good for you – you’ll back off.”

  Anne laughed, conceding. She liked pushing her friend’s buttons. It was one of the things she’d miss most about her. Suddenly it hit her that she wouldn’t have this anymore. In just a few short weeks, her best friend was moving – and she wasn’t sure how she was going to get over that.

  “Okay … okay,” she conceded. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  “When are you not?”

  This time Chastity was the one on the end of a harsh stare.

  Chapter 17

  Anne knew Chastity had her reasons for moving, and they were good ones. Who wouldn’t move mountains to find the love of their life? She just hoped her friend wasn’t going to get her heart broken. She felt responsible for Chastity. After all these years, she felt like her sister more than just a friend.

  I wish I knew what my own sister was up to. Anne absentmindedly grabbed her cell to call her little sister Grace, but knew it wouldn’t result in the desired effect.

  Instead of dialing, she sent a text.

  You’re such a chicken Annabel.

  Quickly she typed in, ‘Just thinking about you. I miss you.’

  When nothing came in reply, she wasn’t surprised. It’d been years since they’d had any sort of relationship. Her sister felt she’d abandoned her, and Anne didn’t blame her. Her little sister, Grace, was too young at the time to understand the truth. Anne would have never abandoned her. She simply left out of the sheer need to survive. And as Grace hadn’t forgiven her yet, it was her job, as big sister, to try to keep contact between the two.

  “What you doing little Annie?” Jim, her café manager, snuck up from behind popped his head over her shoulder.

  Quickly, she shut her phone and turned around. Her eyes wide she laughed, “You scared the pee out of me! Jim, don’t do that again!”

  “Yes boss!” He winked.

  Anne sighed and shook her head. At least she still had Jim, her faithful servant. He worked hard and never missed a shift, but then again - he did live in the apartment upstairs. If he didn’t show up or were ever late, she knew where to find him.

  “Hey, I’ve got to meet with Julia about some of Chaz’s work. You mind closing the café for me tonight?” Anne grabbed her keys, and looked to Jim with puppy dog eyes.

  He laughed in response. “What else am I going to do? Darla’s upstairs pregnant as a watermelon and I’ve got bills to pay. You know you don’t have to be here. You’re the boss after all. Get!” Jim shooed her toward the door.

  “Thanks. I’ll cover for you tomorrow night so you and Darla can go to your birthing class.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Jim grimaced.

  Anne laughed. “C’mon you know it’s not going to be that bad.”

  “Have you seen the videos they show you in those things? They’re R rated. Not fun! I promise you. Just you wait till you have to go through that stuff!”

  “That won’t be for a very long time my friend. I promise. And when I do, I’ll be looking to you guys for guidance.”

  “Just don’t look to me to take you to any of those classes. Now get out of here.”

  “Okay - okay!” Anne said as she grabbed her purse and smiled out the door.

  With a quick meeting on the agenda and the night free, Anne thought it was a perfect night to surprise her boyfriend with a date night. Brent was a college professor and worked almost as many late nights as she did.

  She flipped her cell phone open for the second time, scrolled down for his name, and waited for him to answer. She couldn’t wait to surprise him with an evening alone.

  “Hey there babe,” she said as he picked up.

  “Uh Anne. Um, I thought you’d be at work. What’s up?”

  “Well don’t be too excited to hear from me.” Anne replied. This wasn’t the reaction she usually received when she called, and was about to write it off to his busy schedule until she heard a giggle in the background of their conversation. “Who’s that?” She asked as her radar went up.

  “Um … no one. It is uh, just a student of mine, who just dropped off a paper … for extra credit.”

  “At this hour?” She looked to her watch, which read seven forty-five p.m. The only sound she heard was a muffled hush and then a soft door closing in the background.

  “Uh yeah, see you later. Thanks for stopping by.” Brent said to his student, almost too professionally.

  “Extra credit?” She asked again, voice rising.

  “Now don’t go and get the wrong idea.”

  “Wrong idea? Who said anything about wrong idea? Why would you bring that up? Guilty conscience Brent?” Anne yelled into her phone.

  “Really Anne,” he sputtered. “It’s not what you think. Langston really was here for extra credit.”

  “Brent, are you at your office? Or at home?” Anne heard nothing in reply. “You’re not at your office are you? Don’t lie to me!”

  Brent let out a ragged breathe. “I’m at home.”

  Anne reached her car and slid into the front seat. She couldn’t believe what was happening. How could he? He was lying and doing a horrible job of covering it up.

  “Anne?” Brent asked in desperation. “Are you still there?”

  “No, Brent. I’m not.” And with that she hung up the phone and drove home. In one week, she lost her best friend and her boyfriend.

  Immediately her phone started to ring. Brent’s face popped up on the caller ID. She promptly hit ignore and turned off her phone.

  Chapter 18

  Jesse shook hands with his staff and said his goodbyes after their latest meeting for the city planning session. They were about to develop new trails to combine all the lakes in the Oklahoma City area, which would take multiple meetings to make happen. The city had passed the tax and now it was up to him and his staff to get the bids in and start the process rolling.

  It should have been something exciting for him, except his mind was plagued with John’s letters that sat in his briefcase. After reading the first one Chastity sent back from Venice, it’s all he could think about for weeks. His curiosity was getting the best of him and, unlike Chastity, he wanted to read the rest. At one point he had a connection with his little brother and needed to find out if there was a chance to change their relationship. He thought the letters might give him insight to the man his brother really was, and he felt he owed that to himself.

  He quickly crossed the floor to shut his door, before dialing Chastity’s number. She picked up immediately.

  “Hey Jesse! I was going to call you tonight.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s up?” Jesse smiled.

  “Well I missed you guys and thought I’d take a weekend soon to come out and visit if that’s ok?”

  “Okay? It’s great. Lauri and Alex will be so e
xcited!” Jesse leaned back in his chair. “So when are you coming? This weekend?”

  “No. I’m looking at my calendar and haven’t picked a date yet. I thought I’d check your schedule first and Cheryl’s of course.”

  “Cheryl? Your mom’s best friend?” Jesse inquired. “Are you going to stay with her? Because you’re more than welcome to stay with us.” He hoped she would.

  “Thanks so much. I’m not sure what my plans are at the moment.”

  Jesse laughed. “I understand that. Okay then. Just come anytime. We’d love to see you.”

  “So any reason you called other than missing me?” Chastity asked.

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to bother you.”

  “No, it’s okay. What’s up?”

  “Uh,” he cleared his throat. “It’s about the rest of the letters.”

  “Okay?” She seriously hoped he wasn’t suggesting she read the rest.

  “I wanted your permission to read them. There are only three … so far. I haven’t received anymore, but after reading the first, I can’t get the others off my mind.”

  Tell me about it. She thought and sighed. Jesse could sense her stress.

  “If you don’t want me too,” his voice trailed off.

  “No … no, it’s alright. Read them. He’s your brother. You need to.” She stated firmly. “Besides they came to your house.”

  “In care of me … to you.” He gently reminded her.

  “I know, but I’m not ready. I’m not sure if I ever will be – but you are.” She stressed. “And … if I ever change my mind.”

  “I’ll have them for you.” He finished her sentence.

  “Okay.” She smiled. “Hey Jesse?” She stopped him before they hung up.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “For taking care of me. My mom would be happy that I have someone like you in my life. So thanks from me and her.”

  Jesse cleared his throat, which made Chastity smile.

  Chapter 19